She couldn't believe her eyes. She didn't want to believe her eyes. She prayed that his luck was on his side, that somehow, every spear missed a vital. She had hope, in that despair-filled heart of hers, that he would survive.
But he slumped to the ground as the last spec of life slowly began to leave his body. Ikusaba's jaw went from being agape with hope, to being agape with despair. It always comes back to despair. Despair. Despair. Despair. Her sister was obsessed with it, and Ikusaba went along with it to make her little sister happy. They spent their entire lives trying to kill each other for the sake of despair. God, she wishes that she could turn back time. She wishes she could turn back time and chose hope. She wishes she could choose to disobey her sister while it wasn't as dangerous.
Had she done that, Naegi wouldn't have needed to save her from the very trap her sister created for the sake of bringing herself despair. Had she done that, she'd be living her normal life in Hope's Peak Academy, not needing to wear a strawberry blonde wig and flashy clothing. Not needing to put on a different persona, the persona her sister wanted her to. Not needing to be watching Naegi's life fade away.
"Hmmph, this still isn't everyone, though." The Ultimate Moral Compass stood up tall and scanned the dining table.
"Hey, yeah? Where are Togami and Maizono?" The Ultimate Swimming Pro agreed, scanning the room for herself. Behind her, over her peers' heads, but no luck.
Everyone in the room suddenly grew worried. Eyes darted left, right and centre, but the one who looked the most concerned was none other than Naegi Makoto. No wonder, I mean, after what Maizono said to him about the rattling doorknob, it can only lead him to assume the worst.
Asahina suddenly perked up, looking towards the cafeteria door. "Well, okay, here comes one of them!" Oh, the false hope she created for our beloved protagonist.
One by one, everyone turned to look at the door. It was kind of depressing to see that all of them looked a little less relieved when they saw the mystery person was Togami, all except Fukawa, of course.
"Dude! Maizono behind you or what? I'm starving!" The Ultimate Biker Gang Leader asked with his feet kicked up on the table in front of him, prompting some disapproving glares from Ogami and Ishimaru.
Togami scoffed, pulling out a chair from a nearby table and sitting on it. He made it a point to never sit at the same table as the others. "Do I look like her keeper?" He crossed his arms. "I came here directly from my room, thank you very much."
"Little out of character for her to be late, she's usually here before I am." Yamada commented.
Asahina leaned forward onto the table, looking at the Ultimate Doujin Author. "Uh-oh! Think maybe she's sick?"
Whispers erupted inside of the cafeteria. The only three keeping to themselves were Ikusaba, Kirigiri, and of course, Naegi. Ikusaba stared at Naegi with conflicted eyes. She knew. Ikusaba knew Maizono was dead. And she knew Kuwata killed her. She had the honour of watching the first-ever official killing game's first-ever official murder go down beside her sister, Enoshima. And while she knew how important Maizono was to Naegi, she didn't complain. She couldn't. Because Enoshima had worked four years for this... she can't just mess up her sister's plans like that, even though it would bring despair to her...
Ikusaba's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Naegi's feet forcfully hitting the ground. He got up at the speed of light with nothing but crumbling hope in his eyes. His whisper turned into a shout, "Excuse me... I should probably go check on her!" And with that, he ran out the room, leaving his peers' to stare at each other with worry and confusion.
Ikusaba stared at the Lucky Student as he ran out. She wanted to go with him, she really did. She wanted to comfort him when he found her body, but she knows she can't, or else suspicion might fall onto her.
"D-D-Do you think she's..." Fukawa stammered. She didn't even have to say it for everyone to know what she was implying.
"N...No... of course not," Asahina refuted, staring at all of her classmates. "...None of us would ever—"
And then a blood-curdling scream was heard. It almost sounded like a girl's, but everyone knew it was...
"Naegi?" Ikusaba shot up, trying her best to stay in character.
One by one, everyone ran, but Ikusaba was the fastest. They ran, until they reached the open door in the dormitory hall. The group stared at the door, some giving each other concerned stares, while others shot each other determined stares. Ikusaba was the first to step inside, with all this adrenaline rushing through her body, there was no way she could stay outside any longer.
Her heightened senses worked well in her favor, because only a second after stepping inside, she smelled blood. She knew this was Maizono's blood, but she has no idea where Naegi is. At least, she didn't. She felt someone else step inside from behind her, then seeing a familiar sleeve point towards the bathroom door from where he stood.
"There!" The Ultimate Baseball Star shouted, prompting everyone to look in its direction.
While some people waited by the door, others quickly ran towards the bathroom door. Ikusaba was one of these people, because she just had to know what happened to Naegi. Once at the door, she stared at the sight of Maizono's dead body, even recalling how everything went down, before the terrified screams of those behind her filled the once silent-with-anxiousness room.
Bing Bong, Ding Dong!
Everyone in the room looked up at the monitor, flinching at the sight of the robotic half white-half black bear they've all come to hate. The sound of his "upupupu~" alone was enough to elicit murder, but the next thing they heard come out of his mouth was far worse than any fear they've felt.
"A body has been discovered!"
Ikusaba didn't care, though. She was too busy checking the fainted Naegi's pulse. She sighed in relief when she heard his still-beating heart, although not so very relieved when she saw blood rushing down his forehead due to how hard he hit the ground. Luckily, it wasn't too big of a wound. She grew slightly annoyed by all her classmates whining and sobbing from outside, all she wanted to do was spend time with Naegi in peace and quiet, caring for him and treating his head injury. But unfortunately, that has to wait.
Ikusaba silently watched her class curse and yell at Monokuma from the monitor for a while, until they were called to meet in the gym.
"Here, Enoshima, I'll carry Naegi." A voice behind the disassociating Ikusaba consoled.
She turned to look behind her, and it was none other than the Ultimate Martial Artist herself, Ogami Sakura. Ikusaba smiled, "I can carry him just fine. I may not look like it, but I have some killer arm strength. Hehe~"
Ogami nodded, respecting that the girl she thought was Enoshima just wanted to care for him for now. Ogami got up, and left with the others, leaving Ikusaba and Naegi alone together. She made sure no one was around, before breaking character. Her once eccentric, annoying "girly girl" voice was replaced with a deeper, more apathetic voice.
"What am I going to do with you...?" Ikusaba asked softly, the real Ikusaba.
First things first, she lifts Naegi up and carries him out of the bathroom bridal style, only blushing a tiny bit at the hilarity of the gender roles being swapped. She looks down at him in her arms, causing her to smile. For once, a real, genuine smile. A smile so genuine that she thought she snapped her facial muscles from how often they've been stuck one way.
And then Naegi opened his eyes, and caught a glimpse of the real Ikusaba. His vision was still blurry, but he could tell that she was different. Unmistakably different. She looked like an entirely different person. No feigned bubbly attitude, or that wide, obviously fake smile she gave to her peers', she felt... like a different person.
...Wait. She is a different person.
"I-I...kusa...ba?" Naegi asked, causing the girl to flinch.
"Ah-! Y-You recognise me?" This is the most emotion her real voice has ever expressed.
"Of...course I do...Iku..."
And then he fell back asleep. When he did, she felt fear strike her in the heart. How does he know who she is? Is the memory loss wearing off? Is it because she broke character? What could have caused this? A thousand, no, a million different questions violated her mind as the panic set in.
She tried to calm herself, knowing that if she doesn't meet up with the others people will start to get very suspicious very quickly, so she has no other choice but to carry on.
She made it to the gym, and after some idle chit-chat, she noticed Fujisaki and Asahina had perked their heads up and made their ways over towards Naegi. He must be waking up. Ikusaba ran over, too, and was somehow the first person he saw when he woke up. She prayed that he didn't blow her cover, and to her surprise, he didn't. The group finishes explaining to Naegi what's happened, before Monokuma appears once again. Some flinched, others looked at him with hate, but Ikusaba was looking at him with... annoyance. That's unusual for her... usually she supports everything her little sister does, no matter how ridiculous or time consuming. What's happening...?
"Because they took my suggestion and complied,"
Ikusaba toned back into the conversation, surprised to hear Kirigiri talking.
"It's best if we just do as the bear says for now. We're his prisoners, plain and simple. Nothing good can come of us defying him on impulse. Unless we want more casualties, we have to play by his rules." She spoke confidently.
"He killed her... he was vulnerable and he killed her! I know it!" Naegi cried out.
"Baa! As if little old me would do something like that! Scouts honour, it wasn't me!" Monokuma said.
"You monster..."
The conversation went on for longer. This conversation was one Ikusaba had rehearsed. Monokuma is going to explain how the class trials work, she's going to defy him, and then go through a "fake execution," which is actually just dropping her down below the school and setting her free to go spread despair more. The more today went on, the more guilty she felt for actually going through with the plan. Especially since... Naegi knows who she is...
"You guys get to play judge jury and executioner! And possibly even on yourselves, so proceed with caution!" Monokuma advised sinisterly. That's the cue. Now, Ikusaba has to act. But... there's something deep inside of her that doesn't want to... something...
"Nuh-uh!" But she does it anyway. "You're a nutjob and I refuse to be part of this crap!"
"I beg your pardon?" Monokuma asked. All eyes were on Ikusaba now. Even Naegi's eyes, which looked rather terrified.
"You heard me you psycho hairball, first, I'm concerned the whole trial thing can get rigged!"
"But whyyy?" Monokuma drawled.
"Is that even a damn question? I'm not playing jury if it means risking my damn life and that's that!" Ikusaba yelled.
"Oh, be reasonable!" Monokuma yelled back.
The rest of the students stood nonplussed that Ikusaba had just started a fight with Monokuma like that, especially Kirigiri, who just had a speech about obeying the thing, and Naegi, who... is conflicted.
"Do not even try to talk to me about being reasonable, you sadistic freak-a-zoid! I'm out of the game!" The Ultimate Fashionista put her hands on her hips.
Monokuma pretended to tremble, "Huhuu! The prescence of evil before me is so overpowering! Whatever shall I do!? I should succumb—perish the thought! I'm stronger than that!" He showed his claws. "When Monokuma fights, he fights to the last breath!" He jumped onto the ground, approaching Ikusaba. "I shall not be defeated! I'll nip this budding rebellion and reign victorious—"
Ikusaba stepped on him, prompting a few students to stand back. "I'm sorry, you were trying to say something!?"
"Big mistake," Monokuma's voice grew angrier as Ikusaba's expression feigned confusion. "Huh?"
"Manhandling the principal in any way, shape or form is strictly forbidden. The rules, remember? I know I warned you about breaking them!"
A buzzing noise set off in the gym, causing the other students to look around cautiously.
"Activating summoning magic! Save me, gungnir spears!"
Ikusaba's expression changed from feigned confusion to real confusion in a matter of seconds. That doesn't sound like the drop trick she and her sister had discussed. That sounds way more deadly... does her little sister think she can handle something so deadly? That's so flattering. Surely she'll—
"Ikusaba! Look out!" Naegi... called out her name. Her name. Her name.
And then it happened quicker than it started, Ikusaba had been pushed out of the way, and in her place stood Naegi Makoto, the Ultimate Lucky Student. The first person to smile at her, and the last person to rescue her.
"N-NAEGI!" Ikusaba yelled, in her voice.
