From the Old World: (Ab)normal Days, B Side

Shock, pressure, helplessness, venerability, shame, guilt.

Those were just a handful of the emotions Kirigiri Kasumi had swirling in her brain.

It made her nauseous, which only resulted in her feeling weaker than she already was.

'Atrophy' she realized. For ten days, this old body of hers had lain motionless, and consequently, her muscles had degraded. Her adrenaline had allowed her to hide it the previous morning, but the fact was that even that thin boy could have overpowered her with little effort, and had only gone along with her demands to keep her calm.

Since then, she was taken lower into whatever facility this was, and put in the care of a woman who Kasumi felt was out of place among the scientists and office workers she'd seen so far. The woman, her hair long and black, had only introduced herself as 'Haruka'. She seemed to be polite, and kind, having no objection when she was told to help Kasumi recover. To Haruka, apparently, that had meant 'bathe'. She took Kasumi, who had still been in shock as the situation had finished sinking in, and joined her in the bathroom, to cleanse her, as is she was a child. There was some truth to that, she supposed: the body of an elder, the personality of a teenager, and ten days' worth of memories: nothing more.

As Kasumi sat in the bathroom, as still as a lifeless doll, she took the chance to take a careful examination of her body. She couldn't wrap her head around it: Kasumi was old, apparently: her skin wrinkled, liver spots having formed in places, she felt aches and sores when she moved certain ways, her hair only had the slightest tints of purple, being much closer to white. And earlier, when she'd managed to croak out a few words, her voice was a bit deeper, raspier, even putting aside the hoarseness from disuse of her vocal cords. She shuddered as she remembered the scene when she awoke: medical beds, topped with bodies, an old scientist sleeping nearby. But the smell, the sensation from the still bodies...she only thought of corpses, the room giving off an aura of death. She'd fled, arriving upstairs, avoiding the two middle aged men, running into the boy...

She was momentarily roused from her thoughts when Haruka finished the bathing, moving Kasumi gently away from the bathroom, drying herself off, then Kasumi, before handing her a white bathrobe and stepping outside. In the Dorm room proper, she saw a bed, a dresser, a desk, and a closet, a few books scattered about. It didn't seem to be in use, but the colors...drab, lifeless: 'colors' was being generous. It certainly did nothing for Kasumi's mood.

Kasumi put on the bathrobe as Haruka dressed herself properly, putting on a light pink blouse and a white dress, throwing a white apron on top before tying her black hair into a ponytail. As Kasumi sat down on the side of the bed, Haruka pulled out another set of clothing: a black suit coat, white dress shirt, black tie, and a black skirt. Without even seeing Kasumi's look of disdain, she shook her head, stating, "No, too stuffy." Turning to Kasumi and smiling, she offered, "I'll find you something better later, but first..." Retreating into the bathroom, she returned with a hairbrush, taking a spot on the bed besides Kasumi. With a warm smile, she began to run the brush through Kasumi's long, almost white hair.

The repetitive motions somehow managed to do what little else had yet: calm her down. As her mind started to blank, she began to realize how frighteningly competent this woman was at her work. That was when it hit her: she was a Hope's Peak Student at one time, wasn't she? It felt so obvious, and those people outside...

Desiring to ask something, Kasumi opened her mouth, but only a dry gasp came out. Stopping, Haruka exclaimed, "Oh! Don't force yourself. Here, wait one moment." Stopping her brushing, Haruka stood, retreating into the bathroom, returning with a cup of water. Kasumi took it with a nod of thanks, taking a drink, being sure to moisten her whole mouth.

Finishing, she took a breath, finally asking, her voice clearer than ever, "Were you...a Hope's Peak Student?" Her words sounded so strange to her ears, like it was some teacher or bystander speaking out of her mouth, saying her thoughts.

Haruka smiled, sitting back down on the bed as she nodded, "Yup! The 56th Class: Super High School Level Housekeeper, Asumi Haruka."

Kirigiri nodded, more and more questions clouding her mind. On the same subject, she asked, "Er, what about...me?"

Asumi blinked, before mumbling, "Er, well...how should I put this." Understanding her hesitance, Kirigiri realized it herself as Asumi replied, "You never went to Hope's Peak."

Understanding, Kirigiri gave a quiet nod. In her brain, things started to click, buzz, and whir as she pieced things together. It made sense, didn't it? Monokuma lifted her memories, because they would have contradicted those of the others, who remembered receiving their letters and entering the school. There was possibly something keeping Monokuma from fabricating memories for Kasumi, or it was simply that he couldn't believably give her a Talent with which she could have been scouted for. Kirigiri actually found the knowledge relieving, glad at least one mystery was solved. And yet there were so many more.

Still curious about herself, Kirigiri asked, "Er, what about...me? What do you know about me?"

Asumi brought a finger to her chin in thought, before beginning, "Hm, let's see. You were born in Japan. Your birth name is Kagari Kasumi. You graduated high school and became one of the first women to move on to college in Japan in the early sixties due to your smarts and work ethic. You've been married and had a son, who had a daughter. Nowadays you work with us here at Future Foundation."

Starting to piece together a few more things, Kasumi couldn't but wonder aloud, "What's Future Foundation? I can't say that I've heard about."

Asumi quickly explained, "Well, we look to the Future, of course, working to make the world more livable."

Kasumi blinked, recalling a few bits from before, like that which had damaged the region near Arashimine Resort. That in mind, she asked, "Did something major happen within the last few years? Something disastrous that made the world more unlivable, perhaps?"

Asumi stared at her, wide-eyed in surprise. After a moment, she smiled faintly, offering compliments, "You really are a member of the Kirigiri Family!" At Kasumi's confusion, Haruka explained, "The Kirigiri Family is mostly unknown...or was, until over a year ago. They're detectives: some of the best in the world, solving crimes through a clear lens of truth. That's how you met your husband, I think. You never told me much." Kasumi's gaze hardened as more questions were brought up. Sensing it, Haruka said nervously, "Er, well, we didn't know each other very well: only fairly recently. Future Foundation has a lot of members, you see. Er..." She was clearly nervous, treading around something lightly and jumping subjects, her index fingers pressing against each other in uncertainty.

With a sigh of frustration, Kasumi asked, "Are you keeping me in the dark for a reason?"

Haruka shook her head roughly, earnestly replying, "Not at all! Just...accidentally. I'm sorry, but I don't think I should be the one to give you all the answers I know you really, really want. Oonishi-san and Eiji-kun would be able to help you more." Once more, she apologized, bowing her head, perhaps a bit shamefully, "I'm sorry..."

After a moment, Kasumi let out a tired sigh, feeling a bit guilty. She stated, "Well, I would like my answers soon, but...thank you for helping me."

Relieved, Asumi gave a soft smile, before saying, "Well then, if you don't mind waiting a little longer: I'm going to get you a meal. Real food! Then, I'm going to make you take a nap. Real sleep! Then, when you wake up...well, hopefully we'll have something sorted out for you. I may not be able to relate, but I can tell you're having it tough." Standing, she gasped, "Oh! And I'll get you some clothes too. Better ones."

As she returned the suit to the closet, slipping a nightgown out and placing it on the bed, something else horrible floated to the top of Kasumi's mind. As Asumi began to leave, Kasumi began, "Mikage." At the name, Haruka froze, confirming that she did indeed know everything. Kasumi continued, murmuring, "Is he...are they all...even..."

With a low whine, Haruka replied, "After your nap!" Hastily, she left the room, leaving Kasumi by her lonesome. The woman sat on the bed in silence, wishing she knew how to phrase the question in the first place, wishing she could be patient.

Regret was such an easy thing to incur, yet such a difficult thing to relieve.

Several hours later, Kirigiri Kasumi awoke in her bed. There was nothing in particular that had roused her, simply that she had begun to stir. Looking around, she began to recall where she was, and what had happened. Throwing off her sheets, she looked at her body, covered in a nightgown, but still no less decrepit. Looking around a bit more, she saw a tray on the ground, the remains of her previous meal scattered about. There was, however, a marked change from before she went to sleep: clothing, atop the dresser. Giving it a look, she saw that it wasn't quite different from the clothes she recalled wearing just days ago. A long, black skirt, and white blouse, long socks, and loafers. Donning them, she still felt a little...incomplete. Checking the closet, she saw the outfit from before, but ignored it, going deeper. She was relieved to find a dark purple, gold buttoned blazer, feeling more comfortable after brushing it off and throwing it on. Slipping back into the bathroom, she gave herself a look in the mirror. Getting closer, she stared deeply into her reflection, trying to solidify what she knew of the facts and truth before she stepped outside to turn what she'd known previously on its head.

This was her, this old woman staring out of the mirror. Kasumi had to accept that. Taking one last deep breath, she took a refreshing drink of water, before heading out. Stepping through the door, she took a look at the hallway, wondering where it was, or when it was, for that matter.

Hoping for some familiarity, she turned the corner of the hallway, finding a set of stairs. Heading up, she reached room with the large staircase, but there was still no one in sight. As she made her way around the wall cautiously, she heard noise, quickly realizing it was a voice: a familiar one.

Heart racing, she turned the corner, gasping, "Mitsuzi-kun?" She stopped herself as she realized where the voice was coming from: a monitor above the far door, displaying the Luckster and Ishihara, apparently in some underground complex, a large metal spire dominating the center of it.

As Kirigiri took a disappointed breath, there was a sigh from the desk, a man stating, "Whoa, you startled me there!" Having been startled herself, Kirigiri stepped back, turning to look at the person sitting at the desk. It was not the same boy from before, it was a man she'd seen earlier: a short, stocky fellow with blonde hair, likely middle aged. At her reaction, he smiled, laughing, "Ah, sorry, sorry, didn't mean to return the favor!" Standing, his white lab coat fluttered as he smiled, "Good to see you awake, but should you be moving so fast?"

At his words, Kirigiri did feel a bit winded, even from that short sprint. Taking a breath, she insisted, "I have to recover somehow."

Nodding in understanding, the man replied, "That's the spirit!" Not sure whether his jovial nature was infectious or annoying, Kirigiri simply stayed silent. Scratching his chin, the man began, "Well, allow me to introduce myself! I'm Urushibara Itaru." Glancing at the screen, he pulled a remote from the desk, lowering the volume a bit, before finishing, "I was in the 51st Class as a Science Enthusiast."

Kasumi's brow furrowed at the Title, and he elaborated, "Ah, well, I'm not a scientist, really, but I follow the works of actual scientists who advance their fields, funding experiments, reporting it to the masses in ways that are easier for the average person to understand. But enough about me! Haruka-san told me you wanted answers!" Before Kirigiri could ask, Urushibara crossed his arms over his chest, thinking deeply, "Hmm, where to begin..."

"From the beginning, of course," said a cheery voice from the other side of the wall. Looking up, Kirigiri saw the boy from earlier, black hair framing his face, a bit sticking up in the center of his head, and gray eyes looking through black framed glasses.

With a sigh of relief, Urushibara nodded, "You're gonna fill her in? Thanks, Eiji-kun. You're probably better suited than I am." With one last smile, he said, "See you later! I'm gonna hit the hay." Urushibara waved, before heading off past Eiji and around the corner.

Curious about his wording, Kirigiri asked, "What time is it?"

Eiji checked a watch on his wrist, before answering, "Four PM." Kirigiri grimaced: did she really take a ten hour nap? Was that normal for old people?

With an arm outstretched, Eiji approached, smiling, "Hello! Nice to meet you, Kirigiri-san." Forcing a slight smile of her own, Kirigiri took his hand, shaking it as he continued, "My name is Oonishi Eiji, but you can call me 'Eiji-kun'. Everyone else does. You've met Asumi-san, Urushibara-san, and you've seen my father and maybe Katsuragi-san. We're the ones managing Kālá. Oh!" Looking around, he further explained, "This is one of Future Foundation's Bases, Kālá Base, named after the Hindu diety."

Kirigiri nodded, "I recognize it, though naming a base after 'time, the destroyer of all things' doesn't seem to be in good karma."

Oonishi gave a nervous smile, adding, "Well, we ran out of time related deities pretty quick, so some of the Bases are named after fate ones. But that's a good thing; it means we're doing well. No clue what we're going to go with when we run out though. Anyway..." Clearing his throat, Oonishi finished, a bit more seriously, "At the moment, we've been tasked with managing the current Killing Game situation, trying to resolve it safely. We're a little understaffed, honestly, but on the other hand, there hasn't been much more we can do until now."

Without thinking, Kirigiri asked, "What changed?" As she blurted it, the answer popped into her head, and she felt a little embarrassed.

Oonishi didn't seem perturbed though, answering, "Well, you woke up. No one saw it coming...but we'll get to that." Looking at the monitor for a moment, which followed Uzatei Kotetsu as he searched a snowy landscape alone, Oonishi said, "Hmm, where-"

Before he finished, a taller man came from around the corner, no doubt the one known as Oonishi Mahiro. Seeing his father, Eiji smiled, "Okay, now that the desk is being watched, would you mind if we headed somewhere else, Kirigiri-san? So we can sit, I mean." Without much hesitation, Kirigiri nodded, not minding in the least.

Mahiro gave the two a nod, before taking a seat, and the pair took their leave, going up the large staircase, turning the corner. Going down another hallway after the bend, Kirigiri saw as they passed a door marked 'Meeting Room', then one marked 'File Room'. Continuing past that, they turned the corner near another staircase, moving into an office. It was vacant, but not unused; a bit cluttered even, with books, papers, and photographs about. Unable to resist, she looked at one of the photos, seeing a slightly younger Eiji, along with the man he referred to as his father, and a woman, who she could only guess was his mother.

Noticing her interest, Eiji explained, "Oh, yeah, this office is mine and my father's. We don't share a shift, so..."

Curious, Kirigiri asked, "Does your mother work for Future Foundation?"

She regretted her words almost instantly as Oonishi's face fell. The boy answered, "Er, no... She died, more than a few months ago."

Kirigiri frowned, feeling a bit of pity as she sat down in a vacant chair, her legs relieved as she took her weight off of them. However, the timing of his mother's death matched up eerily with some of Kirigiri's questions regarding recent cataclysms. Repeating the question she asked earlier to Asumi, Kirigiri said, "Did something major happen within the last year or so?"

Swallowing, Oonishi nodded, sitting as he began grimly, "The Most Despair Inducing Incident in Human History." After dropping the name of the ominous sounding event, he began to go into a bit more detail, describing how, in spring, more than two years ago, the state of the world rapidly declined as the result of an organization called Super High School Level Despair.

As the news of the near apocalypse was sinking in, Oonishi was able to brighten it, explaining how Future Foundation began to get ground after a year, and were on the way to creating a new era: a Future so the young could live on. It sounded like a herculean task, which made it all the more fitting that former Hope's Peak Students had formed the organization.

However, something seemed out of place. Curious, she asked as he finished, "Er, you didn't mention it earlier, but you seem to be younger than the others: what was your Talent?"

A bit sheepishly, Oonishi admitted, "Er, Hope's Peak never actually scouted me. I got dragged into it after surviving about two years: Super High School Level Despair wanted to target Future Foundation, so they kidnapped fifteen kids with both Talents and connections to some of the members, plus one Unlucky girl who had no real reason to be there, and shoved us into a Killing Game." Seeing Kirigiri's surprised expression, Oonishi said hastily, "Er, I made it out though! So did a few others. We were retroactively granted the Title of 'Honorary 80th Class', even though Hope's Peak was destroyed about a year after the Worst Incident. I'd be the Honorary 80th Class Super High School Level Critic."

Kirigiri swallowed, suddenly feeling a lot of sympathy. The ten days she'd experienced in captivity were an event he'd shared. Perhaps that was why he was the one sitting here telling her all of this: they had common ground. To go even further, they were technically the same age mentally...but Kasumi didn't really want to think too hard on that.

And yet, a question did float to her mind. Kasumi wondered, "What's the timeframe for all of this?"

Oonishi answered, "Er, I was captured this year, back in January, but the Entrance Exam of Mutual Killing itself didn't happen until March, just a few months ago. It's August now. The Worst Incident happened about two years before that Killing Game."

Getting a tad irritated, Kasumi asked, "And what year was that?"

Understanding, Eiji answered, "2011." Kirigiri nodded as it began to sink in. Doing some quick math, if she was roughly twenty in the earlier sixties, when she'd attended college, that meant... this body of hers was roughly seventy years old.

As the fact sunk in, Kirigiri was silent, so Oonishi began to go into a bit more detail, explaining the events of the first Killing Game, which involved Enoshima Junko. He then explained a bit about his own situation, in particular mentioning a girl named Tachibana Chiyoko, who survived as well.

The stories helped Kirigiri get her mind into place once again, but there was something he'd been skating around. Kirigiri asked directly, "And the second Killing Game? The Field Trip of Mutual Killing?"

Oonishi nodded, beginning, "You already know a bit about that one, huh? More Students, Jabberwock Island...well, that was the result of another issue. You see, I mentioned the organization 'Super High School Level Despair' a couple times: they caused havoc while the 78th Class was trapped, captured me and the others a few months after the first Game ended, and one of them disguised themselves as Enoshima, managing to turn two of us to Super High School Level Despair."

Oonishi finished, "After Enoshima killed herself, most of them did the same, but some didn't. Those survivors were the ones who took part in the second Killing Game."

As the sixteen faces she remembered seeing flashed through her mind, she stammered, "Really? But...how? Did they trap themselves? From what you're saying, they sound unhinged enough to do it."

Oonishi shook his head, explaining, "It wasn't Super High School Level Despair who put themselves there, it was us...sort of." Clearing his throat, he explained, "Naegi Makoto and the other survivors from the 78th Class reached out to the surviving members of Super High School Level Despair, offering to 'restore their Hope'. They were taken to Jabberwock Island, and put into the New World Program, the virtual reality you read about, created by us. They were stripped of their memories and put alongside a fake Student and a guide. You should know them, right?"

Kirigiri nodded, "Usami, and Nanami Chiaki."

"Right. However, that was their plan. One of the Students had an AI created by Enoshima Junko of herself, planting it on the machine. She hijacked the New World Program, turning it into a Killing Game, and streamed the results to Future Foundation."

Suddenly lost, Kirigiri caressed her forehead as she muttered, "AI? Streamed?"

Laughing nervously, Oonishi replied, "Er, right, sorry. Streaming is just a way of transmitting computer data continuously through a connection. 'AI' stands for 'Artificial Intelligence'. It's basically a computer program that can think like a human. The first one, called 'Alter Ego', was created by the 78th Class's Super High School Level Programmer, Fujisaki Chihiro. Fujisaki was a Victim, but AE is still, er, alive, and works with Future Foundation. However, Enoshima Junko was able to copy it, and make her own: essentially, a digital duplicate of herself. We don't know where it came from, but..." Still not quite sure how well she understood, Kirigiri simply nodded, hoping she'd get the hang of it. She was starting to feel her age...

Getting back on track, Oonishi continued, "So, where was I...oh right, the stream. When Future Foundation started getting the broadcast, feelings were pretty mixed, or so my father says," Oonishi said. With a bit of dour seriousness, he went on, "Some of the members felt it was justice, seeing the members of Super High School Level Despair killing each other. Others were more focused on Naegi and those who'd worked with him, who'd all gone against orders to instate the New World Program."

Frowning, Kirigiri noted, "He went against orders?"

Oonishi gave a tense nod replying, "Most of Future Foundation wanted Super High School Level Despair dead. A lot of them called Naegi naïve when he came up with the idea and pitched it to the higher ups: he only heard of what had happened during the crisis, and saw the results. Sure, he was affected as much as anyone, but hearing about it and living it are two different things. But that didn't stop him: he got some help and went through with it." With a smirk, he added, "It was pretty Unlucky that it turned into a Killing Game, but the last traces of Junko were wiped out, so it wasn't a bad thing."

Kirigiri asked, "And Super High School Level Despair?"

Oonishi responded, "Well, all of them are alive, except Nanami, who was an AI, so technically...er, anyway, only five of them are still conscious. The rest, who died during the Game, are comatose, and the survivors are still on Jabberwock Island, trying to revive them."

Brain bending in on itself, Kirigiri mumbled in confusion, "So, they died, but not really?"

Oonishi nodded, "It was a virtual reality, after all." Standing from his seat, he said, "And that brings us to the current situation." Understanding she was meant to follow, she stood, following as Oonishi left the room, heading back down. As they walked, he began, "After the incident, Naegi was pardoned for his success, and Future Foundation planned on looking into the other applications of the technology used in the New World Program, beyond its initial purpose as the Psychotherapeutic Communication Simulator. It was put on the backburner for a few months, but recently, this Base was host to a revival of the project."

As they walked, Kirigiri began to realize where they were heading. Bracing herself, she was taken down to the dormitory level, then down one more, where a large open space dominated the floor. Oonishi took her to a door labeled, 'Experiment Room'. She braced herself as they entered, the Critic turning on the lights.

The room, was clean looking, but that hardly surprised Kasumi, as the woman had been here before. Dominating the room were a number of spindly medical beds on locked wheels, wires running from them to a machine on the far side of the room, built into what was once a closet. On roughly half the beds was a person, each of them wearing a green medical gown, their heads adorned by metal headgear, wires running to the machine in the closet. Alongside each table was an IV drip, feeding the unconscious men and women vital nutrients. Kirigiri swallowed as she saw a familiar sight on a monitor attached to the machine: a number of teenagers sitting around a dinner table in a Restaurant.

Oonishi finished, "This is where you woke up, isn't it?"

Tense, Kirigiri began to sweat as she looked around, seeing a vacant chair where the old man had been sitting. Stepping inside, she looked at the figures on the beds, going to the first one. She didn't even recognize him: shaggy white hair covered his eyes, and a beard covered his mouth, long enough that it could hang down to his chest. With a shaking hand, Kasumi parted the hair around the man's eyes, shuddering as she began to recognize him. She said shakily, "M-Mitsuzi-kun?"

Sensing her surprise, Oonishi nodded, confirming, "The very first Super High School Level Luckster, the 7th Class, Ichijou Mitsuzi. He, and all the others, are all members of Future Foundation, like us." Kirigiri let out low gasp of shock: this man, the boy she'd met, had lived ninety years, and through two of the worst crisis's in history no less. It was too jarring, but it began to make sense. Still, seeing her friend in this state was difficult to bear.

Eiji politely said nothing as Kasumi tried to comprehend things. Moving on, she went to the next occupied bed, finding a familiar looking woman, hardly changed aside from her slightly decreased muscle mass, her hair still auburn. She was strangely relived to see Minami's brutish face, glad that at least one thing had not changed. Next was the bed of Uzatei Kotetsu, who had a small, yet defined tuft of beard, but was also fairly young looking. The next one with a marked change was Furugori Yasuo, who was showing some gray in his hair, among a few wrinkles, though he was most definitely not as old as she or Ichijou. Nagasaki was also young, likely in her late twenties, but she seemed more 'worn', having a few extra scars on her person, in particular, one down the side of her head.

Moving on to the other side of the room, Kirigiri came across Ganaha Eriko's bed, finding the high strung girl looking a bit more like a refined woman, only a tad older in appearance than Nagasaki and Uzatei. Even lying on the bed though, she still seemed angry somehow. Next was Ishihara, whose hair was nearly all gray, though his face was actually less wrinkled than Furugori, and he was in better shape as well. Saruta was after that, looking to be in good health, showing a few wrinkles, but not much gray yet. The last body, however, startled her: it was Mikage Naoki, looking as young as Uzatei, but mostly: still alive. Taking a guilty step back, she noticed he lacked headgear.

Taking a breath, Kirigiri turned to Oonishi, asking, "Mikage...the others who are dead aren't here. Why him?"

Crossing his arms over his chest, Oonishi stated, "I'm not so sure myself. Everyone else died, unfortunately. Andou, Kobayashi, Yokozuna, Tamura, Sanada...but not you or him. He never woke up though: he's been stuck in a coma."

As Kirigiri returned to Oonishi, he asked, "Are you alright?"

Taking note of her feelings, Kirigiri wiped her forehead, which had shed some sweat. Her breath was also coming on hard. She admitted, "It's just a little...surprising. All of this."

Oonishi offered, "I was going to take you to Katsuragi-san so we could try to figure some things out, but if you'd rather take a break."

Kirigiri thought for a moment, before replying, "I would like some more answers, but I also haven't eaten a thing."

Oonishi lit up, saying, "Oh, okay, that's fine! Asumi-san makes meals ahead of time, since our schedules are all over the place. She should have made something for you too." With that said, he led the way out of the room, which Kirigiri was not mindful of in the least. Oonishi led her to the level above, going down a hallway to a Mess Hall. As Kirigiri sat at a small table, Oonishi went into the Kitchen, returning about ten minutes later with one plate of curry and rice, and another of a green soup. Giving Kirigiri the soup and a spoon, she scooped up a bit, trying it. The cool cucumber soup was amazingly refreshing, and she found it tasty. Seeing her reaction, Oonishi smiled, "Asumi-san knew that was a favorite of yours. I guess there are some things Monokuma didn't bother to erase."

Suddenly brought back to reality, Kirigiri nodded, "Agreed. But I must ask, how did this happen? How did fifteen members of Future Foundation end up in this Killing Game? For that matter, there's the Sixteenth Student."

Oonishi quickly answered, "Er, no one has any idea about the Sixteenth Student. He's got to be somewhere in there though...some of us checked the footage of the Priest, and we had Alter Ego analyze it, but no luck so far."

Blinking at something, Kirigiri wondered, "And Gold Dragon?"

Oonishi smiled, "Oh, right. He's really Ishihara Jouji in disguise." Kirigiri opened her mouth, before closing it, disappointed. She considered the possibility, obviously, but hearing it like this was just so...disappointing, anticlimactic.

Moving on, Oonishi began, "Anyway, as for the Killing Game, it wasn't meant to be. Honestly, it was so sudden: no buildup or anything. It was just a project, headed by Furugori-san. He helped to build the New World Program in the first place, though most of it was done by Alter Ego based on some research that was in Hope's Peak by a few other Talents. The version we have downstairs is called the 'New Development Program'. It's a stripped down version with a different use than the New World Program. Minami-san was also involved: the idea was to be able to generate an accurate model of a region, and be able to examine it in the virtual reality, without actually being there. There was also the idea of creating virtual blueprints by actually filling them into the virtual reality. Like a simulation of everything from landscaping to construction. Arashimine Mountain was chosen since we wanted to build a Base there, and the differing weathers between Levels were just a test."

Kirigiri pouted, "You made a mistake: the seasons go 'spring-summer-autumn-winter', not 'summer-summer-spring-autumn-winter'."

Oonishi gave an awkward laugh, answering, "Er, not my choice." After taking a bite of his food, he continued, "Anyway, after some preliminary runs, we wanted to stress test it: see how many people could operate in the program. Minami visualized whole teams of contracted employees examining an area, of all types of professions involved in construction, each being shown through the various stages of a project. My father, who heads Kālá Base, got a little suspicious, suggesting that we should try thirteen for the first test, but Ichijou-san felt that thirteen was unlucky, so he suggested you and him join in, making it fifteen. All the previous Killing Games had sixteen Students, after all. It seemed logical, but..."

Kirigiri filled in, "There was a Sixteenth Student hiding in the woodwork."

Oonishi nodded, "We don't know how they got in. Alter Ego's tried its best, but she couldn't get in to affect things any or find out anything about the Sixteenth Student, or how he managed to connect himself to the game. It might even be wireless, but we haven't dared to mess with the machine. Furugori made some changes, so he'd have been our best bet to work through things, but he went in himself. We really should have seen this coming. All the checks before we started didn't reveal anything wrong either, it was only when we started that things went south." Kirigiri frowned, but she could really blame Future Foundation. In fact, if anything, Ichijou was partly to blame, but of course, it was mostly Super High School Level Despair.

Thinking of Ichijou again...he had dragged her into things, hadn't he? Trying to change the subject, Kirigiri could only think back to the New Development Program, wondering, "Why use Talented people then? If you only wanted to, er, stress test, why not take a handful or regular people?"

Oonishi frowned, before explaining, "Well, we didn't want Super High School Level Despair to get wind of the project at all, since some of us were worried that they might hijack it. It was pretty top secret, so we couldn't have non-Future Foundation members take part. What I don't understand is how we were found out..."

Kirigiri swallowed: the Program had been a complete disaster, apparently. And if their enemy had this much power here... Finishing her meal bitterly, she quickly changed the subject noting, "You've mentioned Alter Ego before, but I haven't seen it."

Oonishi smiled, "We can meet him later, if you'd like."

Kirigiri shrugged, "Perhaps." After a moment, she noticed something, asking, "Him? You've called it both 'her' and 'it' earlier."

Oonishi scratched his face awkwardly, explaining, "Er, well...it takes a lot of personality from its creator, Fujisaki, who was a guy, but he cross-dressed as a girl, so Alter Ego looks like a girl, but is actually just a program..." With a shrug, he just said, "I guess all three are applicable?" Kirigiri had no idea where to start. Computers were a blockade to her in the first place: she could barely keep up as it was.

Finishing their food and dealing with the dishes, Oonishi led Kirigiri away, taking her upstairs for a change. They went up the large staircase, turning at the top to another hallway. Passing a few windows on the way to the end of that one, they went up yet another staircase, going to the nearby door, the sign reading, 'Medical Bay'. Entering, there were three medical beds jutting from the wall, a desk, and a few shelves and cabinets. Sitting in one of the chairs, unmoving, was an old man whom Kasumi had seen before. His scalp was bald, and he had short gray hair on the sides and back of his head. His beard was thin and gray, and a small pair of spectacles stood in front of his eyes.

Approaching, Oonishi said softly, "Katsuragi-san? Katsuragi-san?"

Suddenly worried about the decrepit man's state of health, Kirigiri asked, "Is he..."

With a snort, the old man jerked awake, muttering, "Yes, yes, here I am." Kirigiri breathed a sigh of relief, but Oonishi seemed to be used to it. Cracking an eye open, he looked around, spotting Kirigiri. Smile widening, he said cheerily, "Kasumi-chan, is that you? Good to see you up and about." With a grunt, Katsuragi braced himself, before grabbing his knees and steadying himself, standing up.

Oonishi gestured to the elder, explaining, "This is Katsuragi Seijiro, the first Super High School Level Neurologist. He was in Ichijou-san's Class, actually."

Katsuragi grumbled, "Ichijou? Where'd that idiot run off to again?" After a moment, he muttered, "Oh right, got himself trapped."

Kirigiri stared, not sure what to make of it, as Oonishi offered nervously, "Er, they're actually good friends. Honest."

"U-understood," Kirigiri replied, still uncertain.

Looking over Kirigiri, Katsuragi began, gesturing to the bed as he said, "Well, sit down then." Kirigiri complied patting down her long skirt as she took a seat, Katsuragi rolling his wheeled stool over as Oonishi moved to lean against the wall, observing at a distance. Looking her over, he grabbed a couple things from nearby, before giving Kasumi a routine checkup. As he worked, Kirigiri had flashbacks of when Saruta Bimaru did much the same thing.

Finishing, Katsuragi scratched his chin, staring at Kirigiri as he contemplated. He summarized, "Well, there's no abnormalities, as I ascertained before you went into the New Development Project. However, there's the matter of how you survived..."

Kirigiri sighed, "I'm still not quite sure how everyone else died, to be honest." Briefly glancing at Oonishi, she explained, "I was told that the Victims of the New World Program were put into a coma."

Katsuragi nodded, explaining, "Yes, that was the result their brains being uploaded. Their deaths effectively deleted the remains of their digitized brains, leaving nothing to be returned. However, for the New Development Program, we changed how it works, and our foes capitalized on it. You see, instead of digitizing and uploading the brain, it is instead 'accessed', like a flash drive being inserted. It works, but it isn't practical for long term use due to some mental stresses it occurs, thus it wasn't used for the New World Program. I imagine this is why Monokuma has been rushing things: most of the Killing Games have lasted around three weeks, while we're only half that far with this one, though there's no end in sight. If it continues for much more than a week, we're going to have to start worrying about the captives for another reason, but on to the main point..."

Katsuragi sighed, "Since the brains are only being accessed, Super High School Level Despair rigged it so that it would take their memories and age them down. I imagine whatever they took is stored on there somewhere, since you're still missing everything. But back to my main point, when those who die pass, the fear and stress they experience is amplified, and affects their physical self, incuring a fatal heart attack. However, I've yet to isolate the differences between your virtual death, Mikage's, and that of the others. If you would share your last moments..."

Kirigiri nodded, swallowing as she replayed them in her head. She was able to focus on the Execution, though memories of the Trial and murder beforehand kept floating to her thoughts. Finally pushing them away, she began, "As I went through that mansion, during Monokuma's Execution, I recalled something he said last Trial. 'Just close your eyes and believe you won't die, and you'll live.' That, and the possibility of being in a virtual reality kept floating in my mind, based on what I learned from Volume Two. As I knew my life was going to end, I closed my eyes and tried to imagine something else. I focused on my lone memory; the one Monokuma gave me, of my childhood. I felt some pain from the knives, but then I felt numb. It was black for what felt like ages, then I awoke in that room and..."

Pausing, she took a breath, before turning to Oonishi, stating, "I do apologize for, er, manhandling you earlier."

Oonishi gave a shrug, insisting, "It's fine, really, I don't blame you."

As the other two spoke, Katsuragi spun on his chair, arms crossed in thought. Suddenly, he kicked out his leg, stopping, before going back to his gyrations. After a few more moments, he stopped once again, facing Kirigiri, proclaiming, "I think I've got it!" Adjusting his spectacles, he began, "What happened with you is simple: the Program could not kill you, as you had brought your emotions down before your death. Thus, it had little choice but to release you." With a nod, he noted, "That's some willpower. But with Mikage...he was unconscious, no?"

Blinking, Kasumi lit up in realization, clapping her hands together as she said, "Of course! He was unconscious when he died, so his emotions would have been muted as well." Thinking back to the other murders, she knew full was that Tamura, Kobayashi, Yokozuna, and Sanada had been conscious when they met their fate, thus felt the strong emotions in full. There was one gray area though, as Kasumi explained, "But what about Andou Moriko? She may have been suffocated by the smoke before she caught fire, and passed out, correct?"

Oonishi replied sadly, "She...might not have suffocated. Even if she had, I doubt choking to death was calming..." There was a stark silence, but no one could deny it: the truth was, she was dead, yet Mikage was somehow alive.

Trying to get back on track, Kirigiri asked, "Is there any chance for Mikage's recovery? Or the others, for that matter."

Katsuragi sighed, "As much a chance for Mikage as those evil brats on Jabberwock Island, I'd say. As for the others, well..."

Oonishi began, "When the Game started, we got a message: a poem." Kirigiri's eyes widened at the mention, but her fears became reality as he revealed, "You'd been trying to figure out the meaning, haven't you?" The poem reading through her head, she nodded, confirming her understanding.

Oonishi elaborated, "We were told that the poem is the reason this is all happening. That's the Game: they called it the Hostage Situation of Mutual Killing. Super High School Level Despair wants us to solve the poem for some reason, but whatever it is, in exchange, they'll probably free those in the game somehow. But whatever riddle or code we're trying to crack, we don't have any idea what this is about, though it's probably referring to a location. Tachibana's screwing with us somehow, and she's doing a damn good job." Sensing his bitterness, Kirigiri didn't comment. However, given the incidents he'd seen caused by the girl, he understood where he was coming from.

After a moment, Katsuragi stood, a firm, resolved look on his face. He stated, "Well, now that I know a bit more about how that hell machine kills, I've got a hypothesis on how to get them out." Scratching his chin, he muttered, "Some minor tranquilizers should do the trick. If their nerves are calmed as they're murdered or Executed, they should wake up, just like Kasumi-chan did. At worst, they'll die anyway, or at least end up like Mikage. I'll contact the nearest Base, and hopefully we can get some. We don't have a way to synthesize them here, and I doubt anyone would know what to look for if we sent some of the others out looting."

Oonishi sighed, "Saruta-san would've been our best bet, huh?"

Kirigiri blinked, wondering, "Why not Urushibara-san?"

Katsuragi spat, "Bah. Expect him to talk your ear off about the history of tranquilizers, how they're made, where the term comes from, and all sorts of useless dribble, but he's as clumsy as a schoolgirl and faints at the sight of blood!" Kirigiri blinked at the Neurologist, surprised at how snappy he was.

Sensing her unease, Oonishi said, "Well, thanks for the help, Katsuragi-san. I think we're gonna go." With that, the three stepped outside, Katsuragi giving a curt nod, his can clacking as he headed the opposite way, and Oonishi began to take Kirigiri downstairs.

Kirigiri noted, "He seems so bitter..."

An expression of pity crossed Oonishi's face as he began, "I don't blame him. His granddaughter was a...friend, of mine. She didn't make it though." Kirigiri felt a pressure on her chest as she considered his words. Oonishi continued, "I heard that before she died, he was downright loony, almost senile, even, but still endearing. After she was killed, he didn't talk for days. Super High School Level Despair...that's why they targeted us, I guess. They wanted to make Future Foundation 'Despair', but in the end I guess our relatives were more resilient than they hoped." Kirigiri didn't respond, but Oonishi said, "But of all the Killing Games, Despair was never the outright victor, so I don't think I'm wrong for Hoping things will turn out well this time."

As the continued to walk downward, Kirigiri dwelled on his words, and all the events thus far. A near apocalypse, the Killing Games, virtual reality. Bringing up something she asked, "Do you...does anyone here...blame me?" Oonishi looked at her over his shoulder, and she continued, "I killed Mikage...or might as well have. I couldn't know that he might live, but that didn't stop me."

His expression serious, Oonishi answered, "I know I don't blame you: like I said, I was in a similar spot as you. I know I thought about it, even if I knew there was no way I'd go through with it. But for everyone else...to be honest, he wasn't the most productive member of Future Foundation." As Kirigiri leaned in, Oonishi continued, "Sure, he contributed a lot with his developments: in fact, we'd have probably starved by now if he hadn't got into canning goods. The end of the world doesn't leave a whole lot of arable land either, so he's been a help there. But he was too focused on returning to his decadent lifestyle of the old world. He kept pushing for tobacco crops, getting drunk, hiding contraband he'd scavenged...honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if some of the members didn't mind at all."

Kirigiri frowned: from what she'd just heard, it fit quite well into what she knew of him, but it still did little to make her feel better. It wasn't about Mikage: she had the capacity to kill another, someone who was not an enemy...but then again, times had changed. This kind boy had placed a gun on his desk, and the world outside was in ruins, much of it still anarchic chaos. Perhaps murder simply wasn't held with the same disdain anymore.

As the pair reached the ground floor, Oonishi finished, "Basically, I don't think it's worth worrying about, especially when we've got so much else to figure out."

Not disagreeing, Kirigiri asked, "Well, if there's anything I can do to help matters... The poem?"

Oonishi smiled, "We have someone working on that! An expert: a Super High School Level Poet."

Kirigiri blinked, noting, "And they've been working for how long now?"

Oonishi frowned, revealing, "Well, a lot of his interpretations are a bit...deep. Then he keeps insisting on learning the themes and tones of Tachibana Chiyoko's work, but he doesn't like horror movies, so I've been writing an essay about them in my free time to give to him. In other words, we're...working on it."

Kirigiri sighed, "No luck from anyone else?"

Oonishi admitted, "Unfortunately." Glancing around, Oonishi finished, "Well, I guess in the meantime, you're free to do whatever you want. Try and stay on the lower Floors though, they're more for recreational purposes. There's an Archive on the lowest one if you want some books, the Sun Lounge and a Garden if you want a comfy place to read..."

Kirigiri frowned, muttering, "Why would a Base have these rooms?"

For a moment, Oonishi's lip quavered, and he let out a laugh, replying, "Good question!" Calming down, he answered, "Well, the Bases are meant to double as shelters in times of emergency. In might be best if you didn't go outside though. It shouldn't be dangerous, but there have been issues." Finishing, Oonishi turned to the front desk, saying, "I'll be here if you need me!"

With a nod, the two parted ways. As she walked away, Kirigiri simultaneously felt both free and confined in this place. She agreed that staying inside was the best option, but her sense of confinement was more the result of...helplessness. She couldn't help herself, nor could she help her friends stuck in the Development Program.

Hoping to get her mind off things, she decided to explore, starting with the upper levels, deciding to work her way down. She found Katsuragi in a Communications room, which hand numerous instruments and security monitors, plus another one displaying the current situation in the New Development Program, where everyone had split up for the night. After briefly greeting them, she took her leave. She found Asumi Haruka at work cleaning the Meeting Room on the Second Floor, the woman insisting Kirigiri get a little exercise while she was up, though warning her not to stress to hard. Kirigiri promised she would try, before heading down to give the rest of the building a look. Urushibara was nowhere to be found, likely being in a dorm room, while Oonishi Mahiro still sat at the desk in the front of the Base.

Kirigiri finally found some calmness in the Archive, its comfy chairs and extensive Library being quite inviting: the perfect way to clear her mind fully and pass time. As much as she wanted to learn more about the current situation, or watch her friends, there was only so much going on at night. For now, Kirigiri wanted nothing more than to relax, further allowing her churning mind to sift through the overload of information, so that she might tackle the next day fresh.

However, with Kirigiri's sense of time progression while reading, it was not until very early next day when she realized she was hungry. And that it was night time. After getting a meal, she read for a bit more, before cleaning herself and going to sleep once again. By the time she awoke, it was roughly noon. She was becoming to get more accustomed to her body and situation, though the aged form was definitely a downgrade. She was also starting to get fearful: what if she never recovered her memories?

Stepping out of her room and off the train of thought she was heading down, she tried to put her fears behind her for now, heading upstairs. Reaching the First Floor, she habitually headed to the desk, not surprised to see the pudgy Urushibara Itaru sitting there once again. She also took a moment to look at the monitor, seeing Ichijou and Nagasaki, in their younger forms that she was used too, speaking outside of the Resort Restaurant.

Noticing Kirigiri, Urushibara smiled, "Good morning! Feeling any better?" Noticing her interest in the monitor, he quickly explained, "They just spent the morning looking for those Killing Game Volumes, trying to figure out what's going on. No incentive yet, but there should be one later."

Kirigiri nodded, "Right..." Glancing around the desk, she finally answered, "And I am feeling a little better, thank you."

Urushibara smiled, "Good to hear!"

As the two returned to silence, Kirigiri briefly wondered about which of his relatives had passed. Wanting to avoid such subjects, Kirigiri glance to the door, asking, "Eiji-kun mentioned something earlier, suggesting I shouldn't go outside, but he didn't mention any of the 'issues' that made it dangerous. Do you know what he was referring too?"

Urushibara nodded, saying, "Well, it's not too unusual, since we're on lockdown. Another Killing Game cropping up like this has got everyone worried. No one knows how that damn Director was able to do so much under our nose like this." Kirigiri frowned at his sudden bitterness, not even needing to speculate very much to get a guess as to the reason. He calmed down almost instantly though, continuing, "Going outside too often might invite the opinion that we're no longer on lockdown. And well 'incidents' can range from normal people so desperate for help they're willing to bust down our doors, and mooks starting trouble."

Kirigiri nodded, but was curious about something, asking, "Normal people?"

Urushibara smiled, laughing, "Well, let's be honest, Future Foundation is full of weirdoes!" Kirigiri couldn't agree more. He added, "Right now, Kālá sort of has two layers: this is the inner part, a well-defended shelter. Outside, you've got a camp: lots of makeshift tents, run by trusted civilians. We used to interact with them a lot more, but SHSL Despair would take advantage of it, slipping in and causing havoc, so we buffed protection and pulled back a little. Now we're on full lockdown, of course, but in the event of something major, we have enough room to fit everyone inside. We try to keep the area's population low enough to do that: if we get too big, that usually means it's time to expand and make another Base somewhere."

Urushibara gave a satisfied nod, explaining, "But we're growing, and that's what's important. Maybe one day we'll see things back to normalcy." Kirigiri couldn't help but to agree.

The two stayed for a little while, Urushibara talking about some of the general work Future Foundation did: archiving knowledge, organizing efforts to clean areas and rescue the distressed, and most frighteningly, skirmishing the remnants of Super High School Level Despair. He also elaborated that Super High School Level Despair didn't just consist of Talents.

"A lot of people lost their Hope for good. That was never the first thing to go through; a lot of them lost everything else first: families, homes, status. They snapped and ended up latching onto a job they could relieve their stress on, spreading their Despair onto others. They don't seem to mind taking orders from kids though. Some of them worshipped Enoshima, but you don't see many of those any more: a lot of them killed themselves. Most of the rest see Tachibana as the Heir, since she's the last one left. But they're a lot smaller now, thankfully, but no less volatile," Urushibara elaborated. Turning to the door, he finished, "I think they're weak people though: I've met a lot of guys; kids and adults, who were beaten down just as much as any Despair clown I've heard of, but still do what they can to help others. The reverse happens too: lot of thousand yards stares, or people who're just...broken, like the walking dead, living only to live. There aren't a lot of therapists nowadays either, so there's not a lot we can do for them. That's part of what the New World Program was initially for, but those Remnants took care of that for us..."

Kirigiri agreed, "Being stretched in so many directions at once...only former Hope's Peak Students could manage that, I imagine."

Urushibara laughed, "No kidding! I almost feel like Hope's Peak was preparing us for this. We've all connected with each other, we were taught basic martial arts and gun handling skills...didn't mean a lot of us made it. At its peak, Future Foundation is somewhere between 100-120 Talented members, about a tenth of the students in Hope's Peak's history. Worse yet, this Game knocked more than a tenth of our current members out of commission, and a third of them have been killed already." Kirigiri flinched, knowing full well her role in things. Sensing her anxiety, Urshibara changed the subject slightly, looking up at the monitor, saying, "Er, speaking of them, what are those guys up to now?"

The two watched the broadcast for a short while, chortling in amusement as Ichijou failed miserably in snowboarding, then paying attention for a little while longer until Oonishi Eiji arrived again a little before Four PM. Urushibara took his leave as the shift changed, leaving Eiji and Kasumi at the desk.

After a mutual greeting, Oonishi sat down in the desk as Kirigiri wondered aloud, "I haven't talked to your father since I've been here. What kind of person is he?"

Oonishi smiled, "Oh, he was in the 59th Class, the Super High School Level Secretary. He's got great organization skills, so he's one of the lieutenants of Future Foundation. He answers directly to the higher ups."

Kirigiri nodded again, before asking, "The higher ups?"

Oonishi leaned back in his chair, answering, "There's only a few, but they're the ones who have the highest authority. They were mostly the ones who rallied the other members, and kept the organization together by a thread during the Worst Incident. I know you've heard of one of them: Sanada."

Kirigiri's eyes widened as she stammered, "S-Sanada Shinji!?"

Oonishi shook his head, "No, his twin brother, Sanada Shinzo. That was the one on that newspaper article." With a smile, he added, "And you figured out it wasn't Shinji, good job!" Not exactly relieved by that, Kirigiri, only nodded as Oonishi further elaborated, "They were both Super High School Level Debaters in the 45th Class. I don't know much more than what we saw though, I only met Shinji the day of the experiment, and I've never met Shinzo, only hearing about him on the news. He was the former Prime Minister before, well, you know..."

Satisfied with yet another answer, Kirigiri was silent as she contemplated things, wondering about his last words once again. Before she could get too deep into thought however, a quick series of bells rang through the building, followed by a deep, stern voice, stating over an intercom system, "Eiji, we have an arrival at the door. If you would, get it. I'll be down in a moment." Kirigiri vaguely remembered the voice as Eiji's father, and the way he addressed him seemed to line up with that.

Kasumi stayed back at the desk as Eiji stood, heading over. He looked over his shoulder as he walked for the door, saying, "You can come too, if you'd like."

Having no reason to deny him, Kirigiri followed as they passed through the double door, entering a dim hallway. Kirigiri could only blink as she saw the other door: it was large, metal, and circular. It certainly gave her the mental image of a shelter, which was no doubt the intent.

Reaching the door, Oonishi entered a code on the keyboard jutting out from the side. Stepping back, the metal contraption began to rumble as it slid open, blinding sunlight pouring in. Oonishi and Kirigiri both shielded their eyes, the latter wishing the building hadn't faced west. As their eyesight recovered, Kirigiri heard a female voice, shouting, "There you are!"

From that, there was a sudden scuffle, and a gag from Oonishi. As her eyes began to adjust, Kirigiri gasped, "Eiji-kun?"

As she was finally able to see, she looked over the arrival, who had Oonishi locked underneath her arm. She was a bit on the short side, but her buxom frame reminded Kirigiri of Yokozuna Hina. Her skin was tanned, and her wavy brown hair barely touched her shoulders. She wore a white, sleeveless shirt, black short shorts, and a black coat tied around her waist like a sash, a bag counterbalancing the dangling cloth on the other side. Looking up from the boy caught in her hold, she blinked her blue eyes at Kirigiri in confusion, likely surprised to see her.

"K-Kirigiri-san?" the girl asked, bewildered.

Oonishi choked, "N-Nijiko-chan...you're hurting me." At his words, Nijiko flushed a little, before letting go of Eiji, allowing him to stand and rub his neck.

With a sigh, she muttered, "Sorry, sorry, it's just..." She flushed a bit more as she admitted, "It's been a little while." Turning to Kirigiri she added, quickly changing the subject, "And...weren't you trapped, Kirigiri-san?"

Kasumi replied, "Was." Clearing her throat, she offered, "Nice to meet you, though I assume we've already met?"

As Nijiko blinked in confusion, Eiji explained, "Er, yeah. Kirigiri-san got out of the game somehow, but she still doesn't have her memories. Everyone else is still trapped." Turning to Kirigiri, he finally explained, "Oh, this is Taiyoshi Nijiko, Super High School Level Runner, Honorary 80th Class."

Kirigiri nodded, understanding immediately the reason these two seemed so close. As Oonishi made to close the door, he offered, "Er, real quick, did you want to look outside, Kirigiri-san? While the door's open, I mean."

Not minding in the least, Kirigiri went to the crack in the door, peeking her head through. Taking a look around, she could see some tents pitched in the near distance, a few people mulling about in the summer air. It seemed peaceful: if not for the wrecked buildings in the distance, one would assume it was normal, even. Satisfied with the breath of fresh air, she returned inside, and Oonishi closed the door, the massive slab shuddering shut.

Heading back to the main building, Oonishi asked, "So, Nijiko-chan, what brings you?"

Taiyoshi frowned, sighing, "It's always gotta be business, business..." As Oonishi gave her a look she reached into her bag, pulling out a small handful of letters. She explained, "I've got these for your dad, orders from above. Give me a sec. He in the Comms Room?"

Oonishi nodded, opening his mouth to speak, but she blitzed off, breaking into a run and heading out of sight in moments. Kirigiri blinked in surprise as Oonishi went back over to the desk, and within minutes, Taiyoshi returned empty handed. Kirigiri blinked, "Super High School Level Runner indeed..." Curious about another factoid, she asked, "Is that why you aren't wearing the uniform?"

Taiyoshi nodded, "Yeah, I mean, you can't expect me to run in a skirt, let alone the stiff ones they hand out here."

Oonishi elaborated, "The uniforms can be dropped if function is an issue, though they still have to be black and white. It's symbolic, I think, like funeral attire, mourning those lost."

"I...see," Kirigiri replied.

Oonishi continued, "Asumi-san doesn't follow that because she doesn't think the drab colors are fitting for her profession. You know the person who designed the uniforms though, so you might understand what the deal is."

Kirigiri's eye twitched as she sighed, "Uzatei, huh?" She could imagine it, easily.

Taiyoshi snorted, "Prick." At her comment, Kirigiri's cheek puffed out as she tried not to laugh. Looking at the old woman, Taiyoshi asked, "So, how did you get out, exactly?"

Oonishi launched into an explanation, summing up the situation so far. He also added a few things Kirigiri did not know, particularly that Katsuragi had sent for one of the other Bases to synthesize a drug, and Taiyoshi was to head out as soon as they knew which Base it was going to be. But that would take some time, as they needed someone with the knowledge, the proper materials, etcetera. Until then, Taiyoshi was to remain on standby.

Taiyoshi nodded, "Well, that's a relief. It's damn hot out there. I'm going to get a shower." Oonishi gave a short wave as she headed off.

Noticing as he watched her go, Kirigiri pondered aloud, "Just friends? Or something more?"

Oonishi's eyes widened at her comment, but he laughed, "Er...I don't really think so. There's...someone else? It's complicated."

Kirigiri frowned, admitting, "I'm sorry..."

A bit of a sad look on his face, Oonishi reached into his coat pocket, fiddling with something, before pulling his empty hand back out. With a sigh, he began, unprompted, "No, it's fine. It's just...during the Killing Game I was in, there was this girl, but she didn't make it. She was just too Unlucky, I guess."

Glancing up at the screen, another burning question cropped up in Kirigiri's mind. Praying it wouldn't bring up anything sour, she asked, "Speaking of Luck, am I the only one who noticed that Ichijou Mitsuzi seems far Luckier than he says?"

Oonishi smiled, replying, "Hardly. He's the first Luckster for a reason. Actually I've been working on something in my free time. I've been calling it 'The Kotobuki Theory of Luck'. Ichijou-san and Naegi-san have been helping to figure it out. Basically-"

Before Oonishi could finish, a sudden shock rocked the building, sending a shudder through the base. Looking around in surprise, Oonishi wondered, a bit fearful, "Wh-what was that?" Opening his drawer, he pulled out a holstered pistol, latching it to his belt. Carefully, he went to the corner of the wall, before waving for Kirigiri to follow, the woman at a loss, but luckily doing a good job at remaining calm.

As they headed to the large staircase, Oonishi Mahiro came down from above, reaching the upper landing of the stairs. Looking down at Eiji and Kasumi, he said, "The intercom system was disabled somehow: there was someone outside. They planted a bomb, and something else." Continuing on his path, he came down the stairs, heading to the door outside.

As she spotted a gun at his hip, Kasumi sputtered, "Are you going outside!?"

Mahiro explained, "The threat's been neutralized by security: whoever it was, they wanted our attention, and they got it." As he said they, the bitterness in his voice made Kirigiri think of only one thing: Super High School Level Despair.

Reaching the door outside, the two Oonishi's reached for their guns as the door cracked open, staying out of the light as their eyes adjusted. Kirigiri stayed farther back, watching from the double door at the other end of the short hall. At a distance, she heard someone else say from outside, his voice full of worry, "Oonishi-san! The guy...he's been here for weeks, we didn't think he was..."

Mahiro responded, "It's fine. No one was hurt."

"Damn sturdy door," someone else chimed in from beyond.

There was some motion, and Mahiro replied, "Thank you. Keep your guard up, and watch anyone who's arrived within the last month closely, just in case. Dispose of any suspicious packages."

"Except that one?" the first outside voice asked.

Eiji replied a bit reassuringly, "Except that one." With that, the two members of Future Foundation left the civilians outside to regain the situation as the door was shut, the two coming back, a package in Mahiro's hands.

Stepping through the door back into the base proper, he stated, "I saw the man place this under an iron shell, before planting the bomb and running. He's been neutralized, and we'll be notified if anything else happens, but in the meantime..."

Stepping over to the desk, he placed the package down, gently opening the brown wrapping paper. Inside was a plastic box, which he cracked open. Spilling its contents onto the desk, he revealed a small camera of sorts, a cable, and a letter. Opening the letter, Mahiro read aloud, "'Attach this to a monitor and access a connection before six 'o clock PM, or there shall be dire consequences.' Signed, Super High School Level Despair..."

Looking at his watch, Eiji stated, "We've got about twenty minutes..."

Mahiro let out a sigh, muttering, "I'd have Alter Ego give it a look, but we're too short on time. Connecting it might trigger whatever it is as well, unless we isolate it and Alter Ego...it can't be helped." Taking the cable and camera, he said, "The Meeting Room." Understanding Eiji and Kasumi followed as the headed up, turning into a room with a single podium, a table, and a number of chairs.

Setting the camera on the podium, Mahiro faced it towards the wall as Eiji and Kasumi hovered around the table. Setting it up properly, he stuck it into the monitor. Upon that action, the monitor, previously off, powered on, displaying a dank, empty room, the ground gray concrete, the walls dirty with grime. The three watched, but nothing happened for a moment.

Then, there was a voice, chortling, "No no no, I apologize, but that will simply not do. I want to see you, Future Foundation. You cannot hide from me." Kasumi shuddered at the voice, taking a cautious step towards the door, while Eiji looked contemplative.

Complying, Mahiro turned the camera, facing the center of the room. After a moment, the voice responded, "Good, good, I can see you now: Oonishi Mahiro, Oonishi Eiji. I will allow one of you to leave, so that you may fetch Asumi Haruka, Katsuragi Seijiro, and Urushibara Itaru. Please, do not dawdle."

After a moment, Mahiro nodded, "Eiji." A bit nervous, the Critic complied, leaving. As he passed Kasumi, the woman followed him.

Going out into the hallway, they shut the door, and Kasumi asked, whispering, "Did...they see me?"

Oonishi shook his head, saying, "I don't think so, and they don't know Nijiko-chan is here either...that gives us an advantage, but..." Turning to Kasumi, he said, "Make sure she doesn't show up! You guys can hang out at the door, but if they don't know about you two, we want to keep it that way."

Resolve strengthening, Kasumi nodded, "Understood." With that, they parted ways, Eiji heading up and Kasumi heading down. As Kasumi reached the large staircase, she heard Eiji's voice over the intercom, asking, "Er, Katsuragi-san, Urushibara-san, and Asumi-san: please come to the Meeting Room."

As she reached the Dorm level, she saw Taiyoshi standing in the doorway of one of the rooms, damp, concealing herself with a towel. Seeing Kirigiri, she demanded, "What's going on? First that earthquake, then..." As she spoke, one of the other doors opened up, Urushibara coming out, looking sleepy, his lab coat a bit disheveled over his clothes. Suddenly conscious of herself, Taiyoshi didn't wait for an answer, backing into her room and closing the door.

As Urushibara looked over in confusion, Kirigiri repeated, "Don't dawdle." With a shrug, he headed up.

As few minutes later, Taiyoshi came out of her room, dressed, except for her hair still being a bit moist. Like a dog, she stepped out and shook it roughly, sending flecks of water about as Kirigiri flinched, before patting it down, and asking once again, "So, what's up?"

As the two headed over, Kirigiri filled her in, stressing that the two of them needed to stay off the camera. As they reached the Meeting Room, they stayed back, in view of the camera and monitor, but off of its gaze. They were the last to arrive, reminding Kasumi that this was strangely usual for her.

The monitor had changed though: someone was there, sitting on a chair in the center of the room, their face concealed in a cloak. They spoke, "Greetings, Future Foundation. I am a representative of Super High School Level Despair, here with a message for you." The five in the room tensed, awaiting the news.

However, Eiji interrupted, asking, "Wait a minute...who are you to represent Super High School Level Despair?"

There was a silence, and the figure laughed, "Ufufufufu. Who indeed?" Once again, the figure repeated, this time, her voice becoming more feminine, "Who indeed?" Reaching a pair of lithe hands up, she dropped her hood, revealing her face. Eiji paled, and Nijiko let out a gasp.

Kirigiri saw the figure on the monitor: her hair was short and red, reaching her ears, and her eyes were cold and blue, her smile having not an iota of warmth. She answered, "It is a pleasure to meet you again, Oonishi-san."

Kirigiri did not and could not know who this person was, or how she would affect the coming days, but Eiji and Nijiko could never forget Kinashi Ririka, Super High School Level Karuta Queen of the Honorary 80th Class.

Questions answer, but many still more remain. However, Kasumi and B side will have to wait until the 13th, as the 11th will be an update on Ichijou's situation. We'll be switching back and forth for the final chapter, so I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for reading!