A/N: Hey guys, sorry this update's shorter than what I usually write. Midterms are here at my college, dealing with that's been really hectic. Plus, Shyjoker and I haven't completely finished designing the first floor of the prison yet so it's a little early for the exploration. But this part adds a bit more information to the game, and presents the rules for said game. So, happy reading. Talk to you again at the end.
Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.
Chapter 1, Part 2: Hope at the bottom of the box
CHAPTER 1: SINNERS IN THE HANDS OF AN ANGRY MASTERMIND
"Upupupupupupupupupu!" Monokuma cackled. "Well then it seems like you've all decided that you want to play. So, what are we waiting for? Let the Death Row of Mutual Killing begin!" Monokuma exclaimed.
"So this is really happening? We're going to really kill each other?" Yosuke asked in a shocked tone.
"If you had any real objections to those rules, you would've spoken up when you had the chance," Damion replied. "Stop acting so innocent. We both know you're not."
"…" Yosuke didn't know how to reply.
"I've never played a game with friends before, much less a killing game," said Koro. "This should be lots of fun." He seemed really excited about all of this.
"You're that excited to die?" Taichi asked with an added scoff.
"Die? So I might die? One of my friends might kill me?" Koro asked in a frightened tone. Then he laughed it off. "That sounds like a lot of fun."
"Do you even know what death is?" Mana asked.
"No not really, people say that about Kiwi all the time but I never really know what they mean so I just deny it. The nice doctors at my old hospital said that the same thing happened to my mom and dad. The last thing I remember was fixing them and their relationship, I don't know what happened after that, and neither does Kiwi," Koro replied as he held up his pet pigeon corpse.
"I guess that answers my question. You are completely out of your mind," Mana replied.
Koro chuckled. "I like you, let's be friends too."
"No thanks," Mana simply replied.
Then we were shocked to see Opal get up off the ground. "Opal don't push yourself," Mirai said to her friend in a worried tone. Opal simply grunted in reply as she stood up on her feet again. She looked badly bruised on her face, and I was sure I saw a few blood stains on her clothes. She had taken a powerful blow from Monokuma, it was a miracle she was even able to stand up so soon after that.
"I'm…fine, Mirai," Opal replied. "We've got bigger…things to deal with."
"Umm, I got back up on my feet too if anyone cares," said Kaori, who had also managed to get back up on her feet after a lot of struggling.
"Yeah, no one cares," Fuyu replied in her usual cold manner.
"Fuck you, you fugly bitch!" Kaori shouted at Fuyu.
"I'm fugly? Have you looked in a mirror lately?" Fuyu replied in her usual unconcerned tone.
Kaori growled. "God dammit, I fucking hate you! I'm going to fucking kill you first!"
"Hey now, let's all try to get along, okay?" Hinageshi replied in a soft and scared tone. Even though she was frightened of our current circumstances and both of the…unique girls, she tried to be the voice of reason.
"Butt out, you bland bitch! Who gives two shits what you think?!" Kaori snapped at Hinageshi, and Hinageshi cowered in fear.
"That's what you get for trying to get involved," said Fuyu.
"…" Hinageshi didn't respond.
Opal began to speak again. "Anyway, I heard a little…about what that freaking robot wants. It's a…killing game, right?" Opal smirked. "It sucks to be…you guys. I'm a trained…killer. I have…a natural edge."
"Opal, no! No more killing!" Mirai exclaimed.
"What? But, Mirai…" Opal seemed genuinely shocked.
"I don't want you to kill anyone anymore," Mirai replied. "We're not that desperate anymore, you don't have to do it just to survive."
"If…if you really felt that way then why…didn't you speak up earlier?" Opal asked.
"Because it felt wrong deciding what we would do without you. We're a team, always have been, always will be. But I just want you to know, I don't like it when you kill. You're different, you're scary. I…I don't want you to have to act that way anymore, especially not for my sake," Mirai replied. The shorter girl said as she looked up at her taller friend.
"…" Opal didn't know what to say.
"Please, promise me. No more killing," said Mirai.
Opal scoffed and shook her head. "You're a…weird girl, Mirai. You say the meanest things…to people, but don't want things…to escalate anything beyond that. All this time…why didn't you say anything?"
"We did what we did to support each other, but things have changed," Mirai replied. "I don't want you to kill anymore. So please, for me? Will you stop?"
Opal sighed. "Dummy, you know I…can't say no to you when you look at me…with those big puppy-dog eyes."
Mirai giggled and hugged Opal. "I know, I just wanted to hear you say it."
"What's this having a change of heart, eh?" Monokuma asked. "Looks like it's a little too late though, Eliza-chan's completely out of it."
"…" He wasn't kidding, Eliza appeared to be staring off into space at that moment. She looked incredibly distraught.
"Such delicious despair. She's already realized the hopelessness of her efforts. You've all let her down," Monokuma replied. "Even if you're not planning to kill, not a single one of you dared to stand up for her. You're all heartless bastards. Look at what you've done to her. She's completely crushed."
I could feel him staring at me in particular. 'Damn this fucking robot', I swore in my mind.
"Eliza-chan," Hinageshi called out to Eliza in her usual soft-spoken tone.
"…" And Eliza didn't respond.
"I feel really bad, you guys," said Airi.
"Who cares about that troublesome girl anyway?" Damion asked. "It's her fault we're here in the first place. Now then, Monokuma," Damion spat out his name. "Tell me, what are the other rules for this so-called Death Row of Mutual Killing?" he asked.
"Ooh, you knew there were more rules, Damion-kun? You're one smart cookie," Monokuma replied.
"Silence, when you take in the illogical nature of all this, it would make sense to have a lot of rules for the game to simulate order. After all you can't play any game without strict rules, not even a killing game," Damion explained.
"Well, no matter. You're right, all the same," Monokuma replied. "Allow me to present you with the rules for this killing game, as well as a vital tool that will aid you throughout it." Monokuma hopped back down to the ground in a sort of superhero landing style. Then he reached into his uniform's shirt and produced a small, black and white, rectangular electronic device. It was very flat, and almost looked like a keycard of some sort. Then suddenly, nineteen other Monokumas appeared from behind him, and they also showed us that they were holding onto similar devices. One by one, each Monokuma gave us one of the devices. And then finally, the original Monokuma gave me mine. "That's all boys, back to your posts," the original Monokuma ordered. Then the other Monokumas simply disappeared into thin air. "Well go on, take a look. Press the button on the front, and check out the rules for yourselves," said Monokuma.
"Umm, what the fuck am I supposed to do with this?!" Kaori shouted at Monokuma. Her device was simply left at her feet.
"Oh right, umm someone help her out," said Monokuma.
"I've got it, here you go Kaori-chan," Hinageshi said as she held up Kaori's device to her face. Even though she had snapped at her just a few short minutes ago, Hinageshi was still trying to be nice to Kaori.
Kaori simply growled at Hinageshi in reply. I guess she didn't like be treated like she was helpless. But nonetheless, she swallowed her anger and allowed Hinageshi to be her assistant. Meanwhile, I decided to check out my device as well. I pressed the button on my device and a whimsical ringtone played. I heard the others' devices turn on as well. I was greeted with a message upon the device's complete boot up.
PANDORA PRISON e-ID
WELCOME, INMATE #19
And then the screen showed a profile picture of me and my side view, similar to a mugshot photo. It also listed my basic information and a title under my name. It read: Ultimate Criminal Talent: Ultimate Detective. 'What's this? Ultimate Criminal Talent? How is being a detective a criminal talent? Much less an Ultimate Criminal Talent?' I asked myself. Then I looked to the side of the device's screen and saw that there were several tabs that led to different screens. The tabs were listed from top to bottom as follows: Criminal Profiles, Presents, Evidence/Ammunition, Rules and Regulations, and Settings. 'This must be the rules for the killing game that Monokuma was talking about,' I thought to myself as I pressed the Rules and Regulations tab. Then I was brought to a screen that had a list of rules with odd diagrams used as examples.
1) 8:00 A.M. – 10:00 P.M. is designated as Daytime. During this time, inmates are free to converse and stroll around the Academy.
2) 10:00 P.M – 8:00 A.M is designated as Nighttime. During this time, the mess hall will be closed and the water will be turned off. Getting rest is encouraged, but inmates are still allowed to roam the halls after Nighttime begins.
3) Inmates are free to explore Pandora's Academy for Horrible and Gifted Juvenile Delinquents at their own discretion. However, areas that are locked off are out of bounds and trying to break into them or pick any locks will be met with severe punishment.
4) Prison inmates who remain at Pandora's Academy must compete in the Death Row of Mutual Killing. Inmates will not be directly forced to kill but grave consequences may be incurred by not killing. Those inmates who choose to kill will be given a chance to complete their rehabilitation and leave the Academy.
5) Motives will be given out by Warden Monokuma at random times to incite killing. These motives will range from enticing to downright cruel. Anything can be used to get inmates to kill. Be wary of this.
6) Warden Monokuma will never directly harm any inmate, unless an inmate tries to harm him first.
7) When three inmates discover a dead body, the Corpse Discovery Announcement will play and let every other inmate know that a murder has been committed.
8) When a murder has been committed, after a brief investigation period a Class Trial will be held. During a Class Trial, inmates will be forced to debate about who they think the killer is.
9) If the killer (the blackened) is correctly chosen amongst the majority of the innocent inmates (the spotless), the blackened inmate alone will be executed for their crimes and the spotless inmates will be able to continue breathing for another day.
10) However, if the spotless inmates choose incorrectly then every inmate besides the blackened inmate will be executed instead and the blackened inmate alone will be allowed to complete their rehabilitation and will gain their freedom.
11) As an added challenge, there will be unique events held during Class Trials. These events will remain a surprise until the first Class Trial begins. At that time, this rule will be updated.
12) Each blackened is only allowed to kill a maximum of two inmates, any more victims will result in severe punishment.
13) The Death Row of Mutual Killing will continue until someone completes their rehabilitation or there are only two inmates remaining.
14) Destruction of surveillance cameras and video monitors will be met with severe punishment.
15) Inmates are required to carry their Pandora Prisoner e-IDs on their person at all times. Failure to do so will result in severe punishment.
16) Warden Monokuma reserves the right to add more rules if he so wishes. It is each inmate's responsibility to be aware of every one.
"What the hell is this?" Yosuke asked. "There's so many rules, it's like…it's like this is an actual game."
"It is a game, a game with very deadly penalties for losing," Monokuma replied with a cackle. "These are your Prisoner e-IDs by the way. They're a very important item, so be sure to take good care of them."
"Just as I thought, you truly are a sociopath to put so much thought into something as morbid as this. Your creator, they must be a very twisted individual indeed," said Damion.
"I have a question, you little robotic demon. What is this rule about?" Ginrou asked as he held up his Pandora Prison e-ID for us to see. He was currently one rule twelve. "Why are we only allowed to kill two people at a time?"
"Oh that rule is to keep the killing game going as long as possible, there are various people among you who have no problem killing as many people as they can. If one person killed everybody in one go that would be a pretty boring game, wouldn't it? And weren't you yourself planning to kill everyone here as soon as you all escaped, Ginrou-kun?" Monokuma asked.
"Execute, not kill. I only punish sinners, I never act as the sinner," Ginrou explained. "I am a tool for God to use as he sees fit, I never execute anyone unless he tells me to do so."
"Oh in that case, will you kill anyone I ask you to?" Noriaki asked.
"I have another question, you robotic demon. If I execute this blasphemous cur right now as God so commands, will a Class Trial still be held?" Ginrou asked.
"Yep, you did ki…execute someone, alright," Monokuma answered. "It will just be a very boring Class Trial since you'll have a lot of witnesses to the crime. They'll immediately vote for you, and that'll be the end."
"I see; in that case I must hold back my willingness to unleash God's wrath," Ginrou replied.
"Aww bummer, even if it meant my death I kind of really want you dead as well, so it would have been worth it," Noriaki asked. "You're a high and mighty asshole who doesn't realize just how crazy you really are. If you keep up with this attitude you're going to be voted as the lowest rated player for sure."
"What the hell are you blabbering about?" Victor asked.
"Oh I'm kind of a mediocre gamer," Noriaki replied. "I only like certain games though, RPGs and the like that have a rich story mainly. And if you think about it, isn't this whole setup kind of a perfect example of that?" Noriaki asked. Then he chuckled. "Interesting characters, a unique setting, and a very powerful plot. If I wasn't one of the characters in this thing, I would really enjoy playing this game from an outside perspective. It would probably start out as a dark indie game with a small but noticeable cult following, but who knows maybe one day it could turn into an event that everyone in the world looks forward to with immeasurable blood lust. So in a twisted way, this all sounds really fun."
"And you're no better than the boy with the dead pet," said Mana. "Geez, just how many of you are absolutely criminally insane?"
"Oh, you think I'm insane?" Noriaki asked Mana. Then he chuckled and held his arms behind his head. "Maybe I am, but then again a person who calls himself God would have to be insane, don't you think? I have a God complex; I'm not denying it. I'm just trying to explain that to me, your opinions mean nothing. Abbott-chan told me herself when we first met, a person with a God complex believes that no matter what, they are absolutely correct about everything. Other people are always wrong, I'm always right. In my twisted mind, that's how I see the world. So quite frankly, I don't give a damn what you think, you stupid pig. Shut up and die," Noriaki said with a gentle tone and a smile.
Ginrou growled. "I'm strongly reconsidering my decision not to execute you where you stand."
Noriaki chuckled. "If you think you can get away with it, by all means try and kill me anytime you want, Kubikiri-kun. Tenshi will accept your hate with his complete loving grace. But don't get your hopes up, after all it's not like a sadistic maggot with some worthless Moses complex can stand up to the might of an all-powerful being with a God complex. God commands Moses, Moses obeys. That's just the way it is. So Kubikiri-kun, you too, shut up and die," Noriaki said with an equally gentle tone.
"Even though the stuff he's saying is horrible, he keeps that gentle smile on the whole time. He's a pure, unadulterated sociopath," said Fuyu.
Noriaki simply chuckled in reply to the negative comment.
"How? How can you say all of that stuff with a straight face?" Lucius asked. "Don't you care at all what happens to us? Don't you even care if you end up dying?"
Noriaki chuckled. "Of course I care if I die, but if I do I'll just be reborn again. I'm God, I'm immortal. And as for the rest of you, I could give two shits. Go off and die, your very existence is insulting to Tenshi's grace."
"And here I thought Tenshi was supposed to be all loving," Mirai replied. "I knew all that stuff you said online was total garbage. I can't believe some of my hacker friends still fell for it though."
"I love those who choose to live their lives in my name. If you want me to give you the time of day, convert to my religion. I'm always accepting new followers," Noriaki replied.
"As history has taught us, those who choose to play God end up paying the ultimate price in the end," said Hinageshi, putting in her two cents.
"Oh, nothing's going to happen. Don't worry about me," Noriaki replied. "All my followers adore me. They would do anything for me. Even when I'm stuck here in prison, they worship the very ground I walk on. If I play my cards right, I might end up ruling the whole world one day. Then everybody would praise Tenshi's name forever. I wonder, will I receive even more glory and more followers if I show them my might in this killing game?"
"Show your followers? What do you mean?" I asked.
"Oh come on, you seriously haven't considered it? It seems so obvious to me," Noriaki replied.
"What seems so obvious?" I asked.
Mana reached into her messenger bag and pulled out a small ball that upon taking a closer look I realized was a camera. "I believe what he's talking about is this. I found this in the cell we woke up in, it's a different kind of camera compared to the ones that are used inside the building for surveillance. With the size of this camera, I can't imagine that we were supposed to find it so easily. This is for watching us in secret. I don't think Monokuma, or even the person controlling him would have much use for these since they could just use the security cameras inside the building to monitor us. Which means, this must be for someone else to watch us through."
"Huh, what do you mean?" Yosuke asked.
"I mean, I think there are people who are actually watching us right now. An audience, if you will," Mana replied.
"Y-You've got to be kidding, people are watching us right now?!" Airi exclaimed. "Why aren't they doing anything to help us?!"
"Upupupupupu, wouldn't you like to know?" Monokuma replied. "Well too bad, that's a trade secret."
"So I was right, people are watching us right now. They're going to watch us compete in the killing game," said Noriaki. "How exciting is that? I get to show my grace for an audience this time. I couldn't afford to do videos on the off-chance that I might get spotted by the cops, so I was always forced to use anonymous multi-media. It feels so good, knowing that my face is already out there in the open."
"Th-This is getting heavy, are there seriously other people who are watching this?" Lucius asked. "Why aren't they helping us?"
"Why would they try and help us? In case you've forgotten, we're all criminals. If there are people watching us, then they probably think we're all getting what we deserve," Yoko explained.
"You think they're jerking off to this disgusting shit right now?" Kaori asked.
"As always you say the most horrid things," said Fuyu.
"Though that is probably the case. The people who watch perverse snuff films such as these are very dark and perverted," Damion replied. "I should know; I've had the displeasure of having several of those films made for my clients."
"And yet you had no moral quandary with it?" Victor asked.
"I'm a business man, we do unscrupulous things on a daily basis. They say there are only two jobs a psychopath is able to fill. That of a murderer, and that of a good business man," Damion explained. "The question is; which one do you think I am?"
"So the hitwoman…backs out and the client takes…on the job himself," Opal replied. "I guess the rumors…about you haven't been…exaggerated, Caesar. You really are…unorthodox."
"Unorthodox methods are what keep me a top this dog eat dog world," Damion simply replied. "To be successful you have to be willing to do anything to accomplish your goals, even getting your hands dirty."
"So you've already made up your mind then? You're going to kill?" I asked.
"But of course, if no one is coming to help us, and there really is no other way off of this island, then the next logical step is to do the unthinkable. Rest assured, I will be the one to win this killing game," Damion replied.
"Geez, chum. You are truly a monster, I guess I know who I should watch out for the most," said Adam.
"Definitely, I'd heard tell of Caesar during my exploits across Europe. They said he was as ruthless, commanding, and cunning as Julius Caesar himself. Some even believed he was his reincarnation. I can relate to having a great name to live up to as well. But I'm afraid I have to decline participating in this killing game as well. A Phantom Thief's sole purpose is to steal, but stealing life does not appeal to me at all. Arsene Lupin was the perfect gentlemen along with being a thief, and I'm no different," said Mireille. "Not an ounce of blood shall be spit by moi." Then she showed off her top hat, which still had a gaping hole in it due to Lucius' earlier quick thinking. "However, I will beat a certain degenerate to within an inch of his life if my costume is not restored to its former glory soon."
"…" Lucius was silent as he sweat bullets.
"I don't want to kill anyone either," said Airi. "I was just too afraid to speak up before. I'm so sorry, Eliza-chan."
"…" Eliza looked at Airi but she didn't respond.
"I don't think any of us want to compete in this game for real," said Victor.
"But you still intend to?" I asked.
"If it comes down to me and someone else, I'll choose me. No qualms against it, that's just one of the rules I live by," Victor replied.
"What a lonely way to live," Hinageshi replied.
"Well it's not like I plan to compete either, but I'd kind of like to know where all of this insanity goes. It seems pretty interesting, save for the being forced to kill each other part," said Mana.
"It's the same for me, I'm not going to do anything, but it's not like I have anywhere else I can go in the meantime. Besides, it's not all bad," Taichi smirked. "There's a girl I have my eye on here."
Yoko glared daggers at Taichi. "I hope…I hope you die by the end of this."
Taichi scoffed. "That was completely out of nowhere. Seriously, have we met somewhere before? I think I would remember a girl like you."
"I…I was at your trial," Yoko replied in a weak voice.
"Oh? Did I hurt someone you loved?" Taichi asked in a fake-concerned tone. He had a natural talent for faking his emotions. There wasn't anybody who wouldn't fall for his crocodile tears, save for the people who knew what he truly was.
Yoko looked away. "Never mind." Then she looked up at Monokuma. "Monokuma, I have a question for you. Throughout these rules there are several mentions of an Academy. Pandora's Academy for Horrible and Gifted Juvenile Delinquents? What exactly is that? Are you referring to the prison?"
Monokuma chuckled. "In a way."
"Wait, I thought this joint was called Icarus…something or other," said Adam.
"It was, back when hope still ruled over this tiny little island with a single building. But unfortunately for you guys that isn't the case anymore. I was going to have Eliza-chan explain all this, but it looks like she's still indisposed at the moment, so I'll take over for her. The story of Icarus, is one very similar to yours. The great Greek craftsman Daedalus, and his young son Icarus were imprisoned inside a labyrinth on the island of Crete by King Minos. The labyrinth Daedalus originally created for King Minos to imprison the nasty monster, known simply as the Minotaur, ended up being his own prison for the crime of helping King Minos' enemy, Theseus, find his way out of the labyrinth and defeat the Minotaur. To escape he fashioned wings made of wax and feathers for him and Icarus to use to fly to freedom, and in the end, as you probably all know, Icarus flew too close to the sun and burned his wings. Some people even believe that this story is where the term "wings of freedom" originated from. While tragic, in its own right, the underlying theme of this Greek myth is to inspire hope for those who are imprisoned. At least that was Eliza-chan's intention," Monokuma replied.
"My father used to tell me those myths as bed-time stories," Damion replied. "The tale of Icarus certainly relates to our circumstances, but exactly how does the tale of Pandora relate to us?"
"You don't think it relates to you at all?" Monokuma asked. "Icarus and Daedalus were imprisoned for helping a hero defeat his enemy, but all of you have committed far greater sins, right? Murder, theft, mayhem, chaos. You were responsible for all these things and more. Your crimes are pure sin, much like the sins that were trapped inside of Pandora's Box. You all went and peeked inside the box and those sins escaped into the world. As it stands now, the world would be a better place if none of you never existed. I'm certain the families of your victims would be grateful for that."
"But not all of us are like that, some of just made a few mistakes," said Airi.
"Mistakes? Please, you're all guilty as sin in my eyes. Don't try to defend yourself inmate. No, I see no other options for you in life now. True rehabilitation is meaningless. You are forever stained with the mark of a criminal. Even if Eliza-chan's rehabilitation methods worked and you all would have abandoned your criminal ways in the end, it doesn't change the fact that when you are finally able to leave prison, society will still disregard you. If you've sinned once, you'll sin again. Sin isn't something you can get rid of so easily. That's the whole point of prisons, people lock away all the sinners and the despair that they create inside boxes made of iron and concrete. Well I say, if the world doesn't want or need you guys than you should show them that you don't need it either. So I decided to create my own prison, a prison dedicated to bettering your criminal talents, instead of disregarding them as sins," Monokuma explained.
"Better our criminal talents? What do you mean by that?" Mana asked.
"I want you to be sinners forever!" Monokuma exclaimed. Spread as much despair as humanly possible! Rape, torture, murder, and steal even more than you already have! Make the world a literal Hell on Earth!" Then he cackled madly.
"So you really don't want us to change, do you?" Yosuke asked. "You want us to remain the same. Then how is this a prison if we aren't being punished?"
"Oh, stupid little inmate. Rest assured, there will be plenty of punishment. But also a lot of rewards as well. Who the hell offers the stick, but not the carrot? This isn't an ordinary prison anymore, no it's something else. It's a school for you to develop your awesomely horrible criminal talents, and upon your rehabilitation, make the world suffer as much as you have suffered. Take the despair I give you and give it right back to the world!" Monokuma shouted.
Something in me just snapped and I began to shout. "Shut the hell up!"
"…" Everyone seemed to be surprised at my sudden outburst.
"Oh? Kogoro-kun, you have something to say?" Monokuma asked as he cocked his head to the side.
"You're damn right I do! Where the hell do you get off saying all this bull crap?! You want us to be punished and yet you're telling us to take pride in our criminal talents?! What is your game here?! What the hell do you want from us?! No more BS! Just stop with the games and give us a freaking straight answer all ready!" I shouted.
Monokuma was silent at first and then he began to cackle again. His cackle grew louder, and louder, and louder still until it seemed to be the only thing that could be heard for miles on end. Then when he finally stopped cackling, he looked down at me and replied in his whimsical voice. "Despair. All I want is despair. I want you guys to despair over this killing game and all the motives that I will throw at you. I want you to feel so much despair that your hardened little criminal bodies can't take it anymore and you break down on the floor and cry your eyes out. I want to see that expression of pure horror on your face, when you realize that there is no hope at all. And then, I want the world to despair over you guys. Rest assured, one of you will win this game. And when that happens, the world will shudder in fear at the mere mention of this master criminal's name. I want the world to become such a despairful place that people don't even have the willpower to breathe. This end, is a fitting end for the most disappoint species to ever walk the face of the Earth. I want mankind to kill itself. That's all I want."
I was completely unnerved. It was like the life had been sucked out of me. I knew this feeling, I knew this feeling all too well. Despair. Pure, unadulterated despair. It was so intense that it made it hard to even breathe. I felt like I was going to pass out any second from its overwhelming magnitude. And then he just added fuel to the fire. "But I tell you what, Kogoro-kun? How about, you and me make a special bet to spice this killing game up even more?" Monokuma suddenly asked me.
"Huh?" I replied in confusion.
"I'll make a deal with you and only you. If you can figure out the identity of my master and creator before only two inmates remain, I'll automatically end the killing game and let everyone go. My creator will even turn their self in and rot away in prison for the rest of their natural life, or be swiftly put to death. Your choice. You do this, and you win. What do you say? Oh, too late. I already added it as a rule. Everyone check your Prisoner e-IDs again," said Monokuma.
My Prisoner e-ID let out its whimsical ringtone again, and I could hear everyone else's do the same. I opened up the Rules and Regulations tab again and scrolled through them until I found the new rule. Then my eyes widened as I read what was on the screen.
17) If Kogoro Akechi, the Ultimate Detective, can correctly guess the identity of the Mastermind behind the Death Row of Mutual Killing before only two inmates remain, the game will automatically end and all remaining inmates will be allowed to leave.
"Ultimate Detective? So you were a rat this whole time, eh?" Damion asked. "I thought there was something off about you. My instincts are never wrong."
"He's not just any detective too, he's the famous Kogoro Akechi," said Noriaki. "The guy who caught me, Kubikiri-kun, and Kiriko-kun," said Noriaki. "I've wanted to put a face to the name for so long. You're a hard man to find, even hard for a God to find. Expect divine punishment in your future."
"So, you were the one who impeded on my work of administering God's wrath?" Ginrou asked. "At last we meet."
"Did you hear that, Kiwi? Turns out we've already been friends with Kogoro-chan for quite some time," Koro said to his pet pigeon corpse.
"Kogoro Akechi. It is you, I knew I remembered that name. And that face, there's no doubt about it, you're that boy from that day." Kaori licked her lips. "I'd never forget someone with blood as tasty as yours. We have a lot of catching up to do."
"…" As for the others they simply looked away from me. Even Airi and Yoko, who were already quite aware of my situation. And just like that, I had a target on my back. A detective trapped in a prison, it's a very bad position to be in. To be honest, I was really scared at that point. I feared for my own life. But then someone eased my doubts. Eliza suddenly grabbed ahold of my hand and squeezed it as hard as she could. I looked at her in confusion. And she simply smiled in return. I felt like a monumental jerk, I neglected her when she needed me the most and when the tables were turned she didn't even hesitate.
"It's okay, I'm here for you. We have to stick together, no matter what," Eliza whispered. "I won't let anyone hurt you."
That was when I realized, the person who created Monokuma, they were like the others. Damaged beyond repair, with no desire to even try and get repaired. They embraced despair, took pleasure in chaos, reveled in other's suffering. If they weren't stopped, they would get their wish. They would make the world feel utter despair. I had to catch them, the world literally depended on it. And for the first time in a long time I felt the tiniest bit of hope deep, deep inside me. At that point, I felt like Pandora's Box. Underneath all the darkness and despair, lied hope at the very bottom of the box. I could reach it if I tried, I just had to dig deep into the darkness. Deeper than I've ever had to go. Because it was there, I knew it was. I was unsure of what to do at first, blindsided by what I knew the criminals would choose. So unsure, that I forgot to make a decision for myself. I didn't want to kill. I didn't want to become like them. Above everything else, that had to be my top concern. I could not become like them, no matter what. And it appeared that the only way to stop this killing game before it could begin was to rely on my detective skills to guide me to the truth. The only question at that point was, would I be able to do it before one of the others gave into despair and killed?
A/N: And that's the end. Next time, we explore the first accessible area. Look forward to it.