ACT 3: IN THE GRIP OF DESPAIR

Chapter 3: Fight or flight

History of Despair

Part 7

Injustice: Ultimates Among Us

Shirou Higurashi wanted to be an ordinary man. All he asked for was a good job and a loving family. He got what he begged for, and, for a while, he was happy.

And then his company went bankrupt and he became unemployed.

And then his wife died in a car accident, leaving him with his daughter.

And then his daughter became terminally ill.

Shirou thought the entire world had turned against him at this point. He needed money to treat his daughter, but he could not obtain it. He could not borrow from the banks at this point, having missed so many installment deadlines in the past. His relatives pooled in their funds, but they could only help as much. Shirou was told to move on, but he could not.

So he started a life of crime. First, he stole, but that didn't get him much. He needed cash and there weren't many markets to sell stolen goods. So he decided to kidnap children and demand ransoms instead. Having worked as a delivery person, he knew the ways around not only his town but the whole region very well. He would make his move in one place, get the money, and get out before the authorities could track him down.

He didn't like what he was doing. Not one bit. But he had no other option. The work wasn't easy either.

Some folks were slow and some panicked. They didn't deliver the ransom and Shirou let go of the hostage empty-handed.

Some folks tried to stop him and got hurt for it. The hostages were also terrified, likely to suffer from mental trauma from the ordeal even after their release. Shirou regretted causing them so much grief.

People came to fear him. He became an urban legend of some sort. They even gave him weird names and falsely rumored about his habit to devour slit the throat of his victims when his demands weren't met.

But the dirty deeds paid off in the end. His daughter was cured of the disease, Shirou found another job and had an income that could sustain his family. With that, he moved on from his life as a criminal, vowing to become a decent man hereafter. Everything was going well, and, once again, he was happy.

Until now...

Today, Shirou's daughter did not return from school. A note was sent to him, ordering him to meet in a nearby abandoned building at midnight. It was ironic, the daughter of an infamous kidnapper getting kidnapped.

Shirou went along to where the meeting place and found her daughter unconscious with her back on the wall. As he called her out and run to her, a voice greeted him.

"Hello again, TURNABOUT."

Chill running down his spine, Shirou turned to see a young man in a wheelchair. Shirou didn't recognize immediately who he was, only that he seemed to carry a flute as a weapon. "Who are you?" Shirou asked.

"One of your victims," said the kidnapper. As he rolled forward, Shirou could see the man was wearing a baker's outfit with a white apron extending to his ankles. "I am Mizuno Haruki, but I prefer being called Yume. It's my justice warrior alias. I am a student at Hope's Peak Academy. My title is the Ultimate Baker."

"I don't remember kidnapping anyone so old," Shirou replied and he inched closer to his unconscious daughter.

"I wasn't kidnapped," said Yume. "I was trying to stop you. And this is what happened to me." Yume indicated his paralyzed legs.

"I'm sorry," said Shirou. "What do you want from me? An apology?"

"A confession," Yume replied firmly.

"I did it because of my daughter," Shirou explained. He told the kidnapper his story as he approached and embraced his daughter.

Upon hearing, Yume sighed sadly. "I know must have been hard for you. Still, you shouldn't have done it. Your daughter's condition is no excuse for you to inflict harm upon so many others."

"She's dead," Shirou muttered. As he held his daughter, he could not awaken her. There was no breath. There was no heartbeat. There was no pulse. This was a corpse.

"Wh-what?" Yume demanded, paling.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?" Bellowing, Shirou lunged at Yume, only to feel something small but sharp impaling his neck. This was followed by a sudden feeling of drowsiness. He wobbled for several seconds before falling unconscious to the floor.

...

As TURNABOUT dropped, Yume went to examine his daughter. Sure enough, she was dead.

But how could it happen? He only meant to drug her to put her asleep for a while. TURNABOUT mentioned she had a medical history, could that had tempered with the effect of the sleeping syrup? Or maybe the bread he used to deliver the syrup somehow caused a reaction he didn't anticipate? Or was there something wrong with the sleeping syrup?

Yume didn't know. His mind was in turmoil. Before setting out for this venture, he acknowledged its riskiness. Nevertheless, never had he expected he would become a murderer.

Having been bombarded with news about the horrible things going on in this world and the constant triumphant of evil over good, Yume's concepts of justice and punishment were also altered. Furthermore, he saw what Rin and Fitzgerald were doing and he wanted to play the hero as well. He wanted to track down the person who he thought was responsible for his loss of mobility, and Fitzgerald, who left Hope's Peak Academy for a talent development project he kept a secret from the others, just happened to have some clues on TURNABOUT. Seeing the serial kidnapper had lived a decent life for a while, Yume thought about letting him go. But then he remembered Amelda telling him about the Mossad agents abducting and killing former Nazis decades after World War 2, and had a change of heart.

All criminals must be forced to repent or face punishment. There was no way around.

Confronting TURNABOUT directly was too dangerous, so Yume devised a complicated plan.

First, he asked the Ultimate Nurse Mikan Tsumiki from another class to give him some sleeping drug by claiming he was having difficulties sleeping at night. TURNABOUT's daughter was young and gullible - Yume's title as the Ultimate Baker was enough conviction she needed to have a go at his cake containing the sleeping syrup. Though Yume felt bad about tricking them, he reminded himself of what Rin taught her, that the well-being of innocents sometimes must be sacrificed so that the guilty would face justice.

For self-defense, he found himself lucky that one of his classmates, Kazuki had become paranoid all of a sudden and modified his flute into a blowpipe. Yume expressed his interest and Kazuki was more than happy to give his friend a copy of his musical-instrument-turned-weapon. As for the tranquilizer, Yume got from the Inu who didn't need much persuasion to hand it over.

Checking on TURNABOUT, Yume found he was only knocked out. It was the intended effect.

"What do I do?" Yume asked himself, panicking. "What do I do?"

For breaking his legs and tormenting many others, he had killed the man's only daughter. He didn't mean for this to happen. There was no justice in this, only blind vengeance. Yume had thought the whole world was corrupted. Now he was corrupted as well.

In the end, Yume did the only thing he could think of to end this current situation. He killed TURNABOUT by smashing his head repeatedly with a cinderblock. He could not afford any loose end, especially not with a former dangerous criminal having him on his crosshairs. If TURNABOUT were allowed to live, Yume feared for the safety of his family, especially his younger sisters. As for the morality of the decision, he had already gone too far - a little further wouldn't matter at this point.

This building had been abandoned for a while and, as far as Yume knew, there were no plans to renovate it. The bodies would stay there undisturbed for a while, as long as delinquent gangs or thrill-seekers didn't venture too deep into this place. Yume could carry the body of the young girl while in his wheelchair without much issue. TURNABOUT, on the other hand, required the use of a rope to move. In the end, Yume put both bodies inside an empty room and then broke the knob to discourage unwanted entry.

His dark deeds done, Yume left. Uncertainty began to cloud his mind as despair crept its way into his heart. Yume didn't know how to move on from this, but he was sure of one thing.

Mikan Tsumiki had tricked him, Yume thought. It was all her fault. It had to be her drug that killed TURNABOUT's daughter, which triggered the tragic turn of the event. Despite her choppy mental conditions, he doubted she could have mistaken the drug - she was, after all, the Ultimate Nurse. Which meant she was the culprit behind this.

He would find her. He would confront her. And he would deliver justice.

Day 10

Tartarus Keep

15:00

Gym

Despite protests from Rin who insisted that we took this a bit more seriously, including conducting thorough research on the information recently obtained in the archive and art gallery, we decided to go ahead with the contest. While I appreciated the Ultimate Policewoman trying to adapt her priorities according to circumstances, I did not think this required a change in course of action.

It was me against El Viento. One on one. Best of five. All generic falls such as pinning down for three counts, forcing the opponent to submit via locks, and incapacitating for more than ten counts, applied. Punching was disallowed, so my hand injury would not matter much. It also went without saying that any attack that aimed for areas below the belt was also banned. Nothing was at stake except El Viento's luchador honor and all the bones in my body.

Fitzgerald was appointed as the referee instead of Rin who disagreed with us holding the contest. The Ultimate Private Detective originally proposed Olympic wrestling rules which were point-based, but with neither El Viento nor myself having any experience in that, the idea was quickly scrapped in favor of a more haphazard approach that resembled professional wrestling.

Inu and Tatsuya also initially joined Rin in disapproval, claiming someone, namely myself, could get seriously hurt if not killed. This was compounded by the fact El Viento promised she would not hold back. I assured those two this was more akin to a martial performance than a sporting contest, though the competitive element, as well as the possibility of significant injuries, remained due to the lack of any pre-determined result that was the norm of most professional wrestling matches. That didn't quite quell their fear, but they relented.

"We are swimming in the middle of a cold sea," said Hijiri mockingly. "A lifesaver is found, but still we keep swimming without it."

"I agree with this well-dressed termagant here," said Rin, earning a hateful glare from the Ultimate Geisha. "We should be more focused on our current situation. We have just obtained information that could potentially help us understand the enemy better. We should discuss and analyze it without delay."

"From what my point of view, this is our current situation," I replied, stretching out my arms to indicate the entire gym. All students were present. Kai, Hokuto, Minako, and Tatsuya were in the pool at the other side of the chamber. The rest were expectantly gathering around the arena. "Monokuma gave us this facility. It is our right to take advantage of it."

"What about the advantage of knowing the enemy?" Rin retorted. "If you know the enemy and you know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battle. Sun Tzu said so."

"This activity is advantageous in its own way," Yume argued. "I mean, it's a social event. Our bonds will surely grow stronger from this."

"Yeah," Eliza said excitedly. "It's going to be fun. So beat it."

"Not if Amelda dies a horrible and humiliating death," Hokuto pointed out skeptically from the pool. The four in the pool were also paying attention to the wrestling match, or, for the time being, the pre-match drama that was so common in professional wrestling. "This is El Viento we're talking about. She'll grind him to dust."

Despite the threat of bombs under the door to the female locker room (which we all took seriously given all that had happened so far), all went without any incident. For all his faults, I gave credit to Monokuma for trying to make us feel as comfortable as possible whenever he was not trying to make us kill each other. Kai, Hokuto, and even Tatsuya were hugely pleased with the swimsuits he had prepared for them. Kai even made some ballerina techniques to show off how they fit her so perfectly. Minako, on the other hand, was looking rather sheepish. Living in the forest, she would simply dive into the lake completely naked like a nymph from mythology whenever she wanted to go for a swim. It went without saying that exhibitionism was strongly rejected by students of both sexes, and by Monokuma himself who showed up and threatened to poach her with a WW2 Springfield if she didn't put something on.

"Hey, don't give me that bad mojo," I complained. To be fair, I didn't expect to actually beat El Viento. The match was mainly for personal satisfaction in appeasing the spirit of fighting and the entertainment of others. There was also a third motivation, which El Viento suggested. "Besides, Sun Tzu said we needed to know ourselves in order to win. This match will determine how much in terms of physical strength we possess."

"A sound idea," said Fitzgerald, nodding. "Maybe we should take turns standing in the arena and test our strength."

"Great idea," El Viento echoed.

"Please go easy on me, guys," said Inu shakily. While his physical strengths might not be impressive, his knowledge of chemicals and the various tubes he carried make him more formidable than he imagined.

"Perish the thought," Hijiri scoffed. "I have no intention of being part in such a vulgar activity."

"Still, isn't this match already decided?" asked Hokuto.

"You never know until you see it with your very eyes," I told him calmly. I did not blame his lack of faith in me. He was being realistic like I was most of the time. I also mistrusted his continual attempts to put us in harm's way in the name of escaping from Tartarus Keep. "Besides, it's not the result we're aiming for. It's the fun of it. And the spectacle."

"Minako did overcome her," Kai pointed out. "If anything, El Viento isn't invincible."

"Perhaps a rematch to solidify your hypothesis?" Fitzgerald suggested.

Minako's face reddened in embarrassment. "No, it was a mistake. I didn't mean it. I don't want to fight anyone." A less confident person would have said they didn't want to get hurt. Minako agreed with pitting up me against El Viento but didn't want to be part of it herself. Whichever her intention, it seemed Minako had acknowledged how powerful she was compared to the rest of the group. Just the way she swung around the botanical garden using the vines already told us she was a force to be reckoned with, if not for her awkwardness when surrounded by people of modern civilization.

"Whatever," Hokuto conceded. "El Viento, just rip off his spine and get it over."

"Gladly," the Ultimate Luchador replied menacingly.

"D-d-don't do that," Tatsuya called out. "T-t-that would definitely kill him." The fellow seemed to have missed the point of the joke. I didn't blame him; given the nature of the second motivation, he had the right to be paranoid about us accidentally or unconsciously killing each other.

Hijiri slammed her forehead in anguish. "You think?"

"And what if it doesn't?" asked Eliza sarcastically. "Will it make him stronger than? Or stranger?"

Kai sighed. "You really shouldn't let him fool you, Tats."

"May Mother Earth protect both of you from both physical harm and negative thoughts," Minako prayed. While I didn't have much faith in her pagan deity, having another greater power watching my back was always welcome. "You are to undertake a harsh trial. Only one of you would come out on top. So let it be the one who deserves more."

"I still think this is too dangerous," Yume warned for the last time. "Maybe we should take some precautions."

"Don't worry, they both know what they're doing," said Fitzgerald coolly. "And if death does occur, the martyr shall be crowned the victor."

"So it's my victory condition not to kill you outright," El Viento sneered. "Challenge accepted."

"Just try it," I taunted back. That was the spirit of professional wrestling, after all, with its participants playing the heroes and the villains in storybook-like scenarios that played out in real life in front of thousands of others. "After I am done with you, your word and your mask shall be what you have for dinner."

"I thought you said nothing was at stake," Eliza pointed out. Her being deadpan about it kind of killed the mood.

"Just saying," I said.

Amelda Douglas Mason versus El Viento

FIGHT

Round One

All eyes, including those who were swimming, were fixated on the arena as the contest began, pitting the Ultimate Luchador against me, the unlikely Ultimate Accountant. As soon as Fitzgerald swiped down his hand to announce the match's commencement, El Viento launched herself forward like a charging bull towards me. From my analysis, I had expected her to open with the most simple but still effective method of using brute strength overwhelm me. Knowing I could not match her force, I leaped out of the way as she passed by.

El Viento's momentum was not blunted, however. She rebounded using the ropes that made up the arena's fence and catapulted herself once again at me, arms stretched out this time to minimize my ability to dive sideways. I avoided this one as well, by sliding underneath her. El Viento slammed onto the empty floor. Hard.

A huge cheer erupted from the crowd as they realized the fight wasn't going to be a complete wash-out as some had originally thought. I had not calculated how I could possibly damage El Viento, but I knew I could not be on the defense forever. As the Ultimate Luchador scrambled to get up, I pulled a kick on the side of her head. The blow connected, and El Viento was temporarily thrown off-balanced. I tried it again, only to fail miserably as El Viento grabbed my ankle and tossed me to the ground like a rag doll.

As I laid on the floor, she finished me off by landing a severe elbow on my stomach, nearly causing me to dispense lunch. It hurt a lot, but I didn't complain. I supposed I should also be glad she didn't drop it from the top rope.

"Pin. Two. Three. El Viento wins," Fitzgerald declared.

Round Two

It took me ten minutes to recover, during which Minako and Inu renewed their effort to dissuade me from fighting El Viento to no avail.

The second round started off with El Viento once again on the offensive using the same tactic. I realized she was going a bit soft on me. Charging like a locomotive didn't work the first time, given my quick reaction - if I were her, I would have tried something else. Then again, I didn't come up with a good counter last time, so perhaps she was merely prodding my abilities. Or maybe there was some deep strategic thinking behind this that only someone with hundreds of hours in the ring would understand.

Whichever the case, I needed to change my tactics. After barely avoiding the charge like last time, I hit my back on the rope to propel forward. As we neared, but before El Viento launched herself to the air, I jumped on my side and pulled a dropkick into her face. The blow was harsher than a simple kick and, as I scrambled up, I could make out El Viento reeling. Not learning from my earlier mistake, I charged at her, only for El Viento to abruptly turned around and smacked me in the face with her muscled arm.

The blow caused me to spin 360 degrees and I landed on my feet. ON MY FEET!

Surprised by the ineffectiveness of her attack, other than causing a huge amount of pain, El Viento was caught off-guarded when I rolled myself over and kicked her in the chin. The blow caused the Ultimate Luchador to drop like timber.

The crowd was restless as I went for the pin.

"Pin. Two. Fail." Fitzgerald tapped the floor with each count before raising both arms above his head as El Viento shook off the pin.

I failed. It was a good try, but I guessed the difference in our powers was too large that even with me pulling off a surprising move, I couldn't take her. Despite the majority of the audience on my side, I couldn't live up to their expectation. I wondered how much strength Minako possessed to have laid low a tank like El Viento.

The rest of this round was uneventful, and El Viento soon caught me in a leg lock I had no way of breaking. I tapped out before she could bend it in another direction which would have definitely deprive me of my mobility.

"Mason concedes. El Viento takes this round," Fitzgerald announced.

Round three

At this point, some of my classmates had lost interest. Minako had already dozed off while Kai and the others at the pool continued their swim. Given what had happened so far, it seemed they had given up their hope on me. But I had not given up yet. Unlike that drinking contest with Fitzgerald, I would not step away from this one.

As before, El Viento started out pretty simple, sprinting around with the force of a locomotive, with little success. I needed to rethink my approach, but there were pitifully few options. I could not evade forever, and while I had been able to stop her charges so far, I still lacked any means of follow-up. No matter how many blows I could land on her she could simply shrug off, while it only took a single opening for her to put me down. I didn't think I could perform a roll-up, the dirty technique used by less imposing wrestlers to snatch the win, partly because I wasn't quite nimble for that, but mostly because El Viento was female and that move could end us in inappropriate positions with one another - like most sports, professional wrestling was gender-specific.

Perhaps I should not stop her charge. Perhaps there was a better way to use it in my favor.

I paid attention to El Viento's momentum and finally saw an opportunity. She had slowed down significantly with this go, probably to counter-maneuver my dodge. This time, I meet her head-on, ramming my shoulder into her chest. The blow connected, and while it probably hurt me more than her, I successfully turned her over my back, feeling her massive weight as she passed. El Viento landed just outside the ring, but still on the arena clinging onto the rope. I dropkicked and knocked her to the floor beneath.

Now I had everyone's attention. I ran back, pushed myself into the ropes, and rebounded with greater force. As El Viento recovered, I took a leap of faith and flung myself from the arena and into the unsuspecting Ultimate Luchador. As our bodies clashed, whoops, cheers, and cries of concerns erupted from my classmates. I nearly blacked out from the fall. El Viento was also dazed by it. Again, it was probably more physically detrimental to me than to her, but I only needed to buy some time.

"Nine... Ten... El Viento is disqualified," Fitzgerald counted and declared. "This round goes to Mason."

Round four

With that surprising maneuver, I had put my name on the scoreboard and recaptured the enthusiasm of other classmates. While both of us were rolling on the floor, El Viento exited the ring first, and so was disqualified before me. Admittedly, this was the most inconsistently applied rule in professional wrestling, but I was glad Fitzgerald followed it to the tee. El Viento didn't seem bothered by the loss. It was all fair game.

As the fourth round began, I concluded my chance of winning was nil. I had run out of tricks and El Viento had no doubt switched to full-serious mode. But much like with Monokuma's way of executing my classmates, it was the form my defeat would take that I had not anticipated.

Rather than charging me head-on like before, El Viento approached me with a combination and speed and precision that left little room for escape. Still, my martial art skills allowed me to avoid her grasps and elbows. It was then that the Ultimate Luchador swung around for a round-house kick. Not expecting a person so large to be nimble, I did the stupidest thing ever by trying to block it, with only one arm. Needless to say, I failed, or rather I succeeded in meeting the blow with my arm only to get overwhelmed by the force behind it and was knocked bodily to the ground.

Finish him!

El Viento proceeded to pull me back up and threw me into one of the arena's posts, which I had no choice but to get dragged around like a rag doll. Hitting the post was painful. Getting sandwiched between El Viento's muscle mass and the post was a thousand times worse. She then grabbed me by the waist, pulled me upside down, and slammed my face and chest to the floor with the force of a violent truck crash.

"FATALITY! El Viento is the overall champion." Fitzgerald's announcement was the last thing I heard before I blacked out.

Result: 3 - 1 in favor of El Viento!

16:30

Gym

Minako, Inu, and Tatsuya were all worried, the latter even thinking I was dead, which made me felt bad for causing them so much unnecessary distress. While I did pass out for several minutes, I suffered no injury. All my bones seemed fine, as least I didn't feel anything broken inside, so the match wasn't as deadly as they thought. Within minutes most of the pain had subsided. The match was more of an artistic performance than an actual contest of force, after all, otherwise, we would have called Monokuma to be the referee.

"Are you alright, Amelda?" asked Inu. "I hope El Viento didn't go overboard."

"Yeah," Rin added. "You were already injured by that fancy-dressed cur earlier. The last thing we need right now is another crippled person among us. No offense, Yume."

"None taken," Yume assured.

"I'm fine," I assured them, smiling and waving my arms around to prove my point. I knew I should have expected any attempt to block El Viento's blows would be futile, but in the heat of the moment, I allowed my instinct to take over. This was the first time I had faced an adversary wielding such immense strength - none of my Krav Maga instructors came close to her hugeness - and, given the situation, I doubted this would be the last. "I don't think that left any bruise either."

"But you p-p-passed out," Tatsuya insisted.

"It's okay," I told him. "That's what a large dose of pain at the right places can do to you. But the pain won't last long."

"Mother Earth be praised," Minako muttered. "I'm glad to see both of you are safe."

"Just be cautious of trauma," said Rin. "Take it easy and don't overexert yourself. If you feel anything, don't hesitate to tell us." Her kindness also made me feel bad for not trusting her. Though her methods were usually extreme, she did genuinely care for the safety of others.

"I will," I replied.

"For someone who just got your ass kicked, you seem pretty happy," Eliza remarked. "If I were you, I would probably sulk."

"As I said, it's not victory I seek, but the thrill in competition," I answered. "I'm happy that El Viento allowed me to indulge in my obsession with pro-wrestling, so it's a win-win for both of us."

"Right you are," said El Viento, nodding with a large grin on her face. "You performed well, better than what I expected from an accountant. I am honored by your kombat. Perhaps one day we should have a re-match."

"I must admit, that was much closer than I thought," said Hokuto, outside the pool but still in his swimsuit. Three to one didn't seem like a close match, but given the power discrepancy, it was unexpected that I was able to snatch one round from El Viento.

"You made a good account of yourself there, Mason," Fitzgerald commented. "Don't feel bad about losing. I don't think anyone here, barring Minako, can take on El Viento like that."

"That was awesome," exclaimed Yume animatedly. "You two fought like heroes out of legends: the Landsknecht and the Berserker. I am thinking I could use this as inspiration for one of my cakes."

"Whatever," said Rin, back to her normally grim mood. "While you guys were wasting time with this useless activity, I just thought of something that might lead to us having an edge on the true foe, Monokuma. Fitzgerald, come with me. I need you for a moment."

"Right away," said the Ultimate Private Detective insouciantly.

As the two of them left, others followed. The fun was over and each of us must now tend to our interest. Inu said he would return to his lab. Though I wished to object for the sake of his physical health, the fellow had been in a state of mental distress ever since Monokuma announced the Mutual Killing Game. I supposed it wouldn't kill him to live in his dream for one single day like I did just now before Monokuma gave us the next motive.

Hokuto, Minako, and Tatsuya all exited the pool, but Kai decided to stay just a little longer.

Yume volunteered to aid me in walking around should I needed. My practical mind didn't consider it ironic at all - had I had a weaker body like an average person, El Viento might have hospitalized me after that. I thanked his concern but refused his help as I had trouble moving. Despite his obvious fondness of me and my appreciation of his helpfulness and positivity so far, this was the first time we had a real talk with one another.

Hang out with Yume?

Yeah, sure/Not now

"Yume, you are always so kind to us," Amelda remarked.

Yume smiled heartily. "What makes you guys happy makes me happy as well. Don't you feel that way?"

"From an economist point of view, that's certainly one way to derive utility from," Amelda replied. "I do try to please my parents. And make sure my sister isn't a nuisance by spending time with her."

"Your sister must be very lucky to have a brother like you," Yume chuckled. "You are strong and smart. You take down criminals in courts. You are like a superhero."

Ameld felt his heart throbbed. "But I couldn't protect her..."

Yume's face darkened. "Oh, sorry about that. I didn't mean to. I just thought..."

"No, it's alright." Amelda shook his head. "You're right. I shouldn't be sulking. I'm not alone in this."

"Monokuma used my twin sister as a hostage as well," said Yume. "He used his dark magic on her to suppress her power and prevent her from breaking free. Seeing her in such a state was depressing for me. But she's free now, along with your sister, so we shouldn't worry too much about them for the time being. It is our current and future conditions that matter."

(Not wanting to ruin the mood, Amelda decided not to tell Yume about the permanent and crippling damage his sister had sustained.)

"Anyway, I am jealous of you," Amelda stated.

Yume flushed. "What? But you are strong and intelligent, and you help us a lot in those trials as well. You have more skills than just accounting, while baking is all I can excel at."

"I'm not talking about our talents," said Amelda. "You seem positive all the time, despite everything. I wish I could be like you. Rin might talk big, but I think you're the one keeping us together. Whenever we argue, it is usually you who steps in to reconcile."

"Ah, I see," Yume noted, smiling. "I guess it's part of my nature if you can call it that way. My parents run a bakery, the biggest one in town. My three sisters and I help them whenever we can. Even before I get into baking, I would just clean up the store after the hours so my mom and dad can rest, or hang the posters whenever they come up with a recipe. When younger sisters got old enough, they got into the family business as well. Working together, the five of us, was superbly fun."

"A whole magical family, I presume?" Amelda asked jokingly.

Yume chuckled. "No, that's just me and Haruna. She grew up watching magical girl anime series. One day she told me to watch alongside her. I wasn't sure at first because I thought those shows were meant for, you know, girls. I didn't know what to expect, but it turned out amazing. I fell in love with it immediately. Haruna even made me this dress here. It's not the best craftsmanship out there, but how could I say no when she put her heart, soul, and magical powers into making it?"

"You have been wearing the same thing since the first day?" asked Amelda, frowning.

"No, I have two more sets," Yume laughed. "Haruna made three identical costumes for me, and Monokuma brought them all here. The rest of the wardrobe consists of bakery outfits."

"I guess as much," Amelda grinned. "Otherwise, I would have been repelled by our small long before I am hit by the scents of your baking."

"Anyway, those magical girl shows really influenced me," Yume continued excitedly. "I decided I would want to grow up to become an ally of justice who will bring deliverance to the innocent and protect them from the wicked."

"Really?" asked Amelda.

"Yes, really," Yume confirmed. "I once saw a bunch of bullies force a boy into a corner and demand that he pay them 'protection money'. I didn't know who any of them was, but I couldn't let it come to pass. So I ran in and took them on three against one."

"That was dangerous," said Amelda worriedly. "How do you even fight them in a wheelchair?"

"Ah, that was before I was crippled," Yume explained. "But I got a good thrashing, nevertheless. Still, I made a good account of myself and the bullies lost interest and walked away. I remembered returning home that day and Haruna was terrified to see me. We covered it up, telling our parents I had a bad fall."

"I know I would just walk away if I were you," said Amelda, amazed. "I'm not that brave or bold."

"You have other methods, Amelda," Yume pointed out coolly. "Beating up some local meatheads is my thing. You put crooks into prisons through investigations and trials. You deserve credit as an ally of justice as well."

"Still," Amelda went on, "that was reckless of you. There are good reasons why Superman and Batman are heroes and we are not. Trying to follow their footstep like that is probably going to backfire."

Yume sighed sadly. "Yeah, I think I learned my lesson. The hard way."

"Is that what happened to your legs?" Amelda inquired. "Sorry for asking."

"After that encounter, I trained myself a lot," said Yume. "I was the strongest kid in town and even the bullies become afraid of me. I thought I could do anything until TURNABOUT happened."

"The name you mentioned as your worst nightmare," said Amelda. "He's the one you saw under the effect of Despair Gas, wasn't he?"

Yume nodded. "He was a notorious kidnapper in the region. He traveled from one town to another, abducting children and forcing their parents to pay large ransoms. I heard he even killed some of them when his demands were not met. When I heard he was hiding in the neighborhood, I sprung into action. I located him inside an abandoned warehouse with a captured girl. In retrospect, I should have called the police. If Rin finds out, she'll no doubt give me a good lecture. "

"But your heroic instinct took over," Amelda finished.

Yume nodded. "I was overzealous back then. I thought I could take him on. It didn't turn out so well. We had a scuffle. I remember falling from somewhere and blacking out. When I woke up, I was in the hospital. The girl was safe, but TURNABOUT had already made his escape. I was told an anonymous call led the rescue team to my location. And that was when I also realized I could not walk anymore. My legs were broken. My memory is sketchy at best but must have happened during the fall. It was stupid of me to try and take on that kidnapper on my own."

"Let's hope you don't do anything stupid with Monokuma," said Amelda.

"After what happened to El Viento and my sister, I don't think I will," Yume concurred. "He's far too powerful."

Hope's Shard Obtained!

Yume

I learned a lot about Yume without even discussing his talent. His strong sense of justice is admirable, though his recklessness seems to rival Hokuto's. His strong family bond also has translated well into bonds between him and other classmates. I wish I could be as positive as he was.

19:30

Main Hall

Rin insisted that we all be here for dinner so that the meeting could begin afterward as she and Fitzgerald had many interesting findings to share. While I didn't agree with her methods most of the time, learning about the identity and nature of the enemy was instrumental in beating them. As Francis Bacon said, knowledge was power.

During dinner, most of us were gathered in the main hall, including Minako who reluctantly complied. The ones missing were Hokuto and Tatsuya who had not been seen since late afternoon. Needless to say, Rin was not pleased.

"Where are those two?" she bawled. "Has anybody seen them?"

Nobody answered.

"I saw them going to the library," said Kai. Because the library was where the stairs leading to the lower floor was, it should have been difficult to determine where they were at that point. However, knowing Hokuto, there was only one place he could have been that we couldn't find him.

"He's probably in the dungeon finding a way to escape at this point," I said.

"This is also important to our escape," Rin scoffed. "He and Tatsuya should be here to discuss with us."

"They should also know to take meals seriously," Hijiri added.

"Hey, do you think Hokuto lured Tatsuya there to...," Inu fearfully suggested.

"Unlikely," said Fitzgerald. "Since those two were known to be together, that would have made him a little too suspicious."

"What if he hides the body?" asked El Viento.

"No corpse, no investigation, no trial, no voting, no benefit," said Fitzgerald bluntly.

"He's right," I explained. "The blackened can only win if there is a trial. Hiding a body where no one can access is a useless thing to do."

"Should we wait for them then?" asked Minako.

"It's going to be a pain elaborating the whole thing to them after we are done with the meeting, isn't it?" Inu moaned.

"I'm sure Hokuto had a good reason," said Minako. "Maybe he is on the cusp of a breakthrough as well."

"If they don't turn up half an hour later, we are forming a search party into there," Rin replied with vehemence. "Discipline must be maintained. There can be no exception."

"Here we go again," Hijiri sighed.

"Let me finish first," said Eliza almost happily, still chomping down on her meal. I find it remarkable that she still had that kind of appetite. "Then we'll go. He's probably hiding in some hole smoking weeds. I want to see the look on his face when I catch him with that green stuff."

Before Rin organized us into an angry mob to search for Hokuto and punish him for his absence, I thought I should talk to Eliza a bit. While she didn't come out as someone I could get along with, mostly because her creativeness clashed with my by-the-book principle, I thought we had grown closer together after the second trial. Perhaps I shouldn't be too judgmental about her like I did with the late Ashley. I didn't need Yume to approach her this time.

Hang out with Elizabeth "Eliza" Piket?

Yeah, sure/Not now

"It seems you retain your appetite," Amelda noted.

"Yeah," Eliza replied between mouthfuls. "I am surprised as well... I thought for sure I wouldn't be able to eat anything... after that whole walking marshmallow incident... But Yume's treats this morning were so exceptional that it got my taste buds running again."

"Well, I'm glad you are not too affected by what happened so far," said Amelda. "Don't need to rush. The manhunt won't begin in half an hour."

"Sorry," said Eliza, swiping at her mouth with a tissue and taking a deep breath. "It's a habit of mine. When I am happy, I eat. When I am sad, I eat. In fact, any emotion compels me to consume something."

"Then how are you still not fat already?" Amelda asked. "I remember having the same mentality when I was a child, and I looked like a matryoshka back then."

"Maybe it's the fact I work out a lot as well," said Eliza. "Seriously, tinkering with machines require a lot of hard work. Or maybe it's genetics. But really, I am also surprised that you look so beefy even though your talent shouldn't require a lot of menial work, and the fact you said it yourself that you were obese as a child."

"I lost my appetite at one point," Amelda admitted. "I was always a smart kid, and at one point, I evaluated the costs and benefits of being fat. As it turned out, it sucked. If I had been more agile, I would have avoided that truck, and Rebecca wouldn't have had to sacrifice herself for me."

(Amelda went on to describe the incident that changed his life forever.)

"From what I see," said Eliza, "something good actually came out of it. I mean, it's tragic for sure, but your father dropped his bad habit, and you lost your weight."

"That's certainly one way of looking into it," Amelda agreed.

"You should feel lucky," Eliza continued. "You are loved by so many people. It is the worries your parents had for you that forced them to reconcile. Rebecca must have liked you enough to give up her life for yours. And here, I don't know if you can see it, but I think you are quite popular here, especially to Fitzgerald and Minako."

"I see," Amelda mused. "I guess you're right to some extent. And what about you? You seem very intent on surpassing your parents. Did something happen between you and them?"

"Nothing," Eliza replied, pausing. "It's literally nothing. I can hardly recall any good memory I have with them. They were the eccentric type. They left me to my own device with a bunch of expensive toys most of the time. I didn't have any friends either, so the toys were the only things I have to play with. At some point, I got bored with the existing toys and began to pick them apart to create new ones. When my parents found out, I thought they would be furious, but they didn't even seem to bother. When I was younger, I took all of that for granted. But now, especially since I am trapped in this place with no escape and just narrowly avoided condemnation from a dickhead, looking back, I find myself alone and isolated. I know they love me very much, and I do the same. However, I guess both me and them just suck as showing it to each other."

"But wasn't being left alone with many expensive toys the catalyst for your talent?" Amelda stated. "Until I went to summer camps in Israel, I didn't have any friends in the United States either. I spent almost all of my free time in the library. That was how I discovered my talent as an Accountant as well."

"Interesting," Eliza mused. "We have more in common than I thought. I sorry I misjudged you on the first day we met. You know, I am all about creativity and you are an abider of rules."

"I think I will withhold the withdrawal of my mistrust against you," said Amelda blankly. "Now that you said it, I am surprised you haven't come up with any contraption like Hokuto is doing. Not that I am recommending this course of action."

"You haven't seen it yet," said Eliza. "I have been working on a project myself. It's gonna blow you away."

"Let's hope you don't mean it literally," said Amelda.

"Of course," Eliza confirmed, grinning. "Anyway, I work well only under pressure. Thus, so far, my lack of motivation is understandable. I have been held back by..."

"Laziness?" asked Amelda.

"No, complacency," Eliza rebuked. "I told you about my proudest achievement. And yes, I stand by it. But you haven't heard about the one most respected by others."

"What is it, then?' Amelda inclined.

"After one of my projects nearly burned down my school, I was threatened with expulsion," said Eliza. "Other students didn't seem to mind - they were all treating me like garbage anyway. I convinced the principal that I was working on a way to improve the cooking stoves in the cafeteria, and that I could finish it within a week. The stoves were old and not budget has been put into replacing or repairing it. For this reason, the food served during lunch was either disgustingly cold or bought from the local restaurant ran by a bunch of rednecks. My parents talked to me against it, but I did not relent. In the end, I got my way and was able to begin my work. After five days of no result, I thought about giving up. But on the sixth day, I had a terrific idea. And on the final day, guess what happened."

"You blew up the school for real?" Amelda suggested.

"What? NO!" Eliza blasted. "I completely renovated those stoves, cutting down energy consumption by half and allowing the food to be heated at a higher temperature. The food got better, everyone was happy, and I earned the respect I deserved."

"It took you one day to do all that?" Amelda asked incredulously.

"Implementing the idea is the easy part," Eliza claimed. "Getting it in the first place is the hard one."

"I can't say I disagree with that," Amelda admitted.

Hope Shard obtained!

Elizabeth "Eliza" Piket

Eliza is either a genius, or a hack, or both. While her talent can be quite remarkable, at the moment, she is an enigma. Still, I am glad that our relationship has improved significantly since the day we met.

"Time's up," Rin declared. "Now Hokuto's really going to get it."

"Alright, let's go find him, then," said Fitzgerald. Despite the Mutual Killing Game still going on, Hokuto and Tatsuya's disappearance didn't cause much concern among us. Monokuma had yet to announce the latest motivation, after all, so there was little chance of murder actually occurring.

"Splendid, we might as well light the torches and sharpen the sickles," said Hijiri derisively.

"Do you think something bad happened to them?" asked Inu timidly.

"Let's not overthink," Yume insisted.

Just as we were heading out, Tatsuya wobbled into the main hall. He was alone and in bad shape. The fellow had several bruises on his knees and elbows, suggesting falls. He was also covered in dust which was consistent with only one place I could think of: the dungeon. It looked like our predictions were correct and he and Hokuto must have been working on something in that accursed place during dinner.

"H-h-h-help!" Tatsuya cried out. We all ran towards him. Kai helped to support the poor fellow. While his injuries didn't seem too much, he seemed to be in a state of complete panic, his face completely drained of colors. "H-h-hokuto, h-h-he's..."

"Calm down, buddy," I told him.

After being given food and water, Tatsuya partially recollected himself.

"Now tell us what happened," Minako insisted. "Nice and easy."

He told us what happened. His stuttering made it difficult to fully understand and, at several points, we had to stop Rin from putting too much pressure on the poor fellow. Nevertheless, we got the gist of it.

Hokuto. In the dungeon. Alone. A horde of zombies coming after him.

Yep, Hokuto the Ultimate Miner was either running away from or fighting off a horde of zombies on his own - Tatsuya ran here as fast as he could while Hokuto persisted he (Hokuto) should stay behind. Tatsuya didn't give the details of the encounter, or what was Hokuto's reason for his decision, only that the Ultimate Miner was very sure about something.

Much like how we weren't too worried about Hokuto and Tatsuya's unexplained absence earlier, most of us showed barely any shock at the revelation. We had already established the existence of zombies in this castle, especially in that dungeon, and Hokuto's stubborn tendency to put himself and others in harm's way was well known at this point. Still, we could not abandon him to a grim fate like that. The Ultimate Miner might not be the most pleasant person to be around, especially for Eliza, but he was still our classmate and our friend. And if he was willing to put his life on the line like that, chances were it could be something important - I just hoped he didn't do it for the treasures.

"What do we do now?" asked Inu, frightened. Only he, Minako, and Tatsuya looked visibly disturbed.

"We are dealing with zombies," Rin declared calmly. As she had made an oath to protect all students, this was her chance to prove herself. "Going down there unprepared will only get us all killed. We need lights, and we need protection."

"Don't our E-Handbooks already come with flashlights?" asked Yume.

"They are cumbersome to hold and the light is also unreliable," Kai told him. "There are some glow sticks in the warehouse. I'll go get them."

"There are medieval weapons in there as well," I said. Kai shuddered at the reminder of her near-death experience with one of the swords. "We can use those to defend ourselves."

"You mean to bash some skulls open," Fitzgerald corrected.

"Offense is the best defense," El Viento agreed.

"Let us h-h-hurry," Tatsuya urged. "Any s-s-second we waste, Hokuto might be deeper in trouble."

"You stay here and rest," Minako told him. "We'll find him. And we'll save him from this unholy abominations."

"Then let's do it, then," I declared. "We might also want something to protect us from bites. A few teeth into your skin and you're a goner. Grab some tapes as well. We can wrap books around our exposed parts."

As preparation began in earnest, it looked like today was going to be more excited than I thought.

Author's notes: This is one of the more difficult to write chapters. It pains me having to portray an agreeable and positive character in such a negative light. But that's the thing: Despair knows no bound. No matter how strong or caring you are, it still gets to you one way or another.

This chapter is also more action-packed. As a fan of wrestling, I have fun writing the segment where Amelda battles El Viento. I hope you enjoy it as well.

Many thanks to my loyal readers, including Rose, Masking What Remain, Thoth, and Examiner. You are all awesome I love you guys a lot.

Cheers.