DAY ONE ; 9:58 A.M.

Mahiru Koizumi stopped at the shrine to catch her breath, and get a quick drink of water. She pushed hair back from her face, wishing idly or a headband. She'd been on the move since she'd left the school, never staying longer than half an hour in one place. She'd have to take a break to sleep soon – she wanted to sleep during the day, because people were going to be active during the night, but she did kind of want to find Saionji first…

She heard someone moving and hesitated, readying to use her flashlight as a weapon. She didn't have a real weapon – the one provided had been a paper fan, which she'd tossed aside as soon as she realized what it was supposed to be.

It was totally unfair, if she thought about it – they should've given the fan to a man. Someone like Mondo Oowada, not to a girl. A man wouldn't need a gun like she would. But that was why she moved around so much, because if she was ever found, she wouldn't have anything to defend herself with.

She heard the rustling again and swallowed. She was in plain view, it was in her best interest to just call out.

"Who's there?" she asked, and then Hiyoko Saionji fell out of a tree.

"Hiyoko-chan!" she said. She let out a relieved sigh. "I'm glad it's you."

"Big Sis Koizumi," Saionji said. She smiled. "I was looking for you. I nearly got rid of Big Bro Ishimaru and Big Bro Oowada, but they got away before I could off them."

"What's your weapon?" Koizumi asked with a weak smile. Saionji pulled a sickle out from under her clothes. She'd put on her dancing clothes, for some reason – it was a little creepy, if Koizumi thought about it. "I got a paper fan."

Saionji made a face. "I'll have to protect you, then!" she said brightly. She hummed a few bars of a song Koizumi didn't recognize and admired her sickle. Then she froze.

"What –" Koizumi's words cut off in a shriek as a bullet passed through her thigh and she fell to one knee. Saionji's eyes widened and she adjusted her grip on the sickle so that she was ready to kill someone with it.

Koizumi turned to see Junko Enoshima and Mukuro Ikusaba, holding the gun that had injured her, emerge from the bushes. Junko was carrying a banjo, for some inconceivable reason. She strummed the next few bars of Saionji's song. "Hello!" she sing-songed. "Your friendly friends of death here to send you to the neverworld!"

Mukuro was silent as she aimed the gun straight at Koizumi's head.

Koizumi tightened her grip on the flashlight and glanced at Saionji, who had gone stock still. Then she glanced back at Junko and Mukuro, swallowing and wondering if she was going to survive this. The answer was most likely no.

Mikan Tsumiki emerged from the grass behind them, a handful of darts clutched in one hand. Nobody paid much attention to her, though Koizumi had the idea that she was on Mukuro's and Junko's side. Junko strummed a bit more on the banjo.

"You should get rid of Blondie first, Big Sis," Junko said, nudging Mukuro with her shoulder. "Our little photographer isn't going to be running away any time soon."

She moved closer to Koizumi as Mukuro trained the gun on Saionji. Koizumi tightened her grip on the flashlight even more and studied Junko's legs, just a foot or so away from her. If she hurried… if she really hurried, she could probably take her down. And, if she was really lucky, bash her head in with the flashlight.

She'd have to do it fast.

Now.

She pushed off with her good leg and knocked Junko over, grabbing at her skirt and shirt and clubbing with the flashlight wherever she could. She heard Mukuro scream for her sister and she heard Saionji's retreating footsteps as she ran. Koizumi crawled up Junko's body as best as she could and, breathing hard, pushed herself into a sitting position with her arm raised to club Junko's head.

Mukuro shot her arm and she was flung sideways, landing hard on her back. She scrabbled to get up and Mukuro shot again, a bullet biting into her collarbone. She screamed. She screamed and she kept screaming as Mukuro, barely recognizable under a mask of hatred, pumped bullet after bullet into her, none of them grievous enough to kill.

Finally, after far, far too long, Mukuro stood over her, face impassive. "Don't touch my sister."

With that, she shot Koizumi in the head.

28 STUDENTS REMAINING

One more super-short chapter today!