Warning, this chapter contains what is perhaps the most brutal murder yet. I won't hesitate if someone desires to see the rating raised after this chapter. Just..imagine the blood as pink, yeah, t-that'll totally help.

The mood tense and stiff, Ichijou couldn't help but stare silently at the costumed superhero in the silent doorway. He felt Ganaha Eriko and Nagasaki Ayumi behind him, equally silent, likely out of disappointment.

Gold Dragon finally moved, turning and closing the door, ending the chilly draft. Crossing his arms over his chest, he greeted, "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you three! My apologies for the intrusion though: had I not dropped my Rest Marker, I assure you, I'd have left to find another place to rest, despite the weather outside. It seems we must contend with a sudden snowstorm this night."

Ganaha pushed past Ichijou, mumbling, "It's fine, its fine." She approached Gold Dragon, who didn't move until Ganaha got to him, one of her hands shooting to his mask. A gloved hand met her arm, grasping Ganaha's fur coat and keeping it at bay. Ganaha's other arm reached out, but Gold Dragon caught that one too. As Ganaha struggled, she ordered, "Quick, get his mask! I've got him!"

Despite her words, Gold Dragon didn't seem to be 'gotten' but Ichijou saw what she was going for. Ichijou began to approach, but Nagasaki hung back. As Ichijou got closer, however, Gold Dragon moved into action. Bending his arms, he moved Ganaha like a puppet, flipping her around, forcing her arms around her. The Producer's eyes widened in shock, and the superhero let go, shoving Ganaha away. The girl's arms flailed as she ran into Ichijou, the Luckster managing to keep her from falling.

Hands on his hips, Gold Dragon shook his head, "I'm afraid I cannot let you compromise my identity, not while the threat of the broadcast remains. I do apologize for my roughness..."

Recovering, Ganaha pointed, screeching, "How the hell am I supposed to sleep with this pervert skulking around!?" Gold Dragon didn't move, and at the silence, Ganaha looked back at the other two.

Nagasaki mumbled, "I don't mind."

Ganaha gave the Survivalist a disbelieving look, stammering, "W-what!? Why not? He could be that nasty Priest or a traitor, sent by Monokuma to kill one of us!" Turning to Gold Dragon, she huffed, "I mean, come on, you just happen to show up where the three of us are and drop your Marker?" Gold Dragon simply shrugged helplessly. Suddenly remembering, Ganaha growled, "And he saw you naked!"

At that comment, Gold Dragon flinched, as Ichijou blinked, only just now recalling when Gold Dragon burst in on the girls. Ganaha nodded, "And me in my towel...what lewd things did you think!?"

Gold Dragon shook his head vigorously, "None whatsoever! Besides, there was the steam: I saw little."

Ganaha turned quickly, giving Ichijou and angry look. Mitsuzi began, "Er, well, I'm kinda interested in who he is, but he's gotta be pretty strong, right? He fights criminals all day, so I doubt we could manage to unmask him. And even if we do, that wind is really strong: I don't think any of us will be able to leave."

Gold Dragon interrupted, "Our best course of action may be to make sleeping arrangements and wait through the night."

Ganaha frowned, "You mean the best course of action for you." Pouting, she grumbled, "Fine! Just let the creep do what he wants, I'm going upstairs." Turning away, she began to strip off her fur coat as she headed up and away.

Letting out a sigh, Gold Dragon said, "I'm not sure how much more I can do to apologize."

Ichijou took a step forwards, looking at the two Markers on the ground near the door. He asked, "Five meters, huh?"

Nagasaki suggested, "Two above, two below? Or all above?"

Gold Dragon came a bit closer, a hand at his chin as he contemplated, "If I recall correctly, there are three rooms above, thus sharing would be necessary if all of use went up. However, two rooms have no fireplace, which means they would be quite cold in this weather. However, I have a compromise! Nagasaki-san: you join Ganaha in the master bedroom, while Ichijou and I remain here in the living room. Thus, genders will be segregated by floor."

Nagasaki frowned, "Not alone with her..." Glancing up the stairs, she said, "I'll go up though." With a nod, she began to go towards the stairs, before shooting Gold Dragon a dangerous look, briefly sliding her knife out of her pocket, flashing it, before returning it and heading upstairs.

Ichijou turned to Gold Dragon, saying reassuringly, "Er, I don't think she means any harm. She's just...you know, skittish."

Gold Dragon nodded, "I understand, it was simply a fair warning. I will restate though, I don't intend to endanger any of you."

Ichijou nodded, turning away to go to his sleeping bag, before suddenly channeling Kirigiri's spirit, shooting his hand out, reach for Gold Dragon's mask. Gold Dragon ducked out of the way and grabbed Ichijou's arm, making the Luckster grunt. "Ha ha ha! A valiant effort, but you'll have to do more than that to catch me off guard," the hero chided. As they grappled, Ichijou couldn't help but notice that they were roughly the same height.

Letting out a sigh, Ichijou stepped back, grabbing his sleeping bag and looking for a spot to set it. Gold Dragon went to the fire, stoking it, before claiming the couch, his sleeping bag missing, either forgotten or left behind, if he even received one. As Ichijou set his sleeping bag in between two of the chairs, he slipped in, wincing as he felt the cold material, though it warmed quickly.

Nestling in, he looked over to Gold Dragon again, seeing him lying on the couch, very still. Curiosity badgering him, Ichijou realized that this was a very good chance to learn something, anything, about the masked man. Ichijou spoke, "Gold Dragon-san?"

After a moment, the hero rumbled, "Ha ha ha. I suppose if you were to address me, a shorter term might be appropriate...Dragon-san is fine, Ichijou-san!"

Nodding, Ichijou thought for a moment, before asking, "Er, I was wondering, why did you become a superhero?"

Dragon was silent for a moment, before replying, "As I walked around my hometown, I saw a plague of scum and villainy. It pained me to watch crime go unchecked, and trying to stop it myself only endangered me, until I practiced to become stronger and faster. Even then, I didn't truly intimidate them until I put on my mask, and earned renown."

Starting to understand, Ichijou couldn't help but wonder, "But why a dragon?"

The hero explained, "A symbol of might! But truly, what I based my costume on means little. Originally, I toyed around with the idea of a dragonfly, but that would hardly be even remotely intimidating."

Ichijou chuckled at the thought, having to admit that he was right. On a roll, Ichijou asked, "Er, where did you find that newspaper? The one with Prime Minister Sanada? And was there anything else weird you saw?"

Dragon sighed, "Unfortunately, no. Many of my nights have been occupied by my patrols, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. However, the evenings have been quiet, with few of us Students out at night. Since hearing about the Priest, I have made frequent visits to the Shrine, but with no success. It saddens me to say that my most notable contributions have been the newspaper article and my discovery of the secret passage on the Third Level. If I could find some way to strike at our captors with certainty..."

Wondering if that would be possible within the rules, Ichijou was starting to understand why the hero was so limited: going up against Monokuma's supposed power...the only chance of doing something was stumbling across the Priest of Despair or encountering a potential Culprit in action. Ichijou hadn't thought about it too much, but hearing about how Gold Dragon had failed to make much impact alone, and going up such a seemingly impossible foe, made it seem like the hero was stuck in a hopeless spot.

Sensing the mood, Gold Dragon changed the subject, stating, "If you were curious, Ishihara-san was correct in his logic about my designation as 'Wind of the East' derives from the first video footage of my heroics, where I suddenly struck from the dawnlight..." He began to go into a tale, a first person perspective of an incident where he thwarted a mugging by some armed thugs of a hapless bystander. It had some curious details, and Dragon had to stop at points to explain what a some of the weapons were, like an assault rifle. There were some injuries on both sides, but Gold Dragon prevailed, rescuing the innocent and getting him to safety.

After finishing his story, Gold Dragon repeated, "Now, we should sleep. Good night, Ichijou Mitsuzi."

Understanding, Ichijou rolled over, trying to find rest. He was engulfed by the warmth of his sleeping bag, his ears filled with the noise of the wind on the Cabin, rattling the windows slightly. Eventually, he finally found rest.

Ichijou was next awoken by a loud shout, uncertain of the cause or reason, he struggled against his sleeping bag, righting himself and poking his head up. He could hear voices, the first being Gold Dragon, stating proudly, "You won't catch me off guard!"

Ichijou then heard the sound of Ganaha grunting. When he could see what was going on, he saw Gold Dragon still lying on his couch, Ganaha standing above him, her arms kept at bay. Ichijou began to slip out of his bag, finding his legs and standing. Noticing, Ganaha suddenly cried out, "He was trying to ravish me!" Her claim wasn't completely baseless: she had abandoned her tie and both coats, wearing only her pink dress shirt.

Gold Dragon sat up on the couch, before standing, Ganaha still in his grip. Shoving her away, he laughed, "Yes, despite being asleep, I was able to teleport you to my side, several feet from Ichijou, so that I could have my way with you."

Ganaha shouted, "See!? He admits it!"

Standing, Ichijou sighed, "Calm down, Ganaha-san..." Looking over to Dragon, Ichijou asked, "What happened?"

Dragon pushed Ganaha away once again, the Producer catching herself before crossing her arms over her chest, huffing in displeasure. Dragon explained, "I was sleeping, and I awoke upon sensing Ganaha's intent, and stopped her. She shouted, which stirred you." Standing, Gold Dragon ordered, "Now, back to bed you two!"

Grumbling, Ganaha complied, stomping to the stairs and heading up. Letting out a sigh, Ichijou stooped back down, slipping into his sleeping bag once again.

As quiet returned, Ichijou wondered aloud, "Ganaha-san's never cared about the mysteries before, why does she care now?"

Gold Dragon suggested, "Many people say they are able to resist temptation in normal, but when presented the opportunity, their colors begin to show. Many crimes are those of opportunity: seeing items ripe for taking left around, or finding themselves in an ideal spot. That is the reason I came to trust Furugori Yasuo, as he did not kill Kirigiri when he had the opportunity to do so, as pointed out. Kirigiri..." The hero trailed off, likely realizing he was heading to unstable ground. Clearing his throat, Dragon retreated, adding to his earlier subject, "Er, not to say Ganaha is akin to a criminal, mind! In fact, her reasoning is completely justified: it's me who is the most suspicious."

Ichijou ignored him, admitting, "Kasumi...she fell to that temptation, huh?"

Dragon nodded, but didn't say anything immediately. After another moment, Dragon queried, "If I may ask...what did Kirigiri Kasumi mean to you?"

Not understanding, Ichijou grunted, "Huh?"

Reiterating, Gold Dragon asked, "What did you think of her?"

Ichijou's mind blanked on the topic. Dragon didn't push the subject, but still, this was a rare chance. No matter what Ichijou said, it wouldn't reach the ears of the others: Gold Dragon kept to himself, and even if it was one of the others, like Ishihara or Uzatei, he wouldn't be able to share what Ichijou had said without risking his secret being uncovered.

The Luckster began, "She was my friend. I trusted her, I thought she'd be able to get us through this but...she said she wasn't so sure she'd be able to resist killing someone. I tried to tell her I knew she wouldn't be able too, to reassure her, but...she did it anyway. She said Monokuma gave her some dream, but she didn't tell me about it. If she had, maybe I could have talked her out of doing anything..."

Dragon was silent for a moment, before saying, "Perhaps she did not bother you because she could guess as to what you would say? You were her friend as well, I'm sure, but you are not the hardest man to read. You may have been unable to convince her not to take that opportunity should it arise, especially with the Monokuma Gas affecting her senses."

Ichijou let out a frustrated grunt, "Why does everyone say that? I don't like being called dumb and predictable. Is it because I'm always trying to help people and listen to them? Because I lie and make stuff up about feeling like we'll get out of here somehow? Because I'm 'soft' or whatever my dad would say?"

Dragon stammered, "I-I didn't mean to offend, it's just... 'Lie'? Er, I mean: I believe that when some of the others say such things, they meant you were endearing: your optimism and Hope have been infectious thus far, even if you aren't... I do not think there is one Student here who is both as reliable and as trustworthy as you. Ishihara and Uzatei are the only suspects for being, well, I, aside from the Priest. Furugori is trustworthy, but despite his intelligence, he has been of little help during the Trials. Saruta fondly regards you, Nagasaki looks to you for support second only to the late Yokozuna. I think Kirigiri became attached to you due to balance: you trusted her when few others did. That, I think, is what saved us during the last Trial. Even if it was out of shame and guilt, she called out to you during the vote. You couldn't likely have convinced her not to murder, but you called her out as a Culprit, even if it pained you to do so, and for that, I thank you."

Ichijou rolled over, turning away from the hero, admitting, "I just thought she was challenging me. I didn't think...not even for a second..." Scratching roughly at his head, he grumbled, "Argh, I'm just a softy."

Gold Dragon insisted, "You are just and merciful, there is no shame in that."

Ichijou frowned, recalling some harsh memories. Figuring he might as well share, he began, "My dad doesn't think so. He was in the military, really passionate about it, even if he didn't reach a high rank. He got crippled and honorably discharged. He really pushed me and my older brother into it. My older brother is...was...in the army, but I didn't want to join. I've always been afraid of dying, and being put in a position where I had to kill, for any reason, just felt...hypocritical? Something like that. I guess I Lucked out though: before I went in, I got my letter for Hope's Peak. I'd already made a deal with my dad that I'd get a high school education before going in, but getting to go to Hope's Peak changed things. My dad was against it, so it was either make him proud and go into the army, or risk him disowning me and going to Hope's Peak."

Dragon finished, "And you went with your nature, and came here."

Ichijou sighed dejectedly, "And look where I ended up."

After a pause, Dragon let out a frustrated sigh, grumbling, "This situation...no, not only this one. All of them, all four. Can Enoshima Junko truly be blamed?" Ichijou didn't respond, not sure what he was implying. Gold Dragon continued, "Perhaps, it is more deep-seated than that. Hope's Peak...no, Talent itself. Talent can be responsible for both Hope and Despair...but what good is it if one so grossly outweighs the other?" Ichijou's mind raced, wondering if Gold Dragon was perhaps implying...there should be more Despair?

Gold Dragon finished, "Perhaps 'Talent' itself is the root here. Perhaps we are better off without it..."

As the hero trailed off, Ichijou didn't respond: despite the warmth of his sleeping bag and the fireplace, his blood felt chilled. Luckily, Gold Dragon did not pursue further conversation, and Ichijou eventually nodded off.

"Good morning, Hope's Peak Students! Today is another day to enrich yourselves with the wonders of Arashimine Resort, so rise and shine! Nighttime restrictions have been lifted, so I implore you to have a nice day."

With a snort, Ichijou woke up, opening his eye and looking around. The fire still burned strongly, but it was subdued a bit by what light did come from the windows. Scrambling up, he crawled out of his sleeping bag, looking around. Checking the couch, he couldn't help but notice that Gold Dragon was gone, a note left on the couch where he'd slept. Quickly checking, the only Rest Marker in the room was Ichijou's: every trace of the masked boy was truly gone. Checking his Rest Marker, it came free with a touch, the back reading, 'Time Rested: 8 Hours, 0 mins'

Curious as to the note, he stepped over, picking it up as he heard someone coming from downstairs. Once again, it was Ganaha, peeking her head around the corner. She sighed, "Gold Dragon left the lair, huh? Creep." Pouting, she approached, asking, "What's that?"

As Nagasaki came down, Ichijou answered, "It's a note." Reading aloud, he began, "'I apologize for leaving without saying farewell, but I have my duties. My fight against Despair will not end as long as this Game goes on. Thank you for your hospitality." Ichijou added, "It's signed too, like the others."

Waving her hand, Ganaha shrugged, "Oh well, whatever. Come on, let's get down so we can eat." Heading upstairs, she returned fully dressed in her fur coat, heading to the door. Ichijou grabbed his sandals as the Producer yanked it open, brightening the room even more. However, Ganaha's next words were a disbelieving, 'Oh, you've got to be..."

Looking over, Ichijou looked through the doorway, seeing nothing but white. However, he quickly realized it wasn't the outside he was seeing: a layer of snow was packed in the opening. Nagasaki approached, pushing past Ganaha and raising her booted foot, kicking against the snow several times. After a moment, she stopped, shaking her head.

Ganaha sank to her knees, planting her hands on the floor and bowing her head, moaning, "Why? Why? Whyyyyyyyy?"

Approaching, Ichijou was more curious about, "How? Gold Dragon had to leave somehow, right?"

Nagasaki suggested, "Maybe he did this? The storm could have, but..."

Ichijou sighed, approaching the opening and getting a closer look. He suggested, "There's gotta be some way to get by."

Nagasaki noted, "It's not very thick, or else we wouldn't be able to see anything." Glancing back at the fire, she added, "If we wait a bit, it might weaken enough."

Ichijou nodded, "Yeah, the sun, and the fireplace should make it more melty."

Ganaha moaned from her prone position, "But I'm hungry now!"

Scratching his head, Ichijou suggested, "Well, we have a kitchen, maybe we can make something?" Grumbling, Ganaha stood, following Ichijou to the other side of the lower floor. Searching through the cabinets, they managed to gather a bag of flour, a bag of sugar, a single, wrinkly lemon, and a dented, swollen, can of fish.

Curious, Ichijou reached for the can, but before he could grab it, Nagasaki took it from him, heading to one of the small windows nearby and cracking it open, tossing the metal container outside. "Hey!" Ichijou gasped as the deed was done.

Nagasaki shook her head, "Ate food from a can like that once. Got sick..."

After a moment, Ganaha shrugged, "Well then...what are we gonna do with this stuff?"

Nagasaki poked the bag of flour, suggesting, "Bread?"

Ichijou shook his head, "We need like, eggs and stuff for that, don't we?"

Ganaha noted, "I made cookies with my mom once when I was really little. All I remember was you had to put some salt in or they would taste funny."

Ichijou blinked, "Really?"

Ganaha shrugged, "Yeah, who knew, right?"

Ichijou sighed, "But we don't have salt..."

Grabbing the lemon, Nagasaki held it up, saying, "The juice. We could drink it: vitamin C."

The Producer laughed, "We're not gonna be here long enough to worry about scurvy!" A look of horror spreading across her face, she asked shakily, "R-right?"

Ichijou chuckled, "No, of course not!"

Ignoring them, Nagasaki drew her knife, slicing the lemon in two. As she raised one half, Ganaha gagged, "Ugh, you didn't even clean your knife."

The Survivalist frowned, "I wash it all the time."

Ganaha scoffed, "With soap? And water?" Nagasaki paused, looking at the knife in her hand with a frown, turning back to the counter. Glancing over at the other half of the lemon, Ganaha sighed, approaching Nagasaki and reaching over to grab it off the flat surface, moving behind her. Ichijou should have sensed something was wrong when the Survivalist tensed.

Then there was the sound of cloth tearing, the flash of metal, and a few strands of fur sent flying about. Ichijou's eyes widened as he looked between the two girls: Nagasaki's knife arm was raised, and the sleeve of Ganaha's fur coat was slashed. The Producer froze in shock, looking down at her arm, bringing her hand to the cut. As he hand covered it, blood began to drip from her arm, down her hand, and to the ground. Both girls looked horrified, though Nagasaki out of shock and Ganaha out of fear.

Turning tail, Ganaha let out a terrified wail, running upstairs, her arms held awkwardly as a few drops of blood hit the ground. As she left sight, Nagasaki's knife arm dropped, and the crestfallen girl looked at Ichijou shamefully, muttering, "I didn't mean...she just..."

Not sure how to react himself, Ichijou looked between the staircase and Nagasaki, torn between going to help Ganaha and staying to calm Nagasaki. Choosing to stay put, and not risk further upsetting the Survivalist, Ichijou turned and shook his head, mentioning, "She got too close, right? Was that it?"

After a moment, Ayumi nodded, mumbling, "She didn't say anything, she just...it was a reflex. And she's always so mad..." Ichijou nodded, starting to understand, she had been hemmed in the small space by Ichijou and Ganaha, then the movement from the Producer had set her off. They'd let their guard down, Nagasaki in particular: if she'd been able to, she might have just ducked out of the way, but she didn't have that option. Ichijou was a little disappointed though, but was it her failing, or his? Would Yokozuna have spotted the risk, and kept Nagasaki out of a situation like this?

Feeling it was pointless to think about it, Ichijou said, "Er, you stay down here, I'm going to help Ganaha clean up." Nodding, Nagasaki looked at her knife, before shakily going to the living room.

Ichijou quickly made his way upstairs, reaching the upper hallway, looking around and asking, "Ganaha-san?" He heard a response a moment later, a low whine from the master bedroom. Entering, he saw the girl on her knees in the middle of the floor, her fur coat and suit jacket off and cast aside. As Ichijou looked over at the cut, he saw that it had stained much of the sleeve of her pink dress shirt, but it didn't seem to be bleeding heavily. Ganaha looked up at Ichijou, clearly distressed, saying weepily, "I wanna get oooouuut..."

Crouching down to help, Ichijou took Ganaha's white suit jacket, wrapping the coat around her arm, before helping her up. Ganaha hissed and whined in pain, but consented, and Ichijou led her back downstairs. When they made it to the sink, Nagasaki returned, quickly retreating upstairs before and words could be exchanged, no doubt trying to avoid more conflict.

Now at the sink, Ichijou turned the faucet, but there was no response, just the groaning of pipes, followed by nothing. Ichijou moaned, "What? Why?"

Ganaha grumbled, "The pipes are frozen!"

Scratching his head roughly, Ichijou said, "Er, okay then, I guess we just...work with what we got." Going back to Ganaha, he used Ganaha's suit to sop up more of the blood, before taking the cleaner, uncut sleeve and attempting to tie it around the wound. Ganaha whined in protest, but didn't struggle. When he finished, he stepped back, admiring his handiwork...and the bloody cloth fell off as soon as Ganaha tried to lift her arm.

Eyes watery, Ganaha moped, "It's only bleeding more! Stupid Nagasaki..."

Frowning, Ichijou noted, "You know she's jumpy."

Gritting her teeth, Ganaha stopped her feet on the ground in frustration, crying, "I know! She's jumpy and I'm so stupid and clumsy that it's a miracle I've lived this long! I nearly fell into the Lake because I was bored, I vomited my guts out a couple nights after that, and then I get stuck in here with a masked creep, a landmine with a knife, and you." Sinking down to her knees, shrieking, "I don't wanna die, I don't wanna kill anyone, and I don't want to stay here on this mountain for one more second!"

As Ganaha broke down, Ichijou could only watch helplessly. He wanted to help and comfort her, but he hadn't a clue how. What would the he of several days ago have done? Be reassuring, hopeful, and understanding? Taking a breath, he said weakly, "Ganaha-san, I know we can get out of here, we just...need to be patient." His words failed to calm the girl, who continued to sob to herself.

Feeling useless, Ichijou looked at the blood staining the area, realizing that Nagasaki might be able to help if she had a limited knowledge of first aid. Figuring it was better than nothing, he headed back upstairs, looking for Nagasaki, starting with the master bedroom. However, she wasn't there. What was there however, was a large window, covered by curtains. Approaching, he parted the drapes, seeing the ground below clearly. Feeling like an idiot, he turned around, grabbing the lamppost, not dissimilar to the one used by Kobayashi on Andou. Bringing it to the window, he clenched his teeth before swinging it, slamming its base against the glass, sending an array of cracks across its surface. Pulling it back, he struck again, smashing it, sending shards of glass to the ground below.

At the noise, Nagasaki barged in as Ichijou readied another strike. Spotting the Survivalist, her face full of fear and worry, Ichijou paused to explain, "I guess I could have just opened the window instead? Aha. Ahaha. Ahahahahahaha!" Ignoring his own words, he raised the lamp again, finishing the job, waving and brushing the lamp on the corners of the window, dropping glass onto the floor and outside, clearing the way. Sure, he could have just opened the window, or quit while he was ahead, but this was much, much more satisfying.

By the time he'd finished, Nagasaki wasn't the only one watching: Ganaha had come from upstairs, looking on in fear at the Luckster, surrounded by glass, a bent lamppost in hand. Catching his breath, the Luckster dropped the lamp, before heading over to the bed, gritting his teeth as he pulled it, dragging it across the floor, closer to the window. Grabbing the lamp again, he slid it under the bed, making sure the lamp held against two of its legs before grabbing the cord, unplugging it, and tying it to one of the bed sheets, before throwing it out the window. Catching his breath, he looked over at the girls, his smile a bit forced, his hair messier than usual as he said, "There, we're free."

Not wasting any time, he quickly pushed past the girls and headed downstairs, making sure he had his Rest Marker and sleeping bag, before heading up, the girls having scattered to grab their things. Leaving his things in the master bedroom with Ganaha, he went to one of the side rooms, finding Nagasaki. The girl looked at him, a bit of puzzlement on her face. Understanding he'd probably looked a little weird, Ichijou ignored it, asking, "Nagasaki-chan, can you do me a favor?" After a moment, the girl nodded, and Ichijou asked, "Can you help Ganaha-san with her wound? I just want it wrapped properly: Saruta can take care of the rest. I'll tell her to calm down a little."

Nagasaki frowned, wondering aloud, "Can you?" Despite his uncertainty, Ichijou nodded, and Nagasaki answered, "I'll...try."

Trusting in her, Ichijou went to the master bedroom, Nagasaki following. Explaining to Ganaha, he said, "Nagasaki-chan's going to wrap your cut properly before we go, okay? So try to calm down a little, we'll get you to Saruta-san as soon as we can." Ganaha frowned, but nodded. Satisfied, Ichijou told Nagasaki where the suit jacket they wanted to use as a bandage was, and Nagasaki left as Ichijou went to the window, looking down. Tossing his rolled up sleeping bag down, he grabbed the cord before hoisting himself out the window. There was groaning as the lamp pulled on the legs of the bed, but luckily, it held firm, and Ichijou was able to descend, climbing down to the soft snow below. Minutes later, two more sleeping bags were tossed to the ground, and Ganaha began to climb out of the window, partially covered in her torn fur coat, her suit jacket tied around her wounded arm. Realizing Ganaha was wearing a skirt, Ichijou took a few steps away, turning his gaze to the door. It was indeed blocked by a sheet of snow, but Ichijou couldn't help but notice the roof above it was clear of the white powder: it certainly didn't feel like an accident that the way was blocked.

When Ganaha reached the ground, Ichijou looked up as Nagasaki began to climb down, saying, "I'm gonna go ahead with Ganaha! Thanks for the help, Nagasaki-chan." He only heard a grunt of understanding as he began to head off, helping Ganaha as they crossed the path, reaching the entrance to the Level, not bothering to spend the time dropping off their things. Ichijou was relieved that Ganaha had calmed considerably, the thought of getting out likely keeping her occupied. As they reached the Third Level, Ichijou noticed an increase in humidity and a peculiar scent, as if it had rained. That smell persisted as they reached the Second Level, and Ichijou could see that the Lake had risen, confirming his suspicions.

As they passed by the Library, the finally ran into someone: a concerned looking Ishihara, who'd run towards them at sight, asking, "There you are! We've been looking..."

His voice fell as he spotted the bloodstained rag on Ganaha's arm. Behind him, Furugori paled, asking, "Wh-what happened?"

Not wanting to further demonize Nagasaki, Ichijou pushed past them, offering, "I'll explain later, we need to get to Saruta first!"

Following, Ishihara asked, "Where's Nagasaki-san?"

"Back there, she's fine!" Ichijou explained, continuing on his path as Ishihara and Furugori came along, the group going down to the First Level. The hung back as Ichijou took Ganaha to the Medical Building, entering, Saruta in his usual spot.

The Surgical Assistant seemed to sense something wrong immediately, putting his book down and standing. He quickly grabbed a rag, wetting it in the sink, before ordering, "Take off her coat and bring her over here." Ichijou complied, taking off the heavy clothing as Ganaha headed over to Saruta, sitting on the chair already situated close to the sink.

"Can I help?" Ichijou asked.

Saruta began to mop up some of the excess blood, shaking his head, "No, it seems fairly shallow. I'll manage."

Relieved, Ichijou turned to leave. On his way out, he heard Ganaha groan, "Ah! Don't try to undress me!" He managed a smirk, glad she was acting more normal.

Heading outside, he saw Ishihara and Furugori waiting for him. As he stepped out, he let out a tired sigh of relief, asking, "What'd you have for breakfast? I'm starving."

As the three headed over to the Resort Restaurant, Ishihara explained, "Well, we met up for breakfast a little later than usual, but you guys didn't show, even after we waited for a little while, so we ate and some of us headed off to look." Ishihara let out a sigh of his own, noting, "I'm glad there wasn't a body discovery though."

Furugori spoke up, "But still, what happened?"

As they reached the Restaurant, Ichijou began to explain, going on about how the three of them had chosen the same place to rest, followed by the arrival of Gold Dragon, their night of rest, and the subsequent incident in the morning. He skimmed around a few details here and there, particularly the worrying things the hero had said in the middle of the night.

Ishihara seemed particularly interested on one point, asking about Gold Dragon. Ichijou explained to the best of his ability, but they both noticed the oddity of the timeframe: Gold Dragon had been awake several minutes after ten, a few in the middle of the night, and still managed to escape with his Rest Marker before anyone had woken up at seven. Ishihara had confirmed that everyone had been present in the Restaurant by eight o clock, without anyone looking out of place, out of breath, or out of rest.

As Ichijou ate his portion of the leftovers from breakfast, Furugori laughed, "Maybe he's a Super High School Level Sleeper?"

Ishihara shrugged, "I never have an easy time getting back to sleep after waking up in the middle of the night."

Ichijou nodded, swallowing a bite before adding, "Yeah, I was up for a little while after we talked. He would have had to fall asleep before me, which should have been pretty hard. I'm surprised he got any sleep at all, considering he had to worry about being unmasked."

Furugori agreed, noting, "Yeah, I'd probably be anxious about something like that."

Thinking, Ishihara said, "I guess we could argue about who it was, but the only ones it could be are Uzatei, me, or the Sixteenth Student, and I'm pretty sure there's still no solid evidence for anyone yet."

Realizing something, Ichijou pointed out, "Now that I think about it, wouldn't it be smarter for Gold Dragon not to go out in costume? I mean, the more he does, the more evidence he leaves as to his identity."

"Actually," Ishihara mumbled. Eyes widening, he realized, "We might be able to find out who Gold Dragon is! I'll explain later."

Wishing it was later, Ichijou complied, finishing his meal as the other two headed off, likely to track down anyone else who might have still been searching for the once missing three. Realizing he still wore his hanten, he decided to head back to his Lodge to drop it off, only to realize he was locked out. Worse yet, his stuff was still on the upper levels. Figuring he'd mess with it later, he instead headed over to the Medical Building, knocking before cracking the door open. Sure enough, Saruta answered, "You may come in."

Opening the door, Ichijou stepped back in, seeing the two in the same spots as before. Ganaha was sitting on the extra chair near the sink, her fur coat and suit jacket on the bed behind her, the sleeve of her pink dress shirt rolled up, a bandage covering the rest of her arm. Saruta sat nearby, gloves over his hands. Stripping them off, he went to clean up, as Ganaha muttered, "My clothes are all ruined..."

Saruta noted, "True, but were you not wearing that much, the cut would have likely been less shallow." Turning to Ichijou, he added, "It bled quite a bit, given that it wasn't treated immediately. I can't blame you, however: you did what you could." As Ichijou scratched his head sheepishly, Saruta continued, "Were I in your position, I might have tried to cauterize the wound with the fireplace, or seek Nagasaki's help sooner." At the suggestions, Ganaha snorted, prompting Saruta to finish, "Though, the best course of action would have been to avoid getting cut in the first place, or leave sooner."

Ganaha grumbled, "I know I know I know! Sheesh." Ichijou couldn't help but smile, glad that Ganaha was back to normal (or at least, her sense of normal).

Saruta let out a slight laugh, admitting, "I suppose I went too far, my apologies."

Ganaha sighed, "It's fine, it's fine, I don't care anymore." Jabbing her finger at Ichijou, she asked roughly, "You! Help me!" Without being told what he was helping with, Ganaha threw him her fur coat, grabbing her bloodied suit coat before pushing Ichijou outside. Grumbling to herself, she moved past him, heading towards the Resort Restaurant. As she reached the door, her stomach suddenly growled, and she flushed from embarrassment.

Ichijou replied, "Er, I can't really cook very well, Ganaha-san."

Still red in the face, the girl shouted, "Not that! But I guess I should eat..."

Ganaha had her share of the leftovers, before she finally returned to Ichijou, explaining, "I need to clean my clothes. I can't just put them in my Lodge." Finishing, she made her way to the Kitchen.

Ichijou grabbed her by the shoulder, insisting, "Hey, we can't clean them off in there! That's where the food we eat comes from!"

Blinking, Ganaha shrugged, "Right, right. Well, where can I clean them then?"

Thinking for a moment, Ichijou recalled, "Oh, the Hot Spring! There's soap and plenty of water. I can't think of anywhere better." With that, he lifted Ganaha's fur coat and threw it over one of her shoulders.

Ganaha pouted, "Aren't you gonna help me?"

Ichijou frowned, "Do I really have to?"

"At least walk me there!" Ganaha moaned. Turning away, she muttered to herself, "You are no gentleman..." Feeling a bit guilty, Ichijou took the fur coat back from her, to lighten the load a bit.

As she began to walk, Ichijou followed. As they began to head up to the Second Level, Ichijou asked, "So, if you bump into Nagasaki-chan..."

Ganaha frowned, "Well, I'm gonna run, duh!"

Ichijou sighed, "What's the deal between you and her, anyway? Why were you fighting the other day?"

Ganaha's mouth opened, but she quickly shut it, before beginning, "Er, well, she was snowboarding, right? Well, she was just being boring and not doing and tricks, so I told her to try, and she messed up and fell. When she got back, I laughed because I thought it was funny and she got mad." Ichijou gave her a disappointed look, prompting her to sigh, "Whaaaaaaat?"

"You have to be careful around her! If you just treat her like anyone, well..." Ichijou paused, looking at Ganaha's cut.

Ganaha huffed, "Oh, so that's how you really feel about her?"

Blinking in confusion, Ichijou mumbled, "Eh?"

Ganaha sighed, "If you don't treat her normally, how is she ever going to be normal again?" Ichijou hesitated, not sure how to respond, as Ganaha continued, "I mean, if we do get out of here, she's going to have to live like a normal person, right? She can't just go back into the woods."

Struck by shock, Ichijou replied, "Huh, I didn't think you were so thoughtful." Hardening his gaze, he said accusingly, "You're just making that up, aren't you?"

Ganaha muttered meekly, "Well, I'm no psychologist...but I kinda got a point, don't I?" Ichijou let out a dissatisfied grunt, not wanting to pursue the topic. As they finished the journey to the Hot Spring, he did try to get his thoughts in order regarding Nagasaki: was he treating her differently? Was that the right thing to do? Maybe he should reevaluate things...

When they finally arrived at the Hot Spring, Ichijou did a cursory glance, examining the innards, ensuring Ganaha was alone, before leaving her be. On his way down, he thought about Nagasaki once more, and decided to try and find her. Having a good guess, he went back down to the Second Level, heading for the Greenhouse. Arriving at the glass building, he saw the Survivalist inside as he approached. Entering, the girl looked up at him from near her potted plants, a watering can in hand.

Forcing a smile, Ichijou said, "Hey, there, Nagasaki-chan."

Sensing his awkwardness, Nagasaki didn't smile back, instead going back to her plants. Ichijou got a bit closer, making sure his geta sandals made plenty of noise, as to not frighten her. Getting as close as he dared, he leaned against the center table, waiting in silence for a few moments, thinking about how and what he had to say.

Luckily for him, Nagasaki spoke first, asking, "Are...are you okay?" Quizzically, Ichijou looked over, raising an eyebrow. Nagasaki turned to him as well, seeing his expression, before elaborating, "Earlier, when you broke the window down. You seemed a bit...manic."

Giving an awkward laugh, Ichijou insisted, "Er, it was nothing. I guess I was just...stressed? Ganaha was freaking out, you were freaking out. I guess I joined in when I saw the answer in front of me. It was so obvious..."

Accepting the answer, Nagasaki nodded, turning back to her own business. As she did, Ichijou began, "Hey, Nagasaki-chan. You don't feel like I'm...treating you differently, do you?"

Brow furrowed, Nagasaki looked over, clearly uncertain as to what he was getting at. A bit flustered, Ichijou elaborated, "Er, I mean, Ganaha-san said she was fighting with you because she was trying to treat you normally. She wasn't acting cautious around you because she wants you to react like a normal person, or something like that."

At his words, Nagasaki stopped, her face relaxing, as if in realization. Blinking, she looked around, muttering, "I didn't think of it like that..."

Ichijou muttered to himself, "Well, neither did she, until later..." Luckily, Nagasaki did not seem to notice.

Nagasaki was silent for a moment, before saying, "I want to be treated normally, but...I thought Ganaha was just being mean to me. She was laughing and...I got mad. Do people always laugh at their friends?"

Starting to get at the root of the problem, Ichijou answered, "Sometimes. But usually laugh with their friends. You laughed at me once, remember? The Library? With Tamura and Furugori? I don't think we were ever mad at you guys: it was all for fun. Sure, maybe Ganaha was a little meaner, but she's her, I'm me, and you're you."

Thinking a bit harder, Nagasaki nodded, "I'm not sure if I really get it, but okay."

With a satisfied smile, Ichijou said, "Good to hear. Did you get breakfast? Though it's probably close to lunchtime by now."

Nagasaki replied, "Er, I haven't eaten yet. I wanted to avoid Ganaha-san..." Looking around for a moment, she said, "I think...I'm going to apologize to her. For...you know."

Ichijou smiled at her words, wanting to support her efforts. He said supportively, "I know you can do it, Nagasaki-chan." The Survivalist gave a weak smile in return, and the two headed off.

By the time they arrived at the Restaurant though, Ishihara had already started on lunch. Nagasaki opted out on eating early, despite her hunger, and they waited for the others.

As the rest of the Students slowly began to return, the ones whom hadn't been there earlier had questions for Nagasaki and Ichijou. Luckily, they agreed to wait until everyone was present to discuss matters, as usual. The last to arrive for the meal was Ganaha, with her sopping wet, though admittedly less bloodstained clothing in hand. Hanging it on two of the unused chairs, Minami and Uzatei simply stared, a bit shocked.

Ganaha moved to the table, grabbing a plate, prompting Ichijou to wonder, "Wait a minute, didn't you just eat?"

Freezing, Ganaha put the plate back, saying, "Thanks for reminding me I'm putting on weight! I just won't eat then."

Ishihara laughed nervously, "I'll leave any leftovers in the Kitchen."

Minami interrupted, "Er, if I may ask, what happened to your arm, Ganaha-san?"

At the question, Ichijou once again explained the events in the Lodge, from last evening to their escape. As he finished, Minami wondered, "And you didn't think to bruise Gold Dragon? Some kind of mark would have revealed him."

Uzatei chortled, "That's the first thing you think?" Avoiding Minami's glare, he said to Ganaha, "Good to see you still functioning, though I suppose that Saruta-san is due credit."

Saruta shrugged, "A slash like that is rudimentary. It's no trouble, though I'd rather not have to tend to any more wounds." Nagasaki shifted in her seat, attempting to shrink where she sat.

Furugori queried, "Eh, but you're a Surgical Assistant, aren't you?"

Saruta shrugged, "Does a soldier wish to engage in warfare? I would hope not. Surgeons wish for slow days as soldiers wish for peace."

Minami shrugged, "A paycheck must come from some source."

Saruta smiled, "There is some truth to that, I must admit."

Ganaha mumbled, "I wouldn't even catch him while he was sleeping! One minute, he's snoring like a dog, and the other he's snatching my arm out of the air." Pulling at her side-ponytail, she let out another grunt of frustration.

After a moment, Minami grunted, "However, it's worth noting...finding Gold Dragon should be no difficult matter now." There was a silence for a moment, and Minami continued, "Except for two, all of us are in the clear. Ganaha, Nagasaki, and Ichijou have been in his presence with witnesses. If he was roughly the same height as Ichijou, than Saruta and Furugori are out of the running. As am I, for obvious reasons." Glancing between Ishihara and Uzatei, she demanded, "Now, if you'll be so kind: on which Levels did you sleep last night?"

Uzatei and Ishihara looked to each other, their expressions incomprehensible. And yet, it felt like there was an exchange of information, as both became more focused, though on what, Ichijou couldn't fathom. Ishihara stated with certainty, "I was on the Ground Level, in the rooms behind the Auditorium."

Uzatei answered, "I placed my Marker just past the Fourth Level elevator."

Minami narrowed her eyes at the Fashion Designer, accusing, "Liar."

Uzatei growled, "Oh?"

Minami began, "And where were you when Gold Dragon came out on the Fourth Level? Did you not see him?"

Uzatei scoffed, "Of course not, I was on the Third Level. Just past the elevator to the Fourth Level. You heard incorrectly because of your desire to see one of us as the hero, no?"

Minami shrugged, "I'm fine with being wrong. If you really were on the Third Level, then your Marker can be set on the Fourth Level, likewise for Ishihara. If that isn't the case for either of you, it means you are lying: Monokuma doesn't allow sleeping on the same Level two nights in a row."

Furugori nodded, "Oh, I see. We just take them up and have them place their Markers down?"

Scowling, Uzatei growled, "I refuse!"

Minami snorted, "So you admit it."

"Hardly. Quite the opposite in fact. I am not Gold Dragon, but you're a fool if you think I'll allow for the lot of you to choose my place of rest. In the middle of a freezing cold slope: I'll die!" he explained. Snapping to Ishihara, he asked, "And will it be the same for you? Will you let someone else put you a risk because of some crackpot accusation?"

Ishihara pondered for a moment, before shaking his head, "I...don't. I was thinking the same think as Minami earlier, but... Besides, we can't be sure if either of us are Gold Dragon. If we both manage to plant our Markers down, we'll both be at risk, and we'll be no closer to Gold Dragon."

Livid, Minami looked between Ishihara and Uzatei. Standing, she stomped to the Fashion Designer, who's bluster fell in record time. He cowered in his seat as Minami came to him, lifting him and shaking him like a rag doll. Stopping, she grunted, "Where's your Rest Marker?"

Uzatei begged, "N-not with me!"

Eyes burning, she snapped at Ishihara, the daredevil flinching under her gaze. Ishihara raised his hands defensively, claiming, "M-mine's not with me either."

Roughly dropping Uzatei back into his chair, Minami grumbled loudly, "Are you two purposely trying to make this difficult!?"

Ganaha shrieked, "Stop yelling you're giving me a damn headache!"

Minami stopped, rubbing her temple, before droning, "I feel like I'm surrounded by imbeciles..." Grabbing her plate, she said, "Don't expect to see me here as often. For all I know, I could be sitting at a table of traitors."

Uzatei snorted, "As if you have room to talk." Even as she glared, he didn't flinch much.

Not disagreeing with Uzatei, Ichijou looked at Minami and demanded, "Take that back."

Glowering, Minami pointed out, "Monokuma can remove memories. Who's to say one of us is a traitor who doesn't even know it yet?" Shooting looks at Ishihara and Uzatei in particular, she took her food and left.

Sitting in silence, the rest of the Students remained in that awkward state until Ishihara began eating again, still clearly in thought. When the meal finally finished, Ishihara suggested, "Alright, I say we go set down our Markers again, for the night."

Uzatei shrugged, "No objections." The Fashion Designer was the first to leave, which left Ichijou wondering.

As he was gone, Ishihara cleaned, and the others came to the conclusion that Minami was on her own when it came to resting places. She'd no doubt find her own somehow.

As the day went on, Ichijou relaxed, catching smatterings of conversation. One that caught his ear in particular happened after Nagasaki returned. She approached Ganaha, beginning, "Er, I want to apologize, for...injuring you."

Listening anxiously, Ichijou leaned in, waiting for Ganaha's answer. Almost uncaringly, the Producer replied, "Whatever." Standing, she grabbed her slashed fur coat and left, perhaps in a hurry, leaving Nagasaki standing by Ganaha's chair. Ichijou blinked, watching as Ganaha left, wondering what her deal was. Looking over to Nagasaki, he saw a bit of pain on her face: Ichijou imagined she'd spent quite a bit of effort to wind up the courage to say that.

Ichijou began to approach, but Nagasaki moved away, insisting, "I don't..." Understanding, Ichijou froze, watching as she moved away. Displeased with himself, he sat back down, slouching in his chair. He'd tried his best to keep things civil, hadn't he? And this was what he'd gotten. He felt frustrated at his failure...or was it his failure? Wasn't Ganaha equally at fault for brushing Nagasaki off? Or was Nagasaki the problem, for troubling Ganaha in the first place? Ichijou was starting to get a headache. It was starting to feel like Furugori was the only one he could trust. Despite how much he wanted to support Ishihara, Saruta, and Nagasaki, they had their secrets, issues, or both. And why was Uzatei so resisting? Minami's frustrations were understandable, but she wasn't in much a position to judge either. Ganaha was always high strung...

When Ganaha finally returned, Ichijou stood to leave himself. Before he did though, he faced Furugori, clapping his hands on his shoulders, saying, "Thank you."

Taking his hands off the Computer Engineer, Ichijou left, leaving the confused Computer Engineer to mumble innocently, "Eh?"

Hours later, Ichijou awoke to the morning announcement. Rolling over, he looked around, nearly bumping his head on the nearby obstacle. It didn't take him long to adjust: it was already dark where he was, underneath the Auditorium stage. He and his sleeping bag were both a little dirty, but the small space made him feel more secure about his resting spot. Looking around, he saw his Marker, which read 'Time Rested: 8 hrs, 0 mins'.

Dragging his things out from under the stage, he looked over his appearance: he'd offloaded his geta, hanten, and tabi on his way back from recovering his sleeping bag and Rest Marker, but his yukata had a thin layer of dirt from his rest. He also felt musty: how long had it been since he'd last bathed? His only real opportunity was in the mornings, when no one was out looking for spots to place Rest Markers, and his last morning was spent stuck in the Cabin. Figuring he'd get breakfast and a bath, he made his way to the Restaurant, where only Uzatei was present, also waiting for everyone else to come down from their resting spots.

It took a good half hour for most everyone to arrive, which continued to make Ichijou a tad anxious, as he hoped the people who had yet to show were fine, simply far away. The penultimate one to arrive was Minami, who seemed tense as she strode in, towering over the table. As Ichijou got a closer look, he noticed she was wearing her cold weather clothing: the dark green winter coat and knit cap. He could also hear her catching her breath.

"What's wrong?" Furugori asked, becoming worried at her behavior.

Uzatei shrugged, "Nice of you to join us..."

Ignoring him, she struggled to say in between gasps, "It's...Ganaha."

There was a chill down Ichijou's spine at the words. The other Students sensed the gravity of the situation as well. After grabbing Ishihara, the seven remaining began to ascend, following Minami as she took them to the Fourth Level. There was a sense of urgency, but Minami could only move so fast, having already run down the mountain.

It felt like ages, but the group finally reached the elevator, ascending to the Fourth Level. Quickly, everyone donned their own cold weather clothing. The first out was Ishihara, whom went ahead with Minami. Nagasaki and Saruta were the slowest, being forced to do more than simply throw extra layers on due to their forced wardrobe.

Reaching the snowy fields outside, the wind and snow had stopped for once. In fact, it was eerily still, which bothered Ichijou more than he cared to admit. He followed the line of other Students, which seemed to lead to the bottom of the Lift, which had stopped, the chairs hanging in midair, motionless. As Ichijou approached, he felt his heart spasm at the sound of the announcement, "Attention please, a body has been discovered. In a few short hours, the Class Trial will begin. Investigate thoroughly, Students!"

Finally stepping onto the bottom landing of the stopped Lift, he felt disgust and revulsion at the sight. On the side of one of the Lift chairs hung Ganaha, her hand bound in rope to the metal leg attaching the chair to the thick wire above, her arms stretched to their limit, the corner of the chair digging into the muscles of her back. The damage done to her body was beyond murder. She was wearing neither her fur coat nor suit jacket, only her pink dress shirt, skirt, and boots, all coated in varying amounts of blood. Her face and stomach were bruised heavily, her face lightly swollen, a bit of frozen spittle mixed with blood still at the edge of her lips. Her right arm was covered in nicks, cuts, and slices, the bandage she'd once worn missing, most of the sleeve itself having been taken off in bits and pieces, or still loosely hanging. Her other arm, from the elbow down on one side was in an even worse state, the sinewy muscle revealed, the skin missing entirely, the sleeve cut open, revealing the grisly wound to the open air. Her legs hung just above the flooring next to the Lift, the toes of her boots barely touching the ground, but they were suitably damaged, thick cuts marring them. Not once in his life before that moment he looked over the brutalized corpse of Ganaha Eriko did Ichijou ever ask himself the question: what could be worse than death?