A/N: I know some of you were curious about additional chapters, and I apologize for not telling you guys beforehand (and for this one taking so long), but here it is! I hope you enjoy it!

Rantaro and Tsumugi stood against the secret entrance to her hideout as the voices of Shuichi and Kaede interrupted their moment of intimacy. For a few short seconds, they were in complete bliss, forgetting the Killing Game, forgetting the other students. And especially forgetting the fact that they were in a very precarious situation. To make matters worse, it looked like that situation was getting more dire by the minute...

Rantaro looked at Tsumugi with determination in his eyes, his carefree face stiffening up. The boy pointed a finger at the door they just entered, separating them and the library by mere feet.

"I know for sure that Shuichi captured me on at least one of those cameras. When they realize I knew where the Mastermind's hideout was, I don't think it'll be good news for us..."

Tsumugi nodded her head quickly and looked away, focusing her eyes to think.

"Hm..."

Rantaro's face darkened as he continued explaining.

"And we don't even know how we're gonna escape. We gotta think this one through. One mistake and it's over..."

The obnoxious tune Monokuma was playing on the monitors seeped through the cracks in the door, causing dull white noise, which Rantaro realized wasn't the best for thinking. But apparently it was for Tsumugi. She sheepishly looked at Rantaro, her eyes darting away after making contact with his.

"Um... But the time limit expired... And no one died... So technically, they wouldn't know any better if Monokuma kill-"

Rantaro shook his head, his green hair bobbing about, and grabbed the girl's shoulders aggressively. Tsumugi's face jolted up to look directly at his, her glasses offsetting.

"Tsumugi, do you truly think that's right? Everyone volunteered to be here except for me. In reality, I'm the only one who deserves to die from that rule... And more importantly, killing people should never be an option. I'm not letting you fall down that path again. We're both done with these Killing Games. One's more than enough for a lifetime..."

Tsumugi glared at Rantaro lightly, her voice trailing off after a while. She raised her right hand to fix her glasses.

"But I'm just giving the people what they want... They signed up for this..."

"It's not about them anymore. It's about you."

Rantaro smiled and gripped the girl's shoulders tighter before releasing them. She chuckled lightly and nodded, conceding her point.

The pair of them continued to mull over their strategy, paying attention to Shuichi and Kaede as the two spoke.

"Kaede, I want you to gather everyone here. We'll look at the pictures together."

"Shuichi... The Mastermind could come out of that door any second... Are you sure you'll be ok by yourself?"

"Ah... Yeah... We need someone to watch the door to make sure the Mastermind doesn't escape, anyways..."

"Well, ok. Leave it to me!"

The quick footsteps of Kaede Akamatsu sent chills down Rantaro's spine. He did expect them to consult the others... But this quickly? Before they even saw who was in the photos? He turned towards Tsumugi, his emerald eyes staring into her sapphire ones.

"It looks like we don't have that much time..."

Rantaro grabbed her hand swiftly, startling her and causing her to blush. She froze for a few seconds.

"Tsumugi, you need to go. If you spend too much time here, they'll suspect you, too... We can think of a plan later."

Tsumugi took a step back, her eyes wavering.

"B-but when they see the pictures... What do I tell them..."

"You're right... We really should decide that before you go..."

After another few seconds of silence, with no further ideas, Tsumugi growled, running her hands through her deep blue hair.

"Argh... Normally, my staff and I have weeks to prepare... And I never help much with anything... My ideas are always plain..."

She then plopped back onto the couch, letting out a long sigh.

"Can't we just, tell them the truth, and let them go free?"

Rantaro gave the girl a smirk, shaking his head casually before responding.

"I don't think that'll work out too well... A Mastermind, after trapping fifteen students in a school, simply letting her subjects go free after a couple days? I highly doubt they'd believe that story. And also, I should probably let you know that a bunch of them formed a group to take out the Mastermind a few hours ago... So even if they could leave, I don't know if they'd let you leave, too..."

Tsumugi's wide eyes began to fill with Despair as she slouched even further down on the couch. Rantaro stared at her, wishing a lightbulb could pop above his head and bring him a solution instantly. But, things are never that easy... Even in class trials, it took a lot of thinking and evidence to come to such a conclusion...

Rantaro always thought rationally in those trials. His ideas were never as crazy as some of the other students' ideas were. After all, being the Ultimate Adventurer, he had the skills necessary to lead the way and keep everyone on the right track. It was the perfect complement to some of the other students, whose theories bailed out Rantaro on more than one occasion... His deficiency in this area was perhaps the most important reason why Rantaro never killed anyone...

From those trials, Rantaro learned the power of the truth. The truth is commanding and undeniable. No matter how much a blackened tried to hide their crime, their guilt was always revealed and they were punished for their deeds. He understood Tsumugi's desire to tell the truth here... And even though he knew it'd get out eventually, this definitely wasn't the right time to do so...

Not for the full truth, anyways...

Rantaro slowly lifted his head and walked over towards Tsumugi, his face displaying a warm smile as if this Killing Game didn't exist and instead they were having fun at the beach.

"Maybe we do tell them the truth... One part of the truth, anyways... The fact that I was kidnapped by the Mastermind. That's a good enough reason to be trapped in here... And they'll have even less reason to suspect me if that music stops and they don't die..."

Tsumugi sat upwards in response to Rantaro's comment, the color returning to her face.

"Yeah... That should work for now..."

However, she still had that look in her eyes... That indecisiveness... Rantaro walked up to her as she stood up and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you ok, Tsumugi?"

Tsumugi looked back at him, but had to turn away. She took a deep breath, and released it even slower, as if there was some heavy weight pushing down on her.

"It's just... Do you think I'll be able to do it? Someone as plain as me?"

Rantaro grinned, "Of course. I watched you survive till the end of the last Killing Game. There's no doubt you have what it takes."

Tsumugi nodded, mumbling under her breath, "But that was all planned..."

A few seconds of silence ensued. Noting that Rantaro wouldn't add anything, the girl took a few steps away, wanting to rejoin the other students as quickly as possible.

"I'll see you later."

"Tsumugi, I don't want you risking anything... Only come back when you know it's safe. I'll wait on this couch until then..."

Rantaro gave her a stiff wave and began to sit down when Tsumugi's eyes widened, standing up straight. She ran over to her bookcase, running her fingers up and down the rows. Her eyes finally set on two DVDs, and after fumbling with them for a second, she rushed them back to Rantaro and held them out to him, her eyes twinkling.

"While you're waiting, you should at least be entertained. Here, watch these!"

Rantaro grabbed the boxes from Tsumugi, as she stared at him in anticipation, her eyes twinkling. He gazed down at the cover art on the DVDs, and then looked back at the girl.

"What are they?"

"They're two of my favorite animes!"

Tsumugi threw a finger at one of the DVDs Rantaro was holding.

"This first one is about-"

Rantaro slowly held up a hand, chuckling at the girl.

"Hey, you've got somewhere to be, right? I'll find out about them soon enough."

Tsumugi jumped a bit, snapping out of her trance, and gave Rantaro a quick nod.

"You're right. I'll see you later!"

Tsumugi ran towards the secret exit, which led to the women's bathroom on the first floor. Rantaro smiled as he watched her run off. Her determination seemed natural... But it was probably because of the anime...

There was still that frozen layer of self-doubt that encapsulated the girl, threatening to restrain her from doing anything for herself... She'd need to break free from it if she was going to survive... Rantaro wished he could stand right next to her, holding her hand tightly, giving her confidence...

But all he could do was sit here and wait. As much as he wanted to help, there was no point in risking being discovered. The boy held up the DVDs and stared at them for a few seconds. Having never seen anime in his life, he wondered what it was like. Especially the shows that Tsumugi was interested in...

Rantaro shrugged and walked up to the TV, inserting the first DVD. Rantaro took a deep breath before pressing the play button.

...

Flush

Tsumugi felt pretty lucky no one saw her leave the woman's bathroom storage closet. She immediately went into a stall and flushed the toilet, as if she had been in there the entire time. After washing her hands, she opened the door and made her way back to the dining room.

Sitting there around the table were Korekiyo Shinguji, Miu Iruma, and Kirumi Tojo. There were four glasses on the table, each filled with tea, and the kettle sitting in the center. Korekiyo was the first to notice Tsumugi's return. He lightly raised a hand in her direction.

"Tsumugi, welcome back."

The other two occupants turned to face Tsumugi as well. She nodded curtly and took her seat again, picking up her cup of tea and sipping it.

"You were in there for a while, are you feeling well? If you aren't, it is my responsibility as a maid to see to it that you are."

Tsumugi expected this from Kirumi. All of her time masterminding these Killing Games, as well as cosplaying, made her used to guising her true intentions. It wasn't hard for her to pretend. As long as she knew what she was pretending, anyways...

"Ah, Kirumi, I'm fine, thank you. I'm feeling much better."

Miu turned away and scowled lightly, the tea in front of her completely untouched.

"You musta taken a big one in there, huh?"

Korekiyo waved his hand at her in disdain.

"Now, now, Miu, no need to be so rude. Why don't you drink your tea and be civilized like the rest of us?"

Miu shivered a bit in response to the comment.

"Tch. I-it's not like I want to be here, or anything... I just don't w-wanna be alone..."

Tsumugi took another sip of her tea. It was getting late, but thankfully the tea was enough to stave off the tiredness. They sat there for another couple seconds, trying their best to ignore Monokuma's blaring music. It wasn't long before the doors burst open and Kaede popped in.

"Guys! We all need to meet in the library! Shuichi and I have something to show you."

Korekiyo was once again the first to speak.

"Ah, something to show us... But this close to the time limit?"

Tsumugi joined in, trying her best to blend in with the rest of them.

"Yeah... We're safe in here... You want us to leave?"

Was that the right thing to say? Yeah... That should've been fine...

Kaede turned away, looking dejected for a second, but her typical optimistic character shone through, and a smile reappeared on her face.

"If we all go together... I think it'll be fine... Right?"

The four of them looked at each other without speaking. Miu then stood up quickly, pushing her chair out, the tea in the cups swishing, almost spilling onto the table.

"You guys are so boring. Fuck this shit, I'm goin' with Kaediot."

Kaede's smile widened as Miu walked over towards her. This only caused Kirumi to tilt her head in contemplation, looking away.

"Yes, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious..."

Korekiyo stood up slowly after her comment.

"So that settles it, then. Let's all go."

Tsumugi feigned caution as she took one last sip of her tea. Looks like she was going with them... Was this a good, or bad thing?

"Ok..."

Kaede beamed as she led the four of them down the hallway. She waved at them and pointed down the stairs.

"I need to gather a few more people, so I'll meet you guys down in the Library!"

She ran off, leaving the four of them. Kirumi motioned for them to move on, and the group did.

"I wonder what they have to show us... Kehehe..."

Korekiyo laughed in suspense as they entered the Library. Already inside were seven people: Shuichi, Kaito, Gonta, Maki, Himiko, Tenko, and Angie. They were all gathered around Shuichi, who was holding what looked like photos, the cameras that took them laying on the ground.

Angie stepped close to Shuichi, pointing at him curiously.

"Maybe if you prayed to Atua, the photos would develop faster!"

Shuichi shied away, hiding his face in his cap. He clearly wasn't used to this much attention.

"Uh... I don't think it works like that, Angie..."

Himiko held a finger up, a sly grin on her face, standing on her toes to try to get a better view.

"With my magic, those photos would already be developed!"

Gonta leaned his head in, intrigued by the photographs as well.

"Gonta not understand... Develop... Photos?"

Once Miu realized that her cameras were on the ground, she gasped and butted into the circle, making room for the other three newcomers.

"Get your fuckin' dirty paws off my cameras!"

The girl scooped up her cameras, and stepped a few feet away to inspect them. She yelled from across the room, everyone looking up to face her.

"A-and also! There's no way to make them develop faster! You just gotta wait!"

After her outburst, Kirumi decided to address Shuichi about the situation.

"Shuichi, what are these photos?"

"Ah... They could have information about the Mastermind..."

Tsumugi, doing what she did best, played dumb. It was what she was used to, anyways. The best way to pretend you know nothing about something is to pretend you know nothing about everything.

Weird... She spent fifty Killing Games honing her character... But at this very moment, she didn't feel like it was enough...

"The Mastermind? But... how?"

Shuichi pointed to one of the library bookcases, and the group turned to look.

"There's a secret door behind this bookcase. It leads to the Mastermind's hideout. We set up these cameras here to hopefully capture the Mastermind in the act of using that door..."

"Kehehe... So all we have to do is wait in anticipation, then..."

Kaito lifted a fist at them, stars appearing in his eyes.

"Yeah, at least until that time limit expires... At that point, we'll have to fight against the Mastermind with everything we've got. Whoever they are..."

Tenko spoke up, looking away slyly in response.

"Yeah, they're probably a degenerate male..."

Maki rolled her eyes at the girl, showing her usual self.

"Well, the Mastermind is probably someone who isn't here right now... And everyone who isn't here is a guy..."

Almost as if on cue, Kaede ran into the room, bringing Keebo, Kokichi, and Ryoma. Shuichi walked towards her and smiled. The girl huffed as she spoke up, hands on her knees.

"I looked everywhere, and they're the only ones left that I could find. I didn't see Rantaro anywhere..."

Tightness gripped Tsumugi's chest, but she told herself to stay calm. Even though this wasn't part of the script, it was still a performance. She took a deep breath and tilted her head in confusion, opening her lips slightly as she looked around the room. Shuichi put his hand over his mouth and spoke up.

"Hm... We did see Rantaro when Kaito's group walked down to the basement..."

Kaito joined in with his classic aloof grin.

"Yeah, he was with us the whole time. At least, until he told us he had somethin' to do and left..."

"I see..."

Shuichi contemplated for a bit, but Kokichi interrupted him by waltzing over and ripping the photos out of his hands with a smile.

"Hey, Shuichi, what are those? Didja take some selfies just for me? Nee-hee-hee!"

Shuichi reached out at the boy, but he held the photos up, staring at them, trying to see what was depicted in them.

"Ah, Kokichi, d-don't-"

Kaede walked up and stiffly grabbed Kokichi's arm. Shock filled the boy's face as he turned around. Kaede yanked the photos away from him, holding them high enough that he couldn't reach them.

"Don't play with them! They're important!"

Kokichi turned away, scowling lightly.

"Those pictures are all of Rantaro, how could they be important?"

The entire room stood there in shock as what was depicted in the photos apparently became visible. Gonta spoke up in disbelief, terror in his eyes, as he processed Kokichi's statement.

"O-of Rantaro? So does that mean Rantaro... is Mastermind?"

Tenko grinned, a condescending expression overtaking her face again.

"Just as I thought. Typical degenerate male..."

Kaede passed around the photos, and everyone, including Tsumugi, got a good look at them. It was clear that Rantaro knew where the secret entrance was. And it was also very clear that he wasn't in this room right now...

Tsumugi took a deep breath as what Rantaro has predicted came to pass. But all she had to do was convince them that he was captured, without revealing herself as the true Mastermind. It shouldn't be that hard, but then again, she wasn't the type to convince people of anything, or the type to bring up ideas like that... The butterflies fluttered in her stomach, and nerves overtook her for the first time in her professional career as a Mastermind.

But before she could do anything else, Monokuma's music broadcast stopped, and the picture changed to a visual of the bear.

A/N: Thanks for reading, guys! It means a lot to me that this story is as engaging to you as it is to me. I've got the entire rest of the storyline planned out, so it'll be at least another 2-3 chapters, maybe more, depending on how much I decide to write. So be on the lookout for more content!

If you liked this, I happen to have two other pieces that fit the same mold (rare pair, alternate timeline, covert activities). They're The Biggest Challenge Yet and its sequel, Beyond Hope and Despair. So definitely give them a read if you're interested.

Also - I'm going to be posting another project of mine here in a bit, so I'd appreciate it if you could check it out as well! I always welcome any and all feedback.