I consider this chapter to be the Ultimate Irony, given both current events in the world (for future readers, this came out during the "coronavirus" pandemic), and the fact that I caught a fever this weak. Typical, really.

Also, Chapter 20 already? AE:AH would be done by this point. Actually, if we're counting words, I've already passed it. And we're getting pretty close to the point Another Hope was at, so I was correct when I said this would be a long project. No wonder I'm starting to think "Just let me get to DR3 already!"

Either way, I hope you enjoy this chapter!


Chapter 20

Infected

As usual, Hajime made his way to the restaurant the next morning. He had nothing better to do, and admittedly, he needed to have contact with other people, to share his anxious feelings regarding the night before. As he climbed the stairs leading to the restaurant, however, he stopped for a moment. He could hear quiet sobs coming from above him.

"Is someone crying inside?" He wondered aloud. "Mikan...? Or is it Hiyoko...?" He continued upward.

He was surprised when he found Akane, coiled up in the corner with her face in her arms, tears falling through the cracks.

"...Huh!? A-Akane...? You're the one... who's crying...?"

In response to the new voice, Akane wailed. "I-I... I'm scared... What's... gonna happen to us...? Waaaaaaaaaah! I'm scared!"

Hajime took a step back and looked at the other faces in the room. A few feet away was Maki, who stood awkwardly, unsure of how to comfort the crying girl. Hiyoko stood near her, and was keeping a watchful eye on Nagito, who appeared to simply be enjoying his breakfast.

Deciding to gather more information, Hajime made his way over and asked, "Hey, what happened to Akane? Isn't she acting kind of weird?"

"...Hajime, be careful!" Nagito shouted suddenly. "That's probably not the real Fuyuhiko!"

"...Huh?"

"I know. The real Fuyuhiko is already dead. That's why that's probably... Fuyuhiko's clone!"

"Y-You... what are you saying?" Hajime asked.

"Also, I heard from Monokuma that Nekomaru couldn't be saved. It's unfortunate but... a transfer student is apparently going to come soon as a replacement... So let's all give that person a warm welcome!"

"You... are you messing around?"

"I'm not messing around! I always speak the truth! In order to prove it... I'll explain it specially to you... Listen carefully, Hajime! I've finally discovered who the traitor is! You know, the true identity of World Ender... The traitor who was hiding among us is... Maki!"

The Criminologist shook her head. "He's been like this all morning. So has she. I'm not sure what's up with them."

"...Hey... It's definitely best if we keep Nagito tied up." Hiyoko said bitterly. "No, not just tied up... I won't be satisfied until I peel the skin off his face and expose the meat so we can't identify him anymore..."

"Th-That doesn't sound very gentle... Did he do something to you?" Hajime asked.

"That idiot... he lied to me about Mahiru being alive and said he saw her at the movie theater..."

"Why... why is he telling such a pointless lie?"

"I don't know... I... I hate being lied to... I won't feel satisfied until all his joints are bent at awkward angles!"

Before anyone could respond to that, a new voice entered the dining hall.

"Pardon me everyone, but do you happen to have some time to spare!?" Ibuki entered, standing tall and giving a stiff, awkward salute. "It may be rude of me, but I would like to say my greetings first thing in a morning! Good morning! I look forward to working with you all today!"

"I-Ibuki...?" Hajime asked.

"Yes! I am Ibuki Mioda!"

"A-Aren't you... acting strange, too...?"

"Be careful Ibuki!" Nagito snapped. "Hajime's dangerous. He wants to kill you and eat you."

"Wh-What are you saying!?"

"Mr. Hajime! I am not tasty! Please do not eat me!"

"He's obviously lying!"

"I see! So it was a lie!"

"I'm sorry, I'm still reeling from the fact that Ibuki just said "Good morning" to me without putting a spin on it." Maki said. "Akane, Ibuki, Nagito... What the hell is this?"

"Did they go crazy or something?" Hiyoko suggested. "It wouldn't be strange to go crazy in a situation like this."

"Th-That's not it!" Mikan suddenly entered, seemingly having followed Ibuki. She was panting. "I-Ibuki... she has an extremely high fever. That's... probably the cause..."

Hiyoko raised a hand. "Before you start talking, I want you to tell me something: who the hell are you?"

"Wh-Why have you forgotten me!? I'm Mikan Tsumiki!"

"Now's really not the time, Hiyoko." Maki growled before stepping over and putting her hand on Ibuki's forehead. Almost immediately, she recoiled. "Woah, that's hot... Like, really hot."

"That's right! She has a terribly high fever!" Mikan repeated.

Hajime stepped over to the Gymnast. "Akane, let me feel your forehead too!"

She sobbed. "...I'm sorry I'm so weak..."

Her forehead was abnormally hot, more than should be normal for the human body. Hajime turned. "Nagito! You too...!"

"I don't have a fever. I feel extremely great today!" Disregarding his words, Hajime placed a hand on his forehead. He received the same results.

"Huh? All three of them have fevers?" Hiyoko asked. "Then the reason those guys are saying such wacky stuff is..."

"My goodness! That's obviously bad!" Monokuma said as he appeared.

"Monokuma...!" Hajime gasped. "For him to appear right now, does that mean this is...?"

"Whoa there, can you wait just a second for the explanation? The others are on their way, too!"

Pounding footsteps betrayed the approach of the rest of the class. Soon, the dining hall was full.

"I heard it from Monokuma..." Fuyuhiko explained between breaths. "Looks like... something strange's going on again?"

"Did... something happen, you guys?" Chiaki asked.

"Looks like everyone's here!" Monokuma cheered. "Now then, let's start with the explanation..."

"H-Hold on!" Monomi interrupted as she arrived. "Monokuma! You're pulling a prank again, aren't you!? And what happened to Nekomaru!? Hurry up and return him first, you robber bear!"

Monokuma paused as he tried to place the name. "Nekomaru... are you talking about the boy who turns into a woman when he gets splashed with water?"

"Who the heck is that!? Nekomaru doesn't have a weird ability like that!"

"Jeeez! Shuuuut up!" Monokuma snapped his fingers and Monomi was blasted back.

"I don't even know what's been done to me, but I feel a mysterious life energyyyyyy!"

"Now that I've shut up the nuisance, let's go back to the topic at hand. Though... I'm pretty sure you guys have already noticed since you're all so quick-witted!"

"So... it's just as I thought... the true identity of this high fever is..." Hajime muttered.

"That's right, this is the new motive that I've given you! This is the Despair Disease!"

"...Despair Disease?" Hiyoko repeated.

"...You know, there are extremely tiny insects that can't be seen with the naked eye living on this island... It's not like I added them recently. I just never told you about them. Anyway, the endemic disease spread by these insects is called the Despair Disease!"

"D-Despair Disease... I've never heard of... such a thing...!" Mikan said.

"Then lemme tell you about it! As the name suggests, the Despair Disease is... A reaaaally annoying disease where you get a high fever, along with various symptoms that are full of despair! Those symptoms are different based on the person... For instance, Nagito is afflicted by the Liar Disease... Akane has the Coward Disease... Ibuki has the Gullible Disease, I guess?"

Fuyuhiko groaned. "They just had to get symptoms that are the opposite of their normal personalities... except for Nagito..."

"Does that mean if Hiyoko got the disease, she'd become polite and caring?" Maki snarked. She coughed when the smaller girl delivered an elbow into her side.

"It's not like all you guys are down with the sickness yet... But be careful! Sometimes the Despair Disease can get passed from person to person just like a cold!"

"Y-You mean it is contagious?" Sonia gasped.

"Don't put your guard down just because you don't have the disease. It'd be awful if everyone got sick..."

"And why... is that a motive?" Chiaki asked. "Are you saying the a killing will occur soon, after everyone falls into a crazy state?"

"Isn't this quite a novel idea? A killing that occurs while everyone has a completely different personality! Think of all the murder tricks!"

"...I-Is there any way to treat it?" Hajime asked.

"Why... is there a need to treat it? I mean, this Despair Disease isn't supposed to make you suffer. It's a disease that cures your soft hearts! Your soft hearts toward killing! And with this, you can finally take the plunge and commit murderrrr!"

"You bastard, you better stop talking about this bullshit!" Fuyuhiko snapped.

Akane's sobs grew louder. "It's all my fault... I'm sorry I'm always bothering you..."

"I've decided!" Nagito announced. "As an apology, I'm going to commit murder! Are there any charcoal briquettes somewhere!?"

"Ah, I'm pretty sure I found some at the supermarket..." Mikan answered without thinking.

"S-Stop it!" Hajime pointed at the infected. "Akane, Nagito, Ibuki... you guys stay put!"

"You're wrong... I'm not Nagito... To tell you the truth... Nagito Komaeda's a fake name. I'm sorry I've kept it a secret till now."

"Oh, I see!" Ibuki nodded along as if it made perfect sense.

"She's believing him again!" Hiyoko shouted. "So serious!"

"Maaan, whatever, I feel so great today! This Despair Disease is awesome! Despair! Despair! Despair! Despair! Despair! It's amazing! You all should get it, too! We're all done for! There's no such thing as hope! We all have to die from this Despair Disease... That's... the... o... nly... way..." His eyes rolled back into his head as he collapsed, convulsing on the floor.

"N-Nagito!?" Mikan rushed to his side.

"Puhuhu, now that I've given you a new motive, how will things develop? Will the killing start after everyone gets the Despair Disease...? Or even before that...? I'm soooo excited about it, I'm just gonna stand around naked! Juuuuuust kidding... I'm always naked." With that, he disappeared.

"H-Hey!" Hajime called after him, but he didn't return.

"Th-This is bad!" Mikan cried. "Nagito is foaming at the mouth!"

"She's right! I've never even seen foam that colour before!" Hiyoko shrieked.

"It's an ephemerally rare colour... normally only found in the depths of the Netherworld sea...!" Gundham gasped.

"In this case, the colour doesn't matter, so let's hurry him over to the hospital!" The Nurse ordered.

"...Got it! I'll help out!" Hajime scooped up the Luckster in his arms.

"Um... what should we do about Akane and Ibuki!?" Sonia asked.

"We're definitely going to bring them too..." Fuyuhiko said. "We don't know what they'll do if we leave them alone... Hey bastards, can you walk?"

"Allow me to confirm!" Ibuki cheered. "I just have to alternate the movements of my left and right legs, correct!?"

With a wail, Akane scrambled to her feet. "...Hold on... I-I'll walk so don't leave me...!"

"Th-Then... let's go!" Hajime said.


"I-I... will go make the infected change their clothes, and then I'll have them sleep in the patient rooms." Mikan explained as they arrived at the hospital.

"Understood! So I just have to change my clothes, correct!?" Ibuki moved to undress on the spot before Maki grabbed her hand and stopped her.

Akane sobbed. "...I'm scared of changing..."

"A-Anyway! Everyone else, please wait here!" Mikan rushed the infected through the hallway door and disappeared from view. Everyone else, as instructed, remained in the waiting room.

Maki wiped sweat from her brow. The suddenness of the new motive had caught her off guard. The other students seemed concerned as well. What would Monokuma pull next? That is, if they could even make it through this.

"Dammit... I never expected us to get sick..." Fuyuhiko said what was on everyone's minds. "What's going to happen...?"

"I would not mind if Nagito retired... permanently..." Gundham added darkly.

"Don't even joke about that." Maki scolded. "The death penalty should only be used as a last resort. Nagito... just needs some professional help. Like the rest of us..."

"Hey, is this stupid conversation going to last much longer?" Hiyoko asked. "Shouldn't we be seriously thinking about what we need to do from now on and stuff? That disease sure looks dangerous. Nagito, Akane, and Ibuki aren't acting normal. If it spreads to anyone else, a killing is bound to happen."

"Based on their observed behaviour... I cannot deny that." Gundham admitted.

"But those guys aren't being considerate. I want them to at least have the decency to consider committing suicide before they start bothering us."

"H-Hey Hiyoko..." Sonia started.

"I know... it can't be that easy... So it's important to make sure we don't end up catching the disease."

""Make sure"... what do you mean?" Hajime asked.

"She's suggesting we quarantine them." Byakuya guessed.

"Q-Quarantine!?"

"If you can't cure it, the only option is to stop it from spreading..." She explained. "Even a preschooler knows that."

"B-But still... isn't isolating them... a bit too harsh...?"

"Hey, if everyone catches the Despair Disease, we won't be able to do anything about it anymore, you know?"

"It may sound harsh, but sometimes harsh action is necessary to prevent a disaster." Byakuya said.

"...H-Hold on a sec!"

"...You mean we need to quarantine them inside the hospital, right?" Chiaki asked.

"Ch-Chiaki...! Don't tell me you... also agree with this!?"

"...It's to prevent a killing. As long as that disease is Monokuma's motive, if we just ignore it... A killing will happen again. To prevent that, we also have to prevent the disease from spreading... That's why we need to quarantine them."

"Even if we quarantine them... Who's gonna take care of them?" Fuyuhiko asked.

"Mikan's gonna stay here anyway." Hiyoko decided. "She's been touching the infected all over so it's possible she's already caught the disease."

"B-But... there's no way we can leave her by herself..." Hajime said.

"Then why don't you stay too?"

"...Huh?"

"Now that I think about it, you touched them when you took their temperature, right?"

Hajime looked down at his hand sheepishly. "...Oh."

Maki gripped one hand with the other. "I guess that means I'm staying, too. Though, to be honest, I was planning on staying from the start. I've already helped out here a few times, and I've been trying to help Mikan's... emotional state. I can't very well do that if we're separated by a quarantine."

With that, Hiyoko bowed and slowly started walking toward the door. "Soooo I'll leave the rest to you. Contact me if something happens."

"C-Contact you...? How are we supposed to do that!?" Hajime asked.

"Oh right, we need to think of a way to communicate. If we keep meeting in person, we could catch the disease."

"Hmm... Now would have been a good time for Kazuichi's talents to shine." Byakuya noted.

"Well, you guys might be able to find radios or something in the Electric Avenue." Maki offered. "It's either that, or we try to use letters and just make sure they're clean."

"Fret not... we are not going to abandon you." Gundham assured them. "I shall station myself nearby in case anything happens."

"Nearby...?"

"There is a motel on this island. Until this matter is resolved, we shall stay the night there."

"Whaaaaaat?" Hiyoko whined. "Do we really have to stay at such a dirty place?"

"What are we supposed to do if we can't immediately get here if something happens? Also... if that disease is airborne, the hotel on the 1st island might already be unsafe. We must be vigilant about protection! I have those who I must protect!" He spread his arms, and his Four Dark Devas revealed themselves.

"F-Fine... I'll just stay at the motel, okay? Jeez, how annoying."

"...Tch." Fuyuhiko clucked his tongue.

"What is it?" Byakuya asked.

"This... is obviously a trap. Monokuma's goal is to separate us as a group... Is it really okay for us to fall for that?"

"It's not like... we've stopped being friends." Chiaki pointed out. "I just don't want a killing to happen ever again... We can't prevent that if everyone gets sick, you know?"

"Right. This is still a group effort." Byakuya explained. "It's just that we need two subgroups in order to make this work."

"...Hey Hiyoko, what did you say to me earlier?" Fuyuhiko asked. "Something about me being the first one to get cut off..."

"Wh-What's... wrong with that?"

"This... this must be that moment... Mikan, Hajime, and Maki are just barely enough people..."

"...Are you saying you're going to stay here, too?"

"Huh...? You too...?" Hajime asked.

"This life of mine is a spare anyway...!"

"Fine then... do whatever you want!" Hiyoko snapped.

"Hey Fuyuhiko... are you sure? You might be endangering yourself, you know?"

"Hey... don't make me repeat myself."

Maki stepped forward. "He's a grown man, Hajime. He knows what he's getting into just as much as we do." She extended her "infected" hand toward the Yakuza. "Welcome to the team."

Forcing a cocky smile, he took her hand and shook it. Turning to the others, he said, "Whatever's happening over here, just leave it to us... We'll make sure to keep the disease from spreading..." He raised the hand he just shook with. "C'mon, shouldn't you guys head over to the motel before you catch the disease?"

"I-I am sorry we are forcing this upon you like this..." Sonia said.

"No... what everyone's saying is true... so... it's okay..." Hajime decided.

"Thank you, all of you... I won't let your feelings go to waste." Chiaki assured them. "We'll make sure to find out the mystery of the Despair Disease while you're all here... I think. Probably."

"Now then... I shall excuse myself. I am counting on you." Sonia bowed and left.

"Bye-byeeeeee! Do your best and try to stay alive!" Hiyoko encouraged.

"Goodbye for now." Byakuya said. "And please, do your best to stay alive."

With that, the crowd of students dwindled until it was only Maki, Fuyuhiko, and Hajime.

"I never expected... it would turn out like this..." Hajime muttered.

Fuyuhiko shrugged. "It's not like it's their fault... It's that bastard Monokuma's fault... Tch, I can't believe he'd actually arrange something as irritating as a disease..."

"Ah! Thank you for waiting!" Mikan rushed through the door, discarding a pair of rubber gloves. "Phew... they've finally finished changing. Everyone's resting in their rooms... Huuuuh? Why's it just you three?"

"Sorry, Mikan. We're all you have to work with." Maki explained. "We've set up a quarantine, to prevent any further chaos. The others are continuing the investigation, and agreed to drop off a radio or something later. The three of us volunteered to stay here, with you."

"O-Oh... I see." After a moment, a smile made it's way to her face. "Th-Thank you. I'll be sure to put you all to good use!"


Maki, Fuyuhiko, and Hajime all agreed to work in shifts, taking turns resting in the on-call room on the 2nd floor of the hospital.

And Maki's break period couldn't come fast enough.

She stood over Nagito, performing CPR in a desperate attempt to get his heartbeat and breathing back.

"You little fuck... "Ultimate Lucky Student," my ass... At least get me a winning lottery ticket before you go and die on me...!"

Her growls of frustration were not answered by results. However, she was saved by the bell when the door burst open behind her.

"N-Nagito! Get ahold of yourself!" Mikan dashed quickly to his side, and Maki stepped back to let her work. Turning to the door, she saw Fuyuhiko and Hajime enter.

"What the hell took you so long?" She asked the Yakuza.

He simply thumbed Hajime and said, "These two were fuckin' sleeping together."

"They were what!?"

Ignoring her horrified reaction, Fuyuhiko stepped closer to the bed, and saw that Nagito remained unconscious, and unresponsive. "There's... no way he died, right? The body discovery announcement isn't playing, right?"

Monokuma appeared, only for a moment, to express his restlessness at the situation.

"Dammit... he's totally waiting for it...!" Hajime muttered.

"This... looks very bad..." Fuyuhiko said.

"Just how bad is it?" Maki asked, putting a hand on Mikan's shoulder.

"Ah, ah... um..." She pointed to the boy. "It looks like... his b-breathing has returned..."

"Oh... so it has." Maki stared, fascinated by the sudden change.

"But still... his condition is unpredictable, and that's putting it lightly."

"How light is that?" Monokuma asked as he returned. "Is it sweet potato soft? If so, that's pretty light..."

"Please don't interfere!" Mikan begged.

"Hey, look. Isn't Nagito's mouth moving?" Fuyuhiko noticed.

"You're right... he might be trying to say something!" Hajime said.

"Nagitoooo! What happened!?" Mikan asked, leaning an ear over his mouth.

After a moment, Hajime asked, "...What did he say?"

"Apparently his condition has improved... and he feels quite refreshed..."

"Um... since Monokuma said that Nagito has the "Liar Disease"... He probably means the opposite... and actually feels really crappy."

"But what's going to happen if he just dies?" Fuyuhiko wondered. "We're not going to have a class trial, right?"

"Don't talk like that!" Mikan scolded. "Nagito... is never going to die! I will save him by any means necessary!"

His face fell to the floor. "I see, got it... Then I leave Nagito's life to you."

"Y-Yes!" She quickly returned to her treatment, the others in the room becoming ignored.

"If we stay here any longer... we might just get in the way..." Hajime decided.

"Then follow me." Fuyuhiko said, heading for the door. "While you were resting, the "goods" arrived. I gotta show them to you... You coming, Maki?"

She hesitated. "But, I wanted to..." She sighed. "...Yeah, I guess so."

"Let's go to the lobby."

And that's exactly where they went. As they arrived, Hajime asked the obvious question.

"Hey Fuyuhiko... What did you mean when you said "goods"?"

"Look on top of the reception desk..."

Hajime looked, and all he saw was a black rectangular box, about the size of a large book, with an antenna sticking out the top. "...Oh, a radio."

Suddenly, the speakers sparked on and the familiar voice of Byakuya was heard, with a bit of static but otherwise clear. "This is Byakuya Togami. Do you read me?"

Maki stepped over and picked up a small mic attached to the machine by a coiled wire. She pressed and button and said, "This is Maki Yugami. We read you loud and clear. Over."

"So this is our way of communication, huh?" Hajime asked.

"Yeah, that's right..." Fuyuhiko confirmed. "They found a pair of radios in Electric Avenue, like Maki suggested. It might not be much, but it'll prevent the disease from spreading."

"I trust nothing has changed too much since we left?" Byakuya asked.

Maki once again responded. "Nagito's condition was bad earlier, but we got everything under control now. How are things on your end? Over."

"Everyone's fine. Hiyoko's complaining about the motel, but that's nothing out of the ordinary."

"Tell her I want her to keep practising tying her knots. Over."

"You don't have to say "over" at the end of every message."

"I know, but it sounds more professional that way. Over."

Byakuya sighed. "In any case, this was simply a test transmission. I'll call again in the morning."

"We'll be there. Over."

With that, the conversation was over, and Maki set down the mic.

"They left this while you were resting." Fuyuhiko explained to Hajime. "Problem is, this thing is fuckin' old. The signal doesn't go too far, so it can't reach from the hospital to the motel..."

"Then... we can't communicate between the hopistal and the motel."

"He was contacting us just now from the music venue near the motel. From there, the signal reaches the hospital with no problems."

"But they're staying at the motel, right? What happens if we can't reach them when we need to?"

"I thought the same thing... so we arranged times for us to contact each other. It's set up for us to communicate 30 minutes after Monokuma's morning and evening announcements. Like he said, our next contact with them is going to be tomorrow morning. Don't sleep in."

"Heh... I guess as the heir to the yakuza, you learn a thing or two about organizing and communication." Maki noted.

"Yeah, something like that..."

At that moment, Monokuma's nighttime announcement played, reminding the three just how tired they were.

"It's that time already, huh... Now then, where should I sleep tonight...?" Fuyuhiko wondered. He turned to Hajime with a smirk. "Are you planning on using the on-call room with a certain someone again?"

"Ugh, don't even make me think about that. That's disgusting..." Maki groaned.

"Like I said... it's not what it looked like..." Hajime insisted.

"Hey hey... Aren't you misunderstanding?" Monokuma asked as he appeared. "A hospital is a facility for sick people, so it's not for lodgings or young romantic trysts, you know?"

"Y-You too!? What are you talking about...!?"

"Oh I see... Your generation has fallen out of the habit of looking at bulletin boards... C'mon, take a look at the bulletin board! There's a notice on there, right!?"

Hospital Precautions:

Eating and drinking is forbidden within the hospital building. If patients do not need to be accompanied, overnight stays by non-patients are expressly forbidden.

"Right, it's like the notices you often see inside hospitals! You can't stay overnight here!"

"There is... one patient who needs to be accompanied." Fuyuhiko argued.

"Oh, you're talking about Nagito, right? Then I'll allow just one person to accompany him! The rest of you need to hurry up and get outta here!" With that, he disappeared.

""Hospital Precautions," my ass... He should've said so sooner...!" Fuyuhiko growled.

"Only one person can stay the night..." Hajime muttered. "And there's no way we can make Mikan leave..."

"I guess we have no choice... We should head back to our cottages then." Fuyuhiko decided.

"You're right... even if we stay here, we probably won't be able to do anything..."

The three explained the circumstances to Mikan before they headed back to the hotel for the night.

Under the light of the stars, Maki couldn't help but look back at the hospital behind her, a worrying feeling forming in the pit of her stomach.

"Why... am I letting myself get attached to these kids?" She wondered to herself. "Why... after all this time telling myself not to get attached... do I feel this desire to help?"

I just want to be able to help people.

The words rang in her mind, words she had heard before.

She blinked, shook her head, and forced herself to continue on her way.


I must say, unlike most people, I actually didn't mind the Despair Disease motive. Obviously, I think it could've been better, but I like the way it unites the class, even when it drives them to take desperate measures such as a quarantine. Plus, I'd never say no to getting to be alone with Mikan and Fuyuhiko. Uh, wait... that sounded better in my head.

Maki's showing her dedication to her friends, even if it seems to contradict her logic. Logic vs Emotion isn't a new theme in my stories, or even in Danganronpa, but I think Maki shows just how easy it is for our logic and emotion to be in conflict. Her logic is her greatest skill, and at the start of the story was how she made decisions, but now she's slowly started to trust her gut around her classmates. Let's see how it plays out for her, shall we?

In the next chapter, we'll see the consequences of this new motive. (Though, word of warning, I might disappear until I can get at least most of the trial written up. Just so I can avoid messing this one up...)