H S S: Unmasking His Impure Origins Before Them.
*Ding doing bing bong*
"Good morning, everyone! It is now 7 a.m. and nighttime is officially over! Time to rise and shine! Get ready to greet another beee-yutiful day!"
"…I suppose this is the price to pay for a good sleep…"
Well, I said that, but the truth is that I didn't sleep at all. Thanks to the box I found yesterday in the A/V room, I began to suspect that Monokuma would make a move soon, and well, seeing that we are talking of him, I didn't put out of the realm of possibility for him to do something in the middle of our sleep.
It might sound paranoid considering that all of this came from just a simple cardboard box, but I just simply couldn't afford the risk. Even so, it's not like I am capable of doing this forever, so, as much as I didn't like it, I will have to be content with doing this only when I see a signal of him attempting anything.
Either way, I was about to begin the day the usual way when…
*Ding dong*
I heard the sound of someone ringing the doorbell of my room, and I couldn't help but narrow my eyes at that.
Who would like to meet me first hour in the morning? Enoshima? I mean, it is true that I've meet her early these past few days…but this early?
Hmmm…There's actually someone else who comes to mind, still…
I cautiously approached the door, readying my body 'and a dagger...' in case it's neither of the previous two options, and this is someone else with…less friendly intentions.
Once I had my hand on the handle, I only opened the door enough to only reveal less than half of my face, I wasn't going to allow anyone to see the insides of my room and much less to get inside.
When I did that, I caught sight who it was…
"A most splendid morning, isn't it!?" Taka exclaimed/shouted.
…
…Ah, the worst-case scenario has become true…Monokuma and Taka have teamed up to work as alarm clocks at the same time.
"…I suppose…"
"Now then, if you'll pardon the interruption―!" Without waiting for a response from my part, Taka tried to barge into my room.
Of course, that was something I didn't allow, as without effort I keeped the door in place, much to the confusion of the Ultimate Moral Compass.
"H-Huh? Uh, Shigaraki, it seems your door is stuck…"
"That's not the case, I just simply that I didn't gave you permission to get in"
Apparently, that caught him off guard. If I had to guess, everyone so far has been more permissive with him getting into their rooms.
"I-I see, then…Shigaraki! I request your permission to come in!"
"No"
"N-No!?"
"Even if I wanted to let you in" Which I don't "It's just not possible…"
"Not possible…? May I know why?"
…Geez, I really haven't put any time to think of an excuse, the chances of someone actually wanting to visit my room were close to zero. If I am honest, this really is an unexpected turn of events.
But even that isn't enough to faze me, I can improvise.
"Yes, the reason for that is…because I sleep naked" I stated with a straight face.
...
...
...
...Yeah…not the best of excuses, but not the worst either.
"…"
"…"
"N-Naked!? Shigaraki, what is the meaning behind this indecent behavior!?"
"It's because of the benefits that provides" I say without hesitating.
That seemed to caught his attention.
"Benefits…?" Taka asked with a quirked eyebrow.
"Yes, one of them is that it helps with the blood regulation, which in turn keeps our brain healthy, that helps a lot to in keeping the mind sharp…something truly beneficial when it comes to studying"
Studying, that seems like a magic word when it comes to him.
"Is…Is that really the case!? I can't believe I had no idea! Dammit! All those years of dedication and failed to take sleep into consideration in such a way! How much of a fool I could be!? Shigaraki! I must truly thank you for your insight on this!" Taka exclaimed passionately.
…Well, it works for me if he's that gullible, in any case…
"You're welcome…So, what do you need?"
"Oh, right! You see, I was thinking about this last night, and…I have come to the conclusion that we all need to really come together!"
"Is that so…?" I might an idea of what he's implying…
"Yes, and that was when I came to the next conclusion…Every morning from this day on, after the morning announcement, all of us should have breakfast together! And it just happens that today is the beginning of such fateful day! Please head to the dining hall at your earliest convenience!" Taka exclaimed.
So he truly was talking about making obligatory daily meetings, huh? That's…useful I will admit, not much because of the bonding together nonsense, but more because of the intel it will provide every single day.
If all us meet together in a single place every day, it will help to do a head-check, that way if one of us goes missing, we will become aware of that with ease. 'Though…I will admit that it would eventually become a hindrance for me in the case I decided to actually make a move and include the time it takes to find the body into consideration…'
There's that…and that I will have to be faster when taking showers, as I refuse to abandon morning showers while I have the capacity of them.
…
…Am I getting spoiled in that area? Huh, that's kind of fast 'and worrying…' considering it's been just about four days.
Anyway, before I could accept or reject Taka's proposal, he beat me to the punch.
"That's all for now! I have to go and let the rest of our group know the good news!" Not waiting for my response. He turned and left to bother the occupant of the room in front of mine.
Ah, she's not gonna like that.
Honestly, even if I didn't gave him an answer, I already accepted that there are more benefits with going rather than rejecting the offer '…At least for now'.
With that in consideration, I used the few minutes I bought with that excuse I made to Taka to prepare myself for the day.
Once I left the room, I was meet with quite a peculiar sight.
"Yes, yes I'm coming to that stupid meetin' of yours! You don't have to literally be knocking for 10 minutes at the door just to try to barge into my room as if it was yours to tell me about it, you pervert!" Exclaimed an angry Enoshima.
"P-P-Pervert!?" Replied a shocked Taka.
"Well, duh! How else do you call what you were trying to do? If I catch you trying to put a stunt like that again, there will be consequences, got it!?"
"E-Eh…u…u…Understood!" Shouted a scared Taka as he left to find someone else to do…whatever he was doing.
Once I made sure he was out of sight and that nobody else was around, I turned to Enoshima.
"…Making friends, huh?"
"…*sigh* Seriously what's his deal? As soon as I opened the door, the guy tried to get inside as if it was his place, that's just so freakin' weird, right?"
"It is, though at least I managed to get him off my back before it came to that point…"
"Oh? Care to share the secret?" Enoshima asked with a tilted head.
The secret? That would be…
"…You don't want to know, really…in any case, you are coming too?"
She quirked an eyebrow at my comment, but besides that, she let the subject to rest "Ah, yeah, I will go to that thing he said…but you should probably go without me, I'm still not done with some of the stuff I need and other things I need to reapply thanks to that jerk"
Is she talking about make-up? Hmm…
Maybe I shouldn't point out she looks the same to me. 'Not in a bad way...quite the opposite in fact...'
"…Right, you do that…"
"Hey, what's up with that look you are making?" Enoshima asked with a quirked eyebrow.
"Nothing, I will see you later" I said more quickly than what I would've liked to.
"…Alright, catch ya later" The fashionista said before returning to her room, though she still gave me a suspicious look just before getting inside…
…I suppose she's still pissed about what Taka did.
Once inside the dining hall I could see that most of the class were already there, so I just took my seat in the same spot I did in the first day. It seems I wasn't the only one, everyone else was using the same spot as the last time, with people like Togami and Fukawa using a completely different table.
Among them, besides Naegi, Maizono, Taka and surprisingly Fujisaki who did greet me, everyone else just opted with looking at me warily, but they didn't do anything beyond that, so it was fine for me.
Eventually, the remaining students assembled in the dining hall, which worked as a signal for Taka to begin the meeting.
"Alright, looks like everyone's here! So then, let's begin our very first 'breakfast meeting'!" The moral compass exclaimed before proceeding to clear his throat "First of all, I would like to thank everyone for making time in your busy schedules to come together!"
…'Busy schedule'? As if, I don't remember the last time I had this much free time 'or any free time…' in my life.
Leon neither agreed with that comment, though for different reasons…
"I didn't make time for any shit. You dragged me here…*sigh* my nap…"
Taka ignored that comment completely, though "I know I already mentioned this earlier, but… In order to get out of here, it is essential that we all cooperate with each other"
He then proceeded to slam his hands on the table, making Fujisaki flinch 'So intense…'
"And the first step is this breakfast meeting! To allow us to become friends with each other and build our mutual trust! So from now on, let's all meet here in the dining hall every day after the morning announcement! Now then…let's eat!" Taka exclaimed.
At that, I was about the get out of the chair and go to the kitchen to grab something…when I noticed how most of the class were looking at each other uncomfortably.
…Huh.
"You w-want me to eat breakfast w-with other p-people? I've never done that in my life. I'm not s-sure…" Fukawa said nervously.
"Y-Yeah…it's been a while for me too" Leon added.
…I mean, I would be lying if I say that I'm not a similar case, but I don't really care if I am honest, as long as the company doesn't show any signal of being suspicious or potentially dangerous, it should be fine.
Though it seems that even with such factor into consideration, I will have to wait a bit longer as Enoshima brought another point into the discussion.
"Putting that aside…has anyone happen to come up with any clues?"
At her question, silence was all that followed.
That included me, several days have passed by and I haven't made any new discoveries…the only exception to this is the box I found yesterday in the A/V room, but that is something the fashionista already saw.
I had some theories of my own about certain things, sure, but there wasn't any solid evidence, so they were just that, theories…
So yeah, if we are talking about any new clues…I had nothing.
Enoshima didn't seem to take this silence in any positive way…and I could see she was beginning to have one of her 'impulsive moments'…
"Seriously? Nothing at all!? It can be anything! About how to get out, or who is doing this, nobody has anything!?" Enoshima exclaimed.
"…You are going to die" Commented Celeste.
*Twitch*
At the gambler words…there was this…strange reaction I have sometimes, but there was also something else…
Something I haven't feel in who knows how long…
It was…a lump of genuine worry in my throat.
…And all because the gambler told Enoshima that she was going to die with a foreboding expression, as if she was sure of that destiny.
…That's…
…That's so…
'…So stupid…get together, Shizuka, now's not the time for this kind of crap…'
…If I didn't take those words well, it was much less in the case of the fashionista herself.
"Huh…?" Was all Enoshima said, completely shocked at what Celeste just said.
"If you can't control yourself from revealing any sign of weakness in front of others…you will die"
"Wh-What the hell!?, don't even freakin' joke about that!"
"What I said was not a joke. Adaptability is survivability. Did I not say so? It is essential for you to hurry up and find a way to adapt in this place…although…" She turned slightly to look at me "…It seems you have found your own way to do it, didn't you?"
I fought the urge to narrow my eyes, I refuse to give her anything to exploit.
Though in Enoshima's case, she couldn't avoid a reaction while looking at the gambler suspiciously.
"That I have already adapted…? What the heck are you talking about?"
"Hehe, nothing of importance, dear…oh, by the way, that is a most peculiar accessory you have there, I can't remember seeing you wearing it before…"
At that, some of the girls gave a more careful look at the fashionista.
"Now that you mention it…Ah, it's true! That kitten hairclip is so cute, Junko!" Hina commented.
"Yeah, it really goes really well with your style! Although it is true that I haven't seen you wearing it before…" Maizono added with a tilted head and a finger in her chin.
Almost everyone turned to Enoshima to give her a curious look. Which in turn made her snap while she stammered with clear signs of embarrassment.
"H-Huh? Y-You…You guys don't have to make a big deal out of this! My room just so happens to be full of stuff of this kind…t-that's all there's to it. I just decided that today wanted to change my style a little bit, that's the kind of stuff I do as a fashionista, alright!?"
While everyone became confused at her reaction, her response seemed to be enough to satisfy their curiosity…with the exception of Celeste…and Kirigiri.
Celeste didn't seem believe a word of what Enoshima said and was looking at me as if she knew there's more about this. 'Which unfortunately, there is…'
Kirigiri…well, she was looking at me suspiciously, but that's just seems to be the default look she is going to give me all the time.
"Is that so…? Well, in any case, I am quite interested in this gamble of yours, I will have to keep an eye to see the results of it, it will definitely will make things much more entertaining for my life here" Celeste said.
"Your life here…? Have you gone insane? Do you have any idea of the junk you're saying right now?" Enoshima replied.
"Yeah, sound to me like the girl wants to live here. And hell, more power to her…but shit…no way in hell I am living here! I'm gettin' outta here, I don't give a shit!" Owada exclaimed.
"Hmhm. Sure, feel free" Celeste commented with an unimpressed fake smile.
"Okay, so… nobody has any clues?" Leon asked.
"One thing I can tell you is who's behind this. Someone who's totally weird and messed up!" Hina exclaimed.
…Huh.
"I mean, sure, it is someone like that. But for now, talking about real clues…"
Once again, there was nothing but silence, as everyone tried to remember any information they could've missed.
It seemed as if we reached a dead end…when Fujisaki of all people spoke up.
"U-Ummm…" The programmer nervously tried to gather everyone's attention.
"Huh? What's up?" Leon replied.
"If you think in terms of people who are really abnormal or bizarre…do you think maybe the person responsible for all this could be a certain murderous fiend…?"
"…Murderous fiend…Ah! F-Fujisaki…by any chance, you couldn't be talking about Shigaraki, right?" Naegi said in a worried tone of voice.
At the mention of me, all the class turned to me while looking at me with either with wariness or suspiciousness 'Well everyone sans Enoshima and Naegi, they actually seemed kinda worried…'
But before this staring contest with me turned into a witch hunt…again, Fujisaki spoke in alarm.
"N-No! I was not talking of him! B-But…well, I-I can't really be certain of what I'm thinking, but…"
"This is not a moment for hesitation! Even if it's not a certainty, I'll allow whatever remarks you may have!" Taka exclaimed.
"O-Okay, well…Have you guys heard of Genocider Syo?"
Ah, so 'she's' talking about that…
"You mean the serial killer that's been all over the news and it's always a trend in the internet?" Naegi asked.
For some reason, Togami seemed quite invested in taking part for this specific topic.
"The monstrous villain who's murdered scores of victims in brutally bizarre fashion…The word 'bloodlust' was left at each murder scene, written in the victim's own blood. Whoever it is, he's like a ghost. He strikes without warning, and disappears without a trace…On the internet he is known as…Genocide Syo. That about covers it, I think" Togami finished.
"They say he's claimed over a thousand victims…" Hiro added solemnly.
"But that's just an urban legend, right? I mean, a thousand lives…that's an insane amount! There's no way a single person could be capable of that, right?" Hina commented.
…
"Is it that hard to believe? After all…if what Monokuma said is true, we are in presence of someone who possess a similar if not higher numbers at his hands, remember?" Togami replied.
Everyone's faces drained of color at the mention of that.
Because, yes, it has been clear for everyone that I am the Ultimate Assassin 'Not that being aware of it has gave them any peace of mind, though'…but it seems that other extra bit he added during my…presentation, has been partially ignored.
Every single killing method I mentioned earlier…He has done it Dozens! Hundreds of times! Every single killing method you ask him about…The same! Dozens! Hundreds of times!
But the heir has just reminded them of that, and well…when you add what Togami and Hiro said…
They didn't take long to made their own connection.
"I-It's true, Monokuma said something among those lines, didn't he…?" Yamada said.
"W-Wait! If that's a similar number of deaths and he's some kind of killer…doesn't that means he could truly be…!?" Leon added his own conclusion.
Which of course, they couldn't help but take at face value, because why not?
"Oh? Could it be that we are in presence of the infamous serial killer…?" Celeste added.
"Hmm…I will admit that the assassin fills the description in some way, it certainly is a possibility…" Togami commented.
"W-Wait! I am not certain of what I said! I lack evidence or anything, all of this it's just―!" Fujisaki tried to correct 'herself', but Owada beat her to the punch.
And my ears are going to regret my decision of me sitting next to the biker.
"Oi! Is that true, bastard!? You're that Genocider Syo creep!? You better have some fuckin' good evidence against that or I will give a world of pain, you piece of shit!" Owada shouted.
Once the biker rambling finished, almost everyone was looking at me with the biggest glares of suspicion I've ever seen from them, waiting in complete silence for my answer.
…
…I am really not used to this.
Usually, I took care of people before they get the chance to try anything against me or even be suspicious of my involvement in their demise, but once again…it seems like I will have to use the dialogue and logical arguments, instead of the…usual methods.
"…*sigh* First of all, I would like to clarify that you are making an important mistake"
"A mistake…?" Kirigiri asked.
"Hmph, I hope you not starting to beg for mercy this early, know that you will not receive any from me" Togami said with a condescending tone of voice.
…A Togami through and through.
"I am not talking about that kind of mistake…its more…you are making a mistake in believing that a serial killer and an assassin are the same thing" I said.
Everyone gained a confused look at that.
"Differences between a serial killer and an assassin…?" Naegi echoed.
"Is there really somethin' like that?" Leon added.
"Does it fuckin' matter!? Both are pieces of shit who kill people just because!"
…
"…It is true that an assassin and a serial killer, both are known for taking the lives of people and I also know some if not all of you won't really care about it…but the reasons for killing are completely different between a serial killer and an assassin"
"Such as…?" Celeste said.
"Basically, the reason a serial killer takes the lives of their victims is because…of passion. Most of the time they do it to fulfil their desires, they see what they do as a form of art in where they make their darkest fantasies run free" I explained.
"K-Killing p-people for a reason…like that?" Fujisaki said on the verge of tears.
"…For fucking art, are ya freaking serious?" Owada growled.
"I am, you can see it in Genocider Jack's work, the effort he or she makes to follow a pattern in all their victims, with the signature 'Bloodlust' included, as if what he does is a painting or a sculpture of some sorts"
It is obvious they aren't used at all to this kind of talk…but I couldn't care less, if I have to touch such crude themes to get rid of suspicion, then so be it.
"…I think I am in need of a healing potion" Yamada said blue on the face.
"Yeah, this is so sick…"
"Um, Shigaraki…and a-about the differences with an assassin…?" Naegi said, most probably to get to the point faster and move from this conversation.
Something the group seemed grateful for.
"First of all, the most important divergence is that I've never killed anyone out of something like entertainment or satisfaction, and the ideal assassin shouldn't either, what it truly matters to us is get the job done according to what it is tasked, anything else is just counterproductive and would only work as an obstacle" 'Though I would be lying if I said that every single assassin is that professional, but that is something they don't need to know…'
"Guh! When you put it that way, it almost sounds as some kind of profession…" Taka commented nervously.
"That's because it is, as I just said, what I do isn't for fun or recognition…which brings the next difference: being publicly know is something an assassin should avoid the most, which is a contradiction with Genocider Syo, who goes around leaving clues, patterns and signatures so people could recognize it was him or her and end up talking about it all over the media, that's exactly the kind of things an assassin should not do"
Everyone gained a pensive look at that, though it didn't lasted for long.
"You said all of that, but what the hell does it matter!? Maybe you become this Genocider asshole in your free time or some sick shit like that!" Owada exclaimed.
"Ah! A secret identity behind another secret identity! You really thought of everything, didn't you, Master Shigaraki? Or…is Shigaraki even your true name!?" Yamada accused.
…
…Sigh, it's like we are just going in circles with this…
…
…
…
…Genocider Syo, he or she is quite a peculiar case. Even if the records back 'Home' focus solely on the works of other members, this person is infamous enough that some of them have pieces of information about this person, most of them because of 'stolen kills' they report on said records, it's not as descriptive to mention things like the identity of this serial killer, but…
…Yeah, it would actually come handy, there is something else that I could talk about thanks to said records…
"…Besides what Togami told you about Genocider Syo, there is something about this serial killer that you guys must know" I commented.
That seemed to caught everyone's attention, most of all, Togami's.
"And what could it be?" Unexpectedly, it didn't seem like my comment offend him.
"Just a moment ago, we talked of the pattern that Genocider Syo follows, remember?" I asked in general.
"Yeah, some stuff about this guy leaving behind something, like…a message in their victim's blood, right?" Enoshima replied.
I nodded at the fashionista "Mhm, besides that, there's also the fact that Genocider Syo targets a specific demographic, which not even once he or she has never broken"
"A specific demographic…are you saying that Genocider Syo kills people that meet certain requirements, is that what you are suggesting?" Celeste asked.
"Yes, you see, the people Genocider Syo targets…are specifically men and only those who are considered 'Handsome'. Not even once, this serial killer has gone after anyone who doesn't meet those standards"
Togami laughed a little while smirking at me after my declaration.
I know I'm probably the last person with any right to say this, but…it's so weird to see him laugh.
"…Mhmhm, it seems you've done your homework, huh? I was under the impression of being the only one aware of that extra information" The heir commented with amusement.
"H-Huh? Togami, d-does that mean you knew about that too…?" Fujisaki asked in a surprised tone.
"…*sigh* Man, saying that since the beginning would've helped, y'know?" Leon added.
The heir completely ignored that last comment "Hmph, of course I knew, who do you think you are talking about? As a Togami I am well informed in…quite a lot of interesting things" He commented.
Almost everyone rolled their eyes at the heir antics, but in my case, I focused in that last part he said.
…By any chance, does he actually…?
"So, now we know this Genocider Syo targets specific people…but what does that tell us?" Hina asked.
I took that as an opportunity to finally get to the point of all this.
"It actually tells us two things. Most important of all, now that we know that Genocider Syo only goes after 'Handsome Men', we can discard this person being the mastermind behind all of this, because as you can see, there are both guys and girls trapped here" I explained.
"That, and there's no way this Genocider Syo or whatever, thinks at least half of the guys here are 'handsome'" Enoshima added.
I made no comment to that and neither the rest of the guys, though I believe it was for different reasons, if the insulted looks some of them gave the fashionista are any indication.
Kirigiri made her own question before things turned in the wrong direction, though "You said two things, the other is?"
"The second one is…that this also discards me of being Genocider Syo, the fact that the only victims are men and that he or she does this out of passion and desire, points that whoever this person is, we are talking of either a female or a homosexual male, which I am neither of those"
When I said that statement, I could see that Enoshima sighed in relief for some reason '…Was she really worried that I was Genocider Syo? I guess it makes sense, whoever this person is, he or she is truly an…eccentric personality'
"Yeah, he definitely isn't the last one, considering that…" Naegi muttered.
But it wasn't low enough for me to not hear it.
"Excuse me?" I asked to the ahoge boy.
"E-Eh!? N-Nothing! Nothing! Haha, I was just thinking that now that we know this, you no longer are a suspect of being behind this, right guys?" Naegi commented nervously.
"Indeed, you have proven your innocence! It seems we owe you an apology!" Taka exclaimed.
"I mean, the guy is still a killer, so I ain't feel like apologizin' is somethin' we should do…" Owada replied.
"P-Putting t-that aside…this means we no longer have a clue of who could be behind this, right?" Fujisaki nervously commented.
"…*sigh* Seems like it, huh? I mean, we don't have any other suspects…" Leon added.
"Back to square one, eh? What a load of crap…" Owada mumbled.
While it is true that it would be good to know the identity of the mastermind, the fact that the pointing fingers at me finally stopped, kind of made it worth it that we managed to discard our only lead.
…Although, Genocider Syo being the responsible of this was a far-fetched possibility since the beginning even when you ignore everything that has been said today. The vault-door, the weapons, the metal plates, Monokuma. All of that can't be done by just one single person, and the chances of the serial killer having the contacts or back-up to pull this off is abysmally low. Serial killers aren't known for being team players.
No, this must be the work of something bigger, an organization of sorts, only that way, everything so far would have a grain of sense…and if this were indeed the case, that this is the work of a group, conformed of more than one single person, it brings another grim possibility, and that is that there are chances of a―
"Actually…there is another possible suspect" The heir stated.
With such declaration, everyone turned to him, including me.
"Huh? Really?" Maizono asked.
"Yes, it is something that has been on my mind for the past few days, and thinking deeply about it, it does actually have bigger chances of being indeed the case in comparison to the serial killer"
"U-Um, and who could that person be…?" Fujisaki shyly asked.
"Well…rather than a person, I am talking of a secret organization"
…
…So he really does know.
"…A secret organization?" Questioned Kirigiri.
"Eeeeeek! Are you saying this is the work of an evil organization!? Like the Abatsubi!? Or The Hachas!?"
…Who?
"Huh? Who the fuck are those?" Owada asked.
"Ah, I'm glad you're interested Master Owada! You see, those are evil organizations well known in the anime―" 'He can't be real…'
"Are you freaking serious!? This isn't the time for that crap!" Enoshima snapped.
"Uwaaah! I'm sorry!"
…
…Half of this group is really…something.
"Tch, don't go around comparing your absurd fantasies with the information of great importance that I possess...but whether they could be considered evil or not, with Them, it is more complicated than that, although…it is also true that they have quite the interesting history"
"…Interesting?" Asked Naegi.
"Yes, interesting…I suppose that although they are considered a secret organization, I should ask for the sake of it: Have any of you heard of…The Holy Salvation Society?"
…
"The Holy Salvation…?" Hiro trailed off.
"Society? That's…kinda weird for a name" Hina added.
"Sounds like a house for a bunch of cult freaks" Owada commented nonchalantly.
…
"Hehehe, you wouldn't be too off the mark. It just so happens that I've heard of Them too" Celeste commented.
…So I was right about her knowing too.
"You know what Togami is talking about, Celeste?" Maizono asked.
"Certainly, as someone with experience in the world of underground gambling, you wouldn't believe the things one gets to learn in such places…and for that same reason I must ask…are you sure it is fine for you to talk about Them, Togami? I couldn't see that ending well…for you that is" The gambler commented with a smile.
"Something happening to me…Hmph, that's a complete impossibility, although it is a surprise to see someone else knowing of Them…besides the assassin that is" Togami stated.
Everyone's attention turned to me once the heir said that.
"…Shigaraki? Do you think he knows of this…Holy Salvation Society too?" Ogami asked.
"Oh, I would say he is quite familiar with them…" The heir turned to face me "…Am I wrong?"
"…"
"…Shigaraki?" Naegi asked in a worried tone.
"…*sigh* Whatever it is you want to reveal, do it already…" I said simply.
Here we go again…
"Hmph, as if I needed your permission to talk about this, you would do well watch that tongue of yours, peasant" Togami snarled.
"Ara, to give up so quickly, I will admit that I expected him to make an effort to try to silence this leak of information…" Celeste added.
And make the rope around my neck tighter for acting too defensive? Yeah…how about no.
"Wait, wait, wait I'm, like, so confused right now! What's happening? What are you guys talking about?" Leon exclaimed.
"More importantly…what exactly is this Holy Salvation Society you are talking about? And what kind of relation you think Shigaraki has with them?" Taka questioned.
At that, the heir adjusted his glasses while taking a more pensive look "The Holy Salvation Society is…a cult whose religion consists in training assassins professionally in the name of their god"
…
…
…He really went and said it, huh? Well, I suppose that the chances of the Heir of the Togami Corporation not knowing about Them…about the Holy Salvation Society or not running his mouth free about it was wishful thinking…now it's a matter of how much does he actually knows.
And of course, the reactions of my classmates to that reveal were quick to follow.
"A cult who trains assassins, that's…" Ogami trailed off.
"That's so fucked up…" Owada said.
"W-What…?" Fukawa mumbled.
"B-But if that is the purpose of that cult, then that means…!" Fujisaki exclaimed.
At that, the serious expression of the heir changed to an amused one.
"It seems you get it, don't you? When I said that he was familiar with this cult, I didn't mean it only because he knew of them…but because our resident assassin is a cult member of the Holy Salvation Society" Togami stated.
There were some gasps at such declaration, but among them, Kirigiri didn't wasted any time to turn to face me, ready to ask that question.
"What Togami said about you is true? That you are a member of this cult?"
…
…
…Sigh.
"W-What kind of question is that!? It is o-obvious that he w-will deny―!"
"It is true" I replied.
Everyone had different reactions at this declaration, well, it was more like they didn't know how to react when looking at me, as some of their expressions switched between fear, surprise and disgust.
There were also some interesting ones, though.
Naegi seemed…worried, I may not be an expert in the area, but it looked like he was worried for me rather than for himself. 'He really is weird sometimes…'
Maizono, well, in a way, I will admit that I didn't expect her to look conflicted. Oh, there was some fear and wariness in her expression, sure, but there was more than that, that much I could tell…curious.
As for Enoshima she looked…solemn, not like disappointed or sad, and neither was pity, it was more…like she sympathized with me.
…I…I don't know how to feel about her reaction, if I am honest.
And lastly, the one single reaction I really had zero chances of expecting was…
"Hahahaha! Oh man this is getting really interesting!" Hiro exclaimed excitedly.
…
…
…What the hell?
"I-Interesting!? W-What the h-heck are you saying!?" Fukawa exclaimed.
"I know you are, like, totally weird, but what's with you now?" Enoshima asked with her brows furrowed.
"I mean, it isn't obvious? The plot is getting more diverse!"
…What the hell?
"…Plot?" Asked a confused Maizono.
"Dude, didn't you hear the part about the guy being an assassin now turning into he also being part of a secret organization that is also a freaking cult!?" Leon exclaimed.
"Yeah! But that's, like, totally fake, no? I will admit that I didn't expect Togami-chi and Shigaraki-chi to work together on this new plot twist for Shigaraki's-chi story, but I can't say it's a bad one! Good work guys!" Hiro said with a thumbs up.
…
…
…What the hell?
I fought the urge to show a dumbfounded look on my face…like the rest of the class was having right now.
And yes, I mean the entire rest of the class, even Kirigiri, Togami and Celeste couldn't hide her confusion at the 'Clairvoyant' declaration.
"…"
"…"
"…"
"Shigaraki's story…You think all of this, including Shigaraki's talent…it's made up?" Naegi asked.
"What da ya mean? Of course it is! I mean, it's obvious Shigaraki-chi is kinda shy with his real talent, so he has been creating these different stories to look cool for all of us, right? And they definitely are great to hear! You must be the Ultimate Storyteller or something among the lines, huh? Ah! But if that is the case, I won't judge you man, you have my word, and neither the rest of us, right guys?"
All this time…
…He never was scared me, because…
…He thought I was some kind of storyteller? That everything told so far about me was false?
I knew he wasn't the representation of brilliance, but this is…honestly, I don't even know what to think and trying to understand him will probably bring more problems than what is worth it.
"…This guy can't be real…" Owada commented.
"I really hope that whatever he is infected with, it's not contagious…" Celeste added.
But before more people got distracted, Kirigiri put things back of track.
"Putting…that aside, I believe it is important to ask, why didn't you mention this?" Kirigiri asked…to me.
And that brought everyone out of their stupor, which in turn, made them panic at the possible implications that could come up from that question.
"Ah! Maybe he was―" As if I am going to let that fiasco happen again.
"Before you guys begin to scream and point fingers at me, like you have become used to, maybe the best thing to do would be to allow me answer Kirigiri's question, don't you think?" I asked.
Fortunately for me, that gave me a window of opportunity, if their silence is any indication. Though the suspicious looks some of them were sending me told me it wasn't that big of a window.
Better make use of it.
"Now, the reason why I didn't said anything about the Holy Salvation Society is…nobody asked me about it" I stated with a straight face.
…I mean, it is partially true, and I wasn't lying when I say that nobody made the question before.
"…"
"…"
"…You son of a bitch! Are you making fun of us!?" Owada shouted.
Kind of, yeah "No, not really. Asking me why I didn't tell you guys about it, it's the same as asking why someone doesn't tells you where do they work if you don't ask them about it, it is not something you go around talking about"
"T-That's j-just a convenient e-excuse for you to not admit that you hid being a c-cult fanatic!"
Putting aside the irk feeling I felt at being called that, I replied to the writer "I was never hiding that I was a member of the cult"
Not exactly the truth, but it's not a lie either.
"What do you mean by that?" Kirigiri asked with narrowed eyes.
"What I said, I am not hiding my affiliation with the cult and never did…you just have to look at my shirt to know I'm telling you the truth" I commented.
At that, everyone focused their gazes on said shirt.
"The shirt…? Um, a-are you talking about that cross you have on it?" Fujisaki timidly asked.
"Huh? I thought that thing was a symbol of some band and the guy was into Christian Metal or some shit like that" Leon commented while scratching the back of this head.
"I don't really think that was the case…" Naegi sweatdropped.
…Not only its not the case, that genre would probably be among the last ones in my list of things I would listen to.
"Either way, that symbol, you're telling us is related to the cult, I am getting this right?" Taka asked.
"Mhm, this cross is the same one that the Holy Salvation Society has on its official flag, and taking into account that Togami and Celeste are the ones who knew of the cult, I believe they can validate this" I stated.
"Is that really the case?" The martial artist asked while focusing her gaze between the heir and the gambler.
Celeste was the first one to reply "It is, back during the introductions, his shirt and the cross on it caught my attention, as it resulted me familiar, but now that all the pieces are together, I have no doubt that the connection is there" The gambler commented while playing with a strand of her hair.
"…It is true that the official flag its cult uses has such a symbol" The heir said bitterly, probably because he had to agree with me on something, against his 'better judgement'.
But that's irrelevant, what matters is…
"…As you can see, my affiliation with the cult has always been in plain sight"
"B-B-But that just i-incriminates you further!" Fukawa exclaimed.
"Incriminate him…? What are ya talking about?" Enoshima asked.
"D-Do you even have the gall to ask you dumb-bimbo!? T-Togami has told us at the beginning t-that this cult i-is responsible for all of this!"
*Twitch*
"Fukawa"
"Eeeeek! W-W-What d-do you want!?" The writer said in a completely scared tone of voice at me singling her out 'Huh, what do you know? That actually was satisfying…'
"…What Togami said is not a fact. There is absolutely nothing pointing to the cult being responsible for this" It does leave a bitter taste in my mouth having to vouch for Those guys.
Unsurprisingly, for Kirigiri, that wasn't enough.
"That may be true…but they are our only suspects, we don't lose anything by getting any information we can get about them" Kirigiri stated.
"How can they be suspects with no evidence pointing them as responsible for this? If we go by that logic, anyone is a suspect, don't you think?" I replied.
"Even so, this is too big of an unknown to leave it like that"
"Is that so? Because if we are talking about unknowns―"
"That is irrelevant" Kirigiri replied…more quickly than what she would've liked, that's for sure.
"Um, guys, we shouldn't be fighting against each other, that's what―"
"This is not a fight, Naegi, we are just seeking the truth, making use of the only lead we have…you have been cooperative with us so far, Shigaraki, if you are sure that you or the cult you belong to, are not behind this, you wouldn't have a problem with us knowing more about it, isn't that right?" Kirigiri asked.
If I were anyone else, I would probably laugh at the declaration she made. Sure, at first glance it might look like in some sort of way she's vouching for me, allowing to receive a chance at prove myself innocent.
But this was just her way of cornering me. If I argued more, these people wouldn't take it well and refusing to this is not an option, while at the same she will get a chance to obtain information about me.
I knew she wasn't going to waste an opportunity like this one.
Just as expected, I could feel everyone's gazes boring into me, some of them relatedly tense, mentally making the same question: Will I cooperate?
…
…
…Sigh, even if these aren't the best of circumstances…I can work with this, it is definitely way better than the frenetic and heated discussion this would've led in other circumstances, that's for sure.
And it's not like anything I will say has any chances of actually incriminating me, but, well…if these were any other circumstances, I would've to either kill all of the people here or kill myself before allowing this scenario to happen.
Something to reflect about, huh?
"…Alright, if this will finally get the accusations off my back, then so be it. Make your questions, Kirigiri"
It seemed Kirigiri was about to begin the interrogation, but she got interrupted.
"Actually, I believe it falls upon me to educate the masses" The Heir commented.
…Huh.
"Erm, not like I'm a fan of getting into the tiny details, but isn't Shigaraki the one supposed to be interrogated? I mean…he is the guy who is part of cult made of assassins, no?" Leon asked.
"Hmph, do you really are so stupidly naive trust that he will tell the absolute truth?"
"H-He's right! T-The assassin will t-try to deceive us at any chance he gets!"
I would feel offended at that comment…if it didn't have some truth.
"Togami seems to be well informed of this, so either way is fine, in case we have some doubts we can ask Shigaraki" Kirigiri stated.
There didn't seem to be any objection at that, and the Heir took the silence as a permission to speak while he adjusted his glasses.
"Very well, as I said at the beginning, the Holy Salvation Society is a cult who focuses on training assassins. They do that with the belief that it is the will of their god, and that following such a will, as the name of the cult implies, it's fundamental to the salvation of the world, and by consequence, it's society. The few people who know of their existence, they can ascertain that their reputation precedes them, all thanks to the extremely effective methods they use to recruit and train their members" The heir commented.
Immediately Kirigiri didn't wasted any time to make her own questions.
"What does that exactly entail? How they are members recruited? From where?"
"Whoa! That's lots of questions, Kyoko" Hina commented.
…Indeed, too many questions…
Instead of answering, Togami turned…to me, with a smirk.
I'm his favorite person around here, it seems…
"…Actually, I've changed my mind, I believe this would be more interesting if the assassin itself answers it"
"W-What? but Master Togami, didn't you just said just a moment ago the he would try to deceive us?" Yamada questioned.
"Yeah, what are ya playin' at!?" Owada growled
"Wait I said still stands, but all I have to do for that is to expose him when tries to hide anything. He isn't capable of deceiving me, it's just impossible" Togami assured with a smug smile.
I know I said I am used dealing with rich people's crap, but he's really something else, isn't he?
Kirigiri seems to be thinking similarly, she still has the same stoic face as ever, but I could see the slight signs of exasperation at the heir.
In the end she decided that it wasn't worth to push it, so instead she turned to me, asking me the silent question.
"…Fine, first I will answer the 'From where' question, is that alright?" I asked.
Kirigiri nodded at that.
"Okay…well, from where do they get their members? Basically, the cult owns recruitment centers all around the country from which they pick up new members every few years"
"Recruitment centers…? So, you just went to one of these places, signed up, and bam, you began your life as a killer, is that it, ya bastard?" Owada growled.
"No, that's not how they work"
"…Those recruitment centers, what are they exactly?" Kirigiri asked.
"Orphanages" I replied.
It seems nobody 'save for Togami…' expected that reply, if their faces were any indication.
"O-Orphanages!?" Maizono exclaimed.
"…Are ya messin' with us?" Owada said…but there wasn't any fire like in his previous comment.
"No"
"…U-Um, when you said 'Orphanages' is that a secret word with a different meaning in your secret organization?" Yamada asked.
"No"
"…Ah! I get it! You must be saying that they are just disguised as―"
"No, I am talking of authentic orphanages, with kids and all other things you could expect in them"
"…"
"…"
"…T-Then…T-The basements! They use the basements of those orphanages to secretly recruit any person who wants to―!"
"No" I interrupted the swimming pro with another negation.
"…Shigaraki, you couldn't possibly mean that this cult recruits actual…?" Ogami warily asked.
Unfortunately for her, that is the grim reality.
"…I am"
Even if the cult is not responsible for this, I highly doubt they will become a favorite of these people.
"U-Using actual…actual orphanages…" Hina mumbled with her hands in her mouth.
"With kids…" Maizono added with a grim expression.
"…Such despicable people…!" Ogami growled.
"…Ah! W-Wait a moment! Shigaraki, then what you told me yesterday…!" Naegi exclaimed.
…True, in a way, I talked about that with him…
"I told you, didn't I? There were no other possibilities for me"
"Huh? What…what are ya talking about?" Leon asked.
…It's not like the topics getting talked about affect me emotionally, but having to reveal this much information, exposing my existence like this…as an assassin, it really is something that is nagging me.
"I already told Naegi yesterday, and seeing that it is obvious you guys would not let go of this, I will say it again: Since I have memory, I was raised in an orphanage…the same kind the Holy Salvation Society owns and uses as recruitment centers"
From that reveal, the faces of almost everyone changed to ones full of sadness…of pity.
I fought the urge to burrow my frows.
"Huh? Then, about your parents…?" Hina questioned.
"Never knew of them"
"Um, any…any blood relatives?" Fujisaki timidly asked.
"No"
At that, the sadness and pity from their part grew…
…
"To never knew what it is to have a family and in such despicable place…Ghh! I don't know how would I face such circumstances if I were in your shoes!" Taka exclaimed.
…I never said that.
"Having to live like that, that would be...way too sad, Shigaraki, I'm sorry―"
"Stop"
"H-Huh?" Hina stuttered.
"This is just an interrogation to prove that the cult, and by consequence, me, aren't suspicious of being responsible for this" I said while gesturing at the surrounding area "It is no necessary to feel bad about me and neither I asked you to, so stop doing it"
It seemed those guys were having none of it, as I could see that some of them were going to keep insisting, until…
"You guys are being real jackasses by doing this, y'know?" Someone said.
…Honestly…I am not really surprised '…in a good way' that such person was Enoshima of all people.
"Junko? What are you talking about?" Maizono asked.
"What I said, what you guys are doing is pitying him, talking as if he saw his early life or the fact that he never met his parents as a tragedy of sorts"
"But IT is a tragedy! To not have anyone like that in your life…It would be a terrible destiny to live with such circumstances as the one he's implying!" Taka declared.
But the fashionista wasn't buying it.
"Everyone has a different perception of what is considered a good life or a bad one, ya know?" Enoshima interrupted him with narrowed eyes
"B-But―"
"Don't ya guys think it's his decision and only his to be the judge of that? Of judging by himself if his life in that place is something to remember positively or negatively, he deserves at least that. None of us were there with him to have to right to say otherwise...*sigh* this speech junk is not my thing, so let's just keep going, we've been draggin' this crap for way too long if ya ask me…"
I will admit it is kind of surprising how she managed to make most of them looking ashamed of judging the life of an assassin of all people, if their faces were anything to go by, but as for me…everything she said…
…I fought the urge my lips had of stretching upwards.
And in a sort of twisted way, I am glad Kirigiri brought up to conversation back on track. 'She does that a lot, huh?'
"…Now that we know from where they get members, the next question would be, how are they recruited?" Kirigiri asked.
"It isn't kinda obvious? They pick the all those kids out of the orphanages, to force them become part of their cult. Those fuckers…" Owada growled.
"…Actually, it's not as bad as you think Owada"
"Huh? What are ya sayin'? Are ya truly defending those bastards? Is that it!?" The biker questioned with narrowed eyes.
"No, I'm not, I am just saying that at least in that regard, it's not that extreme…if I am honest, most of the kids in the orphanages never get to know of the cult or what they do"
That seemed to caught the attention.
"Wait, really?" Naegi asked in a hopeful tone.
"How's that so? Didn't ya just said a moment ago that those guys use the freaking orphanages for their bullshit?" Owada asked.
"And they do…but as Togami already pointed out, the cult focuses on training assassins of elite, they have no interest in mass numbers. For that reason, they only focus in choosing a select few and then leaving alone the rest"
"By 'select few'…of how much are we talking about?" Taka warily asked.
"…Well, recruitment is not something I do, but…counting all the 'recruitment centers' they have in total, I would say that about 2 or 3 kids for every 10000 is a safe number, and as I said before, that is something they do only every few years…"
Those 2 or 3 get to experience a living hell, true, but saying that wouldn't give me any favors.
"While I still find nefarious that they would still choose a few unfortunate children, I must know…are you absolutely sure that they truly don't do anything to the rest of them?" Ogami asked with absolutely seriousness.
"I am, they just live there until they are old enough…and leave, living ordinary lives. For the most part, the orphanages of the Holy Salvation Society work as regular ones, that is a fact I can confirm" I explained just as serious.
And that was the truth, most of the kids there never get to know to grim true purpose of the place they call home…and that is up to this day, the main goal…the dream of that person, Her dream.
That's what she works so hard for, so the kids of our orphanage never get the chance to know grim truth, so they live and grow as just that.
As regular kids, experiencing a normal life.
It seemed with the reveal of that detail, most of the group gained a relieved look.
Keyword: most.
"You said 'for the most part', that implies that there is an aspect in them that still differences from the regular orphanages, what do you mean by that?" Kirigiri asked.
She really doesn't miss any detail, does she?
"Well, you asked how do they recruit new members into the cult, right? The answer is in that extra detail. It is true that the regular kid never meets the cult…but that doesn't mean they aren't trained since the moment they live in one of their orphanages"
"H-Huh? But how!? You said that they have those orphanages all around the country, if they were really training assassins at such scale inside of them, surely people would notice, right?" Naegi exclaimed.
"Yeah! Someone would have seen something weird with that!" Hina added.
…Well, if that were the case, all the cult would have to do is to 'silence' said 'someone', but no, the real reason as for why nobody finds something fishy is…
"That's because they have their own subtle ways of doing it, with things like games, tests and all other kind of activities that wouldn't be out of the ordinary for any other kid to be part of, all the while you would never think that such a thing has an actual purpose"
"…A purpose? What…what kind of purpose?" Taka nervously asked.
"To see who has the most talent among them, that way when the time comes, they scout and pick up those who are considered with the biggest amount talent to recruit them as members of the cult…"
"…"
"…"
"…Then, if I'm getting this right, what you are saying is…that since being a kid…you have been trained to be an assassin?" The ahoge boy asked with a sad tone of voice.
"No, if what he told us about being in one of those orphanages since having memory is true…then he is implying that all his life he has been raised to be one" Kirigiri corrected.
"…That's…that's…I just don't know what that is" Taka said.
"A-All your life…you are joking right?" The baseball star asked nervously.
"…Do I look like someone who goes around making jokes?" I questioned.
I fought the urge to roll my eyes when Enoshima gave me an unimpressed look that said 'Really?'
…
…
…I still can't believe that all these reveals haven't unfazed her, being capable of still looking at me like she has been doing since the beginning.
No matter how disturbing my existence is resulting to be, her perception of me hasn't changed one bit…she still sees me as a friend.
…
…
…It really is becoming really hard not to smile…
Togami took the lack of any more comments from my part as an opportunity to give his own piece.
"I told you guys since the beginning, didn't I? That cult has quite the precedent of making assassins: They have their own recruitment centers in which since such a young age they observe them and train them, and then they scout those who show the most potential and recruit them into their files. And since they use kids of all people, who are young and moldable, they have the time and opportunity to shape them into the most ruthless and cold-blooded killers there could exist, fascinating isn't it?" The heir commented with amusement.
He really sees making as much enemies as possible as a personal goal of his, doesn't he?
"How can you say something like that!?" Hina exclaimed.
"Yeah! What the fuck is wrong you, you piece of shit!?" Owada exclaimed.
"Togami! Saying that making something so innocent as kids into candidates to become murderers is fascinating…that is something of really bad taste, even for you!" Ogami added with narrowed eyes and almost growling.
Most people gave the heir disapproving looks at this declaration.
Not that he cared, though.
"Hmph, the opinion you all have of me couldn't be of a lesser value, none of you are worth my time"
But putting that aside, Kirigiri looked ready ask another round of questions.
Something I was not going to allow.
"…Listen, everything you have asked me so far has been useless to discover if the cult and me are the culprits or not behind all of this, so how about I tell you guys something that would actually lead this interrogation somewhere?" I suggested.
That actually caught their attention.
"Is there really something like that?" Taka asked with a quirked eyebrow.
"H-He's j-just lying! It's j-just him trying to trick us!" Fukawa accused.
"Oh? Using his assassin's skills of deception to lead us in the wrong direction, you truly are terrifying Master Shigaraki!" Yamada exclaimed.
…I mean, I AM deceiving them in more ways than one, that is true, but I don't think it is about the same thing he is implying.
"Um, guys, I believe we should give Shigaraki a chance to talk, every time someone asks him a question, he has answered without putting resistance, it would be fair to give him the benefit of the doubt, right?" Naegi suggested.
"He's right, y'know? Even when those questions are, like, totally stupid or insensitive, he's been totally cool with all of us" Enoshima added.
It was probably because of the previous speech Enoshima gave when the orphanage was brought up at the beginning, but in the end, most of the class seemed to agree with her and the lucky student.
"It certainly would be fair to give him the opportunity of bringing his own argument...Alright! Shigaraki! You have permission to proceed!" Taka exclaimed.
He certainly has embraced the role of our self-proclaimed leader, hasn't he? Not like it matters, if I am honest.
After all, there are more important things to focus on, and while it is a shame that I will have to reveal this much, it is something I am willing to trade, more so because…since the start, most of this information had the chance of being leaked among the class with someone like Togami as a classmate…which speaking of him…
"Mhm, first of all…Togami, you said before that you are informed of quite a lot of things, right?"
The heir responded to me in his usual way.
"Are you that big of a forgetful fool that you need me to repeat myself? Yes, as the successor to the Togami corporation and future leader of world, it is my right to be well informed of all kinds of top-secret information that would be of interest for my dynasty…and that includes that cult of yours" He finished with a smirk.
…So he says, it seems I will have to put it to test.
"Then you must know about the true intentions of the Holy Salvation Society, correct?"
"…" The heir didn't said anything at that, he just gave me a calculating look.
"Huh? T-True intentions?" Fujisaki questioned.
"Now that he mentions it, didn't Togami said that the Holy Salvation Society had as an objectiveto save the world or something like that?" Naegi asked.
The heir expression changed to one full of amusement at that declaration.
"…Oh? Did I say that? Mhmhm, well, it is true that's the official story they go by…"
…
…Sigh…this guy…
"Official? But the way you said that…it sounds as if there was more to it" Naegi commented.
"Maybe…maybe not" The amusement hasn't dropped off one bit from his face.
"Oi, fucker! You think this is funny!?" Owada growled.
The smug smile of the heir told me that an incident similar to the one on the first day was bound to happen if he opened his mouth again.
Fortunately for Togami…or Naegi, depending on how things went, Taka intervened.
"This is no moment for internal arguments among us! Now…Shigaraki, there must be more to what you just said, correct? By all means, continue!" The moral compass exclaimed.
"…Alright, as Togami said, the official story of the cult is that they train assassins in the name of god, and make use of said assassins to work following the will of such deity, as said will, will save the world and it's society…"
"Whoa, man, that sounds deep!" Hiro exclaimed.
"Hmmm indeed, and based on this, we can assume that Master Shigaraki' class is a holy assassin type instead of a regular one, I admit that the benefits of such specialization elude me…" Yamada added his own 'conclusion'.
…I didn't understood any of that.
"…Either way…the truth is that this 'official story' is just a farse" I commented.
"…"
"…"
"Say whaaaaaaa!?" The fanfic creator exclaimed.
"...A farse!? T-Then everything you said, a-about the cult and his god…?" The programmer asked.
"A coverup. They made that up so their true objective doesn't get disturbed" I explained.
"…And said 'true objective' of the cult is…?" Kirigiri asked.
The true objective of a cult who trains the best assassins in the world, the true goal of the Holy Salvation Society is…
"…Profit"
"…"
"…"
"…Eh?" Naegi intelligently questioned.
"Um, could you please elaborate more on that?" Taka asked.
"Mhm, the true objective of the Holy Salvation Society is…money, basically, the cult works around clients who ask for 'consultations' at the exchange of 'donations', of course, that is just their disguised way for people to request an assassination and for the cult to charge their fees for it"
"Then all the religious aspects of this cult you belong to are…?" The mysterious girl trailed off.
"As I said, a coverup…well, that, and it also works to gather some believers who are ignorant of the truth and are willing to make donations without the need of an 'consultation' which works both as extra profit and reinforcing said coverup…but regardless of all of that, the point I'm trying to make is, if Togami is aware of the true facet of the cult, then he of all people must know that if he's trapped here, the cult would be among the last suspects of being responsible for this"
When I finished that declaration, everyone turned to the heir in search of a response to that.
And Togami, for his part, well…
"…Heh, I will admit that this was entertaining while it lasted" The heir commented with a smirk.
I really couldn't blame the dumbfounded faces most of the group were making. This guy, Togami…I repeat, I am used to dealing with rich people crap, but this guy is taking it to the limit.
I also admit that I had my doubts about him really knowing everything of this 'dark side' of his company. Even when you take That into consideration, it is not out of the question for companies to have someone dealing with one side, the corporative, legal and professional side of the business while in the shadows having someone else deal with the other, the illegal and shady one.
"…I am being dumb for not understanding what the hell going on?" Leon asked.
"Don't know, I got the part about the cult instead of bein' full of fanatics who do fucked up shit because they believe their god is telling them to, turnin' out to be just a bunch of greedy bastards who do said fucked up shit for money, which I don't know which is freakin' worse, but how the heck does that help us know if those guys are behind this or not!?"
I better get to the point before this becomes more convoluted.
"What I'm trying to say is that the cult only cares about two things: Money and avoiding exposure. The business of the Holy Salvation Society, because it is a business, comes from training assassins and using them as assets"
"…A-Assets!? T-That sounds as if they see them as ob―!" Taka exclaimed, but I interrupted him.
"That's irrelevant to what I'm trying to say" I stated before they began again with the pity "…Either way, becoming publicly know is among the last things they want, while the situation they want to avoid the most is the loss of its biggest clients"
"Huh? The way you say that makes it sounds as if that guy over there is one of those 'biggest clients'" The biker said while pointing at Togami.
"That's because he is, or at least, his company is and they definitely are the ones who pay the most, that much I know, which is what the cult truly cares about"
"…"
"…"
"…Say whaaaaaaa!?" Yamada exclaimed.
"Are ya serious!?" Leon added.
"More importantly, is it true, Togami!? You're involved in such a nefarious activity!?" Taka exclaimed.
The heir became silent for a few seconds before he turned to face me, with an unusually serious expression.
"Let's say, for the sake of the argument, that it is true"
"B-But then, why!?" Taka added.
At that, Kirigiri interfered.
"It doesn't matter why"
"I-I really think it does…" Yamada muttered.
"In our current situation, no, it doesn't, what matters is…if all of what Shigaraki has said so far is indeed true, then how does that relate to his cult not possibly being culprits behind this?"
…Finally getting somewhere.
"…If the Holy Salvation Society were to make such a bold move like kidnapping the heir of the Togami Corporation, the biggest and most influential company in the world and one of the if not their most important client, and put said heir in a situation as dangerous as the one we find ourselves in…"
"Then they would get both exposure and it would also ruin their relationship with its most…important client, and that would not be good for their…business, is that what you are trying to say, Shigaraki?" Naegi asked.
I nodded at that.
"Can you confirm any that, Togami?" Kirigiri questioned.
"…Hmph, I already said it was entertaining while it lasted, didn't I? Don't make me repeat myself"
"…T-Then what Shigaraki said about the cult not being responsible for this…?" Fujisaki trailed off.
"It is true that if you ignore their eccentricities, his cult is no different than a private company of mercenaries who do things for a monetary cause and nothing else, and so far, money doesn't seem like an interest of our captor" Togami mused.
"Um, Master Togami, you are beginning to sound as if you don't truly believe they could be responsible for this…"
"That's because I don't, obviously"
"Eh!? B-But you said at the beginning that they could be―!" Hina exclaimed.
"Suspicious? Yes, but I never believed that, at least not completely, I would be naïve if I ignored the possibility, after all, there's always the chance that they are that pathetically stupid to have a change of mind in their modus operandi that has worked so well for them for so long, abysmally low as that is" The heir explained.
"…"
"…"
"…Oi, oi, asshole! I've been putting with your bullshit for quite a while, but that is soon to not be the case…You better spit what your fuckin' game is by pulling this stunt of yours before I freaking make you!" The biker exclaimed, almost ready to get out of his chair.
"While condemn the foul language of Owada, I believe I speak for the entire group, when I say…why made such declaration then, Togami!?" Taka questioned.
Instead of making a comment that would've guaranteed a beat up from Owada, lucky student or not, the heir decided to actually answer the question.
"It is true that a part of it was because I thought it would be interesting…" At that, the heir received some glares, not that he paid attention to them, though, as he continued "…But the main reason is because it was a test" He finished with absolute seriousness.
Such shift from his part caught everyone off-guard.
"…A test? What for?" Maizono asked.
"Quite simple, it was a test to gauge the assassin" Togami declared with a smirk.
I couldn't avoid slightly narrowing my eyes at that "…Gauge me?"
At my question, the heir looked at me with a smug expression 'Not like he has any other one, if what he has shown so far is any indication…'
"I wanted to verify two things through this experiment of mine. The first one was to see how you would react under the stress of being singled out constantly and on multiple occasions in a row. First at being accused of being the serial killer Genocider Syo and next by putting your cult into the spotlight, making you a possible responsible of all of this in the eyes of everyone here. I wanted to see if you would break under the pressure and begin to panic or show any sign of weakness under their pointing fingers…considering that none of that happened, I suppose I can give you a passing F"
Such privilege…
"…F?" Naegi asked.
"I know, I'm being generous giving him such a grade, but it is what it is…as for the rest of you, I can't help but feel disappointed, the fact you couldn't play your part on this accordingly, only works to solidify the low expectations I had on you lot"
It seems that the prospect of being used and insulted like that wasn't something the class were fans of, that much I could tell with the annoyed faces some people were making, but Kirigiri, always a fan of making questions, interfered in her own way.
"You talked of two objectives with this 'test' of yours, what other thing you could gain out of this?"
With that question, the heir gained a more thoughtful expression.
"The second reason it's more obvious, I wanted verify if he truly was a legitimate member of the Holy Salvation Society…which indeed, the answers he gave ended up being enough to label him as a member of the cult instead of some pretender"
The lucky student 'And most of the class, honestly' gained a confused expression at that declaration "…Huh? But you said it yourself that you don't truly suspect them of being the responsible for our situation, why would that matter?"
The heir adjusted his glasses while keeping that thoughtful expression of his "When Monokuma announced him as the Ultimate Assassin, I didn't think much of it. I thought that he was just an above average killer that got lucky to be recruited by Hope's Peak as a classmate of ours"
"…Ah! That's true! Shigaraki also got scouted into Hope's Peak, just like us, right?" Hina exclaimed.
…Not exactly the same, but the point stands.
"Man, I actually forgot that you are supposed to attend school with us…whops" Leon said awkwardly.
"Are you guys freaking serious about forgetting that he's our classmate!? What the heck did you guys saw him as then?" Enoshima snapped.
At her questioning, more awkward expressions appeared.
…Huh, I don't really know how to feel about most of them don't truly seeing me as part of the group…
Kidding, I don't really care.
And neither Kirigiri, it seems.
"We are getting distracted; can you continue, Togami?"
"Hmph, I don't need you to ask me, I was planning to" The heir said in a condescending tone "Now, where was I? Ah yes, I saw the assassin as nothing but an insignificant attempt of an Ultimate, someone who got lucky in getting a chance of true success in his deplorable life, minuscule as it was, such a miserable―"
"Are you getting somewhere with this?" I asked.
Usually, I wouldn't even think of interrupting the monologues of rich guys, because of 'The client is always right'or some crap like that.
But he wasn't a client right now, was he?
Besides sending me a glare, the heir just continued "As I was saying, before you interrupted me, you imbecile. At first, I thought of you as nothing…but I will admit that the fact that you are a member of the Holy Salvation Society while also being the Ultimate Assassin at the same time, validates you as the best asset of the cult, such a fact brings another interesting piece of information about you…"
"…"
The heir seemed to took my silence as an opportunity to say more…but Naegi of all people interrupted him.
"Togami, I…I don't know where are you going with this, but Shigaraki has been honest and helpful with us even with all those accusations we made against him! It is true that being an assassin means he has done…some bad things, we can't deny that…but he's not a bad person! Everything we know of him so far points to that!"
…
…
…You're right Naegi, I'm not a bad person…I'm worse than that.
Instead of looking offended, the heir took the statement with amusement "Mhmhm, honest? Not a bad person? Are you so sure of knowing him that well? Even when there's one extra detail he hasn't told anyone here?"
"Something he hasn't told us…?" Maizono asked.
"What…what are you talking about?" Naegi warily asked.
"Hah? Does it even matter what he says? The guy has been talking too much crap, who's to say this is not another stunt of his?" Enoshima added.
It seemed that the group agreed with her statement, less to defend me and more because the guy has been a jerk with everyone here, if I had to take a guess.
But the heir, besides looking slightly irked, ignored all of that to continue "That cult of his, even if they do it only for money instead of some ridiculous grand purpose, their reputation as producers of the best assassins in the world is legitimate: each one of it's members is a monster of its own league…but even among them, there is someone who couldn't avoid gaining his own reputation as a true monster among monsters. The only know thing about him was that he works under the code name of…The Raven"
"…The Raven?" Ogami asked with a quirked eyebrow.
"A Raven? Like the bird? I mean, that doesn't sound intimidatin' at all if I ya ask me" Owada added.
"Ah, you shouldn't say that, Owada! Those guys are known to be really smart when it comes to stealing food! I remember that when I was a kid, one moment I was just enjoying a chocolate donut, and by just looking away for a second, one of them already was flying away with it! So rude…" Hina exclaimed with a pout.
The heir couldn't avoid rolling his eyes at her antics "The bird itself doesn't matter, but what does is what such animal represents"
"What it represents? Are we playing trivia now?" Hiro asked.
Celeste ignored his comment as she spoke "Oh, I believe I know what you are talking about. Ravens tend to symbolize different things depending on which culture are you talking about, but even so, the most common denominator…is that they are the announcers of inevitable death and incoming doom, am I getting this right?"
"…Death?" Ogami asked.
"Eeek! Incoming doom!?" Yamada yelped.
"Indeed, the person I'm talking about gained his moniker because once you become a target of his, it doesn't matter what kind of person you were in your life, if it's during the night or the middle of the day, neither where do you hide or how many people or layers of security you put between yourself and him…your death is nothing but guaranteed"
…I mean, that's not the exact reason, but all of that definitely reinforced it…
"And…what you are implying is that Shigaraki is…?" Kirigiri trailed off.
"Yes, the most merciless, deadly, and effective member of the Holy Salvation Society, whose infamous reputation and alias was the only know thing about him for years…it's among us…I admit that the results of this experiment of mine have made me re-evaluate this game as much more interesting than what it seemed at first glance, I am almost tempted to consider the idea of being grateful at the responsible of this for an opportunity such as this one" Togami commented with complete amusement in his voice.
I have no doubt that there where people ready to make another scene, no different from last two we had so far, both because of that last comment the heir made and the reveal of…That name.
But fortunately…
…Or unfortunately, we got saved by the bell.
"Upupupupu…I am glad that someone here appreciates the little details this humble host provides!" Monokuma exclaimed.
…More precisely, by The Bear.
Among the gasps and yelps of surprise, I couldn't help but look at the monochrome bear with narrowed eyes.
It seems I was right…
He really was planning to make his move soon.