I feel like this is a good wind-down chapter. There are some funny moments, some sad thoughts, and new things come to life.

I hope you enjoy.


Chapter 9

Picking Up The Pieces

True to Kyoko's word, when I entered the conference room everyone was already there. Kyoko herself stood at the front of the room, a stack of files on the table in front of her. Byakuya stood a few feet away. The others were seated along the table. I made my way around, taking a seat next to Chihiro, across from Celeste and Makoto.

Kyoko cleared her throat. "Now that everyone's here, I suppose I should get right into it. Shortly after I began my investigation, I contacted my grandfather, who is currently running the 14th Division in my absence. I told him what we needed to find, and thanks to his detective training, along with some help from Byakuya's butler Aloysius, and a few other hands around the Division, they were able to compile this stack of documents." She gestured to the stack as if we may have missed the only thing on the table.

"So... What are the results?" Makoto asked.

"The answer to that comes with both good news and bad news." She said. "To save me some time, they put together a brief summary of their findings, but I also quickly skimmed through the files to confirm what they said for myself. We found that, at least in the Hope's Peak files that the Future Foundation was able to retain after the Tragedy, there is no mention of anyone who goes by the name "Maki Yugami" ever attending. Furthermore, there's only one Ultimate Criminologist, who was male, and would be around his mid-forties by this time. On top of that, he unfortunately suffered a fatal heart attack almost a decade before the Tragedy even started."

"Hm..." I considered that. "So unless this dude faked his death and got a sex change, along with a lot of plastic surgery to look younger, this ain't our guy."

"I don't even think that would work." Byakuya said. "The Neo World Program turns back the clock on how you appear, doesn't it?"

Chihiro nodded. "No matter how much plastic surgery someone received, the Neo World Program would make their body match their memories. And the program is set to remove school memories, so he would view himself as thirty years younger. Then again, I guess we're not sure how Maki got into the program. She could have bypassed the same entrance process the Remnants of Despair went through."

"Regardless, his wife and some other family can testify to the fact that he died, so this is a moot point." Kyoko said. "Unless we assume that his entire family is in on this scheme, but because of Occam's Razor, I'm only going to consider that if all our other theories are disproven. One other thing, the Future Foundation has no access to any government files for anyone named Maki Yugami. So whoever this girl is, she's like a ghost. She just appeared out of thin air one day, and there's no trace of her existence before the last few days."

"Well, I suppose that cinches it, does it not?" Celeste asked. "My theory is correct. This "Maki Yugami" is simply an extension of the Junko virus. She's just trying to confuse us by using another face. Not unlike her trick with Mukuro, I suppose."

Byakuya groaned. "Even from beyond the grave, she's sending us in circles. I recommend Chihiro and his father use... well, for lack of a better term, lethal force as they fight these viruses. Go on the offensive against one of them while defending against the other. That sounds like the quickest way to deal with them."

"Uh... It's not quite that simple." Chihiro corrected. "For one thing, even if I wanted to do something like that, I can't. The viruses seem to be... working in unison."

"What do you mean?" Makoto asked.

"Well, from what I've seen, the Junko virus has been setting up firewalls to protect Maki Yugami. It's unnatural, I've never seen anything like it. Then again, I never had to deal with strong A.I. viruses before, much less two of them at the same time."

"Celeste's theory is getting more and more likely by the second." Byakuya remarked. "What reason would Junko have to protect another virus if it wasn't connected to her in some way?"

I didn't like that we kept going back to Celeste's theory. I wasn't sure why, but something about it didn't sit right with me. "...What if we're wrong?"

All eyes turned to me. "I mean, it might be easier to just call call her a virus and delete her, but think about it. This is Junko we're talking about, has she ever made anything simpler than it had to be? What if we delete her, and she's a real person who ends up dead- or worse- because of that?"

"I see Towa hasn't dulled your chronic hero syndrome." Byakuya said. "Have you thought of it the other way around? What if you "save" her, and she turns out to be an Ultimate Despair?"

I stood up. "No, none of that. Not after Sayaka and Leon. I refuse to willingly sacrifice someone's life just because it might make things safer for me than letting them live. I'd sooner die than live like that."

"You idiot! Do you even hear what you're saying?" He snapped. "What if, due to your inaction, the Junko virus overtook our entire computer network? What if the Ultimate Despair gained access to all of the Future Foundation's files, putting us at their mercy? We're the last lines against them, if they defeat us, then it's over. Mankind is finished. Do you understand that?"

"More than anyone. And this isn't inaction, it's a passive action. I thought you of all people would know the difference, since you spent our entire killing game making Makoto do all the work for you."

"Listen here, you-"

"Byakuya, remember that talk we had about people's emotions?" Kyoko reminded him. He folded his arms and turned away. "Albert, I appreciate your sentiment. Trust me, none of us are looking for an excuse to kill someone innocent. But you have to realize, there's a lot of responsibility on our shoulders, and this whole thing is one step away from becoming a full-scale emergency. We're all stressed and exhausted, and we're not thinking clearly. We should all try to get some sleep. Tomorrow, we can continue our investigation with fresh perspectives. Until then, Chihiro and his father can just keep up their current strategy. Does that sound good to everyone?"

We all muttered positive responses, and the conference was adjourned.


Despite everyone in our group exiting the administrative building at around the same time, I lagged behind. I needed a moment to enjoy the change of scenery. I had spent basically the past 72 hours in the same building. I decided to stretch my legs and take in the fresh air. Well, almost fresh. Damn pollution.

It seemed particularly bad tonight. The sky was blood red like usual, and was covered with several thick clouds, like blankets of unbreathable air. On some days it could look pretty good, since if it was thin enough the sun could cut through the smog, but it was always there, silent and deadly. The island's air purifiers were the only thing preventing my friends and I from suffocating to death.

As I neared the temporary float bridge leading to the first island, I slowed my pace. I wasn't exactly enthusiastic about crossing it in the dark, not anymore than I was about crossing it in the daylight. I took a moment to watch the tide on the beach below rise and fall. Something about the idea that the world could still seem so peaceful despite the apocalypse was nice. It made me think that maybe my dreams for the future weren't as hopeless as I thought.

In that moment, I heard the sound of footsteps behind me. I spun around and pulled out my high-frequency baton, the only self-defence I really had, and pointed it toward the sound. Standing a few feet away from me, tinted red by the air between us, was Chihiro.

I breathed, and put my weapon away. "...You scared me."

"Huh...? You scared me!" He said with a nervous laugh.

"I didn't notice you lagging behind, too. I thought you went ahead with the others."

"Oh, I just took a second to say good night to my dad." He explained. "I know I'll see him again in a few hours, but..."

"I get it. I'd give anything to be able to say goodnight to someone from back home... Ugh, dammit, I didn't mean to bring the mood down like that."

"That's okay. I know what you mean... Are you sure there's really no way for you to get home, though?"

"Well, when Toshi left this dimension, I was left with a bunch of his ideas and stuff. That's how I designed this baton. But I don't have anything in this noggin' of mine that could let me get home." That was half-true. I did have the schematics for the same machine Toshihide used to pull me into this world, his magnum opus, but that thing only did receiving, not sending. And I'm not well-versed enough in theoretical physics to reverse-engineer the thing to make something that can send. Even if I could, I doubted I would have the courage to just leave this world while it's like this. "But it's fine. I already accepted a long time ago that I won't ever see them again. Of course, I wouldn't mind if I could just have like, 10 minutes with my family just to say goodbye and stuff like that, but I'll take what I can get."

"If you're sure it's fine, then... okay." I could tell from his tone that he didn't believe me. That was fine. I didn't quite believe me either. "Um, can we cross the bridge now?"

I realized I was blocking the bridge like a troll. I also realized I would have to cross the bridge now. The fact that I was being slightly rushed made me feel jelly-legged. "Yeah, sure, no problem."

In my mind, I tried to replay the scene from Shrek where he's telling Donkey not to look down. Except heights weren't really the problem here, it was just a matter of stability. I really didn't want to fall into the probably-heavily-polluted water and maybe get eaten by mutant sharks or whatever the hell hung around the waters of Jabberwock. I just took careful, baby steps so I didn't shake the bridge too much. I tried to think about other things so I wasn't so anxious. Uh... I've been reading up on Novoselican history when I have the time. It's a pretty cool place, don't quite understand what cartographers have against it, although I'm still not sure what a Makango or a Skong is...

"Um... Are you okay?" Chihiro asked a few feet ahead of me. I looked around. My baby steps were apparently too small, and I was only a little ways away from the beach.

With a shaky sigh, I said, "Never better." and tried to widen by steps a bit. I realized I didn't need to distract myself with the details of a micronation no one remembers, since I have Chihiro here to distract me. Although it would look pretty weenie if I was like, "Hey, I seem to have an irrational fear of this bridge in particular, could you talk about something so I don't wet my pants?" So instead, I tried to come up with a topic on my own. I could talk with Chihiro about anything, but there was something on my mind. I didn't quite know how to lead the conversation there, though. Ah, screw it, no time like the present.

"Hey listen, Chihiro, I wanted to... apologize. Y'know, for snapping at you these past few days."

"I wouldn't really say you were "snapping" at me. You just had a bit of a harsh tone. But that's okay, I understand."

"No, it's not okay. It was shitty, you're just too nice to tell me that."

"Al." He turned back and looked me in the eyes. "You just got called back from evacuating refugees from a war zone. Nobody was expecting you to be super happy and nice."

"I know that. But still, I shouldn't be taking that out on you guys. You got enough on your plate as is."

"Well... If you need to talk to someone about it, you know I'm always here. You know I'm always doing my best to help you back."

I paused at his choice of words. Judging from his reaction, he didn't mean to throw in that last word. "Help me back... for what?"

"You know... helping me get over the fear of my secret... and helping me get stronger... and saving my life..."

"Chihiro, I didn't do any of that expecting payback. I did it because I'd feel awful if anything happened to you. I hate to see you sad. In that way, my reasons for helping you were kinda selfish."

"I know, but..."

"I mean, if you really wanna help me, I'd welcome it. But I don't want you to feel like your obligated to do it. You don't owe me a thing."

"But that's wrong!" He insisted.

"Huh?"

"Because... don't friends owe it to each other to help when they can? Isn't that a pretty important part of friendship?"

I thought about that. "You're right, I guess. But I don't think we should look at it like a scale that needs to be balanced..."

"Then... How about this?" He grabbed my hand, and wrapped his pinky finger around mine. "We both promise to help each other, whenever we can, no matter what. And we have to let the other person help when they want to. Does that sounds fair?"

I smiled. "Now that sounds like a deal." And then for some reason, I chanted the "oath" used by Japanese schoolchildren. "Pink promise pledge: If you're lying, I'll make you drink a thousand needles. Pinky promised." Sometimes, physics ideas or Japanese phrases from Toshihide would force their way to the front of my mind. I guess this was one of those moments.

Chihiro stared at me for a second before bursting out with laughter. Ah, now there was the smile I missed so much. I couldn't help but laugh with him. It had been too long since I had a genuine laugh.

"You know, Al, I don't want to be rude, but you can be kinda random sometimes." He said. "One minute you're afraid of crossing the bridge, then you get all serious about apologizing to me, and then, well... you go and say something like that."

"I guess I just try to live in the moment. I got you guys to thank for that. I spent the last year and a half worrying about my past actions, and how they're gonna affect the future. While it's all well and good to plan for those things, I need to spend more time focusing on what I have." I said sincerely, putting a hand on his shoulder, before adding, "But if you tell the others I did that, I'll feed you a pufferfish."

He laughed. "Okay, but you have to keep your end of the deal, too. Let me help you, or I'll feed you a pufferfish."

"Seems counterproductive to your goal, but alright." After a moment, I yawned, and he did so as well. "But right now... I think the best way we could help each other is to let ourselves get some sleep."

"Yeah..."

We continued walked down the bridge, talking about things that don't have matters relating to life or death for once. Eventually, we found ourselves entering the Hotel Mirai. The real version looked a lot different than the virtual counterpart. Mostly, it was quite a bit more expansive, which made sense since these islands were popular tourist spots. Instead of the two branching boardwalks the virtual version has, there were about a dozen rows of cottages across the hotel grounds.

"G'night, Chihiro."

"Good night."

We parted ways, and I checked the key that I received after my "luggage" was taken. It had a seventeen on it. I wandered a bit until I found myself standing in front of cottage 17. I put the key in and turned the knob. I stepped inside, muttering, "Home sweet home..." to myself sarcastically.

As soon as the door was shut behind me, I stripped down, removed my glasses and placed them on a nearby end table, and collapsed on the bed. I tried to fall asleep. By all accounts, it should've been simple. I was exhausted. But my mind wouldn't stop. It kept going, running through all scenarios I've already considered. I couldn't turn it off, no matter how hard I tried.

I heard the sound of skittering, and raised my head. I wasn't alone. My luggage sat in a pile on a table in the centre of the room. One of the very few things I couldn't bear to leave in Towa was Kameko, Toko Fukawa's former pet stink bug. Even though Komaru couldn't come with me, and in fact some of the people I saved ended up taking my place, I decided to at least save one more captive when I left.

I stood up and waked over to her bug box. I managed to get to the point where she wouldn't spray her stench whenever I got near. I guess that meant she was used to me. Her box was filled with half-eaten tropical leaves. I told the others on the island to make sure she doesn't starve while I'm occupied. At least one of us should be allowed to enjoy a stress-free vacation, and it was a lot easier to please a bug than a person.

I pushed open my curtains and stared into the red sky. It was the same sky that hung above Towa. My mind went to Hina, and Komaru, and the rest of the people there. I wondered how they were all doing. Alive, hopefully. Alive and well, even better. Alive, well, and having completed evacuations, that'd just be great. Probably too much to ask for, though. There were quite a few areas Komaru and I had yet to search through. And even when evacuations are complete, we'll still need to get someone who can take those helmets off those kids.

I sighed. There was so much that still had to be done. They say that anyone can do anything, as long as they try hard enough. Is that the problem? I'm just not trying hard enough? I thought I was pushing myself pretty hard. My shoulder still ached from the injury I received against Monaca Towa. I felt chronically exhausted. I'm constantly beating myself up when things don't go according to plan. What more could I possibly do?

I stared up at the night sky once again. This time, another thought crossed my mind. I was reminded of all those deep statements about how everyone in the world is connected by the same sun, the same moon, the same sky. The sky connected us all. So when you stare up at the sky, and you feel lonely, you can imagine your distant loved ones also staring at the same sky, and the gap suddenly doesn't feel so wide. Perhaps Hina and Komaru were looking at the same sky I was, for example.

But this wasn't the same sky from my home. While I was staring at this sky, I couldn't comfort myself with the idea that my parents, or my brothers, or my sisters were staring at the same sky. They had a different one. I mean, there was the possibility that this universe had it's own version of me and my family over in Canada, since I've never been there to disprove it, but the idea didn't really provide any comfort. It was likely that they were all killed in the Tragedy, anyway. Even if they were alive, though, it would be best if I never involved myself with this world's version of me's life. He had his own life to live, he didn't need my baggage. I felt tears well up in my eyes, and I choked back a sob. I had put on a brave face in front of Chihiro, but I couldn't hide it from myself.

I missed my family. I missed Mom and Dad. I missed Stephen. I missed Marie. I missed Darwin. I missed Nikole. I missed Isaac. I missed everyone. Hell, sometimes I even missed one of my childhood friends that I hadn't seen for years even before getting sucked into an alternate dimension. It's been two and a half years since I was brought here. Assuming the lengths of time were equal between the two universes, that meant the police have been investigating my disappearance for two and a half years. By now, my family's probably accepted that they'd never find me, and probably held my funeral. That thought really made me feel empty.

I never got to say goodbye. That was the worst part of it. That was the one thing I could never forgive Toshihide for. I could forgive him trapping me in a killing game. In time, I could forgive him for trying to get me executed. But I'll never forgive him for taking me from my home, without the chance to say goodbye.

When I trusted that I had no more tears to shed, I lifted my head, and returned to staring at the red sky. A few more whimpering breaths escaped me before my breathing returned to normal. Heh, I've already broken my promise to Chihiro. Not really looking forward to that pufferfish. Well, I guess it wasn't entirely broken yet. The next time we have a moment together, I'll admit it to him. It won't be pleasant, but I guess it's like ripping off a bandaid. Once it's over with, I'll start to feel better.

...Then, as I stared up at the night sky, I felt an odd sensation wash over me. My entire body stiffened with that sensation. "...Is someone watching me?"

I continued to stare, before I looked around the hotel grounds. Nope, the cottages in my view had their curtains drawn. What an odd feeling.

Behind me, Kameko chirped. I turned. She was facing toward me.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm probably just losing my mind. The only one watching me is you, huh?" She gave another chirp, that I interpreted as confirmation. "Heh, well, they do say animals have a sixth sense for this kinda thing. I'll take your word for it."

I plucked some leaves from a nearby houseplant into her bug box before returning to my sheets. I tried my best to get some shut eye, even though I knew what would await me in my nightmares. I comforted myself with the idea that they would never come true, that we were safe here. But it wasn't that easy. Tragedy finds a way.


The next morning, the general mood in the dining hall was dreary. It was quite clear that nobody wanted to be there. But nobody wanted to be alone, either, and the need to satiate their hunger was enough to get them to arrive.

Mahiru did her best to greet everyone, but her tone gave away her mood. By the time Hajime arrived, she had given up on trying to hide it. "Ah, Hajime... you're already here... Good morning..."

Several other students looked up and noticed him. "Good... morning..." Mikan greeted.

"...Good morning." Byakuya said quietly.

"Huuuh? You guys don't look so good." Hiyoko said. "Your faces all look like you just attended two funerals in a row."

"That's, like... what happened!" Mikan cried. "Teruteru... and Kazuichi got killed...!"

"I'm not talking to you, you ugly bitch!" Hiyoko snapped.

"Waaaaaah! Wh-Why are you always so mean to me!?"

"I know it's hard for you, Hiyoko, but you could really stand to learn some tact." Maki remarked.

"Oh, hey, that reminds me! Shouldn't we do something about Maki before she gets another one of us killed?"

"Hey, it's not like I wanted-"

"What you wanted doesn't matter! What happened is that you killed Teruteru and Kazuichi! Just because Monokuma doesn't think your guilty, doesn't mean it's not your fault!"

"She did what she had to." Byakuya defended. "Or at least, what she thought was best at the time. Regardless, we can't fault her for what happened outside of her control. By that logic, we're all accountable for the events of last night, as we all failed to notice either Nagito's or Maki's traps. We shouldn't throw blame. The mastermind is the one who pushed us to this."

Hiyoko rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure thing, Mr. Ham Hands. Just don't expect me to show up to anymore of your parties, okay?"

"...Hm?...Hmmmm?" Next to her, Akane started sniffing the air.

"Hey, what gives? Does a peabrain like you have something to complain about?"

"Well, it's not about that, but... somethin' smells, don'tcha think?"

"Eh, again!?" Sonia gasped.

"Don't tell me... It better not be another dead body!" Ibuki shouted.

"Nah, it's not the smell of a dead body... this time. It just smells really bad."

"S-Smells bad...?" Hajime repeated.

"It's kinda like how a bar or nightclub smells after closin' time, ya see."

"...Now that you mention it, I do smell something." Peko said. "It's like a sewer or rotting garbage..."

"Kyahahahaha! I know what it is! Nekomaru's breath probably stinks!" Hiyoko laughed.

"Gah-hahahaha! You've got me there!" The Team Manager laughed with her.

"She didn't say anything remotely funny just now..." Hajime muttered.

"No, it's not Nekomaru. This smell is comin' from..." Akane sniffed in different directions until her eyes fell on the girl next to her. "...you, Hiyoko."

"...Huh?" Hiyoko paused as the students sitting closest to her leaned closer and smelled the air.

Maki pulled back and covered her nose. "Ugh, does she ever! Have you heard of deodorant?"

"Tch! A rotten smell stings my eyes...!" Gundham agreed. "As if a demonic eclipse is about to commence...!"

"Ah... aghhh... Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Suddenly, Hiyoko broke down in a mess of tears and wailing.

"Oh, she's crying!" Ibuki noted.

"Jeez, you guys are so insensitive!" Mahiru scolded.

"I mean, it's sort of on her at this point." Maki decided. "If she wants to go around making jokes about funerals or calling people "ugly bitches," she should grow a thicker skin." This comment did nothing to remedy the situation, and Hiyoko continued to cry.

"Are you even takin' baths?" Akane asked.

"Ugh..." She choked back a few sobs before she managed, "...No."

"Y-You haven't bathed...!?" Hajime asked.

"I... I can't help it... I can't tie my kimono sash by myself..." She admitted.

"H-Hey... Hiyoko... You don't have to cry so much..." Mahiru did her best to console the girl. "I'll tie your sash for you, okay?"

After a few more sobs, she asked, "...Really?"

"I can only tie a simple knot, but... if that's okay with you, I can teach you."

"Yaaaaay!" She jumped up and hugged the Photographer like a small child. "I love you, Mahiru! I'll give you a kiss!"

"H-Hey Hiyoko... you don't have to hug me." Mahiru said as she began to blush.

"...Kehehe, she appears to have taken a liking to you." Gundham observed.

"Welcome to the world of girl love! It's slippery when wet!" Ibuki cheered.

Mikan looked around the room. "Um... anyway... What happened to Fuyuhiko and Nagito? It seems they are both... not here..."

"Ah, now that you mention it, you're right..." Hajime said.

"I saw Fuyuhiko earlier near the hotel. I invited him to breakfast, but he declined." Peko explained.

"Well, that's just Fuyuhiko being Fuyuhiko, but..."

"Who cares about Nagito!?" Akane asked sharply.

"He is cursed... A child who summons misfortune, so to speak." Gundham warned.

"Well... that may be, but..." Hajime looked as though he had more to say, but didn't.

"J-Just letting you know... I don't know anything! W-Without hesitation, I-I don't know anything about Nagito at all!"

"I do have to say, I think it's best we just forget about Nagito." Maki said. "He'll just cause problems for anyone who doesn't study psychopaths. That's you guys, by the way."

Chiaki looked around the table before saying, "...They're obviously acting suspicious, aren't they?"

"Who, me?" Maki asked. "I'm not suspicious. This is how I always am."

"Hmph! That's right! I-I'm not suspicious!" Nekomaru argued.

"What's up?" Monokuma asked as he suddenly appeared. "Did someone get kidnapped or something?"

"Y-You came just at the right time!" Nekomaru shouted.

"Hm? At the right time?"

"N-No... it's nothing..." He decided.

"I don't really get it, but... you must've yearned for me. Your outlook on life has changed due to my cuteness, so your body can't stand to live without me, huh? "I-I can't help myself, you know... M-My body... reacts to Monokuma... on its own..." Somethin' like that?"

"...Who cares about that?" Mahiru snapped. "Just hurry up and tell us why you're here."

"To be honest, I'm searching too. My valued servant... has disappeared."

"Servant...?" Hajime repeated.

"You know, my Monobeasts... One of them just disappeared. Maybe I cut back on the cost of their food too much? Perhaps they're boycotting me?"

""But... that guy is the weakest of the League of Four... How shameful for a Monobeast to lose to a mere human..."... That's what you want to say, right?" Gundham guessed.

"Hm?"

"Though this is merely the prelude, the climax will occur soon after..." He boasted. "Now then, let me hear your scream! I shall make such sweet music for you!"

"Hmhmhmhm!?"

"Hey Gundham... You should stop playing with that stuffed animal." Mahiru teased.

"I'm still being called a stuffed animal..." Monokuma said, turning his back on the group. "Oh well... It looks like you guys don't know anything about my Monobeast either... Then it's a waste of time for me to worry about it. I don't wanna go bald from worrying too much. A wise catbot once said, "Our eyes are on the front so we can keep looking forward!"" With that, he disappeared, leaving the students to finish their meals.

"Hey, what do you think he meant just now?" Peko asked. "He said something about a Monobeast disappearing..."

Chiaki seemed lost in thought. "Hmm... The only possibility I can think of is..."

"Um... Were you in the middle of something?" Monomi asked, appearing where Monokuma had just left. "If so, I can just come back later..."

"Then leave." Akane said.

"Kyaa! At least ask me to leave kindly!"

"Ah, before you leave, I want to ask you something." Chiaki said. "Did you have anything to do with the disappearing Monobeast?"

"Ah, yes! That's right! Tadaaaaa! I'm the one who defeated that Monobeast!"

"Y-You did!?" Hajime asked, jumping out of his chair.

"That's an impressive feat." Maki remarked. "How did you do it?"

"Maybe I'll tell you about it someday in the future. Anyway, I've released the bridge gate for you all!"

"If the gate is open... That means we can go to the new island across the bridge, right?"

"I-IS THAT TRUUUUUUUUUUUUEEEEEEEEEE!?" Nekomaru asked.

"Ahem! That's totally right!" Monomi announced proudly. "Now that you all can go to more areas, let's all get along and live a fun life together for sure this time! Love! Love!"

"L-Living together on this island isn't what's important..." Mikan corrected. "W-We need to find a way to escape."

"Of course! Escaping from this island is our main goal!" Mahiru agreed.

"...Huh?"

"Nobody wants to live in a swashbuckling, Hollywood type, action film!" Ibuki said.

"I want to live a life where I can be more average... a life where nothing happens..." Mikan said. "That's better for me..."

"I-It seems that... everyone's united on a path that's different from what I had planned..." Monomi muttered.

"Fuhahaha! Then let's disperse!" Gundham announced. "The time has come to release my cursed seal!"

"All right! Let's find a way to leave this island!" Akane cheered.

"That is... impossible..." Monomi corrected.

"...Hm?" Hajime took note of her wording.

"Leaving the island... is no longer possible..."

"...No longer possible!? Hey... what does that...?" Before he could finish asking, she disappeared. "Ah...!"

"I think it's best not to take anything those things say at face value." Maki told him. "Monokuma and Monomi are just obstacles. We need to work around them."

"You're right..."

With that, everyone finished up their meals and made their way out of the dining hall, eager to explore the new island for clues.


So yeah, not a lot happened, but at the same time, quite a bit happened. And hey, the second case is just getting started. I can't wait to see what you guys think about what I have in store.

In the next chapter, the students will explore the second island.