Chapter 11: Everyday Life with the Ultimate Traditional Dancer (Part 3)


Hello again, oh readers, mine. Welcome back to another chapter of "Everyday Life with Ultimate Girls." I'm glad the last chapter was well received, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Who doesn't love Mikan? I hope you will all stick around to see how I resolve the problems of her home life later, but that's a different chapter down the line.

Today, you came here for everyone's favorite Ultimate Brat, Hiyoko! Now before anyone asks, and I know I've mentioned this in previous chapters and notes, but I'll clarify it again, this is the Hiyoko who looks her age, not the female version of Yugi Moto… Yeah, I can't believe I made that comparison either, she's so bratty and he's so kind. (Hmm, Yami Hiyoko? I should stop before I get too far off topic.)

Makoto is going to have his hands full as the brattiness is strong in this one. But he's not Makoto Naegi if he doesn't at least try.

Anyway, enough stalling, on with the chapter!


Present Day

Naegi noticed Saionji pouting and gave her a pat on the head, an action that caused her to stop pouting and caused her to blush instead. To anyone who didn't know Saionji, this would have seemed odd until they learned about her personality.

Despite finally looking like a high school student, Saionji still acted like a little girl. Naegi figured that she had been getting away with acting like one for years and old habits are said to die hard.

"Ahem." Koizumi cleared her throat to get their attention. "You two certainly have the strangest bond," she noted with a strained smile on her face.

Naegi stopped patting Saionji, who in turn glared at Koizumi for interrupting her moment with Naegi. Tsumiki was still oddly silent.

"Well, one of the strangest I suppose," Naegi said as he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. I'd say Enoshima and Yukizome-sensei are up there too, Naegi thought.

"Naegi-onii!" Saionji whined in embarrassment.

"Sorry Senpai, but she's right. It wasn't that long ago that I was still 'Servant' and not 'Naegi-onii,'" Naegi pointed out.

Saionji went back to pouting, but knew she couldn't disagree, she had been rather vocal about her opinion of Naegi. Still, instead of conceding that point, she just huffed and looked away.

She's still just like a little kid, Naegi thought. He had to admit, that part of Saionji could be endearing, even back when she was bossing him around.

I wish people would forget about that. It wasn't like I was that bad to Naegi-onii, right? Saionji asked herself.


Hope's Peak Academy-Girls' Dorm Kitchen

First Day of Classes

Okay Makoto. It's your first-time making dinner for these people, but that's no reason to be nervous. Sure, some, or rather most don't really want you in this dorm and the success of this meal may change that even slightly, but that's not cause for any stress, Naegi attempted to convince himself as he proceeded to julienne a cabbage. He decided to go with what he knew, and he knew Japanese meals. He hoped it would go over well, but he was still wondering if he should have gone outside his comfort zone instead of playing it safe tonight.

Naegi didn't notice he had an audience. Saionji had come to see what her new servant was doing. She had hoped to catch him slacking off but wasn't too disappointed that she didn't when she saw that Naegi had decided to go for a more traditional dinner.

"Not bad, Servant. No bad at all," she said suddenly, causing Naegi to stop slicing cabbage and look up.

"Oh, Saionji-senpai. Is something wrong?" Naegi asked. He was a bit surprised to see the older girl here. He was almost positive that she hated him.

"Well, other than the fact that you're in our dorm, not really," she said, causing Naegi to wince. She then said, "But I'll overlook it this once since you seem to understand how amazing Japanese cuisine is."

Naegi was thankful that he seemed to have made the right choice tonight, and then explained, "My family has always taken great pride in being Japanese so we try to keep it traditional as often as we can." That wasn't to say that the Naegi family looked down on other cultures, Naegi himself certainly enjoyed learning about new places, he particularly enjoyed his grandparents' stories about their trips around the world in their youth. He kept that to himself though as he doubted Saionji would be interested.

"I might just go easy on you if that's the case," Saionji said. Not really, but you don't need to know that, she thought.

"Well…thank you Senpai," Naegi said, not really sure how to respond to that.

"You do learn fast. It looks like you already know your place," Saionji said, slightly impressed, but mostly glad that her new servant appeared to be such a push over. A few seconds later, she said, "Well, I'll leave you to it. Don't disappoint me now."

"I won't Senpai," Naegi said slightly relieved. It seemed that he had been wrong, and Saionji was more reasonable than he thought. It would take a few days, but he would learn just how wrong he was.


Hope's Peak Academy-Courtyard

Fourth Day of Classes

Classes had ended for the day and Naegi had decided to make his way back to the dorm. Not right away of course, he wanted to take in the scenery. It was certainly what he expected from a school with Hope's Peak Academy's reputation; the grounds were so well maintained. There were a few spots that looked like they had been torn up. When Naegi had asked about it at dinner last night, Class 77-B pointed towards Owari. Naegi didn't ask for an explanation, he had a feeling he needed to see it to really understand. Naegi was shaken from his musing by a voice he had become quite familiar with.

"Squish! Squish!"

"Huh?" Naegi looked around and saw Saionji in the grass nearby. "Senpai, what exactly are you doing?" Naegi asked as he rushed over to Saionji.

"Hmm? I'm squishing!" Saionji responded, as though it should be obvious.

"Squishing what?" Naegi asked.

"Ant-san, of course. I'm squishing a lot of ant-sans," Saionji explained. Naegi thought that she sounded…happy.

"Come again?" Naegi asked. I guess Saionji-senpai isn't afraid of bugs. But squishing them for the fun of it? That's more something little kids do isn't it? Naegi asked himself.

"Hehe... If you squish their tummies just right, it makes this awesome sound," Saionji explained. She then asked, "Wanna do it together!?"

"Not really, but I appreciate the offer," Naegi said, attempting to decline as politely as he could. Note to self: Hide all magnifying glasses so Saionji can't roast the ants, he thought. Naegi didn't particularly care for ants, but cruelty was cruelty.

"Aww, okay," Saionji said, sounding disappointed. But she soon said, "Hmph, you wuss..."

Naegi knew she said that knowing that he could hear. Saionji-senpai's attitude doesn't match her appearance at all. She seemed a lot more reasonable the other day, he thought.

"Hey Servant, I've been thinking this ever since I first met you, but will you get mad if I say it?" Saionji asked.

"I'm not sure that I can answer that without knowing what you're going to say," Naegi answered. Naegi had a feeling that he wasn't going to like this.

"I see. Then I'm gonna say it," Saionji said with a nod. "Um, um...I've been thinking this ever since I first met you... You have a shady-looking face, and you look like the kind of person who's too lazy to try hard. And not only that, I think you're so hopeless for coming after me like some pervert!" Saionji exclaimed.

"What!" Naegi yelled in shock. His feeling was right, he didn't like it. Shady? Lazy? Pervert? Where did those come from? Naegi asked himself. Then he said, "I don't know where you got 'shady' and I don't think you can call me 'lazy' with all the work I've been putting in around the dorm. And I've never come after you."

Saionji's face fell when she heard that and then she choked out, "Ugh..."

Naegi had a bad feeling about this. "Huh?"

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaah! You said you wouldn't get mad! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Saionji cried.

Oh crap, it's like back when I was still spoiling Komaru, Naegi panicked mentally. "S-Sorry... I'm sorry I yelled at you. Please don't cry anymore."

"Ugh...hic..." Saionji started calming down and asked, "Then...if you're really sorry, can you buy me the thing I like?"

"That was quick," Naegi accidentally blurted out. That was a mistake.

"*Sniffle*..." Saionji got ready to start crying again.

"F-Fine! What do I have to buy you!?" Naegi asked. He needed this to end.

Saionji gave him a hint. "Umm...it's shaped like a star, and it's small, and it's cute, and it's sweet."

"Confeito?" Naegi asked.

Saionji nodded silently.

Phew... At least she stopped crying, Naegi thought, relieved. "I can get confeito, that's no problem," he said.

"Just so you know, you won't find that in the school store," Saionji said.

"Huh? Really?" Naegi asked.

"Jeez Servant...you're such a pushover," Saionji gloated, "You totally promised me without realizing it was impossible...and you even got tricked by my fake crying!"

No, you definitely weren't faking those tears, Naegi thought.

"Jeez, you're so hopeless. I guess I'll go easy on you and make you bring me something else," Saionji said.

"Easy." Right, Naegi thought snarkily

"Let's see," Saionji said as she pretended to think of alternatives. "Go steal Sonia-nee's panties for me!" she ordered.

"Absolutely not," Naegi said.

"Bitch, bitch, bitch... Bring me Tanaka-nii's earring then," Saionji said. Realizing that Naegi could just ask for it, she ordered, "And you better steal it! I don't want you to borrow it!"

You...don't really want it, do you...? You're just trying to make me suffer, Naegi thought. "Just let me bring you a snack," Naegi suggested

"Aww, but they don't have anything cute at the store," Saionji whined. She continued, "I gotta have something cute like...flower candies made with refined Japanese sugar."

"I don't know if about 'cute', but I think they're really good too," Naegi said. Continuing, he asked, "You really do like traditional Japanese candy, huh?"

"Well, it's so elaborately made that it's practically art. They're so small and sparkly and cute... I love them so much. Foreign sweets are made with too much sugar, so they're perfect for uncultured idiots," Saionji said.

I-If she hadn't said that last part, I would've been impressed. But I do feel like I understand Hiyoko a little more now, Naegi thought. "If you still want that confeito, I can get it. I brought some with me from home. My family likes traditional Japanese sweets too."

"Yay! Confeito!" Saionji exclaimed in joy. She then looked right at Naegi and said, "You actually make a pretty good servant." I guess he can't be a complete waste if he enjoys confeito too, Saionji thought.

Guess that's about as close to a compliment as I'm going to get, Naegi thought with a smile. "I just need to grab it from my room, if you want to wait in the common area, I can get it right away. Just don't ruin your appetite, we haven't had dinner yet," Naegi said as he walked back to the dorm.

"Yeah, yeah," Saionji said as she followed him. He kind of reminds me of Otou-sama, she thought fondly. She quickly dismissed such thoughts. I must be going soft, she thought.


Hope's Peak Academy-Old Building

Second Week of Classes-Tuesday

At the start of the second week of classes, most new students would be at least slightly familiar with the layout of their new school. However, most students weren't Ultimates and most schools weren't Hope's Peak Academy. As such, Naegi could be excused for still needing to familiarize himself with all of Hope's Peak's facilities.

He had some free time, so he decided to explore the old school building. Thanks to Mioda, he had some idea of what was in the building, but he was mostly familiar with the Music Room. He had gone through most of the floors and was now on the fifth. At the moment, he was at the entrance to the greenhouse.

Naegi was impressed at the variety of plants and was both impressed and intimidated by a particularly large plant in the center of the greenhouse. I'm curious about that massive plant, but afraid of what I'll learn, he thought as he walked through the room. He had to admit, strange flora aside, the room had quite a relaxing atmosphere.

"Yay! New flowers!" a female voice exclaimed.

"Saionji-senpai?" Naegi asked. Looking around he saw his senpai in the middle of a large group of flower beds. "I didn't know you liked flowers," Naegi said as he approached her.

"Huh!? What does that mean, you stupid, ugly, idiot!? You're so meeeeeeeeean!" Saionji yelled. She then asked, "How can you perform a traditional Japanese dance if you don't have a heart that cherishes flowers? You don't understand at all, do you?"

I understand, I just don't think I can reconcile that with reality. I know Saionji-senpai is the Ultimate Traditional Dancer, but that's easy to forget with her foul mouth and rotten attitude. If it weren't for those, she'd look perfect standing next to flowers, Naegi thought. He wasn't proud of it, but it was true. He knew that those who practiced traditional dance were individuals with their own unique personalities but reconciling the image that those dancers conjured with the reality of Saionji Hiyoko was still difficult. While Naegi was thinking this, Saionji continued.

"I love flowers 'cause they're soooo pretty! I used to play at flower gardens when I was a kid. It was lots of fun stomping them and messing them up!" she said happily.

It took Naegi a minute to process what he had just heard. "...Huh? Wait, didn't you just say that you love flowers because they're so pretty...?"

"It's fun to stomp pretty things with my feet and kick them all over the place," Saionji said as though it was obvious.

"H-How...can you think like that?" Naegi asked quietly.

If Saionji heard him, she ignored him. "Oh yeah, last year Owari-nee saw me when I was stomping flowers, too. She asked me what I was doing, but it was sooooo annoying to explain it to her. So, I told her that stomping and kicking your food before you eat it gives you a lot more protein. Then she actually started eating the flowers, but she said they didn't taste that good," Saionji said with a laugh.

The sad thing is, I can see it. I don't even know Owari-senpai that well and I know that's something that she would do, Naegi thought.

"She's seriously so stupid. Hmmmm, what should I make her do the next time I see her?" Saionji asked herself out loud. Before Naegi could object, Saionji answered her own question, "Then again...Owari-nee is gullible, so no matter what I tell her to do, it'll be too boring... It's a lot more fun to mess with Pig Barf."

By this point, Naegi knew that "Pig Barf" was Tsumiki. He didn't approve of the nickname, but he didn't know if Saionji and Tsumiki had some odd friendship or if Saionji used it out of malice. Although, there was something Naegi felt the need to ask. "Aren't they your friends?"

"Pfft! No," Saionji immediately said. She then asked, "Friends are what you call a bunch of weaklings who decide to get along and play nice, right?" When Naegi didn't answer, she continued, "The world is filled with people who exist to serve perfect humans like me. That's why I don't need friends or any close contacts."

Naegi couldn't help thinking that was sad. He couldn't imagine why Saionji thought the way she did. He hoped he would one day, that he could change her mind because that kind of thinking sounded more like someone trying to convince herself she wasn't lonely.

Whether it was to further her point or get a reaction, Saionji must have had enough of Naegi's silence and asked, "You're just my slave, got it?"

"S-Slave!?" Naegi asked, mortified.

"Hey, that's a big no-no! A slave should never talk back to their master!" Saionji scolded.

Naegi figured it was best not to argue. Although he didn't appreciate Saionji's "lessons" on how slaves should act, he couldn't help wanting to know more about Saionji's home life. He would never excuse her behavior, she was old enough to know better (she was a year older than he was after all), but he wanted to understand the behavior. At the very least, I hope it will give me more patience, he thought.


Hope's Peak Academy-Girl's Dorm Common Area

Third Week of Classes-Tuesday

Dinner had ended and everyone had gone to do their own thing for the evening. Naegi had finished the dishes and was ready to do the same, but he spotted Saionji, alone in the common area and thought now was perhaps a good time to learn more about her. When Naegi had parted with Saionji last time, the first thing he did when he had a free moment was call his maternal grandmother. She was a woman who enjoyed traditional Japanese theater. Naegi had called her to ask for a brief explanation of traditional Japanese dancing. When Naegi had mentioned Saionji, his grandmother began to list off all of the performances of a famous dancer named Saionji Nemuri, who Naegi had discovered was Saionji's grandmother. She had then proceeded to tell Naegi what she knew of the Saionji family.

Mentally preparing himself for whatever abuse he was sure was waiting for him, he called out to her. "Good evening, Saionji-senpai."

Saionji glared at him and began growling. "Grrrrr!"

Wh-what did I do? Naegi asked himself.

"I had a reaaaaal bad dream last night. The next time you casually say my last name, I'll kill you," Saionji warned.

What do those two things have to do with each other? Naegi asked himself. "Y-You should warn me about that ahead of time," Naegi said. Then he asked, "B-But...what's wrong with your last name anyway? Is it really that big of a deal?"

"I hate my last name! Everyone who shares my last name...eventually dies a crazy death!" Saionji exclaimed.

"Senpai?" Naegi asked, hoping she would clarify.

"...Oh well," Saionji sighed. "It can't be helped 'cause chosen bloodlines are always targeted by conspiracies and assassinations and stuff. When I'm the head of my family, I'll probably do similar stuff, too. Well, since Otou-sama only married into the family, I guess I can let him off easy," Saionji said.

To Naegi, it seemed as though Saionji was talking to herself, not him, but there were two words that Saionji said that stuck out to him. "C-Conspiracies...? Assassinations...?"

"Those people are just the worst! They'll put pins in kids' shoes, or scatter dead mice all over your bed... They're the type of people who'd drop stage lights on you on purpose, or poison your food... So, they totally deserve to die, right!? There's nothing lamer than being envied by people who have no talent at all!" Saionji exclaimed.

Naegi couldn't tell if Saionji was being honest or not at this point. He knew some of the older, well-established, more traditional families still dealt with the ugliness of clan politics, and from what he could learn, Saionji's family met those requirements. However, Naegi had interacted with Saionji enough times to know that she didn't believe that she could go "too far" if it meant she could amuse herself at someone else's expense. Maybe if I keep her talking, I can figure out if she's telling the truth, Naegi thought. "So, my Obaa-san on Okaa-san's side is a fan of Su-odori, and she told me that the Saionji family has been famous for Su-odori for generations," Naegi said.

Saionji just ignored Naegi's statement and asked, "Do you know about a performance called, 'The Madness of Nakazu'? It's a dance about a dad who goes crazy. But to tell you the truth, the dad's craziness is a total lie. Now why would he do something like that?"

Naegi was confused, a feeling he was becoming quite familiar with, but thought that it was best to play along. Thankfully, Naegi knew about "The Madness of Nakazu," and thus confidently answered, "He was trying to protect his daughter."

Saionji nodded and said, "That's right... The story is about a father who pretends he's crazy so he can protect his daughter from perverts. During the performance, the bad guys are punished and there's a happily-ever-after ending, but...life isn't that easy."

Naegi nodded. He wasn't sure where Saionji was going with this, but he knew that life wasn't always easy. His luck had shown him that.

"My hag grandma thinks the family name is so important that she took me away from my parents. But then again, she did take good care of me. After all, I'm the next head of the family," Saionji finally said.

"You...you don't feel lonely?" Naegi asked. He couldn't imagine the kind of pressure Saionji must feel. I guess she acts bratty to cope with it, he thought.

After a brief silence, Saionji said, "That's why it really makes me happy when you talk to me."

"Senpai…" Naegi said. As he tried to think of words of encouragement, Saionji started to laugh.

"Heh, as long as I say that, everyone gladly agrees to become my slave," Saionji said in between her laughter.

"Wha-!? H-Hold on a sec... What you said just now...how much of it was a lie?" Naegi asked as he tried to process what was happening.

"You're sooooo stupid! It'd be boring if I told you," Saionji mocked.

"Saionji-senpai, do you have any idea how worried I was for you when you told me that story?!" Naegi scolded.

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Don't yell at me!" Saionji cried.

Naegi thought that she was pretending to cry, but for the sake of peace in the dorm he decided to apologize. He got what he was hoping for, he did understand Saionji a little better, but that just served to confuse and terrify him. He hoped that, given enough time, that would change.


Downtown

Fourth Week of Classes-Saturday

It was the evening of Mioda's reunion concert with her old band, Black Cherry, and two of her biggest fans made their way to the venue. Naegi had stopped by a flower shop earlier to get something to congratulate Mioda with after the show, a fact Saionji had found rather entertaining.

"Coming on a little strong aren't you, Servant? You haven't forgotten your place, have you?" Saionji asked.

Naegi would have been flustered regardless of who pointed out that he bought the roses the florist recommended, but Saionji made it much worse. "I-it's not like that," he stammered, "I-I just wanted to do something to let Mioda-senpai that I'm happy for her before we head back to the dorm." Naegi hoped that was what he would be using the flowers for. Naegi hadn't forgotten what Ikusaba had told him. She had said Enoshima wouldn't have done something like this unless she knew it would end badly for Mioda. Naegi personally believed that if anyone would give Mioda's music a chance they would enjoy it, but he had some misgivings. A club named "Black Box" didn't sound like the ideal venue for Mioda's band.

Saionji's voice soon brought him back to reality. "I hope this place has decent food. I wanna eat proper Japanese food," she griped.

"I wouldn't get your hopes up, Senpai," Naegi said. Naegi hated disappointing people, but he didn't see Japanese staples as being a part of the menu, if the place even served food.

"Then it's their loss," Saionji said. She continued, saying, "Rice, fish, vegetables, miso, soy sauce... I could totally live off that stuff alone. I seriously can't stand smelly, oily people who eat tons of meat! They think and act like stupid animals."

"Senpai, we're in public," Naegi said, trying to hide his face. How Saionji acted at Hope's Peak was one thing, although Naegi didn't approve of her behavior there either, but he really wished she wouldn't act like a child when they weren't on campus.

Saionji ignored him and continued to sing the praises of Japanese food, "Besides, Japan has lots of delicate, refined, high quality things." And in true Saionji fashion, she had to belittle someone, or in this case other countries. "Why do they gotta stuck up to worthless countries who can only brag about how big they are? They don't need to import anything from those stupid places."

Now, Naegi took great pride in being Japanese, but he didn't write off other countries just because they had different ways of doing things. "Senpai, that's completely uncalled for!" Naegi scolded.

"I'm just saying we should take good care of the things that are close to us," Saionji said. She then began to explain, "I know I have an old-fashioned way of thinking because I'm involved in a hobby with over 400 years of history. But what's wrong with old-fashioned things?"

"Nothing at all. I happen to enjoy a great deal of old-fashioned things and traditions," Naegi said. When Saionji had started talking, Naegi was worried about her causing a scene, but now he was happy. I think Saionji-senpai might finally be opening up to me, at least a little. She said last time was a joke, but she seems really passionate about things this time, Naegi thought.

"Of course, I don't intend to disagree with the new direction Kabuki Theater is taking these days. But I think it's a good thing to protect things that need to be protected," Saionji finished.

"You really love what you do, don't you Senpai?" Naegi asked.

"Yep! I seriously love traditional dancing, Japanese candy, and Japanese food. And as much as I love these... I seriously love stomping disgusting things!" Saionji exclaimed happily.

"Is that something you really need to mention?" Naegi deadpanned. I guess it couldn't last forever, he reasoned.

"Well, I'm sure a boring commoner like you won't understand," Saionji said dismissively.

"Senpai, you practice Su-odori, right? It's been years since I've seen a performance," Naegi said, attempting to minimize the insults Saionji could throw at him. It was true he hadn't seen any theater performance in a while. His maternal grandparents took him and Komaru to a Su-odori show years ago, and while Naegi remembered enjoying it, he couldn't help but think he could appreciate such a performance better now that he was older.

"Even if you do go see one, you're definitely just gonna fall asleep in the middle of it," Saionji said.

"Senpai, if you're the one doing the dancing, I'll make sure to stay awake," Naegi promised.

Saionji went silent at first, causing Naegi to look to make sure she was alright. She had a faraway look in her eyes as she said, "Otou-sama said the same thing, too."

"Huh?" Naegi had been caught off-guard by that. Up until this moment, Saionji had done nothing to show that she was capable of tenderness.

"Then...I'll make sure to specifically invite you to the next time I perform!" Saionji exclaimed happily.

"That sounds great Senpai!" Naegi replied with equal excitement.

"But in exchange, if you fall asleep, I'll publicly humiliate you. I'll record you when you're at your ugliest and upload it on the internet," Saionji warned.

"That won't be necessary Senpai, I'll stay awake. I'll even get you a bouquet of roses like these for after your performance. How does that sound?" Naegi asked.

Saionji froze up and said, "Don't get cocky just because I was nice to you this one time, Servant." She was blushing up a storm at Naegi's promise of flowers.

Deciding to just play along, Naegi said, "Forgive me, Saionji-sama. This lowly servant was just happy that you opened up to him."

Still blushing, Saionji said, "F-fine. I guess I'm feeling generous. I can't help but respect someone who can appreciate the finer things in life, even if he is a commoner and a servant." Saionji's newfound respect for Naegi made her think, I guess I can go easy on him once in a while.

Saionji's respect for Naegi grew even more after Mioda's show. I guess he agrees that it's a good thing to protect things that need to be protected, she thought as they escorted the sobbing Ultimate Musician back to the dorm. Saionji would spend the rest of the night trying to think of ways to make Black Cherry suffer for the way they treated Mioda if she ever saw them again.


Eleventh Week of Classes-Monday

Minato Inn-Outskirts of Aokigahara Forest

Class 77-B and Class 78 were enjoying the first full day of their vacation while the media frenzy regarding the hostage situation at the Novoselic Embassy died down. Naegi and the others were very grateful to Sonia for arranging this, and both Naegi and Owari were glad that Owari's brothers and sisters were allowed to join them. Naegi hoped that there was enough to keep Mari, Ataru, and Suguru entertained. The more things they had to occupy their time, the less likely they were to want to explore the forest.

I might be misinterpreting what Ataru-chan said, but it sounds like the kids don't know that Owari-senpai is afraid of ghosts. If Owari-senpai wants it to stay that way, I'll help her keep it that way. She does have her pride, Naegi thought as he explored the inn.

Thankfully, Owari had attempted to challenge Ikusaba, but had instead ended up sparring with Nidai again. The kids had gone to support their sister, so Naegi was free to look around by himself. He hoped Nidai and Owari didn't cause too much property damage, he didn't want to get kicked out the first full day of their vacation.

While Naegi was looking around, he came across a pouting Saionji. "Saionji-senpai, are you alright?" he asked. She looks like she's in a bad mood for some reason, he thought.

"Grr! I've been stewing over it for a while, but they seriously piss me off," Saionji answered. She then looked Naegi right in the eye and said, "You see it too, right?"

"Who are you talking about?" Naegi asked. As far as Naegi knew, the kids had been on their best behavior, so he didn't think that was it.

"Who cares!? You gotta agree with me first! Aren't you on my side!?" Saionji asked. She started pouting again and cried, "So mean! You're totally gawking at that bitch while I'm this pissed off! Ugh! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

"Hold on a second! Calm down! I don't know who you're talking about!" Naegi begged. Gawking at who? What is going on? Naegi asked himself.

"You...*Hic!*...should think about it...on your own...*Hic!*" Saionji sobbed.

Naegi figured that all he could do was take a guess, so he said the first name that came to mind. "Is it Sonia-senpai?" he asked.

"That's right. That bitch is getting totally carried away, right!?" Saionji asked.

Naegi may have suggested Sonia, but that didn't mean he knew what Saionji was talking about. Sonia was the one who arranged this trip, he couldn't imagine what she could have done that would have gotten someone angry at her.

Saionji ignored Naegi's silence and kept talking. "I don't care if she's a princess or a foreigner. She gets away with it 'cause you all pamper her like crazy! Especially that idiot, Souda! He's obviously an annoying, pathetic virgin!"

Pamper her? Naegi asked himself. It was true that everyone was grateful to Sonia for this trip, but Naegi wouldn't say anyone was pampering her. Although, now that he thought about it, Sonia seemed as fascinated with everything on this trip as Owari's brothers and sisters. Naegi wouldn't be shocked if this was the first vacation Sonia had ever taken. Is Saionji-senpai jealous that Sonia-senpai is getting so much attention? he asked himself.

While Naegi was mulling that over, Saionji suddenly exclaimed, "Ah! Maybe I should punish him first as a lesson to the rest of you. C'mon Servant, let's go beat him up right now!"

"We can't do that," Naegi told her.

"Awwww, then how about we gang up on Sonia?" Saionji asked.

"Senpai, we can't, and shouldn't do that either," Naegi answered. Now I'm starting to think Saionji-senpai is going to get us kicked out of here, Naegi thought.

"Whaaaaaat? How boring!" Saionji shouted. Saionji started to tear up before saying, "Fine, I guess you like that stupid pig more than me. Ugh...that's why you're so cold toward me. *Sniffle*"

"Please Senpai, don't cry! I'm not trying to side with anyone. I don't even really understand the problem," Naegi explained in an attempt to pacify Saionji.

"Huh? You're not on my side...? Gh...gh..." Saionji started to cry even harder.

"Senpai, hold on! Why do you even hate Sonia-senpai? Are you sure you're not just jealous of the attention she's getting?" Naegi asked.

"Wh-Whaaaat!? Of course not!" Saionji denied, perhaps a little too quickly.

"Then Senpai, I don't understand. I would think that as an heiress you would have more in common with Sonia-senpai than not. Are you sure you can't let this go?" Naegi asked.

"No, no, no! She seriously pisses me off! If you're not on my side, then I definitely don't wanna leave her alone!" Saionji wailed.

It was times like this that Naegi wondered if Saionji was really in high school. What did she mean, if I'm not on her side? That sounds like she does want people to pay more attention to her, Naegi thought. "F-Fine...I guess I'm on your side. Seriously though...just forget about Sonia. But that doesn't mean I'm taking her side, all right!? I'm definitely siding with you!" Naegi said quickly hoping that Saionji would finally calm down.

"Really?" Saionji asked.

"Yeah," Naegi answered with a nod.

"Hehe... You're...so easy. I can't believe my fake crying tricked you again," Saionji laughed. Naegi couldn't help but notice that there were still tears in her eyes. He couldn't help but think that at least some of those tears were real.

"You're really kind-hearted. Well...in your case, I guess that's a good thing," Saionji said quietly.

"I appreciate that Senpai, it really makes me happy to hear that," Naegi said. It was true, it did make him happy that even Saionji and Koizumi seemed to be warming up to him.

"D-don't let it go to your head! Now, let's throw stones at someone!" Saionji shouted, blushing a little knowing that Naegi had heard her.

"No Senpai, let's not cause trouble and get thrown out of the inn," Naegi said. Saionji-senpai can be hard to deal with, but if she wasn't lying about her childhood, then I guess I can understand. Her poor attitude is the wall she built up around her heart. I guess it is harder to get hurt if you don't let people in, Naegi thought. More and more, he believed that Saionji was showing her true self. Maybe, one day, she would show it to everyone else.


Hope's Peak Academy-Girls' Dorm Common Area

Thirteenth Week of Classes-Saturday

"Mahriu-neeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Saionji wailed as she held on to her best friend for dear life.

"Hiyoko-chan, I really need to leave," Koizumi said as she gently tried to free herself from Saionji's grip. Today was the beginning of the weekend that Koizumi's mother would be returning home from overseas. Koizumi had been excited to spend time with her mother and had planned to spend the weekend with her family, which she couldn't do if Saionji never let go of her.

"Saionji-senpai, I think that's enough," a gruff, female voice said as Ogami lifted the dancer and Ikusaba managed to pry Saionji's arms off of Koizumi.

"Thank you, Sakura-chan. Mukuro-chan," Koizumi said. Looking at a nearby clock, Koizumi then said, "If I hurry, I might still catch the next train."

"Have fun with your family this weekend, Koizumi-senpai," Naegi said as he entered the room to say good-bye to Koizumi.

"I will. Thanks, Naegi-kun," Koizumi said as she rushed out the door.

"M-Mahiru-neeeee!" Saionji said, still firmly in Ogami's grip. That look on her face reminded Naegi of a pet that believed its owner had abandoned it when said owner would merely be stepping out temporarily. It tugged at one's heartstrings, but it was unnecessary. So was Naegi's comparison apparently, because Saionji soon said, "Great, the only one in this dump I actually like is gone and I'm stuck with the rest of you."

Naegi and the others ignored Saionji's jab at them. Instead, Naegi just said, "It's just for today and tomorrow, Senpai. I'm sure you can find some way to pass the time." Naegi shuddered as he said that. He had a feeling he would regret those words.

An hour later, Saionji could be seen pouting on the couch in the common area. Once Ogami had set her down, she had planted herself in the middle of the couch and had not moved since. "I'm sure you can find some way to pass the time." What am I supposed to do? Saionji asked herself

"Sayaka-chan! Could you help Ibuki do a sound check in the Music Room?" Saionji heard Mioda call out.

"Give me a few minutes Senpai, I just need to put the finishing touches on a new song," Maizono responded.

I'd go if you asked me. What's so great about some airhead idol who flails around on stage, Saionji thought. Saionji did not like idols, she thought their dancing was not only painful to watch, but an insult to the very art of dance. Spying Maizono's shoes at the entrance, Saionji got an idea.

Running up to her room she grabbed a box of tacks. She had worried that they would go to waste, but now they could entertain her once she put them in Maizono's shoes. Saionji rushed downstairs and dumped half the box in one shoe and one half in the other. She thought that she was being rather slick until she heard someone call her.

"Oh, it's Saionji-senpai. Hi there!" Asahina said with her usual enthusiasm.

Saionji panicked, but managed to avoid dropping the now empty box and getting caught. Hiding the box in one of her sleeves, Saionji turned and, as innocently as she could, asked, "Oh, it's Asahina-nee. Did you need me for something?"

"I'm just headed to the school store for some donuts. Do you want me to pick something up for you too?" Asahina asked, none the wiser to what Saionji had been doing.

Saionji mentally sighed in relief. She hadn't been caught. Going back to her usual self, asked, "It's always donuts with you, isn't it?"

Asahina nodded happily and exclaimed, "Yeah! Donuts are super delicious. The sweet sugar, the dough's texture, eggs and butter...thinking about it makes my mouth water!"

"Hmm...yeah that sounds right. You would like crappy food like that, Asahina-nee," Saionji said, snottily.

Asahina looked like she couldn't believe what she had just heard. "Donuts!? Crappy!? The ring-shaped delicious treat that sends your taste buds to outer space!?" she asked, not believing that anyone could say anything bad about donuts.

"Outer space? How can you stand to say cringy stuff like Tanaka-nii and Yamada-nii?" Saionji asked.

"It doesn't matter if it hurts or not! I won't let anyone trash donuts as long as I live!" Asahina proclaimed.

"Obviously Japanese snacks look prettier and taste better than those boring things!" Saionji argued.

"Japanese snacks are good too. But...that doesn't mean donuts aren't!" Asahina countered. She was really starting to get frustrated with Saionji.

Seeing that she struck a nerve, Saionji decided to go in for the kill. "You think everything tastes good! You're such an airhead, Asahina-nee! You're happy as long as you can eat, right? Kyahahaha!" Saionji laughed.

"Hold on, I'm not some fatty, okay!? Geez, you say some horrible things!" Asahina yelled, turning red from embarrassment and anger.

"You're right. All the fat goes to your boobs!" Saionji added.

"You know what? Forget I asked you if you wanted anything. Last time I try to do something nice for you!" Asahina yelled as she stormed out.

Saionji breathed a sigh of relief, Asahina hadn't noticed anything. Not that hiding things from her is all that hard, Saionji thought as she disposed of the now empty box. Saionji had to admit, that was fun. As much as she wanted to see Maizono discover her "surprise," Saionji thought it would be best to leave so that Maizono and Mioda wouldn't make the connection.

"Ah well, I'm sure I can find other ways to 'pass the time,'" she said with a mischievous smirk as she left the dorm.


Saionji didn't have to look that hard or that long. Once she was outside, she spotted Owari. Remembering what she had been able to get Owari to do last year, Saionji called out to her, "Owari-nee! You'll never believe it! They planted delicious plants on the school grounds!"

Owari started drooling and asked, "Really?" Clearly, she had forgotten that Saionji had done something similar last year.

"Yeah. I don't remember what they look like though. You might have to try them all to find out," Saionji said, trying not to laugh at how gullible Owari was.

"If they're delicious, it'll be worth it," Owari said as she went over to the nearest flower bed and started stuffing flowers and weeds into her mouth.

To Saionji, the best part was the look of disgust on Owari's face after each mouthful. "Dumbass," Saionji whispered as she went to look for her next victim.


A little closer to the main building, Souda was working on a pet project of his. If a new security robot didn't show Sonia that he was sorry for what happened at the embassy, nothing would. "Alright TR3-VR, what else do you need?" he asked it.

"Probably to not look like something out of a horror movie," a female voice criticized. Souda turned to find Saionji looking at Souda's new invention. She wasn't exactly wrong. Right now, TR3-VR had spider-like legs and just a simple, rectangular body.

"He's not done yet," Souda defended. He then mumbled, "Sonia-san likes that creepy stuff, so maybe she'll like it."

"Oh, it's for Sonia-nee. Do you think maybe she'll forget that you helped those idiots take her hostage?" Saionji asked.

"I didn't know that would happen," Souda said. He did feel guilty. Sonia might have forgiven him, but that just meant that he was back to square one with her. He needed to do something to get her attention away from…

"You might be right though she might like it. If it gets her to stop praising Naegi-nii for a few seconds, I'm all for it," Saionji said, going for Souda's weakness.

Reality hit Souda like a ton of bricks, ever since the hostage situation, Sonia had been obsessed with Naegi.

Deciding to go in for the kill, Saionji then said, "If you're doing it for forgiveness, it's probably unnecessary. Sonia-nee is thrilled that she found her 'destined one.'" She made sure to put extra emphasis on "destined one."

That sent Souda off to crouch in a corner and cry about how the Lucky Students had it out for him.

That was fun, but nothing I haven't done before, Saionji thought as she looked for new targets.

She found them a little way off in the form of Owada and Kuzuryuu, who seemed to be discussing territory.

"Kuzuryuu-senpai, some of my boys have said that they're seeing a lot of yakuza activity by the harbor. They really aren't in the mood to have yakuza on their ass because someone thinks they're encroaching on territory," Owada said.

"Don't worry about it, this is something we do every year. Just tell your guys not to get in the way and to stay away from Warehouse C and nothing will happen," Kuzuryuu said trying to be as vague as possible. One never knew who was listening, after all.

"Thanks. I'm not trying to start something, but I need to take care of my boys. I'm sure you understand," Owada said.

"No, I get it. Without their loyalty, we've got nothing," Kuzuryuu replied.

"I'm surprised anyone could be loyal to such ridiculous looking leaders," Saionji said, making sure she said it loud enough for them to hear.

"Ridiculous?!" Kuzuryuu seethed.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!" Owada yelled.

"Nothing. Just that your guys must be ready to die from embarrassment at having a boss that looks like caricature of a 1950's biker. I mean, seriously, a pompadour?" Saionji asked snarkily.

"GRRRR!" Owada growled, knowing he couldn't hit a girl.

"Still, a 1950's biker is probably preferable to a 1920's style gangster with a baby face," Saionji said, looking sideways at Kuzuryuu.

"You're fucking dead, bitch!" Kuzuryuu shouted as he tried to lunge at Saionji, only to be grabbed by Owada.

"Look, I get it, but you can't hit girls," Owada said as Kuzuryuu struggled.

"She's asking for it!" Kuzuryuu screamed.

"I know that but…" Saionji didn't hear the rest as she left, laughing all the while. These idiots are just too easy, Saionji thought as she tried to decide what to do next.


While all of this was going on, Naegi was none the wiser to how Saionji had been using his advice. He had been in the Headmaster's Office, working out some minor details on Naegi's participation in an extracurricular activity that was still a ways off. As he was coming close to the school store, he heard Asahina's voice.

"I can't believe her. How could anyone hate donuts?"

"Asahina-san?" Naegi asked.

"Naegi-kun! You understand right? There's absolutely nothing wrong with donuts!" Asahina declared loudly, and Naegi thought she sounded angry.

"Of course not, I like donuts," Naegi agreed. When Asahina showed no signs of calming down, Naegi asked, "Asahina-san, is everything alright?"

"Saionji-senpai had the nerve, the nerve, to say donuts were 'crappy!' Then she said I'm happy as long as I can eat. Can you believe that?" she asked.

"Saionji-senpai said that? Yeah, I can believe that. Did she say that to you, or did you overhear it?" Naegi asked. While Saionji was entitled to her opinion, and Naegi knew that opinion was that Japanese snacks were superior to all others, he also had the feeling that she chose her words to insult Asahina.

"I said I was going to get donuts at the school store and asked if she wanted anything and then she insulted donuts and me!" Asahina shouted.

"I wouldn't let it get to you Asahina-san, Saionji-senpai is like that with everyone. She loves getting a rise out of people," Naegi said, trying to calm Asahina down.

"Well it worked!" Asahina exclaimed. Out of the corner of her eye, Asahina saw Ogami walk by. When she saw her friend, Asahina ran after her and asked, "Sakura-chan! What do you think of donuts?"

Naegi had a feeling that this would go on for a while. He figured that it would be best for Asahina to get this out of her system. As he was heading back to the dorm, he heard voices arguing.

"Why the fuck would you protect her!"

"I wasn't protecting shit! You just can't hurt girls!"

Naegi recognized them as Kuzuryuu and Owada. "Kuzuryuu-senpai! Owada-kun! What's wrong?" he asked.

"Stay out of this Kid!" Kuzuryuu screamed.

"Don't get involved Naegi!" Owada shouted.

"I fear they were like this when we found them," a female voice said.

Naegi looked and saw Pekoyama and Ishimaru off to the side. He had been so preoccupied with the argument he hadn't noticed the other two off to the side.

"It seems that Saionji-senpai insulted them. Kuzuryuu-senpai wanted to retaliate and Kyoudai would not let him," Ishimaru explained.

Naegi mentally sighed. Saionji-senpai? Again? I know she likes to instigate but given how temperamental these two are, someone could get hurt. Naegi was at a loss on how to fix this and before he could give the matter any thought, he heard mumbling.

"Sonia-san. *grumble* *mumble* Why not me?"

Naegi recognized Souda's voice and called out for him. "Souda-senpai!"

"Go away. Go have Sonia-san fawn over you. The brat was right, it's hopeless," Souda whined.

"Hey! He was just wanted to make sure you were alright, asshole!" Owada said as he grabbed Souda and lifted him up. Naegi saw that Souda had a vacant look in his eyes and wasn't looking at anything. Owada just saw that Souda wasn't looking at him and got angrier. "Are you looking down on me too!?" Owada asked.

"Watch it punk!" Kuzuryuu shouted at Owada.

"…" Souda said nothing.

"You could at least say 'Thank you' you bastard!" Kuzuryuu yelled at Souda.

"Souda-senpai just seems upset, I'm sure that…" Naegi began calmly.

"SHUT UP!" the two screamed.

"Let it go, Naegi-kun," Pekoyama said as she walked up to Naegi.

"Kyoudai can't resolve his anger in his normal way because Saionji-senpai is a girl and he won't allow Kuzuryuu-senpai to retaliate against Saionji-senpai either," Ishimaru explained again.

"Have they taken their anger out on anyone else?" Naegi asked, worried for Souda's safety.

"They have tried," Ishimaru said.

"We have been trying our best to prevent them from doing anything they will regret later," Pekoyama added as she and Ishimaru went to save Souda.

"What else has Saionji-senpai done today?" Naegi asked himself. After he saw Pekoyama and Ishimaru successfully rescue Souda, he went back to the dorm. He didn't have to wait long for an answer. As he went to remove his shoes, he saw some red spots on the floor. None of them were particularly large, but Naegi tell that they were fresh blood. All of them were next to Maizono's shoes.

"Maizono-san! Are you alright?" Naegi asked as he hurried to the common area. He saw Mioda and Maizono and as he suspected, Maizono's feet were bleeding.

"Makoto-chan, you need to get Mikan-chan," Mioda said.

"What happened?" Naegi asked.

"Someone put tacks in my shoes," Maizono said through gritted teeth. Naegi couldn't blame her, from what he could see, the punctures were small, but they were bleeding a lot.

"Who would do that?" Naegi asked, not really expecting an answer as he made to leave for the infirmary.

"I bet it was Saionji-senpai," Asahina declared as she arrived with Ogami in tow. Asahina then elaborated, "I saw her doing something near the shoes, but I didn't know what it was. I'm sorry Maizono-san."

"It's not your fault Asahina-san," Maizono said as she tried to smile.

"I'll go get Tsumiki-senpai," Naegi said as he left. Saionji-senpai is out of control today, he thought. On his way back to the main building, he saw various plants and flowers torn out of the ground with what appeared to be bite marks. He wanted to hurry but he couldn't help his curiosity and followed the trail. Thankfully, it wasn't exactly out of his way. He soon caught up to the source of the uprooted and half-eaten plants and saw Owari who made to grab a three-leafed plant that Naegi swore looked like…

"Owari-senpai stop! That's poison ivy!" he shouted as he ran over and held her back.

Luckily, Owari did stop and she looked up at Naegi and asked, "What do you mean 'poison ivy'?"

"It's a plant that makes you itchy. If you eat it, it can kill you," Naegi said as he helped her to her feet.

"Oh, sorry. Saionji-san said that something tasty had been planted but she couldn't tell me what it looked like, so I just tried everything," Owari explained, glad that Naegi had stopped her.

Naegi was glad too. So glad in fact, that he hugged Owari and said, "Senpai, promise me you won't eat strange things anymore. If you want to eat, just ask me to make something."

Owari was blushing up a storm from the hug, but managed to say, "Okay."

"Good. Now I need to go find Tsumiki-senpai. Maizono-san's feet are bleeding because someone put tacks in her shoes, could you help Mioda-senpai with Maizono-san in the meantime?" Naegi asked.

"You got it!" Owari exclaimed happily before heading to the dorm.

Naegi was exhausted by this point. He didn't know how much more he or anyone else could take. He only hoped that Saionji had tired herself out. He would also need to find Yukizome later, she would need to know what her student had been doing.

I'll worry about that later. Maizono-san's feet are bleeding because of those tacks and though I doubt Maizono-san would get tetanus from them, I'd feel better knowing that Tsumiki had that possibility covered. She should probably look at Maizono-san's puncture wounds anyway, Naegi thought as he made his way to the infirmary.

As he entered, he saw both Tsumiki and Saionji. Tsumiki was on a stool, looking for something in a cabinet. From Naegi's perspective, it looked like Saionji was there to help. Though, that was odd, given that Tsumiki was Saionji's favorite target. Figuring that he wouldn't get a better chance today than now, Naegi decided that he needed to discuss Saionji's behavior with her. Before Naegi could call Saionji out for her behavior though, Saionji decided to kick the stool Tsumiki was standing on.

Tsumiki lost her balance and fell but luckily, Naegi caught her. When he and Tsumiki had gotten back to their feet, Saionji said, "Nice catch, Servant."

"Is that all you have to say? Tsumiki-senpai could have really gotten hurt," Naegi scolded.

"She could have, but didn't," Saionji said dismissively.

"That doesn't make it okay, what would have happened if I hadn't been here?" Naegi asked.

"We're in the infirmary, if someone is going to get hurt, this is the best place to do it," Saionji said.

"What kind of attitude is that? Saionji-senpai, you've been acting without any regard for anyone else's wellbeing today. Owari-senpai almost ate poison ivy and Maizono-san's feet are bleeding because of you. And then-," Naegi began.

"Whatever," Saionji said as she left the room. That's enough fun for one day, she thought.

"Yukizome-sensei and Koizumi-senpai are going to hear about this," Naegi called after her. He sighed, she wasn't listening, and it probably wouldn't make much of a difference. Turning to Tsumiki, he asked, "Are you okay Senpai?"

"Y-yes, thank you," Tsumiki said, blushing.

"Saionji-senpai is getting out of hand. I can't do anything about the pranks and-," Naegi stopped as he saw something on the infirmary counter.

"Naegi-kun? What's wrong?" Tsumiki asked.

"I think I have an idea about what to do about Saionji-senpai's dirty mouth. Senpai would you know if Kimura-senpai takes requests?" Naegi asked.

"T-there sh-shouldn't be any harm in asking. I-I th-think she's in the Chemistry Lab in the old building," Tsumiki replied.

"Good, I'll go see her next," Naegi said. Remembering why he came to the infirmary, he said, "Tsumiki-senpai, Saionji-senpai put tacks in Maizono-san's shoes and now her feet are covered in puncture wounds. Could you go help her? She's in the dorm common area."

Tsumiki nodded before grabbing the supplies she thought she would need and hurrying to the dorm.


Present Day

Saionji looked down, ashamed of her old self. Sometimes she wished Owada had let Kuzuryuu hit her. It might have saved her from what happened later. It wasn't like she gave up her snarky or sarcastic comments entirely, but she had learned when to quit. Mostly.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked and saw that it was Naegi's.

"Senpai, you're shaking. Are you remembering…" Naegi trailed off, trying to find the right words for such a sensitive topic.

Saionji nodded. "If I had listened to you earlier, I could have saved us both from that experience," Saionji said as she latched on to Naegi in a hug.

Ordinarily, Koizumi and Tsumiki would have at least glared at Saionji for that display, but they had a feeling that they knew what it was that she was thinking about.

It really had all started with that one dinner…


Hope's Peak Academy-Girls' Dorm

Fourteenth Week of Classes-Friday

Saionji was rather pleased with herself. Another fun day of pranks and insults had come and gone. These plebeians weren't good for much, but they sure were entertaining. Today she didn't even have to do much; all she did was release Tanaka's animals and they took care of the rest. Sure, she got the occasional lecture from Yukizome and Koizumi, but they'd never really punish her.

There was one thing bothering her though. Tsumiki looked far too happy this evening. Of course, Saionji knew why, Naegi was making Tsumiki's favorite food for dinner tonight. Saionji had then noticed that Tsumiki did not seem focused on the world around her. In fact, that little bit of drool led Saionji to conclude that Tsumiki was lost in some fantasy. Well, she would soon put a stop to that. Huh, I guess Western style meals have their advantages after all, Saionji thought as she picked up her fork before she jabbed Tsumiki with it."Pig barf, could you not drool? It's disgusting," Saionji said loudly.

Tsumiki checked. She had indeed been drooling. She guessed she had been enjoying her fantasy a little too much. "Sorry," Tsumiki said, embarrassed.

Saionji smelled blood in the water and decided to keep going. "Huh? What's with that half-assed apology? Apologize like you mean it," Saionji ordered.

"I-I'm sorry," Tsumiki said, louder than before.

"I don't believe you. I'm sure not going to forgive you for being a gross pig," Saionji said snidely. You've been too happy lately. Not just tonight, Saionji thought.

"I'M SORRY!" Tsumiki screamed.

"Pig barf, why don't you get out of here before you ruin everyone's appetite?" Saionji phrased that as a question, but anyone who knew her knew it was a demand.

"B-but w-when c-can I-I…?" Tsumiki began through tears.

Is she getting up to leave? That's hilarious, Saionji thought as she tried to contain her laughter.

"Tsumiki-san stay where you are. Saionji-san, Tsumiki-san couldn't possibly ruin anyone's appetite," Yukizome said more forcefully than she normally would. Naegi had made good on his promise to Saionji, Yukizome had heard about her behavior and was having none of it.

"Saionji-senpai, I think you should apologize to Tsumiki-senpai," Naegi said as he entered the dining room. One last chance, Saionji-senpai. You should take it, he thought.

"That's nice, but I don't listen to servants. Do something useful and get me a drink," Saionji ordered. Don't act like you can tell me what to do and don't forget the position you're in, Saionji thought smugly. Tsumiki and Souda were her favorite targets among her class, but along with Owada, who would never retaliate, Naegi was her favorite target in Class 78. Although occasionally, her servant needed to be reminded of where he stood.

"Okay," Naegi said without a fuss.

He came back shortly and gave Saionji a glass full of what appeared to be fruit juice. Saionji took one sip and spat it back out. "BLAH! WHAT DID YOU JUST GIVE ME?!" she demanded to know.


Okay. We're leaving it there for now. The conclusion comes next, hope you are all looking forward to it! I know, I took forever. I'm sorry. I tend to slow down in the summer because yard work doesn't care that I have chapters to type.

Wow, so that's Mukuro, Sayaka, Ibuki, Sonia, Akane, Aoi, Mahiru, Mikan, and Hiyoko now. I guess those last three are only really half done but I'll count them right now anyway. That leaves us Celes, Peko, Kyoko, then a chapter with some characters I know at least some of you have been asking for, Chiaki, Yukizome, and Junko. That takes us to our summer break chapters which then leads us to the V3 girls along with Toko/Syo and Sakura. I might add Natsumi, Sato, Ruruka, Seiko, and Miaya if there is enough of a demand for them. If I forgot any, let me know.

I know! I know! I said I'd give Kazuichi a break, but it isn't my fault Hiyoko likes to make fun of him in the canon. Contrary to how I portrayed her at the end, I actually kind of like Hiyoko, I just think she doesn't get enough pushback and therefore continues to up the ante.

Now, given Hiyoko only dancing with a fan and no other props, I strongly believe that she performs Su-odori.

Su-odori (素踊り) or goshugimono (御祝儀物) – this is a stripped-down version of a dance that is related to Kabuki buyō. It is performed in a formal kimono but usually without any other dance costuming or staging, with the dancer often using only a fan. The fan is the most important prop in Nihon buyō, and can be used to represent various other objects in the dance.

Admit it, Mondo looks like one of those gang members you see in the 50's movies or promoting 50's style diners. Don't get me wrong, I like Mondo, but I can't ignore that comparison. It didn't help that his brother in the English localization of DR1 sounded like someone from the cast of Grease. And yes, I know he's based on Josuke from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, but I can't look at Mondo and not see a 50's biker.

The Fuyuhiko 1920's gangster thing was because of this:

Lester Joseph Gillis (December 6, 1908 – November 27, 1934), known by the alias George Nelson, better known as Baby Face Nelson, was an American bank robber in the 1930s. Gillis was given the nickname Baby Face due to his youthful appearance and small stature, although few dared call him "Baby Face" to his face. Criminal associates instead called him "Jimmy". Nelson entered into a partnership with John Dillinger, helping him escape from prison during the famed Crown Point, Indiana Jail escape, and was later labeled along with the remaining gang members as public enemy number one.

Nelson was responsible for killing more FBI agents in the line of duty (three: W. Carter Baum, Herman Hollis, and Samuel P. Cowley) than any other person. Nelson was fatally shot by FBI agents during a shootout called The Battle of Barrington.

I don't plan on going to the end of anyone's life in this story, but if I did, I wouldn't have Fuyuhiko get shot.

Anyone who has done the Zero Hour mission for Outbreak Perfected in D2 knows about TR3-VR. I have no doubt Sonia would love him.

Now for something completely different. My DanganDestiny tidbits.


We Are Guardians!


It was supposed to be the end...

But we weren't ready to let go. Not without a fight.

You wanna know who we are?

We're Guardians.

We're Hunters. Titans. Warlocks.

We're Vault Raiders. Swordbearers. Godslayers.

We ride into the Darkness. Together

We navigated our solar system. Seeking to take back our planets and destroy the Darkness at its heart.

But all actions have consequences…

We've angered a god, The Taken King, who promises to bring our destruction.

Most would think it wise to run…

But we're the line between survival and extinction.

We are Guardians.

And Guardians don't flee.

They fight!

Join us. And become legend.

-The Taken King "We Are Guardians" Trailer.


Hunters

"What does it mean to be a Hunter? I say, it's all about where you belong. The Warlocks have their libraries, the Titans have their walls...But Hunters belong in the wilds."

— Cayde-6


Gunslinger—"A lone wolf who lives for the perfect shot."

"I'll say it because Cayde never will. Gunslingers are elitists. Nothing but the best is good enough for their hands. And firepower isn't enough. They demand elegance, as if there's anything elegant about a gun. If they had their way, Golden Guns would be standard issue. What a universe that would be."

— Lord Shaxx


Bladedancer—"Beautiful lethality, relentless style."

"The Bladedancer's interpretation of Arc Light is a reflection of the Hunter herself. Seeking targets to sink Light—or a knife—into."

— Lord Shaxx


Arcstrider—"Flow like lightning. Strike like thunder."


Nightstalker—"Draw from the Void. Light the way."

"Some of us know the difference a Fireteam makes. Some of us...we touch the Void. Make it a part of us. And then we take a name...Nightstalker. Hunt from the shadows, pin them down, never let them see you coming. "

— Cayde-6


"Hunters once prowled the wilderness and wastelands, taking big risks for even bigger rewards. You're no outlaw – at least not anymore – but making your own luck has always meant bending the rules. Your unique brand of daring and ingenuity is needed now more than ever."

— Class description


Titans

"What does it mean to be a Titan? As a Titan, you are a part of the City - in a way no Warlock or Hunter could understand. The dream of the City rests upon our shoulders."

— Commander Zavala


Striker—"At close quarters a fist is better than any gun."

"The dream of the City. Its Walls keep it together. Its spears—the Strikers—are what keep it alive."

— Commander Zavala


Defender—"The wall against which the Darkness breaks."

"The Wall. It keeps the dream of the City intact. On the battlefield, the Defender is the Wall. And her allies stand behind her."

— Commander Zavala


Sentinel—"Valiant heart, unwavering resolve."


Sunbreaker—"Forge the fury of undying suns."

"A Sunbreaker does not answer to any but the will of the Light. [...] Wield no power but the fury of fire!"

— Ouros


The first Titans built the Wall and gave their lives to defend it. Now, you stand in the same high place, steadfast and sure, protecting all who shelter in your shadow. You hail from a long line of heroes, forged from strength and sacrifice. Our enemies may be deadly and merciless, but so are you."

— Class Description


Warlocks

"What does it mean to be a Warlock? Power. Only Warlocks understand true power."

— Ikora Rey


"Warlocks may be thinkers, but most I know can hold their own."

— Lord Shaxx


Voidwalker—"From the smallest atoms bloom the greatest explosions."

"Voidwalkers syphon life energies for a variety of uses, a method other Guardians might not approve of. But these are dire times, and sacrifices must be made."

— Ikora Rey


Sunsinger—"There are flames that even the Darkness cannot extinguish."

"As a Sunsinger, you are a child of the sun, gifted with the ability to restore and take life."

— Ikora Rey


Dawnblade—"Spread your wings and set the sky ablaze."


Stormcaller—"Harmony within, hurricane without."


"A Stormcaller's lightning awaits release. So, release it on the Darkness. Show the universe how your Light can burn down armies."

— Ikora Rey


"Warlocks have long studied the Traveler, mastering some of its arcane energies. Its true purpose remains a great mystery but discovering truth has always driven you into the unknown. Now, our enemies are the only thing that stands between you and the lost wonders of our Golden Age."

— Class description


The Vault of Glass

"Beneath Venus, evil stirs."

"The Vault of Glass. A wound in time, a landmark to the Guardians. Only a legend such as you would be up to the challenge."

— Ikora Rey

"The Vault of Glass is unique in all of the solar system. My scans indicate that other realities brush up against our own within the confines of the vault. So maybe you could even say it's unique in all the universes? The Vex are confusing."

— Ghost


Oryx, the Taken King

"Where is my son? Where is Crota, your lord, your princely god, your godly prince? Tell me no lies! I feel his absence like a hole in my stomach. Where once his tender tribute whetted burrowed mouths, now only hunger remains. Hear me, O waning stars, O tattered rags of Sky — I will stopper up this tearing gulf with vengeance."

— Oryx

"I am Aurash, first daughter of the dead king. I will chase my father's last screamed warning. I will know what changed the motion of our moons. If the end of the world is coming, I will understand why. On my center eye I swear it. I will understand."

— Aurash (later consumed the king morph to become the male Auryx, King of the Hive and later still communed with the Darkness to become Oryx, the Taken King.)

"Sometimes I wonder if I'm a nihilist. I don't do much except break things. [...] The only way to make something good is to make something that can't be broken. And the only way to do that is to try to break everything. I'm glad I learned that the universe runs on death. It's more beautiful to know."

— Oryx, the Taken King

"What Crota began, I complete. My will... conquers all!"

— Oryx, the Taken King

"The [King] despaired in his final moments. Rightly so. His vengeance denied."

— Riven

"Oryx is the wielder and the servant of a terrible truth. He has predicated Himself on it, He has pursued across thousands of cairn worlds His quest to embody it, and you have seen the force of that truth expended to create these Taken. He is not a simple thing to kill."

— Toland, the Shattered


Naegi Makoto had managed to find a secluded spot where he could train with his Light. Thanks to the neural symbiosis with Ghost, he had some idea of what he was doing, but it still felt odd. Grenades, knives, and the supers: The Golden Gun; the Arc Staff; the Dusk Bow; the Spectral Blades; the Throwing Knives; and the Arc Blades; all weapons and Naegi had never handled weapons. That he knew exactly how to use them once he summoned them was the strangest part. Ghost suggested that Naegi was gaining the memories of his Guardian self through the neural symbiosis and Naegi had no doubt that was true. It didn't make it less strange that he both knew and at the same time knew that he did not know how to use these abilities though.

The night was ending, Naegi knew he had to get home. Ghost had told the Naegi family about what changes Makoto would go through as a Guardian, one of which was no longer requiring sleep. But they were not aware that their son and brother had been sneaking out at night to train in secret.

"I know this will sound strange Makoto, but at the rate you're going you should catch up with yourself in no time," Ghost chirped with pride. His Guardian really was special, no matter what timeline or time period he was in.

"You think so?" Naegi asked. It hadn't been the rough start he had expected. He had taken to the weapons well, although Thorn, Necrochasm, Touch of Malice, Whisper of the Worm, and One Thousand Voices gave him the creeps. I doubt I could get used to weapons whispering to me, he thought. The abilities that the Light gave him went smoothly enough, although he hoped to never have to use them. Although he had to admit his new dodge skills were fun, especially when he could become invisible while dodging.

"I know so. You were one of the greatest Guardians to ever live. Every Ghost is born knowing that we have to find our Guardian. We don't know what they look like. Not on the outside, anyway. On the inside, I'd always known who you were. And that together, we could be something more. When you think about everything we had seen, everything we had done, I feel like... I made the right choice," Ghost said. He had said this once before to his Guardian during the SIVA Crisis, or rather he would say it in the future.

"Ghost…" Naegi said.

"Thanks - you know - for being my Guardian," Ghost finished.

"Thanks for being my Ghost," Naegi replied. Naegi still didn't know what it meant to be a Guardian, he supposed he would know one day when the Traveler made its way to Earth. He couldn't very well hold back the Darkness if the Darkness hadn't come for the Traveler. Until then, perhaps he could use his new abilities to help people.

Thinking about the Darkness caused Naegi to ask, "Do you think we'll be able to do anything about the Collapse?"

"I hope so. Although I'd feel better if we at least had a full fireteam with a Titan and Warlock," Ghost said. Naegi had become a great Hunter, but the other classes of Guardians would be invaluable.

"Do you think the Traveler might have already sent Ghosts out after it sent that pulse of Light?" Naegi asked.

"Anything is possible, Makoto," Ghost answered. It would be good for them to have help, but Ghost had a feeling that other Guardians showing would come with its own share of problems.


Sometime later

Ghost had to admit, being at Hope's Peak Academy felt a lot like being in the Last City. The colorful personalities of the students made him feel right at home. The only issue was that he couldn't associate with anyone. Naegi was probably correct that the timeline was already altered too much due to Ghost's presence and the pulse of Light, but Ghost still thought it best to keep a low profile.

Today's class was like all the others. Ghost already knew everything the teacher was covering so he allowed his mind to wander until he heard a scream of, "WHAT THE FUCK!"

Owada Mondo, one of Naegi's classmates, was looking out the window when he had screamed those words. Most of the class looked out the window to see Hope's Peak security attempting to keep three people out. One was a large boy that looked a bit like Owada; another looked like a female version of one of their senpai, Kuzuryuu Fuyuhiko; and the third was a girl with long, green hair. "Whoever that fucking guy is, he's going to pay for going around looking like my dead aniki," Owada attempted, and failed to, whisper through clenched teeth.

Naegi heard that, but his eyes were drawn to something else. All three of those people had Ghosts following them. With a sigh, he asked, "So…should we still keep a low profile, or should we do something about this?"

His classmates wondered who he was talking to before they saw a tiny robot seem to materialize and say, "I suppose it can't hurt anything now."

Naegi nodded, opened the window, and got ready to jump. Before that though, he turned to Owada and said, "Owada-kun, I think I can explain what's happening. If it's what I think it is, then that isn't an imposter."

Owada's only response was, "Huh?" before Naegi jumped out the window and jumped again in midair.

Enoshima had been watching. In fact, she had been watching Naegi since she had met him. Something about him was just…interesting. At least she and her sister could agree on that. She would need to hear what Naegi would tell Owada since even her analytical prowess couldn't understand how Naegi had done what he had done or how the dead had come back to life.


As Naegi and Ghost approached the three new Risen and security, they noticed that the Headmaster and some of his senpai from Class 77-B were approaching too.

"Well, that's fortunate," Ghost said.

"Kuzuryuu-senpai I can understand, one of those girls is definitely a relative of his, but why are the others here?" Naegi asked. He didn't expect an answer; Ghost couldn't know why Koizumi and Saionji would be here.

The wasn't any time to dwell on it either as the single, male Risen said to security, "We need to get in there," as he gestured at the Hope's Peak grounds.

"And I said, 'No one comes in without permission!'!" a large, angry-looking man, Sakakura Juzo, said.

"Fuck it! Let's just charge him!" one of the girls, the one that looked like Kuzuryuu, said.

"I would love to see the three of you try," Sakakura said, hoping to provoke them.

The third Risen, a girl with green hair, thrust her arm out at Sakakura. If Naegi and Ghost had any doubts about whether or not the three newcomers were among the Traveler's chosen, this dispelled them. The girl was a Voidwalker warlock. The Void Light in her hand was proof of that. Luckily, Naegi was quicker than the girl and had shot a Void Arrow off to the side of security and the three Risen. Void Light shot out of the orb the arrow left behind, tethering and suppressing the group before they came to blows.

Taking notice of his surroundings now that a confrontation had been avoided and another unexplainable even had occurred, Kirigiri Jin noticed Naegi with a bow in his hand. Once the bow had faded from existence, Jin asked, "Naegi-kun, do what was that just now? What is happening?" The man was sure he was going mad. Dead students were at the front gate. A current student was making objects appear and disappear and he had apparently weaponized that ability. What was next? An extinction-level event?

Naegi turned to Jin and noticed his senpai had finally noticed him too. Before Naegi could answer, Ghost said, "We can answer all of your questions, Sir. Once everyone is able to move again can we meet in your office? They'll need to hear this too." Ghost turned to indicate the three Risen.

"No, I want answers now. How can Natsumi be here when she died last year?" Kuzuryuu Fuyuhiko asked with barely contained anger.

"I-is that really Sato-chan?" Koizumi asked, not daring to believe that her friend had somehow miraculously returned to life.

"I'll answer those questions, but right now I think it would be best to contact the families of those three and anyone else close to them. There's no point in hiding this if they know that these three had already died once," Ghost explained.

"Once everyone is free, we should go talk to Owada-kun. He'll need to let his family know," Naegi said to Ghost.

Ghost agreed before approaching the three Risen and their Ghosts and said, "Once you can move follow us."


"I would like to thank everyone for coming. Especially those of you who weren't invited and have no business being here," Ghost said to the large group of people in the Headmaster's office. The family members of the three new Risen joined the Headmaster and Sakakura in the office hoping for an explanation of how the dead had returned to life. He then looked to the members of Class 77-B, Class 78, Yukizome Chisa, Kizakura Koichi, Tengan Kazuo as well as a man named Munakata Kyosuke who had invited themselves and said, "We would have preferred to keep the circle small though."

"They already saw what happened, they'd probably find out sooner or later," Naegi reasoned.

"I suppose. It doesn't help that your friend announced to the classroom that his brother was dead," Ghost conceded.

"If you two are done, I would like to know how my daughter, who died last year, is standing in this room right now, looking at her family like we are strangers," Kuzuryuu Hizashi said.

"We will get to that Sir, but just to make sure most of this information stays in this room…" Ghost said as he scanned the room. "Makoto. There, there, and there," Ghost said as he directed Naegi.

Naegi nodded and threw a knife at each place in the room that Ghost pointed out. Sparks shot out upon impact and the weight of Naegi's knives caused no broken listening devices to fall to the floor.

Once Ghost did another scan, he turned towards Kirigir Jin and said, "Sorry about your office Sir, but we needed to ensure as much secrecy as we can."

"That's alright. What are you, exactly?" Jin asked.

"That's a rather long story, so I hope no one has anything planned today," Naegi said. Looking at his robotic companion, Naegi said, "Ghost…"

"Makoto is right, it is a long story. Is there a screen I could use?" Ghost asked.

"Oh, yes," Jin said as he pushed a button on his desk and part of his wall slid up to reveal a large screen.

"Will this work?" Naegi asked as Ghost began scanning the screen.

"It's a little primitive, but I can make it work," Ghost said as he finished his scan and started to set thing up for their explanation.

"'Primitive?' Hope's Peak Academy is equipped with state-of-the-art technology!" Jin shouted, in defense of his school.

"Where I come from, or rather, when I come from, it's been outdated for a long time. Now, I ask that you hold all questions and comments until the end," Ghost said as images began to appear onscreen.

Ghost began, "I'm from the future, or at least 'a' future. The Naegi Makoto I knew died long before my time. Something special brought us together. It was the Traveler. And when it arrived, it changed the Sol System forever. It was a Golden Age and for centuries, humanity thrived, until it didn't."

"An ancient enemy pursued the Traveler across the universe. Humanity faced extinction. But the Traveler made a choice. Its sacrifice destroyed its ancient enemy…and brought life to the Ghosts. I am a Ghost." Seeing that being a 'ghost' was not being well-received by Hagakure and Owari, he said, "Not that kind of ghost. I'm an AI, although I've always resented the term 'artificial intelligence.' Who do you think came up with that phrase? A bio-human no doubt. Intelligence is intelligence. How could anything with intelligence not be real?"

"Ghost?" Naegi called to remind Ghost of the matter at hand.

Remembering why they were here, Ghost said, "Right. Sorry. Where was I? Oh yes. I am a Ghost. More importantly, I'm Makoto's Ghost. And he is one of the Traveler's chosen. He is a Guardian. This is our story, our destiny."

Ghost had shown what visual records had survived The Collapse and then went on to show his and the future Naegi's adventures starting with his version of Naegi's resurrection in Old Russia.

"It didn't take long for Makoto to adjust to his new life as a Guardian. A Guardian is what someone a Ghost resurrects is called. They have been called Risen and Lightbearers, but eventually they became Guardians, but that's another story. The short version is, Guardians are an army of the chosen undead. Those who can wield the Light to fight the Darkness and protect humanity and the Traveler." On the screen, the Guardian and Ghost fought Fallen and Hive on Earth and on the Moon. The Vex and the Fallen on Venus. And the Cabal and the Vex on Mars.

Eventually, the screen showed their quest for the Black Garden and the battle against its Heart.

Ghost of course, provided commentary. "We stepped through time and prevented a garden from consuming the stars. With the eye of a Vex Gatelord in hand we struck a blow against the Darkness and destroyed the Heart of the Black Garden. After so long, the Traveler was finally able to start healing."

The video then shifted back to Venus and the Vault of Glass.

"We descended into a timeless vault and made our own fate. The Vault of Glass is unique in all of the solar system. My scans indicate that other realities brush up against our own within the confines of the Vault. So maybe you could even say it's unique in all the universes? Regardless, the Ishtar Collective described it as the Vex Underworld. It's a virtual realm used by the Vex as a testing ground to manipulate reality through the use of ontological warfare, as opposed to simulations. The Templar and its Oracles and even the Gorgons had the power to alter reality and time, even to the point of erasing the existence of those who would venture inside. At the end, Atheon, Time's Conflux was waiting. But Guardians make their own fate, and all fell to our fireteam."

The scene shifted back to Earth and showed the events of Crota's return.

"The Hive God Crota. Crota, Son of Oryx. The Hope-Eater. He was the reason we fled the moon. And the reason we returned to it. After going after his Hive brood and Omnigul, Will of Crota, we returned to the moon and destroyed Crota's physical body. But for the Hive, death is never really the end. Crota needed to die his final death in his throne world. The Ascendant realm, or if you prefer, the Ascendant Plane, Netherworld, Overworld, or Sea of Screams is a universe or possibly an alternate reality related to the Darkness. Entities closely linked to the Darkness, most notably powerful Hive, create "cyst universes" within the Ascendant Realm known as throne worlds where they have absolute power over it through something called the Sword-Logic. Anyway, down in the pit, we did with blades what guns could not. We forced our way into Crota's throne world, killed Ir Yût, the Deathsinger, and summoned Crota for the final battle. With a Hive Cleaver in hand, we ended the threat of Crota once and for all."

The screen was now showing images of Earth and Venus.

"We hunted and captured the Kell of Kells in service to the Reef's Queen. We owed her for helping us get into the Black Garden, so when Skolas, the self-styled Kell of Kells reclaimed his place as the leader of the House of Wolves, Queen Mara Sov called us in to deal with it. Skolas tried to unite all the Fallen Houses behind him and even tried to steal technology from the Vault of Glass to do it with, but we stopped him. But Skolas would not meet his end until we fought him in the Prison of Elders."

A location that did indeed look like a prison appeared on screen. Or at least it looked like a prison until everyone saw the treasure room beneath it. The scene then shifted again to Mercury and what appeared to be…a lighthouse?

"We ran into members of the Cult of Osiris in the Reef and agreed to take part in their trials. We claimed ultimate victory against other Guardians in the Crucible. Things were certainly looking up for humanity. Until he came."

The screen then displayed a massive ship with a massive fleet and an unstoppable super weapon.

"When a vengeful father and his army arrived, we stood against them. Oryx, the Taken King. Crota's father. Needless to say, he wasn't thrilled with us killing his favorite son. His Taken infested Earth, Venus, and Mars, but the Dreadnaught, Oryx's ship craved from the corpse of the Worm God, Akka, was their main base of operations. We took the fight to Oryx there and sent him back to his throne world. Just like with Crota, that was when the real battle began."

The scene shifted to the depths of the Dreadnaught and Oryx's throne world.

"We followed a monster into his lair. He emerged as something greater. We did too. Once again fighting our way into a Hive God's throne world, we fought the Warpriest, Golgoroth, the twin Deathsingers, Ir Anûk and Ir Halak. It was the death of his daughters that brought out Oryx. But just like his children, he too fell before our fireteam, leaving the Taken without a leader and the Taken King's throne empty. I don't think Toland ever forgave us for that last part."

Ghost paused for a bit. It seemed seeing Golgoroth and Oryx had startled a few in the room. Once they had calmed down, Ghost resumed. This time Old Russia was back on the screen with what looked like Fallen. Only they were…different.

"We answered Lord Saladin's call and became Iron Lords. The Fallen House of Devils had discovered old Golden Age tech. Nanotechnology called SIVA. SIVA was once a Golden Age breakthrough in self-assembling, self-replicating nanotechnology, created by Clovis Bray to accelerate humanity's colonization effort. The technology had the ability to create nearly anything that anyone could ever need. It would be used to create new structures and colonies on new worlds faster than regular construction methods. It was considered as an amazing breakthrough in technology. It was later rediscovered by the Iron Lords during the early City Age, but it turned against them with the aid of the last Warmind, Rasputin, who was awakened from his centuries-long hibernation when the Iron Lords tried to steal SIVA in their attempt to utilize it for humanity's betterment. It was later rediscovered by the Fallen, who took it to be the perfection of technology and sought to perfect themselves entirely, freeing them from their dependency on ether and mortal flesh. With SIVA, they would no longer worship machine gods, they would become machine gods. We descended into replication chamber at Site 6 and fought the remains of the old Iron Lords that had been reanimated by SIVA. Lord Saladin named us the first in a new generation of Iron Lords for that, but there was still work to do."

The screen then shifted to somewhere else in Old Russia to the Devil Splicers' Den.

"It was our wrath that stopped the machines. In the Plaguelands, we fought our way into the Splicers' Den and into the Perfection Complex. We faced Vosik, the Archpriest; destroyed the Splicer Siege Engine; and eventually fought and defeated Aksis, Archon Prime. It was around this time that the Fallen began to withdraw from Old Russia, but we wouldn't discover why until a year later."

Ghost paused the video footage again and turned to address his audience. "There's more to come, but let's take a break here."


Okay, that's the events of D1 down, for the most part. Next time well go through the events of Destiny 2 and how Ghost came to the present. For those interested:

Natsumi-Hunter

Sato-Warlock

Daiya-Titan

I just think those classes mesh with what we know about these characters. Plus, I might as well give Makoto a fledgling Hunter to train too.

This is off topic but, you know, I'm not good enough to do this, but my interest in Junko vs and immortal, or at least nearly invulnerable Makoto makes me wonder how a Devil May Cry crossover would play out.

Anyway, read and review, and I'll see you next time.