A/N: Hello everyone and welcome to Chapter 44 of The End of Hope's Peak Academy...
So it is with great sadness that I bring you some bad news...well...I guess it's good news...anyway, I have finally finished the finale of The End of Hope's Peak Academy Zetsubou-Hen. The finally is going to be a bit shorter than this and Chapter 45, for various reasons. One being that Chronicles of Despair will be a five chapter interlude covering a lot of information. So those chapters will be wicked long, to cover a lot of stuff, and there will be a lot of Point of View switching. It will be going from character to character, covering everything outside Hope's Peak Academy, inside and around the world.
Also, for my Guest Reviewer, could you please get yourself an account? It would be much better if I could talk to you directly rather than making stuff in my authors notes to answer your questions. Sometimes those answers have spoilers and I don't want to spoil anyone. For now your question doesn't spoil anything so I will answer it...everything I have said about Class 79 in The School Life of Mutual Killing, disregard all of it. Class 79 of Hope's Peak Academy consists of 22 Students, not 16. It is the biggest class in the history of the academy because it wasn't split in half. The School Life of Mutual Killing will be revised to match all of the information presented in Zetsubou-Hen.
That's the thing about writing a prequel after you've established a cast. It's hard to make everything fall in line correctly. So that's why It's getting revised, because a lot of things that have been said in Zetsubou-Hen don't line up at all with The School Life of Mutual Killing. So that story will be going through a major overhaul, and I will be taking down part two, because half of the problems that the story has are from the later chapters, including Hiyoko's side story. I have to edit things to make Sonia act more loving toward Hiyoko and Daisuke, as they are all in a relationship with each other. I also have to fix Kiriko's name, and add various other things. Overall the story will remain the same, but it will get some stuff added into it, along with various other editing fixes. It will take a long time to correct everything, but I will get it done. Thankfully this one is easier to do since it's already written out for me, all I have to do is open the files up and edit everything. I will of course be letting everyone know when these stories will be edited so that all of you can read the new content.
Acts one through three will all be posted and edited at the same time, so I will be able to just export each chapter, add the fixed one and replace it, when I take down Part II, the Prologue of that story will become an interlude act with Hiyoko's side story, to bridge the gap between part one and two without much confusion. So I hope you all look forward to that.
So...without further ado, the semi-last chapter of this story shall be posted now. I was thinking of doing a double post, so add more despair to the fire...but I think I'll hold off, so you can all feel maximum despair.
Here you are, Chapter 44 of The End of Hope's Peak Academy, I hope you all like it...
The End of Hope's Peak Academy
Zetsubou-Hen
Chapter 44
Broken
Daisuke walked into the bathroom inside the new school building, locking the door behind himself. He grabbed a nearby trash can and vomited inside it. He clutched his stomach, as the little food he had eaten and bile just burst from within. He dropped the trashcan and sat down on the ground, tears steaming down his face. His heart was racing, his mind completely scarred. So many people had died in such a short period of time, and now he was responsible for it. He let out a scream, slamming his fists against the walls. He stood up, opening the faucet to rinse his mouth out. Once he looked at his face in the mirror, he felt nothing but anger. He let out another scream, punching the mirror as hard as he could, shattering it instantly.
Streams of pink burst from his knuckles as the reflective glass stuck out of his hand. He clenched his hand tightly, not caring that blood was pouring into the sink. He held it under the water, the stinging pain waking his mind back up. He watched as streams of diluted pink blood ran down the train. He took a shaky breath, wrapping some napkins over his knuckles, holding it tightly until the blood slowed to a trickle.
"Kanade Izayoi is known as the Ultimate Tabloid Reporter...she will be the one who shares this information world wide. Despair has to spread unhinged for the whole world to fall. Ricardo Vazquez is the Ultimate Ventriloquist, a young man capable of turning anyone into his puppets. He will help take down the leaders of this world, bring them to their knees...finally Akihiko Shouji, the Ultimate Surgeon, currently working to save Kiriko Nishizawa's life. If you don't want her to accidentally die in her sleep, you'll turn him into my personal surgeon...you've got three days."
Those words rung in his mind. They tore him apart as he continued replaying that message in his mind. Students had begun gathering outside the main course gates, and picketing had overtaken the entire academy. He didn't know what was going on anymore, but Junko was definitely capable. She had turned the entire academy on its head in a few days, he didn't dare imagine what she could do to the whole world. He needed to put a stop to it, but he knew he couldn't...not when his friends and family was being held hostage. He sighed, looking at his blackened eyes. He hadn't slept well in days, and he doubted he could sleep soundly ever again. He sighed, walking toward the door, exiting the bathroom.
It was already late in the day...everyone had just disconnected after the gruesome death of those Reserve Course students. The Trustees had tried to keep it under wraps, but a massive email message had been sent to everyone in the Reserve Course, and now half if not all of them were picketing at the front gates. Security around the entire academy had increased, but new areas were being left unguarded, it made everything that much harder to deal with. Still he walked, knowing if he didn't do as he was told, more people would die.
Before they had gone to watch the students kill themselves, Mukuro had shoved something in his bag. He didn't know what it was, but now that he was able to look, he noticed that it was a tape recorder. He popped it open, seeing the tape inside. It had a white strip of masking tape on it, the name Danganronpa written on it. He figured Junko had made an audio book, an audio book of the twisted copy of Distrust she had gotten. He wanted to break it, but every time he tried, he saw images of his friends, all being killed in front of him. He shoved it back in his back, his hands brushing against something else.
He pulled it out, seeing it was an oval shaped black case. Looking inside it, he found that it was a charm bracelet. One that he had bought for his homeroom teacher Chisa. It had been a late birthday present from the entire class. He bought the bracelet itself, along with a book charm on it, while everyone else bought their own charms. He said Ibuki's guitar, Peko's sword, Akane's drumstick, Nekumaru's barbell, Teruteru's Chef hat...and various other charms. All of them were engraved with the initials of the ones who got them. He closed the case, placing it back in his bag.
"I'm sorry Chisa...you've taught me to have hope, and that everything always has a silver lining. But I don't find the silver lining this time around...if I fall to despair in the name of hope, everyone will die. And if I hope for despair, the whole world will end...there is nothing to do...no story to tell, and no alternate ending. My fate is mine alone." he thought to himself, wiping the tears from his eyes.
He walked up the stairs to the second floor, his face devoid of emotion as he continued into the dormitories. A sign with a bright 79 was placed outside of the common area. He walked down the empty halls, his eyes scanning each door plate until he came across Kanade Izayoi's dorm. As it turned out, she had been the little sister of Sunosuke Izayoi, the Ex-Ultimate Blacksmith. He hadn't seen that boy since his expulsion the year before...he missed those times, where everything was filled with hope and not tainted with despair. He shook his head, ringing the bell.
Almost instantly, the door opened to reveal a young woman.
This young woman had short green hair, styled in a bowl cut. She had a bright red bow attached on the side of her head. She had soft features, a button nose and bright red lips. Her eyes once a shade of bright gold, were now nothing more than a horrifying crimson. The girl was wearing a black tee shirt, with Rob Zombie's face on it. In her hand was a high tech looking camera, along with a microphone.
"Hello, may I help you?" Kanade asked curiously, looking the boy over.
"Yes, I heard you were the Ultimate Tabloid Reporter...let's just say I have something that is really interesting." he said.
"Oh really? Do come in, I would like to know more about this." she said, giving him a grin. He stepped into the room, looking around.
It was a typical girls room, except every wall was covered with cork board. There were several pictures pinned to it, strings marking their locations on a large map of Japan. He even spotted Sayaka's picture on one of the walls, with a blue string that was pinned right over Hope's Peak Academy's location on the map of Tokyo. The girl set her camera down, grabbing a notepad and a pen.
"So, what's this about? Does it have to do with the sirens I heard earlier?" she asked. He didn't say anything, rather he handed her a picture. On it were some of the 267 students that had jumped off the Main Course building. Her eyes widened.
"This is real right? These people are really dead?" she asked, looking at him.
"They all jumped off the Main Course building around two hours ago. The Reserve Course has begun protesting outside the main gates...I felt the need to tell you, since you are so famous in that Paparazzi world." he said.
"Well thanks for this...this is going to make the top news for sure!" she said, turning around to face her computer. He grit his teeth, pulling the headset from his bag. He wrapped his arm around her neck, causing her to gasp.
"What are you doing?" she croaked, struggling to get free.
"I'm sorry...please forgive me." he whispered, as he placed the headset on her head. He pressed play on the tape, forcing her to listen to the words coming from the despair tape.
He was glad the new rooms were soundproof, because her screams of agony would have definitely brought the attention of someone. She had stopped struggling after a few minutes, clutching the headset and pressing them hard against her head. She had started panting a bit, her eyes becoming unfocused as the words seeped deep into the recesses of her mind. The tape finally stopped, causing him to look at the girl, who fell to her knees, almost in a catatonic state.
"Kanade?" he asked, pulling the headset from the girl. She started laughing, grasping her hair tightly in her hands.
"That was a beautiful story...please let me hear it again...I have to hear it again, let me hear it again!" she cried, grabbing a hold of his shirt. There was a desperate look on her face, her eyes becoming nothing more than black swirling masses of despair. He snapped his fingers, causing her to stop.
"Kanade Izayoi, you are now part of Ultimate Despair, an organization created to breed despair. Now that you have joined us, you must do your best to let everyone know the news of the current world. Your mission is to go around this world, and spread the wonderful news of our leader throughout this entire planet. Do you agree?" he asked.
"Yes, yes I agree...I will spread my amazing news all over this planet..I have too. I want everyone to feel this great beautiful feeling. It's the only way I can do it!" she said. Daisuke felt like crying, but he held his tears back, keeping his look firm.
"Then you can start by publishing these photographs on every news outlet in the world." he said, handing her the binder of pictures. It contained graphic photographs of the Reserve Course suicides and Class 76B's massacre. She grinned, walking over to her computer.
"I'm so glad I bought this scanner, I'll have these up lickity split...thanks so much for this Senpai, I will never forget it." she said happily.
He walked out of the room, leaving the girl to her own devices...he mentally crossed her off, heading toward Ricardo Vazquez's room, to start the whole thing all over again.
xxx
"You bastards, you guys are all lying sacks of shit!"
"You took our parents to the cleaners you fucks!"
"We deserve to be part of the main course too!"
Hisashi bit his lip as he stood outside next to Juzo. It was sunny, for the first time that week. It was day three of The Parade, as the faculty had been calling it. Somehow, a video of everything that had happened had surfaced and the Reserve Course was starting to get pissed. They had all stood outside in a protest, holding picket signs displaying their displeasure with Hope's Peak Academy. The Ultimate Boxer was keeping a firm look on the gates. Several students had climbed the gate already and had been taken down by him and the other guards.
"This is madness...everyone please just return to your dormitories! We are working hard to make sure all of this is dealt with accordingly!" Hisashi said.
"Shut the hell up!" one student cried. Hisashi dodged the punch thrown at him, driving his fist into the boy's gut. He spun on his leg, delivering a firm kick to his side, taking him down with ease.
"Well, the police do teach you neat stuff." Juzo said, pushing a student back into the gate, knocking him out instantly.
"Of course, I know a lot of other neat things too." he said. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing a few of his friends walking up to him.
The first was a beautiful young woman, of fifteen years of age. She had waist length white hair. She had crimson colored eyes and light pale colored skin. She was wearing a black business suit, a white blouse underneath a black blazer. She wore a matching black skirt that reached to her mid thigh, along with black stockings and matching heels. This young woman was Musashi Togami, the Ultimate Accountant.
She was one of the Togami Family's heirs...or at least used to be. Apparently her older brother Byakuya had proven himself above all the others in the family, and she had been disowned. Taking her talents with accounting, she had gotten herself a career at the age of seven, and became famous for managing some of the biggest transactions in the world. She had been scouted by Koichi Kizakura, all the way in Russia.
The second was a tall young man, with blond colored hair. He was wearing a pressed white shirt, which was tucked into his black slacks. The shirt itself wasn't anything fancy, having only a breast pocket, which held a ball point pen. He was wearing a pressed blue tie, which had Hope's Peak Academy's crest on it, near the bottom of the tie. The collar was folded down, and he wore a glittering pin, which was silver in color and displayed his status among the 79th class. The pin itself was round, and had the crest of Hope's Peak Academy centered on it.
Under it was a small chain, holding a little number 79 on it, below it, was a smaller little plaque with the word class on it. Instead of formal shoes, he was wearing a pair of black leather boots, that reached to his calves. He didn't like wearing formal shoes often. He also wore his violet archery glove on his left hand, which he had deemed his lucky glove, do to how many competitions he had won with it. Slung across his back was a violet quiver, filled arrows, the fletchlings of which were orange in color. They were only practice arrows, so he had to leave the orange fletchlings on. He had a rounded face, with tiny freckles around his nose, and a mole below his left eye. This young man was Yunosuke Nagahama, the Ultimate Archer.
The boy had apparently been found by the Olympic scout, who had been looking for archers for the next Olympic games. But he had also been found by Kizakura. With both offers on the table, the boy had let his talent decide for him. He took both files and put them on targets at 2000 yards and shot a single arrow. It flew straight and true, going through the target that had Hope's Peak Academy's crest on it. Since then, he had been at the academy.
Both of them had frowns on their faces when they saw the students picketing. Seeing two more Ultimate students seemed to egg them on, causing their shouting and protesting to become more defined. They had even through out rather derogatory things to Musashi, but she didn't let words bother her easily. She took a deep breath, turning to face Hisashi.
"I'm afraid I have some bad news...Kanade and Ricardo have dropped out of the academy." she said.
"What? When?" he asked. Yunosuke gave him a small nod, gesturing fort him to follow. They begun walking a few feet away from the guards, and away from the Reserve Course students.
"Our homeroom teacher told us this morning. You've been dealing with this Parade for the past three days. Apparently after they saw those 267 kids dying, some students started to leave. Ricardo didn't say anything, but Kanade kept saying she wanted to spread wonderful tabloid news throughout the world." He said.
"Furthermore, some pictures have surfaced online. It's all over Facebook, Youtube, Instagram...everything...they depict the horrible mutilation of the Student Council...apparently they were all posted by Kanade Izayoi. Her brother has come to pick her up, but she's nowhere to be found." Musashi cried.
"My god...what is going on here? Everything was fine a few weeks ago and now...the whole damn world is falling apart. We need to hold a class meeting, where's Ashton? He's our rep after all." Hisashi said.
"He's been speaking with his sister, apparently her boyfriend has been acting strange for the last few days. There's also something I would like to ask you, have you heard and or met a girl named Ryouko Otonashi?" Musashi asked curiously.
"Not at all...wait...I believe she's part of Class 77A...is something wrong with her?"
"No...but apparently your sister saw her skulking around the academy last night. She was supposed to meet one of the Trustees to ask him some questions, but someone threw a desk from the top floor of the academy, killing him instantly. Yuta Kamishiro was found dead in the basement floor of the new building." she said.
"Christ...we're dropping like flies. I'll see if I can speak with my father, this has gone on long enough. He needs to make an announcement to the student body about what's happening here."
A loud scream tore through the area, causing everyone to grow silent. It was followed by several more screams. A single security guard came running from around the old building, clutching his neck, hand covered in blood. Juzo immediately ran to his side, catching him before he fell.
"Speak to me, who did this?" he asked.
"Reserve...course...breach...East plaza."
Hisashi reached behind his back, pulling his gun out as he ran. Yunosuke did the same, reaching behind his back for his bow, and an arrow. Musashi followed along, though was a bit worried since she didn't have a weapon. Juzo did the same, telling the other guards to hold the fort while he was gone.
They rounded the corner, and saw at least forty Reserve Course students standing in front of a tree. They crowd was big enough to block the entire view of it, but Hisashi could see some of them had stakes in their hands. A few others were throwing rocks at something as well. One of the students raised a stake high above their head, bright pink blood smeared on it. He held his gun up, firing a single shot into the air. All of the students stopped, turning around to face them.
"Hey look, more Ultimate students...we should take them out...if they die we could take their slots." one said.
"Let's teach them a lesson, like we did to this bitch...this is what she gets for defending them!" a girl snapped angrily.
"What are you doing...disperse immediately!" Juzo snapped angrily, tossing aside his blazer, squaring up to fight. One single student walked out from the crowd. Hisashi, Musashi and Yunosuke all gasped when they saw that it was Ricardo. His once pristine uniform was now covered in blood splotches. His eyes were crimson in color, and he had a sneer on his face.
"Well lookie here, if it isn't my friends from Class 79...how are you doing guys?" he asked happily.
"Ricardo, what are you doing? And where's Ricky?" Musashi asked curiously.
"Oh that lame puppet? Yeah I gave him up, I found an even better puppet, this one is nice and fresh too. Nothing beats a living breathing human puppet after all!" he said. He snapped his fingers and the crowd gathered around the tree moved.
Hisashi's eyes widened in shock as he clasped his mouth with his hand. He tried his hardest to contain himself, but he let out a scream anyway. His shoulders shook in anger and sadness, as he looked at the scene before him.
Yuriko Kirigiri, his mother, had been hung from the tree by her neck. She had been stripped of her clothing and stabbed repeatedly in the chest. The tendons in her arms and legs had been tied to two wooden plans, to act as puppet strings. Someone had slashed open her abdomen, her entrails hanging from the gash. Her arms and legs were soaked in pink, as her blood pooled around her body. He grit his teeth in anger, letting out a cry as he took aim at the nearest Reserve Course member, pulling the trigger of his gun.
The result was instantaneous. The boy's body dropped to the ground, lifeless as the others just stood there screaming. He let out another round before Juzo took him down, kicking the gun out of his hand. That however didn't stop Yunosuke from moving forward. Faster than lightning, he pulled out an arrow, letting it fly across the lot. It struck a girl right in the eye. He grabbed three more and set them up, letting them fly. Ricardo laughed loudly as he dodged all of the arrows, running as fast as he could. Yunosuke kept on shooting, injuring or killing all the Reserve Course students in front of him. Hisashi and Musashi could only watch.
"Someone stop him!" Juzo shouted, earning nods from the security guards.
"Stand down, don't fire!" Hisashi cried, only to be grabbed by Juzo again.
"Don't move dumbass...what the hell are you thinking? You can't kill just because you feel like it."
"My mother was mutilated in front of me, I have the right to take down the ones that did it! Now let me go, so I can hunt down Ricardo and kill him!" he shouted.
"Hisashi calm down, nothing will come of this. Yunosuke stop it this instant!" the white haired accountant shouted, causing the blonde archer to stop. A single gunshot rung through the area, striking the young archer in the side of the neck, his blood bathing the white haired girl as his body landed on her. She let out a scream, falling to the ground, her friend's blood seeping onto her body.
"Jesus Christ!" Hisashi shouted. Juzo let the boy go, standing up to look around. He however didn't see anyone in the area, but did notice Hisashi's gun had been taken.
xxx
"Excuse me, do you think I could see someone?" Daisuke asked, earning a curious look from the nurse behind the counter.
"Sure, what's the patients name?"
"Kiriko Nishizawa...I heard she was out of surgery late last night." he said. The woman nodded, humming to herself.
"You're in luck, she woke up a few hours earlier. We're lucky to have the Ultimate Surgeon and the Ex-Ultimate Pharmacist working with her. Here, take this ID card to the third floor of the ICU. She's in room 343." the woman said, handing him the card.
"Thank you miss." he said, giving her a bow. He walked over to the elevators and pressed the button, waiting for the doors to open. He walked inside and pressed the button, watching the doors slowly close.
"Christ...I turned another one...what is wrong with me...why do I have to keep doing this?" he thought to himself, slamming his fist against the side wall. He closed his eyes, waiting for the ding.
He walked out of the elevator and looked around, quickly finding the right way to go. He presented his ID toward the posted officers, who allowed him to continue. He arrived at the correct room, swiping the card, gaining entree into the room.
Kiriko was sitting up right in her bed, hooked up to various machines. She was just staring at the wall, a far off look in her eyes. When he walked into the room, she didn't move. Ever so slowly, she shifted her gaze toward him, her eyes widening a bit. Daisuke took a deep breath, swallowing the lump in his throat.
She looked dead...even while hooked up to all of those machines she was gone. He didn't expect her to look the same, not after everything that's happened. He slowly approached the bed taking a hold of her hand, giving it a light squeeze. He mustered a smile, hoping to cheer her up a bit, even though he knew that would be impossible.
"Heard from Akihiko your surgery was a success, you'll make a full recovery soon." he said.
"I suppose." she said softly. He sighed, glancing out the window, seeing the swirling mass of clouds. It was getting ready to rain again, and that honestly disappointed him. He heard the small ticks of rain hitting the glass.
"Why must it rain after a tragedy? It happens all the time, when someone dies, it rains...in movies, in real life...in books...it's all the same." she said.
"Well sweetheart, I don't know why it rains after people die. But my interpretation of it is this...the world is sad that so many people died, so it's trying to help us wash away the pain. It doesn't want us to suffer anymore, but it will mourn with us. When the sun comes out again, it's a sign that we can move on, and that the world keeps spinning. They will be missed, but they will never die."
"Does the Ultimate Story Teller always have a story for the right occasion?" she asked curiously, earning a chuckle from the boy.
"Not every occasion...but this is a story that needs to be told. This is a story that can still change. Our story begins with the choices we make, and if we want to get to the happy ending, then we have to reach the climax and take the villain down. Only then will we reach our conclusion."
She remained silent, letting what he said sink in. She looked out the window, feeling tears around her eyes. She clutched the sheets tightly in her hands, allowing them to fall.
"Alright, then I have to get better. I need to get to the bottom of this and expose this story for what it is. I need to make sure that they didn't die in vain. I have to tell their story, the story of my friends. We've been through so much already, but as the sole survivor of Class 76B, I have to make sure they live on with me!" she said firmly.
"Sole survivor? But Soshun made it out too." he said, turning to face her. She shook her head, looking at the floor.
"His parents flew from Europe when they heard he had supposedly left. They dug up the truth from the authorities and came to see me. They told me that he had passed away this morning...he had internal brain damage from his skull fracture."
"I'm so sorry...I wasn't told." he said. She forced a smile onto her face, brushing her locks out of her eyes.
"You've been dealing with a lot of stuff at the academy. I heard about your arrest too...but I also heard what you did for me. Akihiko said that the pressure you applied to my wound was what ultimately saved me. I would have bleed out by the time emergency services got there. So I have to thank you, for saving my life...in the end it was you who became my shield." she said, giving him a bright smile.
"No...I should thank you Kiriko...because you taught me a lesson. No matter how bleak the outcome is, there is always some hope at the end of the tunnel. The world isn't black and white, it isn't Hope and Despair, at least, it isn't...if you don't let it become that." he said, frowning a bit.
"Is something wrong? You know you can tell me anything." she said.
"No...I'm alright, just a bit stressed out with everything that's going on...I have to go back to the academy...I need to tell my friends that you're okay." he said.
"Alright...visit me soon okay? With Seiko's help, I should be walking in no time!" she said happily. He chuckled, giving her a nod.
"Don't lose hope, and never let despair work its way into your mind...it will warp you and change you, make you do things you don't want. Live on for them, they're watching you from above." he said, giving her a wink. He left the room, before she could ask him what he meant.
xxx
"I don't like the looks of this you guys." Ibuki said, looking down at the crowd in front of the academy gates.
"Tell me about it, it's a really pressing matter." Takane added.
"Do you think they'll actually get in here?" Teruteru said, hugging Kazuichi tightly. While normally he would push the boy away, he too was also scared of what was going on.
"They have the right to protest, I suppose." Sonia added.
"When people invoke the right to protest here, It's called a Parade...even in my eyes, all I see are a bunch of pissed off kids with picket signs." Peko said, clutching her shinai tightly.
"How can you say something like that?" Hiyoko snapped.
"Don't shoot the messenger, I'm just saying what the faculty told us." the swordswoman replied.
"They can call it a bookfair for all I care, those shits can't get in here." Fuyuhiko added.
"Still...we can't just sit here either...Mikan hasn't shown up yet...there isn't anything else we can do. I'm honestly sick of waiting!" Mahiru said.
"What exactly will we do? We looked for her and couldn't find her, what makes you so sure that we'll find her now?" Daisuke snapped, glancing up from his book. He was sitting at the front of the class, a pissed off look on his face.
"Hey, don't yell at me. This is our friend we're talking about, so act like you give a shit and help us do something!" the photographer snapped. Daisuke snapped his book closed, shoving it in his bag. He stood up firmly, glaring at the redhead.
"Do you not see what is going on outside? People are fucking dying left and right, others are going missing. Security can't do shit about it, the faculty is scared shitless and the Trustees...hell, I should say Trustee because there's only one left on Campus...all of the people who could do something are dead. Worse yet, someone posted this shit online and now the entire world is talking about it." he said.
"Are you...saying all of this is connected?" Chiaki asked. He sighed, pinching his eyes together.
"I haven't exactly been truthful with all of you. Earlier this year, me and Hiyoko were going to prank the Headmaster. We ended up hearing a conversation between him, Kyoko and Hisashi. They were talking about a project, the Hope Cultivation Project, which was later renamed the Izuru Kamukura Project. This project was funded by the Reserve Course's high tuition fees. One of those students agreed to be a part of that experiment. They injected his brain with every one of our talents and all the other talents researched at this academy." he said firmly.
"Where did you get this information from?" Sonia asked curiously.
"Yeah, we didn't know this much before...what have you been doing?" Hiyoko asked curiously. He glanced away, seeing the swirling mass of clouds starting to return. It seemed as if the rain had come back, blocking their brief sunlight.
"That doesn't matter, what does matter is that this information was sent out to the Reserve Course students. I heard snippets of rumors from some of the faculty members...there's a video...one of the Student Council massacre." he said.
"A video...and this was sent to them?" Nekumaru asked.
"It seems some dark magic is at work here. They're riling up the forces, and pinning them against us." Tanaka said firmly, a grim look on his face.
"Guys, I know that this is all interesting information and stuff, but that doesn't help us with Mikan. We have to find her, before someone does something to her." Chiaki said.
"If they haven't done anything to her yet...I saw some Reserve Course students hopping the back gate not long ago." Fuyuhiko said, looking up from his chair.
"Attention Students and Faculty of Hope's Peak Academy. The Campus is now on Lockdown, I repeat the Campus is now on Lockdown. All students are required to present themselves at their assigned Homerooms and remain there until further notice."
"It's starting to fall apart, if we want to find Mikan we have to do it now." Daisuke said, slinging his bag over his shoulder. The door suddenly opened, making everyone gasp.
"Ugh finally, you had us worried...where were you girl?" Hiyoko cried, the smile on her face disappeared when the person walked in. It actually turned out to be Nagito Komaeda.
"Nope, I'm still a guy." he replied.
"Goddamn it, you had us thinking it was someone else!" Mahiru snapped.
"Why are you all so disappointed? I thought my presence would fill you all with hope. I brought souvenirs from my island resort!" he said.
"We don't have time for your shit...if you haven't noticed one of us is missing." Hiyoko snapped.
"Uh who are you?" he asked.
"Nevermind, we have to find Mikan right now." Ibuki said, walking away from the window.
"Yeah, for all we know she could be lying in a puddle, face down with her entrails all over the..."
"Hiyoko shut the fuck up! Heaven forbid that actually happened to her!" Sonia screamed, causing the blonde to clam up.
"Oh...if it's Mikan Tsumiki you want to find, then don't worry. I saw her in the West Plaza not long ago. She seemed to be in a hurry, didn't even wave when I called out to her." Nagito said. Everyone remained silent, looking directly at him.
"What...are you serious?" Daisuke cried. Kazuichi took a hold of the boy's shirt, lifting him off the ground a bit, a pissed off look on his face.
"Are you telling us the truth? Or do you want me to show you what real hope feels like?"
"P-please...I'm telling you the utmost truth." he said.
"What would she even be doing at the West Plaza?" Teruteru asked. Daisuke's eyes widened a bit as he turned around, facing the board.
"She must be getting stuff for Ryouta...she hasn't said anything to anyone. Junko must have done the same thing I did to Kanade and Ricardo and Akihiko...Christ, I can't believe this...my own book used against my friends!"
"Is something wrong Daisuke? You're looking a little sick." the Impostor asked, still keeping up his guise as the Ultimate Animator. He nodded, swallowing hard.
"Sorry, I just had a horrible flashback of that night...it's over now...I say we should all split up and search for Mikan." he said. Lightning boomed outside, as rain started pouring down on the campus once more.
"I agree, let's go before Miss Yukizome shows up...you know once she does she'll ground us here until this Lockdown is over." Akane said.
"I'll leave her a note at least, it wouldn't be right just leaving." Sonia said, grabbing a sheet of paper from the desk.
Once she had written the note, everyone started filing out of the room. Daisuke sighed, taking the black box from his bag. He had wrapped a red ribbon on it, making it look more presentable. He placed it on top of the desk, following after his friends.
"Excuse me, Miss Pekoyama...do you think we could talk?" Nagito asked, causing Peko to stop.
"Alright, but we haven't gotten much time."
xxx
Daisuke and his classmates were once again outside. All of them were wondering around the empty campus, umbrellas in hand. Nekumaru was holding two to keep his massive body from getting wet. Tanaka was walking around without one, much like the Story Teller himself.
"Mikan, where are you?" Mahiru cried out, hoping to grab the girl's attention.
"Come on, do you want me to twist you into a pretzel?" Hiyoko cried.
"Why the hell would she reply to that?" Fuyuhiko snapped.
"Hey, where's Peko? I haven't seen her looking around with us yet." Akane said, causing all of them to stop.
"That's a good question, maybe she's with Nagito...I haven't seen him either." Ibuki replied. They continued walking, entering the West Plaza through the west entrance.
"I think we should split up. We'll cover more ground that way, last time we searched all over the East Plaza, but this time let's focus on everything here." Daisuke said.
"Are you sure about that, with all of the Reserves walking around like they own the place?" Sonia asked. He reached into his bag, pulling out the M1911 he had borrowed from Ozzy. He handed it to her, with several spare magazines.
"I'm sure you know how to use that...you keep Hiyoko safe, I work faster alone." he said, walking into the plaza.
"Daisuke stop!" Hiyoko said...the boy kept walking, shoving his hands in his pockets.
"I swear to Christ, take another step and you and I are through!" he cried. He stopped, looking up at the sky in anger.
"What?" he snapped, glancing at her.
"What's wrong with you? It's like you are actively trying to avoid us...something happened didn't it? After that massacre you've been acting differently." she said.
"Well how the fuck do you expect me to act? Thirteen of our friends fucking killed each other. 267 others jumped to their death in front of my eyes...how the shit am I supposed to react?" he snapped angrily.
"I know it's tearing you apart, but this isn't the time to go all lone wolf on us. I am your fiancee, I am supposed to be there to share in your pain. I saw those pictures too, I saw those kids killing themselves, I have been through it with you. And as much as it is tearing me apart, I am moving on! So buck and do the same, or our engagement is over." she said sternly.
"Fine...whatever, you wanna tag the fuck along, then be my goddamn guest." he said, spinning on his heel. He headed off into the east plaza, gritting his teeth in anger.
"Damn you Junko Enoshima...damn your soul to the pits of hell!"
xxx
Ryouta sighed as he finished the last frame of the pilot episode of his anime. It had been a long grueling week, but with encouragement from his friends, he had been able to finish it rather quickly. He glanced over his shoulder, eyes focusing on Mikan, who was kneeling on the floor, picking up all of the pieces of the puzzle Junko had spilled. He remembered having fallen asleep for about twenty minutes, but the girl had apparently been at it longer than that. He glanced back at his computer, a frown on his face.
"Something is wrong with Mikan...she's hanging onto her every word. It's like Junko brainwashed her. She's up to something, but what is it."
He opened the files of his computer, seeing all of the files that had been made on it, files he didn't remember adding.
"Movie Production, Key Animation, Inbetweens, Finishing, ZV Test, Retake Materials...this looks like a brand new animation...what's this ZV Test?" he thought to himself. He gulped as he double clicked it with his stylus.
A video started playing, the background being bright red. It counted down from zero, fading to red as the video started. Ryouta gasped audibly, biting his lip as he saw the images before him.
Several scenes depicting the graphic murder of Class 76B. All of them were shooting, stabbing, killing each other. There was blood flying in all directions, screaming and shouting. Pained filled shrieks filled his ears, the music was eerie, making him shiver in fear. Tears fell from his eyes.
"What is this...these people, they're killing each other. It isn't CG...this is real."
He flew out of his seat, vomiting into the nearby trash can, clutching it tightly in his arms. He glanced over his shoulders, eyes firmly on the video.
"Oh my god...they're actually dying."
"I see you clicked on the file."
"Gah!"
He backed away from Mikan, who had knelt in front of him, panting a bit. She slowly approached him, a grin on her face.
"You shouldn't have don't that silly. You have to respect the artists process."
"Wait...you're saying Enoshima did this?" he asked, earning a giggle from the girl. She was almost on top of him, unbuttoning her blouse.
"Who else could have done it? That was just a trial run, they were the first victims. Mutual killing videos take a lot of work, there's still so much to do."
"Mutual Killing videos? What does that mean?"
"Oh right, everyone in that class is dead now...they massacred each other while Enoshima filmed."
He just stared at her, a shocked look on his face. She was drooling a bit, the grin on her face was one of pleasure. She was enjoying this, both the video and his reaction was making her entire body tingle. He grit his teeth, clenching his hands in anger.
"Who would want to watch something like that? That's sick!" he shouted. She giggled, kneeling down before him.
"Yes it is." she said in a sing song voice. He shuddered in fear, backing away from the girl as she approached him, licking her lips. She was panting again, almost as if she was in heat. She whispered something into his ear, before pressing her lips to his own.
"Get away from me, this is wrong!" he cried, pushing her back. She licked her lips, sliding her finger across his chest.
"What's wrong? We're just helping people, you'll help us too right? Or are you referring to something else. Is your mind wondering to other things? I'm sure we can do those things if you wanted too."
"What the hell is wrong with you?!"
Ryouta cried out in shock, watching the nurse fly back into the table. She had been kicked in the face by Junko,who had walked into the room from the secret door. She had a pissed off look on her face, her hands at her hips.
"I was gone for a whole five minutes and you turn into a bitch in heat?" she snapped.
"Wah...you yelled at me...I am so unworthy...thank you thank you thank you...what's even worse is that you're right. I am a bitch in heat, I don't deserve your praise!" Mikan cried loudly. Junko smiled, watching as the girl fell to her own delusions, dropping to the ground, a grin on her face.
"Well, looks like we've lost one!"
"You...you did this...you drove her mad!" Ryouta cried.
"Heads up, I'm about to learn you some information!" she cried, rapidly tying her hair up into a single ponytail, placing a pair of glasses onto her face.
"We need to present the current specs of our project." She said firmly. Mukuro came out from hiding, pulling down a projector screen, handing her sister a remote.
"To begin, the mutual killing video you have seen is indeed the cause for Tsumiki's fall into insanity. However, the current scope of its impact, let's just say it's insufficient. My brainwashing skills leave a lot to be desired, this is where you come in. The keyword here is synergy...I propose a merger in our work, applying both of our skills. Together we can craft an even better despair video. It will cover a larger demographic, something that neither of us could achieve on our own. This video will not only increase the market, but will cause a major paradigm shift."
Ryouta grit his teeth, looking away from the screen as he scrambled onto his feet. He tried running away, but Mikan grabbed onto his foot, holding him down to the ground. Junko smiled, moving closer toward him, a hand on her glasses.
"I need your magic Michelangelo. Do it for the sake of art, you saw that poor ratchet excuse of repartee. Help me, help you, help me."
"What's your endgame, what do you want?" he shouted, eyes wide with fear. She took off her glasses, tossing them onto Mikan's back.
"This might sound dumb, but I want to plunge the world into a maelstrom of despair." she said firmly. Ryouta grit his teeth, kicking Mikan in the face.
"Let me go! Let me go!"
"If you want to run don't let me stop you. Just know that if you run, I'll be forced into using your chums, as the stars of my next mutual killing video."
"Don't please...they're innocent!" he cried.
"Actually, they aren't...one of your friends has been turning people to my side behind the scenes. The look on his face is so despairingly delicious...he's breaking himself down. All thanks to his own work of art, he thinks that not listening to his own words will save him. But the only salvation he has is endless despair." Junko said, a grin on her face.
xxx
Chisa sighed to herself, as she walked down the hall toward her classroom. She knew everything outside was starting to get worse. The lockdown proved it. Jin had been steps away from breaking apart while giving that announcement. His poor wife, strung up on a tree horribly disfigured.
She tried not to think about it, but it was rather hard when you were watching it happen. She hadn't gotten there in time to do anything, and by the time she had made it outside, the lockdown had been called. She stood in front of her classroom.
"I know it's rough...but together we'll be fine." she thought happily to herself. She opened the door, a grin on her face.
"Hey class, how is everyone..."
She stopped when she saw the room was empty. She looked around for a few seconds, seeing a note taped onto the wall. Walking toward it, she read the words on it, eyes widening.
"Those idiots! I told them not to go outside!" she snapped, eyes drifting toward her desk. She walked over to it, seeing the black box that had been left behind. She noticed the little tag with her name on it. She untied the ribbon, slowly opening it. Her eyes traced over the bracelet within, as she slowly pulled it from the box. She noticed another note inside it.
"From your loving class, happy birthday...aw those beautiful cinnamon rolls! I need to find them and thank them for this beautiful gift!" she said, wrapping the bracelet around her wrist. She made her way into the hall, running downstairs as fast as she possibly could.
xxx
"Mikan! Are you out here, say something!" Sonia cried, earning no response from the girl. She sighed, looking at the wet ground. The rain had gotten harder over the last hour. They had yet to find their friend, and it was starting to get late. Daisuke pressed himself against the wall, glancing around the corner. He held his hand up, causing the two girls behind him to stop.
"What's up?" Hiyoko whispered.
"Reserves, two groups of twenty with picket signs and about thirty with bats and shovels." he said.
"We can't go this way...if they find us we could get severely hurt." Sonia said, a look of worry on her face.
"Not if we shoot them. We have enough bullets for all of them."
"That's a last resort Hiyoko, I'm sick of seeing people die this week." Daisuke spat.
"Over there, I heard voices!"
"Come out you main course fucks, let me rearrange your faces!"
"Go, I've got this." he said.
"Are you insane, they'll kill you."
"No they wont, I'm the Ultimate Story Teller, they have to listen to everything I say." he said firmly.
"He's right...let's just clear the area until he's done." Hiyoko said, pulling the princess away.
Daisuke frowned as they want off, turning the corner back toward the main square. He grabbed his ear plugs and put them on, grabbing the Despair Book Junko had given him.
He didn't know why, but he felt a massive rush when he reached for it. He was almost excited to use it, and it was starting to scare him. He had already killed 267 students with it, and warped the minds of three Ultimates, who had all fallen into insanity right away. He felt bad for those students, and the guilt was eating him alive, but at this moment, he didn't care. To save his girls, he would fall into despair, and he would use it as his only hope. The Reserve Course students stopped in front of him, one of the bat wielding boys walking forward.
"Well well if it isn't Mr. Author himself, what's good Del Rio, remember me? The kid you beat the hell out of four months ago?" he cried, earning a smirk from the boy.
"Chapter one, the Despair and Entropy of Junko Enoshima." he said, causing the boy to stop.
"It was a bright and sunny morning in the city of Tokyo Japan. The skies were crimson red and oozing nothing but despair. The delicious feeling of death filled my veins as I walked toward my new home. An academy that would breed hope. Hope's Peak Academy, filled with my new play things. Entropy was a wonderful thing, a beauty the world needed to know. I would tear this world apart with it, and I would turn it on its head.
The useless Reserve Course stuck out like a sore thumb. All of those useless labrats would be screaming soon enough. I knew they would be the perfect play things for my life altering plan...but that wouldn't be it, before I drove the world into despair, I would make sure to break every single person that opposed me. And I would do it using their greatest tool against them, like the Achilles tendon, I would use their Ultimate Talents against them. Such is the fate of Hope, in a battle of Hope and Despair, nothing stands a chance of winning."
He was only three pages into chapter one and already the Reserve Course students had stopped to listen to the entire thing. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out the tape player, pressing play. The leader hungrily reached for it, turning the volume to max as he started listening to the audio book. Daisuke closed his eyes, pressing his hands over his ears as he tried his best to block the sounds coming from the recorder
"This is wrong...I shouldn't be doing this!"
"Oh but that's the fun part...despair works its way into your deepest animal minds. It warps and corrupts you until you are left begging for more. You want to spread it, you want to make every single life you see feel it. Loved ones and friends will all bend to your will, all because of the book you have created. This was all your fault...if you had watched where you were going that day in Spain, you wouldn't have met me. Your manuscript wouldn't have been stolen, and you wouldn't be standing here watching as everyone around you fall to despair.
This is all your fault Daisuke Del Rio, you are the cause of so many deaths in this academy. But that is only the beginning, your book combined with my talents, will help this entire world fall to despair. So sit back and enjoy yourself, because you've got a front row seat to the end of days...Pandora's Box has just opened, and you my friend, were the one with the key."
"I was the key...I didn't want anything else than to spread hope with my stories. I didn't want any of this, I don't want people to kill themselves, I don't despair...despair...no, is isn't it hope? That story that I've written is filled with it." he said, a grin on his face. His eyes were a swirling mass of black, as he clutched his hair tightly in his hands.
"Yes of course...that has to be it...I wrote that story filled with hope, so I'm not spreading despair with it. I shouldn't have to hold back when I use it...I can share it with the world, the same way that I did with Distrust." he said.
"What's happening to me...this isn't me...it's her handiwork...I can't fall to the depths of despair."
Daisuke shook his head, placing a hand on his head. He was shaking visibly, the horrible thoughts finally melting away. He stared at the Reserve Course students who were all fighting each other for the tape. He turned around and ran off, dropping the book in his hands. He let out a scream tripping on his own feet as he slammed to the ground.
"Daisuke!"
It wasn't long before his girls were in front of him, both looking at him with looks of worry. He jumped up, grabbing the two of them, hugging them tightly.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to kill them...It was all her fault...I didn't mean to do it!" he cried, breaking into a sob. They shared a look, eyes wide with shock.
"Kill who? You haven't killed anyone, I can still hear those Reserve Course students." Sonia said.
"What's going on Daisuke, you're starting to scare me." Hiyoko said, concern written on her face.
"They all jumped and it was my fault...she made me do it, please I don't want anyone else to die." he cried, hugging them tighter.
"I don't know what he's trying to get at, we need to get him back to the classroom." Sonia said firmly, earning a nod from Hiyoko.
Both of them took a hold of his hands and helped him back. He just kept muttering the same two words as he walked. I'm Sorry. Neither girl knew what to do, but both of them were truly broken hearted at the state their lover was in.
xxx
"Do you think she could be over here?" Chiaki asked, earning a shrug from Nagito. The boy had been lucky enough to find the girl after he had left the room. The two of them had teamed up, knowing it would make the search go a bit easier.
"Maybe...wait a minute." he said, looking toward the statue.
"Nagito...is something over there?" she asked curiously.
"Why would they put a statue in a place like this?" he asked, climbing onto it. There was a nameplate on it, the name Izuru Kamukura written on it. He reached up for it, pressing a secret switch. He stumbled back, stepping into a loosened stone. Chiaki let out a gasp as the door opened, revealing a stone stairwell.
"Nagito look!" she exclaimed. The boy looked at the new entrance, a look of wonder on his face.
"We've stumbled across a secret passageway." he said.
"Wait, you didn't know this was here?"
"Not a clue...just got lucky I guess."
The two of them walked down the stone steps, finding another long passage below the statue. Chiaki pulled her student handbook from her pocket, clicking on the flashlight application on it, the bright light shined down into the darkened hallways, providing a bit of visibility.
"Why would the academy build a place like this?" she asked curiously, glancing at Nagito. He shrugged.
"Probably because they're hiding something, and they don't want anyone to find it."
"What would the academy try to hide?" she asked, earning another shrug from the boy.
"I dunno...human experimentation perhaps?"
She remained silent, finding his answer to be rather far fetched. Then again with everything that was happening, and all of the people that had died, she had started to believe it. It wasn't long before they reached the end of the hallway, finding a single wooden door. Nagito opened it, stepping into the room. It was rather bright inside, but that was because of the three computer monitors on the other side of the room. The person behind them turned around, eyes widening a bit.
"Mitarai, is that you? You've lost weight."
"I did mean to do it...I didn't want anyone to die!" he exclaimed.
"What...you aren't making sense." Chiaki said, clearly confused.
"Please...you have to believe me, I'm just an animator! This was her fault, not mine!" he cried out.
"Hey yo, how's my bestest buddy doing?" Junko asked, entering the room.
"Who might you be?" Nagito asked, causing the blonde to look at him. She tilted her head curiously.
"I could ask you the same question, how did you get access to this secret room?" she asked.
"That's the luck of the draw I'm afraid." he said.
"Luck huh?"
"Indeed, I happen to have Ultimate Luck you know." Nagito said, Chiaki remained silent, her eyes firmly on the girl in front of her. It was Junko Enoshima, the famous model she had seen a lot in the news. She had so many questions for her, but didn't have the courage to them.
"Oh, I getcha...but after this, you won't have your Ultimate Luck to save you. You will not be able to tell anyone what you found here." she said, a smirk on her face. Nagito had one of his own.
"If you are expecting backup from Mukuro Ikusaba, then you are sadly mistaken...I've already taken care of her."
"That so...this is so cool...I've never felt this kind of despair before...keep talking ghost boy, tell me more." the blonde said, a grin on her face.
"I know exactly what you are...you think you can taint this world with despair. But despair is only a stepping stone for hope, there is nothing you can do that will break that balance. But you've tested my patience." he said, reaching inside his blazer. He pulled a gun from within, taking aim at the fashionista.
"What are you doing? You can't kill people, that's wrong!" Chiaki exclaimed. Nagito frowned, turning to face her.
"Sometimes, you have to do what is wrong for the sake of hope. She's the embodiment of despair, a person who may plunge our world deep into it. I wanted to test my luck, see if I have what it takes to kill you. In the end, you are just a stepping stone for hope."
"Well, I haven't met a bigger hope fanboy than you. It's actually a shame."
"I'm surprised you've been active this long under the radar. This was a pretty damn big gamble, but I'm sure it will be the right thing to do. If you get lucky, I'll graze you and you get out of this alive, but I never miss." he said, about to pull the trigger. He suddenly turned around, facing Izuru Kamukura. He clutched his gun tightly.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"You have Ultimate Luck?" the boy asked. Nagito pulled the trigger, eyes widening.
"Damn, why you gotta jam now?" he snapped, trying to get the gun to work. Izuru moved blindingly fast, taking a hold of the boy's gun.
"Fortune is fickle thing, it seems you lose this time." he said, pulling the trigger. Nagito cried in pain, falling to the ground.
"Nagito no! Say with me, you can't die." Chiaki cried, dropping to her knees. Ryouta let out a scream, racing out of the room, Junko was too enthralled with what was happening to even stop him.
"Good fortune graces this boy, he's lucky to have survived." Izuru said, tossing the gun aside. Chiaki looked at him curiously, before sticking her hand in Nagito's pocket. Her eyes widened when she saw the student handbook, with the bullet stuck inside.
"The Student handbook, it saved your life." she said. The boy merely chuckled, reaching up with his left hand, passing out shortly after.
Xxx
"Why am I running, I need to go back and do something about Junko...but I'm to scared to do anything." Ryouta thought to himself. He turned the corner, slapping into Chisa who had been looking for her class for the last half hour. He fell to the ground, landing in a big puddle.
"Ryouta? Is that you? My you've lost weight." she said.
"Please, you've got to help me! They're going to kill Nanami!" he cried.
"Huh, you aren't making any sense." the girl replied, keeping her look firmly on the boy.
"I didn't mean to kill anyone, I'm just an animator...all I want to do is make anime, but now Nanami is going to die. I don't want anyone else to die!" he screamed.
"Shh, calm down...none of this is your fault alright? Just tell me where to go...and when I get back, I want you to show me your anime." she said, wiping his tears away. He nodded, pointing behind him.
"The Izuru Kamukura statue, there's a room underneath it. Nanami and Komaeda are there, Komaeda got shot! Please you have to hurry." he cried. Chisa nodded, handing the boy her umbrella.
"Stay out of the rain, I don't want one of my precious kids getting sick on me." she said, breaking off into a sprint. Ryouta watched her go, tears steaming down his face.
"This must be my lucky break...I'm in the right place at the right time too often. I can't let my kids die...but what exactly can I do...I'm just an Ultimate Housekeeper."
Chisa slid to a stop in front of the statue, looking into the darkness down below. Thunder boomed high above her, lighting the darkened hallway a tiny bit. She felt her phone vibrating in her pocket, and as she was going to reach for it, she looked at her bracelet, a smile on her face.
"I have to do something about this...I'm sorry Kyosuke, please forgive me." she thought to herself, as she made her way down the stairs.
xxx
"You are amazing, good going Kamukura, you surely showed him!" Junko said, praising the long haired boy. His gaze was still firmly on Chiaki, who had been staring back at him. Her eyes widened in realization.
"Hinata...is that really you?"
"Hinata? Was that who I was before? I don't believe I remember...the previous personality was purged from this body, and I awoke within." he replied.
"It can't be...you sound like him, and look like him too...you are Hinata...what have they done to you?" she asked.
"News flash class rep, your buddy was turned into a guinea pig by your so called academy of hope. He had his brain poked with a needle and got a total blue screen shutdown. What you see here is the results of millions of yen and many years of experimental Pseudo-Science." Junko replied, causing the girl to look at her.
"What are you saying, they wouldn't do something like this?" she cried.
"Sure, and they wouldn't hide the graphic murder of sixteen students now would they? FYI, Soshun Murasame checked out this morning. He's playing President with the big man in the sky. The other bitch is slowly dying, at least I hope she is...ha see what I did there?"
"You're horrible. How can you get so much pleasure from people dying?"
"Sweetheart, don't you know who I am? I'm fuckmothering Junko Enoshima! Ultimate Despair and destroyer of this world...I have the power to bend worms to my will. Despair is everlasting, divine and loving, and you are about to get your dose of it. Would you like to watch a video? It promise it won't hurt!"
"Chiaki get down!"
The Ultimate Gamer ducked down as a fire extinguisher flew across the room, almost hitting Junko. It slammed into the other end of the room, sending foam in all directions.
"Goddamn! Couldn't you be like other teachers and give me detention?" the girl snapped.
"Miss Yukizome?"
"Take Nagito and get out of here, I'll deal with our enemies." Chisa said firmly.
"But I can't leave you here." she cried. The woman turned to face her, placing a hand on her face. Chiaki heard the jingling of a charm bracelet, and looked at her wrist, seeing her wearing their class's gift.
"You can and you will, it's my job to protect you not the other way around. Round up your friends and wait for me, we'll all watch a movie, and play games and eat junk food, and all of those other fun things...go...I'll join you shortly." she said, turning to face Junko and Izuru. Chiaki grit her teeth, hauling Nagito up. She glanced back at Chisa, the woman not bothering to look back. She disappeared through the doors, leaving their teacher with the Ultimate Despair.
xxx
"I am telling you Erika, something is wrong here." Daisuke snapped, as he looked at his sister.
His classmates had gathered back at their homeroom, everyone but Mikan, Chiaki, Nagito and Peko had been there. He had called his sister, and she had come along with Misa, Natsumi, Tsubaki and Hisashi, who hadn't said a word. Sayaka was next to him, her hand clasped over his own. Erika glared at her brother, hands on her hips.
"What is wrong? You aren't telling me anything...why should all of us leave? With no information?" she asked. Daisuke sighed, slamming his fist against the board, his soaking shirt leaving an imprint on it.
"Listen to me goddamn it. People are fucking dying left and right on this campus, Yunosuke Nagahama is dead, Yuta Kamishiro is dead, Hisashi's mother was murdered outside by Reserve Students for Christ sakes, I myself was almost killed by a group of them. You have got to get out." he said.
"And leave you behind? Why should I? You're my brother and I am not letting you stay here." she said firmly.
"Maybe we should listen to him Erika." Misa said, placing a hand on her dog's snout. He whimpered loudly, rubbing his head against her leg.
"I agree, this campus isn't safe anymore. Reserve Course students are running rampant all over the place. Photos of murder are posted on every medium online, and three of our classmates have mysteriously vanished without a trace. I believe it's for the best that we evacuate this place, and cut our losses." Tsubaki said firmly.
"Cut our losses? Do you hear yourself? Those losses are our friends! I am not fucking leaving this place without them!" Natsumi snapped angrily. Fuyuhiko chuckled, shaking his head.
"When did you get so sentimental?" he asked, earning a glare from her.
"The same moment you started attending your class parties. Come on big brother, you agree right? Peko isn't back, and three of your friends are missing too. We have to wait for our classes to be fully assembled before doing anything."
"Guys, I need help!" Chiaki cried, walking into the room with an unconscious Nagito. They all gasped, with Daisuke taking a hold of the boy. He sat him down on the floor, checking him over.
"What the fuck happened to him?" Kazuichi cried.
"He was shot by Izuru Kamukura...you were right Daisuke, he truly does exist, and Junko Enoshima is involved. Miss Yukizome stayed behind to stop them, we have to go back for her." She exclaimed.
"Damn it...that bitch has been alive far too long. I am going to put a bullet in her skull if it's the last thing I do." Daisuke snapped, reaching behind his back, loading a magazine into his gun.
"Whoa man, you can't just up and kill someone like that...sure people have died, but that isn't reason to start shooting people." Fuyuhiko said.
"Don't you get it, ever since that bitch showed up, everything has been going to hell. She came into school with Class 79, but is part of 78, no one would notice her doing shit behind the Trustees back. Days after she arrived, that Trustee vanished, 25 security guards disappeared, Class 76B brutally murdered each other, and 267 Reserve Course students commit suicide. She's the root of all this, and if we end her, everything will stop. It will fill the world with delicious despair!" he cried, a grin on his face.
"Do you hear yourself speak? Look at you, you are happy at the thought of murder...just what happened to you?" Sonia cried out. Hiyoko remained silent, a look of fear on her face. She was staring at a completely different man, the one she had fallen in love with had changed, and she didn't know into what.
"I do hear myself speak, you wanna know what changed me? It was a book...I read a goddamn book and poof, I realized what I had to do. In order for hope to prevail, we need to kill despair...only then will we get out of this home free." he said firmly.
"I...agree with him." Nagito said, causing Chiaki too look at him.
"You want to kill her too?" she asked.
"You saw what she did...she's going to kill...Miss Yukizome...we need to go to her...but the enemy is too strong." he said.
"Everyone, Miss Yukizome is in trouble!"
Mikan stumbled into the classroom, her arm wrapped around Peko's waist. The girl was severely fatigued, her arm was bleeding a bit, pink blood smeared onto her blouse.
"Peko, what happened to you?" Fuyuhiko cried, taking a hold of the girl.
"I'm sorry master...but I have failed." she said.
"It seems, the scales are tipping toward despair...but if we all team up, we'll create a big hope...one that will destroy Junko Enoshima." Nagito said.
"Erika, this is it...take your friends and get out of here...I don't know what's going to happen, but I don't want you here when it does." he said.
"Fine...I'll leave...but you better not die Cabron, I mean it!" she said. She gave him a hug, wrapping her arms tightly around him.
"I love you baby sis...always remember that." he said. She nodded, breaking the hug.
"I'll stay here...I need to find the ones that killed my mother and avenge her." Hisashi said firmly, earning a nod from Erika.
"Vaya Con Dios, y buena suerte!" (Go with God, and Good Luck) she said. She looked at her friends, all of them following her lead out of the room. Hisashi and Sayaka shared a kiss, before she let go of his hand.
"I'll go gather up my friends...we're going to stay in the Old School Building until this blows over. I want you to meet us there when you can alright?"
"Alright...before you go, I want you to take this with you." Hisashi said, handing her a silver engagement ring. Her eyes widened in shock.
"What's this?" she asked, looking at the gem. It was a blue amethyst, in the shape of a butterfly. He gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"In case something happens, I want you to know that I love you with all my heart, and I'm willing to be with you forever." he said. She bit her lip, forcing herself to hold back the tears.
"I love you too...please be safe!" she said, running out of the room. Hisashi sighed, turning to face his friends.
"Chisa Yukizome is in trouble, it is my understanding that you want to rescue her correct?"
"Yes but...Junko Enoshima sounds scary man...I don't want her to kill us." Teruteru said.
"Maybe we should follow Tsubaki's advice." Takane added, her arm tightly wrapped around Kazuichi's waist.
"It's looking grim, the enemy is stronger than us...we should go now." Peko said.
"We can't...Chisa wouldn't abandon us! She brought us all together, and now you all want to abandon her? Well I won't let that happen...she saved my life!" Chiaki cried.
"She saved all of our lives...she brought us together...I'm with Chiaki...I am not letting Junko win this." Daisuke said firmly.
"I agree with Daisuke...but before anything else, I must reveal my true self." Ryouta said, reaching around his neck, pulling his face off. The one underneath was that of a young man, who was still rather chubby. He had slick black hair, and black colored eyes. He looked rather plain as well. Kazuichi screamed loudly, pointing at him.
"He took his face off...he took his fucking face off!" he shouted.
"I just wanted to be myself for this...of course I cannot be myself because I don't have a self...I was pretending to be Ryouta Mitarai, but now I am going to be free of his identity."
"What's going on, who are you?" Ibuki cried, eyes widened in shock.
"He doesn't have a name, but I just call him Impostor...he's been taking care of the real Ryouta Mitarai for awhile now...oh right...we have to find him too...he's part of our class, and he was with Junko the last time I saw him!" Daisuke said.
"He took off, running in fear when Nagito was shot...but I agree...all of us need to be together...so let's go find our teacher. We can't be Class 77B of Hope's Peak Academy without her!"
"Right!" everyone cried out. Hisashi gave them a nod.
"Follow me then, I will take you as far as the secret underground below the Kamukura Statue, but you will be own your own after that. I have my own mission to follow." he said. Daisuke smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder. Hisashi looked at him curiously, he swore he saw the boy's eyes flash red for a brief second.
"Thank you Hisashi...we appreciate your help...let's go get our teacher back." he said, grabbing a hold of his messenger bag.
With that, the students of Class 77B raced out of their classroom, walking down the halls of New Hope's Peak Academy together, for the last time of their lives.
xxx
"Yukizome isn't responding, this isn't like her." Juzo muttered, looking at the time stamp on his phone. He glanced at his friend, Kyosuke Munakata, who had arrived at the school shortly before the breach. He had the entrance files for Class 78 in his hands, looking at a specific profile.
"Something must have come up, but we don't have time to figure out what. All of the evidence I've gathered in the academy points toward Junko Enoshima, aside from Daisuke Rel Rio, she was one of the witnesses of this massacre." he said, glancing at her file.
"So, you think she's involved with all of this?" Juzo asked curiously.
"Indeed, and if she is...she's going to pay with her life for what she's done to my students, and my academy!" he said, snapping the file closed. Juzo chuckled, slamming his fists together.
"Alright then, I'll go round the bitch up, let her know you got words with her." he said.
"Do be careful, we do not know the scope of what this enemy can do. If she has taken control of Kamukura, assume she can take control of anyone."
"Don't worry, I'll make sure not to beat her up so much. She may have a swollen face, but I'm sure her mouth will still work." the man said, walking out of the room. Kyosuke sighed, glancing at the window, his mind drifting to his beloved.
"Chisa...please be safe."