Ah, man, remember the last time I posted a chapter exactly a week after the previous one? Because I sure don't. Yay, more jokes that people reading in the future won't be able to understand!
In any case, I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 16
Broken Tools
...Or so they thought.
"Pardon me! Can we please have a little bit more time!?" Sonia interrupted. Everyone's attention turned to her. She repeated, "U-Um... Pardon me... Can we have a little bit more time...? Please let us continue our discussion... I cannot help but feel strange... Something about this is definitely strange..."
"Strange...? What do you mean?" Nekomaru asked. "There's no doubt that Peko is the killer!"
"That... is true... However..."
"As a serial killer enthusiast, you're wondering if Peko is really Sparkling Justice, am I right?" Nagito guessed. "Honestly, it felt strange to me too. I mean... There's a distinct difference between what we know about Sparkling Justice and Peko, right?"
"A d-distinct difference?" Mikan repeated.
"You know... Sonia described Sparkling Justice like this... She said that Sparkling Justice is apparently so elusive that there was only ever one journalist who managed to interview them, and that she had to translate it from their native language."
"That's right..." Hajime recalled. "According to what Sonia said... If she had to translate it... That means it wasn't originally written in Japanese, right?"
"Yes! The magazine I read was written in Spanish!" She confirmed. "So... Sparkling Justice's catchphrase was no doubt written in Spanish as well... Which means the journalist... and Sparkling Justice... are both...!"
"From Spain!?" Nekomaru gasped.
"WHAAATT!?" Ibuki screeched.
"Peko... you're not Sparkling Justice..." Hajime accused. "There's no way that's possible..."
"Or if you insist that you're Sparkling Justice, can you try saying that catchphrase in Spanish?" Chiaki suggested.
"...Would you be able to do that?" Hajime asked.
Peko was silent. From beneath the mask, her eyes drifted toward Sonia, who would no doubt be able to tell if she just spouted Spanish-sounding gibberish. "...Hmph... it appears that... the time has come for this mask to come off... However, that's perfectly fine... It's no longer necessary. And... even if you find out now, it's too late for you all to do anything about it. My duty... has already been finished. My duty as a tool... has already been completed in full." Her expression was solemn and peaceful as the mask came off.
"H-Huh...? Looks like... she's back to normal...?" Ibuki said.
"That mask has fulfilled its purpose... just as I have."
"What do you mean...?" Hajime asked. ""Fulfilled its purpose"... "Too late"... What are you getting at?"
"Now that you've already cast your votes... is what it means."
"H-Hey... Be clearer!" Nekomaru demanded. "We're asking you what your purpose was!"
"I have no purpose... I am just a mere tool..."
"T-Tool...? What do you mean?" Mikan asked.
"She called herself a tool... which means someone else used her, then?" Nagito guessed.
"Hmph, of course... A tool cannot do anything on its own."
"I see... I finally understand... Well, I did have a sneaking suspicion all along..."
"What... do you mean?" Hajime asked.
"I mean, besides Peko and Hiyoko, someone else was also at the beach house."
"S-Someone else!?" Hiyoko repeated.
"There is proof that establishes that fact. Try to remember it."
"Are you... talking about the body discovery announcement?" Hajime recalled.
"Yep, that's right. I mean, didn't Monokuma say so earlier? That announcement is made when at least three people discover a body... And in this particular case, the killer, Peko, is not one of those three. If that's the case, it would mean only Hiyoko and Ibuki discovered the body, but..."
"...I see, that leaves us one person short." Chiaki realized.
"So that means there was one more person in the beach house!" Nekomaru said.
Nagito added, "Plus, the fact that Monokuma tried to hide that fact from us by being flexible with his own rules... That's such a vital clue that it could alter the outcome of this trial. Like an accomplice, for example-"
"No, that's not it..." Peko corrected.
"...Huh? Am I wrong?"
"Yes. From your basic way of thinking about it, you are wrong. Didn't I tell you...? I'm just a tool. That means I'm just a simple tool to be used by that person."
"Therefore... that person would have the strongest motive out of anybody else here, right?"
"...Is it Fuyuhiko?" Hajime asked.
"I see... Now I finally see the connection..." Chiaki said. "The connection between the motive and the incident..."
"But even if it's the motive, it's just a game, right?" Akane asked. "There's no reason to believe it's even true. Would you call a game like that... a strong motive?"
"I didn't think it was necessary to confirm it if it didn't have anything to do with Mahiru's murder, but..." Hajime pulled out an envelope. "There's no doubt that game is based on actual events. That much is clear if you saw the ending prize. The photos awarded for beating the game are not actual in-game screenshots... They're all... actual photos... with the surrounding scenery cropped out... You... knew all along, Fuyuhiko... didn't you? You knew whether or not the first victim in the game was your little sister... right? Because... whoever beat the game first and received the ending prize... It was the envelope, right? The person who received the ending prize... It was you, wasn't it?"
"Tch...!"
"If you were shows a photo of your sister's dead body, you'd have no choice but to believe it..." Nagito said. "Even so, you wanted to deny the truth... that's why you sent those photos to Mahiru to confirm it."
"H-Hey... Why are we talking about Fuyuhiko?" Hiyoko asked. "Who cares...? Cause... Peko is the killer, right?"
"But... we already voted!" Mikan said.
"That's why I told you... you're all too late." Peko reminded. "As I said before, I exist as nothing more than a tool... I had no motive for killing Mahiru... No reason to kill... not even the will to kill... I was simply used as a tool. As long as I am a tool, I cannot defy my orders."
"H-Hey... what's goin' on?" Akane asked. "Can anyone gimme a simpler explanation...?"
"It means... I'm not the killer! The true killer, who used me as their weapon to kill Mahiru Koizumi, was Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu!"
"What!?" Gundham gasped.
"What the helllll!?" Akane shouted.
"I see..." Nagito said. "That's what you were aiming for all along."
"No... I have no aim. But my young master does. My young master planned this from the start."
"Y-Young master...?" Hajime repeated.
"That... is the truth of this case. I'm sure you realize it by now, but it's too late. You cannot undo the vote..."
"That's a problem..." Chiaki said. "If Peko's allegation holds up, that means our vote was incorrect."
"I-In that case, the person who gets to live is..." Ibuki slowly turned her head toward Fuyuhiko.
"Just... me...?"
"Th-That's nuts!" Hiyoko exclaimed. "No matter how you look at it, that's completely insane!"
"H-How... would Peko be a tool in the first place...?" Nekomaru asked. "Peko is a legitimate human being!"
"That's not for you to decide... It's for Monokuma... The votes have been cast! All we can do now is wait and see what Monokuma decides!"
"Wh-What the hell...?" Hajime muttered.
"Hmm... I'm in a bind, and what a bind it is..." Monokuma mused. "I guess for now... let's take a quick recess! We'll be back right after this commercial break!"
With that, their fates were sealed, and that was the true end of their second class trial.
"Ahem! Although there were some twists and turns along the way, the one who killed Mahiru Koizumi is..."
"H-Hold on a sec...!" Hajime interrupted.
"Okay, I'll wait. So sorry... I'm just hesitating!"
"That's ridiculous!" Byakuya argued. "No matter how you look at it, Peko's the killer!"
"...Why?" The Swordswoman countered.
"Why!? Because you're not a tool, you're a human with her own thoughts and initiative!"
"If I'm a human, then I'm not a tool... If that's what you're saying, you're wrong. Because... you just don't know. You just don't know that there are people who only exist to be tools... People such as myself."
"Only exist... to be tools...?" Hajime repeated.
"...What does she mean, Fuyuhiko?" Chiaki asked.
The Yakuza hesitated, but realized he had no choice when he saw all the eyes on him. "...Peko... and I... grew up together."
Maki nodded. "I thought as much. She's a weapon of the yakuza, I take it?"
"You figured it out from how I defended my young master?" Peko guessed.
"Pfft, give me some credit. I figure it out during our fun little sparring match. When I mentioned my ultimate goal, your reaction implied you had some criminal ties, and you even went out of your way to ask me about my opinion on the yakuza! This trial just proved a theory that was already in my head."
"Are you two... childhood friends then?" Sonia asked.
"No... it's completely different than that." Peko insisted. "Right after I was born and abandoned by my parents... the Kuzuryu clan took me in. They gave me a reason to exist. I am to fulfill my duty as my young master's property."
"...Property, you say?" Gundham repeated.
"It means she's... a hitman arranged by my clan to work directly under me..." Fuyuhiko explained.
"If my young master is attacked, I must defend him as his shield... If he intends to kill, I must be his sword... That is my only reason for living. Before I am human... I am my young master's tool, first and foremost. Until this body of mine can no longer move... I shall fulfill my duty until the very end...!"
"But that is... You are wrong... You are not a tool, Peko." Sonia argued. "Because... if you are a tool... Then what was all that time... we spent together!?"
"...Nothing."
"Huh!?"
"I was ordered by my young master to behave... Just as I was ordered to... interact with you all..."
"Wha-!?"
""Our professional relationship doesn't exist on this island. We're just fellow high school students now..." Right after we arrived on this island, that is what my young master ordered me to do."
"That is why you were hiding your relationship, you mean?" Gundham asked.
"It's not as if... that started the moment we arrived on this island... Before that, my young master has always told me to hide our relationship. My young master loathes relying on his household's power... He even hates me, the tool given to him by his household... No matter what I am told, I am nothing but a tool for killing... If my young master intends to kill, it is only natural for me to act as his tool."
Hajime came to a realization. "Then... the one who tried to kill Mahiru wasn't you, it was... Fuyuhiko?"
"I-It is what it is..." The Yakuza admitted. "When I thought I beat that game... I was suddenly given these photographs... Dammit... I don't understand... Why is my sister... in these photos...? And she's... she's covered in blood! What does it mean!? Why can't I remember!? How come I don't even know if my sister is dead!?"
"You... tried to confirm it with Mahiru... and that's why you wanted to talk to her..." Chiaki guessed.
"Yeah... I sent her the photo because I wanted to make sure she'd respond... But she never replied back to me... Not only that... she started avoiding me, too..."
"I'm pretty sure... Mahiru was confused, too..." Mikan guessed. "I mean, we all were... Before anyone played the game, we didn't even know this incident had happened... That's why, even if we were told that we're connected to it, there's no way we could accept it."
"You know, when Mahiru spoke to Ibuki, she mentioned something about this!" The Musician added. "She mentioned something about "making amends," and wanted to discuss it with everyone! It sounded so serious, I even offered to cancel my beach plans, but she told me it was fine..."
"She... wanted to discuss how to make amends..." Chiaki said. "But Hiyoko was the only one who accepted her invitation..."
"I should have gone too..." Ibuki muttered.
"But it was rather convenient for you, wasn't it, Fuyuhiko?" Nagito asked. "If you could make use of their plan to meet each other alone, you could easily lure Mahiru into a trap, right? By calling both of them to the beach house, you were able to pin the blame on Hiyoko."
"Seriously, what the heck!?" Hiyoko snapped.
""An eye for an eye"... That's the world I live in. My little sister was murdered... If the reason that happened was because of some person here... I have no choice but to kill that person on my sister's behalf, right!?"
"And so... my young master thought of a plan and executed it." Peko added.
"I wanted to use a bat as the murder weapon because in the game, that's what was used to kill Girl E. For revenge... clubbing the person to death the same way my sister was killed just seemed to make sense... Even if it ruined my disguise, it was the only thing I could do to avenge my sister..."
"So that is why you... killed Mahiru with the bat?" Sonia asked.
"But still... I believed her up till the very last minute. That that game was just a work of fiction... But even so... that bitch! She scolded me for taking revenge. Said that no one had the right to judge others for their crimes. Want me to be honest...? This whole time... I was acting like a coward... Even after I called over Mahiru... I was still trying to find an excuse to not go through with the plan... But... after she said that to me... that all went out the window...! I got really pissed off and grabbed the metal bat that I hid under the bench... But at that moment..."
"Young Master called for me and made me killed Mahiru."
"...Huh?"
"Y-You... Are you saying that you killed because you were ordered to?" Nekomaru asked.
"A tool is not defined by its will, but by its actions."
"I-I don't get this at all!" Ibuki cried.
"Well, of course you don't understand." Monokuma said. "Cuz humans are completely different from one another. Everyone's birthplace and upbringing is different. It's obviously impossible for them to understand each other. So everyone just pretends to understand... and pretends to be understood."
"Hey... you're too annoying. Can you just be quiet?" Chiaki asked.
"Okie-dokie, I'll be quiet."
"Afterward... just as my young master planned, I proceeded to tamper with the scene of the crime. However, I also considered the possibility of being found out... So in order to get you guys to make the wrong choice, I decided to make use of that serial killer story."
"You insisted that you were Sparkling Justice in order to make us hasten our votes...?" Sonia asked.
"So... we fell for it..." Nekomaru grumbled. "We fell for her trick all along...!"
"That's right... You guys have made the wrong decision. You voted me, a mere tool, as the killer, unaware that my young master was the true killer..."
"Are you sure about that?" Maki asked. "It seems a bit early to decide that, huh?"
"No, it should be decided already. Isn't that right, Monokuma?"
"I'll admit, all this talk about Peko being a tool sounds very persuasive. When you approach it from various angles, it makes sense that Fuyuhiko is actually the true killer..."
"I see..." Nagito muttered. "So for Peko, Fuyuhiko himself is your true hope, then? In his behalf, you killed Mahiru... and now you're trying to sacrifice us so that you can protect him. You would only go that far because he's your one and only hope..."
"Wrong... I have no hope. I am just..."
"A tool? Well, even if we ask her, she'll probably just play dumb anyway... So I'm going to ask someone else. Hey Fuyuhiko, what do you think?"
"A-About what...!?"
"Is Peko just a tool to you? Using that tool... Surviving by sacrificing Peko and the rest of us... Is that your hope!?"
"...Tch!"
"H-Hold on...!" Peko interrupted. "What's the use of asking something like that!?"
"Huh? You seem distressed." Nagito said. "A mere tool doesn't panic like that, right? Peko... be honest... Are you trying to protect Fuyuhiko of your own free will?" The Swordswoman took a step back, unable to answer.
"Fuyuhiko... Can you tell me the truth?" Chiaki asked. "The fact that she killed on your behalf, the fact that she lied to us by acting like the killer... Are those all things you ordered her to do? Is that the truth?"
"I... I..."
"...Fuyuhiko?" Sonia pressed.
"I know you hardly care for us, but I at least thought you'd have some reservations over killing thirteen other people." Byakuya said.
"I...! I... I..."
"Young master... You just have to tell the truth. I was only following your orders... You just have to tell them that."
"I... I..."
"Fuyuhiko..." Hajime started. "You... mentioned this before but... You said you'd have no problem sacrificing everyone if it guaranteed your survival. You don't really feel that way, right? You're not that kind of person. Because... if you were... You wouldn't be hesitating... like you are now, right?"
"Tch...!"
"There's no need to hesitate, young master!" Peko insisted. "Please just tell them the truth! Young master, you were the one who ordered me... I just did as I was told because I am just a tool!"
"Fuyuhiko... this could be considered your ultimate choice." Nagito said. "Regardless, either way you'll still lose Peko but... If you insist you're the killer just as she said, you can sacrifice us and survive alone. Or... would you rather reject Peko and fight alongside us against despair? Which one will be your hope? Let's hear what you have to say."
"I... I...!"
"How about it, Fuyuhiko?" Maki finally asked. "It's now or never. Please, just tell us the truth."
The boy stared at her for a moment before his face fell to the floor. Squeezing his eyes shut, he said, "...I'm sorry, Peko... I guess... I couldn't go through with it after all..."
"Y-Young master!"
"Cause... if that's actually what I have to do to survive... I'd just feel ashamed of myself. It'd mean I can't live without depending on something... I'd just feel disgusted with myself... And... if I admit that... It means... you really are just a tool to me. How many times did I tell you...? I don't want a tool given to me by the Kuzuryu clan..."
"Young master...!"
"Ohhh myyyyy, so this is how it turned out!" Monokuma interrupted. "And here I thought it'd be more brutal and heartless... Man, how disappointing! Which means... everything happened thanks to her meddlesome actions! There's no way a human that meddlesome could ever be considered a tool!"
"Monokuma... You knew all along, didn't you?" Nagito asked. "You knew about what Peko and Fuyuhiko discussed. Well, it's obvious now... I mean, that's why you have surveillance cameras. You were just having fun, huh?"
"Maaaan! Even if it was an act of desperation, Peko's claim was surprisingly interesting! Puhuhu, you're actually the first to try to influence the outcome of the trial like that... But tooooooo bad! You're definitely the killer! Peko, the tool with a heart, is the killer!"
"Peko... I'm sorry I couldn't fulfill your request." Fuyuhiko apologized. "Even though... you did all that to provide me a chance to survive... But I..."
"...I had a feeling it would turn out like this." Peko admitted.
"...Huh?"
"Young master... You have a kind heart, despite being a yakuza... That's why... you question your position and constantly worry about it... For you to sacrifice someone else just to escape by yourself... I believe you wouldn't accept that so easily. We've been together ever since we were children. Even a tool would understand that."
"Th-Then... why...?"
"Even so... I wanted you to escape. I wanted to protect you..."
"Peko..."
"I am terribly sorry I will not be able to serve by your side until the very end... young master... Good bye. And... I'm sorry for what I've done to you all, too. It may be a selfish request but... please forgive my young master. And please do not cause a senseless killing such as this... ever again...!"
"O-Of course..." Hajime agreed.
"Ngh... Peko...!" Mikan sobbed.
"I'm sorry it had to end like this, Peko." Maki added.
"That will do, Monokuma... Why don't you start it already? Just so you know, I will never feel despair. As long as I am a tool... I am fully prepared to die."
"Puhuhu, soooo cool! But will you be able to maintain that composure until the very end? People who act as proud as you always shed tears of despair in the end. Noooow then! Let's begin!"
"...Young master Fuyuhiko... Please permit me to make one final selfish request..."
"Didn't I tell you... not to call me "young master"...?"
"I want you to remember... the tool, Peko Pekoyama, who used to stand beside you... I would like it if you remembered that... That's it."
While his voice was quiet, it was almost seething. "How many times... do you have to keep... I don't need any tools..."
"You... did... say that..."
"Then let's begin!" Monokuma cheered. "The punishment time brimming with despair!"
"Jeez... Why don't you get it yet...?" Fuyuhiko snapped.
"This time, for the Ultimate Swordswoman, Peko Pekoyama..."
"You stayed by my side... all this time... Why don't you get it...?"
"I've prepared a special punishment for you!"
"I never needed... a sword... or a shield... I never needed... a tool... S-So... You didn't... need to become a tool..."
"Let's give it everything we've got!"
"You just... you just needed to be yourself... I... I never wanted a tool! I just wanted you! Only you!"
"...Young master?"
"Wh-Why!? Why couldn't you understand!? We've always been together, ever since we were kids!"
"Let's go! It's... PUNISHMENT TIIIIIME!"
"P-Please Peko! Don't go...!" He begged, tears streaming down his face. "I need you! Don't leave me!"
"Young... master?" Before she could stop herself, Peko began to cry as well. "...Young master!"
Before she could cry any louder, a metal collar flew out from the corridor behind her and locked shut around her neck, silencing her. Chains followed, wrapping around her body before she was pulled into the darkness beyond.
Unlike everyone else, who watched in stunned silence, Fuyuhiko pushed his way through the crowd of students and sprinted down the corridor.
The monitors in the trial room lit up, showing Peko standing atop a high cliff, a katana in her hands, the only sound being the crashing waves beneath. In seconds, she was surrounded by puppet soldiers. Beyond the army, Fuyuhiko could be seen trying to force his way through to Peko. The camera then cut to Monokuma, holding a large marionette with Peko's face on it. With a flick of his wrist, the marionette held out it's hand, and Peko brandished her sword similarly. Monokuma chuckled to himself as the speakers announced:
"One-Woman-Army!" Monokuma swung the marionette, and Peko began to fly toward a nearby soldier. Right before she would have been cut down, she grabbed her blade and cut through the enemy. Monokuma continued forcing her through the crowd of soldiers, forcing her to cut through multiple every second.
With the enemies distracted, Fuyuhiko took the opportunity to rush through the crowd. When he made it to the centre of the battlefield, he found himself just behind Peko. Before he could announce his presence, a fallen enemy between them suddenly jumped back up. Instinctively, Peko turned and swung her blade in a wide, upward arc. Her blade cut clean through the soldier... and through Fuyuhiko's right eye.
From the shock of the pain, the boy collapsed right in the middle of the battlefield. Peko cast her sword aside and knelt down to him, cradling him in her arms. One of the soldiers approached from behind and stabbed through her back. The others joined in, stabbing through Peko and dying the field crimson as she shielded her young master from them. With that, the video feed cut to black as all the classmates stood horrified of what they witnessed.
"This cannot be! Even Fuyuhiko!?" Sonia cried.
"This is bad... Th-This shouldn't be allowed..." Ibuki muttered as her mouth foamed. "People dying so easily... Falling like dominoes..."
"Y-You bastard... What is this!?" Nekomaru roared.
"Th-This can't be..." Hajime said. "This... is a lie right...? Pekoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Fuyuhikoooooooooooooooooooooooooo!"
"For heaven's sake... This is just the worst..." Nagito lamented. "Jeez, what a waste... This conclusion... what a waste... This is why... she should've just discussed it with me... It was supposed to be a clash between two hopes, but it was crushed into something so unpalatable..."
"You... you're still talking about that?" Chiaki asked.
"The hell's wrong with you!?" Akane scolded. "Aren't you pissed that two of your friends got killed!?"
"I am pissed... and I even feel sad and hopeless... But still... It's going to be all right! This despair is worthless! Even this despair... is just a ladder to a bright, shining future that awaits us! The higher the ladder, the brighter we can shine... That is the unmistakable truth!"
"Calling me a ladder, huh..." Monokuma growled. "You say some pretty interesting things. Puhuhu... In a way, your misguided thoughts of what hope should be... remind me of him."
"I don't really understand... what you're saying..." Nagito admitted. "Anyway, I shall make a declaration! We will definitely destroy you! Haha, the hopes of all the Ultimates here will definitely, completely, utterly destroy you. There won't even be a strand of cotton left when we're done with you... That's your future."
"H-How much longer... are you planning to say such stupid things...?" Hajime asked. "Don't you understand!? Even Fuyuhiko died, you know!?"
"...Not yet..." Monomi said. "He's... still alive!"
"What!?" Nekomaru gasped.
"Everyone! Fuyuhiko is still alive!"
"A-Are you serious!?" Akane asked.
"Fuyuhikoooooooooooooooooooooooooo!" Nekomaru roared as he charged down the corridor. Frantically, everyone followed.
The students found themselves standing on the cliff that Peko had her battle. Her body, as well as the wooden soldiers, were nowhere to be seen. There was only Fuyuhiko, covered in both his own and Peko's blood. As most of the student made their way to his side, he tried to take a breath, but only coughed more blood.
"H-He's still... he's still breathing!" Mikan announced.
"I-Is he gonna be okay!?" Hajime asked.
"We need to stop the bleeding." Maki said calmly.
"I-I'm trying!" Mikan cried. "But his blood! He won't stop bleeding out! His pulse... is getting weaker...!" It was true, putting pressure on any of Fuyuhiko's wounds just increased the rate at which the others bled. There seemed to be no way to stop it.
"God damn it." Maki quickly removed her lab coat and started tearing it into strips to be used as bandages. Some of the other students followed suit, gathering any excess fabrics they could, but it only helped slightly.
"Well, serves him right." Monokuma decided, approaching the crowd from behind. "Were you filled with hope at the thought of saving her yourself? That's why you ended up like that."
"Wh-What are you so laid back about!?" Monomi snapped. "You need to hurry up and save him!"
"Huh!? A surprise order!? Why do I have to burn my precious calories just to save some yakuza scum!?"
"It's your duty to save him!"
"...Duty?"
"Cuz... it's written in the school trip rules! If the blackened is exposed during the class trial, they alone will be executed. If only the blackened gets executed, then Fuyuhiko shouldn't be allowed to be executed...! W-Well... if I could... I would do something about it right now... But since my magic stick was taken away... I'm practically powerless... But you, you should be able to do it!"
Monokuma stared at her for a few seconds. "...Jeez! I guess I have no choice! Well, there's no way I can violate a rule, even if it's me... Fine then! I'll save him!"
"R-Really!?" Hajime asked.
"Heh... I was actually gonna do that all along! So I've already prepared for this!"
"Huh? Prepared?" Monomi asked. Suddenly, everyone could hear a siren in the distance. It slowly grew closer and closer. Then, out of nowhere, an ambulance showed up. "Ha-wa-wa!? An ambulance!?"
A Monokuma climbed out of the ambulance, wearing a stethoscope. "Just leave it to me: Doctor Killgood!"
"Doctor Killgood!? You've already killed your patients!"
Two other Monokumas came out the back, carrying a stretcher. Doctor Killgood started ordering them around. "We gotta get this patient to the Monokuma Hospital ER and get him under 24 hour observation, stat! Soooo I'll see you later!" With that, Monokuma, Fuyuhiko, and the ambulance all disappeared.
The students tried to calm themselves, but it was hardly a relief.
"U-Um... is it really gonna be okay...? To leave this to Monokuma...?" Mikan asked.
"It can't be helped... it's not like there was any other way...!" Akane said.
"He's gonna be fine." Chiaki assured them. "He's probably gonna get better and come back to us again."
"Y-You're right..." Ibuki agreed. "He's definitely gonna come back and talk a lot of smack as if nothing happened...!"
"Then... all we can do is wait...!" Nekomaru decided.
"Why do we have to wait for him...?" Hiyoko groaned. "I mean... he caused Mahiru's death, you know...?"
"H-However... we must put that aside since Peko has already been punished..." Sonia said. "O-Or else we will not be able to advance forward...!"
"There are no second chances in life..." Gundham agreed. "We cannot return to what has already transpired... There is no other way than to move forward, like an arrow of light piercing through the darkness..."
Maki nodded, and slowly said, "Elapsam semel occasionem non ipse potest Iuppiter reprehendere. Not even Jupiter can find a lost opportunity."
Hiyoko obviously didn't like what they were telling her, but for once, she didn't speak up.
"I guess... Thing's aren't as excitin' if a shit stirrer like him ain't around!" Akane said.
With pained expressions, all the students left the cliff and returned to the trial room. All but two.
"I'm surprised you helped the way you did." Byakuya remarked. "I'd have thought you'd be the first to let him die, given your open distaste for yakuza."
"I surprised myself, too." Maki said. "I guess when I saw all that blood, instinct took over."
"Well, those are good instincts to have."
They stood in silence for a few seconds.
"Did you notice how odd it is?" Maki asked. "Judging from the length of the elevator ride, we should be miles upon miles below sea level. And yet, just down the hall, we're on a cliff with a wide open sea and sky."
"Right. And assuming Kazuichi's execution was just as close to us, that means there's a desert just across the trial room from here. But... how is this possible?"
Maki shrugged. "Monokuma, or whoever's controlling him, seems to be a master of tricks and deception. Perhaps there's some sort of illusion, a trick of the eye we're not seeing. Either that, or he really does have reality-bending powers like he and Monomi claim."
"That can't be. There's no way anything like that can exist."
"Regardless, I think we should keep this from the others. None of them seemed to notice, due to the stress of Fuyuhiko's situation. If we brought it up, it would just add more confusion."
"...I suppose so. Speaking of, we should probably get moving. We don't want to keep everyone waiting on the elevator."
I knew, of course, what the execution was going to be like. Still, as always, it was much more horrifying in person. Well, technically, I suppose I didn't see it "in person," since I was watching it unfold on a monitor, just like in the original game, but... you know.
For some reason, this time around, Peko's dialogue stuck with me. Her talk of being a "tool," only existing to "fulfill her purpose." When I first played DR2, I brushed it off as a modern take on samurai. Obviously, someone would need to be seriously messed in the head to consider themselves a tool. But nowadays... I think I get it, somewhat. Having a purpose bigger than yourself. I'm not ready to die or kill just to fulfill that goal, but if worse comes to worst, there are quite a few stops I'd be willing to pull out.
"So, you considered that fun, back home?" Celeste asked me suddenly.
I shrugged. "Back then, yeah. Though it wasn't quite a "happy and cheery" fun, more like an intense "let's put my mind to the test" fun. Even when I only knew you guys as characters, I still cared about you, y'know."
"So part of the fun also comes from seeing who survives until the end?"
"I suppose so. Why do you ask?"
She didn't answer. I shrugged again and slowly stood up, stretching my legs and back, before rubbing my forehead. There was an odd sensation in my head. The sound of static. My vision blurred. I shook my head.
Makoto kicked off the wall and made his way over to me. He stared at one of the monitors, the one displaying the statuses for each of the participants in the program. Four of them were bright red, with text that read CRITICAL. Of course, just because we knew their condition didn't mean we could treat them. There were no physical injuries, and even if we had one we couldn't get a neurologist to look at them. That would require us to remove them from the game, which would just guarantee that they'd never recover.
"Four down." He said. "That's over a quarter of the participants."
It was basic math. Minus Alter Ego Chiaki and Maki, there were 15 participants. "They'll be okay. We just have to have hope."
He turned toward me, nodding at what I said before gesturing to the door. "Okay, Al, you promised. It's time for bed."
"...Yeah, alright, mom." I said with a smirk as I moved to follow him out of the room. However, my legs felt weak, and my head only got lighter. I fell forward, on my hands and knees. I think Makoto or Chihiro shouted my name, but I couldn't hear. The static took over. I gripped both sides of my head. It felt like it was going to split open.
...A_b_rt... Wh-What is this...!? ..._r_gh_... Stop it... Stop, please! ...I n_e_... to t_l_ yo_... Get out! ...M_ki _ug_mi... j_m_er, l_ke y_u...
"Get out of my head!" I screamed.
"Al, it's not real!" Makoto shouted above the static. "It's just a hallucination!"
I wanted to yell something like, "It seems pretty fucking real to me!" but I couldn't muster the sarcasm. I fought the fatigue and pain and looked up at Makoto, hoping that the expression on my face will convey this message to him. However, beside him, I saw a silhouette standing there, staring down at me. Even in the dim light of the observation room, I couldn't make out any colours on this figure other than pitch black. A chill went down my spine.
I had heard of the "shadow people" phenomenon, it's one of the most common hallucinations to occur during sleep deprivation or sleep paralysis. But this was the first time in the last four, almost five, days that I'd seen one. And usually, they just appear in the corner of your vision, disappearing when you turn to look. I was staring directly at this... thing, and it continued to stare back, an endless abyss of despair.
I slowly forced myself to stand up. "I'm not crazy, this is real... It has to be, it's too vivid...!"
Makoto looked past me and nodded. I felt a stab in my neck. I realized I had forgotten there were others in this room. Turning slowly, I could make out Celeste behind me, holding a needle against my flesh. She emptied its contents into me.
"Sorry, Al." She said. "Pleasant dreams."
I fell to the floor, drooling. A tranquilizer. Makoto gave Celeste a tranquilizer. I looked up at them. The static had stopped, and the shadow person made a gesture of frustration as it faded away. Celeste and Makoto stared down at me.
"Sweet dreams, Al." He said unhappily. "Tranqs reduce REM sleep, and with no dreams, no nightmares. Hopefully this will help you."
I tried to nod, not in a "Yeah, this is helpful." way, but a "Nice thinking. Clever." way. I couldn't quite nod, though, my face just brushed against the carpeted floor as my drifted into unconsciousness.
We're moving on to chapter 3 territory, now! Fuyuhiko will get some development just before what is commonly believed to be the worst case in the series. Can't wait to try my hand at improving that... Also, Albert's having hallucinations now! That's fun! Hopefully it goes away when he wakes up. Also, I'll try to continue having him interact with the others, even if I am planning on focusing more on the virtual group from here on out. If you didn't figure it out yet, the reason I chose the events of chapter 2 as the ones to focus on Al and friends during is because I knew the murder case would be the same going in, and therefore saw no reason to focus on little details. Hopefully I can balance it out more from here on out.
Survivors-13: Maki Yugami, Hajime Hinata, Akane Owari, Byakuya Togami, Chiaki Nanami, Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, Gundham Tanaka, Hiyoko Saionji, Ibuki Mioda, Mikan Tsumiki, Nagito Komaeda, Nekomaru Nidai, Sonia Nevermind
Victims-4: Teruteru Hanamura, Kazuichi Soda, Mahiru Koizumi, Peko Pekoyama
In the next chapter, the killing game shall continue, and we'll explore the next island.
