Uh, hey guys. :D

I know it's been a while. In a perfect world this chapter would've been out by September 9th, which if you remember was the one-year anniversary of System Restore…but there's been a lot going on in my life. Mostly this is the fault of a separate, unexpectedly highly time consuming project that I'd LOVE to share with you guys if not for the fact that my real name's attached to it, but I've had my share of personal issues as well. That said, the amount of love and support that I've gotten from the amazing community here has been unprecedented, and I couldn't be more grateful for it. I mean it when I say I could not have done this without you. So thank you very much.

Anyway, without further ado, here's the final chapter of Chapter Three. I hope it's everything you wanted and more. Merry Christmas!

The trigger warning list is pretty spoilery this time around, so it's on sysrestoreblog (dot tumblr dot com) those who need it - the link's on the right hand side.


Chapter Three, Part Seven


CLASSROOM TRIALS - REOPEN


"I'm sorry."

Hinata couldn't exactly place when Togami's expression had changed. A second ago he couldn't have read it at all, but somewhere it had become softer, but only subtly, just enough for it to look more natural. "Huh?" he said. "Sorry…?"

"F-For what, Byakuya-chan?" Mioda was leaning over the edge of her trial stand, angling herself as close to Togami as possible. "That "sorry" could mean a lot of things…"

"You wanted me to answer for what I'd done, and so I am," Togami said. "As you pointed out, I've made unwise and dangerous decisions under duress. It's not uncommon in world of business, actually. Whether it's a junior salaryman taking on too much responsibility in order to impress his superiors, or the superior themselves faced with a situation they have no idea how to solve, and the duty to do so, for the sake of their employees. But despite this…"

Togami folded his arms across his chest. "It isn't something Byakuya Togami should have allowed of himself. I know that very well." His eyes narrowed, and he looked over at Hinata. "But I can't help but wonder why you would bring it up now. As it stands, it isn't concrete proof of anything. What are you using this to accuse me of?"

Hinata didn't want to answer that, not even in his mind. He half-hoped that someone might step in, but no one said a word – all of their attention was on him, and they were waiting in expectation of his response. Mioda was rocking back and forth on the trial stand, her teeth chattering with every movement.

He tried his hardest not to look at her, but he couldn't look at Togami, either. So he looked at the floor as he spoke. "I know it isn't concrete proof. But it's all we have. And if we want to solve the case we're going to need to explore anything that seems out of place. Just because we did something under stress doesn't mean it's irrelevant. I mean…we could say any of the murders we've had so far were done under stress."

Togami gave Hinata a searching look, one that seemed to last an eternity. "I never said I wouldn't answer your questions. As much as I regret it…you are correct. I didn't have the chance to check on Nanami before Kuzuryuu arrived. At that time, Souda's well-being was the priority. I have as much idea of when she was framed for Souda's attack as any of you."

There was a pause as everyone waited for Togami to continue, but to Hinata's surprise he didn't. "So…that's it?" Koizumi said instead. "You really didn't have the time?"

"If they're suspicious of me, then perhaps they'll believe you, Hinata," Togami said, without acknowledging Koizumi. "You were there when we searched the hospital for Souda. How much time elapsed between the beginning of our search and Kuzuryuu's arrival?"

"Well…" Hinata couldn't remember precisely, but it hadn't been long. "A minute? Two minutes?"

"Precisely. Very little time," Togami said. "I was able to ascertain Mioda's safety, but before I could get to Nanami, Kuzuryuu rushed in. Isn't that right, Kuzuryuu?"

"Hey, I don't know anything about that," Kuzuryuu said. "I didn't even know what you were doing, I just found you in the hall."

"That doesn't sound very useful," Owari said.

"But the assumed restrictions of this time period matter not," Tanaka said. "What about before you went to retrieve Hinata? Tsumiki was in the leftmost occupied room…are you saying you did not check on the others before finding her?"

Togami was silent for a painful second – one Hinata couldn't bring himself to make any assumptions about. "When I went to deliver the food and found her corpse, you mean."

"Togami did check on them," Hinata said, remembering suddenly. "He told me he was going to check on them again, when we split up after finding Tsumiki."

"And if we're thinking of whether someone would have been able to frame me in that time, I think the answer's yes," Nanami said. "But I think I'd like to know more about morning as a whole. Hinata-kun asked you why you were there so much earlier than yesterday, and I don't think we ever got a response."

"The answer is simple," Togami said. "I couldn't sleep. I've come to understand many of us have had that difficulty."

Kuzuryuu stared down at his trial stand, clenching his teeth, but no one else made any move of acceptance or suspicion. "Did anyone see Togami before he went to get Hinata?" Nidai said. "If so, can they vouch for him?"

"I dunno," Saionji said. "I was sleeping, like someone that doesn't mope around when things get too difficult."

"That brings me back to what I was saying," Hinata said, cutting off whatever reaction Kuzuryuu might have had. "Going back to the first island to get me doesn't make any sense. Even if Togami was afraid of contamination, I think we had bigger problems on our hands."

"Well, maybe…but…" Mioda had forgotten to support herself; she stumbled back to a standing position, fidgeting her hands against the trial stand. "I-Ibuki doesn't really understand how that could affect anything…"

"It was reckless," Nidai said. "But if we're trying to look for a purpose beyond that…"

"We can find it. But we won't know where to look without direction," Koizumi said. "Togami? Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Togami folded his arms, and looked down into them for a long time before he spoke. "You asked me for an explanation, and I gave it to you. Unstable as it is, it's the truth. Have I not given you all the information you need?"

"Togami…" Hinata had at least expected another apology, or something less evasive. But it was evasive in a way that he couldn't really refute, not without any more information – and as Koizumi had just said, they had nothing. The silence told him that much. If that was the truth, and that was really all Togami had to say, then was it possible that…

"I have a question for Togami-kun," Monobear said, cutting off his thoughts and breaking the silence. "Why is it that every time I tell you bastards what the trial's for, you all insist on getting off track? If you're just going to go around in circles about who was where and not give me any solid evidence of who killed Tsumiki-san, then I'll just have to start –"

"But aren't you being a little hasty?" To Hinata's surprise, Togami's words stopped Monobear clean in his tracks. "You haven't given them the chance to absorb the information. Are you really in such a hurry that you'd prefer to end your game here and now?"

Monobear was silent for a long time, though Monomi still screamed behind him, muffled by her gag. "Aaaarrrggghhhh," he finally said, the grunt rising in volume as it went on. "But if you're going to prove yourselves worthy of living, you'd better do it fast. I may be generous, but I don't have all the time in the world!"

"I'm aware." Togami nodded, and turned back to the rest. "Well?"

The quiet was deafening, but Hinata could see sparks of emotion return to the others' faces. They were all muttering to themselves, or tapping their chins – even Souda, uncertain as he looked, seemed at least to be in focus. Their determination buoyed him; if he were in any mood to examine himself, he could almost say Togami's stunt had restored his hope.

"If he had one person instead of six…" Koizumi watched as a few people turned their heads, then continued. "Would the number of people have made any difference? For any reason?"

"Why would it be –" Hinata paused. "Wait, you mean because of the body discovery announcement?"

"It just occurred to me…it went off pretty late, didn't it?" Koizumi scowled, looking unsure. "I'm pretty sure it didn't go off until the whole group of us went to see Mikan-chan. And that's because only Togami and Hinata saw the body."

Togami's eyebrows flew into his hair, but didn't otherwise react or respond. "So he kept us all asleep to make sure the body discovery announcement didn't go off?" Saionji said. "Was he trying to make us think she wasn't dead? Or was there something else he was doing?"

"H-he?" Mioda's hands twisted wildly around themselves, and she kept her gaze fixed firmly on Togami, who didn't seem to show any sign of seeing her. "Then we're really making accusations?"

"We really gotta remember we don't have any proof," Owari said, sounding strained.

"And I don't see why it matters," Kuzuryuu said. "I mean, sure, it went off late. But was there any reason we shouldn't have seen Tsu –"

He stopped short. "Souda," he said. "If Togami'd gone to the motel, or if the body discovery announcement had gone off, then everyone from the hotel would've gone past where Souda was."

"Huh…?" Souda turned and focused all his attention on Togami, his eyes wide. "Wait…what does that mean?"

The others had similar reactions, but with somewhat less energy and certainty. They were all uncomfortable, if they felt anything like what Hinata was feeling, but it was the discomfort of not completely having the truth in their hands. "But he didn't know," Hinata said. "There's no way he could've known…"

"But it's a good point, isn't it?" Nanami said. "Kuzuryuu-kun only found Souda-kun because he woke up early and found the footprints. If he hadn't, and Togami-kun had been any later finding him –"

"He would've died, right?" Owari said, drawing a pained look from Nanami – Hinata had a feeling she'd deliberately left that out of her observation. Souda was already agitated, but Hinata could tell the remark hadn't helped any.

"Y-yeah, but, anything you take away from that, it's just an assumption…" Mioda cringed. "Ibuki knows it's a really good assumption that makes perfect logical sense given the circumstances, but…"

"Despite our misgivings, it all seems a little too convenient." Tanaka gave Mioda a look that seemed too preemptively pregnant with meaning. "That the one who is sworn to protect us, even in a state of self-imposed exile, would execute an unreasonable and foolish action, one that would directly have led to the death of his charge, but for the intervention of Fate…"

"It doesn't make sense, does it…?" Togami's voice was so soft Hinata could hardly call it an interruption. "But how could you connect that to Tsumiki's death? How could you possibly produce any concrete evidence? I don't know if I can think of any…"

Togami trailed off, his words so soft that Hinata was half-sure they'd gone unheard. Those words should have comforted him, but there was something about them that didn't strike him quite right. "That's…I don't know," he said. "We have something…we have something strange. But I can't understand it. How could…"

"Hinata, don't start." Even though Koizumi was standing next to him, she was unwilling to look Hinata in the eye. "We can't assume the best of anyone. We know that."

"I know," Hinata said, but softly, only to himself. He knew where they were all coming from – they'd been betrayed too many times to trust anyone fully, even someone like Togami. But he still couldn't believe it himself. And he didn't have the proof necessary to fully accept betrayal.

"There's nothing…but there's, no, no, no, there's something…" Just as Mioda's voice was about to trail off, it jumped back to full volume. "Ibuki has it, the elusive proof! She knows Byakuya-chan's innocent!"

Togami's eyebrows flew into his hair, and Hinata felt as though his insides had turned to ice. "I dunno, he looks pretty guilty to me," he could just register that Saionji was saying. "So if you want to play tonsil hockey you better do it fast."

"Ibuki's going to ignore that for now!" Mioda announced, drowning out everyone else that had tried to respond. "Listen, listen – Byakuya-chan gave Kazuichi-chan his blood. Ibuki was there, she saw the whole thing!" She pointed at Togami with a dramatic flourish, looking quite proud of herself. "But if Byakuya-chan was going to save Kazuichi-chan's life, why would he put Kazuichi-chan in danger in the first place?"

The knowledge hit Hinata in a way he couldn't describe. He didn't know why he hadn't thought of it before – had it been the heat and frenzy of the trial? – but now it was perfectly clear. "That's right," he said, barely able to contain himself. "I was there too, and he definitely gave Souda his blood. He basically jumped at the chance…"

"Then you remember the exact details of when Togami-kun gave Souda-kun his blood." Hinata was surprised to hear Nanami speak, as she'd been oddly silent during the rest of the trial. Her expression was determined, but something in her voice didn't quite match – it was melancholy, almost hopeless.

"Er…" He hesitated for a moment. "Yeah, I do…"

"If that's the case…. can you give me an exact account of what happened?"

Hinata felt as though he'd been yanked back by the scruff of the neck – but he didn't know why, and he wished he could hold on to that lack of knowledge. "Well…" He closed his eyes, thinking back. "Togami ran out to get supplies to stitch Souda's wounds closed. He was gone for maybe a minute. He came back with the empty bag, then started drawing his own blood –"

"That was all that happened?" Nanami said. "You're not leaving anything out?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Then he didn't check for Souda-san's blood type?" Nanami said.

"…No. No, he didn't. Really, in all the commotion, I didn't even think…"

"Then, Togami-kun," Nanami said, turning to Togami, "When did you check to see what Souda-kun's blood type was?"

Hinata could barely focus on Togami's expression. Now that he thought of it, he hadn't seen him check Souda's blood type, or even thought about Souda's blood type at all. In the heat of the moment, he'd only assumed that Togami had taken care of it.

"But it doesn't matter, right?" Mioda jumped in before Togami could respond. "B-because, in the end, B-Byakuya-chan's blood was the right type for –"

"But that's the problem. His blood isn't the right type." Nanami lifted her Electronic Student ID out of her jacket, pressed the screen several times, and then held it up for all of them to see. "According to our electronic student profiles, Togami-kun's blood type is B. But if you look at Souda-kun's…" She swiped Togami's profile aside, replacing it with Souda's. "It's A. Their blood types are incompatible."


There was a moment where Hinata could have believed he'd misread. Many of the others pulled out their IDs and started navigating to Souda's profile, but just from Souda's horrified expression Hinata could tell what he would find before he got there. In any case he didn't have time to open his own before Souda and Togami's student profiles both appeared on the overhead screen, and there it was unmistakable.

"I don't get it…" Souda's voice was oddly small, given the intensity of the look on his face. "I don't…how the hell am I not dead…?"

"Dead?" Owari took a step back. "Wait, would it really be that serious?"

"Absolutely!" Nidai shouted. "Incompatible blood types are a major medical emergency! He should have gone into critical condition hours ago!"

"But he didn't," Hinata said, his voice shaking despite his efforts to stop it. "There hasn't been a single ill side effect. Is that even possible?"

He half-expected Tsumiki to speak up; some of the others looked to her portrait, just as confused. "If it isn't, and I'm sure it's not," Nanami said, "then the blood Souda-kun received had to be from a blood type compatible with his. There's no way around it. But, what does that mean, and why…?"

"Let's assume you're correct, Nanami."

Hinata's gut twisted as he looked at Togami. He'd been expecting a quick explanation, or at least a look of panic, but somehow Togami's expression hadn't changed at all. "Not necessarily that you're correct about Souda receiving a blood type compatible with his. That's entirely unmistakable. But let's assume you're correct in your assumption that it's relevant. So what if one, or both, of the listed blood types is wrong? It could very well be a clerical error. We don't know where our blood type data came from, but however it happened it could have been entered wrong. Isn't that so?"

"But that just brings up even more questions," Hinata said. "For one thing… you're the only one who would know whose blood type was correct, because you're the one who gave Souda his transfusion. But you haven't given anyone a straight answer about that." He looked Togami in the eye. "That's not a logical thing to do, especially when we're short on time…"

"Is there really anything I need to say?" Togami's voice was so soft Hianta could barely hear it. "Is it something you really need explai–"

"Hey, leaving that aside for time's sake," Koizumi said, completely drowning Togami out. "It has to be Togami's blood type that's wrong, isn't it?"

"Togami's?" Owari said. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, Souda wasn't conscious when you did the transfusion." Koizumi gripped at her arms. "If his blood type had been anything else, then they would have been incompatible anyway."

"Indeed," Tanaka said, slightly muffled by his scarf. "He could not have personally communicated his status unless he had mastered the art of astral projection, which at a glance I can tell he has not."

Souda whipped his head around. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean–"

"Souda-kun, it's okay," Nanami said. "Yours has to be right."

"I dunno," Saionji said. "What if it was some other blood type that just happened to be compatible?"

"No, you're right." Souda shook against his restraints, trying to pull himself up to look Nanami in the eye. "Yeah…it's A…"

Hinata didn't have to act surprised, because he wasn't. Somehow, he'd known all along. "But that brings us back to where we started," he said. "Togami…why didn't we know this before? It would've been easier just to tell us right then and there. Hell, I'm type A. If I'd known, I could've helped Souda too. So why are you–"

"Why am I what?" After so many instances of Togami speaking so softly, his volume filled Hinata with a momentary burst of fear. "Being so unhelpful? Not telling you exactly what you want to know exactly when you think you would have wanted to know it?"

He folded his arms. "Very well. I'll tell you now what I had no chance to tell you before. My blood type is wrong. It's O-negative. I did know Souda's blood type from the Electronic Student ID, but no matter his type my blood would have saved him. I didn't happen to share this because we had other things on our minds." He narrowed his eyes. "As I recall, you never asked to know his blood type, Hinata."

"Well…" Hinata gritted his teeth. "When the transfusion worked, I didn't really have a reason…"

"Precisely. Does that prove anything about you?" Togami said. "I'm not stating an objective fact. Go on. You tell me. Give me your conclusions. Solve the mysteries you created. Isn't that the entire point of the school trial? To examine and nitpick until there's nothing left?"

"But that's not all there is to this, Togami-kun," Nanami said. "You're right. It doesn't prove anything, not directly. But you just said it was a mystery, and you're making us solve it for information that you've withheld from us for no good reason." She suddenly looked very sad. "Togami-kun, we're all very confused, and this is the last thing we need. Please…"

"Nanami…" Hinata stopped short, unsure of how to continue. Instead he looked around at the others, who'd all at least caught wind of the same thing he had, and looked unsettled by it, if not outright scared. All except Togami, who looked calmer than ever before, even outside the trial.

"What am I doing…?" Togami's glance slid to the side; if Hinata had to put a name to it, he'd say he looked almost dreamlike. "Ah…that's another question you're posing to yourselves. Am I deliberately hiding things? Or do I simply know you can solve them? That's another mystery on top of the mysteries…this really is getting boring, isn't it…"

"Ah, Byakuya-chan?" Mioda said, her hands shaking as she attempted to twist them together. "Y-y-you're not usually…this…"

"I wanted you to be further than this by now, but I can't stand watching you go around in circles all the time," Togami said, speaking over her. "Should I reveal everything, just to speed things along? Or should I go little by little, and see if you get any smarter? Any revelation could send things in an entirely different direction…"

"Hey, shut up!" Kuzuryuu pounded his bandaged fist on the trial stand, gritting his teeth against the pain. "What does this have to do with Tsumiki's killer, anyway? I don't know why you're stalling, but–"

"Kuzuryuu-kun, I don't think that's going to work." Nanami looked back up at Togami. "I can figure one thing out. The blood transfusion…you did it on purpose, didn't you? You were trying to bring attention to the error. Of course…" Her face darkened. "If it was a simple error…would it matter so much?"

"Whoa whoa whoa, hold the phone!" Mioda interrupted. "What would a blood type have to do with anything? It's just blood! Everyone has blood! Even Ibuki has blood, believe it or not!"

"Nanami..." Togami gave Nanami an odd look – almost a condescending one, Hinata thought. "If you have something to say, then say it."

All eyes turned to Nanami, and Hinata could feel the hush in the room. Nanami's lip twisted, and she looked from Togami, to Tsumiki's portrait, to her own card. "Is it an error on the card…or an error in the person?" she said. "And which would you be the most eager to hide?"

"In the person?" Nidai said. "But how is that possible…?"

"Chiaki-chan, what's going on?" Koizumi said. "What are you-"

"Oh, is that it?" Togami said. "You're saying and not saying it at the same time… you're clever and you're noble, what a combination. Well…should I say that's close enough? Or should I watch you be forced to say it? Go on. You tell me what you think would be best."

Nanami didn't speak, not for a long time, and in that hesitation Hinata found himself trying not to call out in fear. It wasn't the games that were frustrating him. It was the fact that Togami was playing them at all. He'd always strove for clarity, for the quickest way to safety…and even if he was implicated, even if he did… wouldn't he have had a reason? Wouldn't he have at least explained? What was the point in torturing them if he was… about to die? Really…in that light…was the meaning of anything he was doing?

Why? was all he could think, over and over. Why is the school trial going in this direction? He didn't have an answer. He only had the vague feeling that he was trapped.


"Oh, for heaven's sake, take a breath."

Nanami did take a breath, though her eyes were still wide, and then looked over at Togami, confused. Something in his voice sounded softer than before, and Hinata desperately wanted to believe it was a voice of compassion.

"There's no point in putting you at an impasse if nothing's going to happen," he said. "It's just the same situation as before, and I'm only going to get bored if it goes on like this… but given you know what I know, and I know you know what I know… well, I'm not going to let you get in the way."

He pulled his shoulders up straight, and a smirk played its way across his features. "There's one thing you've all gotten wrong. Byakuya Togami's blood type is correct. Byakuya Togami's blood type has been B from the day of his birth, and his Electronic Student ID card reflects this accurately."

A burst of chatter rolled through the crowd, banishing any attempt at further thought from Hinata's mind. "But that's the opposite of what you said before!" Nidai was the first to say. "You said your blood type was -"

"I did," Togami said. "But I didn't say it was Byakuya Togami's. An error in the card, or an error in the person… Now, think. Why do you think Nanami would ask me that kind of question?"

Hinata didn't have to think. He wanted to think, he wanted to question and delve and probe into everything. But for the first time all night – no, for the first time in a very, very long time – Togami was being perfectly clear. And he hated every second of it.

"It's because…" He stopped. He couldn't go that far yet. "No, what you're trying to say is…you're not Byakuya Togami. Is that right?"

If he'd come out and said it at the beginning, Hinata was sure there would have been more of a collective sense of shock. As it was, Hinata knew the others were smart, and he knew their skills had been honed by two trials already. He was sure they'd already figured it out. They were just feeling the same kind of stillness he was - the crushing weight of confirmation.

The majority of them were looking down, not yet able to confront it. Mioda alone kept her head held high, looking the person that had claimed to be Togami in the eye, confused and curious rather than shocked. Her lips were moving, but only slightly. Hinata was certain he could sightread them. She was saying "Byakuya-chan", over and over, but he was sure only she could hear herself...

"Do I even need to say it?" the person in front of them said. "I think there's not much I could do to prove otherwise. If you want a "yes", then yes. Is that enough?"

Was this…it, then? Had this been the secret Togami had been so worried about telling the rest? But…no, somehow it didn't match up. Togami had been so concerned, so afraid of the consequences, so careful about whatever that secret could be. But in the trial he'd dangled the secret over them like bait, playing with them before throwing it in their faces…

"But, wait, if you're not Togami, then when did you switch?" Owari tapped her chin, looking more confused with every word. "And how'd you kick his ass? He's huge! I mean, you're also pretty big, but-"

"Akane-chan…" Koizumi's face colored with anger. "That's completely impossible. How could anyone switch with Togami without us noticing a difference…?"

"And there could not be a seventeenth individual on the island," Tanaka said. "And as I detect no hint of shape-shifting magic…truly, this is the same individual who appeared with us in the classroom at the beginning. But whether or not he is whom he has claimed…"

"There's plenty of reasons someone could be acting dog-face-banana-patch, though!" Mioda said, quickly. "Even Kazuichi-chan and Chiaki-chan and Ibuki, we saw them all acting weird, and…" She grinned, suddenly. "The Despair Fever! It's – that's it! Byakuya-chan's just got the Despair Fever and there's no way he's–"

"Except Despair Fever can't switch a person's blood type," Saionji said.

"But he could be lying about the blood type thing–!"

"But they're not!" Monobear interrupted. "Byakuya Togami's blood type is B! There's never been a single mistake on any of the Electronic Student ID Cards!"

Monobear's words struck a nerve in Hinata's mind. "Wait, how did you know that?" he shouted. "Did you know about this the entire time?" Monobear was silent, but Monomi screamed more shrilly than ever, and swung violently back and forth.

"I never thought you'd think that you'd known the real Byakuya Togami, or that he'd been replaced," the person said, speaking over Monomi. "But why would you think that? Is it because you think it'd be too hard for someone to disguise themselves as Byakuya Togami? Is it because you think, "How could anyone make themselves look like that?" A change in the voice or clothes can be vital for personal reasons, but what good are personal details when your marks have never –"

"Voice." Nanami's words brought them to a halt. "Just like with the blood types, you said "voice" on purpose."

They didn't respond, and neither did anyone else. The room had come to recognize that Nanami had information that none of the others did – but given what he'd just learned, Hinata didn't want to think about that just yet.

"Wait…" Kuzuryuu's eyes narrowed. "Are you saying that has something to do with the case?"

"Not just something. It's the most vital piece of evidence we could have. It points directly to this person's involvement in Souda-kun's attack and Tsumiki-kun's murder."

Mioda froze where she stood, her mouth open and her hands clutching her trial stand. Hinata found he couldn't look - he had to keep his attention on Nanami. "This person's already told us that they knew exactly how Souda-kun's illness worked. They said that they would perceive Sonia-san's face or voice as their own, and Souda-kun's face or voice as someone else's. In the darkness, just a little makeup would be enough to disguise Tsumiki-san's face. But Souda-kun also heard his own voice, the previous night. This person just admitted they could disguise their voice… and not only that, they could also have come up with the idea to disguise Tsumiki-san's face in the first place…"

There was a quick, pointed silence, one that Hinata wished could last forever. "It fits the mold, then," Koizumi said, her voice small. "We know there was a second person the hospital ward. Someone had to strangle her, and position her on the bed…"

She looked across the room, her hands shaking with rage. "Well?" she said. "It was you, wasn't it? You killed Mikan-chan!"


From the moment it became clear to Hinata who the person in front of him was, and what they'd done, he'd been watching the anger building in everyone's eyes – and he knew it for what it was, because it was building up inside him, too. And it wasn't just about Tsumiki – as much as that hurt, he'd been long prepared for that. And he'd been trying to hold it in. He'd been trying to hope that it wasn't as bad as it sounded. But hearing that everything he'd known and grown to trust was a lie, and that person…

It wasn't that they weren't Byakuya Togami. That was the farthest thing from his mind, and he couldn't even stand to think of how that information might have gone over if not for this. He'd thought they were his friend, someone he could count on and trust to be honest, to be sincere, to try their best no matter how many mistakes they made, and now…

He couldn't pray for a denial. He knew he wasn't going to get one, or an affirmation at that. He couldn't trust this person to do anything but stand and look at them, with that sick smug look on their face, watching them flounder in their own fear, and confusion, and rage, and…

"How could you?" He heard and barely absorbed Koizumi's voice from within the dull roar that had grown up around him. "After all we've been through, and all you've done…how could you be lying to us this entire time…?"

"You bastard!" Souda pushed hard against the restraints on his wheelchair, and craned to look the person he'd once known as Togami in the eye. "You – and Tsumiki –" He winced, grabbed at his stomach, and sat back in his chair. "I'm gonna "

"No, no, we don't know if they did anything…" Amazingly, though her voice was weak and her body was shaking, Mioda was still determined to speak. "That can't be concrete proof…and they still haven't said yes or no…and we can't just jump to the worst without making sure the best is totally impossible…" She lifted her head, and looked the person she'd once known as Byakuya-chan in the eye. "R-right–?"

Her voice trailed off, but when it did Hinata heard a faint chuckling – and he wasn't surprised at the grin on that person's face, or the faraway look in their eyes. "I've underestimated all of you," they said. "Just a half hour ago you thought you had nothing, and now…"

"Then you're admitting it," Kuzuryuu snarled. "You killed her!"

They opened their mouth, but Kuzuryuu didn't wait for them to go any further. His breath was coming in rapid gasps, and Hinata could see his shoulders were shaking. "You know what, I don't want to know. Why you killed her, why you teamed up with her, whatever. I don't even want to think about caring. We've been down here for hours, and now that we're not going to die it doesn't matter." He raised his bandaged fist over the middle of his trial stand. "I'm voting–"

"NO YOU'RE NOT!" Nidai bellowed, stopping Kuzuryuu in his tracks. Tears were rolling down Nidai's cheeks, and Hinata could barely stand to look at his face. "None of us can let our emotions get the better of us, not unless we take hold of those emotions and use them to achieve victory!" He took a deep breath, and clenched his fist. "If we must vote for this person, then that is how it must be… but we must find out all we can before we do. Togami was my friend…and for the sake of our memories together, I must know the full truth!"

Kuzuryuu still scowled at Nidai, but the scene didn't have time to play itself out. "The full truth?" 'Togami' folded their arms across their chest. "That's as vague as it comes. You have an answer you're satisfied with…what more could you possibly want to know? Go on. Say the first thing that you can think."

They looked directly at Hinata as they spoke. It wasn't so much a denial, Hinata knew, as a challenge he knew he had to take. He turned to face his friend, his eyes narrowed. "If you're not Togami," he said, "then who are you?"

Their eyes went wide, and they fixed Hinata with an unsettling stare. "Who am I?" they said. "That's about as loaded a question as they come. If I said I was Byakuya Togami, would that be true or untrue? There are some who are born as Byakuya Togami who live as Byakuya Togami and die as Byakuya Togami and then there are those who are born as nothing, and live as nothing, but for one fleeting moment they become something that is and isn't Byakuya Togami, someone for whom Byakuya Togami can be everything they never could and bring them into a new way of–"

"Hey, how hard is it to give us a name?" Owari shouted. "Whoever you are, shit or get off the pot!"

"The answer is, without him I'm nothing!" The volume of their shout sent Hinata backward – and their sudden quiet startled him even more. "But when I entered your class, they told me that because I was nothing I could become anything I wished," they said in a voice that was barely a whisper. "Anything…or anyone…"

None of this makes any sense, Hinata thought – but only for a second before the pieces fell together in a way he could comprehend more easily. "Then…you're the traitor," he said. "It's just like Monobear said… You're one of the World Destroyers, and you took Togami's place in–"

"Are you serious?" They jerked their head up and shot Hinata a plainly condescending look. "No, really, is that actually an answer you're satisfied with? I never said that Byakuya Togami was a member of your class. Nothing about the Electronic Student ID Cards tells you that he was meant to be a student. But, me, as my own person…" They gave a large, exaggerated sigh, and their voice grew low and languid. "Ah, it's true, isn't it, what she said to me…? Now that the secret is out, even my own classmates are rejecting me. It's quite a disappointment. Enough to drive anyone into despair."

They put an especial emphasis on "despair", sending a chill down Hinata's spine. "She?" he mouthed. "Who's…"

"Okay, where exactly is this going?" Saionji said, "I don't wanna do this anymore – I wanna go home!"

"Just what the hell happened to you…" Souda's fingers were drumming against the armrest of his wheelchair, and he looked more angry than shocked. "None of this is making any sense anymore!"

"Byakuya-chan…" Mioda's voice was so quiet Hinata could barely hear it, but only when she said Togami's name – for the rest, she spoke up. "It wasn't all a lie, was it? Everything you ever did…for everyone? For Ibuki...?"

Her voice trailed off, and for the first time Hinata thought he saw what she looked like in defeat. "Ibuki-chan, we're past this," Koizumi said, sounding grim. "You've–"

"In the interest of truth?" For the first time in what felt like an eternity, their voice sounded familiar. "No. It wasn't. But, that might leave you wondering. Why would an heir apparent, brimming with hope, suddenly commit an act dripping with despair? What experience could create that kind of a distance in action…"

"No! Just – shut up!" Koizumi shouted. "If you don't have anything useful to say, then don't say it!"

"It wasn't a lie?" Mioda lifted her head, looking curious, and ignoring Koizumi entirely. "But…then…"

"Do I really have to fuckin' spell it out for you?!" the person shouted, their voice screeching. "You just said it, and you already dismissed it! Does it really take so much to think about it? A trigger that changes mindsets and worldviews?"

The personality change was so rapid Hinata could hardly process it, but as much as he didn't want to think about that anymore, he knew his ordeal was far from over. "The Despair Fever," he heard Nanami say. Her voice sounded raw, and her eyes were red-rimmed. "That's what you're looking for me to say, isn't it? It can't change blood types, but…"

"But that's impossible." Hinata looked instinctively at Nanami. "The Despair Fever was definitely…"

"It was expunged by mysterious means!" Tanaka said. "If you say you contracted the fever…then why were you not cured with the others?"

"How disappointing…" the person said, now sounding oddly forlorn. "That's it, and yet it isn't it. The fever was never the behavior. It outlived its purpose the moment it was born. It was only…" They turned to look at the screen behind them. "Never mind. I think I've gotten bored with waiting for you to puzzle it out..."

Without warning lights dimmed in the trial chamber, and the room's screen flickered to life. "Perhaps you know the context of what you're about to see, Hinata," they said. "I had just left you in the lobby, to return Mioda to her room, and make sure Tsumiki didn't need any additional help…"

Hinata recognized the scene. It was the inside of one of the wards, seen through a security camera view. He could only see the back half of the room, mainly the door, which someone had opened and was entering. It looked like the person standing in front of him... but there was something different about them, something he recognized immediately, and hadn't realized he'd been missing. It was the person he'd been used to knowing. The Togami he'd been used to knowing.

"Tsumiki," Togami said, "there you are. Mioda wandered into the front hall, and I put her back in her room."

He stood silent for a moment, his expression curious. Tsumiki wasn't visible in the footage, but in the stunned silence of the trial room Hinata could just barely hear a faint rasping noise, as though someone was breathing in and out very close to the camera. Hinata assumed that Tsumiki – if it was her breathing – was standing in a blind spot, perhaps just to its side.

"Hinata and I are about to head back to the hotel," Togami said, after she didn't reply for several seconds. "If there's anything you need from us before we leave–"

"Miserable..."

Togami stopped, his eyes wide. "Come again?"

"How miserable you must be…" A shadow fell in front of the camera, then receded as Tsumiki stepped forward. There was something unsettling about her movement, Hinata thought, once she was far enough away from the camera for it to register: it was slow, unsettlingly slow. "Alone, friendless, and afraid … day in and day out, it tortures me…"

Togami blinked several times. "Er, Tsumiki…?"

"But deep down you knew what I'd do for you, didn't you? You knew…you believed…" Her head grew larger in the camera's view as she slowly advanced on Togami. "You won't have to be trapped in this prison of a mind any longer…"

Togami looked stunned, but only for a second before he started heading for the door. "Tsumiki, I think you've contracted the Despair Fever. Stay where you are, and I'll be back in a moment with help–"

"I remember now…" Tsumiki grabbed him by the shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. "I remember who I am…and who you are. I've come to do your will…I've come to awaken your despair…"

"Tsumiki, don't move!" Togami took another large step back. "I'm going to the motel to get the others. Don't –"

In the blink of an eye, Tsumiki lunged – and the next thing Hinata saw was Togami stumbling back, clutching his neck. Then he shuddered, and stood still for a moment, as Tsumiki stood some distance away, watching him. Then, slowly but surely, he stood up straight, brushing the dirt from his shoulders and adjusting his collar.

"Enoshima-dono…" Tsumiki spoke slowly, haltingly, as if in reverence, and bowed her head as the rest of her body shook.

Then the video cut out.


"Enoshima…?"

Hinata rolled the unfamiliar name on his tongue. Something in the way Tsumiki had said it chilled him to the bone. "Who…who's Enoshima?"

"Hmm…now what is this?" Hinata looked slowly in Monobear's direction. He stood still in his chair as he spoke, and it occurred to Hinata that he couldn't remember the last time he had spoken. "Did someone say "Enoshima"? Is that what I heard?"

Monomi's eyes went wide, and the rope holding her went still. "Do you…" Hinata's voice echoed in the silence. "Do you know what that means?"

"Hmmm, maybe I do, maybe I don't," Monobear said. "But that's not what matters right now. What matters is that "Enoshima" happens to be the password!" He raised his paw into the air, and waved it around his head. "O-kay, Monomi can speak now! Not that I think you'll want to hear what she has to say!"

In a flash of light, the cloth gag fell from Monomi's face. Hinata only had a second's glance at her shocked face before she whipped herself back and forth, shouting at the top of her lungs. "E-everyone! You have to run away! You're in tewwible danger – the Impostor, they're trying to trick you, it's a trap–!"

"It looks like that dramatic device didn't work out quite as planned." The person – the Impostor, Monomi had called them – gave Monomi a hard glare, and Monomi stopped, shaking and shivering. Hinata couldn't tell if they'd intimidated her into silence, or if she truly could not talk. "After all, that was only the beginning, and she needs to wait for the end…"

"But…" Hinata couldn't speak before the others overpowered him. "What was Tsumiki doing?" they were saying, or "Enoshima? Who's that? It sounds familiar…", or, "Then everything you've said, what does it mean?" or "Run? But where are we running?" Only two of them weren't speaking – Mioda, who was rocking back and forth on her heels with her hands clamped over her mouth, and Tanaka, who was looking down into his scarf.

The Impostor showed no sign of answering any of them. They had their path and they were sticking to it, and nothing anyone else could say could drown them out or stop them from being heard. "My loyal servant," they said, looking over at Tsumiki's portrait next to them. "None of this would have been possible without her. Whether she had her orders, or came up with it herself, I don't know, but that she actually remembered…well, I suppose I'm not surprised. But she knew the form the Impostor's fever would have to take, and that one not unlike her own…"

"In case you haven't been following along," Monobear interrupted, "that means both of them had what I like to call the "Memory Fever"! Now what do you think that did to them?"

The "memory fever"? Deep in the back of his mind Hinata knew what that meant, but everything was happening too fast for him to understand. What had happened to finding Tsumiki's killer, of all things–?!

"NO!" Monomi shouted. "Stop it, you're deceiving them, you're–"

"Oh, they thought they could destroy me," the Impostor said. "They thought they could give my body back to something worse than the nothing I'd destroyed long ago in a fit of despair…oh, but now he's dead and destroyed for good!" They crossed their arms across their chest, pointing devil-horns with their hands. "And I'm done impersonating a fucking impersonation forever! There's nothing to call nothing now – nothing but despair!"

They sighed, and their hands settled back on their hips. "Ah, but I'm getting off track… though there's not too much I have to say about what happened next, is there?"

"Like hell there is!" Souda said. "Why'd–"

"Why'd we target you?" the Impostor said, resting their chin in their hands. "Because…you were there? You were vulnerable, you were suffering? Something like that… or do you mean the broad strokes? Because that part's easy enough for even you to understand. For despair, the fear of death is like a calling card…a simple but effective way of spreading their word." They sighed. "And here I thought you of all people, the one they once called the "Architect of Death"… oops, but that's just a little too much information…"

"Architect…of death…?" Souda rolled the words over on his tongue, and Hinata could tell he was about as confused about them as anyone else – although he looked significantly more afraid. "Wait…that's…"

"Or was it "why" as in, why'd I save you? Well...it just made this trial all the more interesting, didn't it…? Really, it never would have been without your help. If you'd just died, then where would your classmates be, without the despair of knowing you were never saved at all? Without the despair of knowing their great leader only condescended himself to the lowest and most pathetic of their classmates in order to make the simplest and most insignificant of statements?" Despite the Impostor's words, their eyes glazed over as they spoke. "But that leads us back to the point of the trial, doesn't it? With dear, sweet, Tsumiki-san…"

"Okay, we get it, we know you killed her," Kuzuryuu said, shaking with what looked like anger, and looking back down at his stand. "I said I'd heard enough ages ago…!"

"And do I hear the voting starting? I don't fucking think so!" the Impostor shouted. "But…hmmmm. I think it will, in a second, when I say it starts."

Something in their words sounded very off to Hinata – more so than it had ever been. "Wait…when you say?" Owari said. "But that's up to Monobear–"

"Alright, I think I've heard all I need to hear!" Monobear interrupted. "Your time's up, and it's time to get those votes a-rollin in!"

Monobear? Why aren't you reacting a little more to this?! He seemed too fresh and flippant about the situation – and more than ever Hinata felt like he had nowhere to run. "And I'm going to give you a hint," the Impostor said. "It's going to be very subtle, so you might need a little while to figure it out. So here it is: vote for Tsumiki-san, if you want to live."

The hall, already quiet, somehow seemed to get quieter. Everyone had heard what the Impostor said, but none of them wanted any reason to believe it. "Tsumiki…?" Hinata said. "But…"

"But why would we do that?" Koizumi said. "Even after all she did, you already said you killed her…"

"Wait…you did say you killed her, right?" Saionji said. "Is this one of those tricks…?!"

"All I'm saying is, if you vote for me, then you're all going to die, and so am I…" The Impostor buried their head in their hands, making a loud sobbing sound, before they lifted it up again, revealing twisted rage. "So you better fucking vote the way I fucking told you!"

"The voting has begun!" Monobear said, lifting his paw. "Use the switches in front of you! Chop-chop, time's a-wasting!"

"Oh dear," Monomi mumbled, shivering. "Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear…I need to…I need…to…"

Monomi stopped – for whatever reason she couldn't continue. But whatever she was going to say, Hinata doubted it would have helped him much – there was really only one thing he could do, and that was take a leap of faith. He pressed Tsumiki's button, and as far as he could tell only Mioda had beaten him to the punch.

There was a long, long pause as the others hit their buttons. The Impostor was the last – they considered the panel for a long time before making their choice. Then Monobear appeared to stir; he sat up, scratched his chin, and then spoke. "Hmmmmm…" he said. "And wouldn't you know it, you bastards are right three times in a row! That's right, the student who killed Mikan Tsumiki…"

"Was Mikan Tsumiki herself!" The Impostor said, speaking in unison with Monobear. Hinata wasn't extremely shocked – really, given the evidence, it all made too much more sense than ever. But how, with the Impostor's involvement –

"Tsumiki…killed herself?!" Nidai shouted. "But…was it out of remorse? Was it–"

"Remorse?" The Impostor tapped their glasses twice with their fingertips. "Oh, I should know very well. You already knew I was there. You already knew I took her down from the pipe, that I disposed of the rope and positioned her on the bed for you to see… but, oh. She was loyal. She was loyal to the bitter end… she knew this wasn't her victory to have, she knew the despair that needed to occur within the moment… and there were still the conditions of this ridiculous game to fulfill. She knew what she had to do for me. She knew the role I had to play. So you could say it was my order… but really, it's more accurate to say she came up with it herself…"

"No…" Mioda looked as though she was forcing herself to keep looking at the Impostor. "No…that's not…you'd never…this isn't…"

"But as a servant, she did what she was made for," the Impostor said, putting their hands on their hips. "And I still had another. Well, I have another. In fact, they're in this room right now…"

"A second servant?" Hinata looked around at the others, who all, for certain, looked just as surprised as he did. Was it another lie, or – was it even something he had the time to think about? Tsumiki had killed herself, the trial was over – but even then, without an execution, it didn't feel like it had even begun –

"Well, maybe "servant" isn't the right word. But never mind the details." They folded their arms, and gave the crowd an unambiguously sinister look. "We have other things to take care of. We've had the trial, and we've had the vote, but there's one more condition of the mutual killing we've got to get out of the way before this is done. The killer may be dead, but to satisfy the viewers, we just can't have a trial without an execution…!"

"An execution?!" Hinata blurted.

"Wait, who's getting executed?" Nanami said, her voice dark with worry.

"You can't just SAY people are going to get executed!" Kuzuryuu shouted.

"But that's…oh, you don't know, and you don't understand…" Monomi started, then shuddered. "Oh, dear…I have to say it…but…I don't know what's better or what's worse…"

"If you're not gonna say anything useful, then shut up," Owari said. "Oy, Monobear! What're they talking about, an execution?!"

"Hm? Monobear? Oh…you mean that, don't you?" They turned and pointed at Monobear, keeping their distance. The entire time they had been talking, Monobear had sat perfectly still, without moving or making a sound – and this time was no different.

"Yeah, what else would we mean?" Saionji said. "He's the one who has to say it, not you!"

"I think I'd like a few more answers than that," Koizumi said. "What's really going on? We've made our vote…why aren't you saying anything?"

Monobear sat still, without making a sound, but the Impostor did nothing of the sort. "I really don't understand any of you at all," they said. They lowered their arm, then, to Hinata's surprise, stepped down from their trial stand and started walking toward Monobear's throne. "You've placed all this trust in him, even after all he's done…"

The Impostor walked up to Monobear, put their hands at his sides, and lifted him right up into their arms. Monobear yielded directly to them, following their movements and offering no resistance, as if he were really the stuffed doll he claimed to be.

"Wait…" Tanaka's voice was quiet, and his hands were quivering around his scarf. "This is…what is this…?!"

"How is he doing that…?" Nanami clenched her fist around her heart. "How is he not resisting?"

"Because really, without an operator, he's nothing but a puppet!" It was Monobear's voice, that much was for sure – but it was the Impostor's, too, weaving in and out of Monobear's in a kind of unison, one where it sounded like the voices were battling for dominance. The Impostor turned to face them all, holding Monobear up over their head, as if his mouth was speaking in both their voices. "And if you really want him to say it so badly…then yes, there's going to be an execution! But who is it going to be…"

There was a cacophony of confused protests, but the Impostor and Monobear ignored them all. They scanned the crowd, slowly but carefully - and then, as if it had been their target all along, they came to rest on Monomi. "Ah, of course," they said. "Of course, of course, of course…"

"Monomi…!?" Nanami gasped, and covered her mouth with her hand. "But…no…she didn't do anything wrong at all!"

"N-no, no no no…" Monomi's eyes went wide, and she swung back and forth on her rope. "How could you do this…how could this possibly – ?!" She looked up to the ceiling, and started to scream. "HELP! ANYONE! Pwease – the Impostor – they've taken over the entire program – you have to help them – you've –"

"Huuuh? What's that, Monomi?" The Impostor moved Monobear's paw to his mouth. "Trying to send a message to the outside? You're smarter than I gave you credit for. But you've known it was against the rules from the beginning, haven't you? And even now you're not sure they can hear you…"

"The outside…" Souda looked in the same direction Monomi had. "Wait, what do you mean by that–"

"Forget that," Kuzuryuu said. "What the hell do you mean by these "rules"?"

"Do they mean…the school trip rules?" Nidai said. "But there's nothing in there about the outside! …Can someone hear us?!"

"Hey, it's none of your business!" Monobear said, throwing his arms up in the air before slumping back into an inert state. The Impostor dropped their arms as well, looking up from over Monobear's head. "You know, I kept up our end of the bargain, Monomi-chan," they said. "I didn't harm a single hair on the traitor's head. That's what you've been worried about, isn't it? That's why you've been so…compliant, still?"

Nanami gasped behind her hands, but Hinata was one of the few that noticed. All eyes were on Monomi – who, far from looking scared, almost looked braver than ever, perhaps because of this admission. "You're not going to get away with this," she said. "They're going to come in – they're going to get you help –"

"But you didn't keep up your end of yours. You betrayed my trust, and above all you broke the rules…and I could very well have killed the traitor in the first place, you know I could have. But that was never what I had in mind to begin with. The spares were taken care of before we ever got here, but now…"

"Pwease," Monomi said, now appealing to the ceiling again, "You have to understand, this isn't their fault – there's a way to help them – you have to keep going, you can't lose your hope in these kids, they're –"

It was all over in an instant. One second Monobear had flown out of the Impostor's arms, heading for her with his claws outstretched – and then the next second he was on the floor, lying inert next to the remains of what had once been Monomi. She'd been sliced directly down the middle, and the floor around the rope was spread with loose cotton.


For a moment the Impostor stood still, staring at the remains of what had once been their teacher. The others were nowhere near as quiet. Nanami had screamed but her scream was only one of many, including Hinata's own. It wasn't just Monomi's death. It was how it had happened, the impossibility, the destruction of every limit he thought he could stay within and how he couldn't possibly predict what could happen next.

The Impostor looked up, decidedly ignoring all their screams, and a grin spread across their face. "And now that that's over…a new game is about to begin," they said, fixing them all with a hollow stare. "Not one with mutual killing. Now that we've fulfilled the trial and the execution, that one's run its course. This one's a lot simpler, and it only has one condition…"

The screen behind their head lit up, displaying – to Hinata's surprise – the countdown clock in the park. He could clearly see the display – 9 DAYS LEFT. "An ultimatum," the Impostor continued. "That, and the lives that need to be sacrificed for it."

They laughed, a cold, cruel laugh. "I could tell you to go to the rules for the rest, but there's one in particular that I think I might need to demonstrate – the potential consequences for the hostages when the objects of the game don't comply with the rules." Now they were the one looking up at the ceiling, as if someone up there could see them. "Are you all watching? Every single last one of you?"

Whatever consequence the Impostor was about to demonstrate, Hinata never knew. Out of the corner of his eye he saw that Nidai had vanished – and then an enormous hand clamped itself over the Impostor's mouth, and another grabbed them around the middle from behind.

Nidai pushed his hands in, holding them fast, and despite their best efforts the Impostor showed no signs of breaking free. "EVERYONE RUN!" he shouted. "GET TO THE ELEVATOR, NOW!"

Hinata didn't know if the same sudden fog was building in everyone else's minds, but they were running, and he wasn't. He didn't know what was holding him back. Was it fear? Was it desperation? He needed to move. Every fiber of his being was telling him to MOVE

But he wasn't. He could tell Nidai was watching, he could tell Nidai was scared for him – but the Impostor wasn't. The person that looked like a cruel parody of someone that had once been his friend wasn't struggling, not anymore – no, they were smiling

"Nidai, Nidai, Nidai. Were you listening to a word I was saying?" they said. "Ordinarily I'd congratulate you on volunteering…but there's one thing that hasn't changed, you know. Violence against the headmaster is forbidden. It's against the rules…"

It was only then that Hinata saw the dark, swirling black shapes that had formed above Nidai's head. He hadn't seen them before – half-because he'd been focused on the people below, half-because he'd thought they were somehow tricks of the light – but then they sharpened into points overhead, and he saw them shooting down, right into Nidai's neck.

A spray of blood shot from his mouth, and he crumpled to a heap on the floor.

Hinata ran, then. He ran despite the tears burning in his eyes, he ran despite the screams and shouts, he ran even though he wasn't sure what kind of an action might get him killed, he ran barely knowing who he was passing. He was sure he saw Owari pulling a struggling, shouting Mioda along, covering her mouth and eyes as she went, and he was sure he saw Nanami pushing Souda's wheelchair. But his focus was on the elevator, praying for it to open –

And it did, as soon as Nanami and Souda approached. Hinata was surprised before he realized that of course the elevator would be open – the trial was over, and they were all supposed to go back to the surface. But he couldn't think of what could have been. He leapt inside, one of the last to get in, and as he turned around he couldn't help but look back.

He couldn't see Nidai's body anymore, but he could see the Impostor adjusting their jacket and brushing themselves off. He braced himself for the next threat, the next malfunction – but it didn't come. Instead, he heard Nanami's voice, raw and tragic, speaking from behind him. "Tanaka-kun! What are you doing?"

Hinata hadn't realized until that moment that Tanaka hadn't gotten in the elevator. He was standing just outside, his back turned to all of them. He almost seemed to be staring the Impostor down, and, miraculously, the Impostor seemed to be staring back…

"TANAKA!" Koizumi shouted, lunging for Tanaka's shoulder. "We have to GO–"

"There is dark magic at work, the likes of which can overpower even our captor," Tanaka said, grabbing her hand and pushing it back. "It is not the time or place for me to run, not when this is the only battle I can possibly fight –"

"What – NO!" Koizumi was screaming now. "You're completely delusional! Magic isn't real –!"

"It is, and you've seen its work on the substantial one," Tanaka said. "Whether or not my own can match up… I have at least the power to buy the rest of you some time."

"Oh, no you don't!" Owari shouted. "If anyone's fighting, it's gonna be me–"

She let go of Mioda and pushed forward to grab Tanaka's shoulder, but he turned suddenly, and stepped into the elevator. He ignored all the others and approached Mioda, who despite her struggle was now standing perfectly still, and looking Tanaka directly in the eye.

"You were a great ally to the Dark Gods in their time of need, songful one," he said, reaching into his muffler and pulling the Four Dark Gods of Destruction out from the inside. He looked sad, there was no doubt of that – but there was a power behind that sadness Hinata felt like he could have faith in. "I trust you will continue to practice your loyalty to them."

He placed the hamsters in Mioda's hands, and she cupped them slightly, unwilling to let them go even as they squirmed. She looked at Tanaka, as if she were about to speak, but only nodded. Tanaka nodded back – and then, before anyone could stop him, he mashed the elevator's button with his fist. "Now, go," he said, his voice small. "And protect them with your life."

Thre was a loud, metallic CLANG as the elevator doors started to close – but Tanaka leapt out before they could. They seemed to take an eternity to shut, and in that eternity Hinata saw the Impostor stepping closer and closer. "So you're the one that gave in to temptation," they said, folding their arms across their chest. "There were a few of you I was counting on to be willing sacrifices, but this is a surprise…"

"The Ascendant Ruler of Ice will never be a mere sacrifice!" Tanaka shouted. "If you believe I do not have the power to usurp you –"

It was the last thing Hinata heard before Tanaka disappeared behind the elevator doors, completely silencing him. The elevator clanged, loudly, then began to move up at a snail's pace.

"If you believe I do not have the power to usurp you, then you have made a tragic underestimation." Despite the power of his words, Tanaka made no grand gestures or poses. He stood firmly still, with his hands balled into fists, looking the Impostor directly in the eye.

"It's not a matter of belief," the Impostor said, without taking a step forward. "I'm not in a position where I need to believe in anything. The strategies you have, the abilities you possess… the only way they can exist is within the framework that I control. But, go on, Tanaka-kun. I'll give you the chance you wanted."

He heard a tiny clink, and a thin piece of chalk rolled to his feet. He didn't know where it came from, but it was nothing to him. He pulled out his marking wand from within his cloak, extended it, and swirled it around him, drawing from memory, focusing his energy, not knowing whether the forces of the universes meant for him to complete the spell he needed –

And that was when he heard the faint beep in the back of his ears, and looked to the walls and noticed the odd metal boxes and the blinking, flashing lights on their surfaces.

His last conscious thought was that, despite the absence of any trace of conjuring magic, he could swear they hadn't been there a moment before.


For a long time, no one spoke. There was no sound except a silent movement of leather against leather, as Nanami began to undo the restraints on Souda's arms. Then the whispers began, and the whispers drew Hinata's attention to the hollow faces, the silent stares, the tears, the terror…

But Hinata couldn't participate. He couldn't comprehend any of it, no more than any of the others could. His mind was an eternity in the past, back in the hospital lobby, back where he could have pressed Togami more, and perhaps prevented this…or could he? Was this just the rambling thinking of a mind that had nowhere else to go?

He had to say something, he couldn't bear the silence – but before he could, he heard a loud BOOOOOOOOOM from beneath his feet, one that, far from silencing everyone, seemed to snap them all out of their own minds.

"What…" Hinata looked back and forth. "What was that?"

"Did something explode…?" Mioda looked down. "Are we about to...?"

There was another second of deathly quiet before the elevator shot up at breakneck speed. Hinata was thrown against the ground, shaking and trembling against the floor. He could see the others doing the same, slipping, screaming, trying to grab the wall – the wheelchair, he remembered, if that thing goes flying and hits anyone in the head

But he couldn't see the wheelchair, and he couldn't focus on what anyone else was doing. He crawled for the wall, desperate to hold on to one of the latticework bars. He knew it might cut his fingers to ribbons, but if there was a chance that anchoring himself to something might save his life – he felt like he was crawling at a turtle's pace, getting closer and closer to the wall, and when he'd finally gotten it –

The last thing he remembered was a sudden dropoff in speed. And then everything went black.


"Hinata…"

He never thought he'd be still again.

He'd been sure he was going to die. He'd registered flying through the air, and the sharp latticework on the walls…and then nothing, not until now. Perhaps he was dead, and the constant rocking was a part of dying. And if that was the case, then he'd just have to accept it…

"Hinata…!"

He just barely heard his own name being called, as though it were being said through some kind of fog, or maybe a wall. He opened his eyes a little, just to get a sense of where he was, but the image wasn't steady enough for him to focus…

"Oy, Hinata! HEY!"

A splash of cold water hit his face, and he gagged as a salty taste filled his mouth. He scrambled into a sitting position, sputtering and coughing, and braced himself against what he now recognized as one of the walls of the elevator.

"Alright, he's alive!" Hinata recognized Owari's voice, and looked up to see her standing over him, also on the wall, holding what looked like Nanami's soaking-wet backpack. "That's good…that's eight for eight…"

"Hhh…huh…?" He could see a light above her – and while he couldn't quite see out of it he could tell it was coming from the wide-open doors of the elevator. "Where…where are we?"

"Did you hit your head at all?" A pair of hands grabbed Hinata's head suddenly, holding it still, and the next instant he recognized Koizumi's voice. "Do you feel anything when I do this?"

"Uh, no…" Hinata tried to shake her hands off, but to no avail. The movement gave him a good view of the rest of the elevator car – it had been tilted sideways somehow, as what was once the floor was now one of the walls, and they were, as he'd thought, gently rocking up and down. Souda's wheelchair sat empty against one of the walls, tied to the latticework by the arm restraints, and someone else was sitting near it, their arms folded. Hinata could only just tell it was Kuzuryuu, and he couldn't see anyone else.

"That's good, I think." Koizumi removed her hands, and moved around to face him. Her hair was soaking wet, and her expression seemed even sadder than it already had been. "I just hope we can be sure…"

"S'probably no way to know." Kuzuryuu slid himself up the wall, putting his hands in his pockets. "Now that we don't have Tsumiki…"

"Yeah, that's a shame." Saionji said, though Hinata couldn't see her. "Now you'll have to wipe your own–"

"Hey, what is wrong with you?" Kuzuryuu shouted.

"Hiyoko-chan!" Koizumi shouted at the same time, clashing with Kuzuryuu. They gave each other awkward looks and fell silent, but they didn't have long to wait before Owari broke the tension. "Wait, Hinata," she said, "your hands…"

His hands…? He looked down at his hands for the first time, and braced himself against the pain he hadn't felt until right that moment. In the dim light he could hardly see the details, but he could distinguish the blood running down his palm from the gashes in his fingers.

"Oh, that's – I'll be fine," he said, though he only half believed it. He waved away the others, who were just as covered in scrapes as he was, even if his seemed a bit deeper. He clenched his fist, and tried to pull himself into a standing position. "Everyone else – are they alright?"

"Yeah." Hinata looked up to see Souda's hand poking down through the elevator doors, giving him a thumbs up. "We're up h– hrrk!"

He covered his mouth, pulled his head away, and made a loud retching sound that made Hinata's stomach churn. He tried not to focus on it. "So they're outside," he said. "Then we're…?"

"In the ocean," Saionji said, sounding somewhat muffled.

"The ocean?" Now the rocking made sense, but it was the only thing that did. "How'd we get all the way to the ocean?"

"See for yourself." Owari walked over to the opposite wall, grabbed the latticework, and gestured to her back. "Hop on. S'a long way up."

"H-huh? Well, alright." Hinata nodded, and started stumbling over to the wall. Kuzuryuu, Koizumi, and Saionji followed next to him. As they entered the square of light from the door he saw Saionji for the first time – her ponytails were disheveled, her kimono ripped, and her expression about as forlorn as he'd ever seen it. Koizumi was walking some distance from her – the lens cap had vanished from her camera, and there were large cracks in the lens itself. Compared to them, even with his bandages, Kuzuryuu almost looked perfectly put together. Owari he could only see from the back, and he realized he hadn't taken any notice of her expression.

They were all silent, and even in his confused state he could tell what they weren't trying to think about.

He knew he wouldn't be able to climb the wall himself, so he held on to Owari, trying not to think about the blood soaking into her shoulders. One long climb later they'd reached the doors; Owari left him at the edge to get the others, and for the first time he looked out at his surroundings.

He was sitting at the mouth of the mountain's giant Monobear head – he'd never known it before, as he'd always been inside, but the entire head must have been the elevator. He wasn't sure how it could possibly be floating, but that was the least of his concerns. They were in open water, as far as he could tell. He could see one of the bridges between the central and outlying islands in the distance – enough distance to swim back, but not enough that it looked easy.

Souda was sitting at the edge of the rock with his head out over the water, and Nanami was next to him, close but not too close. She was still until, when he tried to approach her, she started, and turned her head. "Ah," she said, "Hinata-kun."

"Nanami…" Hinata's breath caught in his throat as he looked at her, and he moved his hands behind his back. There were more cuts and bruises on her face than the others combined, and her sleeve had been torn off at the elbow and tied around her arm, which had already bled through the makeshift bandage. "You're…"

"I'm fine, really." Nanami tried to cover her arm with her hand, more as a symbolic gesture than anything that actually hid it. She smiled, but he could tell in an instant that it was only there for his reassurance. "I'm just glad you're okay. I'm glad everyone's okay."

Hinata couldn't trust himself to answer, not without completely breaking his composure. He nodded just enough to assure her he'd heard. "Ah…where's…"

"Over there." Nanami pointed at the opposite end of the bear, and Hinata turned to look. Mioda was seated at the top of the Monobear's head, standing with her arms folded across her chest. Beyond her he saw the last thing he thought he'd see – a giant, waterlogged parachute, patterned with Monobear's likeness, connected to the Monobear head.

"S'how we landed so soft," Souda said, speaking without breaking Hinata's focus. "It must've activated when we were in the air. And whatever this mountain's made of, it can't be real rock. Otherwise we would've sunk a long time ago."

"They want us alive." He was surprised to hear Kuzuryuu speak - he hadn't realized he'd come up from inside the elevator already. "Otherwise, why save us? No point in dead hostages. But that's it."

Hostages. Hinata couldn't focus on this or what it meant. He couldn't even register Nanami at his side, or Saionji and Koizumi coming up from inside the elevator. His eyes were on Mioda. He couldn't see the look on her face, or even where the Four Dark Gods of Destruction had gone, but as soon as he remembered them he remembered the last moment he'd seen Tanaka before the elevator had shut, and the last moment he'd seen Nidai before he'd been killed, and the video and Monomi and –

There was one more name, one more he couldn't bring himself to think. The name that twisted and pulled in and out of his mind, the one that both did and didn't belong to the person that had once been his friend. The name he'd repeated over in his mind as he'd wondered what their secret could possibly be. The name they'd said was dead, destroyed, the deception they'd put on, the lies, the confusion…

He could see them as clearly as if they were still there. He wouldn't have been surprised if he could turn his head and see them on some other part of the bear. But they couldn't. They never would. None of them would, and all because…

He couldn't think anymore. He was going to cry. He was going to cry and he was going to look like a useless fool in front of everyone else...

"I'm sorry." Nanami's voice cracked. He could tell she was holding back tears too, but her concern didn't help. He wished she wouldn't put her hand on his shoulder. He wished he couldn't hear everyone else choking back their emotions. He wished he could go anywhere, anywhere but here, or back to the moment where T-T-Togami had been dancing around their secret so he could grab them by the collar and –

He trembled, and Nanami removed her hand. No one spoke. No one could. Hinata couldn't even think anymore, but he still found himself looking at Mioda, who hadn't once moved. There was such a gulf between her and the rest, such a distance no one wanted to cover. But he had to, he knew. He stood and walked toward her, bobbing Monobear's head back and forth as he moved.

He stopped some distance behind her. She didn't turn to face him. As far as he could tell, she didn't look injured. He hadn't thought of what he wanted to say. He'd only felt drawn by some force, some need he couldn't understand. "Hey."

She shuddered, but didn't respond. "I'm sorry," he said. "Whatever it is, whatever's happening… we're not… it's not…"

Mioda bent down on her hands and knees as he spoke, then lifted something from her arms and placed it on the Monobear head. Hinata saw it was one of the Four Dark Gods - the big fat one, though he couldn't remember its name. She placed two more beside him, but kept the fourth in her hand. "Mirage Silver Falcon" Jum-P. He remembered the name of that one.

"This isn't the end," he said, speaking more to himself than to her. "It can't be… we can… y'know…"

He wanted to say something about the Impostor. But he couldn't think of anything that wouldn't hurt her twice as much as it'd hurt him. "Look…whatever happened to–"

"Hajime-chan." The weight of her voice startled him, but it wasn't weighted with anger, or with fear, just with difference. She pointed out in front of her, towards the horizon. "The island…"

Hinata realized then that he hadn't actually looked at either end of the visible bridge. But now he looked up above her, just aware of the others also following Mioda's command. The sun was just setting behind the islands, and night was about to fall. And he wasn't sure if it was a trick of the light, or if it was only his imagination, but the closest island – the second island – almost looked like it was shifting, or shimmering.

But it wasn't a trick of the light. He knew that in an instant, and from the looks on the others' faces they knew it too. They saw the movement of the buildings, they saw the jagged holes in their exterior walls and the flashes of pink and blue light in their windows, and they saw the dark columns reaching far into the air, farther and higher than any building could reach.

It was enough to make Hinata wish he'd never woken up, or at least that he could stay frozen forever, without ever having to make sense of what he was seeing.


k̴̨̺͍̥̜̭̠͉͟ò̭͈͇̦͞m͚͓͖̪̻͖̗̕ͅa͏͍͓͎͉̻͕͍é̷̡͎̣̠͔̳ḓ̥̠a̭̜͡ͅ ͏̰t̵̶̫͍̝̫͎̺̦͢ͅh̵̠̦͙͓̯́͘é̡̗̰̠̦̯̖͖̝̀a̲̠̬̲͘t̨̝͖͝e̡̟̰̳̲̻̺͡ͅr̥̙̗̬͓̞̥̖

"̴̧̳̠́T̢̹̥͝h̴̛̹e̲̻̱͠ ҉̷͓͓̮m̸̰̪̳̤̮u͕̫͟t̴̗̣̠̣̪̗̱͍͘ͅụ̠͚̩͠a̶͈̰̹͕͎̩̗͜l̪̖̦̭̼͍̦̕ͅ ̥k̨̙͈͙̘͇̮̝̭i̗̖͕̝̰̘l̸̺̯̤̭l̴̥̪͍̤̥̬̮͠i͓͝n̢̥̞̟̜̖̹g͏҉͕̖̼͚̘ ͉́́ǵ̥͙͉̮̭͘͟a̺͢m̵̟̖̜͚̺e̡̨͍̕ ҉̜͕h̗͔̞̳̻͙a҉̦̺͖̟̫̦͎̀s̸̖̣͢͝ ҉̶̯͖͎̟͜ę̴̬̖̳n̹̺͟ḓ̣̫e̢̯͍̰̠̕͢d̴̷̺͕.̮̝͜͟͟ ͈̝̳͇̫̙̠̗͢
̮̙̰̬̟̖̦͞͞W̟̲͔̺͙͕̥̪e̻̘ ̛̹̤͈́͟h͏̜͚̗ͅo̧̱̙͈͇͓̙̠̯̫͟ǹ̮̳̯e̳̙͢s͉͕̲̻̰͘t̸̩̠̗̤̝̙͟ĺ̛̬̖̹͠y̷̛̤̼̠͈̖ ̗͎̪̥̗̖̰̳hope ̘͓̝̹͓̥̯͉͝͞y͈̤̝͎̗̼͝ͅo̷̗̫͈̫͍̟̬u͚͖̲ͅ'̵͍̱̰̭͉͇͕͙̩̕v̀҉̙̥̫̟͢e͔͕̲̩͈͍̲͞ ̡̠͔̩̯̫́e̤̰ǹ͓̜̹͇̗̬j͚̙̬̺͓͘o̞̼͎̝̰͉ͅy͔̝̹͍͝e͏̸̘̤͡d̞̜̳͈̘ ̶̨͙̼̦̯̻̬̳ṱ̺̼̳͍̖͇͡h͏̨̰̺͍͓̯̣̯̭e̪̻̯͙̰̖͓̳͜͠ ҉͈̜͎̱̹̪e̥͔̺̻̦͚͟͡x͉͇́p̷̰̫͍̼͓e҉͖̙̗r̻̼͚̝̞̬i̧̱̮̬̬͍͢ͅè̡̩̠̩̙̘͔̩ͅṋ̢̙̹̙̼̩̭́́c̺̼̣͈̼͠e̙̰̰ͅͅ.͏̧̡̟̣̝̫͔̘̜̞̳ ̡͙͎̣̗͟͜

A̱͔͉̙n̨͍̯̣̩͚d̶̯̮̯͇̣̮͎͍̜ ̵̸̼͇͎̗͖̜w̗̼̞͎̞͍̳͜͝e҉͖͓̼͔̙̝ ̸̸̼̞̫̱̤̩͟i̵̴̧̬̬m̳͜ͅą̨̯͔͇̦̥̦g̩̪̜̘͟į͖͟ņ̰̙͔͎͢e̴̲͟ͅ ̭̖̘̼̜͙͟t̪͎͝ͅh̨̠͇̫̭e̸̯̩̫͘ ̞͎̳͔̣͝hope ͠͏̝̝͉̲̪͚͉̪y̻̺̫̭̜̩o̶̠͖̗̲͉̪͜u̪̹̠̰͇̬̮'̴͙̀v̨̪̤̼̻̪͇͓e̴̱ ͏̲͚̬̫̞̤c̶̛͈̪̹͓͍̤̪ŗ̲͕ȩ̜̼̥̼͉̬̺͟a͙̱̗̜͖̹̤̙̥t̷̠̗̺͉̜͈e҉̜̺̠̺͞d̺͖̟̪̦̙̹͉͢͞͠ ̠̩̥̕m̧̪̜̹̪͓i̼͘g͕̘̟̞h̛̟̰̣̘̰̠͔̕͜t̵̢̟̪̖̘̙̱̦̜͠ ͕̣̬̦̼̜̼͎̀b͈̣͖̳é̱̲̜͘͘ ́҉̪͇͖̳̘̦̱̙͞e̙̱͍͇̟̲̼̕n̷̖̜̥o̴̖̘̬̖͔̺u̵͉̩̼̺͍ͅg̸̸̩̦̼̰̤̤h̷̸̤̜̙̹̰̺͎͘ ̛͙̲̘̮̥̻̼̫ṭ͓̖̣̗͎͍̀ợ̵̛̬ ̣͍͎̰̠͇͚͜ͅo͏͉͉̰̞̩͚ͅf͉͚͔̼͉f̧͉̣̥̘͎͢s̷̯̯̹͢͡e̘͕̱͓̱͞t̠̻͉͔̬̣̜̫ ̫̭͇̥͖ţ̠̲̻̀h̸̻e̸̞̗̳̲͚̤̦͡ͅ ̦̫ḑ̨̞̤͕̲̞̜̹͖͈é̢̘̳͔̥̞̕ṣ̖͚̩̺̝́p̴͈̠a͍̗̙̻͎͎͎̗i̸͏̣̺̬̹̺r҉̩͕̪͢͜ ̹̣̳̬̹̼́t̨̛͍̙̬̟͍͠o̲̪̬͍̠͉͠ͅ ̵̖̭͘͠ͅc̨̺̖̼͞o͔͕̟̜̞̖̤̫͠m̛͇̳̼͚e̖͉̩̪͢.̭̗̖̱̟͍͉̮͡ ͏̹̼̩
W̘̫̺̭͘͢ẹ̘̩ ̴̡̻͕͈͖c̷̤͓̠̣͇̲̰̺a̱̞̗͚̮͈n̜̘̤͘'̜͓̙͙͓̝̮͠͝ţ̤̗̺̫̗̭̝͍ ͏̮͓̩̘͉͝͡s͓͍̝̩͚̣̘a̢̫̥y̨̞͙͓̳̞ ̵͙͈̦f̢̨͚̫͚o̺̭r̗̘̫̭͝͞ ̰͟s͡͏͖̼̯̘̥̲͓̖̯ù͏͓̼̙r̨̥̠e̼̣͖̱,̵̦͇͍̼̺̀͝ ̵̩̩̝͎̬ó̞̭̬̺̫͍̝͘f̢͔̯͈͕̹̹͔͈͟ ̸̜̖̮͓̙̭͜c̡̦͔̺͓ò̬̹͓̜̰̞̺́͢ͅṳ͙͉͔̮͔̜̀ṛ̸̲̤̫̦̻s̢̰̥ͅe̪͚̪̖̺̘͉̕.̣̭̤͈̳ ̷̱̜̞̠̟͕͚̺́͡

B҉̢̻̼̭u̢̦̳̝̯̤̟̤t͝҉͇͇̜̺̺ ͍̻̪͙̹̮̬͢t̷̯̕͠ḩ̶̫̼̕e̡̙͔͈ ̜͔̯̭̩̻̺̰͜͠r̷̻̮̘̺̜͜ȩ̗̙̩̞͉̦s̩̰̦̖͖̪̺̕ͅt̷̞ ̴̣̞͉̦͢ì̥̣̝͡s͍̮͖̭̝̗̪ ͏͏͍̻̯u̸͔̮͓͟͜p̞̯͕̻̪͢ ̛̫̤̻̪t̶̖̖ͅo͏̵̨̱͈̝͙͓ ̠̲ y̴̧̡͇o҉̥̺̥ų͏̹̲̤̼͖̱.

R͙̻͢e̷̛̙̳̳̙̟̤̼ͅm̸̴̛̠̰̮̰̟̼̘͖ḛ͈m҉̡͔b͙̝̥̫͈̫̟̱̮e̗͕̠͕̲͞r̵͕̮̮̤̟̞ ̝̜̲̺̙̠͇͙t̯́͝h̨͚̹̯̮͈̬̺͍͟͝ͅa̟̼̠̩̠t͙͉̪̪͔́ ҉͏͏͎̞̗̪̗̫̫h͉̭̳̬̠͓̠̜̬e̥͔̩͢͢ ̶̷͖͍̩͙͕̲d͙̜͙͖̝̙͎̖̀̕͢e̳̖͖̺̬̼c͍̰̘̙͕ͅi̮̫̘̫̠͘͘s͇̙̜̯͙i͞҉͇̖͕ò͎̳̫̹̜̙̟n̶͍͚̱͇̮̜s͜҉̠̞̖̰̞̜ ̸̪̦̭͔͕͖̪̪́you҉̝̰͈ ̶̵̠͎̮̗̱̮̼ͅm͝͏̬̯͇ạ̴̙͞k͈͍͈̰͔̕è̜̗̫̯̜͖͎͟ ͏҉̴̙ẃ͉̰̫͔͜͡i̴̧̲͕̳̱͘l͏͏̩̪̪̪͙l̷͕͔̕ ̮̱̥̹̙̼͜͡

u͎͇̙̗͙l̨̲t̲͇̀i̲̬͎͝m̶͙̜͔͜͢a̜͓͚̪t̗͚͈͉͝͡e̲ļ͕̲̩̯͇̺͚y͚̮̝͕ ̷͕͈̕͡d͕̦̦̳͢e͎̹ć̣̯̟̭͜į̨͓͕̦̻͞ͅd̵̻é̛͓̬̩̘̲̗͍͎͠ ̶̰̮͕̣̠̬͡ͅy̷͢͏̼̙̫̮ò̤̣̝̜̙u̡͓̤̪̞̮̯̻͟r̩̟̯̗̯̰͠ͅ ̥̭̫͕̟͕͉̀͘͞f̨̼̗̦͇̫̰͡ u͔̤̖ t͖͞ u̴̩̻̯̼̤̻̳̠ ŗ̜͚̥͘ e̶̮̳̠͝ .̞̩̗̬̼̰͙̜͟ͅ


8 DAYS LEFT


This is the end of Chapter 3. Chapter 4 will be called "The New Game." Thank you so much for all your patience.

- Carth