Do you like it when a whole lot of nothing happens? Good.
Well, that's kinda unfair. This chapter does show us some events in the game. Just because it isn't too much different from canon doesn't mean it's not important. We also get to see how Albert and friends are reacting to the situation, and we're shown how Maki interacts with her classmates.
Either way, I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 2
Unanswered Questions
As the participants of the Neo World Program began bedding up for the night, I sighed and returned to my notes.
It was now evening, and I had been investigating all afternoon. Of course, since there was very little physical evidence to work with, I was on profiling duty. I was taking whatever information Celeste could gleam from her observations, and using it to try and figure out the origins of this Maki Yugami.
Maki Yugami. I've never heard that name before, but there's something about her behaviour that makes me think I've met her somewhere before. I don't get it, though. If I did meet her, when? Before Junko took my memories? I guess it's possible, Chihiro vaguely recognized Makoto at the start of our killing game, so it's not like it completely wipes the target's memory, just forces it into the subconscious or whatever. But if that's the case, how did my actions end up causing this... background character to end up in this program?
Toshihide pulled me across dimensions, which was weird, but I was still in a physical world. How did this girl get into the Neo World Program without having her body hooked up to it? Where was her body? Who was she?
I shook my head and turned to Celeste, who was making her last-minute observations as Maki went to bed. "Hmm... Well, she has yet to shower, so I assume she does that in the morning. Either that, or she's like Toko and just doesn't. She spent the last hour reading those binders with the murder cases, so she may be planning something. Other than that, she seemed to fall asleep rather quickly, without trouble. She seems comfortable sleeping on her side, in her underwear."
"Hm. I'd sleep in less than my underwear if I was on a tropical island."
"You are on a tropical island." She pointed out.
I rubbed my eyes. "Right. Sorry, still operating under Towa conditions." Either way, I wrote down what she told me, even if I wasn't entirely sure how helpful it would be for figuring out who this girl was. I turned back to the first page, and started reading back my notes to myself.
"I'm really sorry I couldn't stop the killing game..." Chihiro apologized for the third time this hour.
"Don't be." I said. "This was the expected outcome from the beginning. I knew we'd only be able to buy a little time, at best. The only variable is her." I wondered if this was how Junko felt when Toshihide added me to her game. Probably not, that bitch is a master at making contingencies.
"I just wish I could've held off the virus longer..."
"Yeah, well, we all wish we were better. It sounds a lot easier than it really is." I said, maybe a little too harshly. Chihiro quietly returned to his programming, and guilt washed over me. It had only been about eight hours, and I was already letting the stress get to me. I took a deep breath.
At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Celeste, predicting who it was, got up and opened it. Sitting there was Miaya. Usami appeared on her screen. "Hello, Celeste! I just had breakfast, and I'm here to take over your shift!"
"Is it that time already?" She turned back to scan the room. "Grand Bois? We're leaving, dear."
I heard a meow from under Chihiro's desk yet again. I reached over to my plate of food I got from the cafeteria, and picked a piece of sushi (by the way, I don't recommend cafeteria sushi) and tossed it just next to the desk. The cat jumped out to snatch it, and Celeste went to pick him up. Once Grand Bois Cheri realized the fish was, in fact, fish and not his favourite Gyoza, he dropped it to the floor. I couldn't blame him.
Celeste had to hold the door open in order for Miaya to make it through, and then left once the hallway was no longer blocked.
"This place isn't very wheelchair-friendly, is it?" I remarked.
"Not really. My wheels sometimes get stuck on the path outside, the elevator moves slowly, and as you just saw, I can't open doors by myself. I guess there are things you take for granted, living in a city your whole life."
Hmm..." I got up and opened the door. I took one of my heavy psychology textbooks and laid it down to act as a doorstop. "That should make things a little more convenient, at least."
When I turned back to her, she was staring at one of the monitors. I followed her line of sight and saw the footage from the camera set up in Usami House. Monomi was laying on her bed, crying. Miaya started typing. "Wh-What did he do to her?"
"Oh, well, he broke her Magic Stick, painted her half-pink, and put her in a diaper." I explained. "That's about it. Oh, and he also usurped her position as teacher."
She stared for another few seconds before shaking her head. Her Usami avatar said, "Well, at least I haven't been compromised. That means the virus is only within this computer, not any of the others."
"Well, I already knew that. Or, at the very least, I could infer it based on narrative purposes." I said, taking a seat next to her. "Anyway, I'm not sure if there's anything you can observe, since they're all asleep, but maybe you can help me understand some of these notes I took."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, from what we've seen, none of the students have shown criminal tendencies. They all act as they did before entering Hope's Peak. So Celeste and I have made a point to keep note on Maki, since she's the wild card."
"You want me to help you profile her?"
"Yeah." I started reading my notes. "Apparently, she's shown tells of lying every time she introduces herself, which means either her name or talent is partly untrue. I'd bet talent, since she isn't recognized in any of our Hope's Peak records. She also didn't act very surprised when Monokuma showed up, her reaction was more like annoyance or frustration, which implies she knew the killing game was going to occur. Other than that, she seems pretty good at reading people, and is social enough to hold a conversation. Other than all that... I dunno."
"...You sound like you have more to say."
"I... I don't know how to put it into words, I just... I feel like I've seen her somewhere before, but I just can't place where. That fact's been torturing me this whole time. I have so many questions, and I hate not having any way to answer my questions."
"Maybe you never actually met her, you just think you did. It's not uncommon for people to notice mannerisms that can be found in their close friends. Maybe she just has similar behavioral patterns to that of someone you know."
"Heh, it's weird hearing Usami's voice speak so seriously." I remarked. "Well, I suppose that is entirely possible. But in that case, I have no idea who she reminds me of."
"Maybe you can't place it because you aren't used to looking at it like an outsider looking in."
"Huh?"
"Maybe the person you're seeing in her is yourself. I watched your killing game as well as this one, and I've noticed quite a few similarities in your behavior. Perhaps her experiences are causing you to recall your own traumatic experiences, and that's the source of your confusion."
I considered that. Miaya had a point. I was thinking quite a bit more about my time at Hope's Peak than usual. I had been attributing that to the fact that I was surrounded by my classmates again after a few months apart, but maybe there was more to it than that. Yeah, maybe that's all it is. This girl was just reminding me of the Hope's Peak killing game...
Miaya turned to me. "Do you wanna talk about it?"
"What's the point?" I sighed. "You wouldn't understand. As edgy as it might sound to say, nobody can understand how it feels. Unless I can somehow talk to someone in another alternate universe who went through the same thing I did, there's no one who I can really talk to about all this. Nobody, in the history of this world, has shared my experiences, because there's never been anyone like Toshihide in this world before."
"I've dealt with people who were separated from their homes and families before. Your case might be special, but you aren't as alone as you think you are. If you're suffering, I can help."
"...That means a lot, Miaya. Really. I'll... think about it." I turned back to my psychology textbooks. "But right now, I think we have bigger things to worry about."
"Right. Well, I guess there's nothing for me to do but wait another eight hours for Chiaki's shift. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!"
I nodded and sighed once more as I stared at the screens. The killing game has begun. I was hoping, though it seemed impossible, that we could avoid this. Now, all I could hope for was that we could bring it to a swift end. I couldn't save Junko, but I can at least stop her from advancing her twisted goals.
"Ahem... Hope's Peak Academy's School Trip Executive Committee has an announcement to make... Gooooood morning, everyone! Looks like today is gonna be another perfect, tropical day! Now then, let's show some enthusiasm and make sure to give it our all today!"
One by one, each of the students slowly woke up and made their way to the dining hall. Some took longer than others, and Peko Pekoyama eventually left to get Hajime and Kazuichi, the last two who had yet to show. Everyone who was there had a plate in front of them, filled with food taken from the dishes that were there when they arrived, with varying serving sizes.
Teruteru stared down at his plate and frowned. He had of course eaten other people's food in the past, but after tasting his own and his Mama's cooking for so long, he had grown rather numb to the taste of less... powerful dishes. Still, it was food, so he choked it down.
As Hajime entered behind Peko, Byakuya regarded him. "You're late, Hajime... and where is Kazuichi? I thought you were together."
"He... ran off somewhere."
"Huh? Where?" Akane asked.
He shrugged. "Well... he pretty much said he was... running away, but..."
"Running... but where?" Mikan wondered quietly.
"There's nowhere to run anyway." Hiyoko said with a laugh. "What a weirdo."
"However, after what we witnessed yesterday, his behavior is understandable." Nekomaru decided.
"Eh? What do you mean?" Teruteru feigned ignorance. "Did something happen yesterday...? I don't remember anything happening. And even if I did, it looked totally fake anyway. Yep yep, not worth remembering at all."
Everyone seemed to ignore him, though. Mahiru turned to Byakuya. "So? Why have you gathered us here?"
He raised a hand. "Not yet... not until Kazuichi arrives."
"Ah, wait a sec..." Hajime realized something. "That means the reason you told us to come here is..."
"Oui! Apparently Monsieur Byakuya has something to tell us!" Ibuki explained.
"Really? What?"
"Obviously, we're here to discuss our strategy for defeatin' that monster!" Akane said.
"Th-There's no way we can fight that thing... I mean... it has heavy weapons and everything!" Mikan cowered.
"ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE WITH A FIGHTING SPIRIT!" Nekomaru boasted.
"A bold boast... However, let me give you some advice." Gundham spoke up. "The truly strong... do not raise their voice so recklessly."
"Gundham's right." Maki agreed. "We'd be turned into Swiss cheese if we tried a head-on assault. This battle is most likely going to be a psychological one, not physical."
"Hey, hey! Let's start talking already!" Hiyoko demanded. Then under her breath said, "Hmph... This is probably some lame attempt to make us feel better or something..."
"Don't make me repeat myself..." Byakuya told her. "When everyone is here, then we can start talking."
"Aw, jeez! Fine!" Mahiru got up, shaking her head. "I'll just bring Kazuichi myself, then! Everyone wait here! I'll find him and bring him here, even if I have to tie him up!"
That last line got Teruteru's attention. "Mmhmhm... I'm a little jealous now. Getting tied up by Miss Mahiru... Maybe I should run away, too... JUST KIDDING!"
He was hoping to lighten the mood, but everyone just stared at him with blank expressions. Fuyuhiko shook his head. "Disgusting moron..."
"Now then... let's have breakfast while we wait for everyone." Byakuya decided. "Let's eat!"
He quickly began wolfing down his food. Everyone else followed suit, though not as enthusiastic. Hajime considered some of the dishes. "Um, where did that food come from, anyway?"
"When I arrived this morning, it was already here." Nagito replied.
"Ah, they even have crab and shrimp!?" Mikan realized.
"Crab and shrimp are such a pain to eat." Hiyoko huffed. "I hate them as much as I hate Mikan's ugly, stuttering face."
"M-My ugly, st-stuttering face...?"
"That's it! That's the face right there!"
"Wh-Why... are you being so mean!?"
"Heh heh heh... You're the kind of girl that bullies just love to torment, aren't you?"
"You should stop now." Peko threatened coldly.
"Ah, I got it!" Ibuki, still focused on the original topic, shouted. "Teruteru prepared this food, right?"
"Mmhmhm... Unfortunately, it wasn't me. You see, the food I make doesn't taste as shitty as this does."
Akane shoved another spoonful into her already full mouth. "This is bad? Tastes yummy to me."
He shrugged. "Just yummy... right? Compared to the world-class dishes I make, a dish that tastes yummy would still be considered shit... In fact, even comparing them is out of the question! Comparing MY dishes to this lowly peasant food, how rude!"
"H-Hey... Don't take it so personally..." Hajime eased.
Teruteru took a deep breath. "I'm just saying, if you guys ate my food, you wouldn't be able to control yourself." In fact, he couldn't wait for an opportunity to showcase his skills, just to prove his point.
"What does that mean...?" Peko asked warily.
"Well, let's just say your jaw wouldn't be the only thing that drops! In fact, your panties would drop, too! Like the black thong Miss Peko is wearing, for example!"
"You creep! How do you know about that!?" Peko reached for her sword.
Before any violence could commence, Sonia brought them back to the original point. ""However, if Teruteru did not prepare this food, then the one who did is..."
"Could it have been Monokuma!?" Ibuki asked.
Hajime looked down at his plate. "...Is it safe to eat food cooked by something like that?"
"That's why I'm tasting it for poison," Byakuya assured him. "to make sure it's safe for consumption."
"I mean, as long as the teddy doesn't break any health code violations, it should be safe to eat." Maki decided, popping some shrimp in her mouth.
"Okay, thanks for waiting!" Mahiru said as she entered. "I brought him!" Sure enough, dragged along behind her was the Ultimate Mechanic. "Hey, straighten up a little more! Shouldn't a man like you be embarrassed to walk like that?"
"St-Stop... don't pull... You're gonna rip my sleeves..." He whined, peeking at her from under his beanie.
"Kyahaha! Even though you look all flashy, you're actually a big coward!" Hiyoko laughed. "Are you gonna be okaaaay? People like you are usually the first victims, you know?"
"I-I just wanna go home alreadyyyyyyy!" He shouted, causing several students to jump back. And one such student took a nasty spill.
"AAAAAAH!"
"What the...!?" Hajime, as well as everyone else, turned toward the source of the scream.
"Ohhh... no no no no no!" Mikan begged, her legs tangled up over her head in wiring, allowing the rest of her peers to see up her skirt. "I-I-I tripped!"
"C-Can you even call that tripping?" Hajime asked.
"How in the world did you end up in such a... compromising position after tripping!?" Byakuya asked.
"Well, it certainly makes me happy!" Teruteru took the time to absorb as many details he could. "I'm veeeeery happy right now!"
"Noooooooo! I'm so embarrassed! P-Please help me!"
"Awwwwww! She looks so adorable when she's embarrassed!" Ibuki teased. "It's sooooo moe, I'm practically snorting with joy!"
"W-We should help her up!" Mahiru decided a few seconds too late.
"I'll lend a hand, if it'll put an end to the weeb humour." Maki sighed, stepping forward. She took a second to flip the Nurse's skirt up to at least preserve some of her modesty. After a few seconds, the two girls were able to get Mikan's feet through the loop in the cables, and they brought her to her feet.
"M-Mikan... are you okay?" Nagito asked.
"Ugh... My head is throbbing a little, but I'm okay..." She assured him. Maki hesitantly raised a hand to check her head.
"She's beyond being just a clumsy girl. That fall of hers was like a magic trick or something..." Mahiru remarked.
"Anyway... everybody's here now, right?" Chiaki noted. "Then let's get going... Since... I'm getting sleepy."
"You're right... Though I am not quite ready to stop eating breakfast, I should begin my talk." Byakuya agreed. "First, I have a question for you all. That Monokuma thing ordered us to kill each other... So under these strange circumstances, what do you think we need right now?"
"Tch, who the fuck knows? Get to the point already." Fuyuhiko demanded.
"If you want me to get to the point, you better hurry up and answer my question."
"What do we need?" Akane repeated. "We need food and sleep, obviously. Right?"
"No... you've forgotten about shitting..." Nekomaru pointed out. "Which means the answers are: a good appetite, a good night's sleep, and a good shit!"
Byakuya stared at them a moment before scanning the rest of the group. "...Does anyone have a real answer?"
"Could it be... a bond?" Nagito offered.
"Bond...?" Hajime repeated.
"This is what I believe... As long as the Ultimates work together, there's nothing we can't accomplish... You'll all be able to create a hope that can overcome an despair. That's why... if we want to escape this island, we need to promise each other that we'll work together!"
"Wow, he said that with a straight face!" Hiyoko chuckled. "How is he not embarrassed?"
Nagito turned to the ground sheepishly. "Ah... just as I figured. That was kinda lame, huh?"
"However, he does have a point." Peko said. "That must be why Monokuma is enforcing a rule that will cause us to be suspicious of each other."
"I see... That was a pretty good answer." Byakuya gave. "Since it's impossible to face our enemy as individuals under these circumstances, we must fight as a group... However, what we need to achieve that solidarity is not something as easygoing and optimistic as a... "bond"."
"Then... what?"
"What we need right now is a disciplined leadership, provided by an unmistakable leader!"
"I see... Even sports teams need captains, after all..." Nekomaru agreed.
"Rejoice. I shall accept the position." Byakuya decided.
"...Huh?" Hajime asked.
"Now then, I'll wrap up this introduction, and move on to the main question."
"Wait just a second!" Mahiru cut in.
"...What is it?"
"Wh-What did you just say...? I don't care how you excuse it, you're being too forceful! Deciding to be the leader all on your own... and why does it have to be you, anyway!?"
"Who is more fit to lead other than me? I am the Ultimate Affluent Progeny of the Togami household, destined to stand above all others."
"S-Seriously! I'm telling you that attitude of yours is too forceful!"
"...Mahiru, please wait." Nagito begged. "It's true that Byakuya may be a little forceful, but given our current situation... I believe it's a leader's duty, under circumstances like this, to be forceful to a certain degree..."
"That may be true, but... if we just need someone who can lead people, then even Sonia can..."
"No, perish the thought. I'm merely a figurehead." The Princess admitted.
"Well... he must have the qualities of a leader if he can accept the role under these circumstances." Nagito insisted.
"If everyone's okay with it... I'm okay with it, too..." Mahiru gave. Nobody else raised an objection.
"Then, I guess we've made our decision..." Byakuya decided. "Don't worry, as long as I'm the leader, I won't let anyone become a victim. I will guide you all! That much, I promise."
"Kyaaaa!" Ibuki squeed. "Soooo reliable!"
"Now then, let's move on to the topic at hand, for real this time... I have something to show you all."
"...Something to show us?" Hajime asked.
"It's at Jabberwock Park at the central island... Come, follow me!" With heavy footfalls, the Affluent Progeny left the room.
"J-Just as I thought... he sure is forceful..."
"Jeez... we may have made a mistake in choosing him as our leader..." Mahiru groaned.
One by one, everyone finished up with their breakfast and made their way to follow him.
The Imposter stared up at what was a statue just yesterday. He was doing his best to be patient, and it only took Hajime, the last in the group, a few minutes before he arrived. Still, he let a bit of his impatience show. "...For skinny people, you're awfully slow."
"It seems... you are just too fast for us." Sonia said, still a little out of breath.
"J-Jeez... I never expected a fatso like him to move so fast..." Kazuichi remarked. The Imposter rolled his eyes.
"So... what's supposed to be here?" Akane asked.
""Here...?" Really...? Hmph... If you haven't noticed it yet... then I was right to dismiss you all as idiots."
Everyone turned to where the statue was yesterday, but now, there was some sort of machine. It was a giant orb, with smaller orbs on top, like the head of a teddy bear. On the front, there was a timer counting down the seconds.
"I looks like a clock, but... something seems off..." Hajime said. "It's... counting down...!"
"Was this here when we came last time?" Mahiru asked.
"No... I'm pretty sure it wasn't!" Nekomaru answered.
"I found it this morning... when I was exploring the island one more time." The Imposter explained. "It's unknown... when it was actually placed here..."
"Monokuma must have placed this object..." Peko decided. "...What does this countdown even mean?"
"Hmm... I have no clue." Ibuki said.
"Mmhmhm, once again, something has appeared that I don't understand..." Teruteru muttered. "But it's got nothing to do with me. Because I refuse to believe this is happening."
"Could it be...? It better not be a bomb!" Nekomaru jumped.
"A b-b-b-b-bommmmmmmb!?" Kazuichi shrieked.
"If they wanted to blow up the island, they would have done so by now." The Imposter pointed out. "There's no need for a countdown..."
"Then... what are they counting down?" Mikan asked.
"It's a mystery..." Akane said.
"...A mysterious mystery, isn't it!?" Monomi asked.
"Kyah!" Sonia jumped back.
"Kyaaaah!" Monomi screamed in response.
"M-Monomi!?" Hajime asked.
"Wh-Why are you here!?" Mahiru asked.
"I heard everyone talking while I was patrolling, so I came over..."
"No, not that... Didn't Monokuma kill you?" Ibuki asked.
"Ah, so that's why you were surprised? Pfft, hehehe! You don't have to worry about that! After all, I can never die!"
"I see..." Gundham started examining her. "You must be an undead abomination, risen from the foulest depths of the Netherworld by black magic..." He gasped as he came to a realization. "Do you want me to make you my thrall!?"
"Monomi's a mechanical stuffed animal, right?" Chiaki said. "Doesn't that mean she can't die in the first place?"
"Now that you mention it... she'd only need, like, a spare or something." Kazuichi said.
""A spare"... What a mean thing to say!" Monomi scolded.
The Imposter raised a hand. "However, you have arrived at the perfect time. There's something I wanted to ask you. What is the meaning behind this timer and this countdown? Answer me..."
"Huh? Countdown...?" Her eyes followed the gaze of the students up to the device. "Ha-wa-wa! What is this!?...U-Um... I'm sorry... I... don't know what this is..."
"You really don't know...?" Peko asked.
"I-I'm sorry... I don't really have a grasp of what Monokuma is up to..."
"You don't know, even though you're Monokuma's little sister." Hiyoko pointed out.
"I'm not my brother's little sister! A-Anyway... let's all do our best! Let's kick the evil Monokuma off this island!"
"If you don't know what the countdown is for, you're useless to us. Get lost." The Imposter told her. He was starting get annoyed by the fact that she couldn't answer any of their questions, by choice or otherwise.
"Um... Let's... together..."
"I said get lost...!" He snapped.
"Kyaaa! I-I'm sorry!" With that, the stuffed rabbit disappeared from the students' sights.
"Um... Perhaps you are being a little too harsh?" Sonia suggested. "I am starting to feel sorry for it..."
"Miss Sonia! May I call you Miss Sonia!? No, I insist on calling you that! There's no need to feel sorry for that thing. She's obviously working with Monokuma." Kazuichi said rather quickly.
"Who the fuck cares about that stuffed animal...?" Fuyuhiko asked. "More importantly, what the hell is that clock?"
"Looks ominous, doesn't it...?" The Imposter asked. "Who put that object here, and how did they do it in just one night?"
"Hmm... I can't imagine..." Hajime muttered.
"Which means it doesn't make any sense!" Teruteru insisted. "Also, it's deadly!"
"However, that's not all that's unimaginable..." The Imposter continued. "This island is full of mysteries that we can't begin to imagine... For example... how were the seventeen of us brought to this island...?"
"I wasn't trying to think about that since it's been bugging me too, but... he's right." Kazuichi admitted. "That is a mystery..."
"There's more... Why is Jabberwock Island, which was known for being a popular resort destination, now an uninhabited island? There is no sign of tourists or even citizens on this island... Is something like that even possible?"
"All civilizations are destined to collapse..." Gundham pointed out. "Nothing begets existence... and existence begets nothing..."
"So it... collapsed?" Mikan gasped.
Sonia nodded. "Society is much like fruit. Once it matures, it is inevitable that it will eventually rot. As the economy grows, the private sector stagnates as elders and bureaucrats become more and more powerful... As time passes, this power becomes the status quo, and crushes the seeds of any possible reformation... Such a sad trend."
Maki cleared her throat. "Uh, yeah, not that I'm not enjoying this amazingly depressing talk of societal collapse, but I'm pretty sure it would take a while for that to happen, and at least one of us would've heard something on the news about it. Obviously, something different is going on..."
"Maybe... the Monobeasts killed everyone on this island?" Hiyoko suggested.
"And that's how it became uninhabited!?" Nekomaru asked.
"That's a possibility, but... we don't know that for sure." The Imposter said. "This mystery remains a mystery, it seems."
"Grrrrrr...!" Ibuki growled. "It's like everything here is just full of mysteries!"
"You're right... It's just mysteries on top of mysteries... However, since these mysteries are overlapping with one another, I doubt some no-name group is behind this..."
"Wh-What are you trying to say...?" Hajime asked.
"I mean... this situation we're in is undeniably the work of some enormous organization."
"...Enormous organization?" Mikan repeated.
"That does seem to fit what little we've been able to see." Maki admitted. "I'd say, maximum, this is the work of two big groups. Either way, they would require a lot of numbers to put a project like this into action."
"Monomi, Monokuma, the Monobeasts... They're all machines that require major technical skills to operate." The Imposter continued.
"Plus, they'd need a ton of funding." Kazuichi agreed. "And there's no way those things were made just for the hell of it..."
"That organization might be controlling these machines and monitoring the island with those cameras..."
"Could those fiends be hiding on this island?" Peko wondered.
"Not likely. They're probably running this from somewhere else. Somewhere safe."
"Where would that be...?" Nekomaru wondered.
"I don't know... Anyway, there's no mistake that an enormous organization is behind all this."
"I see, a big organization, huh..." Akane repeated. "I can't imagine what kinda people they could be..."
"Well, let's see..." The Imposter took a moment to estimate the scale. "There's my Togami Corporation... Sonia's Novoselic Kingdom... and the Kuzuryu Clan... It would definitely have to be an organization as powerful as one of those groups, if not more so."
"Huh!?" Sonia gasped.
"I'm used to being mistrusted..." Fuyuhiko muttered. "Do what you will..."
"Hold on!" Kazuichi shot up into the Imposter's face. "I don't care about you or the Kuzuryu Clan, but I won't allow you to doubt Miss Sonia! Miss Sonia is a hot blonde princess! There's a sharp distinction between her and you punks!"
"Yeah, yeah... Just shut up already, loser..." Hiyoko told him.
"L-Loser!? Are you talking about me!?"
"It's obvious from your flashy clothes that you just wanna stand out because you're actually a loser. Hehe... It must be hard to make your living in the Lame-Ass-Loser Industry."
"Too far, dude! That's going way too far!"
"Hey, Byakuya... Were you serious just now?" Hajime asked. "About this being related to your family and Sonia's and such...?"
"I'm just using them as an example." He clarified. "I'm not saying they have anything to do with this."
"But... you're certain that we're up against a huge organization, right?"
"Even if such an organization exists... Why would they make us go through something like this?" Peko asked.
"Whatever." Teruteru cut in. "How long are we gonna keep talking about this? Why don't we talk about something more realistic?"
"Our enemy's purpose is still unknown..." The Imposter said. "As long as we find out who's behind this, we'll learn their purpose. So what we must do now is find out who our enemy is. If we do that, we'll be that much closer to a breakthrough. Luckily, according to the e-Handbook, we are free to explore this island... There will definitely be a clue about the enemy on this island somewhere. Let's start looking."
"All right! Let's get this crap done!" Akane decided. "...Uh, what're we looking for?"
"...Akane, were you even listening?" Mahiru asked. "We need to find clues that will tell us who our enemy is."
"No problem..." Gundham assured them. "No matter how large this organization may be, they will not be able to stand against us... They are destined to fall and turn to ash at the might of my Four Dark Devas of Destruction!" His Devas climbed out of his scarf and up his arms to emphasize his point.
"Wow!" Sonia marvelled. "Hamsters came out of your scarf! Tee-hee! They are so adorable!"
"Adorable... you say...?... Th-Thank you."
"You're pretty happy about that, huh?" Ibuki teased.
"Look at that guy talking to Miss Sonia so casually..." Kazuichi grumbled. "I'm definitely gonna beat the crap out of him later..."
"...Anyway, let me just say this." The Imposter started, gaining everyone's attention again. "There's no time to think about something as foolish as killing each other. You must do what you have to do. Observe, speculate, recognize, comprehend. Even if it seems impossible... just persevere. But most importantly, follow my lead. I'll make sure to return you all to your normal lives. This is your leader's orders. Understand?" For some added dramatic flair, he raised his hand and pointed at the group.
"Uhaha! That's, like, TOTALLY awesome!" Ibuki cheered.
"That right hand of his is soooo plump!" Hiyoko laughed. "I've got the perfect nickname for him: Ham Hands!"
"H-Ham Hands... you say...?" Hearing it stirred a feeling deep inside him. It was an emotion he wasn't sure he ever felt before. "Hmph... I never thought I'd see the day when someone called me something like that..."
Hajime stared at him. "...Huh? Why aren't you getting mad?"
"Why would I get mad at something as petty as that...? She observed me directly and thought up a nickname. There's nothing dishonest about a name like that... Perhaps... I've always yearned for this. Though it may seem ironic for me to realize that in this particular situation..." He realized everyone was listening to his ramblings. "Don't worry about it. I was talking to myself just now."
"I-I see..."
"All right then." Nagito said. "We should listen to Byakuya and not waste our energy thinking about pointless things! It's true that we're not in the best situation, but it's also not the worst. Because we're not alone. We have friends we can count on to support each other."
"Seriously? That sounds so lame!" Hiyoko groaned.
"Ahaha, I knew it. I was thinking to myself just how lame I sounded for saying that."
Maki examined the group before turning to the Imposter. "So, fearless leader, what do we do now?"
He considered the options before them. He addressed the group once more. "For now, you are all dismissed. Just be sure to keep an eye out, both for the sake of caution, and in case you come across any important clues."
He watched them all as they walked off, spreading out in their own directions. He turned back to view the timer. It's just mysteries on top of mysteries.
Speaking of profiling, I wonder what everyone's initial impressions of Maki are. At the very least, I do wonder how many readers are on the right track in guessing her origins. Obviously, this early on, it would take a really lucky guess to figure it out, but as we go on the picture might get clearer. Who knows, maybe you can figure it out before Albert does. Of course, I can't confirm or deny if you get it right, but theories are always welcome, whether they're a joke or not.
In the next chapter, we'll have free time, and we'll get to see Maki interact with her fellow students some more.
