Prologue 0-1: Eclipse of my Undying Heart
Beta Read by Lupus Overkill and RioA
Tap, tap. The door of our heels echo throughout the halls, but no sweet tune dares to follow. She grabs onto my hand, her warmth being tender and somewhat nostalgic. Like days where children would go running home to their mothers, smiles on their faces as they begin to eat their dinner, talking about matters that the world does not care about. Turning back to me, Mei smiles. It is so pure that I can swear that we are both ten again, running through the overgrown fields of the countryside without a care in the world. This spaceship is our castle, our make believe playground, that exists for nothing other than our entertainment. How I wish it is like that, but reality grabs hold, destroying the little, small dream into pieces that cannot be seen but still be felt. For that is all life does, give you the tiniest bit of happiness only to cruelly yank it away during the last second. Where you reach and beg for it to come back, yet life does not care. Life does not understand emotion, as feelings are simply illusions created by humanity and the animals that surround us. For life, only one thing matters...logic.
What matters now is that Mei and I finally reach the door at the end of the hallway. This hall has thirty other doors than the one before us, and I cannot yet tell what their purpose is. The Committee is not idiotic enough to waste all this money on a spaceship that the public does not hear about. But that is not the time to think about such matters, as jumping to conclusions without evidence is beyond dangerous. Mei, still with a massive grin on her face, opens the door to wonderland. The door that will lead us all down a path of insanity not truly understood by anyone but the true dwellers of its realm. Unlike the fairy tales, however, this fantasy does not hold a happy ending. There are no truly happy endings. No matter what, somebody's hope has to be crushed for the sake of somebody to get what they have always wanted. Us Ultimates are not saints, with us squashing the chances of others of our field, who might deserve it more than we do. But the most simple fact of life is that it never plays fair, and it always has its favorites. And being an Ultimate is not what it seems. All we are are birds, trapped in golden cages. We sing for the mouth that feeds us, knowing full well that is how we got trapped in the first place. Yet we do not care anymore, as the intoxication of our very own melodies begins to twist even our own feeble minds.
"Come on Shiro, let's do it together!" Mei beams. It is like she sees the world through rose-tinted glasses, not seeing the horror of our situation. We are still trapped here with no explanation of how and why. Though Mei has found a stranger on the street, and she agrees to take the candy from him knowing full well what everybody always says. Without waiting for a reply, Mei moves my hand that she is holding onto the handle with her and pushes it open. What meets us next is something out of a children's wildest dreams.
I can tell that this used to be just another hallway but it has been decorated. Now there are balloons surrounding us, with all of them being either white, red, or black. There is a buffet table stuffed between two white doors, with there being six including the one we just came out of in the room. The walls are all painted red, with the carpet of all things black along with the ceilings. On the buffet table itself, there is all sorts of food and drink, having things such as punch, chips, and even what looks to be some sort of weird turkey. There is even alcohol, with there being five expensive wine bottles on the table alone. Other than that, there is nothing much. I try to take a step and find it more difficult than it has to be which is mostly the fault of all of the balloons. It is a maze, with Mei waving through the obstacles trying not to get each other lost. Mei and I make it to two of the doors, try to open them at the same time, yet find that they are locked. Our bodies twist to avoid the incoming stampede of balloons until we make it to the one door that opens. Since she reaches there first, Mei opens it, not caring that she accidentally allows two balloons outside. She runs off, causing me to go after her. Though she acts like a two-year-old, she is my only lead to what is going on. Losing her would prove to be greatly unbeneficial to solving this already complicated mystery. Yet I know that it will only get worse since that is what always happens. No amount of running can make you escape from that fact of life. Especially since we're running directly into the belly of the beast.
Now we enter yet another hallway. It is kind of ridiculous how many there are. But this one is normal, with it strangely reminding me of the ones back in my childhood home. The ones I would run around with all of my brothers and sisters, playing tag. I would always lose since life has always had it out for me. Hope's Peak finding me was a curse, not a blessing. Though I have now been introduced to Ayano, Kazuhiko, and so many other amazing people, I cannot escape the shadow that will always haunt me, promising me sweet nothings with her too innocent voice. Mei herself reminds me so much of a girl I have seen once yet never again, though I would hear about her through newspapers and word of mouth. Maybe they are sisters since the girl was named Akita Yamazaki. But, the last I heard, she went missing, along with the rest of her class of Hope's Peak. Most likely she and everybody else...including Kazuhiko and Ayano...are dead, with the Despairs trying harder and harder to destroy the Committee. But it is useless to do anything like that since the Committee is supreme. Fighting back will only hurt you in the end, so it is better to put on their strings yourself and become their puppet.
But, enough with that, the hallway itself has dark wooden floors (the last thing I expect to see on any type of spaceship), along with beige, somewhat beaten wallpaper. Everything is falling apart yet still staying in place, refusing to let go until the bitter end. There are five doors in this hallway, with there being two on each side and one at the end. It is best to truly begin our search, as any of these doors can hold some kind of clue of what is truly going on. Mei goes to the door nearest her, with me noticing that she is holding onto a red balloon. The string wraps around her tender fingers, like a predator latching onto its prey. For a moment Mei actually hesitates, but then she goes to open the door, only for somebody to burst out, with another person running after them. Because of this, the door slams into Mei's face, causing her to let go of the balloon. It floats up to the ceiling, unable to be reached. I can try to reach up to the almost laughably short string, yet that will only waste time. I am nothing like a mother who cares for the child, doing anything so the child can have one simple, meaningless gift.
"I'm so sorry! Uwauuuuu I didn't mean to madam! Please forgive me!" One of the strangers bows. Mei tilts her head, analyzing the situation closely. Looking at this stranger more closely, she is a small girl that I am surprised is old enough to attend Hope's Peak. There is something strangely familiar about her, but that is probably because she looks a lot like one of my older sisters, Komaru, named after Makoto Naegi's little sister. Komaru, however, is much taller than her. She has grown since I last saw her from what I have heard though, with many joking that she reached puberty at thirty. I do not know the science between that yet there were rumors of her visiting Kotori often when she was still alive.
"That's gonna leave a mark. Don't worry about it, I can create some super cool war story!" Mei shouts way too loud.
"Lower your voice. You do not want any harm to happen to Madam Isobe's ears!" The man is even louder than...Isobe? Sachiko Isobe? The name seems familiar but maybe she is one of Komaru's old miko friends. There is no way I have ever meet Sachiko or the man before, even with this nostalgia. Maybe they just remind me of old friends I have long forgotten. My childhood is much like an old photograph that has spent too much time in the sun, still in the sun but faded and severely damaged. Maybe there is a puzzle to make with these photographs, collected by the subconscious of all humanity. A puzzle that will reveal that working together to heal past wounds will make us get what we want and more. But humanity is not like that, too blinded by bitterness to step forward. They would rather keep their photographs to themselves, letting their original message by lost by time.
"Oh, I should introduce myself! Mei Yamazaki, Ultimate E-Sports Gamer!" Mei's eyes sparkle like crystals, or how I imagine jewels would look like. She has long forgotten the balloon that she has lost, or how much danger we are in. Right now, we are in space with nobody in sight that knows enough about it to support us in an emergency. One failing system and we are as good as dead. There has to be an escape pod somewhere so we can exit in case there is an emergency.
"And my name is Shiro Amari, with my title being the Ultimate Composer."
"My name is Sachiko Isobe, madam. I am known as the Ultimate Miko. Please let me know if I can be of service to you."
Sachiko Isobe
Ultimate Miko
Sachiko's eyes are dark violet, much like the expressive color of morning glories. Her skin is that of a milky peach, well taken care of but is severely fragile, likely to get sunburned way too easily. Everything about her triggers the natural feeling of protection, with her being so small and skinny but not unhealthily so. The color of her hair is a darker purple than her eyes, easily can be mistaken for black if not for the usually light setting of the room. All the lights beam down on us like they are spotlights giving us our cue to sing and dance. Most of her hair is shoulder length, besides one ponytail held with a beautiful white string. Much like a string of fate, waiting to unravel to make Sachiko and all of us to finally face our destinies. With the ponytail, the rest of her hair is pulled together and goes all the way to her ankles. There are long straight bangs that border her eyes, making it harder to read her. Though Sachiko may seem cute, I learn the hard way to beware the nice ones. Nobody is this cute without hiding something. And every single Ultimate has secrets that they do not want others to hear. Hope's Peak becomes our vault of lies, yet this bank has the most laughable security in existence. Everybody can sneak in as long as they are not a complete moron. The Committee has not fallen because of their access to information and the acceptance of ignorance the masses share. They know no better life, no meaning of justice, so why should they fight against the hand that feeds them poison?
Continuing with Sachiko, she has a modified version of a miko's uniform. White as snow, she wears a haori, which is basically a jacket for a kimono. There are detachable sleeves with red ribbon stitching on its edges, waiting for the moment it becomes free to become a red string of fate and forever blind Sachiko into what it believes is her perfect lover. Sachiko continues her miko look with a pair of red hakama, or in terms those not acquainted with traditional Japanese culture will understand, long divided pants. She walks around in a pair of geta scandals, only adding a little bit more length to her. Adding onto the look, there is a bracelet with one golden bell, the others nowhere to be seen. They must have somehow gotten loose and fallen off. But whatever the reason, whenever Sachiko's hands move, the bell jingles, soft and hardly noticeable, like a voice screaming to the world but cannot be heard. These bells can mean so many things, to the happiest of marriages, to the saddest of funerals, they play their little song. Such a sweet little cry for help. Lastly, there is a necklace, with a jewel that must be something like an amethyst.
Everything is so normal yet...something is not right. A feeling I have long since forgotten comes bubbling up, whispering that this is not how Sachiko Isobe is supposed to look like. But how can that be? It is probably paranoia trying to get the better of me, best to ignore it. Mei gives me the same feeling, and even this other stranger, but not to the same extent. After all, Sachiko might prove to be a valuable asset. People like her are useful to be around.
"I keep failing my services! Allow me to do everything, my queen!" The man, however, is already proving to be more trouble than he is worth. He is like a fly that will not leave you alone, annoying you all day until it finally dies. Maybe that is too harsh. Perhaps it is time to listen to the old saying, do not judge a book by its cover. There is a chance he is a normal human being who is anxious from this current situation.
"I am so sorry, I didn't mean to..."
"So we're all Ultimates! That's so cool! Hope's Peak must've taken us on a field trip in space! Since we're the world's future and all that boring stuff!" Mei exclaims. I watch the conversation from afar. Not only do I not want to add anything to it, but I am also sure in a couple of minutes they will lose me. Meaningless garbage comes flying out of their mouths when we should really be more worried. The whole world is the same way. Focusing on their worthless lives while everything burns around them. The pity party drowns them in their own tears until the fire has overwhelmed even their personal haven.
"Excuse me, it is really rude to me to not introduce myself. The name's Osamu Imai, Ultimate Personal Assistant. I have been hired by the Isobe family to make sure that their daughter remains safe while she is away from home."
Osamu Imai
Ultimate Personal Assistant
Compared to the grace and elegance of Sachiko, Osamu is quite tame. Almost looks like a person you would see just walking on the street. Another person in the endless sea, getting muted by the overwhelming noise of everybody else. He has dark brown hair that reminds me of dirt, with it being somewhat messy and to his shoulders. Much like pumpkins, Osamu has bright orange eyes, round and strangely soft. Everything about him reminds me of fall, with the leaves falling and crunching underneath my dress shoes. His skin color is that of a darker tan, though it seems to actually be natural or at least well done. There are dark circles underneath his eyes, with his face, in general, making him look older than what I presume he is. He looks to be even older than me, though people have always told me that I have a youthful face. Osamu looks like he should be one of the teachers, not a student. But sometimes life loves playing little games, messing with the people trapped so much that they become used to her being a cruel mistress. However, there are freckles on his face, adding a bit of youthfulness to his overly old face. They are splattered all over his face, almost like the painter did not care and swung his paintbrush at the canvas.
For his outfit, Osamu wears a nice orange dress shirt underneath a long black coat. Buttons go down the middle, every single one of them tiny and white. In direct contrast, Osamu's pants are somewhat dirty jeans that have clearly seen better days. They are dark blue, with an orange patch on one of the knees with small almost unnoticeable, due to how faded they are, designs of flowers on it. His shoes are black dress shoes covered with what I guess is dirt or some other filthy substance and barely hanging by a thread. He also wears glasses that are rectangle-shaped and black, with one of the lenses having a large crack in it.
"Now I should really be doing my job. Is there anything you want Madam Isobe?"
"No...it really is okay..."
"Oh, can I use him? I always wanted my own personal maid!" Mei begins to lightly chuckle as she smirks. Osamu does not look phased in the slightest.
"I am sorry to inform you, Madam Yamazaki, but only Madam Isobe's parents have paid for my services at the moment. And I refuse to work for free," Osamu answers. This man is either the most expressive person I have ever seen, or even more emotionless than a rock.
"Aw, you're such a killjoy. Can't a girl get what she wants for once?" Mei pouts.
"We really should be going...I have a bad feeling about all of this. Like we have done this before," Sachiko says, her voice barely above a whisper. She analyzes the rest of the room, her eyes focused but not sharp. Though, as if something inside her realizes something, Sachiko takes a few noticeable steps away from Mei.
"Deja vu? Isn't that because Ultimates being abducted to someplace they don't know and have no idea how they got there a major sign of a Killing Game?" Mei says those words with the same smile as everything else. But, even if she does not realize the full truth of her words, I regret to agree that is a possibility. After all, this is some sort of twisted wonderland, which means somebody has to be the queen of hearts. Taking off our heads even though we are innocent. In the Killing Game, every murder is made under some kind of distress, so it can be argued that the murderers do not deserve the death penalty. Yet the queen of hearts does not care, for everybody who breaks her ridiculous rules must meet the same fate.
"Killing Game!? If that is the case, I must protect Madam Isobe no matter the cost!"
"Wait, I feel something," Sachiko tells us as she turns around. Osamu begins to search around her as well. Mei sighs and joins them. Feeling left out, I begin to search as well. Wasting this much energy on a hunch, however, will only point to be pointless in the end. Instead of focusing on finding some mysterious object or whatever, we should be seeing whether or not there are others here, and then figuring a way out of here. I can hear the tick-tock of the clock to our oncoming doom, not caring about anything else but completing its soulless job.
Right before I am about to give up, I look up and see something in the vents. I do not have time to analyze it further when it jumps onto the vent and onto Sachiko's head, causing Sachiko to yelp and almost fall. Though Osamu catches her in time, Sachiko still has some of her hair messed up. That is when it comes and turns to me, its yellow eyes staring into my soul, without any regret. Its fur is white, with black spot littered all over it. The tail it has is small and circular, and it can be considered cute if it was not the spawn of Satan. Licking one of its paws while making its new bed on top of Sachiko's head, I do the very thing I feared. I sneeze. And then I sneeze some more, with it being almost endless.
"Goddamn cats," I murmur underneath my breath. I can almost swear that the cat is smiling at me, bragging about its comfort over mine.
"Oh my God, it's so cute! I wanna keep it!" Without thinking, or at least I hope so, Mei lunges at the cat but misses, falling on the ground right by Sachiko. Sachiko and Osamu both stare at her. Mei gets up as if nothing happened. This time she walks over to Sachiko to start petting the cat. Although both of them can be considered on the short side, Mei still is tall enough to reach the cat without any problems. It will be a cute scene if there was not a cat involved. With those eyes, I can tell it is planning something. Probably wants to jump on me to make me sneeze more. But I have learned how to outsmart cats, after all, my old home sometimes had more than a hundred of them at a time. I refuse to be turned into yet another mouse that this cat can toy with.
"Pon-chan? Is that you?" I do not know whether or not I am imagining things, but it seems like the cat nods its head.
"This is your cat, Sachiko? I'm so jealous! My sister and I always wanted a cat but our dad is allergic."
"I guess I should look for supplies. There seems to be a storage room right over there, hopefully, they have something for Madam Pon-chan. Do not move Sachiko, I'll be right back." Osamu goes into another room, leaving me alone with the girls. Pon-chan hops down from Sachiko, landing perfectly on the floor. She does not have a care in the world. She begins to rub herself on Sachiko's leg, and Mei tries to catch her again for more pets. Meanwhile, I do not stop sneezing, hoping for there being some tissue paper on board. I do not want to introduce myself with snot running down my nose.
"But this is weird. Pon-chan lives at the shrine. Why is she here?" Considering there are not many shrines left in Japan, and Komaru not mentioning anything about cats about her own, Sachiko must be from further away. Only rural parts of Japan are rich in traditional culture, while everywhere else is being Americanized by the Committee, along with a lot of the rest of the world.
"Because she's cute! She probably secretly followed you or something. You know how cats can get," Mei laughs. There seem to be no trouble in the world with those two, playing with a cat like they're children. But, then again, teenagers are children, though most people, especially teens themselves, do not realize that. They need time to be childish every once in a while because, before they know, they become sucked into the miserable Hell known as adulthood. Only if I knew that lesson at their age, there would be so many things I would change, though it wastes time thinking about how to change the past. It is written in stone, refusing to budge. Many people fantasize about time travel without seeing that if it did exist, time will not move forward since people will spend all their days fixing the past they should have left alone. Fixing and fixing until there is nothing left of humanity except for an empty, perfect shell. That is what Yoshi and Eimu used to say after all. Having nothing else to do while waiting for Osamu, and wanting to stay away from the cat as much as possible, I allow my thoughts to drift. Drift to either Heaven or hell, daydream or nightmare. It is not the smartest thing to do, but sometimes even somebody like I have to put their guard down.
The teacher did not care that only four out of fifty students have arrived to class today. It was only the second day of school but apparently, it was some big holiday in some cultures. I did not see the point, as the Committee was about to ban the holiday just like everything else. Over some stupid reason I do not bother to remember. Two of the others are chattering away in the corner, while the other is doodling something in her notebook. I would have gone yet there was nothing to do at the house with everybody either going to school or work. I did not want to get caught by one of the cleaning staff and reported for skipping school. Even if the school allowed me to go early, they did not like anybody leaving before they personally went to get them, or sent one of their staff to do it instead. Because it was the early days of the school, they did not have the resources that they do now, making it impossible for me to just decide to go practice on my music. Music is the meaning of my life, as the sound serenading my ears gives me a purpose that I would not have otherwise.
I shifted around my desk, my white dress uncomfortable because it was too small. However, I was not allowed to get something new until I wrote another great piece that would get my parents thousands and me nothing. My time of the month was coming soon as well because it always had a habit of coming at the beginning of the school year as if to spite me. But something like that can never feel emotion. Everything was white so I had to always be careful.
Suddenly, the two talking to each other made their way to my desk. One of them sat on my desk itself, crossing both her arms and legs, while the other took a seat in the chair to my left.
"Yoshi Takei. SHSL Conspiracy Theorist." The girl who was on my desk took her hand out and I shook it. "This is Eimu Kaiba. Can't speak. Ultimate Lucky Student or some shit like that. Probably gonna be erased from history later so some other class can claim to be the first after the Tragedy."
Yoshi played around her short, green hair, messily put together is two ponytails. She had pale skin with a weird greenish tint that made her look sickly even though she was in perfect shape. The brown, bulky glasses Yoshi wore were way too big for her, forcing her to push them up every couple of minutes. Small golden studs could barely be seen through her thick, curly hair. For her age, Yoshi had a curvy body, one that sick perverts would do anything to get their hands on. And they did. Her top was white and long-sleeved, though there were many wrinkles through it. Though the light blue jeans she had on were too big for her, it was hard to tell at first glance, especially with her black belt revealed to the world thanks to her tucked in shirt. Then, for her shoes, Yoshi wore beaten up black converse, with her laces being white and untied.
On the other hand, Eimu had a softer face, even with their chocolate eyes not revealing any emotion. They also had paler skin, though much healthier looking than Yoshi's. Their shirt was a faded grey in color, with it being made of cotton but still looking very uncomfortable. The blue jacket they had on was way too big for them, with it easily going all the way down to their knees. On their neck, there are multiple visible scars but they were very poorly hidden by a simple necklace made out of a brown string and a yellow, circular charm. Though, one thing fit Eimu, their black pants that did not really match with everything else that well. Exactly like Yoshi's shoes, Eimu's were black converse, though this time they tied them. One thing was crazier about Eimu than Yoshi, their hair. It was a reddish-brown color and long, with it sticking out everywhere in ways that could only be done purposefully with hairspray. It reminded me about how old rock and roll stars used to look, especially the ones from the 1980s. Back then, it seemed like nobody cared about what others thought, only what gave them the most pleasure.
"SHSL?"
"Super High School Level. You know, what Ultimates used to be until the Committee decided to change it, along with the history of everything. Apparently, it was too long and hard to remember and blah blah blah." Yoshi puffed out her cheeks. It was way too close to the way Mei does it to make me feel comfortable. I do not even remember if Mei has puffed out her cheeks, but, even so, something inside me tells me it must be the way. Maybe it is my want to see Yoshi as she used to be at least once more.
"What?" I asked her.
"Don't worry, everybody is the same way when they find out their entire life is a lie! I wonder if we're even real. Considering that the Committee plans on faking their own moon landings, nothing can be the truth coming from them! They still hoard diamonds to make them cost more than they actually are! Humanity saved themselves the Tragedy, but they've yet to realize there is more to come. With the Committee around, there will always be a Tragedy," Yoshi began to rant. She then went on and on about how bananas are starting to get priced up more to fund a war with Taiwan. During that time, Eimu tapped on my shoulder. They passed me a piece of paper and, when I looked at it, it was a well-drawn picture of a unicorn. It was not Ultimate level yet it was still above the average person.
"That's cool. How did you do that?" Feeling uncomfortable, I started to fix my dress again. Something about them always made me feel itchy.
"Our mom taught her that. Teaches us everything. Truly, she's awesome!" Looking at the two of them, I could not believe that they were related. The only thing the two of them shared was their shoes. "Oh, I know that look. We're adopted. In fact, we've three-hundred and thirty-three other sisters. You see, the Committee is horrible at managing people like us and allows adoptions like this. But we've enough supplies and room for all of us!"
"I thought I had a lot of siblings..." I awkwardly laughed.
"You know what, our mom wanted us to check something here. Let's make it a fun adventure!" Too much like Mei, Yoshi grabbed onto the hands of Eimu and me. The other person and teacher did not make a noise about the three of us running out of the door, smiles on our faces.
Too bad I cannot smile anymore.
We ran off to the rising dawn, even though it was not that time of the day. Sunshine lit up our path, until we ran off into the shadows. Reaching for the nearest door, we did not know the journey we would soon embark on would eventually lead to our downfall. We are all buried six feet under, just one of us is pretending not to be part of the walking dead.
"Shiro! Earth to Shiro!" Mei pinches my cheek, causing me to come out of my daze. She is holding Pon-chan with her other arm, in a way I do not think is safe. But at the moment I do not care about a possible hazard to pet safety, I try to get away, knocking myself into a wall. I get a weird feeling that I have done that a lot before, even though I am not known for being clumsy. Yet I have to continue telling myself that it is all nonsense, my paranoia and imagination is just crazier than usual due to the stressful situation.
"Can you get-" I am interrupted by my very own sneezing. While I was out, Osamu must have come back, considering he actually gives me tissues. "Thank you, Imai."
"Madam Isobe wanted to make sure you are alright. You must have truly been tired if you went to sleep. Perhaps you should go back to your room and rest." Looking for Sachiko, I see that she is right next to Osamu, slightly hidden by him being much larger than her. Osamu reminds me strangely of my true father, strong and unwavering in protection. But people like that always get hurt, they are always the ones that get used just for somebody to get one step closer to a goal that they will never truly accomplish.
"It is no big deal. We should see if there is anybody else-"
"Actually, Osamu found one in the storage room!" Mei gives the cat to Sachiko, who struggles to carry her so places her down. She then pulls at somebody I did not see before, yet another girl. Whoever this is, I can already tell that she is going to be eccentric. It never ceases to amaze me how much of these personalities Hope's Peak can find. Maybe Ayano Kirigiri and Shun Tsukishiro are purposefully looking for people with big personalities so there will be even more attention directed at Hope's Peak. Then again, every story must have a colorful cast of characters, to entice the readers to indulge in the next book. It matters not the contents of the story, but the strength of the heroes.
"Greetings, it is I, Seina Amano!" She begins to pose with Mei, with the two of them going back to back. "I'm the Ultimate Game Master!"
Seina Amano
Ultimate Game Master
Seina looks like she popped straight out of a comic book. Her hair is much like the ocean, blue and not to be tamed, with curls looking much like waves. Much like fireflies, her eyes are yellow and look like they can light up the night. There is a lot of makeup on her face, even though it looks like it is supposed to be subtle except for the obvious, with the most prominent things being her dark eyeshadow and buckets full of blush. For a girl, Seina's body is broad, though she is still lean and somewhat curvy. Very somewhat. That is putting it nicely. But enough satisfying my inner teenager and feeling horrible about it, the rest of Seina is there as well. After all, there is something alluring about all of her. Unlike everybody else, I can say without a doubt that I have not met her before. Whatever this feeling is, somehow Seina is excluded from all of them. So it is most likely my gut, Mei, Sachiko, and Osamu must subconsciously remind me of people I have seen before.
For her outfit, Seina wears a long black dress underneath a long shimmery robe covered in beautiful golden stars. Moving around, Seina looks like she is the night sky, showing us all several shooting stars to finally have all of our wishes come true. Everything about her besides her face is covered. Between the robe and dress, Seina wears a satchel that looks kinda awkward but, really, everything about her can be described like that. Her shoes are black high-heeled boots that blend in with her long dress. There is a chunky gold chain necklace around Seina's neck, almost like the gold itself is trying to imprison her for it look strangely like shackles. On both arms and hands, Seina has numerous golden rings and bracelets. I cannot understand how somebody can be so mysteriously yet cartoony at the same time. Seina feels like she is part of a black, endless sea, where the only way out is navigating the stars.
"Oh my God, that was so cool! I wanna do it again!" With a somewhat smug smile on her face, Seina does it again, this time waving her wand. It looks like some sort of theatre prop, with it looking to be made out of wood painted dark blue.
"Critical success!" That is it, Shun must have a hidden talent of finding insane people. It surprises me that Hope's Peak has yet to make him an Ultimate already. I think he would be a great benefit to the school with a title like Ultimate Talent Scout.
"Excuse me, but what is a game master?" Sachiko innocently asks.
"I shall reveal to you the truth! Simply put, I'm a dungeon master!" Seina replies. Sachiko stares at her blankly. "Alright, alright, I host games and such. You know roleplay? Please tell me you know what roleplay is. Otherwise, I've got a new mission of teaching you all the wonders of Dragonslayer with my darling apprentice!" She and Mei high five each other. Right before, Seina quickly places her wand in her satchel.
"What is roleplay?"
"Madam Isobe, it is where you pretend to be something that you aren't!" Osamu shouts. I have to fight the urge to cover my ears since that can be considered rude. With him, I am reminded of all the people at my concerts who scream at people to be quiet, not realizing that they are making more noise than them. It is sometimes hard to focus on the performance with people like him. Working so hard to get in the perfect mindset for a performance, it can be rage-inducing to have somebody act in such a way. But I have to hold it all in, as it is not wise to act on such feelings. Out of all of the emotions, anger is the most dangerous. Anger is a fire, threatening to burn down everything if it is allowed. The red flames not caring about what or who they hurt in the process, only that they turn everything into cinders.
"When we get out of here, we're taking you to Media Cafe Luna! The regulars would love a moe loli like you! Hell, you might turn into a Yamato Nadeshiko when you're older and get even more fans that way! It all depends on the personality they give you. But I want you to remain a sweet, precious cinnamon roll for all eternity," Mei comments. Sachiko once again tries to understand everything she says but fails miserably. Even with all of the anime fan terms that some of my siblings have taught me, I do not know what a...Yamato Nadeshiko?...is. That sounds like a name, so perhaps it's a popular character that Mei likes?
"We should do a game with everybody we find."
"Oh my God, Seina, that sounds amazing!" Mei begins to jump around. It amazes me how much energy she can have in a situation like this. To my surprise, Seina gets out a mask from her satchel and begins to wear it. The mask itself looks to be some kind of demon, with it covering the upper half of her face. Even with our relaxed dress code, I do not see how Hope's Peak allows people to wear stuff like this to school. Such outfits would prove to be distracting, but Hope's Peak never cared about actual education. There have been students that did not even know how to read or write in my class, but they graduated perfectly fine. Education has never been a goal for the Committee, only power. After all, educating the masses will only take away their strength as more of the masses rise up, so it is better for them to keep their people dumb. We are only their miserable pets, and they only care about potty training us so we do not make a mess of the place.
"You should not wear anything like that. It only brings bad omens," Sachiko notes about the mask.
"Aha! For now, I'm a demon, ready to feast on the souls of the innocent! A knight has to come and slay me!" Seina begins to lightly chuckle as she brings out her wand. "I shall use this to curse everybody here and turn them into frogs!"
"No matter what, I'll protect Madame Isboe from your evil!" Osamu quickly shields Sachiko from Seina. The cat has disappeared into places unknown, and I do not care to check. All I know is that my allergies are gone so I am content.
"I can take care of myself," Sachiko whispers. Due to my years in the music industry, I have developed better ears than most people. Although she does not move, Sachiko starts looking around the hall for Pon-chan.
"Quick, my fellow knight in shining armor, we should defeat the evil wizard together to save the princess!" Mei makes the motions of taking out a sword and points the air to Seina. Seina does not seem to be bothered as she points her magic stick at Mei. Soon enough, the two of them participate in mock battle, looking exactly like my sisters whenever they played with toy swords. With extremely awkward movements, the two of them try to outclass each other, with Osamu and I watching from the sidelines. Sachiko is still too focused on her cat to truly pay attention. This goes on for a couple of minutes, where I start to be bored. Before I interrupt the scene, Seina knocks the pretend sword out of Mei's hands, with Mei dramatically gasping.
"Do your worst, villain! There's no way we'll be defeated by the likes of you! We'll always-"
"Silence, slave! You're now all mine!" Seina does the fakest evil laugh I have ever heard. Afterward, she points her wand at Mei, with Mei trying her best to look defiant. "Bibbidi bobbidi boo." Once again, Seina returns her wand to the satchel. The moment she does, Mei crouches down on the floor and starts jumping like a frog, ribbiting all the while. "My plan will be a success! One day, my frog army will take over the world! Bwahahahaha!"
"Wait, there is something coming-"
"No, it's my bear army! Puhuhuhuhu~" somebody yells over the speakers, interrupting Sachiko. It is so loud that all of us begin to cover our ears. Even minutes afterward, my ears are still ringing. Though we wait for the voice to return, it does not, leaving us in a strange silence. The voice itself was so playful yet dark, as if a criminal to trying to impersonate a child. But it is best to focus on that later, as we have to eventually run into who that voice belongs to, and find resources and other people who have been possibly kidnapped. Perhaps in one of the rooms, there is a clue to why we are truly here.
"We should focus on the situation on hand now. This is no time for play," I tell everybody.
"Alright, killjoy!" Mei pouts. A second later, Pon-chan appears at her feet, meowing. The cat could be easily recruited by Hope's Peak for a talent as ridiculous as Ultimate Transporter. After all, the original school did have a couple of animals join its ranks, with one of them literally being the Ultimate Chicken.
"Now we need to find the possible others. I have to check more of the supplies to make sure we have enough for Madam Isobe to survive," Osamu remarks. Yes, we still do not know why we are here. Jumping to conclusions that it is a Killing Game will only lead to unneeded panic. For all we know, this is a sick test by Hope's Peak. Though, if it is that simple, there is no reason for me to be here. It has been seven years since I graduated from it, so I thought it could be behind me. But Hope's Peak is like a shadow that refuses to let go, trying to drag you in the overwhelming darkness known as the Committee. And they will not stop until they are your puppet. The thing is, I have no idea whether or not I am trapped in there or free. Maybe I will never know.
"We have to be careful...I do not want anything bad happening to Pon-chan..." Almost like I am on cue, I sneeze. Wonder if there is some sort of allergy medicine onboard. Otherwise not only will the situation be dangerous, but my effectiveness of getting out of it will also be worsened. Nobody makes their best decisions while being badly affected by allergies.
"Yes, do any of you know how many students are supposed to be in your class?" I ask them. Hope's Peak has been going all over the place with numbers, with my class being fifty and being immediately followed by ten.
"Sixteen," all of them answer at once.
"I don't remember you being listed as part of the students though, Seina. I would've definitely freaked out!" Mei adds-on. Could it be that they are doing two classes at a time? Hope's Peak did mention something about having more classes per year now since they have enough supplies and funds to make their dreams a reality.
"Me either...could it perhaps be that we are from separate classes?"
"I memorized the class list for this year and only Madam Yamazaki and Isobe's names were on it besides mine. So where do you two ladies come into play?" Osamu questions. With that, I sigh. Guess after all of these years, I still look feminine. My femininity is a curse that refuses to release its hold on me. By now, I thought I would be used to it, but sometimes humans have to show emotion. Sadly, we are not like robots as of yet, not being able to reach our fullness potential because of the chains of our own hearts. Without emotion, there would be no despair, nothing to destroy the world and everything we have built. Emotions will only hurt us in the end, but logic makes us into the very best beings that we can be. Logic makes it so that we are able to work together to solve the world's problems, without the threat of discrimination. Human beings live chained down by their emotions for thousands of years, along with the other animals we share the Earth with, without realizing that they have made their very own cage, though with the door unlocked. All we have to do is open the door, to a world where nothingness is the only thing that we feel as we make the world into a perfect utopia. There is no sadness, no pain, only progress.
"Excuse me, Imai, but I am a man," I correct him.
"Oh, I am very, very sorry for misgendering you, Master Amari. Please accept my apology." Without a second of doubt, Osamu drops to the floor bowing. Sachiko jumps at the suddenness of it. Pon-chan does not seem to be bothered as she relaxes on Osamu's back and curls up in a ball. Thinking about her existence again causes yet another sneeze.
To describe me better, and why many mistake me as a woman, I have a feminine body. Nothing I can really do about being born like that so I just live on, choosing to be who I want to be. Because worrying about things like sexual orientation and gender is not logical and, at least in my mind, a waste of time. I have a standard appearance for somebody of Japanese descent: pale skin, brown eyes, and black hair (though I have this thing apparently called an ahoge, but it is annoying and I am trying to get rid of it only for it to return). This day, I decided to wear a black dress shirt underneath a white suit jacket. The suit jacket matches exactly with my white pants, which is a good sign because I bought them together and would have immediately bought them back if they were only the slightest shade off. I wear a standard red tie that matches my visible red belt, as I usually tuck my shirts in because I personally find that more comfortable. And it makes sense to do what makes you feel the most good for something as meaningless as clothes. To top everything off, I wear black dress shoes. It is not anything overly nice but I am not somebody that is known to go overboard. That only brings unneeded attention, not to mention that it usually costs more.
"That is alright, please get off the floor now. You do not know what has been done to it-"
"You're right! They could've put something on the floor or walls or ceilings to harm Madame Isobe! I have to make sure that she is safe at once!" Osamu rushes back into what seems to be correctly labeled as the storage room. It takes him less than a couple of seconds to return, mop and bucket in hand, along with various sprays and sponges in the bucket itself. He gets a ponytail out from one of his pockets and ties his hair back. With that out of the way, Osamu begins to clean so fast that I can barely register him. Sometimes it amazes me that the things that Ultimates do are humanly possible. Guess the small percentage of humans worthy of the title of Ultimate can be considered ones that somehow broke the rules of psychics to get where they are today. After all, there is somebody claiming to be a miko, even though I do not personally believe in that religion. Humans just have to accept nothing happens after they die so they have to make the best out of the short life that they do have. Hoping for the afterlife to fix all of your problems will not solve anything. In fact, it will only make you more miserable, since you will be spending all of your time praying for a solution that will never come instead of doing it yourself.
"You can do it!" Mei cheers on, although I am sure he cannot hear any of us at the moment. He is so focused on his current task, with him not taking even one break with all the backbreaking labor. Honestly, I did not believe that personal assistants did anything like this, but maybe only Osamu does this and that is how he is the one that got the Ultimate title.
"But seriously, how old are you three?" Seina asks.
"That will not do very much good since Hope's Peak accepts students of all ages. But, if you want to know, I'm twenty-five and graduated from the first class," I reply.
"You're twenty-five?!" Mei and Seina exclaim at the same time. It is like they are on the same wavelength.
"And I'm fourteen!" Osamu exclaims from the other side of the room. At first, I think I did not hear him correctly, but then it registers that I did. Some people do not age well like I apparently do.
"Wait, I am older than you?" Sachiko asks.
"Yes!" With that, Osamu is finished cleaning. Although it is not as clean as it would be with somebody like the Ultimate Maid, the hallway still shines more than it did before. This is looking more and more like my old home and I do not know how to feel about that. Maybe I should not let myself be overcome with nostalgia, after all there is no reason to think that this hallway is nothing more than that. Though it is weird that there is so much wood in a space station, that can be easily explained by it being built by some eccentric billionaire, or by the new head of Committee research who is hopefully not as insane as Kotori Hiraoka (if I remember correctly, their first name is something like Yui, Yuki, or Yukio, though I cannot recall the last). He quickly returns all the supplies to the storage and comes back to meet back up with us.
"I thought I would be the oldest but, alas, Shiro gets that honor! My age is only a sad eighteen," Seina mock frowns. It is hard to read her exact emotions with her mask still being on. I can just imagine playing a sad violin next to a scene like this. I get a strange feeling that there is somebody related to music with us besides me, but that is probably just my brain wanting somebody else to talk with about the wonders of all the different instruments. How every single one of them has a different voice, ready to serenade to the audience. From the triangle to the organ, each one has its own unique story to tell. Truly, the only place where I find it appropriate to express emotion is music. In a perfect world, there would be no music, which saddens me greatly but some sacrifices have to be made for the greater good.
Before we can continue any sort of conversation, there is a giant thud. It seems like it is from the one right next to the storage room. All of us run towards it, Mei holding Pon-chan in her arms and causing me to sneeze some more. I notice that for some reason, Sachiko pauses right before the door, and Osamu does not seem to notice as he enters with Seina and Mei.
"Isobe, what is the matter?" Without thinking, I grab onto her hand for some kind of response. I may have only known her for about an hour, yet there is something wrong with this picture since she refuses to move. It is like she became trapped as a photograph, unmoving and existing just for people to be amazed. The moment my hand makes contact with her own, there is some kind of spark.
Sachiko's image shatters and tries to complete itself, but everything is distorted. Nothing fits even though it is the same, like a child is working on a puzzle and places the pieces in the wrong place. Although they're from the same place, the image itself is disturbing, not to mention there is so sort of effect. It reminds me of when computers glitch out. Every couple of seconds, the glitches change, though it never creates a perfect image.
For a second, there is a bright light. I can barely make out Sachiko during this moment. The most I can see is now her shorter hair, turning into an odd shade of purplish blue which is probably thanks to the weird lighting, with it being in what looks to be two ponytails. However, the white strings of destiny return. Somehow, they untie from her hair, causing it to go down and reveal how long it truly is, which is to her shoulders. In a way that is both soft and rough, the strings tie around my hands, binding them together. Though a prisoner to my own fate, I am strangely free, being able to grab onto the hands of whoever this Sachiko is.
"Free us," Sachiko smiles. "Please, it hurts. Everybody is in pain. Our souls need to find salvation."
"Shiro? Um, we should go now." Still in a daze, I barely realize that Sachiko is now entering the room, with Osamu by her side. I must have fallen asleep suddenly, for I have not had that much sleep last night. Whatever this is, I hope it gets done quickly since I have an important concert coming up and still have to perfect some of my newer pieces.
Following in after them, and trying to forget my weird dream, I see that the room is mostly empty, which is odd. It is made completely out of wood and the only source of light is a tiny light on the ceiling, swaying back and forth and barely hanging by a thread. Other than everybody I have already meet, there are two people inside, both men. One of them is inside what looks to be a pentagram made out of salt, while the other is pointing an actual real sword at him. At this moment, I realized...it was useless praying for the other people stuck on board to be any sort of normal.
"I have the elegance of a phoenix, beauty of a prince, and ferocity of a dragon! How dare you think lower of me with your wicked use of witchcraft!"
"Me, a witch? You are mistaken! I am Haagenti! The Lord of the Seven Circles of Hell! Pathetic witches and warlocks do not stand at the same level as I!"
"Um, we just wanted to talk," Seina responses. Even she is taken back at the situation. Osamu once again is using his body as a shield for Sachiko, though this time he means it and is keeping her quite close. The only one not phased in Pon-chan, who walks up to Ryoichi and meows. Ryoichi actually gives her a pet, confirming my theory that all cats are evil, most likely because they find it the most efficient for their survival. Though this moment of surprising calm is interrupted by yet another of my sneezes, causing the two new faces to glare at me.
"This is kinda cool and kinda freaking me out. Wait, that only makes it more awesome!" Mei yells.
"Excuse me, but this is only wasting our valuable time. Can you please tell us why you are fighting?" I question them. Because I am most likely the oldest person here, it is time for me to become the adult here. Perhaps I am too used to this duty already. All of my older siblings would goof off while I took care of the younger children. Due to reasons I still have yet to understand, my parents allowed this behavior to continue, while I was punished if I even breathed in the wrong direction. These Ultimates do not seem to have to worry about expressing their eccentric selves, and I cannot help to feel a little jealous. Accepting emotions makes it easier to bury them underneath a fountain of logic after all.
"I shall not say anything until he agrees to fight me in honorable combat." Then I notice one of the strangers throw something to the other, a sword. Immediately, the other picks it up. I never would have thought I would see my very first sword duo is space, yet life always finds a way to surprise us. We have to be prepared for anything, otherwise, life will stab you in the back without any remorse.
"He has insulted my bride, along with that foul angel!" The stranger in the pentagram points at Seina, his finger wildly shaking. "Anybody who dares mock my bride shall have their bones ripped apart!" There is a story here and I do not want to know it. We should not waste time here. Looking over to Sachiko, I see that her eyes are wide. Her fingers dig into the skin of Osamu's now exposed arm because he must have pulled his sleeves up during cleaning and I did not realize it. She is shaking, barely able to keep herself balanced. But, looking down at my hands, I see that I am shaking too, though it is easy to see why. It is a simple reaction to the situation, nothing more and nothing less. In fact, the only person completely calm in the room is the stranger that originally was the only one with swords. I do not yet understand what he hopes to prove by providing one to somebody that is possibly unhinged.
"Everyone has a certain darkness that lurks in the deepest recesses of one's conscious, it's only a matter of whom lures it out. Whoever you are, sir, you have allowed yourself to be consumed by it without a second thought! For that, I need to purify your damned soul! For that is the mission of Saitou Katatake, the Ultimate Duelist."
Saitou Katatake
Ultimate Duelist
Much like a lot of the other students, Saitou is dressed like he is going to some kind of convention for people who enjoy watching Japanese cartoons. He has defined muscles, with his skin being pale. Much like blue sapphires, his eyes are tiny yet still sharp, focused entirely on his opponent. Although there is some anger, mostly Saitou is calm, his breath being steady along with his hands. Everything about Saitou looks like a prince, even his fancy, well-trimmed black eyebrows. In fact, Saitou could be considered attractive if he dressed more normally. It must be so expensive to get these outfits, and they do not even look that comfortable. Why waste your money on something you will not even enjoy? Money is precious in this world, with there being many people dying on the streets, with these people wasting what they have on themselves and not improving the world. Then again, I am the same way, as humans, as we are now, are selfish creatures due to the constant, endless, meaningless war between hope and despair. Honestly, I am sick of it, since it is not smart to continue a war that has no end. Continuing with Saitou, his hair is silver and is tied back in a long braid, along with there being bangs that hang down over half of his face.
Meanwhile, his outfit comes directly from a fairy tale, almost like Saitou is here to get his princess but does not realize she is in another castle. He wears a black, frilly suit jacket with a fancy tailcoat and golden trim, reminding me of the night much like Seina's. There is a blue undershirt, almost looking like deep black. Hiding his hands from the world, Saitou wears a pair of white gloves. White slacks are held up by a black belt, also revealing his polished black leather shoes. Elegantly draped over his right shoulder, he wears a velvety blue cape. Yet another of my classmates remind me of the night, but Saitou is a night with a full moon and stars staying in place, granting no wishes. For the stars are a golden necklace, decorated with the finest jewels a man can buy, instantly popping out to everybody. Another item strikes my interest, a silver crown placed on his head. Hopefully, somebody like him can actually manage the weight of a crown. Fitted in the middle of the heavy crown is a blue sapphire that matches almost exactly to his eyes.
"We need to leave now," Osamu tells Sachiko. She nods her head, looking like she can barely even do that without falling over. Without getting the attention of Saitou or the stranger, both of them leave. Mei and Seina are the only ones left, with Seina going stiff and Mei having sparkles in her eyes.
"You need to calm down. This isn't how we should enjoy this game," Seina says, trying her best to hide her shaky voice. Much like Osamu, Seina begins to protect Mei.
"Shut up! You dare wear the mask of somebody impersonating my darling queen! You shall be put to death, does not matter if it's drowning, burning, or some other cruel method. I will make sure that you suffer." After saying his words, whoever this is instead focused on Saitou. He is not even holding the sword correctly. But there is still a hint of something more in his eyes, as the two of them glare at each other, waiting for somebody else to make a move. During these tense moments, I question myself why I do not leave. There is no reason for me to be here, and even by watching I am severely jeopardizing my safety. Yet it feels like something is gluing me to the floor, eager to watch a violent tango between two giants. Both of them are lions, deciding on who gets to survive and doom the other to death or abandonment. Many may argue that abandonment is better than death, yet that does not make sense in my eyes. Death the suffering is done, your existence erased like it never happened. With abandonment, you must live with yourself and all of the horrible decisions made to make it to a palace of solitude. The walls may sparkle, revealing the most beautiful sights, but it does not matter if it is not with somebody else. Humans are social creatures and everybody will go insane without human contact. It matters not on who you are since the human brain is built that way. And there is no way to escape something that is beyond our understanding and control. For members of our own species, we know nothing about what truly makes us human.
"Do not threaten the wonderful maidens you demon, for their beauty is much greater than your dastardly deeds!"
"What's your name, demon dude? I can't believe Hope's Peak got somebody like you." Mei stares in complete whimsy at the two men. She tries to look over Seina but the older girl keeps trying to shove her towards the door.
"You wish to know my human name, you indigent creature? I am Ryoichi Homura, the Ultimate Demonologist. But to all of you foolish mortals, my title is Haagenti!"
Ryoichi Homura
Ultimate Demonologist
Ryoichi is an overly thin man, with skin so pale it is like he has not been outside for a number of years. His eyes are like molten lava, piercings through the soul with the red ferocity. Despite only being a teenager, or I assume so, Ryoichi has a goatee and a mustache. Going all the way down to the floor, Ryoichi has brown hair that sticks out like tentacles. Scars can barely be seen from underneath all of his clothing, with most of them hidden away from the world. The exception is a massive scar on his face, which must be new since it looks like it is still healing and should really have some kind of bandage over it. It is shaped oddly like a cross, starting from the top of his forehead, almost reaching both of his eyes, and ends just above his mustache. Considering his appearance and talent, I would not be surprised if Ryoichi runs a cult. Cults may be horrible, but at least spending your time worshipping Satan is better than trying to destroy the world again with despair.
The demonologist wears a long, flowing black robe with a devil's cross laminated on the back. His shirt is simple and white, having yet another devil's cross design on it. Ryoichi wears brown dress pants with something I cannot recognize leaking from one of his pockets. Stranger yet, Ryoichi wears no shoes, yet his feet are perfectly clean with none of the aforementioned scars. He also wears two red gauntlets. Looking at him, I can feel the approaching flame of a fictional place, threatening to swallow us all whole. A villain eviler than anything laughing at us for all eternity, feasting on our sorrow as we are made to dance for him even after everything in our bodies has given up. There is no solace, only endless suffering far outwaiting our misdeeds. Just like life is unfair, death is, even in the fictional realms of our very own twisted fantasies. Nothing can save your soul, as everything has abandoned you to a fate literally worse than death. How can even one person think such a fate is considered fair? Jesus apparently died for our sins on the cross, yet human suffering his continued. An act as emotional as needless self-sacrifice can only lead to more pain and misery in the end.
"Ryoichi-" Before Saitou could finish his sentence, Ryoichi strikes at him with the sword, but the duelist is not phased as he blocks the sword perfectly. Saitou does not make a move besides blocking all of Ryoichi's messy advances. The two of them circle the entire room, never once taking their eye off the other. During that time, Seina is still trying to get Mei to leave, attempting her hardest to move Mei from the spot she is glued to. But much like a child watching their very first cartoon, Mei cannot keep her eyes off the fight.
"Mei, we should go-"
"This is your punishment for defying my queen! You shall remember to not tarnish her name in her circle of Hell!" Ryoichi, while trying to hit Saitou with another pathetic swing of his sword, pulls the thing from out of his pocket. Getting a better look, I notice that it is a Kusarigama. Saitou tries to stop the chain but is too late, as Ryoichi shows skills of a seasoned professional, and it wraps around Seina's neck.
"Ryoichi, calm down. It is not wise to use a Kusarigama indoors," Saitou calmly explains. He still has his sword pointing at Ryoichi, cold determination in his icy eyes.
"You don't hurt my Nee-san like that!" Without a care in the world, Mei charges at Ryoichi, with Seina trying to stop her but stopped by the chain on her neck. She is struggling to breathe, her fingers trying to pry the cold metal off her neck as much as possible. This would most likely be a good time to do something, yet I do not want to put myself in unneeded danger. So I watch everything play out like this is only some kind of twisted movie. Us Ultimates have to please the masses after all. That is the only use we have in the eyes of the Committee. When she reaches Ryoichi, Mei tries to punch him but is easily stopped with a harsh kick to the stomach. This is why you should not act on anger, all of these people are being incredibly stupid right now. I could point that out but that will probably end with a sword in my heart and I do not need to explain why I do not want that.
"Mei!" Seina shouts. Ryoichi is once again focused on everybody else, and, against my better judgment, I decide to intervene. I work fast to unwrap the chain around Seina's neck, with her desperately gasping for breathe the moment it is off. "Thanks."
"The other girl here, run out of here! I refuse to cause the death of yet another blossoming flower. With my talent, I can take myself fine, but not all of you!" Saitou commands. Mei actually does what she is told, running the fastest I have seen anybody go and getting out of the door before Seina or me. Seina is the next to go. After this, we should see if there is somewhere to go for medical supplies. But something keeps me here, calling to me as if I am a moth and it a flame. Once again, Saitou and Ryoichi glare at me, waiting for a move from somebody not even in their game. A game of chess where I am the unwilling party who refuses to leave. Maybe some part of my brain still wants to see chaos, to see what the so-called truth the Master preaches is a reality.
"What are you doing, madam? Escape with the sea and stars!" I have long given up on trying to understand what any of my classmates mean.
"I am a man-"
"Beast, do not lay your eyes off me for a second!"
"You were the one who attacked a defenseless damsel! As a charming prince, it is my duty to protect the people of my land and everybody else's."
"If you are a prince, then so am I! And you have broken every rule in the queen's kingdom!" Not wanting to deal with any more of the nonsense, I leave the room. Everybody I have met today is acting like they are preschoolers in the medieval years. Nobody else is in the hallway so they must be investigating or hiding somewhere else. Now it is time to finally stop wasting time and get the answer to a simple question. Why are we here? There are eight billion other things flowing through my head, yet that is the most important one.
Jumping into the rabbit hole, I cannot return back to the land of reality. Nothing is safe, including my own mind. Everything is silent but loud, invading my eardrums with violent, untuned melodies. But there is only one way to go, down the yellow brick road. It might not make sense yet we have to continue onward, to either our salvation or damnation. In the end, there is nothing but plastic promises, so badly made that they get destroyed by just blowing on them. Humans may think that we like to keep promises...but that is a lie since we will throw them out the second that they prove not to be useful for us. Selfishness runs through our veins, like how the yellow brick road runs through Oz. Though this is not Oz, this is a land that is in between the realms of existence and nothingness. In Oz there is a happy ending, the witch dies and the heroes survive. Nothing is like that in this realm, for the games they play have only one ending in mind. The villains shall always win because the heroes are nothing more than their puppets, thinking they have free will but unable to see their invisible strings.
Welcome to wonderland.
Welcome to the world of my shitty prose more like.
Haha, my chapters are so much longer now. And better. Goddamn have I improved as a writer throughout these years of writing the saga.
If your characters look a bit different, that's for plot. Because I'm insane. Somebody stop me. Seriously, this story will probably make all of us go insane. Turns out that was the Master's plan from the beginning. We're all suffering.
Sorry this took so long. As those on Discord know, my life kinda turned into a living Hell in June. But now that everything is returning to normal, there should be more updates. :) Just know that my family is...complicated.
Reviews~ (doing the ones of the last chapters of LPoD here too since I got nowhere else to do them)
LPoD:
TheUnkindledHunter-It certainly is...something. Please stop me now. Himura is Himura. ;) Thanks so much. :D
tobi-is-an-artist-too-Etsuko will not, except if you prove to be entertaining for her. You officially exist in the saga now Tobi, which means you'll suffer. Thanks so much! :D HYPE IT UP!
Scissor-Snipper-What a wonderful thing to wake up to, seeing everybody getting brutally murdered.
TheRoseShadow21-*screeches with you* Thanks so much. It's only the first chapter and things have turned to Hell. *gets stabbed by Ryoichi* DONT YOU DARE INSULT HELL LIKE THAT (I swear Ryoichi is the one forcing me to go through Intro Hell)
Ziggymia123-Thanks so much, I worked very hard on Shiro's execution. You're going to be executed if you call her that, Ziggy. Somebody give Emilynn a hug, she needs it. Oh, I got evil things planned for everybody here.
DiOS:
PainX65-Thanks so much, hopefully, I live up to the hype. Yep, Mei Yamazaki is the mastermind. Now for me to actually do reviews that don't suck for once.
TheUnkindledHunter-Thanks. :D I love making my stories as absolutely insane as possible. Himura will continue to be Himura. Well, here's the next chapter finally.
Ziggymia123-Time for chaosssssssssssssss
tobi-is-an-artist-too-HERE WE GO AGAIN IN SPACEEEEEEEEEEEEE WALKING DOWN THE ONLY ROAD I EVER KNOW LIKE AN ULTIMATE I WAS BORN TO BE ALONE...I don't know what I'm doing with this song parody. But I'm keeping it. Y'all can use it for blackmail later.
Prince PokePersona-Welcome to DiOS, we got suffering thanks to you and Tobi. No problem, there were a lot of cool OCs that didn't get accepted the first time around. Oh my God, I don't know what it is with DiOS and we constantly getting character names wrong. XD How did I get Natsu out of Keiji?
AnonChan1-I mean, Etsuko and Himura didn't die either. XD Poor Sachiko has the fate of the Committee Saga cinnamon roll. Yep, Shiro is transgender. I think all Despairs are prone to sexual assault so stay very far away from them. Yep, Mei is the mastermind. I look forward to writing more of this chaos. Oh my God, I love my crazy children.
Scissor-Snipper-Hopefully they'll die even more brutally! :D
VioEli-REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Now you'll officially part of my hellish Discord. Sachiko got straight up tortured and it was amazing. Emilynn will save us all with her religion of the Bee Movie. Himura is Himura. ;) Somebody protect Shiro from the Master, he needs it. And I'm sure as Hell not gonna help him. Etsuko is amazing and she'll make everybody suffer.
Lupus Overkill-I'll say nothing about that little theory of yours. ;) Shiro is the only sane person on this spaceship. Mei is now back to her crazy self and I blame Seina. Thank you so much. :D
KananMari-Good luck trying to steal Mei's talent. Hopefully, she won't force you into a Killing Game before you do so. Who knows? There are a lot of new potential best girls. But Emilynn is Emilynn and nobody can truly defeat the greatest meme queen.