Odafe couldn't believe what was happening. No sooner had he assumed command of Team Danganronpa's security when who should show up on his doorstep? Not only the missing member of the 53rd class, but the renegade Ultimate who had freed her as well. And they were being held hostage by a student the world had last seen crushed into a bloody pulp.
How was this possible? Could it be...was Lady Hope telling the truth? Was the Necronomicon really..?
Whatever the explanation, Odafe had to act fast. Keying into the security controls, he opened the front gates, allowing the three Ultimates to move out of the crowds and into the hotel grounds. Two Exisals lumbered out to greet them, one of which Odafe ordered to run an identification scan. In less than a second, the results appeared on his monitor. Facial match: 99.9%. Retinal match: 100%. The scans didn't lie: the Ultimate Supreme Leader was indeed standing before him.
Odafe couldn't resist a smirk. Fortune was truly smiling upon him tonight. Capturing Himiko alone would have cemented his position above the other Heads. But to bring in an additional fugitive AND a fan-favorite from the last season? The Programmer wouldn't be surprised if Lady Hope named him her successor right then and there. Finally, his destiny-the destiny of the Bankole family-was in reach.
But that didn't mean he could be careless. As he watched Kokichi force Paris and Himiko across the cobblestone courtyard towards the grand patio, Odafe pondered his next move. Though he had access to the Ultimate Supreme Leader's character architecture, Kokichi's motives and true nature were still an enigma to the Head of Technology. Credit where credit was due: Hikari and her designers had done an outstanding job of creating a wily adversary, one who had nearly undone Tsumugi Shirogane's plans himself. Now the Overlord was no longer bound by the context of a Killing Game, making him even more unpredictable and dangerous. What's worse, he had apparently subdued the Magician and Hacker by himself, and now held their lives in his hands. If the Programmer moved carelessly, he might end up losing two prizes instead of gaining three.
Still, for all his craftiness, Kokichi had made a serious blunder. His opening move had landed him right in the center of Odafe's security web, a web that the Programmer had refined and reinforced since the Magician had escaped. Even if Kokichi had gotten intel out of Paris, it was meaningless now. Which meant the Ultimate Supreme Leader was going up against an opponent he knew nothing about, one armed with weapons he couldn't comprehend. The math wasn't in his favor, and the poor Overlord had no idea.
Odafe chuckled. Perhaps underestimating Team Danganronpa was a key flaw in Kokichi's DNA. It would explain why his plan during the fifth trial failed as well. Oh, well. The Programmer would have to ask Hikari someday. From the CEO's throne, of course.
Kokichi's voice piped in through the speakers, snapping Odafe out of his thoughts. "What's with all the walking dumpsters?" the Overlord asked, his eyes darting between the Exisals. "Some red carpet. Who's in charge here? I wanna speak to the manager!"
Odafe frowned, then ported his video and audio feed into the lead Exisal. There was no way that the Programmer was going down there personally, but that didn't mean he couldn't give his new "guests" a personal greeting. "Hello Kokichi," he purred as the Exisal's P.O.V. filled his screen. "So glad you and your friends could make it."
Kokichi's eyes snapped to the Exisal, no doubt staring at video feed of Odafe that had just materialized over its head. Up close, the Programmer could see why the diminutive Ultimate commanded such a following. There was an aura of intriguing uncertainty hovering about him, one that Odafe felt even across the network connection. No matter what position Kokichi was playing from, he always smiled as though he were in possession of a secret only he understood, one he could let you in on, or use to destroy you at a moment's notice.
The full Supreme Leader regalia he wore only cemented the impression: his cape billowed in the wind as he turned to face his opponent, and his eyes glinted under the brim of his dictator's cap. The light from the hotel patio cast heavy shadows through the curtains of rain, accentuating the eerie atmosphere.
"You're the one running the show, right?" Kokichi said. "I'm warning you now: there's nothing I find more boring than talking to middlemen."
"Indeed," Odafe nodded. "My name is Odafe Bankole, Head of Technology and acting Head of Security at Team Danganronpa. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"Wow, what luck!" Kokichi said, eyes twinkling. "I'm talking to both the Head of Technology and Security at the same time! Could this day get any better?"
"It might if you play your cards right," the Programmer cleared his throat. "I'm very grateful to you for bringing Ms. Yumeno back safely, but I assure you my Exisals can take it from here. If you would just release her and step inside, I'll personally see to it that she is taken care of, and that you are well rewarded."
"Aw gee, that sounds really nice," Kokichi replied. "Maybe while I'm at it I'll tie a nice noose around my neck and let you hang me from a flag pole. Ha!" he suddenly cackled. "Do you really I'm that easy to fool? I may have been resurrected last night, but I wasn't born yesterday."
Odafe grimaced. "Then enlighten me. What do you want? Why are you here?"
The Overlord grinned. "Why do you think? I'm here to make a deal."
"What kind of deal?"
"The kind where I get to keep my freedom, and these two get to keep breathing. Sounds reasonable, right?"
Odafe resisted a smile of his own. It was almost too easy. "I see. In that case, let me clear the way so you can come up to my office and discuss your-"
"Dammit Kokichi, what happened to you?" Paris suddenly exclaimed.
"Hey, watch it, Pinkie" the Overlord warned. "What'd I say about talking?"
"You were a hero!" the Hacker shouted, undeterred. "You gave your own life to end the Killing Game. And now you want to work with the people who invented it? That's crazy!"
Kokichi scoffed. "No, it was crazy to think I'd bet my life again on a hopeless cause. Sorry, been there, done that. 0/10 would not sacrifice again."
"But you hated the Killing Game," Paris countered. "Kaito told everyone the truth. You were only pretending to enjoy it!"
"And you actually believed him?" Kokichi's jaw dropped. "Ahahaha you're so dumb! Haven't you ever heard you can't believe everything you see on T.V.?" His expression became serious. "I just told that idiot what he wanted to hear. Apparently, you fell for it as badly as he did. That's all there is to it. Now shut up and keep walking. Or I'll show you just how evil I can be."
Paris took a deep breath, but didn't budge. Even in his office, Odafe could feel the air crackling with tension. The situation was growing unstable. All the manipulation and guidance on his part wouldn't mean anything if these moronic children decided to self-destruct. Was it time for him to intervene? He scrolled through security feeds looking for options, but none presented themselves. Kokichi held Himiko close, and her hands were bound by his checkered scarf. No way to create an opening there, and any wrong move would cause a disaster. If only he could-
Paris exhaled. "You're lying. Even if the stories are fake, what they say is true. You're a master of laughable crimes and pranks, not murder. It's against your nature." She turned to face Kokichi. "That's the truth, isn't it?"
The Overlord's expression remained blank, but a strange shadow moved across his gaze. Was it doubt? "Believe it or not, but dying and coming back to life has a way of changing a person," he stated flatly. "Anyway, it's a theory I don't think you want to test."
"I don't need to," Paris smiled. "You just gave me my answer."
"Wait-"
Before Kokichi could intervene, she was already upon him. Himiko cried in terror, caught in the middle as the two Ultimates struggled viciously for the knife. The blade flashed dangerously in the patio lights.
"Stop!" Odafe bellowed. "Yumeno, get away from them!" his hands hovered over the Exisal controls, but there was nothing he could do. There was no clear shot-just a mess of limbs and desperation.
And then it happened.
A flash of silver. A splash of crimson.
Paris staggered back from Kokichi, eyes wide with shock. She clutched her throat, uselessly grasping at the life rapidly leaking from the gash in her neck.
"N-no," Himiko squeaked, tears streaming down her face. "It can't be..."
Paris collapsed into the street, the light fading from her pupils. A low gurgle was the last sound the Ultimate Hacker made before she finally fell silent.
For a moment, Odafe was at a loss. Kokichi seemed just as surprised, but he recovered in an instant, pulling Himiko back into his grasp and placing the freshly stained knife over her jugular.
"Well, I guess that settles that question," the Overlord sighed. "Unless you feel like getting a second opinion, Mr. Head of Security?"
Odafe shook his head and ran a thermal scan on Paris's body. No heat signature to speak of: the Hacker was really dead. With a weary sigh, the Programmer ordered the other Exisal to take the body to the hotel's medical ward for an autopsy. Losing Paris was a shame, but hardly the worst that could've come from that struggle. Odafe could still salvage this. In fact, this new ruthless side of Kokichi may prove useful in the long run. Only one way to find out.
"No need for further violence," the Programmer said, moving aside to allow the Overlord and sobbing Magician through. "Come to the penthouse. We'll discuss your terms."