The Ultimate Punishment

by DestinyWing

Just as the Mastermind had said. If you pick Hope, then the Mastermind will be executed, and the survivors will be free from this game. But if you pick Despair, then only the 'Protagonist' of this story will get executed. Of course, NO ONE would even dare to pick Despair! Or would they? [ULTIMATE REVIVAL]

7. START ESCAPE

I know I already said this in Chapter 1, but I'm gonna say it anyway for the newcomers:

For the new readers of The Ultimate Punishment, I greet you welcome. You may call me by the name of Trishia, DestinyWing is just a username after all. I would like to give some reminders for the people who started to read the first chapter that this story is released BEFORE the English Dub was announced, so I follow a lot of fan translations or interpretations from the Japanese version of the game. This story is currently (and going to be) Beta Read by three authors (for the past chapters), CelestiaLightoftheGalaxy, Plummy Plums, and Natalie Jovolich. Also, I'll try my best to write a story in paragraphs.

With that further ado, welcome to The Ultimate Punishment.

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"Tell me, what do you think is the ultimate fear? I really thought I'd already reached the darkest of the dark, but then, ahead of me, I beheld a darkness even greater still."

- Johann Liebert (Monster)

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Story's Theme: Forgiveness versus Punishment

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Warning:

This story is contained with spoilers from Danganronpa V3. If you have not watched it, move away now.

A new (and temporary) narrator will be introduced in this chapter.

Please read the Author's Notes for further information.

Appearances/Mentions of Team Danganronpa (As of Chapter 6):

Izuru Kamakura - Founder

Makoto Naegi - Director

Hajime Hinata - Second Unit Director

Juzo Sakakura - Head Security

Kyosuke Munakata - Actor

Chisa Yukizome - Actress

Kazuichi Soda - Construction Team Head

Kiyotaka Ishimaru - Security

Mondo Owada - Security

Mahiru Koizumi - Camera

Ryota Mitarai - Editor (Retired)

Ryoko Otonashi / Junko Enoshima - Head Editor

Chihiro Fujisaki - System Administrator

Mikan Tsumiki - Medical Team Head

Yasuhiro Hagakura - Media Agent

Seiko Kimura - Medical Head (Stepped Down)

Chiaki Nanami - Technical Director

Miaya Gekkogahara - Tech Team

Yasuke Matsuda - Medical Team

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Hello?

HHHHEEEEELLLLLLOOOOOO?!

Testing! Testing!

Is this keyboard even working?

Oh yeah, it is! Hah!

And they thought only Makoto can be the narrator for this thing! Good thing the author gave me a chance to do so, thanks a bunch, girl!

Well then, greetings from the Outside World, everyone (whoever read this thing though)! This is Junko -, I mean, Ryoko Otonashi, the Head Editor of Team Danganronpa (why do I keep on confusing myself to Junko, dang it).

Yeah, sorry for the sudden intrusion for taking your place as the narrator instead of you. As you can see, what happened to Makoto Naegi (Naeggy) on Chapter Six was that he went a little TOO overboard with drinking too much coffee, and as a consequence, he lost consciousness. So in the end, Hajime, Chihiro, and I had to carry him to a comfortable place where he can lie down and sleep on with ease. Luckily for us, we were relieved that we were away from the monitors for now. He needs a break, I tell you. So until he regains his consciousness, I'll be your quirky narrator for this chapter!

This Egg can be a little haughty at times to the point that I had to do different methods to knock him out by injecting him with sleeping medicine for him to sleep, and if he refuses the injection and tries to run away from me, I simply throw the injection and shoot it on his arm, it's for his own good. Now, I know that there are a lot of people who are following this impractical method. My ONLY advice for you is to get some good sleep at least once a while! If you haven't been sleeping for who knows how many days, you'll be like Makoto. So don't try this at home, kids! Always have 8 hours of sleep to keep yourself healthy and more attentive to your surroundings.

Anyways, on to the segment!

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"So...how's the Egg doing?" I asked our nurse in Team Danganronpa, Mikan Tsumiki (please don't say she's a fanservice character, she doesn't like that). Mikan, who is somehow busy to answer, wrung a wet towel from the basin full of warm water. Once the water on the towel drips out, she placed them onto Makoto's forehead, who reacted slightly from the heat. And I'm not sure if that's a good sign or a bad sign, Makoto doesn't look good when we brought him to the basement bunker. Hajime, Chihiro, and I were sitting on a bucket for the time being while she's treating him.

I'm just gonna give you a summary of what happened to us by the time we got into the elevator.

Hajime and I were trying to think of a place to get him FAR away from the main room, somewhere that Makoto wouldn't even bother to go up because of his caffeine crash. Except the problem was that our director doesn't even give a bother if we kept him away from his workplace, all he needs is his strong memory and a television screen. It seemed that everywhere we go, there are monitors hanging from either the wall or the ceiling. It's like the same thing that happened at The End of Hope's Peak Academy, you know the one where the casts had to kill themselves from watching the Brainwashing video on the screen that Kazuo Tengan (he's our director when Makoto, Hajime, Chihiro, and I were actors before, but he's also a veteran actor too) had set up just to lure Ryota in broadcasting his 'Hope' video.

Anyways, we were having a hard time finding a place to put him to rest. And no, we are not going to put him in a bathroom just because there are no monitors on them (seriously, that's also an invasion of someone's privacy too). The only place we have to go with no choice was the storage room, but I think it's a good choice too. No monitors, it's far away from the main room (we're in the basement floor actually), and the place looked like a good disaster bunker with beds and stuff. So it's a good place for him to take a good rest for a while.

Mikan checked the thermometer when she plucked it out from his armpit just in case she speculated that Makoto got sick, which he doesn't thankfully. "Well...Makoto's temperature was rising but that doesn't mean he has a fever, though his heart seemed to beat so fast that he must have a hard time breathing right because of the coffee. The effects of the caffeine still hadn't worn off yet, so I wish the director will drink lots of water so he can get rid of the coffee inside him by his urine once he recovers."

And I was right, yet Mikan's also right about her prescriptions. Makoto needs a rest, a loooong rest. Looks like we have to keep him away from going to the main room for a while.

"Yeah yeah, the three of us will make sure to shove a gallon of water on to Makoto's mouth! So leave that to us!" I said it with a thumbs up, though Chihiro and Hajime reacted the other way around. The two of them just jumped in horror when I said it, cowards.

So does Mikan, "N-no! You don't have to go far from that, Ryoko!"

My arms fold while I look away in disappointment, "Awww, I was looking forward to playing Chug with him."

"Just give him water ONE GLASS AT A TIME. PLEASE?" Mikan slightly had her voice raised when she means it, she's strict when it comes to giving prescriptions.

"Sure, sure." I smiled while my shoulders raised, making me doing the 'shrug' gesture. After all, I can't protest to an Ex-Ultimate Nurse like Mikan Tsumiki.

By the way, if you're going to say that Mikan's different than what you remembered about her, please don't even dare comment on that. She's a former actress just so you know (and she would inject you with a strong sedative if you're being rude), so don't mess with her, okay?

Mikan Tsumiki is a legitimate nurse in Team Danganronpa, who ended up becoming an actress by the old man Kazuo. Unfortunately, her character of being the Ultimate Nurse in Danganronpa 2 deemed to be...'disturbing' for her. Seriously, I have to agree with Mikan by the time I read the script because it's really...how should I say this...'too compromising'. She had no choice but to act anyway since no one can ace her nursing knowledge more than anyone else. So, for now, she would rather forget the Mikan Tsumiki from that show and focus more on the medical stuff considering she's the new head of the Med Team.

While Mikan is still checking on Makoto, Hajime and Chihiro were checking on the script that the boy (somehow) brought in when he guided us in bringing Makoto down to the basement. And as the Head Editor, I have to make sure that I have to make some coordination to the higher-ups, like Hajime since he's the Second Unit Director.

I walked quietly towards them while they were busy as I took a peak on the page they were reading. It was the scene where the V3 kids (yes, I said kids) are going to explore the school in finding someplace to escape, in which it's not gonna work because of the 'Death Road of Despair' that Kazuichi installed by Makoto's orders. Though...I do have this strange feeling that this current loop might do something different. I wish it's true, I feel sorry for seeing those kids falling from those booby traps. Especially Kaede, she gets the blame from pushing the others too hard to clear the Despair Road. And because of that incident, it became her downfall when she was framed by Tsumugi for Rantaro's death even though it's not her fault. Her execution sparked outrage from the fans in Danganronpa, especially when they thought that Ki-Bo would be the second protagonist instead of Shuichi. That's double outrage!

I know it sounds off for an Ex-Ultimate Despair (slash Fashionista, slash Analyst), I was supposed to be ecstatic whenever I see someone went horrifyingly speechless before they fall to their knees and cry. Sure it's fun to watch them suffering badly when it wasn't me getting all the torture, but my sense of Humanity kept on interfering my Norepinephrine to activate.

Other than that, everything Despair related things was for Junko Enoshima and her only. I'm not Junko Enoshima, not anymore. I am Ryoko Otonashi, the Ex-Ultimate Analyst.

Yeah, that's right. I'm Ryoko Otonashi.

I'm Ryoko Otonashi.

I'm Ryoko...Otonashi…

I'm Ryoko…

Ryoko…

Ryo...ko…

"Ryoko?" Hajime's voiced snapped out from my trance, thank goodness for that. It seems that while I was having some odd delusions, my own body must have unconsciously moved without my rightful mind that I leaned too much close to Hajime and Chihiro. So, I think I startled them both.

Chihiro was the one who worries more than Hajime does, "Are you okay?"

Despite I can see clearly, I blinked many times just in case I might follow what Makoto did. To be honest, I'm fine.

"Oh, sorry about that. That must have been a bit doozy for me." I apologized while straightening up my body and fixing my 'uniform' (I'm not so sure why I did that anyway), I was also stretching my arms since the bunker was a little bit constricted. It's only allowed for one person, so it's somehow crowded from the inside. I looked back at Makoto, he's still pale and looked weak. It makes my face frown whenever I saw him having a fatigue, he worked too much and that's the consequence he had to pay. He doesn't care whether or not he'll get sick from his job, or Mr. Kamukura would get mad at him (even though the old man doesn't blow a fuse as what Makoto had thought of about our founder).

The members of Team Danganronpa understand what Makoto had gone through in his past (and it's really bad), but we all wished that he could just tone himself down a little bit.

"Well, Mikan." I called her while pointing the bunker's door with my thumb, "The three of us are going back now, duty calls."

She responded with a nod before going back to check on Makoto's vitals. Hajime, Chihiro, and I walked out of the bunker and closed the door quietly.

We were silent for a while until…

"LAST ONE IN THE ROOM IS A ROTTEN ORANGE!" Said by the one and only Orange Juice when his legs just sprinted on a run!

Chihiro and I see that coming, our jaws dropped when Hajime just surprised us like that (and at the same time, it's expected). It's like he's being Roadrunner from Looney Tunes, even the dust and other things got flown by Hajime's run. For goodness sakes, that means I'm Lola Bunny and Chihiro is Tweety Bird!

Dang it Hajime, he challenged us in a race. Oh, when I get my hands on him by the time I win this race, I'm gonna give him my Super High School Level Power Kick!

In an instant, I grabbed Chihiro's arms (that made the boy jumped in surprise) and lifted them until they could reach my shoulders, followed by picking up the rest of his legs until I was balanced when I am carrying him 'Bridal Style'. Though the boy's point of view, I can see that Chihiro was blushing on whatever the heck I'm doing to him (he's turning red for reals)!

"Ryoko! What the heck is going on right now?! What's with Hajime all of a sudden?!" Chihiro asked me.

"Just hold on tight, looks like Hajime wants a race!" I said as I dug my heels on the floor and dashed towards the stairs while carrying Chihiro, the boy had his hands grip tight so he wouldn't fall. Good thing Chihiro's still light, he's already in the legal age even though he doesn't look like one.

Once I finally reached the end of the stairway, I kicked the basement's door with my legs (I have my arms carrying Chihiro, what do you expect?) and entered the lobby. I looked around the place to find where Hajime was running to, though the staff were staring at me because of the current shenanigan the three of us were going at.

And from my sight, I saw Hajime inside the now fixed elevator making faces at me. Much to my dismay that I wasn't able to reach him either.

Chihiro, on the other hand, is still confused on the situation he got involved with. I don't blame him, even the three of us were because he's a newbie in the trio.

"Um...Ryoko?" He called me out.

I looked at him without changing my facial expression, "Yeah?"

"Is this...well...normal?"

"Which one?"

He went in deep thought until he answers, "Everything the three of you did in here?"

I blinked and went in silence.

Woah.

Even though I expected Chihiro to say that, it still surprises me. Dang, everything that Hajime, Makoto, and I did makes his jaw drop? Hmm, I never knew we could be that unpredictable (ironically speaking in Team Danganronpa, though).

Now you're wondering how this shenanigan came to be, I'll tell you. You see, life inside the Team Danganronpa is like your daily boring workplace where you do boring stuff like staying in your cubicle the whole day filling up some paper works and documenting on your computer like what people do all the time! And here, it's all about making plots about Killing Games and Hope and Despair and blah blah blah! It's like I've been living in a Walking Dead universe instead of a Danganronpa universe, the majority of the staff here were like zombies or something. Their aura color was always grey and they talk like they've read a script. It's...DESPAIRING to see people like this! I don't like it one bit, even Hajime and Makoto agreed to me.

So the three of us decided to make things lighter in Team Danganronpa, we did some fun stuff inside like some Team Building Seminars or parties. While the idea was good for our fellow co-workers since they enjoyed doing things aside from work, there is a teeny tiny problem when we were planning those stuff. Everything we did happen from the INSIDE, as in we never went outside of the building. Old Man Kamukura said that going outside as a group is dangerous, and there is a large possibility that there will be some 'casualties' if that happens.

As much as I want to get out of this 'prison office', he does have a point there. Especially what happened to…

I think I went too far in what I should and should not tell to you. I'll tell it to you for another time.

Hajime's winning because he cheated on the race. I'm not letting him win.

"You know what? I think you'll find that out soon enough!" I went on running to somewhere I could catch that Orange Juice up, the only place I could go up is the stairs. Good grief. It's just the elevator and the stairs are the only inventions that can go up and down, isn't there? Oh well, looks like I have to do my daily exercise...again.

My legs were taking fast steps on the stairs nonstop, I kept my watch on how many floors I climbed up as of now. Chihiro, on the other hand, has some sense of familiarity around the place. I guess this was where he climbed up last time (and almost fainted from running) when the whole Team Danganronpa commencing the Hopebot's execution.

Once I saw the number that tells us what floor we are now, I kicked the door open and jumped in. And based on what I remembered, this is the same place where we carried Makoto when he was knocked out. From the numbers being shown on the screen, it's still climbing up to this floor. It means that I'm winning the race.

A smirk crept up from my lips as my legs snapped into a run, even fast enough to make it to the main room that is still empty the whole time.

"Stay here, Chihiro," I said to Chihiro while putting him down. The boy grabbed something near and sturdy for him (a table) to regain balance from being off the floor the whole time, he also placed his hand onto his head to control himself from getting dizzy too.

While for me, I'm standing near the wall just near the main room's doorway when I remained it open instead of closing it. I could see Chihiro going to open his mouth to ask, but I shushed him. He responded with a nod and quietly sit on a chair instead, I just...wish he could understand what I'm saying to him. It's part of my plan after all.

We remained in silence as I concentrated on listening to the sounds in the hallway, I closed my eyes and placed my hand behind my ear to make them louder for me.

TING!

My eyes snapped open when I hear the bell of the elevator, and the smirk didn't fade as the booming footsteps echoing the hallway. The adrenaline inside my brain is rising as I prepared my special attack to Hajime, the 'Super High School Level Power Kick'.

I have my fighting stance readied, my heels dug on the floor. Not because to run, but to charge my energy to launch the attack that I'll give to that Orange Juice once I see his figure passing on the doorway. He thought that I wasn't fast enough to catch him because he used an elevator, but he's wrong.

For Chihiro, he had a hunch that things will get ugly in the end. Despite he wasn't aware I did (almost) the same attack to Makoto, the boy's worried about Hajime's condition right after I beat him up. So, he got out from his seat and went to where the room's kitchen was (yes, we have a kitchen nearby).

The footsteps are getting louder as the shadow of Hajime Hinata creeping closer to the main room, I could even hear his (cocky) voice!

"I'mgonnamakeitI'mgonnamakeitI'mgonnamakeit!"

And that's when I see him leaping through the door like a ballerina performing the Grand Jete, you could see the face of (false) victory plastered on his face. Now that's funny to see from my point of view, he looked like an idiot there.

"I MADE IT!" Hajime cried out loud like a madman on the loose.

"OH NO, YOU'RE NOT!" My voice caught him off guard, everything went slow-mo in his eyes.

He had his head turned around, searching where the sound came from. By when he saw my eyes, his ecstatic face was changed into pure dread when he recognized my fighting stance.

His last words were, "Holy - "

"SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL POWER KICK!"

My legs reacted as if they were the slingshot. When I 'pulled' the trigger, the bullet already knows where to hit it. The next thing...well...I'll leave it to your imagination.

If you're a man, I don't think I have to explain more. My target's already obvious, you might even flinch if I said it anyway (*cough*Men'sVulnerableOrgan*cough*)

50 seconds later (and yes, I kicked him 'hard' enough that the pain lasted on that time), Hajime still remained laying on the floor face flat. His hands were pressed on his body since he was trying to ease the pain from his...I guess you could say, his own 'Nut'.

What's funnier is that I can hear his whimpering cries, but I would rather control my laughter instead of going hysterical from what I did to him. I know he doesn't want anyone to see him silently crying (unless it's me or Makoto), it's the reason why he had his face hidden in the first place.

Chihiro has his ice pack on his hands, but he couldn't even place it to the injured area when Hajime hides it from the boy who is trying to help him recover.

From all the standing I did for a while, my body decides to take a rest. I lowered myself close to the Orange Juice by placing one knee down until I could reach Hajime close at least.

"Come on, Hajime." I spoke, "Turn your body around and Chihiro will do the first aid for you, the pain will be gone soon anyway."

"Mpghmghphmh!"

"What?"

Hajime's head is finally raised filled with tears all over his face, "I said I CAN'T MOVE MY BODY, OH MY GOD!"

I'm unfazed with that response, "It wasn't that hard!"

"It's still painful, you know! I thought I almost died!"

"You're not dying, Hajime. Stop being a crybaby!"

"I'm not crying!"

"Then why'd you have snots on your nose?"

"UGH! FOR GOODNESS SAKE, JUST HELP ME!"

"Well, why didn't you say so? I could just do what the nurses do to their patients then!"

I stood up and moved to his side, then I lightly move his body to the left with my foot. Man, he's stiff! As if he had his own body is in a spring lock suit, only a mechanic can only unlock it (except he's a human so). His hands were still on the injured area, he didn't bother to remove them until Chihiro hands him the ice pack (that is slowly melting when the water drips down).

The two of us waited as the ice does its part to at least aid Hajime from his 'Nut problem', it did take a while to see his face showing some signs of relief. Though...waiting is...boring me out. I gotta break the annoying sound of silence somehow.

"So Chihiro, how's puberty?"

The poor boy was drinking a bottle of water when I asked that, the water just spurted out from his mouth and onto Hajime (and he's not amused to it). Chihiro is coughing loudly, mostly because of the water entered the wrong throat.

"Ryoko!" Hajime yelled out while I tried to control my laughter.

"Well, I'm sorry! I think it's the right time to talk to him about it."

"But you don't have to say it like that!" Hajime said as he starting to get up from his knees, "You're being too insensitive to him!"

"Come on, Hajime! He's already eighteen! Legal age!"

"That doesn't mean you have to shove those things up to his - "

"LANGUAGE!" I yelled at Hajime right before he says a 'bad word' in front of Chihiro. He's still pure, and I'm not letting anyone taint that purity.

Chihiro held his hand out to us while placing his other hand on his chest to ease out his coughing, "It's *cough* fine! I just *cough* need to calm myself a little!" he said in between coughs.

Though from my line of sight, I could see that Chihiro is also 'laughing' despite he got choked in the first place (but I could see that he tried his best to fit in with us). Oh boy, he has a lot to learn...I know he wants to understand why it's normal to have these shenanigans, but maybe he shouldn't rush it at first. I could only smile while sighing, the adrenaline already drained my body from the Super High School Level Kick and I still got the energy to do some work.

While Hajime patted Chihiro's back make his coughs quiet down, I walked towards the television screen to check the status of the current episode that Makoto (along with us) made. I must have forgotten that we should have to keep an eye on the show's status now that Makoto was out and we have to report about what happened also.

From what I see from the television screen close to me, I see Ki-Bo...running away from his classmates. And he wasn't being chased just because he's a robot, unlike in the past timelines (perhaps that scenario already stopped from the twenty-first time loop, even the audience were getting bored). Instead, the robot was being chased because he freaked out!

Sure the audiences already understand what he'd been through, but his classmates don't. So, their only course of action was to get him and probably talk (interrogate) to him. Which, for me, is not a very good idea for that kind of treatment to the traumatized robot. Poor guy. Looks like Project RNSE must have hurt him pretty badly in returning his past memories while he was still in the recovering stage.

My only reaction was to sigh, a deep and heavy sigh. Because you know about those shows or games or movies or even anime have the genre involved Time Travelling these days, they're Unpredictably-Predictable, except it's mostly on the predictable side. It is the reason why I got that reaction, I already know what's going on because of the past time loops and yet I don't know what will Ki-Bo do to change the current time paradox of having his 'friends' (bullies) getting killed one by one. I wish I could think of a way to help ease our protagonist's pain, but I couldn't. Especially when we weren't allowed to interfere the story, or Makoto (my boss) will freak out and cause even scarier than the Riot. I had no choice but to sit there and do my job, it's the only way I could do just to make him happy again.

"Hajime? Ryoko?" The voice of a young boy snapped me out of my trance once more. When I regained my senses, I saw Chihiro looking at his laptop. And it looks like he either had a bad breakfast or something is wrong, the boy is ever serious from his facial expression. The question is, what made him stressed about this time?

"Is something wrong?" Hajime asked.

"It's the Death Road of Despair trap." Chihiro looked at us with worry, "It's not working."

I raised a brow, "What do you mean the DRD isn't working?"

Hajime turned around and looked at the screen to see the sixteen characters, who were trapped in the 'school' they built, were running in a sewer tunnel. But that wasn't the odd part, it's that they were able to get across to some disabled bombs with no fear whether those traps explode or not.

His brows furrowed as he released a quiet growl, "Didn't Kazuichi set those traps on?"

"I don't think it's not that." I answered, "They WERE on, it's just they got shut down by something."

Hajime then slapped his head, "It must have been the electricity we've sent to Ki-Bo!"

"The electric current must have affected to the circuitry in the Ultimate Academy!" Chihiro followed

I shrugged, mostly knew that torturing the robot with high voltage electricity would short the circuits out. "We did give him thirty-five hundred volts. I guess that makes sense to me."

"I knew overpowering the transformer was a bad idea, but no! He didn't listen to me…" Hajime murmured in stress, questioning how come Makoto didn't notice the power outage (which I am also wondering about that).

"But what should we do now? We can't just turn our power sources on, the Despair Trap would be affected…"

"And the game would be over before we knew it, the DRD will become a mass grave. Makoto wouldn't be happy about that." I said while I continued watching the live video of the students venturing inside the Death Road of Despair. For others, seeing them not able to reach halfway of the trap is good news, their bad news would be they still can't get the whole power supply of the game zone back on.

I remained watching the television, the kids are persistent in chasing Ki-Bo in the Death Trap. They didn't even know or care if there are traps in the first place. It's like they have their eyes on the goal they wanted to reach, which is unusual from the past time loops we set up where they failed. Their failure caused a butterfly effect on the deaths of Rantaro Amami and Kaede Akamatsu in the first place, thus passing the protagonist title to Shuichi Saihara. And the rest goes on as it continued to the ending, then the clock rewinds once more.

In my point of view, I'm not even sure whether I should feel impressed or not that the Despair Trap disabled for the first time. We never actually tried to even perform that trick from the past since it's Makoto's idea to turn them on whenever the students entered the sewers, so this is where we can finally see what would happen if they were able to cross the Despair Trap game.

"So, Hajime."

"What?"

I looked at him, "You're the Second Unit Director, right? What are you gonna do next?"

Hajime's face flustered by the question I asked him, I bet he must have forgotten his job in Team Danganronpa from the shenanigans we've gone through.

From his shocked look, Hajime fixes himself up and cleared his throat. But by the time he's about to open his mouth, he noticed me not looking at him. Which is because I proceeded to watch the television instead of listening to Hajime. It's not that I don't like him, it's because I have my worries focusing on the students.

I know Makoto had mentioned this, but I have sympathy for them. And as a member of Team Danganronpa, it's unnatural to have the employee to have the care to the contestants who willingly signed up for the television show. I happen to be the 'lucky' person to be that, sarcastically speaking.

You must be curious why I acted like this ever since Chapter 4 and you wanted answers.

Well, I think it's best not to say it. I'm not even sure if I trust you or anything, I'm just not ready to tell you.

I waited for Hajime's answer since it's his job to take over as a substitute whenever Makoto is absent.

But when he did, his response surprised me.

"We'll let them go."

My eyes blinked, "What?"

Hajime placed his hands on his hips while closing his eyes (though I could see him vexed in his decision), "It's like you said. Turning the power on while they're inside will kill them, and then we have the shortest time loop episode we made. I think it's the best for the contestants to pass the Despair Trap first, then we'll use the backup generator afterward."

I raise a brow from his sudden change of attitude, his decision making is somewhat like a normal director would do at a time like this.

"Wait a minute!" Chihiro jumped out from his seat, "Isn't Makoto going to be mad if we went against the script?"

"He won't. And besides..." Hajime picked up the show's script and handed it to me.

"We have our own Head Editor."

My eyes went wide open, "WHAT?!"

He gave me a sincere smile, as a sign of help from my point of view. "Come on, Ryoko. It's just paper, the script won't bite you."

"For your information, Hajime Hinata. I edit video clips, NOT newspapers! I'm not Geronimo Stilton, you know!"

"It's a script."

"It's still a paper!"

I can't believe Hajime thinks of my job like that! Just because there's the word 'Editor' on my skin, doesn't mean I edit everything! And besides, the scriptwriting part supposed to be Toko's job!

"This is for the three of us. Makoto mustn't know about this."

"You're going to make me edit the script and not telling him?! Why?!"

He pushed the script further to me, "Makoto's gonna murder me if we tampered it, duh!"

"That's not the answer I'm looking for Hajime! I could see it in your eyes, I know you're lying!"

Hajime groaned loudly as he scratched his head in irritation, "Just edit the script!"

"Not until I could hear why you're making me do it!"

"I already told you!"

"I said that's not what I want to hear!"

"Ryoko, stop! Wait!" I hear Chihiro's voice interfering with our argument, he looked concern about us. Almost like a child watching a parent bickering each other, trying to find a way to stop their fighting. I could see him hesitating in what he's about to say.

His pace of saying these words are fast, but I was able to hear them crystal clear. "Hajime wanted for the students to pass the Death Road of Despair because he doesn't want to see you sad!" Chihiro cupped his mouth.

"Huh?" My mouth remained open from what I've heard, he intended to tamper with the script and lead half of the episode just for me? I even looked at Hajime, he had his body turned around while his face is covered with his hands. In which, I take that answer for a 'yes'.

I placed my hand over my beating heart, my body feels light that I have to steady myself to prevent falling. And then, I found myself laughing with joy.

"Aha...ahahaha! Hajime, you Orange Juice! Are you insane?!"

"I'm not insane! You are!" Hajime turned around to face me with his cheeks turning red.

"If you wanted to make me feel better, you could have just told me!" I yelled at him with a smile on my face from ear to ear.

"Look, I just don't like seeing your long face. It's...It's distracting!"

"Oh, really?"

"Yes! Now start with the script or I'll regret it!"

I chuckled as I looked at the script that Hajime gave to me, "Of course I will, not until you said 'you're welcome'."

"JUST EDIT THE SCRIPT!"

"Thank you!"

And that's when I started to work on Makoto's script secretly, it was (somehow) the best assignment Hajime gave to me for the first time.

---

Time is defined as a universal system of how Reality changes within the continuum of every existence of the world.

It is also where Life and Death set apart from each other, where one indicated how long has someone or something existence and the other would indicate until when exactly it stopped existing.

Every single event that happened to every single living creature exists was handicapped by time itself.

From the time when you're awake, cleaning your body, eat, go to school, return home, sleep, and then repeat.

Repeat.

Repeat.

Repetition is one of the Time's gears, it's the one that you will see on your clock. Where you don't see the number thirteen in the continuing circle of seconds, minutes, and hours. It's all there to it, it's a never-ending cycle of Life and Death being manipulated by Time itself along with the help of the Human Will.

Because in the end, whatever happens in the Time of your Life, will be everything based on your own decision. And everything bad can and will happen, it's all your fault, too.

One thing about time travelers, even though it's a little bit cliche, is that they have a specific goal that they have in mind whenever they rewind the clock and start the whole puzzling game of life and death. They wanted to change something within the loop, a change that can disrupt the original timeline to create a new one, one that can be happy about the positive side of the Butterfly Effect.

And as usual, they failed.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Except that this is how the Ultimate Hope perceived Time anyway, considering he's the one in control of the handicap instead.

That's right, this is who he is and who he truly is in this story.

"I'm a Time Traveler."

---

In all honesty, he began to think why he freaked out in the first place.

The robot is alive, got his memories returned from the last timeline, and he can finally see his classmates alive as nothing happened.

He should be happy, right?

No.

Not when this happened for thirty-one times, and he still had not recovered completely after getting betrayed by his friends, being voted, and dragged into the most Despair inducing execution he ever experienced in his entire 'life'.

He wanted to believe that Time Traveling is just a dream, a myth that can only be realistically believed through childish imagination. That none of the timelines showcased the repeating cycles of life and death of his classmates, that there are no betrayals or sacrifices that were forced to commit by the ringleader of the Killing Game. That they can escape the Ultimate Academy by working together, it should be like that.

But because of the memories, Ki-Bo can't deny the harsh reality he had to believe in. It is the painful truth about who he really is and what he was supposed to do as a Time Traveler, the robot almost forgot about his objectives that he considers to be disrespectful for his dead friends when he thought that he abandoned his mission.

It was at that moment when he saw the living Kaede Akamatsu, the Ultimate Pianist that was innocently framed and brutally executed by the ringleader, reached her hand out him. He misses Kaede's optimistic voice and fierce leadership, she's determined to end the game with the rest of the students and defeat the mastermind. She believes in every single individual that they don't have the capability of being a bloodthirsty murderer which is true, and Kaede's words made Ki-Bo want to believe in her too.

By the time he touched her hand, the flash an electric spark caused his inner workings to unlock even worse memories. Memories that the robot wanted to seal and never be open again and that drove Ki-Bo into a hysterical panic.

The last thing he wanted to do was to leave the place and his classmates. To run away from every single fear he dealt in the past.

He just wanted to run.

Away from Kaede, from the mastermind, from Shuichi.

Everyone.

"Wait! Stop!"

Ki-Bo continued in running while turning his head around not only to listen to what Kaede said but to check whether if she's alone or there are other people following the Ultimate Pianist.

"Please, don't run!"

"You're only one and we're fifteen! You can't hide from us forever!"

Which he got the latter right, the rest of the students were also running just to get him. He could see Kaito being the student running beside Kaede and the one who is catching up with Ki-Bo. Along with Kirumi, Tenko is athletic enough to almost catch him if ever he's off guard.

Much to the robot's dismay, he thought that they'll ignore him for being a weirdo. He thought that once he ran away, his classmates wouldn't have to chase him and wait once he returned instead. Or even they'll think of what happened minutes ago was an illusion or a prank by Monokuma, and the Killing Game Semester would proceed.

But no, it was neither of them.

Why are they still chasing me?!

The robot continued to run outside of the school premises, thinking of a solution to get away from his classmates while his mechanical legs are still moving.

I have to think of something!

I can't just outrun them forever! I even assume that my upgrades from the past time loop were gone, too! I don't have any function to fight against them, and it's cruel to hurt my classmates…

He winced mentally as he shakes his head. Looks like the torture that Team Danganronpa had given to him had still taken some effects through his head even if they finished returning his memories.

"No...Reject! Reject!" Ki-Bo commanded himself harshly, trying to focus on his current priority: Escape from his classmates. But because of his overthinking, he didn't notice that he's going to run into a metal fence.

As a result, the laws of physics have taken effects on the robot. He 'felt' something thin, yet heavy slammed into his waist. Painfully halting him without noticing, then Ki-Bo had his face met with the grass following his body.

Ki-Bo should have been unconscious by now, but he reminded himself that his classmates are after him. The robot tried his best to remain conscious and placed his hands on the ground as leverage to lift himself into his knees, followed by grabbing the metal fence to fully stand up. However, he could still 'feel' the pain of the impact that he received by the time he recovers.

There is no time in looking back, he had to keep moving.

He started running, but his pacing is limp. He had his hand placed over to where the 'pain' comes from, he's also relieved that the fence he was hit didn't accidentally press his 'Self-Destruct Button'. Or he'll have to start another time loop without even getting a chance to explore the current one. Other than that, the robot has concerns about whether or not he's damaged. But he has more concerns about the 'pain' he just felt, the hit may seem small yet it weakens his mobility. For humans, getting pain makes them almost immobile depending on how agonizing it is. For Ki-Bo, he thinks that it's highly unnatural for him to experience pain because he's a -

Why did I think of robophobic remarks all of the sudden?

The robot paused to look at the surroundings. He was able to get far enough from his chasing classmates, but he needs to hide from them right now, especially when he has a handicap from getting hit by the fence earlier. Running can't be the option anymore, he had to use his next plan.

Ki-Bo turned to a building, one that gives him a decision to enter that particular place with no second thoughts. He limply walked to the door and opened it, making sure that he's completely inside right before his classmates almost him if the robot hadn't pushed the door against them until he's able to lock it into place.

He took a few steps back from the door, which is filled with the wooden sound of the students banging against it.

With the assurance that the door is locked into place, Ki-Bo turned around to the real sight of what's inside of the building he entered.

From his point of view, there are wires scattered on the ground that has grass growing from the cracks and gaps. However, another half of it is a large metallic net that still has grass growing through them. In fact, it's not just only grass that is growing inside the building, but there are trees and moss also. It's almost as if no one was there to trim the plants off for a long time, even abandoned. There's even the school's television that has numerous speakers attached around the screen.

Then, there is also a large boiler that took over a space from the other end, the large pipes looked like it came from the ground. The boiler, while it looked old and rusty, seems to be functioning normally. Its mechanisms were in the mix of different parts that some don't exactly belong to the stationary ones, although the model might be a hybrid kind of boiler that can generate powerful steam in the school.

Above him is a glass ceiling that was held in steel supporters and there's a huge circular light fixture that can be used at nighttime.

It took Ki-Bo for a while to remember the familiar place and when the robot did, he does not take that memory quite well.

"Oh no…"

He took a long gasp, "The Boiler Room!"

The building he entered is the Boiler Room if it wasn't for the large contraption standing in front of the robot. It is one of the locations that he regretted to unconsciously enter with no rational reason why he chose the place.

The robot took quiet steps in getting a closer glimpse of the Boiler Room, when he stepped on something rough and metallic. Ki-Bo looked down with his eyes widen in shock.

Below from his feet is a manhole, large and bronze-colored with the symbol of a certain monochrome bear's eye embossed on the lid. The robot took a step back from the manhole, he fell silent when more memories froze his whole body.

He remembered when the whole class thought that they were able to find the exit through the tunnel, but they were tricked instead. And when they get hit by those booby traps, Kaede pushes them into re-entering the tunnel again and again with no concern of the other's feelings that slowly made them succumb to Despair.

The students, like Kokichi Oma, began to blame her. And even though the robot had nothing to do against Kaede, he was the one who contributed the near-nihilistic aura to the pianist.

"Given the circumstances...the most logical course of action would be to

give up."

Ki-Bo felt like it was his fault why Kaede gambled her life just to kill the mastermind and save her friends. In the end, her plan backfired and she completely fell into the mastermind's trap. Ending her life through a brutal execution, one that sparked the infamous Killing Game to an endless cycle of murder.

He placed a hand over his head, the robot shows guilt on the memory he remembered from the past. Perhaps he was right, maybe he did push the Ultimate Pianist to her demise because he was selfish, arrogant, and weak. Ki-Bo never thought that he returned to palace that everyone, including himself, caused a butterfly effect that killed Kaede.

"I...should have apologized to her…" The robot whispered, "If only I wasn't that selfish...I could have made her happy…"

He winced in utter grief and closed his eyes as he has taken an attempt to relax himself from those painful memories.

"Hey, kid!"

But the trance didn't last long as he heard Kaito's booming voice from the outside, "Open the darn door or we'll bust it open!"

"Don't break the door, Kaito!" Gonta's voice interjected the Ultimate Astronaut

"Kaito! Gonta!" Ki-Bo jumped as he tried to remember his objective in escaping from his classmates.

The first 'thought' comes to his mind was the manhole, but he wasn't sure that popped up to his database. Perhaps, he was panicking that his 'brain' becomes overwhelmed of finding different solutions all at once. No wonder the humans get stressed. But he has no choice, the students are getting even more agitated when they make noises behind the door louder.

The robot placed both of his hands on the lid, he mustered his strength to pull it off.

"Grrrh…..Grrrrrrrrrrhhhhhh!"

...but he realized something stupid.

"I forgot I have the strength of a senior citizen!" Ki-Bo cried for his scrawny strength for a robot like him. Of course, the upgrades he installed last time were gone, especially his strength went back to the power of an old man! The robot is not lucky that he downgraded at the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Okay, I should not be hasty in this….I can't believe my upgrades are gone when I needed them the most…"

His optical lenses shifted from left to right, thinking of an alternative solution of opening the manhole or finding another place to escape. Ki-Bo thinks of Gonta to open it for him, the Ultimate Entomologist can lift the bronze lid with his two fingers. Unfortunately, Gonta can't help him right now, especially the so-called gentleman is right behind the door doing the same thing that happened at the Insect Meet and Greet past time loops ago.

"There's gotta be another way…" Ki-Bo murmured in distress, he couldn't find another way to escape other than the manhole. His inexperience of handling human stress is giving him a headache, the robot had to stare at a still object, like the tree, just to keep him in focus and relax.

...which actually gave him an idea.

---

The person with purple fabric slippers had taken an impact against the wooden door, and then it was pulled before it swiftly bashed the door even harder. But no matter what the foot does, there is no effect in breaking it.

"This is your last chance!" Kaito Momota, the Ultimate Astronaut yelled, "We're gonna break this door if you keep on hiding in there!"

Gonta stepped in front, "How many times do Gonta tell Kaito not to break the door! It's not gentlemanly to the door and our classmate!"

Kaede twisted the doorknob for a hundredth time with no results of getting it unlocked, "Oh, geez! He's not opening it!"

It's been a while that the students are trying to find a way to break into the Boiler Room so they can catch the 'sixteenth student', who ran away from them.

Upon Kaede's decision, they chased him down. The 'sixteenth student', from their point of view, can be clumsy at times when he bumped into a metal fence, but he can be fast enough just for him to enter the Boiler Room and lock himself in so the others can't get inside.

The others started in checking the building to see if there are any Windows or doors to enter, but there aren't any. Not even thinking of going inside by the roof, it's too high for them to climb and dangerous also.

Because of that, everyone was taking a 'break' when some of the students can't think of anything else.

Angie had been praying to her 'Atua' for who knows how long, Himiko is sleeping on the grass without any care on having dirt on her uniform, and Shuichi continued in circling around the building.

So far, they have no luck.

"Well, if you hadn't touched his clean body with your dirty claws on him, then he wouldn't have freaked out because of your ugly face!" Miu yelled at her as if she's ten feet away from Kaede despite being next to the pianist.

Kaede retaliated, "It's your fault why you ruin my moment with him if you hadn't scared the heck out of us like that, and all you talked about was his backside!"

"At least a genius like me knows when to stop thinking about anything filthy and know when to set my priorities straight! Maybe you should take some lessons from the Ultimate Inventor herself, Kaeidiot."

"You sly hypocrite."

"Hey!" Kokichi called them out, "You two lag mutts are wasting time when we are supposed to find a way to open the door!"

The boy marched closer to Miu with a menacing look that made the Ultimate Inventor shrink, "If you're not going to cooperate with us and just sitting there being all wild and stuff, I suggest to go to a corner and poop like a dog you are!"

"Hiiiiieeeeeeeee!" The inventor screams and hid behind Kaede, much to her dismay.

From the sight of seeing them not helping with this kind of situation makes Maki shake her head, she doesn't want to even deal with anyone considering they're in a killing game and all her classmates are treating it as a joke. She sighed, trying to come up something to change the subject.

"Any ideas on who that boy is?" Maki asked out to the students.

That catch the attention of her classmates.

Tsumugi Shirogane asks, "What do you mean, Maki?"

Maki folds her arms, "Ever notice how he acts towards Kaede? By the looks of it, he trusts Kaede quickly when he was supposed to be terrified of her longer."

"I'll… take it as a compliment just for us to move on." Kaede overheard Maki, slightly felt offended while Miu is trying to hold her laugh.

"Okay, so what does it have to do with me? I was trying to be nice, there's nothing wrong with that." She asked.

"Maki's right, you know. There is something wrong with that."

Maki turned around to see Rantaro speaking to her side.

"A degenerate male siding with a girl?! Has the world gone mad?!" Though she could also see Tenko looking vexed towards the man.

"Is there something wrong?" Maki asks Tenko, irritated for at the Aikido Master being mad at something small and unimportant.

"Yes!"

Rantaro continued. "Don't forget, guys. We're in a killing game. Naturally, we already felt the intimidation from what Monokuma told us about participating in a killing game against our will. It's scary to see that we were kidnapped and we don't remember how we got here, and I even don't know what my talent is. The same goes for the 'sixteenth student', but he's even more scared than us and he doesn't even know about the killing game because he never went to the meeting with Monokuma."

Korekiyo Shinguji nods in understanding, "It makes sense. A student without any information about what is happening around him will come up with the most common emotion, fear."

"And because of that, he should have been more frightened by the time he saw us. Specifically, Kaede Akamatsu." Maki called out the name of the Ultimate Pianist, which Kaede raised a brow.

"But he's scared because you frightened him, I told you that."

"And why wouldn't he? The student doesn't know you from the start."

"So?"

"He shouldn't have trusted you, because that's what causes a suspicion."

Kaede blinked at what Maki said, "Suspicion? You think of him as a bad guy that quickly?"

Rantaro could only roll his eyes, and here he thought that he's the suspicious one because of the lack of talent. Looks like the 'sixteenth student' beat him to it, which is both a good thing and a bad thing.

"It's not that we think of him like that, but we're in a Killing Game, Kaede." Rantaro reminded the pianist.

Everyone went on silent while staring at Rantaro before he could continue.

"For one thing, he knows something that we don't know."

Kaede asked, "Like what?"

"Weeeelll!" Kokichi jumped into the conversation out of silence, this gained a lot of groans from the students, except for Gonta and Rantaro.

"Aside from the fact that the 'sixteenth student' trusted Kaede without even knowing her personally, I think he must have known the places also. Like the place he locked himself into." The Supreme Leader said as he pointed the door that still can't open as of now.

Miu tries to turn the doorknob for the final time, it still had not budged. "Says the gremlin who blabbers with your drool! Why did you open your stupid mouth all of a sudden?"

"It's getting boring around here and you people are just sitting on the grass doing nothing! Can't you do something exciting for once?"

Maki glares at Kokichi, "Do we care about that?"

He shifted his eyes when he saw Maki glowering at him, he even raised his hands in defense. "Hey! I'm just trying to help my classmates in chasing that 'sixteenth student' who hurt Kaede in the first place! That guy deserved to be punished and brought to justice!"

"I said I'm fine!" Kaede exclaimed, "And besides, he didn't hurt me. You can't just blame him like that."

Kokichi gave her a sinister look, "And what would happen if he really is suspicious? You still don't want us to point fingers at him?"

"..."

"Why are you so kind to a stranger, Kaede? You don't know who he is and how he got there in the first place. Didn't your mother tell you not to talk to strangers? I would feel ashamed if she's making her daughter vulnerable to the harsh world out there!"

The mention of her mother made her angry and confused at the same time, considering that part is off-topic for her. "H-h-hey! Why are you - "

"The heck would you know?" The Ultimate Supreme Leader cut her off, "Maybe he pretended to be a young boy who is scared and afraid on the outside, only to make a plan and lure his victims into a death trap. Or maybe, he must have some connections to the one who kidnapped us here in the first place. He's the 'sixteenth student', after all. So, he either might be the mastermind or someone working with the mastermind. Whichever you choose."

"You're just exaggerating. I don't think he would do such a thing." Kaede refutes at Kokichi's accusation, in which the later rolled his eyes at her.

"That's what you think. But what about the others who also have the thought of him being suspicious?" He beckoned to the students where their distressed faces are already in a display for Kaede to see.

By the looks of it, almost half of them showed agreement to Kokichi without even saying anything.

The pianist couldn't help but sigh. They must be thinking about what happened in the entrance hall, where the 'sixteenth student' shocked her. Her classmates still think of him someone who hurt Kaede, and possibly the others if they caught off guard.

From Kaede's deep thinking, Kokichi heard a loud noise coming from the building. Kaito is still banging on the door, he twisted the doorknob even hard that it can jam at any minute.

"Kaito! What do you think you're doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?!" The astronaut asked the same question without looking at Kokichi. Still having an adamant opinion about the 'sixteenth student' now that half of the students are getting suspicious of him, Kaito is getting impatient in waiting. The only thing he could do is to kick the door, giving his foot a good slam to it. Of course, Gonta will also get angry at Kaito one more time.

"Kaito, don't kick the door! You are being stubborn, this will not help anyone."

Kokichi placed his hands on his hips and gave Kaito a childish pout, "Gonta's right, Kaito! You're so reckless! Why don't you listen to the gentleman once in a while?"

The man is surprised at Kokichi, "What the - ?! Didn't you say he's the suspicious one? You know like, he could be either the mastermind or working with the mastermind? I'm just trying to find a way to stop him if ever he is the mastermind!"

"Oh? Did I say that? Looks like I'm being forgetful of my lies so fast that I feel like I'm getting old."

"That was a lie?!"

The boy shrugged, "Hey! I just want to be nice and know the 'sixteenth student' too, you know! You're the one who threatened him in the first place!"

"Nice?!" Kaito questioned Kokichi, "You're the one who thinks of him as a threat!"

"But it wasn't my fault why he ran away from us because you scared him." Kokichi looked at Kaito with a shrug.

"What the - ?! MY FAULT?!" Kaito screeched, "How come it was my fault?! He just ran away from us before Kaede reached him out!"

"But Kokichi's right, Kaito." The voice of the Ultimate Entomologist crept through his ears, making the astronaut jump. The remark makes Kokichi smirk at him, he was finally able to have someone on his side of the argument.

"If Kaito didn't get mad at the 'sixteenth student' for hurting Kaede, then the 'sixteenth student' wouldn't have run away from us."

Despite the sincerity of Gonta's eyes, Kaito could tell that he's also mad at him. A person who pursues in becoming a gentleman like Gonta would push others to do the same manner as he does because that's what gentlemen do to people. And Kaito's intimidation towards the 'sixteenth student' until now makes the entomologist having his patience tested towards the astronaut, and Kaito doesn't want that especially if Gonta's bigger than him.

"See Kaito? At least there's one person who can call out your flaws."

The Ultimate Astronaut couldn't help but to facepalm. He could only turn his head to the locked door until the large man grabbed his jacket.

"Oh no, Kaito! We can't let you break the door and scare our friend again. We are gonna catch 'sixteenth student' gentleman style." Gonta interjected Kaito, much to his surprise that Gonta is being assertive to him. So this is what would happen if he ticks a soon-to-be gentleman off.

From afar, Shuichi Saihara is listening to the conversation between the three of them. He stayed silent after finishing his last round of exploring the building that the 'sixteenth student' locked himself into. Just like Kaede, Shuichi doesn't think that the 'sixteenth student' is suspicious. Perhaps it's because of his deductions as the Ultimate Detective prevents him to jump into conclusions just yet about the person he just met a while ago.

Not only that, the detective has something meddling through his mind when the 'sixteenth student' directly looked at him. The sight of Shuichi made him cower even more from fear, and the detective didn't do anything bad to him yet! Shuichi is not sure what made the 'sixteenth student' scared of him, but he wants to know it in person.

He started walking towards the three while hearing Gonta's suggestion of speaking to the 'sixteenth student' without force that scares him a lot. To Shuichi, it can be a good option coming from a student who was raised by wolves. It's possible that he can provide some help until the sight of the supreme leader make him stop. The kid had other ideas when he pulled out two pieces of metallic pins on his 'suit' while bending them straight, making the unpinned slit expose his bellybutton. Much to the shock of Gonta that he has to remove his blazer just to cover Kokichi, especially he could see Tenko covering the eyes of the Ultimate Magician.

Shuichi fixed his cap and asked, "Kokichi? What are you going to do with those pins?"

The boy in the white attire looks at the detective with a cheeky 'smile' on his face, "I'm gonna pick this lock! Once I get this door to open, we're gonna corner that student and finally catch him!"

From the brim of his cap, Shuichi's widen eyes witness the supreme leader began his work when he inserted the pins into the keyhole. Who knew that Kokichi knows lock picking in the first place. Especially for Kaito Momota, whose anger is rising once more from the reveal.

"You know how to pick a lock while all of us had to do it the hard way..." He muttered towards Kokichi, which the boy doesn't seem to shun as he continued in tweaking the door's lock without even looking to Kaito's eye.

"Of course I know how to pick a lock! It's my secret trick as a supreme leader!"

"WHY. DIDN'T. YOU. TELL US?!"

"Why. Are you. So. PREDICTABLE!" Kokichi imitated Kaito's outburst, "You're so dumb! Out of many solutions of opening a locked door, idiots like you could only think of slamming yourselves through it like a battering ram!"

Shuichi decides to ignore his fellow Ultimate student's remark and think of which is important, "But Kokichi, why didn't you tell us in the first place. It would have been easier for all of us."

The short boy looked at him with eyes glimmering in his anguished face, "And it would have been easier for all of us to even say please to me! When our classmates were having a hard time, I kindly went to them and offered some help so they wouldn't tire themselves out. But when I did, they just yelled and told me to back off! They're so mean to me that I didn't bother to volunteer anymore!" He finished with a sobering sniff.

However the detective raised a brow, "...Were you?"

"Nah, I lied. I just want to see their frustrations when they can't unlock the door, it's so funny you should have seen their faces!" Kokichi cracked a chuckle as his hands stopped moving when he heard a satisfying click from the doorknob.

That sound is heard from all of the students who all looked in the same direction to where the door is, some even ran just to see what's going on.

"There! Open says me!"

A grunt from the entomologist gave himself an approval as he reaches to the doorknob that has a satisfying click from the silence of the students waiting for the anticipation, without anyone noticing Gonta's strange actions from his cheery and gentleman attitude. He immediately pushed the door open and the rest didn't hesitate to enter the boiler room.

---

The 'sixteenth student', who locked the students out in the first place, turned around in shock to see his classmates broke in. It's not like he underestimated them either since they are the Ultimates after all, but he's still surprised anyway.

"Hah! We got your metal butt now! I can't wait to get my hands on you! That suit must be really firm to hold on to!" Miu shouted, breaking the serious air of silence much to Kaede's dismay.

"There is nowhere for you to run anymore." Kirumi said in a stoic tone, "Your only choice is to submit in defeat."

They were silent, some even moved to surround their classmate just in case he'll try to escape even though the only exit is the door itself. And by the looks of his distressed face, they knew they finally got him red handed.

"It's either you surrender, or we're going to force you to it." Maki looked at him with a glare that makes the student cower in fear.

"N-no! S-stay away from me!" The 'sixteenth student' recoils, even looking away from the Ultimate Pianist's eyes. The one who he inflicted pain onto, even Kaede felt a big lump on her throat when he intentionally loses sight of her.

Seeing his actions makes Gonta's eyebrows furrow and release a fierce hum that can be heard by anyone beside him, Tenko and Kaito, which they took a step away from him just in case. For Kaede, witnessing the 'sixteenth student' being anxious to them doesn't mean she'll accept that message from the boy. Kaede swallowed the lump and spoke, "Look, I know you didn't mean to hurt me, and we're not going to hurt you as payback. Please! You have to calm down and - "

"It's not that!"

Kaede's eyes blinked, "Huh? What do you mean?"

He stepped back, looking at the ground. The 'sixteenth student' opens his mouth, but not a sound can be heard from his voice. Gonta kept his eyes on the cowering student, his big steps that add to the intimidation from the Ultimate Entomologist as he walks closer.

"Please don't be scared, friend. Gonta won't hurt friend." He softly spoke even though it sounded like he's being hard on the student, who backed away even further.

"...N-no!"

A glare creeps from the pursuing gentleman's eyes slowly that grows deeper and deeper, making Gonta look like he's going to create a silent outburst. The student notices this and tried to shift his eyes to another direction away from the entomologist's menacing stare towards him.

"You getting stubborn. Why you keep on pushing us away like that? That's not good. You're not being good friend."

Gonta's remark made the student blue eyes get in contact with the man's red eyes once more. The student, too, had a glare growing on his face.

"You..."

A large, burly hand is drawn from Gonta, the student 'felt' disgusted by looking at it.

"Don't be a bad friend...Or else."

Gonta took one more step -

"DON'T YOU DARE!"

And it seems something came out of nowhere, an object was flown into the air. It's large, it's brass, and it's circular. It's almost as if they're witnessing a giant penny being flipped.

The fifteen teenagers had their eyes staring at the literal flying saucer as the object is slowly falling right to where it was tossed, who knew there's going to be something bizarre at a mere second right after they met the 'sixteenth' student nearby.

Most of them braced for impact by covering their ears, not because of the object going to fall on them but because they recognized what will happen to the object once it hits on the ground. The obvious answer would be a deafening sound, one that can give damage to their eardrums. They all knew it's a lid of a manhole that 'magically' flew up in the air, as what some would think about that.

Kaede, the person who might have a heavy impact because of the relation to her talent, press her ears hard until she could barely hear anything around her. She could see her classmates had their hands covering their ears, some except one.

The young student in black and white is still staring at the heavy lid, unconscious about the effect on what would happen if it falls on the ground. He seemed calm about it.

She kept on looking at him in concern until the sight of the lid made the student mysteriously vanished as if the object wiped him out of the scene and the following was a loud banging sound that echoes around the room, even the impact made the ground shake a little bit. Kaede pressed her ears as hard as she can, she winced at the piercing frequency that the Ultimate Pianist had to suffer due to her sensitive hearing. It made her want to have nothing to hear from anything after that.

Rantaro is the first one to have his hands taken off from his ears, he could still hear a slight echo from the loud material but he couldn't afford to care about that now that the 'sixteenth student' vanished from thin air. He has his guess that the student escaped from the manhole, but never said a word from his classmates when they started to mumble things again…yet.

Shuichi walked to where the lid of the manhole landed, he has his suspicions set even though the detective had his obvious guess that the student did something right before they were able to break in.

What he saw from the grassy fields doesn't even surprise him, he lifted a long object from the ground that is made of wood while being wrapped around by a thin metal wrapped around it. The Ultimate Detective seemed fascinated by how the device was created in the first place, there was even a splintered dent at the end of the wood. Along with a few rocks on the ground, the 'sixteenth student' was smart enough to use any of Shuichi's classmates to his advantage, such as Gonta Gokuhara's heavyweight that the entomologist didn't know that he fell for the student's trap.

Miu snatched the 'device' that her sneaky classmate created. And by the looks of it, she's pretty ticked.

"A makeshift crowbar made of sticks and some metal tied around, strong enough to at least lift a heavy object if someone is stronger than the other. Tch!"

In a matter of seconds, Miu grabbed the other end of the crowbar and instantly snapped it by her legs to where the spike on her belt adorned. It's like a sword piercing a twig.

The Ultimate Inventor had her arms around her hips as she looked at Gonta, who is looking away from her eyes in shame. "Outsmarted by a Smart Aleck. Nice going, Gonta!" Miu commented sarcastically, "You just have to scare him away. I thought you're the 'Ultimate Entomologist', you can take care of a bug but you're not smart enough to beat a mantis with a metal hiney!"

The large man placed his hands together over his head, Miu could hear him whimpering. "Gonta is really sorry! Gonta is really REALLY sorry! He just wants to be his friend!", he cried out.

"Too bad our classmate was shy enough to run away from you, Gonta. Other than that, our classmate is such a bad person. What kind of a person who would use a fellow human to their evil schemes? From the sound of that, they're pretty sadistic in doing it. Without having the care of what would happen in the aftermath, that's just cruel. " Kokichi said with a frown.

Ryoma rolled his eyes, "And I suppose it's not you?"

The supreme leader answered with a shrug, "Well, you got me there. I do have a reputation, but his was just ridiculous."

"We just need to follow him then." Kaede faced her classmates, despite having a slight ringing headache.

"Gonta? Mind if you do us a favor?" Rantaro asked the entomologist, who turned around while rubbing his face by his coat sleeve. The green-haired teen points to where the lid rests, "If you want to redeem yourself, I think the time is now. You have to open the lid so we can follow him."

Gonta didn't hesitate nor say another word, his large fingers started to pick up the heavy object.

Kokichi yawned. "Can't you go any faster, Gonta? Go! Go! Or else you won't be forgiven!" The short teen fronted a childlike appeal. For albeit, he also wanted to see what that object really was. Who knows? It might be interesting stuff.

And by the sound of it, Kokichi's 'insulting' cheer make Gonta obliviously empowered by it. He even threw the lid away from them enough to get some of their jaws dropped, especially the drooling Miu...again.

Tenko commented, "I can't believe he threw it like a flying disk..."

For a 'gentleman', the entomologist sure is strong.

"We'll take that as a concern later. Otherwise, the 'sixteenth student' will be out of our sight!" Kirumi replied as she and the others started to climb down from the manhole.

Shuichi had already whistled if he ever knew how to do it. Setting aside his fascination, he stepped forward again to look over where the heavy object was placed before. "That kinda solves our problem," Kaede mused, as Kokichi put his hands on her shoulders.

"Yep!" Kokichi smiled, whether in innocence or mischief. As he slightly pushed Kaede, "Look what it is, Kaede!"

Tsumugi had already climbed down the ladder, the cosplayer noticed that some people are missing from the scene. Confused, she looked up from the open hole, seeing Kaede, Shuichi, and Kokichi are remaining from above.

"Hey, guys!" She called from the bottom, "You gotta get down here right away!"

"Ah right..." Shuichi voiced out as he decided to follow, but froze on his spot as he turned back to Kaede and Kokichi.

"Uhm, Kaede, you can go first,"

"Wow, gentleman, huh," Kokichi teased with a wide grin, "Or you wanted to go first Shuichi, and then Kaede, so you'll see what's under her skirt,"

Shuichi's face flared in red. But before Shuichi could react, Kaede had disappeared from the scene. "You'll be left here," Kokichi said lowly as he followed to go down the ladder after Kaede. This made Shuichi snapped back in reality.

"I know..." Shuichi sighed and followed down.

---

Everyone is present, they began to look around the big area that the fifteen have recently discovered.

"It's more spacious than I thought it'd might be..." Ryoma commented.

Kokichi spins around on his like a child he was, amazed at where he is currently that his curiosity is sparking. Even playing with the echoes in the new location, "Yodelay-hee-hooo!"

"What is this place...?" Maki murmured that the maid could hear her voice.

Kirumi tapped her chin while her eyes adjusted from the lack of light, "An old industrial passageway, I suspect...Perhaps factories once existed here?"

"And this is all that's left of 'em." Kaito concluded.

Meanwhile, Rantaro had his eyes on what it seems to be a large, dark tunnel. It makes sense since the one that caught Rantaro his attention is a wooden sign. "Hey, take look at this," he called everyone.

Shuichi quickly focused his attention on the supposed dark tunnel. Tunnel? Seriously? "We discovered something again..." Kaede muttered to herself as Kokichi popped behind her. "Hmm... It might lead to somewhere," Kokichi said, "Who says who wants to go there!" He raised his hand excitedly.

The 'talentless' student twitched a smile, "What a considerate sign...Apparently, the end of the tunnel is the exit." he speculated.

However, Tenko didn't notice the slight sound of the degenerate male's sarcasm or perhaps Rantaro is too stupid enough to notice. "Ummm...Considerate? You don't think it's weird that someone went out of their way to write 'Exit'?", Tenko asked.

Miu suddenly stepped forward, grinning widely as she yelled, "Hah-haha! Don't pee yourself with fear! Your natural scent is bad enough!"

"Uhh..." Shuichi deadpanned, trying to guess who she was referring to. Well, he had an idea who, but...that was something out of the blue.

Tenko's eyes grew wide, "I-I'm not scared! And I smell just fine!"

From the 'friendly argument', other students like Angie is doing something else, if not peculiar. The Ultimate Artist is humming heavily, she looked like she obliviously puckered up a rotten lemon.

"Aha!"

The artist opened her eyes wide...

At the same time a loud noise of metal echoing through the tunnel, the fifteen Ultimates had their ears on the strange sound coming out from nowhere. But before anyone could ask, Angie smiled as her legs began to hop. "Atua has spoken from above! He knows the way! Come along, my friends! We must not hesitate! Our friend is near!" She bounced on the tunnel's step, while everyone else was dumbfounded.

"Well then, go ahead. No point standing around here." Rantaro said, growing a little impatient.

"No need to worry! It looks a bit dangerous, but we're all Ultimates here! As long as we work together, everything will work out just fine!" Kaede suggested as she faced everyone, "Let me go first then, and the rest will follow. Agreed?"

However, her persuasion was not enough to convince the supreme leader. But instead of a frontal rebuttal, he smiled and slide towards her, "Kaede, bravery has a place in knighthood, not in here. Well, like Miu said, how about the guys here to take initiative? Anyone?" Kokichi roamed his sight around if ever someone would raise their hand to go first.

Rantaro had to roll his eyes from Kokichi's behavior. Silence took over the area.

"I think I regret something," Kokichi muttered.

"Well, you..." Kaede eyed him annoyingly, "You just interfere too much, hm?"

Kokichi still grinned, "Don't care,"

"I think it's a good idea... Let's go," Shuichi decided to go with the flow.

---

Upon performing the first step in walking to the dark tunnel, the first thing they ever thought was exhaustion. And it's not that normal considering they chased down a student who was afraid of them for no reason, then getting outsmarted by the same person.

They don't know what was wrong with them, but their bodies are getting sore and their breaths are flowing shorter.

Shuichi groaned. "It's even dark around here...Man..." His shoulders slumped, feeling tired on the run. "It feels like I didn't run for years..."

"Or another year..." Tsumugi replied with a heave of her breath, despite she's walking instead of following Angie and run. Kirumi is behind the group to make sure no one was left behind or someone following them.

She walked towards her two classmates, "Shuichi's exhaustion leaves me another question..."

"Another question?" the cosplayer asks.

The person who had been quiet for a while raised his hand, "What do...you mean?" Shuichi voiced out.

"Well, we didn't forget that we've been kidnaped in a school that we don't even know where it is located." Kirumi reminded.

Maki suddenly meddled in. "We all know that. Probably that long passage can tell us something regarding this stuff,"

Kokichi eyed to Maki slyly, having a serious facade about her 'statement'.

"Plan, guys?" Kaito voiced out, frowning, "But we need to stick together to make sure whatever your decision will ensure our safety,"

"Oh, pooey!" Kokichi chimed in, "Boring!"

A hand from the cosplayer grabs everyone's attention. "Well, I know I don't give people suggestions whenever I'm not in a mood but..." Tsumugi looked around the dark corridors for a second before she continued, "If the sign we saw earlier said 'Exit' and probably the 'sixteenth student' must have entered this place, shouldn't we follow him?"

Korekiyo crossed his arms, using his left hand to caress his face mask.

"It won't hurt to enter the dark den. Humans love to take second thoughts but in our current situation...we should take the risk..."

"I didn't know you're there," Miu said while trying not to scream inside the tunnel.

Korekiyo bowed slightly, "My pleasure,"

"Ya shall go first then. You suggested it, so go!" Kokichi said flatly to Tsumugi.

Kaede cringed. "Uhh...

Tsumugi jumped. It's not just the part when Kokichi pointed her into volunteering, but because her classmates listened to her.

She holds her hands forward while stepping back, "W-wait! You're actually listening to me?!"

Rantaro shrugged, "Why? You look surprised."

"When I said a suggestion, I didn't mean you have to keep your ears at me!" Tsumugi replied with her face turning red slowly.

The Aikido Master said otherwise, "Then that would be rude to a friend. We girls have to stick to each other, and that means listening with extreme focus!"

Shuichi...in the other hand, was silent and... "We have trusted each other for a long time..."

Kaede turned to him, "Are you saying something, Shuichi?"

"A-Ah, nothing. Just don't mind me..." he waved his hand.

"Well, shall we?" Ryoma said, starting with the other students.

"FUDGE YEAH!" Miu exclaimed.

The Ultimate Cosplayer blinked once, and then twice. Still confused that she felt being rushed into the scenario that everyone is working together many times already, even when she met her classmates from the start. There was that aura around her that wasn't supposed to belong in the first place, probably she overthinks herself that she was kidnapped and yet the others think that it's oddly normal for them. To the point, they're challenging themselves in escaping the place in one day.

That rush sense of...optimism makes her a bit uncomfortable.

But then again, if it makes the situation to be solved fast then she had no choice. Tsumugi took a deep breath and spoke, "Alright, guys! Follow me!"

Suddenly, the Supreme Leader ran first before her, "Oh, heck no! I won't follow to a fraudster like you!" He pushed further in the tunnel despite the teen breathing heavily.

"Kokichi!" Kaede yelled, and shook her head, "Well, we will meet each other in the end anyway... Let's go Tsumugi,"

"Unpredictable," was Maki's only comment. And everyone followed the cosplayer.

---

START ESCAPE

---

Despite not having lungs, Ki-Bo breathed heavily. He still didn't get the metal gate open on his own, the robot began to think that he should have brought that crowbar he made earlier or make another one if time was with him. Frustration began to switch his circuits to shake the grills as Ki-Bo is desperately thinking of another way to get pass through the gate, even though he knows what will happen if he took a step out afterward.

"I just ho-, wish, I remembered the pattern..." Ki-Bo whispered while he rests his head on the cold metal as his limp, robotic hands slid down. The robot knows the risk, and he wanted to make them safe.

Even if he has to take so many hits, just so nothing would hurt them.

He could hear the faint sound of footsteps echoing the tunnel, it began to ring louder and louder that familiar voices soon followed.

"Hey! I could see light up ahead!"

"Could you at least slow down? We're not trying to get ourselves killed!"

"Are those stairs I'm seeing? And a gate?"

Ki-Bo already expected to have his classmates following him because of the obvious, what he didn't expect was that Tsumugi is the one leading them. The naive robot thought that Kaede would be the one headfirst. Another factor was that they listened to Tsumugi Shirogane, Ultimate Cosplayer, and the one who doesn't want to speak up when she's not in the mood to the fact that she's treated as a background character! How come that...that...monster luring Ki-Bo's friends into a trap?!

"No...Tsumugi..." He could only shake his head slowly, the robot is trying not to panic. Who knows what would Tsumugi's deceit do next to his friends? Tell them that Ki-Bo is the mastermind of the game? Kill him before he kills them? Or execute him early? Whatever she's going to say, he doesn't want to end up like what happened the last time.

The last time loop still traumatized him, Ki-Bo doesn't want to feel cold hands grabbing him to the underworld.

Not again.

The robot took several steps back until he reached the end of the stairs and take one last look at the large gate. It's just only one of the obstacles he has to deal with and he still couldn't get through, it was like that thing looking down on him for being weak. It's annoying.

Ki-Bo looked back and see that his classmates appearing one by one at the top of the stairs, starting with Kokichi jumping with excitement when the supreme leader saw him as a toy. Then it was followed by Ryoma, Kirumi, Tenko, Angie, Gonta...

...and Tsumugi.

"Come on, guys! I think he's giving up running!" The cosplayer called the others behind, she didn't even notice that Ki-Bo was glaring at her.

He doesn't have time for them looking down at him, nor explain that Tsumugi's luring them to a trap once he's caught.

Ki-Bo took a deep 'breath' and closed his eyes, "I can't believe I'm doing this."

Once his eyes opened, he started to run even though something is blocking his way. The others took notice of this trick that Tenko chased after him. Hopefully, her so-called classmate won't get hurt. It's good enough that the Aikido Master doesn't judge him for being a robot...or a degenerate male.

But once she reached out her hand and attempts to grab him, Ki-Bo jumped towards the gate with his arms protecting his face. Tenko had to stop before she gets involved in his crazy stunt, with her heels skid on the floor.

He knew he regretted using himself as a battering ram, but he had no choice. Ki-Bo was able to make the gate open, though the problem is that he couldn't' stop himself from going into a ditch. The robot lost his balance and landed his face on the cement floor, he was also expecting something else on the way too. But in the mere second, his eyes opened to see objects hanging above him. They didn't move, they were acting as if being displayed on the walls without any suspicion at all.

"Wh...what?" Ki-Bo sat up looking at the path he entered. Not only his classmates are getting uncomfortable with the way he acts, but the place is strangely silent.

He couldn't hear any sound; not even the sound of small propellers roaming around, nor the sound of raging flames erupting under the floor.

I wasn't hit...

I didn't fall...

Why wasn't I...

"Oh my gosh! Is he okay?" The robot heard the voice of Tsumugi, and it's sour.

People like Ryoma, Angie, and Maki have already entered the gates easily without triggering any booby traps like the trap door on the bottom that supposed to make them fall. He doesn't understand what's going on, and the traps were supposed to work like what they originally intended to do. First Tsumugi leading the group and now the traps didn't work, someone must have been playing with his own mind.

His metallic hand curled into a fist and shook his head, Tsumugi Shirogane has had her first move minutes ago, he had to move on to his plan in leaving the Death Maze where his classmates got tricked into Despair from the past couple of loops.

The show must go on.

Looking at his classmates for the last time, Ki-Bo started to run.

---

"Hey wait!" Kaede saw the 'sixteenth student' running away once more. This time, it's like he's escaping from them.

Tsumugi bit her lip, "Come on guys! Let's follow him!"

The cosplayer followed her stowaway classmate while hiding the part where she's giving him distance as she's always the one who gets the deadly glares from the 'sixteenth student'. She doesn't know why, but maybe he doesn't like ordinary people bad for him. Of all her classmates, Tsumugi is like the background character of this crazy story. From her outfit to her talent that only applies knowledge in anime fashion and the aspects of anime along with its characters in the plot. Unlike other people who do extraordinary things such as inventing like Miu, telling the constellations and other heavenly bodies like Kaito, or even being the evil leader that everyone bows to his dictatorship. Heck, even her classmate who doesn't even remember his talent was given attention by the students. His mysterious aura and calm composure will sure present some suspicion from him sooner or later.

But her? She's just ordinary, cosplaying is already an ordinary talent that anyone from this entire world would be dressing up as their favorite characters. Especially kids, whose parents were supportive of their passion and showcase it to the world. As for the Ultimate Cosplayer, she's not even cosplaying at all. She makes the costumes, but not even wearing it. It's ironic for a student being the titleholder of the Ultimate.

Yeah, maybe that's why he doesn't like her.

Ryoma, the Ultimate Tennis Pro, has been noticing something when they venture to the tunnel further. Aside from the suspicious display of what it seems to be like bombs, his own eyes make him see of what's more. There were more gates that the 'sixteenth student' had to ram himself in order to be opened, cages hanging from the ceiling compartments, and pits that looks like the fall will be long and eerie. The most surprising part where those platforms floating from their place, or even frozen on their spot. Seeing those brick-like platforms reminds him of a game that he played when he was young, a plumber was jumping around the pipes and had a goal of saving a princess from a monstrous tortoise.

His mouth started to twitch, even if he doesn't want to say a word. But he gives in any way, for some odd reason though.

"Guys, be careful. I could see more traps. I don't know what they do, but we better be cautious around here."

The tennis pro gave himself a facepalm, they actually heard his warning. They heard a warning from a criminal like Ryoma, who murdered people from the mafias with a metal tennis ball. From this fact, they shouldn't have listened to him. But if they did, they shouldn't even say a word afterward.

"Got it, Ryoma. Thank you."

However, Kaede was the one who might forget about that fact. His facepalm doubled as he slowly slips his beanie closer to his eyes, he tried not to look at the pianist either way.

His cheeks are getting warmer, that's weird.

The travel seemed like forever, they kept on following the 'sixteenth student' in hopes of finding the exit is slowly fading away. Even the mysterious student himself is getting agitated when he kept on tripping or breaking the gate open with his heavy body, he's even close to collapsing but he didn't care. It makes him lonely and crazy at the same time.

But despite the hard challenge, the fifteen have something that the lone man didn't.

The answer is simple. It was teamwork and motivation.

Tsumugi is the one leading the group, while Kaede is the one who supports them. Aiding her cosplaying friend on what to do and making sure that everyone is present and safe. If exhausted, Kirumi is the one who brings them back on their feet. Maki, on the other hand, was the one who had to push the others or even help the maid when her classmates are getting stubborn. Kaito, Angie, and Tenko were really the cheerleaders, if not counting the trolling Kokichi when teasing the others.

And from what Ryoma said a while ago, there were booby traps that needed to avoid. Though the traps didn't do anything but scare the heck out of Kaito, the best they could do is to pass them. The platforms were tricky to jump onto, either they were far or look unsafe to take a step. They even had to watch how their escaping classmate able to get through them without stop.

Rantaro was the one who volunteered on trying to jump on the platforms to make sure it's safe for the others to follow. It's effective that the green-haired man to hop on them as if he's showing off, Tsumugi and Tenko had to roll their eyes as a physical response.

When the entomologist sees that it's still unsafe for the others to jump in, he offered himself to help the...small kids to reach the platforms without any harm. Though Kokichi got a little 'offended' on what the gentleman was trying to say about the situation, Himiko climbed onto Gonta's back immediately.

The child caregiver's eyes are considered to be the navigator, she's been keeping an eye on the 'sixteenth student'. She must have good training in keeping children under her watch very well, though hearing two words would make some alarmed.

"Oh great..."

The good news is, all of them were able to pass through many of the booby traps.

The bad news is, they're losing sight of the 'sixteenth student'. The last thing they could hear was the sound of metal clashing against each other, and it's louder than the last ones.

All of the fifteen saw another gate opened on its own, they were hoping this might be the last one because jumping the last platforms was a pain in the knee.

---

Running to the last gate actually hurts afterward, Ki-Bo had to kneel just to catch his 'breath'.

"I...made it...I made it..." The robot whispered in between breaths. Even though he's still exhausted from running, he pushes himself to stand up and walk. Ki-Bo knows he's a time traveler, but going through it from numerous loops already tires him out.

He turned around to where the tunnel ended, his classmates are nowhere to be seen. It's either they're taking long at the last obstacle course or they weren't able to make it at all like the last time loops where everyone gave up.

Ki-Bo sighed. Only his voice echoed around the new, but familiar place he entered.

The room is covered with wires, pipes, and metal. Each of the sides has electric screens that show graphs from different sections, there's even a gauge installed.

And in front of him, is the door that led to the false exit. The metallic door is shielded with a sensor that could send an alarm to notify the Danganronpa mascot that someone has infiltrated the facility.

Ki-Bo already knew what's outside, and he would rather not witness the incident that made his friends almost fall into Despair.

It even cost two lives just for one motive.

The silence didn't last as his 'ears' sensed the footsteps of his classmates. He blinked, he never thought that his friends were able to make it through the gate. The tunnel was the hardest place to pass, it caused his friends to get angry at Kaede. It caused Rantaro's life, and it caused the pianist to get executed.

It even made Shuichi suffer.

Though happy that his friends finally finished the disharmonious minigame, the robot turned away from the door and walked towards the eerie hallway.

---

"We finally made it."

"It felt like this incredibly long tunnel would go on forever, but we made it..."

"And waiting for us at the end was..."

Kaede circled the new area that she and her friends discovered.

It was a long corridor that has metal floors, spotlights, and something that everyone had been looking for.

"...Huh? Is this...the exit?" The pianist's eyes were glued to metal door clasped together by a large lock in the middle while encased on what it looks like an electric shield.

"It looks like it..." Kokichi answered from his soft voice, "There's a door there, so it must be obvious..."

Himiko rubbed her eyes, "I guess I'm dreaming."

"No no! This is real, Atua lead us to the right place at the right time!" Angie tiptoed to get a better view when she was behind her classmates.

Tsumugi reached her cheek, she pressed two of her fingers together and slowly pulled her skin until it grew red and painful.

"Ow! Himiko's wrong, this isn't a dream!" Tsumugi cringed as she rubbed her skin.

The place is silent at first as everyone was in a trance of the jackpot until a familiar face jumped in front of them.

Monokuma.

Shuichi's eyebrows furrowed as he remembered that none of the Monokuma Cubs or Monokuma himself, appeared when the gymnasium went on a blackout. They weren't even seen by the time they got out, chased the 'sixteenth student', or even going through the booby trap-filled tunnel. It's almost like they didn't exist if any of them remembered that they were forced into the so-called Killing Game Semester.

"I...I...Wait, give me time to say my lines, please...Phew!"

The black and white bear looked like he needed some exercise, his fur is dripping with sweat. Heck, he's even breathing heavily with his long tongue exposed to the students.

Monokuma cleared his throat, "I-I can't believe you guys actually beat that escape game on the hardest difficulty...!'

Rantaro folded his arms and looked at Monokuma, "So that tunnel was supposed to knock us out from the game?"

"Pfft! Hahahaha! I can't believe you still screwed up! You can't possibly throw us out of the roof like that! Not when I'm around at least." Miu smirked when she finished her sentence.

Gonta nods as he smiled from the success, "All of us help pass obstacles! We never give up!"

Kaito stomped his foot on the floor and lift his chin in triumph, "It's all about teamwork, Monokuma. And with the fifteen of us and one tunnel, nothing stopped us from finding the exit! We win and you lose!"

The bear's arm twitched, "Grrhhhh...So...frustrating! That minigame was supposed to bring you to Despair! You were supposed to turn against each other every time you lose! That optimism...that Hope...it's...Despair Inducing!"

The others blinked in confusion.

"I know! I know! This wasn't according to the plan! But...this Despair...I must celebrate it!"

Monokuma sprinted to the ramp and hopped on the control panel.

"Congratulations! The exit's this way!"

Kaede raised a brow. The one who kidnapped them is letting go of his captors that easily? Why would he?

She swallowed her big lump and spoke, "R-Really? The outside world is beyond this door?!"

"Well, that strange friend of yours knew where he was going, right? So if this is the place he went, then it's sure to be the exit. And on the other side, the outside world that you guys have been so desperate to see! " Monokuma replied as his paws smashed onto the keyboard.

That does remind Rantaro that the 'sixteenth student' is still on the loose, the young man looked on the dark side of the corridor. Technically, it's not that dark, but it looks like it's not a safe place to explore for now. He would suggest to his classmates that they should keep on looking for their lost classmate, but his mouth remained shut.

Because hearing Monokuma's words makes the students having smile creeping on their lips.

"Is this for real? We're going home?" Tenko asked out loud.

Angie clasped her hands together, "All of us are going to be free! Finally, our prayers have been answered!"

Korekiyo responded with a nod, the hostage-taker realized that holding them captive in the school isn't worthy for a killing game. However, Ryoma looked down. If he's out, then he's going back to the jail cell where he will be waiting for the death sentence to occur. It weird for a 'killer' to feel any remorse. Maki never said a word, but she's starting to act strangely.

Himiko yawned, "Thank goodness, I can go home and sleep in my nice comfy bed. Too bad I can't take a vacation here anymore, I can imagine the bed looks fine to me."

"You got used to this school already?!" Tsumugi jumped from the magician's word of communication.

The supreme leader gave a pout, "Awww, what a bummer."

Kaede fell silent as she looked at her classmates celebrated in joy. She was proud that her classmates were able to survive the tunnel that was filled with traps, and they did it by working together.

"W-We finally did it!"

"We can get out!"

"We worked together as Ultimate students and finally made it out!"

They can escape from the joke of a killing game and live on with her newfound companions.

"But that's not the end for us, is it? After we get out, we're all going to stay friends."

She didn't notice that tears are starting to flow under her eyes, which Shuichi took notice.

"Kaede? Are you alright?" The detective asks.

The sight of Shuichi broke out from her trance and she was able to realize that she's crying, Kaede smiled and wipe her tears.

"Sorry, Shuichi. I'm just happy that's all." She shrugged while Shuichi responded with a soft smile.

He sighed, "So am I. It was so long. we thought there was no end...But there was an end indeed."

"Beyond this world, there has to be something that's even more amazing!"

"If I think of that...then this is just a new beginning."

With determination, she took a step forward.

"Alright! Hurry up and open the door!" Kaede commands Monokuma, and the bear gave the students a thumbs up.

"Hiii! Welcome back!" Monokuma greeted the students as they gathered together close to the door.

They all stood tall and strong.

Their hard work finally gave them a warm victory.

They should be proud of themselves.

At last, the shield is disabled and the door is free to unlock for their freedom.

Sounds of alarms were ringing within the exit as the heavy door is slowly opening, bright light is emerging from the growing slit.

When the door is completely open, the light is slowly fading.

Into something...

Unimaginable.

---

What they see isn't just a city, but it's a city that is desolated. Red clouds covered the bright sun as the disturbing atmosphere clouded the Ultimates' minds, it's like they were hallucinating of something bad.

However, this is not a hallucination.

It's real.

The demolished buildings, the scattered vehicles, the bent signs...

It's all real right in front of their eyes.

This isn't freedom.

This isn't hope.

This is Despair.

.

.

.

.

.

"What...?" Kaede is the first one to respond.

"What...is this?" The detective followed.

All of the students of the Ultimate Academy of Gifted Juveniles are stunned at what they witness.

The looks on their faces make Monokuma laugh, "...Puhu. Puhuhuhuhu. Whaddaya think of the outside world?"

Her breathing is heavy as the pianist took a step forward with her eyes still wide open from the shock, "This is...the outside world...?"

"What's with the faces? This is the ending you guys were hoping for..." Monokuma said as he slowly pushes Kaede further to the other side of the door until she's the first person to actually step out.

Kaede is still unresponsive, but her own body is acting like a puppet when walking far away from the door.

She and her friends are supposed to be free, it doesn't make any sense! They all worked together, the exit was presented to them as a gift of light shining from the darkness. The friends that she first met, had the same objective; to leave the school safe and sound.

The young woman wanted to believe that she only entered in a simulation because it's not real.

But it is real, she can even feel the air and the ground real.

"Now then, congratulations on graduating! Please take flight and re-enter the society! Ah-hahahahahahaha!"

It was the second time Monokuma left them alone on their own, in the desolated society they were living all this time.

Kaede tried to move, but could only make a twitch of her hand.

"No way..."

They all wanted to move, but they couldn't. They're stuck in the madness of the world they witnessed.

Shocking enough for Gonta and Tsumugi to make everyone snap out of their trance and being alarmed from the condition of the two students.

Kaito placed his hands on his chest, "What's going on? What is this - "

His eyes widened, he could feel his chest compressing together without his consent.

"Ugh...! I - I can't breathe!"

It's like he's been stuffed with chloroform and losing consciousness until he falls down on the floor.

The rest of the students got the same results, they either cover their mouths or they're frustrated that they can't stand up long.

Korekiyo collapsed on his knees, "Wh...the smell...why can't I...breathe?"

"Gh...the...gas..." Kirumi struggled to answer until her body feels heavy, and so were her eyes as she lost consciousness.

The others couldn't last long, Korekiyo is already knocked out and so was Angie.

Tenko is having a hard time walking, especially since she saw Himiko and Kokichi both unconscious since they were near to the door.

Rantaro saw what the girl was doing and is going to faint soon, he mustered up his strength as he sprint towards Tenko with her arm reached out. He was able to catch her when she falls, but so was he.

From afar, Maki saw Kaede still standing in the outside world. But it's not the gas she's worried about, there's something else she saw beyond.

She's not sure if the gas is making her delusional, but mutilated figures that look like humans? First the outside world is nothing but a fallacy, then some weird creatures are running towards the shocked pianist.

Hallucinated or not, Kaede is in danger.

"K-Kaede! ...Get in here! Gah...No...Not now...!" As much as Maki wants to help, she was also knocked out from the gas.

The inventor hesitated on taking a step and her sight is turning black, but she had no choice as much as she wants to cower from behind.

But still, Miu is now alarmed by the situation. Kaidiot needs help, and the gorgeous inventor is the only one who can do it!

With almost no one to nag into from volunteering someone else instead, Miu covers her nose and mouth by her sleeve and took a step. The young woman almost tripped but she is able to regain her balance.

"Of all the things I did, I have to be the one in saving the idiot." She walked slowly, but then the inventor walked faster when she's seeing things just like what Maki saw earlier.

She was able to reach out Kaede's shoulders and started to shake her when the pianist still isn't responding.

"Kaede! Hey Kaede! You idiot! Can you even hear me? Come on, we need to get inside!"

Miu's hand gripped tighter on Kaede's shoulder, the genius doesn't have time for drama!

She turned the pianist around in anger, "Darn it, Kaede! Stop being stubborn or else -!"

There were heavy tears, and they were flowing under Kaede's eyes. Heck, her eyes are slightly scary because it looked like they're popping out from her sockets. Miu would have commented that Kaede looked hideous, but she would rather not say it. The reasons were unknown to her 'out of character' moment, but it doesn't matter. From her arrogant composure, sympathy emerges from her. Her sight may slowly darken, but falling unconscious isn't her priority now.

She placed her other hand, the one that covers her face from the gas, on to Kaede's shoulders. Miu slightly leaned down to the pianist's height and looked into her eyes.

"Kaede. Are you...alright?" Miu's sweet voice was able to resonate with Kaede's ears, she is able to look at her while her tears still flowing.

She bit her lip while trying to make a word, "...M...M...M-Miu...I-I..."

Suddenly, Kaede fell silent once more. But this time, her own body is shaking. Miu is confused why Kaede is shaking, the air isn't that cold. However, goosebumps crept in. If goosebumps were a sign of fear, then there's something scary nearby. Really nearby.

One of the rules of scary movies is to never turn your back on a killer or a monster. And yet, Miu still broke that said rule.

Right behind her looked hideous. A single entity has appeared, but she couldn't tell what it is. The only word she could describe from the monstrosity is 'disgusting'.

From top to bottom, flesh is exposed and dripping with blood. The face is mostly unrecognizable, but it makes you want to turn around. There is another smell from the outside and it came from them, it's also disgusting that you could almost lose your lunch.

"Wh...what the...?"

All in all, it's disgusting.

"WHAT THE HHHHEEEELLLLL?!"

---

Shuichi's eyes were almost closed until Miu's voice wakes him.

Only he and Ryoma were the only ones remain standing, but only because they had their hats covering their noses. Lucky them, perhaps if they could still breathe through it.

Everyone was knocked out cold, and the former tennis pro peeked outside to see that Kaede and Miu were being held by something or someone.

"Kaede! Miu!" Ryoma holds on to his hat from his nose tighter as he rushed towards the two from the outside.

Shuichi reached out his hand to stop Ryoma or he might get knocked out too, but he remembered Kaede outside of the door. And with her and Miu being attacked by something unknown, he couldn't let his friends die!

Gripping his cap tight, he marched outside seeing Miu already unconscious and Kaede barely awake. Shuichi also sees Ryoma fending off some...one.

"Ryoma!" He called the Killer Tennis out, in which the small man shove the attacker out of the way.

"We need to get inside now! I could see more of them! Just help Kaede and Miu!"

Shuichi nodded from Ryoma's commands, and he isn't questioning why.

He lifted Miu from his back while helping Kaede in standing up. And by golly, she's really crying. He understands why, no need to ask her.

But while helping the girls back inside, he felt something grabbing his arms. Shuichi was yanked by the same creature and having his mouth exposed from the air, his gasp catches the scent of gas and he's experiencing the same effects.

"I-I...can't...breathe!"

He couldn't stay up much longer, and he's still holding Miu. Which means, both of them will be in trouble. Kaede tried to push the scary creature away from Shuichi, but she's too weak.

Ryoma saw them in trouble, his anger is now boiling. Like a bull, he rams himself to the attacker and knocked it out from its grasp on Shuichi.

There's no time, he must get them inside.

---

From one last push, the four were safe from the outside world.

Despite Shuichi covered both of his nose and mouth from the gas, he was already knocked out from his first step inside the facility.

Ryoma looked behind him when he heard the alarms booming inside once more, the door that leads to the outside world is closing until the two slabs of metal are sealed together.

[The door...is now...locked]

"...W-Why?"

Ryoma heard Kaede's voice, and she's still breathing despite being the one who is exposed most from the gas she inhaled. The question of why gave the tennis player sympathy for her, he couldn't stop feeling bad when she's the person who is optimistic about leaving the killing game unharmed.

"Why? How...could this...be?"

"Kaede."

She sniffed, "We...W-We were so close to being free! I-I d-don't understand!"

Ryoma closed his eyes, "We fell for his trap."

"I just thought..." Kaede's voice is slowly distorted from her sobbing, "That we could be friends...once we...once we get out! We made it and he...he tricked us...and...and...It's all my fault and..."

Her breathing is slowly fading away in her cries.

"No. No, Kaede! You have to stay up!" Ryoma shakes her in trying to stay awake, and he can't be alone now. Everyone passed out by the air they breathe from the outside world, or what's remaining of it. Looking around of almost 'dead' people made him dizzy, this isn't like him. Worrying of his classmates' conditions are normal, but having fear of something he doesn't know about isn't.

He doesn't know what's happening next or why he's anxious about the unknown.

"Huh?" The man looked down to see his hands are visibly shaking.

"I'm...shaking? How did that happen? Why are my hands shaking like this?" Ryoma whispered hoarsely. Sooner or later, his own body might be out of control.

"It seems you've forgotten, so I'll remind you.

I'm a murderer."

Ryoma released a huge sigh and closed his hands, maybe it might stop his hands from shaking. He shouldn't release his emotions in front of anyone, or Kaede who might be more worried about him than her well being.

"I'm sorry...guys...I really am..."

He looked at Kaede directly into her eyes, "Don't push it, Kaede. You can't just blame yourself for something we didn't know about. Just don't close your eyes, or you might pass out."

As much as Kaede wants to open her eyes, they're too heavy for her to see. She's close to unconsciousness.

Ryoma grit his teeth, "Darn it, stop playing sleep! Come on, Kaede! Stay with me!"

His voice sounds like he's more desperate than before.

From Kaede's dark vision, she could see Ryoma's face looking scared for her.

And it was the last thing before she couldn't stay awake for Ryoma, her body feels light and her breathing is no more.

"Kaede come on, wake up! Can you hear me? Kaede?"

"KAEDE!"

---

==END==

---

"The world is cruel. It's sad, but true. The world is strange. It's doubtful, but true. Is the Flower Garden real or fake?"

- Sawano Hiroyuki (Blumenkranz)

---

Fun Shout Outs:

1. The Monitors from [Future Arc] Danganronpa 3: The End Of Hope's Peak Academy

2. 'Rotten Orange' is from [Despair Arc] Danganronpa 3: The End Of Hope's Peak Academy

3. The Looney Tunes series characters; Lola Bunny, Tweety, and Roadrunner

4. The Walking Dead series

5. The 'Hopebot' nickname from the Danganronpa fans before Ki-Bo's real name was released

6. 'Super High School Level' is the Japanese localized title from the 'Ultimate' title in the English version

7. The line 'As if he had his own body is in a spring lock suit, only a mechanic can only unlock it (except he's a human so)' is s reference to the Five Nights at Freddy's indie game. Mostly about the spring lock suits and its mechanisms.

8. 'Puberty' became a running gag in Disney and Pixar movies like Big Hero 6 and Inside Out.

9. Geronimo Stilton is a (mouse) character in Elisabetta Dami's children storybook series of the same name. Geronimo is an Editor In Chief of the 'Rodent's Gazette' newspaper publication. The reason why Ryoko pointed him out is that of the different communication mediums the two used; Geronimo uses the print medium, while Ryoko uses the digital medium.

10. The lockpicking scene from Chapter 3

11. The line of 'Seeing those brick-like platforms reminds him of a game that he played when he was young, there was a plumber jumping around the pipes and had a goal of saving a princess from a monstrous tortoise' is a reference to the Super Mario Brothers video game.

---

Author's Note (Please read):

Okay, so I was finally able to finish chapter seven that is filled with 20 thousand words and more...Seriously, I gotta put myself a word limit or something T_T

And I can't believe I've been on hiatus in... *looks at the calendar* SEVEN MONTHS?! OH MY GOD!

I can explain. Aside from the school making me busy, it was the WRITERS BLOCK that made me lost my roll. To be honest, I guess this is the least favorite chapter I've written because of how long it wasn't posted.

I got stuck in the Team Danganronpa segment first when I Ryoko is the narrator and then comes the conversation between the four without Makoto. I also got ticked when I can't find the right words that I had to ask my classmates about what word was the action I was trying to tell from my mind.

Another part I got stuck with is the V3 kids themselves when interacting with each other, it's challenging too. Sure I had fun in writing the character dialogues, but the surprising part that I was trying to execute was when I literally flip the script of the characters. Mainly Tsumugi, Miu, and Ryoma, I think.

I was supposed to post this yesterday, but the internet is really bad in the Philippines that it always lose my Author's Note.

This chapter reveals some of the aspects of the Team Danganronpa company and its community, so I hope you got informed.

I have to admit, Tsumugi is the one that I hesitate in giving her a spotlight. Because she's supposed to be my favorite character in V3 until it was announced that she was the mastermind, that's where I got the grudge from her a little bit considering she killed both Rantaro and Kaede in the game.

So many twists were given in one chapter to, such as the Death Road of Despair and the 'outside world'. I do add some...touches in the outside world to surprise you all that this is no ordinary time travel fanfiction.

Anyways, I really REALLY apologize from the month-long hiatus. Seriously, I don't like it because of the Writer's Block. I may be busy in school, but that doesn't mean I'm abandoning it like the others. I tried my best to get my roll back, even playing many games just to get inspiration. Mario Kart 8, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, Super Mario Odyssey, and Sonic Forces; I played them all! And I like all of them, they're really good.

Also, Purgatory_Empress. If you can see this message, I want to say thank you for the comment at AO3. It almost made me cry and it helped me in getting my writing roll back. Thank you, thank you, so much.

I want to say thank you to the beta readers also that I mentioned from the very top of the announcements, they really helped in giving me suggestions on which words need to change.

We reached so many views, guys. Let's give ourselves a round of applause. 3 thousand views and counting!

I guess that's what I have to say for now, I'm just glad I finished this torture of a chapter and finally make the next chapter.

I'm not 'dead', fellow viewers! And see you in the next chapter!