It wasn't until we got back that all of us realized we forgot to untape Kokichi, who was very unhappy about all of this.
"Kokichi?! I'm so sorry! Are you OK? I think it's OK to undo all this now." Kaede apologized as she started to remove the duct tape from the purple-haired boy's body.
This is gonna be a long night, isn't it? I thought to myself.
"You're all so meeeeeean. What the hell, you guys? Doesn't anyone care about me at all?" The supreme leader whined with actual tears in his eyes. Not genuine ones of course, but still real.
"Come off it man, if you're giving us this sorta crying crap for this, you can't have been too bothered by it." Kaito said. "I mean, it was only for like 5 minutes, grow up."
It was 10 but OK, Kaito, we get your point. Nice to see Ryoma's still with him and Shuichi though, even if things between him and Maki are kinda weird. I thought.
"Why should I? I'm no adult yet, none of us are. But fine, be a jerk. Let's just get this little movie night over with." The short purple-haired boy said as he took his seat.
As I took my seat, I thought Well, I'm 21 years old so I'm the oldest out of all of us. Also, I'm pretty sure Ryoma should be at least 18 when he... committed his crimes. I'm not sure how long ago that was.
Still, like Kokichi and Miyuji suggested, Miu went up to the projector to start things up again. Keebo's video was next. It was rather weird to hear the name 'K1-B0' said aloud like that, Keebo even groaned in embarrassment when he heard it, which made Miu giggle.
It looks like his father's the one who'll be the robot's motive this time around. An almost cliché looking chubby old man with poofy white hair, an oversized nose, and some sort of lab coat is on screen.
It's footage like Miyuji and Kiyo had, it almost looks like it was originally something Professor Idabashi had set up to record how well his robotic tests worked or something. But unlike Miyuji's and Kiyo's, Monokuma's voice is still playing over this, talking about how worried the professor's been since he's lost the signal on a tracker Keebo has on him and he's been working non-stop trying to make something that might be able to find his boy.
Something in this test went wrong though, the large machine became unbalanced when it started to move and crashed to the ground. Right where the professor was standing alongside it. He was still moving though, so hopefully he was fine. Just trapped in the gaps between his creation and the floor.
"Well isn't that a shame~ Sure hope someone knows where he is enough to help him. Who knows how long he's been like that now. I do hope they're able to help him despite everything that's going on-" Monokuma's mocking drawl continues to deliver his normal ending teaser but no one's really listening.
"Of course someone knows where he is, not to mention the professor doesn't work anymore without having some sort of emergency call button. We learned that lesson the hard way a few years ago." Keebo explained. "All he has to do is press that watch you saw there with his hand or hit it against the floor and rescue services will be arriving shortly. Honestly, this is pretty weak for Monokuma. I'm almost disappointed in how little he thinks of the professor if he thought this would work as a motive for me."
"Seriously, you're not at all shaken by this at all?" Miu asked.
"Well... Hearing my tracker really is offline is a bit unsettling, but it's nothing I hadn't already suspected." The robotic student admitted. "Thank you for your concern though, but I'm sure he has to be fine! We can just move along to the next video now, no need to worry."
At least this batch is off to a pretty soft start. Maybe we're already through the worst the motives have to offer. I thought to myself.
Himiko's was next on the list. She bristled and objected as usual when the title of 'Ultimate Magician' was said instead of 'Ultimate Mage' but aside from that, she didn't speak up much.
It started off with some stills that were taken when Himiko and her mentor were performing together in some elaborate concert hall. Monokuma talked about how highly her mentor thought of their student, but then something changed as her confidence in herself and her abilities grew to match her reality.
How they began to grow bitter about the leaps and bounds she was progressing, how the audiences clearly preferred her presence over their own by this point. How humiliated they were by their own mistake and that she had to salvage it during a live show no less. Then it cut to another one of the 'interviews' like Miyuji's and Kaito's had, showing her androgynous looking master looking solemn in a fancy chair.
"Himiko, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have disappeared on you like that, it was my own mistake. You did the best you could, and as always it was flawless. I was the one that failed, not you, and it was my own ugly shortcomings that made me act in such a way. I'm sorry I wasn't more honest with you, for repaying your kindness and ingenuity in such an abominable way at that. I shouldn't have let my pride get in your way."
They took a moment to pause as if this was still hard for them to express. I found it unusual that I still couldn't really guess if they were a man or a woman based on their voice, but I assumed this was intentional on their part. It probably helps them come across as more mysterious on stage too.
"Please, come back home. Your parents are incredibly worried about you, they haven't the foggiest idea why you'd ever run away like this. Let me try to make this up to you. There's no shame to be had in surpassing your teacher, and I'm sorry if I made you ever think that way. I'm sorry you got stuck with one so ill-fitted to the task as I was. I just… wasn't expecting this to happen so soon. But this won't happen again, I swear to you. I promise to support you best I can if that's what you need of me, like how things used to be. My little mage. So please, come back to us."
Himiko didn't say a word, but tears were running down her cheeks. It didn't even look like she noticed until Tenko quietly brought her into a hug and started petting her hair to try and comfort her. Monokuma proceeded to imply there was some sort of incident after this was taken that might have put her master and family in danger, but with how vague these always are it was hard to take them seriously anymore.
"Are you OK, Himiko? Is this OK?" The aikido master asked.
"Y-Yeah, I think so. My... my MP's just pretty drained right now, sorry. I don't want to talk about it." The mage admitted.
"It's interesting at least that this case specified they thought you had run away from home, rather than been kidnapped or anything. Maybe that can narrow down what happened to us?" I theorized.
Himiko started to awkwardly return Tenko's hug, though she only really has access to the taller girl's arms at this angle. Angie also started to lean forward to hug them both best she could, as if to help brace them for what may come as the aikido master's video started up next.
She even snatched Himiko's hat to plop it on Tenko's own head, which made the hair petting easier so Himiko didn't mind as she only let out a little 'Nyeh' at its loss. The tall girl made some odd sort of squawk as the hat's brim tilted, briefly blinding her during the introduction, which got a fair amount of chuckles.
Her 'precious person' appeared to be her master too, as an older gentleman with a mischievous gleam in his eye appeared on the screen. What Monokuma wanted to say was quickly drowned out though.
"Oh look, it's my Neo-Aikido master this time! He's pretty cool too you know-" The aikido master exclaimed.
"Wait a second if he's a guy then why are you giving us shit all the time?!" Kokichi interrupted.
"What're you talking about he's not a-" The tall girl was about to say but she cut herself off.
Tenko, did you seriously not realize your mentor was also one of those 'Degenerate males' you bully so much until just now?! How on Bionis did you manage that? I thought to myself as the aikido master got into an argument with Kokichi.
"That's enough!" I shouted. "Can we please move on to the next video, OK?"
After all of us settled down, it was time for Angie's. The artist had apparently started a game of musical hats when I wasn't looking, given how Himiko's has been making it's way across the room.
Kokichi tossed it up to Gonta as he began eyeing Kiyo's, clearly eager to bring that cap into this 'game' too. However, the anthropologist has caught onto his intentions and is having none of it, aided by the large height differences between the two of them. Ryoma apparently offered his more willingly to the 'cause', as he had no issues with his beanie now awkwardly sitting on Shuichi's head.
The good news is that her people didn't come across as… 'out there', as Angie made them sound in the past, and the island itself is quite beautiful from what is seen in the more film-like segments of the video.
The bad news is no one had realized the artist's native tongue was very different from everyone else's until just now. Monokuma would chime in every now and then, but overall it was various members of her tribe assumedly addressing Angie directly so no one else could tell what was going on for the most of it.
"Hmm, Hmm~…OK! So on to the next video?" Angie asked.
"Hold the bloody phone there, Princess Kida." Tokuko said. "Aren't you gonna tell us what the hell any of that was about?"
"Nope, not really! I don't want to and Atua says it wouldn't actually matter to you all anyway so-" The silver-haired girl was going to say before being cut off.
"Her people feel lost without their 'oracle' or 'prophet' of Atua to guide them and are asking for her to return to them as soon as possible." Kiyo explained "'At any cost' is likely an apt translation of their intent towards the end, they were under the impression their situation was going to turn dire in the not too distant future. Is that an accurate enough summary, Angie?"
The artist was furious, I thought I've seen her closed mouth smile have this much malice before but I shook off the feeling for now.
"Angie doesn't remember you claiming to know her language before. So why now huh? Why? Why?" She then went on to say something to him directly in her language but it didn't look like she got the reaction she wanted from him at that.
"That's because I don't, so I was rather genuinely asking if my assumptions about the content were correct. I've heard languages like it, but I'm not what you may consider fluent in them yet and this particular dialect is very new to me. If you hadn't been so intent on hiding what did sound to me like potentially dangerous or concerning information I wouldn't have risked offering a translation as muddied as I'd consider that one to be, but alas here we are. Should I be taking this hostility as a 'yes'?"
"...Atua didn't think so, so I trusted His judgment. He's far wiser than Angie is, so no I'm not worried about their safety in the slightest. I only speak for Him, there is nothing preventing Him from watching over my people so He assures me all will be well with them for however long I'm here with you all. I have no concerns about any of this, so why don't we continue to move on."
With that thinly veiled order, she snatched Kiyo's hat off his head and returned to her seat. He wasn't particularly amused by this forced return of the hat game, but he let her have it for now. If he really wanted it back it wouldn't take much effort for him to get it anyway. And so with Angie merrily bouncing in her seat again with Kiyo's cap now proudly atop her head Kirumi's video began.
The first thing seen was just a regular shot of a city, I didn't quite recognize it but it was certainly busy. There were some confused murmurs from the others, as the imagery wasn't really matching up to the 'clients in politics and finance' Monokuma chose to specify. But then it switched to the Prime Minister's office and all began to clear.
The Prime Minister had transferred all of the authority of his position to her.
With that revelation the significance of starting her video with a whole city made sense. A shot of a caretaker with some children even followed this, as if to parallel the role of a maid to a nanny. Only now their whole nation was the 'household' Kirumi was to take care of, and they'd all be doomed if she can't do what's needed of her.
With an image of a nurse taking care of the elderly, Monokuma began to mock her by using her own standards against her. She did agree to take on this 'role' after all. And now all of her 'precious people' were in some sort of danger, phrased as if they were incapable of handling this while she faces her own struggles.
"WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!" Kaito yelled in confusion.
Kirumi was shaking, eyes darting between everyone else, any lighthearted mood in the room that was strained before was now completely gone. Her green eyes land on Ryoma for a moment as the tennis pro returns her vicious gaze with one of a muted understanding. Had the two been alone the maid may have even been able to act on the obvious thought going through her mind. But they aren't. And this time, all of us can see what she's planning to do.
"Woah there crazy cakes, we still can't prove how legit any of this is! Don't you go threatening anyone over this shit!" Miu puts herself between the two as if bracing for the maid to go for the jugular. Which considering Ryoma's height would probably be around the inventor's knee at this angle, and her brave facade still quickly deflated in the face of Kirumi's determination, but it's the thought that counts. But seeing a girl as cowardly as Miu act in Ryoma's defense did make that resolve flicker, if only for a moment.
And that moment is apparently all that Gonta needed, as he lifts her in what is better described as an aggressive hug rather than a grapple as tears run down his face. In this position, there's nothing she can do to free herself from the entomologist's grasp, not that it stops her from trying.
"This isn't Kirumi! Gonta knows how much Kirumi cares. Cares for all of us. Wouldn't want to make everyone sad resorting to that. Us and all those other people." Gonta exclaimed.
"Not to mention how becoming a cold-blooded murderer would be rather difficult to brush aside for you to continue those duties, would it not? Unless you are so committed enough to kill all of us that you'll even try to keep all who care about us in the dark about what happened here. Or perhaps this just isn't your first time doing so?" Kirumi leveled Kiyo a deadly glare at that accusation.
Maybe he wasn't so off the mark, considering the other sorts of 'jobs' she may have done.
But this is Kirumi! She's like my personal assistant to the others. She'd never do something like that. Something like this... She just scared right now, like we all are. She's too reasonable, too considerate as a person, to actually want to risk doing this to us. Isn't she? I thought to myself.
"Hey, that's no way to speak towards my mom! Besides aren't we your 'precious citizens' too? We're not all just numbers to weigh against each other to you, right?" Kokichi's teary face and nickname for Kirumi nearly made her do a double take, but it did have the effect he intended as her body went limp.
"Umm, Angie's not sure if she 'counts', but Atua agrees. We are in similar boats, you and I, but murder is a horrible sin, and so many sins crawling upon your back would surely keep you from serving your people to the best of your ability. There's only so much praying can do for your soul you know. And all the spiders in the world wouldn't be able to save you if you truly wish to go down that path." Something about the artist looks off. Her eyes were almost glazed as if she's not all here again, but she's clearly furious Kirumi would be considering this despite her smile.
"Wh-What exactly do spiders have to do with anything right now? Please stay focused!" Tokuko stuttered out.
"Oh, Tokuko, sure you don't want to make a reference no one but a loser would get right now-" Kokichi was about to mock the actress but he was cut off by Kirumi.
"Enough! Cease your bickering, both of you!" And with that ragged wet gasp, the maid fell right back into her normal mother hen habits.
Between the hug and everything else, it looked like she's finally ready to give up. There's no way anyone would just let her get away with a murder after all, even in light of her motive.
For now anyway. Could she ever care enough about us to stop completely, or just enough to use us to fill her void of 'Master'? I thought to myself as I approached her.
"Kirumi, I... we understand. Maybe not all of this, since it all still sounds pretty crazy to me, but we know you. How hard this is to listen to, how terrifying it is to think you're unable to help anyone." I told her. "We're all being told this in Monokuma's own twisted way too. But I'm sure there is a way out of this, and even if any part of what Monokuma says is honest there's surely still time to help everyone. Your nation isn't that helpless for so much to rely on one talented teenage girl. So please Kirumi, just trust us a while longer?"
Gonta's not the only one crying now, but that's OK. Kirumi doesn't have anything else to say but given the ashamed look on her face and the tear tracks on her cheeks, the danger was mostly passed now. Miu and Keebo took Ryoma into their little comfort corner too, so hopefully any harm the threat's done to his sensitive state has been lessened. As he goes to go back to his seat Gonta places Kirumi between him and Tenko, just in case, as the next video starts up.
At least we're almost done with all of this. I thought.
At least next was Gonta's, so me and the others settled thinking that there was little chance of his being nearly as bizarre as the one before it.
…And it proceeded to show a tribe of fucking lizard people.
Well according to Monokuma they were 'Reptiles', and they were more like Ignas to me, but the point remained. The group couldn't even wait for the film to finish before the questions started coming, hoping Gonta had some sort of reasonable explanation. As reasonable as something this confusing could be.
"I'm sorry, but what exactly is he talking about Gonta? This isn't at all like what you told us!" Tenko exclaimed.
She did have a point. I didn't believe anyone could be raised by wolves for ten years even before watching these videos.
"Gonta is very sorry! Forest family warned Gonta to not tell humans about Reptiles. That bad things happen in past, not want to make happen again. So Gonta didn't. Gonta lied and said they were wolves, like boy in Jungle Book's forest family was. Gonta didn't want to lie, just protect forest family wishes." The entomologist admitted.
"To be fair as Gonta is clearly well socialized enough we likely should have pointed out the issue of being literally raised by wolves is more limited to stories rather than reality." Kiyo explained. "Barring cases of feral children of course, which again is not the case here as we can clearly see Gonta is far too well adapted for this to apply. Not to mention the logical issues involved, since wolves haven't been native to Japan for over a century. Thus this dishonesty going on as long as it did was more the result of our doing than his own. Though I am rather curious about these 'Reptiles' of yours now, I will need to inquire about them later. If you wouldn't mind discussing them with me of course."
"You guys do realize we're missing the video, right?" Shuichi asked in worry. "Wasn't that the point of this? Will we need to show it twice now-"
"It's fine, I can still hear it." Kaede cut in. "It's Monokuma's standard 'Here look at the people who matter so much to you. Oh no, looks like they're in trouble. Why is that? Well, you'll just find out for yourself!' song and dance. Specifically, he's phrasing it as though the forest they live in is in some sort of danger, he's keeping it so vague you can't even tell if it's a natural disaster or if people found them and this was what they warned Gonta about. Assuming his claims are even true in the first place."
Me and Miyuji nodded in agreement.
"Kaede really think danger is a lie?" Gonta asked.
"Of course it is, man!" Kaito exclaimed with one of his poses. "They're motherfucking dinosaurs! Even if their forest was in a tight spot, they'll be fine. I mean the natural disaster angle seems most reasonable, what with them saying everyone else is 'in trouble' too, and that's gotta be the thing they are most likely to get through no problem right? They've survived everything else life's thrown at them. So you just gotta believe in them for now, OK?"
"Y-Yeah. Kaito right! Forest family strong, stronger than Gonta! Forest family be fine." The entomologist confidently said.
"If they really are stronger than Gonta then the dragonkin types in games have really been nerfed..." Himiko softly mumbled to herself with a bit of a smile on her normally blank face.
"Oh, you're into that sorta thing too? I was thinking more the Super Mario movie really, but-" Tokuko started, obviously excited to have someone else to have someone else with her interests.
But apparently, Maki thought this was one distraction too many by this point so she urged things along. "Let's just get this over with already, you can ask her to play dress up or nerd out with you later."
Maki's video was next anyway. She looked so grim no one knew what to expect.
Considering how secretive she had been about her lab this twist really shouldn't have been a surprise.
As Monokuma stated her name as normal it was her talent that didn't match up with what she claimed.
"Maki Harukawa, The Ultimate Assassin."
"Silly Monokuma, that's not how 'Child Caregiver' is pronounced. You probably should have chosen a better lie to go with Miss Child Hater, but this is a waaaay more interesting talent to work with riiight?"
Everyone's panicking at this point, accusations and questions flying like bullets across the room at Maki. But all she does is glare at Kokichi, on her feet and ready to make a break for the door at a moment's notice. It doesn't look like she'd be against breaking anyone who tried getting in her way either.
"Do you want to die?" That phase is too natural on her lips. Of course this would be true.
I already have a friend who's the Ultimate Child Caregiver anyway. I thought before deciding to speak up.
"W-Wait, Maki, I'm sure you have a good reason for this, right? You must have thought we'd all be less open to you, or see you as suspicious if we knew right? You were just scared how we'd react-" I said.
"Or she lied because she has an unfair advantage in this 'killing game' that works best if the rest of us are kept in the dark. It does beg the question of why she refrained taking advantage of the 'First Blood Perk', if she had any intention of winning, however. Unless she'd prefer to have as large a body count as she can get away with before this is over-" Kiyo was quick to accuse, but Maki was as quick to cut it off.
"Don't go putting your words in my mouth. But if any of what Sharla said was right, would I be wrong in thinking that way? Take a look at yourselves right now. Let's… Just see what it says." The newly-revealed assassin advised as she gestured to the screen.
It showed an orphanage, much like the one she's referred to in the past, so at least that part of her story was true. He talked about it's connection to a cult that took her in and raised her into who she is today.
How the cult's considering getting rid of the location and trying to 'recruit' all of the kids still there soon if she can't get back to them and continue her missions.
But for someone who claims to hate children, the images sure do linger on these young round faces like they should matter to her. If they are really what matters most to her in the world maybe that was a lie too. Maybe 'Ultimate Child Caregiver' was just what she wishes she could have been instead of… this. I thought to myself.
"I'm sorry Maki, I didn't realize things were this bad for you. Do you think you'll be okay?" Kaito's the only one who's concern doesn't miss a beat, but he looked just about as shell-shocked as the rest of us.
"Of course. I'm not stupid. I wouldn't try killing in a killing game, with a talent like mine I'm already suspicious enough as it is. But if someone tries to attack me for this I won't be holding back. Is everyone happy now? Is this what you all wanted?" The assassin asked.
"W-Well, I'm not sure happy is the word, but… yes? Now you can trust us a bit more, you don't need to worry about protecting your lab anymore either. I believe in what you're saying Maki, but I don't think this is the sort of thing anyone would want you dead for. You can't control what you're good at, and if you weren't some sort of Ultimate we wouldn't have met you. We see you care a lot about those kids, and we know you're not heartless. You're still just Maki. And I still want to be friends with you at least-"
Some murmurs around the room sounded like they supported what Kaede was saying, but how genuine they were is hard to tell, given the tensions in the air again and how emotionally exhausted everyone is.
"You really think I'll just buy something like that? You may say these things but it's clear that not everyone's going to see it that way. Isn't that right?" She looks at Kokichi, who has a glare of his own.
"C'mon Maki Roll, have a bit more faith in us than that! Yeah, this is kinda a shock, but that's all it is. Just you wait and see, everything's going to be right back to normal at breakfast tomorrow after everyone's had time to get used to this! I mean it's not like you really did much with the 'Caregiving' thing in the first place, and I at least already had you pegged as a fighter so it's not too bad... Okay, that sounded better in my head. But you get what I'm trying to say right?! We're all just as nervous as you are right now, that's it. And if you need someone to talk to or start having trouble with anything gimme a holler and I'll help."
By the look he gave to the rest of us, it was clear when Kaito said 'having trouble', he meant between her and other people. He looked about ready to take another swing at Kokichi as it was so no one was going to accuse her of anything else now as Tokuko's video started up.
It showed a photo of the actress with her mother after a play. Monokuma speaks about how proud she was for her daughter to pursue an acting career and aim for stardom. But as he spoke of how worried her friends are after she vanished without a trace, the image changed.
Her three friends were panicking and the place was trashed. Monokuma made it seem like they were in danger since Tokuko went missing and mocked her for causing them to suffer like this.
The actress was shaken. "Shozo... Riku... Kokona..."
"Your mother must be fine, right?" I asked. "Monokuma never mentioned her, only your friends."
"O-OK, let's just get the last video over with so I can sleep." The rose-wearing girl advised.
Finally, the last video. I braced myself for what we were about to see as Monokuma sounded afraid to give to this video to me.
It showed us what happened during the Killing God War, including Reyn and Dunban's deaths. It was terrifying to witness their final moments again. The final shot was what sent shivers down my spine.
Both Gita Yamahato and Ajia Ashitomi, two of the Disciples, looking directly at the camera with what the others assumed were Tsumugi and the other four traitors silhouetted behind them.
All of us were terrified after the video was over. Miyuji, on the other hand, had her face turning pale by the final shot.
"Gita and Ajia were... Disciples..?" She muttered. "They never told me."
"I'm sorry, Miyuji." I apologized. "I knew you would be in this much pain upon realizing that your own friends were Disciples. That's why I chose to sing 'Never Enough' when you asked. The pain of the Killing Titan War still lingers within me and the traitors, I wanted to perform a song that I think could heal everyone's inner pain."
The vocalist smiled softly as color returned to her face. "That sounds nice of you, Sharla."
"OK, we all just need some time to get used to this. All of this. Sleep should help us all right now I think. Let's all just meet up at the dining hall in the morning, OK? If anything else needs saying about these motives it can wait till then." Kaede advised.
I wasn't sure what to think about anyone else as I headed to my room and got in bed to get some sleep.
Here's hoping everyone would be able to get enough sleep tonight. That everyone will be able to show up tomorrow. That everything will be able to stay peaceful again. I thought to myself as I went to sleep.