"Ugh… My head…"
Though her head had been throbbing since earlier that morning, right now Monika felt like her mind had been removed from her own body before being shoved back inside. That was the best she could describe the sensation she felt right then and there.
As she tried to get her bearings, she soon noticed something strange. She felt something wet and miniscule repeatedly pelt against her in an unforgiving manner.
Slowly opening her eyes, Monika could see droplets of water splash against the pavement she was now staring at.
Rain…?
She instinctively stuck her hand out in front of her, the act itself surprising her; last she had recalled, her arms were supposed to be bound.
That wasn't the only thing that didn't add up however. She also recalled being in some kind of warehouse, but now she was back in front of her home.
Finally, she noticed something that was particularly confounding: her current eye level. She didn't have to look; she knew she was currently sitting on her knees. But even taking that into her, her eye level wasn't at the height it should have been.
Monika turned her attention toward the ground once again. Just below her was a puddle with her reflection centered right in the middle. Despite the constant rainfall distorting the image a bit, she was still able to discern it and the surprise it gave her.
"I'm… I'm a kid again!?" she sputtered.
Hastily examining her body, Monika was shocked to discover that her eyes were not playing tricks on her. She truly was a child again.
"But how-?"
A loud screech stopped Monika from questioning her current predicament any further. Soon after, her body instinctively shivered from the loud booming sound of thunder as the rain from above began to fall even harder than before.
It was strange but, to her, the weather felt like it was reflecting someone's feelings.
Though her mind told her to get inside quickly, her heart told her something else. She felt drawn to something and couldn't bring herself to ignore that feeling.
Spurred on by that feeling and curiosity, Monika stood up and walked forward. Her heart serving as a guide, she continued to walk forward through the blinding storm.
After walking for what seemed like forever, she noticed a figure in the distance. Cautiously moving forward, she discovered that it was a boy.
He was on his knees and his hands were covering his face, but that didn't stop her from recognizing him.
"Shujinkou?"
The boy looked up; it was indeed Shujinkou. Though his current appearance made her even more confused, the concern she felt upon looking at Shujinkou's face overpowered her confusion. It was drenched, not just from the rain but also from his tears.
"Are you okay, Shujinkou?" she worriedly asked.
"W-Who are you? And how do you know my name?" he asked.
"I'm Monika. Don't you remember?"
Shujinkou didn't say a word. It was clear from his face that he had no idea who she was.
"Never mind, it's not important. What's wrong?"
Shujinkou sniffled as tears welled up in his eyes again.
"M-My… I… I keep losing people," he blubbered. "No matter if I do anything or not, I keep losing people. My grandpa, my sister, my dad, my friends… No matter what, I keep losing people! Why do I keep losing people? Why…?"
"Shujinkou…"
Monika looked away and gently placed her hand over her heart. Just seeing her friend that way was painful enough, but it was as if she could feel the pain he felt. It was intense.
I knew that something had to have happened to make Shujinkou the way he was when we first met and I learned a little about it but… I never realized he carried this much pain for so long.
Suddenly, she felt a shiver crawl down her spine. She looked back at Shujinkou to find a dark aura surrounding him.
"…I don't want to lose anyone else…" he grumbled. "I have to save them… I need to save them!"
The aura surrounding him grew larger, almost encompassing Monika in it.
"Shujinkou…?"
She reached for Shujinkou but was knocked back by an unknown force, shocking her awake.
"Wha…?"
Monika breathed heavily as she took in her surroundings. It looked like she was still in the same warehouse as before but she now in a different room.
Was that just a dream? But it felt so real, or at least, what I felt from Shujinkou was real.
"Oh good, you're awake." A somewhat chipper voice said.
Looking to her right, Monika noticed Sayori giving her a small smile.
"I was afraid you slipped into a coma," she explained.
"Sounds pretty good right now…" Natsuki murmured from Monika's left. "Kinda sad you woke up back into this nightmare."
"Don't say that, Natsuki; it's not like all hope is lost yet," Sayori encouraged.
"Kinda seemed lost when the guy in charge started ranting and talking about selling us…" Natsuki weakly argued. "We're about to get forced into human trafficking and I bet it's worse than how it's already portrayed in movies…"
"I know it seems bad but we still have friends… on the… outside…"
Recalling what Yuri had announced earlier made it a struggle for Sayori to finish that sentence. What was said was also on Monika's mind too, but after her dream, it worried her for a reason unknown to her.
She was also worried about Yuri. She had been unresponsive to almost anything since she announced Shujinkou's fate.
How did it come to this? All of this over a petty grudge?
Suddenly, the group heard a door swing open. Walking down the set of stairs in front of them was a familiar face, their eyes fixated solely on Yuri the entire time.
"…Are you all okay?" Akuma asked.
"…Seriously…?" Natsuki grumbled under her breath.
"Yuri?" he questioned.
The young maiden remained silent, still seemingly unable to respond to anything.
"Excuse me, Akuma, if I may," catching his attention, Monika continued to speak in a calm tone. "What exactly is your part in all of this? Akui's your brother right? Did you get him to do all this?"
"Not at all. I simply confided to him of my current circumstances," Akuma answered.
"You mean the circumstances you landed yourself in by being a creep?" Natsuki pointed out.
"Eh? You know about that, Natsuki?" Sayori marveled.
"I had to listen to his schizophrenic brother with his obsessive need to exposit like he's in complete control for days, of course I know. I also know that it's pretty pointless to try and paint yourself as the good brother. You're not as innocent as you try to portray yourself."
"I don't believe that it's fair to make assumptions based on me being here. Do you believe I would actually have a choice when I have a brother like Akui?" Akuma argued.
"That's a fair point, but that doesn't fully absolve you of any involvement," Monika pointed out. "For example, you just asked us would we believe you would have a choice. It's very plausible, but you didn't exactly say you didn't make a choice. Along with the fact that you didn't deny your brother's comment about you not complaining about the idea of kidnapping Yuri, makes it pretty easy to assume you had some agency in all of this."
"It's not exactly as simple as that," Akuma said.
"It's not?"
"It's been a long and troublesome road to get to this point. Honestly, one that feels like it's deprived me all of any real choice I could have had."
Akuma sighed.
"I still remember the exact moment when It felt like I was at a crossroads. Any decision I make would completely alter the events that would occur. Except, at that time, it felt like all semblances of choice were taken from me.
I already felt like I was going insane. I was planning on leaving forever until I ran into my long deceased mother. She was a vile woman and lived to torment me. It wouldn't surprise me if she somehow faked her passing or somehow came from the afterlife just to haunt me. Either way, her reappearance disturbed me.
Not too long after, I found myself surrounded by the police. It seemed like I would be taken until the area was suddenly covered in smoke. I took advantage of the opportunity to escape, but was soon grabbed by one of the officers, then…"
Akuma voice trailed off for a moment.
"Afterwards, I wander around, taunted by my mother until, at my lowest point, I considered ending it all just for some relief. But I couldn't go through with it. After my failed attempt, my brother revealed himself. It was clear that he came all this way here to taunt me too, at least until he discovered that Shujinkou was involved in my current circumstances.
He knew that he was Jomei's child and that was when all of this started; that's how we all got to this point."
"Again, it all leads to Jomei…" Sayori softly muttered.
Monika prepared to continue to her debate but was cut off by a surprise party.
"…Was that tale supposed to absolve you of any fault?" Yuri finally said.
"I wasn't trying too-"
"Just please stop…" Yuri interrupted. "The entire point of you approaching us like this is to desperately try and find a way to deflect blame or cover up any complacency in this. You've always been like this haven't you? Hiding you true intentions behind a façade and try to make up anything to make it seem like a part of you is good."
"That's…"
"Don't. Like Natsuki and Monika had pointed out, you are undeniably one of the reasons for all of this. One of the reasons my friends are stuck here with me while another could be dead for all I know. Nothing you say can change that fact or ever look at you in a positive light ever again.
So, if that's all, then please leave."
Remaining silent, Akuma turned around and exited the room.
"You don't really think Shiko's really… do you, Yuri?" Sayori queried.
"…I can't say for sure, but I do know that he wasn't exactly left in a good position the last I saw him…" Yuri solemnly answered.
"Oh…"
A heavy and oppressive air hung over the four until Monika spoke up.
"I'm sure Shujinkou's fine," she said
"How can you be sure of that?" Yuri questioned.
"I can't, but I just have a feeling. Call it intuition."
"If that's the case, why don't you look or sound so happy about it?" Sayori asked.
"…I don't know. That's pretty much all I can say to any questions regarding what's happening right now," Monika admitted. "Moving on… Yuri, do you still have your knife on you."
"It's in my right pocket," Yuri answered. "I grabbed it when Nivia slapped it out of my hand and slammed me on the ground. She really doesn't want to be seen as anything other than senselessly ruthless."
Monika turned her back to Yuri and inched her way back until her hands made contact with the right pocket of Yuri's uniform.
Moving back farther, Monika felt her hand sink into the pocket. She slowly and cautiously maneuvered her hand around looping she doesn't accidentally cut herself.
She felt the tip of her finger rub against the tip of the blade. Monika swallowed hard as she slowly moved her hand back. The blade felt so sharp that she knew one wrong move would greatly injure her.
Twisting her body, Monika maneuvered her hand past the blade and felt the tip of her fingers slide across the handle. Gripping the knife, Monika slowly inched her body forward, drawing the blade out of Yuri's pocket.
"Alright."
Monika brought the blade towards the rope that bound her hands and started cutting them.
"Why did you have a knife on you anyway?" Natsuki asked. "Self-defense?"
"No… I just think knifes are pretty…" Yuri answered. "I never really pictured my self using them in that way."
"Oh…"
"Almost there…" Monika continued to whittle away at her bonds until the last thread finally gave way to her blade. "Got it."
She took a moment to flex her wrists then moved on to cutting the rope that bound her friends' hands. Though they were now free from their binds, they were still far from escaping their current predicament.
"So what now? We can't exactly just walk through the exit," Natsuki pointed out. "Heck, if we run into that Nivia lady, she'll do what she does best."
"Or death…" Yuri stoically added. "She really has no qualms about killing."
"I have an idea, but… It's going to be a bit tough to pull off," Monika replied.
"What is it?" Sayori asked.
"Well…" Monika looked up at one of the many windows above them. "If we're in a basement, then the windows have to lead to outside the warehouse, ground floor. And since there hasn't been any shadows dropping into the room, it possible they lead to an unpopulated area."
"But they're so high and we don't have anything in here to climb up to it."
"That's where the tough part comes in…" Monika exchanged glances with each of her friends. "We're going to have to form a human ladder."
"A human ladder?" Natsuki repeated, perplexed. "You seriously think the four of us can form a human ladder?"
"Not to mention only one of us would be able to get out through that method, if possible at all," Yuri added.
"I know," Monika solemnly answered.
"So that would mean that one of us would have to leave the others behind?" Sayori wistfully asked.
"To have any chance of escape, it's the only way. One of us has to get out and find some way of getting help or at least establishing a means of escape," Monika explained.
"'One of us', huh?" Natsuki shot Monika a look of annoyance and worry. "You say one of us, but you really mean you don't you?"
"Guilty…" Monika softly chuckled. "After all, the one who tries to escape runs the risk of drawing ire from everyone around here. It's risky and may not end well for them."
"But that's…" Sayori shook her head, refusing to accept Monika's decision. "In that case, I should be the one to go."
"I appreciate your worry, Sayori, but I can't let you do that."
"Why not?"
"Well…" Monika leaned in close to Sayori and whispered, "Because you're needed here."
"What do you mean?"
"You're the only one here that can keep everyone's spirits lifted; at the very least keep Natsuki and Yuri from completely giving up. Plus, if something does happen, I'm pretty sure I'm the more expendable of the two of us."
"That's not true! I mean- What would we do without you?" Sayori argued.
"It's not like I'm saying I'm worthless or anything like that… Plus, um…" Monika scratched her right cheek as she pondered how she could explain what she had in mind. "Well… Let's just say other than my natural concern, I really feel like it's best to keep you especially out of harm's way."
"Me? Why me specifically?"
"I don't really know. Just more of my intuition."
"But…"
"Trust me… It's for the best that I be the one to go."
"Is this really the time for public secret conversations?" Natsuki interjected. "Not even going to ask wha you two were talking about but… let's be honest, at the end of the day, Monika's the one here with the highest chance to actually escape and get help."
Yuri nodded her head in agreement.
A dark look hung over Sayori's face.
"…Okay. Good luck, Monika," She said with a sad smile.
"Mm… Okay everyone, let's get started," Monika focused her gaze on Natsuki. "Natsuki, since you have the most upper body strength, you'll be our base."
"Naturally," she said with a proud smile.
Following Monika's instruction, Natsuki faced the wall and waited. Yuri soon climbed on top of her followed by Sayori.
Monika carefully climbed to the top of Sayori's shoulders and reached for the window. While she was able to reach it, she soon came across a new problem.
It's closed pretty tight.
If she tried forcing it open, it was likely that their whole ladder could come apart, but if she didn't try then they would all still be stuck in the basement.
Of all times, why did it have to be pull open instead of push open?
Monika tugged at the window, each attempt making it feel like she was about to fall off Sayori. Giving it one final tug, the window flew open, almost hitting her in the face.
"Careful, Monika," Sayori pleaded.
"Right."
Monika crawled through the open window and found herself behind the warehouse she had just escaped from.
Before doing anything else, she stuck her head back through the window, "I'll be back soon. I promise."
With those parting words, Monika crept her way towards the nearby dumpster.
Okay… I'm currently in a corner of an area I know nothing about. Though bad for getting the lay of the land, it was good for sneaking out unnoticed.
She clutched her chest and tried to steady her breathing.
This whole mess has been nothing but events happening out of nowhere; I wouldn't be surprised if the moment I move from this spot, I'll get ambushed by… something. I know I shouldn't think that, but I… No, I need to stay focused. If I think like that now, I'll have already failed everyone.
Still, I need to think carefully about my next move. I'm a young woman armed with only a knife, but none of the resolve to actually use it offensively. I'm in an unknown area with who knows how many men likely armed to the teeth and just as likely to kill on sight. Along with that, I have no current way to reach the outside world nor do I know where Claudette is…
Monika clutched her chest tighter.
The others are counting on me, but I don't know what to do. I never know what to do… I… I think I should probably stick with the escape and get help plan. I won't be able to do anything on my own.
Taking a few deep breaths, Monika peeked over the dumpster. With the coast still clear, she slowly moved forward towards a set of crates protruding from the corner of the warehouse.
Glancing over them, Monika could see a significant number of what she could aptly call mooks or goons hanging around the area ahead beyond the alley between the two warehouses she stood behind.
Definitely can't go this way… I better find another route.
Not long after that thought, Monika heard what sounded to be the engine of a motorcycle nearby. The sound got closer and closer until it was soon replaced by a crash and bloodcurdling screams.
"The hell was that!?" she heard one of the men in front of her say.
Soon the once crowded area became vacant as they all rushed to investigate the source of the disturbance.
That way they're going… Is that the way to the exit?
While happy that she had some sense of direction towards her destination, Monika was wary to head that way.
Even if the mysterious disturbance worked in favor this instance, there was still no way of knowing if she should get involved in it.
Not only that, but for a brief moment, she felt woozy. Something felt wrong, something much greater than the current predicament she found herself in.
The feeling vanished as quickly as it arrived, but its impact remained. Even if they were to escape now, she felt something even worse could happen.
Maybe I'm just being paranoid… I have to focus on escaping or else we're all…
Unable to finish that thought, Monika crept through the alley and peeked beyond the front corner of the warehouse. Not a soul was in sight.
Did they all go to investigate?
Monika received her answer in the form of more screams.
"Okay… In that case, maybe I can use this as an opportunity to free the others and find Claudette," she mused.
"Or not."
Nivia soon stepped into her field of view, nearly causing Monika to tumble back in fright.
No… Of all people, why her!?
While she had only encountered Nivia for the first time not too long ago, Monika could tell through opinions and her own words that out of everyone around her, Nivia was truly the worst person to be caught sneaking around by.
She knew it was already a huge risk to found and likely end with her death. Looking into Nivia's eyes, Monika swallowed hard; the likelihood of death had turned into the only outcome.
"Ah…"
Monika could feel her feet slowly move back, her instincts screaming at her to get away.
"Did you seriously think you had any chance of sneaking away? Just to give you perspective, we're as far away from the exit as possible," Nivia taunted.
Monika looked around; all that surrounded them were stacked crates. There was nothing she could use to defend herself.
Wait!
Monika took a double look at the crates examining how they were stacked and the heights they reached.
She then looked back at Nivia. There was only one way out of this confrontation and it would require precision to pull off.
Hope all that afterschool training was worth it.
Monika took one final step back before dashing towards Nivia.
"Wha-?" a look of pure shock landed on Nivia's face .
Once Monika was gained a good enough momentum, she raised her arms up and lunged forward. Planting her hands into the ground, Monika raised her right leg, quickly followed by her left, briefly entering a handstand. She then dropped her legs towards the ground in a reverse order, gracefully returning to her feet before staring the process a new.
She repeated front-walkover technique over and over until she was finally in range of Nivia. Transitioning into one final handstand, Monika pushed herself into the air. In one flawless move, Monika landed on Nivia's shoulders and used her as a springboard to reach the top of the crates she had been eyeing.
She then climbed her way up another set of crates then rolled on top of the roof of the warehouse, breathing hard the entire time.
"That was more draining then I thought…"
Monika looked around. The gaps between the rooftops didn't seem too far apart to cross and some even had makeshift bridges between them.
Is it wrong to be cynical and consider this a bit too convenient?
"Unbelievable…"
Monika timidly glanced over her shoulder.
"I get scolded for ending things early, I come back empty handed, then I'm left to babysit and just got used as a springboard by a high schooler…"
Monika's heart started to race the second she saw a hand latch on to the edge of the roof.
"I'll take the convenience!"
Monika quickly dashed to the other side of the roof and leaped on to another one. Without even looking back, she continued to hop along rooftops until she was once again stricken by another sudden affliction.
First she was woozy, but now it felt like something was trying to ram something into her brain.
As the pain grew even more fierce, she began to see images play back in her head like a movie. She saw an injured Shujinkou shedding tears as he clutched a stomach wound. She then saw Mali arrive and cover his wound with a sinister smile on her face.
"I gotta say, judging from what happened to any of your friends last time, I expected you to reach this low point a lot sooner," she said. "Seriously, it only took one move from your other friend to get you like this."
"W-Who are you talking?" Shujinkou asked, perplexed.
"Then again, back then you thought one of your friends was gone forever, while know you still have some kind of hope now, even if it's slim."
Mali giggled as she moved her face closer to Shujinkou's.
"Though I can make sure that you'll have a 100% chance of ending things once and for all. Should be fun."
Shujinkou had a look of concern on his face as he stared into Mali's eyes.
"You say that but… why do you look confused and… sad?" he asked.
"Sad?"
A look of surprise floated on Mali's face before it was suddenly replaced by her usual innocent smile.
"At your lowest point and not even aware and yet you can spot things with just a glance."
Mali giggled.
"But I guess that's the only way you could show me concern, even considering everything up to now. You're so innocent, it's cute Shujinkou and it's no wonder you have so many girls fawning over you. But your innocence isn't going to save anyone now so…"
Mali gently placed her hands on Shujinkou's cheeks.
"Time to keep my promise."
The last image Monika saw was Mali drawing Shujinkou into a deep kiss. Soon after, the pain faded, leaving Monika to ponder what she just witnessed.
"Not too bright are you, Ms. Perfect?"
A hand reached out from behind and turned Monika around. To her absolute horror, Nivia was standing behind her. Unlike before, she looked bored.
"Ugh… Nothing fancy now, I'm done with this whole thing," she sighed. "Do me a favor and land on your hand when you hit the ground, 'kay?"
With a simple shove, Monika was sent over the edge of the building and sent careening towards the ground.
"MONIKA!"
A pair of arms quickly intercepted Monika and pulled her into a tight embrace. Safely landing on the ground, Monika could finally see the face of the one who saved her.
"Shujinkou?" she gasped.
"Looks like I just made it," he said, sighing in relief.
"But- What're you doing here? I mean… Weren't you shot?"
"Yeah… Mali found me and helped me get better. But that's not important; right now all that matters is taking everyone down and getting you guys out of here."
"By yourself?"
"He's not by himself," suddenly peeking over Shujinkou's shoulder was Mali. "Senpai has Mali with him."
A look of concern crossed Monika's face. What they were proposing seemed very improbable. "Even so…"
"Trust me, Monika, I got this," Shujinkou assured her.
Normally Shujinkou's assurances would at least partly assuage her worries, but all it did this time was add to them.
"By the way, what's Claudette doing here?" Shujinkou asked. "I thought you and the others were the only ones taken."
Monika's eyes sparkled with surprise and hope."You saw Claudette?!"
"…Yeah. I saw her as I was grabbing you. Don't worry, she fine… at least physically… for now."
"Um, excuse me…" The three high school students looked up. Up on the roof just above them was Nivia, who couldn't look any more surprised even if she tried. "I'd hate to interrupt this romantic rescue moment, but isn't at least one of you supposed to be dead?"
Shujinkou scowled at his attempted murderer.
"Monika, take Mali and go free the others," he ordered. "I'll take care of her."
"Are you sure, Shujinkou?" Monika worriedly questioned. "Didn't she-?"
"I won't let her beat me this time," he interrupted. "Now go."
Monika was taken aback by the seriousness on Shujinkou's face. No, it wasn't just seriousness; she noticed a desire in his eyes. It was obvious by the way he was looking at Nivia that he wasn't going to be swayed by anything.
Even if she could think of something that could do the deed, the intimidating and oppressive air surrounding Shujinkou prevented her from even trying.
Even leaving like he told her to was a struggle; if it wasn't for Mali grabbing her hand, she would have remained there, paralyzed.
"Come on, Ms. Club President, you don't want to leave everyone waiting," Mali reminded her.
"But…"
Despite how different Shujinkou seemed at the moment, Monika still felt apprehensive about leaving him behind to fight.
"Senpai, you sure you want to do this?" Mali asked.
"…Yep," Shujinkou said, his eyes still glued to Nivia.
"Well, if that's what Senpai really wants then that's what Senpai wants," Mali said with a shrug.
For a brief moment, Monika could see the Shujinkou she recognized. She could spot the innocence in his eyes as he looked at Mali as if he confused and hesitant.
"…Yeah."
Just as quickly it appeared, the recognizable look was soon buried under a foreign smile. From a distance, it looked like a confident smile, but upon closer inspection, Monika realized that it was similar to one of Mali's "innocent" smiles.
"Come on, Ms. School Idol," Mali tugged Monika's hand. "You really don't have to worry about Senpai as long as Mali is with him."
"But you're leaving him."
"Yep."
Confusion paralyzing her mind, Monika could do nothing to stop Mali from pulling her away.
"So, where are your friends, Ms. Club President? After all, you were told to lead me after all."
"R-Right…"
With seemingly no one around, Monika effortlessly led Mali to the warehouse she had very recently escaped from.
"Akui clearly doesn't care for hiding in plain sight. If you guys managed to get some help, this place would have been the first place anyone would look," Mali noted as she walked inside. "By the way, Ms. School Idol, sneaking out and trying to escape… you must really have wanted to prove Mali wrong."
"I wasn't trying to prove anything. I was just trying to do something that could have helped everyone," Monika clarified.
"Even when it could have ended in your death? That's really bold, Monika," Mali complimented. "Mali may have been wrong about you."
"Thanks, but…" While she appreciated the compliment there was something about the way Mali was speaking that bothered her. "Why are you referring to yourself in the third person?"
"Maybe I'm just being my usual off-kilter self or maybe I'm just speaking to you the same way I would Senpai. He usually understands due to being so good with people. Besides, is the way I speak really important? Maybe, but we something that Senpai wants us to do and if we don't do it then Senpai really won't act like Senpai and as his Kōhai, it's my duty to make sure that doesn't happen."
Monika was once again stricken with silence. As usual, Mali spoke in a way that seemed deliberately confusing. However, she didn't seem to be taunting her or unapologetically flaunting information only she knew.
She seemed to be trying to clue her in to something in her own way.
Along with that, Monika noticed that Mali didn't seem as vicious as she was earlier today.
"Alright, here we are," Mali happily announced.
Mali pulled a piece of metal out of her pocket and began working on unlocking the door to the basement.
"You really do know how to pick locks, huh?" Monika noted.
"Of course," Mali giggled. "It's a necessary skill. Just never thought I would use it to rescue people, but it's for Senpai's sake."
"For Shujinkou's sake…"
Monika anxiously scratched her right cheek. What Mali just said reminded her of the vision she just saw.
"Mali, this is going to sound strange but… Did you kiss Shujinkou earlier today?" she asked.
"Eh?" Mali shot her an amused look. "Is this really the time to worry about your crush?"
"It's not about that, I was just wondering…"
"Well you don't have to worry; I haven't kissed Senpai as much as the prospect is enticing. Now then…"
Mali removed the metal from the door knob and opened the door. She wasted no time in skipping down the steps and jumping in front of the rest of the Literature Club.
"Mali?" Sayori gasped.
Mali giggled at the sight of the three damsels.
"You know, your posture is too relaxed to actually be bound by anything," she pointed out. "A good eye could spot you guys faking a mile away."
"Someone tell me that she's not our only hope of escape…" Natsuki pleaded under her breath.
Monika soon entered the room.
"Thank you…" Natsuki said with a sigh of relief.
"Monika! You really did come back soon," Sayori cheered.
"Well, I ran into some outside help sooner than I thought," Monika explained.
"Is that why it sounds like a warzone out there?" Natsuki asked.
"Um… actually, that part's kind of hard to explain…" Monika admitted.
"Actually, It's relatively easy to explain," Mali interjected. "It's just hard to believe."
"We're in a warehouse basement about to be sold into human trafficking," Natsuki groaned. "I really doubt anything can be hard to believe right now."
"I don't know, Natsuki, I'm still trying to wrap my head around it myself," Monika nervously chuckled.
"What exactly is going on outside?" Yuri queried.
"Well… the whole warzone thing going on outside is actually Shujinkou leading a one-man assault against everyone here," Monika answered.
"…What?" Natsuki just stared ahead, completely dumbfounded by what she had just heard.
"Shujinkou is..?" Yuri marveled. "But that's…"
"I knew Shiko wasn't dead!" Sayori beamed. "Wait… Did you say Shiko's leading a one-man assault against everyone here?"
Monika nodded her head.
"One man is a bit wrong. After all, Mali's along for the ride," Mali cheerfully added.
"Even so, we need to go help him before something happens to him!" Sayori insisted.
"I sincerely doubt something will happen to Senpai," Mali interjected.
"How can be so sure?" Sayori questioned.
"Because, he has Mali with him," she solemnly answered.
"That doesn't make any sense; you're right here," Natsuki pointed out.
"That doesn't change the fact that Mali is with Senpai."
With that, Mali turned around and proceeded to walk up the stairs, leaving the others confused.
"Is Mali saying that she has a plan to keep Shiko safe?" Sayori wondered aloud.
"Either that or she's boasting that just her being here turns the tide…" Natsuki sighed. "Even in situations like this, she acts the same."
"Yeah, it's actually kinda relieving…" Monika mused.
"Huh?"
"N-Nothing. Just thinking out loud."
"What are you guys waiting for? Didn't you want to go to Senpai's side right away?" Mali yelled back at them.
"Ah, that's right! We gotta help Shiko!" Sayori declared.
Following Mali's lead, the Literature Club walked outside and cautiously traveled to where Shujinkou was last seen.
"Whoa…" Sayori marveled.
What they saw truly was a sight to behold. Bodies were littered about as far as the eye can see.
"Huh. Our one man army worked faster than I thought they would," Mali noted.
Yuri looked at some of the nearby bodies. Not only were they heavily bruised, but some had broken limbs. So violent…
"Shujinkou did all this?" Natsuki muttered in disbelief. "This makes what Rei did at the Royal Rumble look like nothing…"
"Ah!" Sayori yelped.
"What's wrong, Sayori?" Monika asked.
"Isn't that-?"
Sayori pointed to one particular body on the ground. It was noticeably more beaten then the rest. Taking a closer look, the others were left shocked as they recognized the person that lied before them.
"Nivia…?" Monika gasped.
It was almost impossible to tell for sure by looking at their face; it was so swollen that they weren't sure if any body part located there could ever work again. The only way they could tell it was her was by her clothing.
Monika reached down and grasped her wrist.
"She's still has a pulse," she confirmed.
"Someone sure did a number on her," Mali said.
"You don't mean Shiko, do you?" Sayori gasped.
"Not unless someone else is going around knocking everyone out," Monika suggested.
"We'd like to believe that but…" Yuri used her eyes to direct the others' attention to a particular wound on Nivia's body. "She's been shot in the same area Shujinkou was. It's easy for someone to see this as poetic retribution…"
"No way! Shiko would never do this to someone!" Sayori affirmed, shaking her head.
"Yeah, I'm having trouble believing Shujinkou's leading an effortless one man assault against hardened criminals. I seriously can't see him doing this at all," Natsuki agreed.
"I totally agree. I can't see Senpai doing this at all either," Mali said with a smile.
Soon after that comment, the group heard gunfire and desperate cries in the distance. The cries soon began to die out one by one until there was nothing but silence.
"That sounded like something straight out of a horror movie…" Natsuki fretted.
"Well, it is Devil's Night; the night before Halloween," Mali calmly pointed out. "You'd think the more horrific stuff would happen tonight considering how modern Halloween is just candy and pranks at this point."
She then started to walk towards the direction the cries came from. Without turning around, Mali asked her hesitant associates "You guys coming? It's not like it would be safe to just stay here."
Without saying a word, the others carefully followed Mali towards the source of the sound. Each step towards the unknown increased the anxiety every member of the Literature Club felt. They continued to move forward until they heard someone speaking in the distance.
"Man, am I glad you were in the neighborhood, Shujinkou."
"Isn't that-?" A small smile crossed Monika's face as Shujinkou and Claudette stepped from around a corner.
"Claudette!" she chirped. "You're alright."
"So are you guys," Claudette said with a sigh of relief. "Also, I'm just barely able to say I'm okay. I'm eternally grateful to Shujinkou for showing up when he did or else... Let's just say that even I would be traumatized and potentially murderous angry."
"Oh…" Monika awkwardly scratched her right cheek as she turned her attention to Shujinkou. "Thanks, Shujinkou."
Shujinkou just stared at her. She expected him to at least scratch his right cheek in humble embarrassment, but he didn't.
"Shiko!"
A pair of arms suddenly wrapped around Shujinkou.
"You really are okay! I thought you were in really bad shape!" Sayori cried.
"Why would you think that?" he asked.
"Yuri told us what Nivia did to you! How come you're moving around like nothing happened?"
"It's like I told Monika, Mali found me and helped me get better. To be more specific, she gave me the means to apply first-aid on myself and come here," Shujinkou chuckled. "You of all people should know that I'm really experienced with giving first aid."
"Oh, uhm…" Sayori scratched her red right cheek as she nervously laughed. "That's true…"
Shujinkou continued to laugh until he noticed Natsuki staring at him. She was looking at him like he was stranger.
"Why are you looking at me like that, Natsuki?" he asked.
"Uh… No reason…" she murmured.
That was all she could say in the short time given to her. She knew she couldn't exactly say she was starting to understand what the others meant by Shujinkou seeming "off". Just being around him was uncomfortable, a feeling she never thought she would feel.
"You can feel it too, can't you…?"
Natsuki glanced up at Yuri.
"Yeah… I guess you guys really weren't exaggerating," she whispered back. "What happened? I mean, just being around him is… scary."
Yuri shook her head. "I don't really know. The weird air around him just came out of nowhere. What's worse is, I think that it's worse than before."
"What's worse than before?" Shujinkou asked.
"Ah…!" Yuri instinctively took a step back. "N-Nothing. I was just thinking how our situation was before you and Mali showed up."
Shujinkou once again responded with silence. Like before, Monika once again noticed a brief recognizable expression land on Shujinkou's face; this time his face displaying regret.
"I take it this is what you meant by Shujinkou being 'off'?" Claudette whispered into her ear.
Monika silently nodded her head.
"Senpai, we should probably get out of here before more people come," Mali advised.
"Right," Shujinkou agreed. "You guys get out of here."
"'You guys'? What about you, Shiko?" Sayori queried.
Shujinkou didn't respond. He just stared ahead, as if waiting for something.
"I get it… You're planning on staying back to cover our flank, right?" Claudette asked.
"…Yeah," Shujinkou answered.
"That's good and all but there's bound to be a lot of dangerous bad guys that'll stand in our way," Claudette said in a weak and defenseless manner. "You're not going to just leave us to deal with that are you? I mean, you're clearly the only one who's able to handle these guys; we're pretty much doomed without you."
"Ah…"
Shujinkou's entire body trembled as if he was struggling with what Claudette just said to him. He shook his head before turning back towards the others.
"You got a point there…" he said, scratching his right cheek. "I mean, I'm pretty sure you guys could handle yourselves fine without me but it's probably is better that we all leave together."
"Yeah!" Sayori cheerfully agreed.
"Ah… Senpai's innocence's shining through as always," Mali said with a smile.
With everyone in agreement, the group began their trek to the exit. Along the way, Claudette noticed a smoking, twisted collection of metal nearby.
"Is that my bike?" Claudette asked."
"Oh that…" Shujinkou awkwardly chuckled as he scratched his right cheek. "I kinda used it as a battering ram when I got here. You know, like in movies and games where you drift then jump off…"
"…Geez, have you secretly been capable of doing stuff like this the whole time?" Natsuki questioned.
"Trust me; everything I've done today is one time thing," Shujinkou assured her. "It's honestly a miracle that I even pulled off half- no, everything I've actually pulled off."
"Well, at least you got to stuff you probably only imagined doing, right Shiko?" Sayori cheerfully pointed out.
"Does that involve rescuing a damsel in distress?" Claudette joked.
"Two damsels. He saved me from an escape attempt gone horribly wrong," Monika added with a soft chuckle.
"Seriously…" Shujinkou looked down at his hands in disbelief. "I can't believe I pulled off saves like that."
"Yeah, well, I'm still having a hard time believing you actually successfully pulled off a one man assault like this," Natsuki said. "Are you sure you were really alone?"
"Yeah. Just me, a lot of maneuvering and adrenaline. Unfortunately, it was kind of impossible to go easy on everyone when outnumbered and forced to think on my feet."
"Yeah… We've seen that…" Natsuki gulped at the bodies that surrounded them.
"Ah… Shujinkou…"
Shujinkou looked back at Yuri. The way she was looking at him was concerning.
"What's wrong, Yuri?" he worriedly asked.
Yuri looked deep into Shujinkou's eyes. They were the recognizable eyes that filled her with a sense of tranquility like always.
"Nothing… I was just confirming something," she said with a relieved sigh.
"Oh…"
Shujinkou turned back around, and soon the relief Yuri felt was gone.
The group continued their trek until they arrived before a damaged gate.
"Damn, Shujinkou… You sure you used my bike to bust in?" Claudette marveled. "It looks like you used a bulldozer or a tank."
"I was going pretty fast…" Shujinkou sheepishly replied.
"Still…"
"Eh, we can ignore that for now. Right now, we need to go to the police and tell them what happened," Monika advised.
"Yeah, maybe they'll actually believe one of us this time when shown proof; proof being us," Claudette said in an annoyed tone.
"To be fair… I was one of the only people who could read the documents," Shujinkou pointed out.
"You mean the 'magical documents' Akui was talking about?" Sayori queried.
"Yeah."
"Wait… You're telling me he wasn't joking? You're seriously the only one who can read those documents he was talking about?" Natsuki questioned.
"Well, Mali can read them too and Monika could sorta read them," Shujinkou explained.
"That's weir- Wait, what exactly were on them?"
"Um… Motives, location of where you and Sayori were held and info about the past."
"You're saying that you had evidence about what happened to us and even though you were the only one who could read it… they didn't even consider it even though we were kidnapped!"
"My thoughts exactly…"
Shujinkou chuckled until he felt a sharp pain around the center of his body.
"What's wrong, Shiko?" Sayori worriedly asked.
"I think my tolerance for my gun wound is gone," Shujinkou said, clutching his stomach.
He soon fell on his knees, panting heavily.
"Okay… It's starting to hurt like before," he said, doubled over in pain.
Shujinkou looked down at his hand. As his vision started to blur, he could see that his hand was once again stained red.
"No… Not… now…"
The sound of him crashing into the ground was the last thing he heard before his world fell dark.