AN: Hello! I hope last chapter did a good enough job at explaining the backstory of this universe as well as showing the relationship between Makoto and Kyoko. I tried to make the banter between the two as in-character as I could, so I look forward to writing the pair more often. WARNING: This chapter is VERY DARK and it features the deaths of many known characters in the series, as well as other violent and dark themes. With that being said, enjoy the mayhem!
The bus ride back was similar to the majority of Chiaki's car journeys; she spent almost all of it engrossed in her handheld. That was until Ibuki screamed from the back of the bus. There were almost a hundred men and women storming at the bus, some even had weapons. The class instantly stood and began to huddle near the centre of the bus. Even the strongest among them had expressions of fear and confusion. The driver instantly put his foot down, only to be greeted by a car parked sideways across the road. The bus contacted the car at what seemed like 100mph. Then the world went black.
Chiaki woke to what seemed like a warzone. She was still inside the bus, caught on the back of a pair of seats. She had been seated during the crash, unlike the majority of her peers. She felt a horrific pain in her arm, which had been underneath her when she had awoken. She could only assume that it was broken or worse. Her hand trailed down to undo her seatbelt but found that she had been wrenched from the seat so hard that the belt was no longer attached to the holder. The bus had come to rest upright but in a position where the back of the bus was raised about 45 degrees in the air. She managed to stand shakily and shuffle out from behind the seats. She stood in the gangway and stared down the narrow path to the doors of the bus.
She vomited almost instantly. Teruteru and Ryota were lain in a pile. Both had huge holes in the top of their head. Both were obviously dead. She didn't have the energy to scream after she finished heaving. Only a few hours ago was Teruteru making perverted jokes about the anatomical models in the biology exhibit. Only a few hours ago Ryota was making his anime on his tablet as they wandered through the science museum. Chiaki began sobbing as she attempted to navigate around the corpses, noticing that the wounds on their heads were too perfect to be caused by the crash. Someone had boarded the bus at some point and murdered them. Why had they left her alone? Did it seem like she was already dead? She reached the doors of the bus and peered out through the broken glass. She couldn't believe how it could get any worse.
Gundham, Nekomaru, Akane and Peko stood around some of the class. They were protecting them from attack. They were stopping the public from killing them. Through the crowd she could see Mahiru and Fuyuhiko, who were being guarded by Peko and the rest of the class's fighters. She could see some of the others but couldn't make out who they were. For the time she had no interest in finding out. She was safe here and running out would provide another vulnerable classmate for the already weary four to protect. She would use this opportunity to find an escape route for her and her class. It was difficult to concentrate when all you could hear was the angry shouts of the crowd and the occasional scream. Suddenly a figure appeared in front of her. She fell backwards onto her rear due to the surprise of his appearance. A man in his forties by the looks of it. He had a deranged but strangely blank look on his face and his pupils weren't visible. His eyes were just swirls. He made no attempt to attract others to her but raised a pickaxe over his head.
That's when The Ultimate Gamer realised. The pickaxe is what had killed the two in the bus. She closed her eyes and braced herself for a killing blow that never came. All she could hear from in font of her was gurgling and gagging. She risked opening one eye, only to see the man's head hovering a few inches above his neck. Blood splattered over her face as the body feel backwards away from her, landing with a thud. She looked up and to the right and met the gaze of a man with long black hair and red eyes. He wore a formal suit that seemed free of damage and shiny dress shoes. He squatted next to her and stared at her arm. She suddenly became wary of how vulnerable she was with her left arm completely out of commission. He gently lifted her arm, causing her to yelp in pain despite the softness of the mystery man's movements. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth while he moved her. When she glanced at her arm, the sleeve of her jacket cut away and her forearm was in a cast. It was also suspended in a sling. She quickly looked to her aide. He had been straight-faced and silent this entire time. He slowly lifted his hand. He cupped Chiaki's face and stroked her cheek with his thumb. He smiled genuinely before standing. He clambered over the corpse he had created, bending to pick up the pickaxe. He gave her one final glance before waling over to the rest of the 77th class.
He was incredible. He mowed down almost all of the crowd in a matter of seconds, splitting skulls and shattering bones as he weaved in and out of attackers. Soon the crowd was reduced to a handful of citizens. The class was not killing their assailants but the crimson-eyed boy was not so kind. Peko looked towards Fuyuhiko, who gave her a small nod. Peko withdrew her katana and threw her bamboo sword to Akane. She charged at a small cluster that had began making way to the huddle in the centre of the street. With a single slice, all of the brutes were decapitated. A few moments ago there were at least 80 men and women attempting to kill them. There were no murderers left now. Chiaki took the opportunity to make her way over to the huddle who were breathing heavily and trying to regain their composure. She could hear wailing and crying from the middle of the circle.
As she approached she realised it was Mahiru crying. The redhead held Hiyoko in her arms, though the girls was limp and covered in blood. Chiaki squeezed her eyes shut as she turned away. That was 3 of their class that had died today. She was supposed to be class rep. She was supposed to keep them safe. She took a long walk away from the group who stood and sat in pained silence. She walked to the front of the bus and would've vomited again had she anything left to throw up. Mikan's body was lying in a mangled heap a few feet from the car the bus had crashed into. She had been standing at the front when the coach crashed and had evidently been thrown through the front window of the bus. She looked back at the bus's front. A huge hole in the glass was there but she was unsure if that had been caused by The Ultimate Nurse flying through it. She chose to believe that was how she died. At least it would've been quick.
When she wandered back over to the group, she found Kazuichi screaming in an impassioned rage at Gundham. The rest of the group were downcast and silent, save for the sniffles and sobs of Mahiru, who had clearly lost her voice from wailing for so long. ''She was head over fuckin' heels for you, man! You're just gonna abandon her, you asshole!'' He screamed at the gothic boy. The red-eyed boy spoke up for the first time. ''If you insist on trying to save her, you will die. Please, don't sacrifice yourself for a lost cause.'' He said solemnly. ''And who the FUCK are you!?'' The Mechanic yelled back. ''I am Izuru Kamakura, the Ultimate Hope. I came here to rescue you. All of you.'' Kazuichi closed his mouth for a moment. ''Then doesn't that mean you'll save Miss Sonia and Ibuki and Nagito?'' He said, tears welling in his eyes. ''Not if it means losing more of you.'' Izuru responded calmly.
''Where did those three go?'' Chiaki asked sheepishly. Kazuichi eyed her in desperation. ''These guys took 'em. They went up the hill. I don't know what building they went into.'' Kazuichi almost began hyperventilating but manged to calm himself enough to avoid it. ''Wha-What are they going to do to them?'' Chiaki managed to breathe out in a panic. Kazuichi yet again looked at her desperately, the tears in his eyes going against him and falling down his cheeks. ''There's 20 or so guys and two of the people they took are attractive girls. What do you think they're gonna do to 'em?'' He said, his voice barely audible through his whimpering. Chiaki's eyes widened in recognition. She turned to Izuru, a pleading look on her face. He met her gaze and took a deep breath. He turned to Kazuichi. ''Okay. We'll try to save them.''
Gundham was not happy with the current situation. His Dark Queen had been taken and he was not sure if she could be recovered. The small group he was a part of strode towards a factory warehouse a few minutes up the hill. This Kamakura character had devised a solid plan. Peko was to escort Chiaki, Fuyuhiko and Mahiru to a shelter the mystery man had claimed he had in the western suburbs of Tokyo. Despite Peko being only one woman, she convinced him that now she was unhinged, she could kill anything that posed a threat to the group. Izuru didn't need to be told that. He already seemed to know a lot about their classmates. Yet he was an enigma himself. It wasn't even obvious what he had in the backpack he now carried. Nekomaru and Akane were to travel to the Academy to see if they could find and potentially save any teachers.
It was obvious that they intended to save Chisa Yukizome, their Homeroom Teacher and Ultimate Housekeeper. To the Breeder's surprise, Izuru had been the one that had suggested that the Team Manager and Gymnast go back to Hope's Peak. He told them to attempt to disguise themselves and that their attackers knew what they looked like. He also advised that if they came under attack and could not fight their way out, they should get to a high vantage point. That left him, Izuru and Kazuichi to try to retrieve the three kidnapped students. They were walking up what they would've assumed to be a busy road. The cars in the street were abandoned and there were no people on the sidewalk or in the road itself. The road was connected to the one their bus had crashed on so the three assumed that all of these cars belonged to the people that had come to kill them. There was a small warehouse near the end of the road, and Izuru informed the two boys with him that it was where their classmates were being held.
The group made it to the large doors to the building and stopped outside. They could hear cheering and laughing from inside, as well as the clanging of metal. ''H-How are we gonna save 'em?'' Kazuichi asked, attempting to put on a brave face. ''I believe Gundham should have a plan and the means to carry it out.'' Izuru stated calmly, nodding his head in the direction he was facing. Gundham raised an eyebrow inquisitively before turning to face the building across the street. A kennel. The Breeder gave his companions a small smirk. This could work in his favour.
The happy atmosphere in the warehouse was quickly swapped for one of agony and regret for the perpetrators. Gundham walked in almost unhindered as his army of dogs swamped the twenty or so men inside, killing or seriously injuring as they went from man to man. After around 30 seconds, there were no men left standing. Some were writhing on the floor but none were unharmed enough to survive. Gundham stamped his foot twice, the signal for Kazuichi and Izuru to enter. Kazuichi gasped before sprinting to the centre of the room. Sonia was indeed in the warehouse, bound to a chair. There was a single bullet hole in her forehead. Kazuichi sunk to his knees, trying to force words out that became incoherent mumbles and sobs. He was so entranced at the sight of Sonia that he failed to notice the body of Nagito, which was strung up from the roof. His corpse appeared to be somewhat intact and Gundham swore he could see a smile on his twitching face. But he did not care for either of the corpses, even if one of them was his Dark Queen. Ibuki had to be found.
That meant that the dogs had to be sent to the corner so they could see everything clearly. The canines went to the right corner of the room, where they sat in content silence. Izuru walked to the opposite corner and pulled back a curtain. Ibuki sat with her legs raised to her chest, completely naked. Gundham paced over, wanting to see the condition of his friend. He exhaled sharply as he saw a puddle underneath her. He didn't want to know what the liquid or fluid was but his heart sank when he imagined it to be what he and Izuru assumed. Her eyes were completely lifeless; There was no joy or excitement present in her empty pupils. She lifted her head slightly to meet Gundham's gaze. She instantly allowed her head to drop back down without a word, her mouth slightly agape but producing no noise. Izuru pulled his backpack off his shoulders and dug his hand into one of the pouches. He produced a box of tissues and a packet of wet wipes. ''Go and comfort Kazuichi, please.'' Izuru said, his voice shaky, which Gundham hadn't thought he'd hear from someone he'd only seen to be silent and resolute. Izuru held Ibuki under her arms and stood her up. She complied totally, allowing Izuru to wipe her down and dry the makeup stains on her face as Gundham strode over to the weeping Kazuichi.
The Mechanic was still on his knees but now had his head in his hands. He wasn't crying loudly, it was more of a soft whimper that could only be heard from up close. Gundham squatted next to him and rubbed his back. He wasn't sure if it would provide any reassurance but he had seen it done before and presumed it to be helpful. Kazuichi looked up at him, the tear streaks still scarring his face. ''I can't do it man. 'Snot fair! Why did she have to go? Why not me or you?!'' He screamed in a mixture of sadness and anger. He stood suddenly, grabbing Gundham by his collar. ''Why couldn't she… stay alive?'' He glanced back at her body in the chair, before loosening his grip on Gundham's collar and allowing his arms to fall to his sides. Gundham stared on in silence. Sonia had been one of only a few things the two peers could converse about. It had been one of the reasons for their rivalry, although Gundham, Kazuichi and anyone with a brain could see that The Ultimate Breeder was clearly the Princess' favourite.
''I'm sorry that we couldn't get here in time. I'm also sorry that it took me this long to realise that you were a braver man than I. '' Gundham spoke slowly and clearly, so the irrational Mechanic didn't hear it incorrectly or assume it was derogatory. Kazuichi rubbed his eyes before he tried to meet Gundham's hard gaze. ''You, who I had assumed to be a cowardly fool, were the first to suggest even attempting to save these three. I was caught up in my own fear and confusion to even think about our imprisoned compatriots. And although we didn't get the outcome we wanted or save all of them, we still rescued someone in need. It would not have been possible without your courage, Kazuichi.'' The pink-haired boy raised his eyebrows, and then gave his trademark shark tooth smile. ''You've never called me by my name before, Gundham.'' His face fell slightly. ''You usually call me 'fool' or 'imbecile', so that's a welcome change.'' Kazuichi quickly glanced toward the door and sprinted to Gundham. He pushed him to the floor milliseconds before a gunshot rang out.
Gundham and Izuru turned their attention to the door. A group of men stood at the door, all armed with guns or blades of some respect. Ibuki poked her head around the curtain and upon seeing the men, squeezed Izuru's forearm. Izuru gave her a reassuring yet short smile before stepping out from behind the curtain. Gundham went to stand, but a single shot whizzed over his head. ''Don't get up, traitor! This is what for betraying our country, you scum!'' The figure at the front of the pack yelled. ''So any of you that-'' The man was cut off by a hatchet splitting his skull. The rest of the group yelped or ducked out of the way of potential attack as the body fell forward in front of them. There was no movement or noise for a few moments. Those who had ducked or fallen to the floor began to rise cautiously, expecting an attack at any point. They began to huddle back to back on impulse, as they held guns at arm length.
A blur moved around the group and when it disappeared, fountains of blood erupted from the throats and arms of the men. The bodies dropped in an instant, the sound of strained gurgling and attempted screams filling the room. One man still stood, a baseball bat in his hands. Izuru wrapped his hands around his neck and threw him across the room and into the wall in front of Ibuki. He landed with a soft thud, crawling his way up the wall before Izuru stuck to shards of glass in the back each of his thighs. He flopped down onto his chin with an agonised shriek. He had come to rest in front of Ibuki's feet and was struggling to get back to his feet. The swirls, though watery, were present in his eyes as they were for all of the other attackers. Izuru stepped on his back as he approached Ibuki, receiving a grunt from the ant under his boot. He held the man's own bat in his hands, which Ibuki took with no hesitation. She now wore a pair of jeans and a hot pink jumper that Izuru had changed her into. She had no expression on her face as she did earlier but the black-haired boy could see the hatred in her eyes.
Izuru stepped off the man and made his way over to Gundham, who cradled Kazuichi in his arms. Gundham's panicked breaths were all that he could register from his view across the room. The Ultimate Mechanic was completely sprawled out above Gundham's arms, a huge bloodstain on his blue jumpsuit. From the position of the hole at the centre of the wound, the bullet had punctured his lung, potentially a whole load of other organs as well. His breathing was ragged and arrhythmic as he attempted to speak to the boy holding him. ''I'm…. so glad…. I got you… out of the…. way….'' He barely whispered up at him. ''Why, Kazuichi? Why did you do that?'' Gundham spoke quickly, emotion evident in his voice. ''She… liked you more, man…. You're way more… likely… to be useful….'' Kazuichi coughed blood as he finished his sentence. Izuru crouched next to him, inspecting his wound. He hovered his hand above the wound and traced a path across his torso. He looked at an expectant Gundham and slowly shook his head. Gundham exhaled shakily, clearly on the verge of tears. ''At least… Sonia will be…. Up there too…'' Kazuichi spoke his final words and went limp in his rivals arms.
A small smile was plastered on his face; he was evidently thinking of Sonia and the afterlife as he passed. Gundham hugged his body, tears just about falling from his heterochromatic eyes. He shuffled onto his knees before walking on them to Sonia, dragging Kazuichi behind him. He laid Kazuichi next to the Princess' body before striding over to the side of the room, returning with a chair moments later. He placed the chair on the right of Sonia's chair and pulled Kazuichi into it. He took Sonia's right hand and Kazuichi's left before intertwining their fingers in the space between the chairs. Izuru watched the puppet master work in stunned silence, confused as to the purpose of this 'art.' Gundham turned to the mystery man with a straight, hardened expression. ''It is what he would've liked, if my views of him were astute.'' He pinched the bridge of his nose after his explanation and walked out of the warehouse.
Izuru marched over to Ibuki's side. She gave him a stern, angry look whilst tightening her grip on the bat. ''I won't judge you for what you choose to do. His punishment is up to your judgement.'' Ibuki looked down at the man below her. She looked at the bat. She looked at Izuru. Then she swung down as hard as she could. The pained groans of the man went silent as the sound of cracking echoed through the room. Ibuki raised her bat again, this time over her head, and swung again. She repeated this motion several times over the next few minutes. After what seemed like the hundredth swing, Ibuki stopped to catch her breath. She looked down at the pile of mush, brains and skull fragments beneath her. She dropped the bat and fell onto her knees. She sat staring at her own creation for some time, a mixture of guilt and regret evident on her face. He could see the cogs turning in her mind as she tried to comprehend why she had murdered a defenceless man. She eventually stood after a few minutes of contemplation. She looked towards the door and audibly announced her relief when she realised Gundham hadn't witnessed her ruthless violence. She began to walk towards the door. Izuru grabbed her upper arm, stopping her in her tracks. He pointed to the window on his left, which she rushed over to.
Upon looking at her reflection, she realised that her face was covered with speckles of blood, as well as on her clothes. When she turned back around, Izuru was holding the packet of wet wipes. She took them from his hand and began to wash her face. No words were exchanged during her assault and no words were exchanged in the aftermath. Izuru ushered her to Gundham in the doorway when she was finished. They both turned and left as soon as Izuru began his journey to them. He gave the bodies in the warehouse one final look before drawing the door closed. They had arrived in low spirits and left in even lower spirits. Thus was the power of Despair.
The class, minus Akane and Nekomaru, reconvened on the roof of the building adjacent to the manhole. Peko and her group climbed down from their vantage point and almost sprinted to their friends. When they found out their were no more than three of them, they knew what had happened. Mahiru broke down into wails and sobs once again, hugging Chiaki as closely as she could. Ibuki finally allowed herself to break down, Chiaki having to push Mahiru off her slightly to comfort the Ultimate Musician, who practically fell into her chest. They stayed in the middle of the street for some time before Fuyuhiko questioned the location and ability of the shelter. Izuru left his conversation with Chiaki to demonstrate his craftsmanship. He wrenched open the manhole and pointed into it. The group were hesitant to enter what they assumed to be a sewer but saw no other means of safety from the crowds that were presumably heading in their direction as they dawdled in the middle of what was essentially, a barrel in which they could be slaughtered like fish at any time. Izuru asked Chiaki to descend first to show her class that it was capable of protecting them. If the Class Rep couldn't convince her classmates, then how could he? To his relief, the group of Ultimates were more than happy to leave the street once The Gamer had made her way down the long ladder. Once all of them were at the bottom of the ladder, Izuru closed the hatch and made his way to show the guests their new home.
There were 10 rooms on the right side in total, with 8 containing two beds and the others being a large bathroom and laundry room respectively. There was a large pantry behind the kitchen on the right of the cabinets, with what seemed like decades worth of tinned food. Izuru encouraged Chiaki to stay with Mahiru and Ibuki for the night, which she agreed to without a second thought. Peko and Fuyuhiko decided to push their beds together in one room and Gundham did the same in the one next door, though there was no one staying with him. He would need to be observed, especially after the traumatic events he had witnessed earlier. Izuru would be perfectly available to do it with all the time he now had on his hands. Chiaki had text both Akane and Nekomaru to tell them where the shelter was and Izuru was waiting at the corner of the street for them to come by. It was already 11'o clock now; it was late and the majority of the class had no problem falling asleep due to the tiring emotional turmoil they had been through. It was quite strange to see the Gymnast and the Team Manager walk down the street with no followers or aggressors. Izuru stood off the lamppost and waved them over. He lifted the hatch and allowed the two entry, making sure the hatch shut properly after him. He showed the two the rooms, but both chose to stay in the same room. He took a seat on he sofa as the students went into their room. He didn't hear the shuffling of furniture so he assumed they chose to sleep in separate beds. Izuru took the opportunity of silence to write the contents of the day in his journal. He had failed. Hajime Hinata would need to know the events of today and all other days before it; Izuru couldn't be useful in situations like this if emotion caused malfunction. He placed his journal on his nightstand with the page open. He locked his room and placed the key on the page to ensure that Hajime would read his latest log. He lay on the bed, closing his red eyes. He knew that when he woke, they would be brown.
And they were. Hajime woke up for the first time in years to a bland room with average furniture. He gained his bearings before attempting to open the door. It was locked and panic overtook him before he spotted the journal. Just as his other self had predicted, the words caught his eye and he began reading. It told him the reason for his waking, then told him to go to the front of the journal to read every entry. He spent about an hour reading the journal as thoroughly as he could. He wasn't confused as to why he was taller anymore. At the front of the journal was a picture of himself before the experiment. When he looked in the mirror in his room his hair was a different colour; a dark black. If he was the the Ultimate Everything, then surely he was the Ultimate Hair Stylist too? He picked up the hair scissors and quickly rushed into the bathroom with the picture in hand. He effortlessly copied his previous hairstyle, even styling the ahoge to the exact same shape and size. He swept up the hair and threw it in the garbage can. This first experience using his Ultimate Talents made him think.
How powerful was he? Was he limitless as long as he kept his emotions, as Izuru has said? He took a shower and thought it over, coming to the conclusion that he should at least attempt to master any talents involving combat or survival skills. When he freshened up and got dressed, he left the bathroom in search of Chiaki. Izuru had said she was here but Hajime had almost no confidence she would remember him at all. As he stepped out of the bathroom, he spotted her sitting cross legged in front of the TV, looking through the various games and consoles in the cabinet the television stood on. He walked over to her, attempting to surprise her. Would it be awkward if he surprised her if she didn't remember him? Yes. But the chance to see her face if she did remember him would be so worth it. And it was. She obviously heard his footsteps and turned to face him.
Her eyes widened and her mouth gaped. ''H-Hajime?'' She asked shakily. ''You were Izuru?'' Hajime smiled as brightly as he could, nodding in response to her question. Chiaki quickly stood and ran over to him, burying her face in his chest. ''I'm so glad you're here.'' She said as she began crying. Hajime couldn't tell if they were from relief or happiness. The questions could come later. For now, they would simply enjoy being reunited.
