ACT 3: IN THE GRIP OF DESPAIR
Chapter 5: Dark revelation
Day 11
Tartarus Keep
8:30
Main Hall
This was it, the moment Rin had been waiting for since yesterday's noon: the strategic meeting. Following yesterday's incident, morale was mixed. While El Viento and Yume were evidently elated, Minako and Kai were much more reserved and worried about the fate of Fitzgerald. Though I was inclined towards the former, I never thought I would have to be concerned about Dirty Fitzgerald's well being out of everyone's - the Ultimate Private Detective seemed to have everything thought out and had consistently been the most collected person in the class so far. And while his personality might be off-putting, his intellect and perspectives were a valuable asset. His fall was the grim reminder that not even the greatest of us could best our circumstances.
Still, I was certain he would make it. No, I knew he would. Fitzgerald dreamed of exceeding the Cape Crusade in terms of crime-solving. It could not end for him like this. And if Monokuma had the power to bring dead people back to life then surely he had the means to treat his unconventional injury caused by this very large dog bite.
"I understand last night had been quite difficult for some of us," Rin began. "I am glad to see all of you here and eager."
"Swallow the pleasantries and get to the point," Hijiri replied. The Ultimate Geisha had not forgotten Rin for the abuse she suffered earlier. I understood why Hijiri would be mistrustful of Rin, but acting all passive-aggressive towards the Ultimate Police Officer was not a good idea in the long run, especially if the latter truly had come up with an advantage that we could exploit.
"Wait," called Yume. "Do you think it's wise to be discussing this in broad daylight? I mean, Monokuma would know that we know."
"He has eyes and ears all over this castle," said Kai. "Except the dungeon, which has been sealed off." This morning, Monokuma announced the entrance to the dungeon had been bricked up. To be doubly sure, a new rule had also been added. It did not replace the now-defunct rule number 11.
Rule #12
Entrance to the dungeon is strictly forbidden. Any student who trespasses will be met with immediate punishment.
Hokuto was disappointed by the news. He said he was close to finding a way out through the dungeon after spending several dozens of hours in there mapping the corridors while avoiding the zombies. I had to give him some credit for the detailed map he produced, as expected from the Ultimate Miner. Ultimately, it looked like the whole plan was for naught and we would have to find a new strategy to escape.
That new strategy, as Rin was convinced, would begin with the discussion in this meeting.
"There is no place we can talk without him eavesdropping then?" asked Minako.
"There are the public girls' bathrooms," I spurted. Dirty Fitzgerald told me Monokuma was completely blind in there, and even showed reluctance entering it. I would normally call that gentlemen, in start contrast to the Ultimate Private Detective, had the bear not been so horribly cruel in other regards.
"No, t-t-t-thanks," said Tatsuya quickly.
"I would rather die," Hokuto claimed.
"Don't even think about it," El Viento admonished.
"Just pointing out," I nervously stated. My little incident with Fitzgerald when he first shared the prophecy of Hagakure with me would have to be another secret we shared, or else my credibility would be dipped in the mud - his, I didn't care about.
"Let's stop wasting time and carry on," Rin suggested. At this point, she dumped a large number of old newspapers, books, photos, and magazines on the table. These must be the evidence she had gathered from the archive and library. "Now, the reason I have urgently summoned all of you here is because of the discoveries Fitzgerald and I made the other day."
"What did you find that are so interesting?" I asked.
"Care to explain for the rest of us?" Eliza suggested.
"This castle," Rin noted. "Tartarus Keep, as Monokuma called it, is actually Castle Meridian located in the country of Novoselic. Here, there is an article about it." She picked up a half-torn traveling guide magazine and showed us its contents, particularly the pictures. "The hallway, the library, the swimming pool. All of them are here."
"Some pages are missing," Kai noted. "Do you think Monokuma wishes to hide such information from us?"
"More likely to prevent us from learning in advance the new areas he would unlock later," said El Viento. "Perhaps he didn't want to ruin the surprise."
"That sounds logical," said Inu. "He did refuse to mention where he was taking Fitzgerald and that girl, after all."
"Whichever the case, let's focus on what we have before speculating," Rin continued. "Tartarus Keep, or should I say, Castle Meridian, is a popular private retreat for House Nevermind, the current rulers of the Kingdom of Novoselic."
"House Nevermind?" Hokuto chuckled. "They are freaking rulers and they stick with that name? Who's going to take them seriously?"
"Not even their daughter, I suppose," I replied, earning a round of chuckle from Hokuto and Kai, but scorns from El Viento and Minako for the inappropriateness of my joke.
"I'm sorry," said Yume. "I have never heard of this Kingdom of Novoselic. Where exactly are we?"
"This is my first time hearing about it either," Rin admitted. "According to the guide, the kingdom is comprised of ethnic Croats from the Balkans and is officially a part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Following the Yugoslavia Civil War, the Balkans were broken up into many smaller states, with Bosnia and Herzegovina suffering the worst of the fighting. Taking advantage of the chaos, the Kingdom of Novoselic consolidated its holdings, fortified its borders, and declared its independence. However, to this day, it is not recognized by the UN, and its legitimacy as a state is as dubious as Kosovo's."
"Wait, if they were part of Yugoslavia, then how in the world did they maintain their monarchy?" I asked incredulously. Geography might not be my strong point, but I learned enough about history to call that bullshit. "Shouldn't the Communist Party have abolished that?" Cambodia was an example of a monarchy and the Communist Party coexisting, but I highly doubted that applied to Western Europe which was essentially an extension of the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
"Apparently, there was a treaty between Novoselic and Yugoslavia," said Rin. "It's in the vault in the library, which I can't take out without breaking the rules. It was not written in a language I could understand, but Fitzgerald told me it was a treaty where Novoselic would remain part of and loyal to Yugoslavia, in exchange for being left alone. The signatures on it belonged to King Edmund Nevermind and President Josip Broz Tito."
"Does the guide mention the dungeons underneath the castle?" asked Hokuto expectantly.
"Unfortunately, no," Rin replied.
"Obviously," Hijiri stated. "Monokuma had clearly read this magazine, and even he didn't know there was a hidden dungeon. Please don't distract us with your imbecility."
"And you stop distracting us with your blowing hot and cold," Hokuto countered.
"Is there any more information about the current state of Novoselic?" I asked before the disagreement could derail the friendly discussion. "Anything that could explain why we are captured and placed here?"
"Or what happened to its rulers that ended them up in their own dungeon," said Inu.
"An article, where it is...here." Rin dug up a piece of newspaper from the bunch. It was written in a language I didn't understand, probably Croatian or Bosnian, but the pictures accompanying it suggested it was the enthronement of a princess. "Fitzgerald had been quite helpful in translating these. It says Princess Sonia Nevermind recently took up the throne after her parents were incapacitated."
"Incapacitated?" stressed El Viento, frowning at the choice of word.
"It's probably a cover-up for a coup," I told her. Since Novoselic technically wasn't an independent nation, that probably didn't receive much fanfare in the world.
"That's what I believe as well," Rin agreed.
"So Sonia Nevermind, a princess with the flame of darkness burning inside her heart, imprisoned and tortured her parents, and then what?" asked Yume. "I mean, she can't be the one behind our abduction, can she?"
"Unlikely," said Tatsuya. "She would have k-k-known about the d-d-dungeon."
"Wait, that's it?" asked Kai, disappointed. "It's good that we know where we are, but how does that knowledge help us escape?"
"I'm not done talking yet," said Rin, annoyed. "Aside from what and where this place is, I also learn about an organization that might be responsible for us being here. I cannot be certain, though."
"And what is it?" asked Hokuto expectantly.
"Yeah, tell us the identity of the archenemy," Yume urged.
"They are a group called Ultimate Despair," Rin explained. "Some very sketchy documents I found explained the group's motives and modus operandi, though very briefly so. Apparently, they are some sort of terrorist group or a secret cult whose sole goal is to plunge the entire world into chaos. Fitzgerald and I also came to the conclusion they were the ones depicted in the art gallery downstairs. The place contains paintings of its members in their moments of grisly glories."
"Those blood paintings," I remarked with disgust. Notwithstanding what exactly was this group or whether they were responsible for my abduction, I already hated them with a passion. They were horrible humans who committed crimes against not only fellow humans but also nature itself.
"Fitzgerald and I looked around a little longer," said Rin. "Our findings were, unfortunately, inconclusive. So we had another look at the gallery on this floor, especially the artifacts that were already here when we first arrived."
"So the previous donors were Ultimate Despair?" asked Inu.
"That's what we believe it," Rin replied. "Check our E-handbooks. I am uploading them right now. Here are the pictures in the art gallery below and the pictures we have of the exhibition on this floor. Just to let you know, the color red was actually blood. I will give you a moment to take a look."
There was a pause as we each gazed at the horrific paintings on the screen of our device (except Minako who didn't carry hers and was looking at Kai's). There were two albums, one for the paintings and the other for the artifacts. Where I was initially horrified by the paintings in the art gallery downstairs for both the scenes they depicted and the material used, there was a strange familiarity I felt now. In fact, my perception became to appreciate the paintings for their strong colorings and malevolent beauty. Perhaps after fighting all those zombies in the dungeon, this kind of stuff didn't scare me as much as it used to.
It was still an unpopular opinion which I would remain silent about, however. Most of my classmates expressed varying degrees of terror and disgust.
"Do you know who they are?" asked Tatsuya. "The p-p-people in the p-p-paintings."
"We know that both Sonia Nevermind and Nekomaru Nidai were members of Ultimate Despair," Rin replied. "They are the One True Princess and Death Driller, respectively. Another member Fitzgerald and I were able to identify is Hiyoko Saionji, who is known in the group as Wardancer." She indicated the blond girl in kimono dancing over a pile of broken bodies. The fans she wielded in the painting were also on display in the exhibition. "She is, or was, quite an exceptional traditional dancer. The Saionji clan is quite famous for its performances, but they are an eccentric bunch and much-maligned by some other troupes. If there is anyone else you can recognize, please speak up."
"That's Teruteru Hanamura," Hokuto called out, pointing at the painting of a fat demiurge wearing a chef costume who was in the process of scrapping the brain from a decapitated human head for whatever culinary horror he was brewing in the background. Dismembered human and animal body parts surrounded him, as well as vials of chemicals not different from those used in Inori's execution. "He's a rising chef in Aoyama. He and his team came to my town once, and boy, they painted it red all the way. Oh, wait, so that means he's Ultimate Despair, too?"
Rin nodded. "That's highly likely."
"That's bad," Hokuto mumbled. "I actually enjoyed his cooking. And he had a passion just like me." I felt the same thing about Nekomaru Nidai. He was one of my favorite trainers and the person I most looked forward to when enrolling in Hope's Peak Academy after I learned he was scouted as well. I could never have imagined him walking a dark path like this, even adopting the moniker of Death Driller which I normally would consider extremely cheesy.
"The same passion for putting people's lives in danger as much as possible," Eliza noted.
"That's not t-t-true at all," Tatsuya defended.
"I thought we were already over with this, Eliza," Kai reprimanded. "You're not helping at all."
"Guys, let's not argue," Yume called out, being the voice of reason as always. Having the fellow around had been a blessing. Hadn't been for him, the group might have already fallen apart following the depressing second trial.
"Unlike Hokuto, Teruteru's tendency seems intentional," Inu admitted. "Not that either is a good thing, though."
As for what donation Teruteru left, it was a vial of strange fluid. I only knew that because it was donated by the Griller of Ladies. All of a sudden, I had this chill running down my spine. I didn't want to know what this liquid did or what was going on in this man's mind.
"This one here." Eliza indicated a sloven man with long purple hair and shark-like teeth. "Kazuichi Souda, I believe." In his painting, he wore a baggy engineer outfit and spike-studded boots and was surrounded by several Monokuma robotic units bearing weapons ranged from machine guns to powered halberds. He also appeared another picture presenting Sonia Nevermind with the ring still attached to a severed finger. "He was a prominent gizmo in Japan, just like I am in the United States." Somehow, I highly doubted the second claim. "We met at an invention convention, once. Very cool guy, all things considered. The only person I know who actually appreciates my talent. Coming to Japan to study, I was anticipating meeting him."
"Clearly, the only people who appreciate your talent are batshit insane," Hokuto shot back.
"Hey, what does that suppose to mean?" Eliza demanded. Clearly, this rivalry was getting out of hand as well, much to our disappointment.
"Do you think he's the one called T-t-technomancer?" asked Tatsuya. The gallery exhibit under this name contained a device that could produce more knives and saws than a butcher house. It didn't seem to have any practical use other than to messily eviscerate anything within its reach; then again, given how twisted these individuals that made up the Ultimate Despair were, that might have been its intended function.
"It appears so," said Eliza. "That's one point for me, right?"
"Wait, is this another competition?" asked Minako.
"No," Rin replied harshly. "This is not a game. Don't let it get to your head, Eliza."
As I looked closely at the paintings and then the artifacts, one item caught my attention. A limited-edition Natendo Game Girl Advance unit similar to the one I bought for Alice on her ninth birthday. This one, however, had a permanent badge bearing the logo of Japan's largest organizer of gaming tournament, which meant it was given as a winning prize.
"Nanami," I blurted.
"Who?" asked Inu.
"The gaming device," I said, recalling the biggest trial I was in. "I think I saw it somewhere. You guys know Lex Luthor?"
"The multi-billionaire who tried and failed to take over the world?" El Viento guessed. "Superman and Batman stopped him, as usual. They finally found enough evidence to put him behind bars for good. That was a year ago, right?"
"Probably not 'a' year," said Eliza. "We lost our memory, remember?"
"Lex Luthor was one of the richest men on earth," I continued. "He had many connections in high and low places. When he was finally caught, they found a network of money laundering behind his evil schemes. One of those convicted, whom I personally presented evidence against was a Japanese man named Nanami, a former Hope's Peak laureate who graduated as the Ultimate Gamer." I was reluctant to do so at first, but after learning I was scouted for Hope's Peak Academy, I thought I should impress them by bringing down one of the institution's former top students. "I remember he had a daughter who was also in the trial. I think this is hers."
"Do you remember her full name?" asked Inu. "This Nanami."
"No." I shook. It wasn't important or relevant and, unlike Fitzgerald, I didn't take pleasure in ruining people's lives. I didn't even remember what she looked like or whether she appeared in any of the paintings. The reason I had taken notice of her during the trial was the fact she was playing with that very Game Girl Advance the whole time. It fascinated me how she could manage that despite all the noises and all the people watching. At the same time, it also saddened me knowing I was sending her father into a very lengthy prison term, enough that had she been following Moses from Egypt to Israel, she would have reached her destination before her father was released. Though I never saw her face hidden behind the gaming handheld, I could feel her being upset by the loss of the only family she had, a feeling she chose to repress just. It struck me with a sense of familiarity and reminded me of when my father was losing himself to alcohol. When the final verdict was passed, she even revved up the volume of her device to the maximum to avoid hearing it, much to the irritation of the people next to her.
"Whoever she is, I don't think that's her.' Yume shook his head. "The donor is Boy with All the Gifts."
"I guessed I was wrong, then." I sighed. There might have been other devices bearing the same badge that I wasn't aware of, it seemed.
"That's enough," El Viento declared. "I am done with this guessing game."
"Because you haven't gotten a single one?" Eliza jeered.
"No!' El Viento retorted. "This is pointless. It's obviously not these people we are dealing with?"
"How can you be so sure?" asked Hokuto.
"For once, if Queen Sonia Nevermind is part of this group, she should have known about the hidden dungeon inside this castle," said El Viento. "But we have established that Monokuma had no knowledge of that before Hokuto coming across it."
"There's truth in that," Hijiri agreed.
"Maybe she's not, but another member is," suggested Yume, using an example from probably whatever Magical Girl show he had been watching with his sister. "Evildoers don't always trust each other. In fact, their rivalry usually results in important advantages handled to the protagonists."
"But what about the items in the exhibition?" El Viento continued. "The row for us only filled as we die in the Mutual Killing Game. On the other hand, the row for the Ultimate Despair is full. There are fifteen people shown in the paintings, and there are fifteen relics."
"Are you saying...?" Inu began.
"The Ultimate Despairs are all dead by now," said El Viento. "Probably. Either they played the game and died, or they got punished for their villainy."
"If the same logic applies," Hijiri stated.
"It's plausible," I agreed. "Monokuma has been quite consistent so far."
"So what is the meaning of this discussing then?" asked Hokuto, frustrated. "Have we come any closer to defeating Monokuma?"
Rin appeared downcast. "You guys really don't get it, do you?"
"Get what?" Eliza urged. "If you know something, speak up. Don't be like Fitzgerald."
Rin put forward a letter. It bore the stamp of Hope's Peak Academy. Written in English, it mentioned Sonia Nevermind was accepted as the Ultimate Princess. It was a title I didn't quite understand, considering it was her status, not exactly a talent. Then again, given Hope's Peak Academy's successful history, I didn't bother questioning their methods. Rin took out another letter.
"Look at the date," she said.
We all leaned forward to see. To our expected horror, the date was two years from now, or what it felt like due to our memory loss. The letter stated that Hope's Peak Academy was closed down following unknown events. However, it did notify all Ultimate students of the danger posed to them and advised extreme caution.
"What does this even mean?" Minako questioned, her face whitening.
"Hope's Peak Academy is closed?" Hokuto was terrified. "But how? What could have brought down one of the most prestigious academies in the world?"
The discovery left several of us murmuring in dismay. I myself was shocked to hear. I had given up offerings from the most prestigious US colleges in favor of Hope's Peak Academy because I believed their tailor-made tuition was the best choice to fully realize my talent and take my place in society. The news of its closing was like a dagger into my heart.
"I asked Fitzgerald the same thing," said Rin, shaking her head dolefully. "He seemed to have figured it out, despite not remembering anything about his own years there. He told me that Hope's Peak Academy, while still highly reputed, had fallen from grace in recent years. In fact, they were accused of conducting several illegal and unethical experiments to produce talented individuals."
"So they create talents instead of recruiting them?" I asked, appalled.
"That's right," Rin replied. "I found some documents related to it. Have a look."
As we looked through, the truth became more difficult to deny. The Cadmus Project had been restarted, renamed Apex Program, with the order signed by Hope's Peak Academy principal, Jin Kirigiri. Instead of creating clones, it was meant to improve upon the existing people and develop ubermensch by fiddling with their bodies and minds. The descriptions, which included putting needles into someone's brain and replacing human organs with more efficient ones extracted from animals, made me nauseous.
"There, our enemies," El Viento notified.
"Who?" asked Inu.
"Those four dickheads that followed Monokuma, I guess," said Eliza.
Of the blueprints available, we found those belonging to Monokuma's bodyguards: a brawler (Rook), a swordmaster (Knight), an assassin (Bishop), and a sorcerer (Queen). This was probably the advantage Rin was talking about, but looking more carefully I could not find anything of use except a greater reason to believe our situation was hopeless. The artificial talents were even more potent than ones developed and nurtured in more natural settings.
But the Apex Program was shut down for an unknown reason. Perhaps they were caught or ran out of funds. Or maybe they weren't so infallible after all.
Principal Jin Kirigiri announced the commencement of Project Kamakura after the Apex Program was terminated, presumably named after Hope's Peak Academy's founder. There was nothing on this project in the pile of documents we had.
"Fitzgerald said he knew what their weaknesses are," said Rin "And that is something neither they nor Monokuma might not be even aware of. Hope's Peak Academy stopped Apex Program for a reason, after all."
"Then let us pray he returns to us with health and haste," said Minako, clasping her hands in prayer.
"Is there anything else about this?" asked Hokuto.
"Fitzgerald had been keeping a very low profile throughout his life." That fact was made clear before. The Ultimate Detective had a penchant for sticking his arm into the tigers' cage. In fact, looking back, I thought it was strange that a person who had been running and hiding for a long time would choose to resurface in one of the most well-known academy institutions in the world. "He only chose to come to Hope's Peak Academy so that he could uncover the truth behind them. And he told me Hope's Peak Academy's ability to cover up anything happening there meant he would not be detected by unwanted parties before his graduation."
"So they were doing him a favor," said El Viento indignantly. "Helping him hide from the people going after him. And he turned against them?"
"Haven't you heard?" Hijiri glared at her. "Hope's Peak Academy isn't all rainbow and sunshine, according to Fitzgerlad. And, given the fact it has been closed down and we are here forced to kill each other, that doesn't come as a surprise."
"In addition to all these experiments," Rin went on, "Hope's Peak Academy made the controversial decision of including more and more students in the Reserve Course. That's just a normal school for normal students, except its fees are extortionary in exchange for a chance to learn directly from those with talents. Tension has been high, and there are many clashes between the two groups, the information of which constantly suppressed by Hope's Peak Academy to maintain its glamorous appearance to outsiders. According to Fitzgerald, if anything could bring Hope's Peak Academy down so suddenly, it has got to be the Reserve Course."
There was a moment of silence.
"As for the Ultimate Despairs, we can now be certain that they, too, are from Hope's Peak Academy," said Rin grimly. "And we know they are from the main course."
"Just like us," I stated, finally coming to an understanding.
The reaction was as expected and our entire group was gripped by a renewed sense of dread and mistrust.
"Nonononononono!" Inu blabbered. His cohesion had evaporated in the face of the revelation and he had reverted to the shaky person he was when we met. "It can't be. It can't be!"
"Are you saying that we are a bunch of terrorists?" Eliza exclaimed. "And we don't know because we lost our memory?"
"This is nonsense," Hokuto denounced.
"I don't want to b-b-believe in it," Tatsuya murmured frightfully. "No. That's n-n-n-not right."
"Just because we go to the same school as those lunatics doesn't mean we are one of them," El Viento cried.
"When I was scouted by Hope's Peak Academy, I thought my life had turned a new page for the better," Hijiri muttered. "I didn't know it was so warped."
"I am an ally of justice," Yume claimed. "I would never have sided with people like these."
"So what you're saying is, we are being held hostage by the Reserve Course because they were jealous of us?" I inquired. Already, I could see gazes of suspicions passed around. Even if one was convinced they were a member of the Ultimate Despairs, another or the rest of the group could still be. As for me, somehow, the revelation seemed to support my experience so far, especially the spontaneous bleeding, uncontrollable violent tendency, and the weird voice I had been hearing.
What if the Ultimate Despairs didn't choose to become monsters? What if they were possessed by monstrous personalities by the very academy they let dictate their lives - an academy we all would have let dictate our lives given the chance due to its reputation of churning out successful alumni. Whichever the case, as the others continued to deny, I saw no reason to openly accept the possibility and be singled out.
Rin shrugged. "That's the most plausible theory I can come up with. The rivalry goes back a long way."
"Well, they aren't saints either, that's for sure," said Hijiri bitterly.
"So what really happened that set us on a collision course?" Kai pressed. "If the students from Reserve Course are holding us in this place, what happened that made both us and them so wicked?"
"That's Hope's Peak Academy for you," Rin replied. From her expression, she too seemed unsettled by the revelation. She had entrusted her entire future into Hope's Peak Academy, only to see the institution devolving into a breeding ground for maniacs. "I've yet to learn anything beyond this point. And, until we get actual confirmation, a lot of these are speculations."
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," said Minako. Despite her dismay with Ashley's death and Inori's final condemnation by Rin, the Ultimate Herbalist seemed more assertive than before. This was evident by the fact she had not shown any sign of weariness during a long discussion like this one. "I'm sure we're just overthinking. Everything will turn out just fine. The day is the darkest just before sunrise, after all."
"And the day is the brightest just before the sun goes down," said Monokuma, appearing out of nowhere and standing on top of the documents we had gathered.
Most of us were startled by his arrival but quickly gathered ourselves now that this had become a routine. However, Monokuma being here in front of all of us couldn't be good news, for we were all aware of what would happen next.
"There you are," said Kai quickly. She seemed to be the only person here glad to see the bear. "Is Fitzgerald going to be alright?"
"Sorry, he's dead," said Monokuma plainly.
"WHAAAT?!" Kai exclaimed.
"No way," Hukoto uttered, his face pale.
"No, it cannot be," Minako gasped, covering her mouth in shock.
"There was nothing we could have done," Monokuma went on with his monotonous, high-pitched voice. "We gave it our best, but his injuries were too grave."
The Ultimate Ballerina was devastated by the news. "Oh, God." She began to whimper, tears streaming from her eyes, and El Viento moved in to comfort her. All of us were downcast from what Monokuma had said.
I would have been saddened by the news. Fitzgerald was not a personality to befriend with easily, but he did make good contributions during both trials, as well as providing information for Rin to carry out the current discussion. The reason I wasn't sad at all was how fake Monokuma looked. He was a mechanical bear, but there was something about his posture and voice that told me he was mocking us.
"Gotcha!" Monokuma abruptly exploded into laughter. "You should have seen the look on your face when I said he was dead. I never thought that any of you bastards would mourn for that insufferable smart-ass."
"Wait, so he's alive?" asked Kai expectantly as she wiped her tears away, eyes still hot red.
"Almost as good as ever," Monokuma assured her. "He'll be joining you bastards soon enough." That was good to hear and we all sighed in relief. Kai was flustering for her reaction to his ruse. What the bear said next wasn't going to be easy to listen to, however. "In the meantime..."
As Monokuma took a dramatic pause, Hijiri went ahead and finished for him. "You will give us the next motive?"
"That's 100% correct," Monokuma boomed excitedly. "Just what I expect from my ever-so-lovely subjects. Give the girl a gold star."
"No, thanks," Hijiri puffed. "It looks horrible with my kimono."
"Can we please not do this?" Inu pleaded.
"Nonsense," Monokuma swiped him down. "That is what you all are here for. The Mutual Killing Game must go on or I will end up with many disgruntled audiences."
"Are you jealous, Monokuma?" asked Hokuto frankly.
There was a moment of silence as we were surprised by Hokuto's bluntness. Even Monokuma paused, apparently not expecting the accusation. From the way he appeared uncertain, I could tell Hokuto had struck gold. Monokuma would have responded with something demeaning if that weren't the case. "What on earth are you asking?" the bear finally asked.
"Because you have no talent of your own, you decide to torment us who have talents," Hokuto growled. He smashed his fist onto the table and made a thunderous sound that nearly startled Inu and Tatsuya. "Is that what's this about? The fact you can't live knowing some people are better and more deserving than you are."
"To tell you the truth, I did feel that way," Monokuma replied. "Once upon a time, I was not Overlord Monokuma, the great and wise ruler of this land. I was an ordinary bear, living in a cave instead of this fancy castle, and hunting for food instead of having them delivered to me on a platter. There were those who were above me, and I used to look up to them. Well, no more. I am on top of the food chain now, and there's nothing you bastards can do to change that."
"Can you speak clearly instead of hyperbolizing?" I demanded. If he was being truthful, and I had no reason to doubt he was, this was the first time he let us know about his background. I vaguely remembered how he commented he lived in the wild and didn't have clean meals when I complained about Akihiko's death - back then, I took what he said for granted.
"Naaaah, that's for you to figure out," Monokuma sneered. He ignored the question about his motives. "Just like the murder mystery about to take place."
"Wait, so are you from Hope's Peak Academy as well?" asked Minako.
"I am not obliged to answer every question you ask," Monokuma refused. "Try to think a little more. You will have plenty of chance to now that the Ultimate Private Detective isn't here to do the heavy-lifting work."
"Him? Heavy-lifting?" Eliza snorted. "Give me a break."
"Aaaaanyway," Monokuma snapped. "Back to what I was doing before that miner asked. Oh yeah, I was going to give you all the third motive."
This was it. We tried to delay it. We prayed it wouldn't come, either Monokuma had repented or simply forgotten. In the end, we couldn't escape from it.
"What is it, then?" Rin grunted.
"What do you fear most now?" asked Monokuma. "Be honest. What stays your blade from the necks of your friends?"
"Enough with the theatrics already," El Viento bellowed. "I will not stand another word from you cabron."
"The executions," Hijiri answered nonchalantly. "They are a thousand times worse than getting murdered."
"Correct again," Monokuma laughed. "Two gold stars for you, not that you want them."
"So what's the motive?" asked Hokuto impatiently.
"The blackened in the next trial will receive a get-out-of-gallows card," said Monokuma. "That means, while they would not win the game and earn the ultimate prize of release, they will not be punished for having a majority vote."
As he finished, the sounds of beeping notified us of an update on our E-handbooks.
Attention
An existing rule has been amended
Rule #6: In the event of a murder taking place, all students are offered two hours to investigate and collect evidence, following which a trial will take place. In the trial, one person will be voted as the culprit. If the true blackened is voted, NOBODY WILL BE PUNISHED. If the blackened manages to convince others of their innocence and the vote falls to someone else, all students aside from the blackened will be punished and the Mutual Killing Game concludes with the blackened allowed to leave.
"Wait, no one's getting punished?" repeated Hokuto in disbelief.
"Not true," Monokuma emphasized. "You are only spared for being voted in the trial after killing someone. Breaking other rules will still result in harsh penalties as usual."
"But still, that means the killer will walk away, right?" asked Kai.
"That's right," Monokuma leered at her, showing the side with the evil grin. "Even if you murder someone and get caught, you can simply walk away scotch-free and, hopefully, try again with a better effort."
All of us were stunned by the motivation. This was either too good to be true or too horrible to believe in. Monokuma was playing the human psychology card well. Instead of presenting us with threats like previous times, he gave us an opportunity - a false hope. He knew we were all desperate to escape from this horrid place and the punishments in place were the only thing preventing us from trying. After seeing what happened to Kazuki and Inori, no one here wanted to be on the receiving end of Monokuma's execution - in fact, it was perhaps better to be the victim than the discovered killer. With that out of the way, I could see a shift in our perception of the Mutual Killing Game. Nevertheless, even as attempts at escaping via murder was safe from execution, the ever-presence of peer pressure was no small deterrence.
Without Monokuma's twisted justice, whoever killed next would still have to face the wrath of those who unmasked them.
"A powerful motivation indeed," Hijiri noted solemnly.
"Screw you both," El Viento hollered. "That's not even a real motive."
"So was the l-l-last one," said Tatsuya.
"Yeah, how lame can you get, Monokuma?" Hokuto mocked. "Has all that blood mixed with honey gotten to your brain?"
"Oh, I beg to differ," said Monokuma. "But I will let you see it for yourself instead of explaining."
With that, he was gone, leaving us all stunned.
"Nobody's going to kill, right?" asked Kai hopefully. "I mean, he's not presenting us with a convincing case, is he?"
"Of course, not," said Eliza. "The bear thinks we are a bunch of murderers in and out. Who's going to kill just for that?"
"That bear is pathetic," Hokuto sneered. "He's not winning this time, that's for sure."
"If nobody dies, the bear will change the rule without fail," I pointed out. After all, Monokuma presented us with the first motive after the initial reward of being able to escape through murdering someone and getting away with it didn't seem to entice anyone. But honestly speaking, I thought we were underestimating the current motive including our desire to NOT get executed by Monokuma.
"He will come up with something more difficult," Yume agreed. "Something else we could not resist."
"Even then, he has allocated us more time to prepare ourselves," El Viento stated.
"Right," said Rin. "And we should make good of it."
"It could be a curse disguised as a blessing," said Hijiri, disagreeing with the others. "We should not ignore it. True, there is nothing else to gain from killing someone other than to escape. But there doesn't seem to be any downside either."
"The downside is what the rest of the group will look upon you after that," Rin pointed out. "Which, in your case, might not be that much of a downgrade."
The Ultimate Geisha didn't respond and instead looked away in disgust.
"And I would advise against downgrading your relationship," I admonished, addressing both girls. Despite the successful operation in the dungeon where we all put our heads and muscle together, I feared the ongoing rivalries threatened to tear our group apart.
"We will be with each other for a while, so let's refrain from antagonizing each other," Yume agreed.
"As for what Hijiri said, I don't think we should discredit the current motive just yet," I stated frankly. As expected, some classmates looked at me with frowns.
"Amelda-kun, how could you think we would kill each other just for that?" asked Minako.
"The t-t-thought of others seeing me as a killer is bad enough," Tatsuya claimed. "It's as bad as being e-e-executed."
"Yeah. I thought you, Amelda, out of all people, would know better," Eliza complained.
"I am just saying Monokuma doesn't seem like the type to fool around," I replied. "He seems to know what's he's doing."
"He doesn't know the dungeon," El Viento raised. "Therefore, he cannot be omnipotent."
"Still, we should take precaution," I insisted. The others gave exasperated looks as if I had just rained on their parades. "Just to be safe."
"You're right," Tatsuya backed me up. "We all saw what h-h-happened back then. An extra layer of caution isn't u-u-unnecessary."
Rin nodded in agreement. "The same rule applies, then. No one gets out during Night-Time and I shall be, once again, having your E-Handbooks for the night. I would also like everyone to attend physical training this afternoon. That way, if someone gets you, you will at least delay them for others to come help."
Minako, Tatsuya, and Kai expressed approval, while Hijiri and Inu who shunned physical exertions were less enthusiastic.
"In the meantime," said Hokuto. "Let's just look out for each other, especially if someone is about to kill or be killed."
"The true meaning of the motive is to sow discord among our group," Yume added. "Only through the strengthening of our friendship can we overcome."
"Should be a piece of cake, then," said El Viento confidently. I supposed someone like her would not have felt threatened by the Mutual Killing Game, given it would have been quite difficult to bring her down, thus making her an uninviting target for assassination. The presence of such an impervious figure was comforting to an extent, and her dedication to the protection of others in the name of honor was both appreciative and inspiring.
As for the others, I wondered if they actually believed that way, if they were in denial, or if they were planning to take advantage of this while pretending they weren't. As disheartening as it was, I had more faith in Monokuma's supremacy and his ability to make killers out of us than the mere words of my fellow classmates.
"Back to the discussion, we were having," said Hokuto. "Have we covered everything?"
"That's everything," Rin confirmed, "for now. We still need to look at the schematics of Monokuma's bodyguards. But let's do that later."
"What about our connection to the Ultimate Despairs?" I asked. "How should we treat that?"
"With a grain of salt," Rin replied tiredly. "It's just a theory. Don't let it get to your head."
But I couldn't. And, from what I saw on the others' faces, neither could they. Despite the facade of high spirit and unity, I could feel a sense of unease creeping into us.
13:00
Library
Yume and I finally found the time to get around with Minako after lunch, with Eliza volunteering to tag along saying she wouldn't trust a couple of boys for the job. Minako, as we identified, was the most distressed person in the group, and Yume said he wasn't going to risk that, especially now that Monokuma had announced the latest motive - one that put our trust in each other to the test like never before. As for me, I personally felt bad for her. Aside from the ordeals all of us had been going through, Minako seemed to have mentally suffered the most so far.
Two persons closest to her were already dead, Akihiko and Ashley.
The botanical garden where she used to sleep in had been declared off-limits.
She was shut down in the second trial by Rin, using evidence she deemed blasphemous to her religion.
The final nail in the coffin was our incident in the dungeon which not only unequivocally proved the existence of zombies but also led to Fitzgerald being seriously harmed.
I wasn't sure how Minako was handling the situation, but her mood had been foul as of late. Since trust had become a valuable commodity, we could not leave her in this state of self-isolation any longer.
"Hey, Minako," Eliza opened cheerfully as soon as we came across the Ultimate Herbalist who was looking through the shelves for books on animals and plants. The library was the only place she showed any interest in, so we figured we should come looking for her in here. "Look what we've got for you."
"Oh, you startled me," said Minako, almost jumping. "Amelda-kun, Eliza-chan, Yume-kun, w-w-what is this about?"
Yume proudly presented his cupcake. It was colored in brown and yellow with green linings. Yume woke up early this morning to prepare for it, something that wouldn't be permissible from now on thanks to the reinstatement of the E-Handbook confiscation rule. "This is my newest recipe, made from twenty different herbs and leaves. I made it for you. Have a taste and let me know what you think?"
Minako lightened up, if not slightly flustered by the offering. "Thank you. Uhmmm. Wow! This is so good! By Mother Earth, this is the best thing I've had in life."
"My pleasure to serve," said Yume proudly. Once again, the Ultimate Baker did not disappoint.
"Really, I have never tasted this good before," said Minako excitedly. "This is truly blessed by Mother Earth. Please, can you give me the recipe so I can spread her love around?"
"Sure, why not?" Yume chuckled.
Now that we've got her attention, perhaps it was best that we asked how well she was coping and perhaps learned more about this wild girl after my first conversation with her was cut short.
Hang out with Minako Yuza?
Yeah, sure/Not now
"So, how are you feeling?" asked Eliza.
"Great," said Minako between mouthful.
(Her eating etiquette was as severely lacking with crumps being sprayed all over her cheeks and clothes. Yume didn't seem to bother, however, as long as she was wholeheartedly enjoying the experience.)
"Like I am in heaven," Minako added.
"We mean how are you overall?" Amelda specified. "What has been happening so far seems to have hit you quite harshly."
Minako paused for a moment, swallowed, and then replied, "I'm sorry I've not been myself for the last few days. You're right. It's been difficult for me to accept. Sometimes, I thought I saw the apparitions of the friends we've lost. I tried calling out for them but they didn't answer. And when I approached, they disappeared."
"You sure you aren't still affected by Despair's Gas?" asked Eliza jokingly.
"I don't think so," said Minako, uncertain.
"I didn't know you possessed so much strength, Minako," said Amelda, changing the subject. "I mean, look at how easily El Viento took me down. And you won against her."
Minako flushed. "Well, I did kinda learned a thing or two from the animals I befriended with."
"How was life in the forest for you?" asked Eliza. "In this day and age, I can hardly imagine anyone could survive outside civilization for years, let alone a young girl like you."
"Yeah," Yume agreed. "I would like to know."
"Now that I start thinking back about it, I must say it wasn't easy," said Minako. "I had run off on my own without much preparation. After a week, I ran out of supplies and had to forage. The fruits tasted horrible because I was used to domesticated versions of them by then. And after a month, all the clothes I brought were torn and dirtied beyond recognition. It was really cold during the night. I tried to start small fires, but not always succeed. I realized how inadequate my camping and survival skills were, and on many occasions, I thought about giving up and going home."
"If I were you, I would have quitted day two," said Eliza.
"When did it start getting better?" Amelda asked.
"One day, while I was foraging in the mountain, I saw a white-tailed eagle chick laying on the ground," Minako continued. "The poor thing had fallen from its nest up on the tree and was hurt. Using my knowledge in medicine, I tried helping to treat its injuries as best I could. It was my first time ever, on a bird no less, so I was unsure what I was doing for the most part. Still, I could not leave it to die. After that, I tried to climb on the tree and bring it back to the nest."
"Were you successful?" asked Eliza, listening closely.
"I was able to return it to its nest to join its brothers and sisters," said Minako. "But on the descend, I fell and landed on the ground. It was so painful. All my limbs went numb. At that point, I realized the night was coming and the temperature could drop to freezing level in the mountain. I knew I needed to get back to my cave or I would freeze to death. I tried to move but it was no use. I fell asleep, expecting to meet my ancestors when I awake."
"That was very kind of you, if not reckless," Amelda commented. "You remind me of Yume over here."
"What did he do?" asked Minako.
"Beat up a bunch of local bullies to make the neighborhood safe," said Yume. "Before I was like this with the wheelchair, of course."
Minako giggled. "You really are a warrior of justice, Yume-kun."
"Yeah, I like to think so as well," said Yume, smiling wryly. "I might not be able, but my dedication is unabated. Luckily, I have found my allies. Amelda and I make a good team."
"So how did you survive?" asked Eliza. "After you fell and couldn't get to shelter for the night."
"I used my herbal medicine to ease the pain, but it wasn't enough," Minako replied. "I was stuck out there. I tried staying awake for as long as I could, thinking if I sleep, I would die to exposure. In the end, I couldn't hold it. But when I awoke, I was still a bit shivered and cold but not quite dead. Then, I noticed I was draped in a lot of feathers, and before I knew it, the giant eagle flew up and back to its nest above. I realized at that point it had been covering my body the whole night."
"It repaid you for saving its offspring earlier," Yume noted. "An act of gratitude."
"Do animals do that?" asked Eliza doubtfully. "Repaying humans?"
"Ever heard the tale of Androcles and the Lion?" Amelda returned.
Eliza nodded in concession. "Yes. Huh, I guess that makes sense."
"At that moment, my life changed forever," Minako continued. "Everything Hanako taught me about Mother Earth, they're true. She's with us and she watches over us all - all living beings on this planet. From that point on, I began to interact with many other animals in the forest, helping them, and learning from them on survival in the wild. And as Mother Earth's willing, they returned the favor on more than one occasion. Once I got used to things, I began to travel to expand my herbal knowledge and meet new animal friends along the way."
"How did you get back to civilization, then?" asked Eliza. "It must have happened at some point, right? Otherwise, you would not be here."
"One day, I came across a farmer who broke his leg on the mountain," said Minako. "I used my herbs to treat his injury. He was grateful and invited me to his home. There, I learned that one of his neighbors was also very ill, so I helped nursing her back to health. The village was very grateful. The next thing I knew, the story of my exploits became popular in the area, and, before long, Akama Pharmaceutical approached me with an offer I could not refuse. In exchange for my research and knowledge, I could gain access to their labs and help in creating new plant-based medicine. More importantly, the forest would be preserved for herbal harvest rather than falling victim to constructions."
"How did your family react?" Amelda asked.
"I don't know how exactly they felt when I just ran away without a word," Minako replied. "But I suppose they were very shocked by my action. Maybe I should have not been so stubborn and should have at least told them what I was doing. When we reestablished contact many years later, they had all but forgiven me and we embraced each other as a happy family again. While I wasn't taking over the business as my father had hoped, I was using my talent to help a lot of people. Plus, I got paid hefty amounts in the process."
"Damn, I wished people could recognize my talent as much," Eliza moaned. "All my invention submissions so far had been turned down."
"How about thinking a bit more practical?" Amelda suggested. "You said you didn't like having to please others, but that's the whole point of inventing. It's not about showing off, it's about improving the lives."
"Don't worry, Eliza-chan," said Minako encouragingly. "I'm sure you'll get there."
"Do you have any dream for the future, Minako?" asked Yume. "That is, before we learned Hope's Peak Academy was a huge scam."
"I want to be a clerical conservationist," said Minako. "My wish is to spread the words of Mother Earth to as many ears as possible. Humans are destroying nature at a rapid rate. This needs to stop. People need to realize we can thrive by coexisting with plants and animals. I lived among them for several years, so I know this is true. If only people would listen and take more time considering what pain their actions today would inflict upon their descendants."
Hope Shard Obtained!
Minako Yuza
Minako's journey as a forest girl didn't so smoothly until she started relying on the animals. Since then, she has sought to understand lives in all forms and come to appreciate them. From an unusual background, Minako is highly successful in her career as a herbalist and dreams to one day use her religion as a means of protecting the environment.
That was an extraordinary tale indeed. Outside fairy tales, I had never thought someone could literally befriend animals. Though I remain as nonchalant as ever towards any form of worshipping of a pagan deity instead of the one true God, I found the story behind her baptism quite fascinating. That said, combining conservationism and religion could lead to unintended results, most notably the scenario where the flame of zealotry burned out of control and consumed all in its path. I hoped whichever form her methods might take, she would not become another Ra's al Ghul.
At this point, Minako had gotten drowsy, having finished Yume's treat and talking for a while. Then, without warning, she fell asleep. Normally, I would consider this poor-mannered, especially during financial and corporate presentations that I had to burn the midnight oil to prepare, but, knowing her, I thought I should cut her some slack. Furthermore, the contentedness and innocence on her face as she slumbered and the fact she had gone back to her old habit were welcoming sights to behold. Out stay in Tartarus Keep had been particularly nerve-wracking with the threats, the deaths, the inescapability, and, most recently, the zombies. Minako out of all people had been hit the worst.
It wasn't a total success, however, as we had merely diverted her attention to happier thoughts and memories rather than confronting the facts. And the fact remained that she wasn't coping very well. Soon enough, the weight of the inescapable dreadful reality and the ever-present menace from the Mutual Killing Game would snap her back. But at least for now, she was at peace. She deserved this.
With that, we decided to part. As always, I was tasked with carrying her back to her room - because who else?
"Hanako, get me a cup of ice cream," Minako muttered along the way. At this point, I had gotten used to it. "Vanilla, please. With nuts. Oh, and can you put a cherry on top?"
Author's Note: 2020 was a year of highs and lows for me. I finally muster the strength and determination to continue this story after a 2-year hiatus. Not only that, I have been able to keep up a stable updating schedule, so I am quite proud of myself. Many are new readers and I love all of your reviews. You guys are the best. This year, I also came across two Danganronpa SYOCs that I am following with great joy, namely Out of this World Despair and Brightmere Mysteries, so kudos to those authors for coming with engaging stories.
However, I must be honest by saying that my experience in the Danganronpa fandom this year has hardened my heart, especially the way it is devolving into tribalism where having fun and being helping out each other are secondary to the "write for yourself" creed.
With this chapter, we learn a bit more about the current setting and the real/potential connections between the cast and the members of Ultimate Despairs. Some parts of canon will be explored further in this chapter, including the parents of Class 77-B. This Act is going to be longer than the previous one, but rest assured, we will get to the murder next time.
Speaking of murder, this is going to be a very unconventional motive. I hope you guys enjoy it.
Cheers!