When the light faded, the six of us saw a familiar boy with his green tea-colored hair darkened to an unrecognizable dark green and styled in a similar way to Zanza's, glowing green eyes with the whites of them replaced by black, and dark blue lightning bolt markings on both sides of his cheeks. He was wearing an exact replica of the armor Zanza wore upon the final fight with him except for the helmet, he even had the exact same wings as during that time. In his right hand was a dark blue and metallic hybrid of Zanza and Shulk's Monados.

As he appeared before us, we all knew that this was the mastermind we have been searching for this whole time.

"Well, well. If it isn't the Ultimate Sharpshooter, Sharla Kuhlauf. You have done well." He spoke.

My eyes widened in realization. "Rantaro?! You're to blame for this game and Shulk's suffering?! We thought you died!"

Rantaro just laughed. "The person that you saw dead in the library was one of the five students from Akademi High who were willing to give up their lives for my plans."

"Wait..." Miyuji muttered. "You mean my school's whole Drama Club took part in this game?!"

"You are correct." The mastermind confirmed. "Tsuruzo Yamazaki, Tokuko Kitagawa, Riku Somatomo, Shozo Kurosawa, and Kokona Harukawa all accepted to get this killing game going even if it costed them their lives."

"So this is how far despair can drive someone to something like this." Kaede said. "Tsuruzo and Tokuko were in this game with us... and they both died at it's hands."

"Both of them expressed a desire to join with you guys from the start, so I obliged and had Tsuruzo take my place and Tokuko joined once Tsumugi killed him."

"So that explains the 'orchid purple hairdye'." I snarked as I thought back to when I unknowingly encountered Tsuruzo for the first time.

…

"Not to change the subject or anything but, how did you get the tips of your hair purple?"

"Ah. It's orchid purple hairdye. I just thought the color suited me, that's all."

…

"But where are Riku, Shozo, and Kokona?" Tenko asked. "All we've heard is that they were worried about Tokuko's disappearance, is that a lie you made for your plans?"

Instead of answering, Rantaro watched as the Monokubs appeared in front of us and then thick smoke engulfed them. When it cleared, most of our eyes widened in shock and horror.

In the place of the Monokubs were Riku, Shozo, and Kokona but they looked different from what we saw in Tokuko's motive video. All of them had the whites in their eyes replaced by black and their normal eye colors were glowing, dark purple lightning bolt markings on their cheeks, and their hair colors were changed. Riku's was a very dark purple, Shozo's was a mulberry color, and Kokona's was a orchid purple like Tsuruzo's was. All of them looked malicious and unhinged.

"Oh my god! What have you done to them?!" Miyuji demanded as she pulled out her Ether staff and pointed it at Rantaro.

"When I first came to the Drama Club for help, these three asked to help run this game." The mastermind explained. "Therefore they disguised themselves as three of the Monokubs. This made them into who they are now."

"You monster! You've gone too far with this!" Gonta yelled.

"Has he? We think not." Riku said suddenly.

Shozo soon followed up. "If you want to kill him..."

"You'll have to get through us first." Kokona finished.

"If you do end up sending them to join Tsuruzo and Tokuko in the afterlife, I'll be waiting for you at the very heart of this academy." Rantaro said as he started to fly to the spot he mentioned. "Make it quick! I'm itching for a great fight when you're done!"

We'll show you, Rantaro! WE WILL STOP YOU! I thought as he flew off and light hid him from sight.

…

Begin Chapter 6: The God-Slaying Power

All of us took out our weapons, Kaede had a katana she held with both of her hands and Tenko had a huge war hammer.

"They're not going to hold back so stay on your guard!" Kiyo advised.

"As the fight raged on, I noticed that the three mainly specialized in Ether Arts given the large amount of dark Ether being launched.

Miyuji and Kiyo fell to their knees from one of attacks and the three unhinged Drama Club members approached them.

"Had enough yet?" Riku asked mockingly.

"N-Never." Miyuji muttered with strained breathing.

"Then maybe it's time you both learned your place!" Kokona yelled as she and Shozo sent energy balls made out of Ether at them.

BANG!

I turned around to see that Miyuji's bandmates, Gita Yamahato, the Disciple of Sound, Beshi Takamine, the Ultimate Bassist, Dora Tamamoto, the Ultimate Drummer, and Kiba Kawaito, the Ultimate Keyboard Artist had taken the energy balls for the vocalist and Kiyo.

"NO!" The vocalist screamed. She managed to get up and jumped into the air with her staff pointed towards the sky. "YOU'RE BOTH GONNA PAY FOR THIS!"

What seemed to be a bright pink storm formed around the top of her staff and she shouted out as she fired the Ether.

"SONIC STORMWAVE!"

The storm was sent straight at Shozo and Kokona surrounded by a huge sound wave. The two screamed as the storm came crashing down on them, clearly killing them instantly.

"Damn you! I'll get you for that!" Riku yelled as Miyuji landed back on the ground and he charged in.

Kiyo was faster to react though, slashing right through Riku with his double-sided scythe along with Ajia, who landed behind him just in time to help her boyfriend out and stabbed through Riku's chest with her katanas.

He fell to the ground dead when the two removed their weapons from his body. All of put our weapons away as we gather around the bodies.

As we did, I took notice of the outfits the five girls who joined us were wearing. Ajia was wearing a lavender and pink Japanese coat with a light blue shirt underneath, blue yoga-like pants with loose ends, a pair of white socks, and brown sandals like the ones Tenko wears.

Gita was wearing a sleeveless orange crop top with a lace top over it, a skirt the same color as her hair, green and dark purple striped stockings, and dark grey boots with silver straps and soles that reach near her knees.

Beshi had a white shirt with a grey and silver jacket over it, a pair of jeens in the same two colors as her hair, dark grey dress shoes with grey soles, and three black bracelets around her right arm.

Dora had a white ripped-sleeved t-shirt with a red and blue cross and 'X' on it, jeen-colored shorts with straps on her shoulders and silver buttons, lace leggings, checkered shoes with white soles, and a pair of red, white, and blue sweatbands around her wrists.

And Kiba was wearing a black tank top with dark purple stripes, a purple short-sleeved overshirt with a black heart covered in green slime on it, black shorts with white rips at the bottom, a black belt with a silver buckle and spikes, dark purple-white stockings, white shoes with black laces and soles, and a pair of black and purple fingerless gloves with a few holes in them.

I shot a healing round into the air in order to be prepared for the final fight with Rantaro and we ran to the heart of the academy ready to end this. Shulk, Zell, and Sae were already there. Gita already had her quad-handguns, Beshi has her duel blades, Dora has her biter, and Kiba had her whip.

"Is everyone ready to end this once and for all?" Shulk asked.

All of us nodded. Suddenly, Rantaro's voice spoke from out of nowhere.

"So, you finally made it, Sharla."

"We defeated Riku, Shozo, and Kokona. They're with Tsuruzo and Tokuko now." I said.

"I see. You've done well throughout this killing game." His voice responded. "Now let us begin the final battle that'll decide your fates!"

"Look out!" Sae yelled as light flared below and above us and spread out.

All of us shielded our faces as it rushed toward us and overtook us, and we could do nothing as it totally engulfed us.

It was time to end this killing game and escape this academy.