Alright, I wish to make one thing expressly clear from here on out. I do not want to hear anything about "originality" or "being original" when it comes to the love interests of MY story. I get that it can be a pet peeve of some people, that much I understand. However, I request that it never be mentioned again. I am writing this story for myself, first and foremost. The only reason why I post it to the sites that I do is that I wish to share my creativity. That is all. If you have an issue when it comes to my "originality" then please, at the very least, keep it to yourself.

I am not saying that to dissuade others from commenting, far from it. However, I take issue when people get annoyed with it. I chose Sayaka as the first character for Jolyne to pursue because I have already preplanned for this to happen. One of the main tags of this story is "Reverse Harem," and "Unwanted Harem," meaning there will be other characters who want her, but she does not want to be romantically involved with.

That, and I think Sayaka was done dirty in THH. Her premature death ruined the chance for her character to be fully explored. By making her close to Jolyne, it gives me the chance to explore her character. If you have a problem with that, and if you want to address it, please do so in a respectful manner.

For the person who commented about my "originality", thank you for bringing it up in a respectful manner. I hope what I put here answers your question as to why I picked her as the first of many love interests.

Also, one more thing: This will be the last chapter of the "Yakuza Massacre" arc. You'll see why that is in a moment...

That being said before we begin my response to reviews/comments….

I have a P-Atr-Eon. Please check it out! The links are all in my bios on Wattpad, FF Dot Net, Ao3, and Qoutev. Just in case, here is the link: gobblegum2?fan_landing=true&view_as=public

And now, it's time that we jump into my responses reviews/comments!

[Response to Reviews/Comments]

(Qoutev) TACO SENSEI: It was going to happen eventually. The writing was on the wall. But don't fret, she is not dead! As for the Magic show… well…. You'll see.

(Ao3) Emil_Konrad: Seeing as I've already addressed the whole originality thing, I'll tackle the second portion of your question. It is possible for Jolyne to merge over into another faction if she is with someone from a different faction. However, it would be more like an add-on rather than outright replacing her current faction. Think of it as a "partnership" in a way. While she is part of another faction, she can also be a part of her first faction. Though, due to how this chapter plays out, I'm sure you'd understand why that won't be happening anytime soon. I hope this answers your question.

Kolt999: Despair Chiaki is something I live for. Also, Gundham being a badass was just waiting to happen. I mean, I cucked him pretty badly when he first came against Jolyne. Next time… not so much. I can't wait to write that battle. And yes, Jolyne having a self-reflection moment and calling herself out will probably happen a bunch more as we get further into the story. And as I mentioned in the author's note above, Sayaka will be getting more screen time, because her character deserves to be explored.

Funny Fact (Guest): Seeing as you're only on chapter 5, you probably won't see this, but if you somehow manage to blitz to the very end, then I probably don't need to answer this. But, just in case I do; I am VERY aware of the conversion of YEN to the Canadian dollar. I am doing what I'm doing on purpose. Early quests give piss-poor money. That's the point. I am aware that 50,000 YEN would be 366 dollars. I do not want Jolyne to be Omega Rich this early on. That comes later. This is the FIRST WORLD. Stacking her pockets with bands is kinda dumb, and would throw the progression off completely. Besides, if she's in Japan, she should be using YEN, anyway.

Events (Guest): Can't have her completing or winning every quest. She is a fallible human being, human beings are fragile. And early on, Jolyne is only barely a superhuman. Of course, she would be knocked out for a couple of days after having THAT MUCH DAMAGE done to her. The world is not fair, even to the main character. Time stops for no one unless they have time manipulation. I'm not going to bend over backwards so that Jolyne can beat everything. If you're looking for a complete ROFL stomp, then this story is not for you.

Now, with all of that being said…. Let's get into the chapter!

xxXXxxXXxx

[Jolyne Brooks]

The sun was at high noon. The skies were clear, as summer was just now rolling over the mountainsides. Hot, humid summer air filled the atmosphere as a lone cloaked figure stood in the center of an estate. The arid breeze picked up the ends of the cloak, lifting it gently off the ground as the figure underneath the hood ground their teeth, their left green eye narrowing with disgust and rage.

A blackish-white aura covered her body head to toe, as Whitesnake appeared by Jolyne's side. It had a worried look on its face, as it placed a hand on Jolyne's right shoulder.

"Master… are you alright?" Whitesnake questioned as Jolyne's shoulders tensed. Choking sounds came through the dual-haired mage's clamped teeth as her cheeks became red with anger. Whitesnake stepped back, as Jolyne raised her staff into the air, and roared.

"DAMNIT!" Jolyne cursed, slamming down her Blood Staff against the ground of the now evacuated base that used to belong to The Kuzuryu Clan, the result of which caused the ground to crack, for nearby pebbles to shake, and for bush leaves to blow in the wind. All of the corpses were gone, along with any sign that a fight ever happened. There was a "for sale" sign hanging from the entrance of the house, and all of the belongings had been taken.

Jolyne sneered, glaring at the base with indignation flaring in her eyes. "That little bitch…! Running away like a coward! I'll fucking kill her!" Jolyne roared, stomping on the floor hard enough to create a small crater where she stood. Whitesnake withdrew from the scene, disappearing as the aura around Jolyne died down.

The dual-haired mage calmed herself as much as possible, her breathing slowing down as her staff slowly began to fade. Once she reached a respectable level of calm, the mage spoke. "Oi, Mono!" Jolyne snarled as a splash screen appeared in front of her face.

[Yes, Jolyne Brooks. What can I help you with?]

"Tell me… where is that little bitch. I still have a quest to do revolving around her, as well as a raid dungeon that needs to be finished. Video games are supposed to tell you where the quest is. So, tell me, where is she…." Jolyne growled, her grip on her staff tightening. Mono showed her "…" before then a "Loading…" screen showed up. After a moment or two, a map showing a warehouse from a top-down view appeared in front of her.

[This is where she is located. Shall I put a distance tracker there so you may follow the trail?]

A rye smile appeared on Jolyne's face. With that silent confirmation, a tracker appeared on her left-hand side. "50 kilometres… or roughly an hour away…. I won't let you escape me that easily, Natsumi Kuzuryu…!" Jolyne roared, storming out of the base. Standing outside of the entrance, Jolyne brushed aside her cloak and crouched down to a leaping position. Passerby walked around her giving her confused and disgusted looks.

Jolyne didn't care. She didn't care what these people thought. All Jolyne cared about was getting from point A to point B, consequences be damned. In a non-superhuman society, most of, if not everyone wouldn't know that what Jolyne was about to do was a stupid move. However, as far as she was concerned, it did not matter to her.

She had priorities she had to take care of after this. Dealing with this non-threat was something that had to be done, and fast before it became one. And while she was nervous about fighting Natsumi, at this current moment and time, she was probably outpowered by about 10 fold. So long as she remembered to actually use Whitesnake.

As she found out, Whitesnake would only gain EXP if it was deployed. It made sense. If the thing getting EXP wasn't out and doing something, then it would not gain any EXP in return. And while Jolyne was annoyed that Whitesnake did not level up even slightly after the raid, it made sense. Since he wasn't used, it didn't get EXP.

"Whatever, I can think about that at a later date. What I should be doing is finishing what I started," Jolyne thought. "Oi, Mono… I got a question for you."

[Yes, Jolyne Brooks. What is it that you require from me?]

"Tell me, can I create a mental link with those whom I call allies? If I want to do this right, I should at least be able to create a link with all of those who call me a friend."

[One Moment…]

Jolyne waited in silence, and then, after a moment passed, Mono spoke up in her head again.

[The connection has been created. If you wish, you may speak to everyone by tapping the side of your head, and speaking as we do now. They can respond to you as we do, though they might not know this yet. Keep in mind that this is a general broadcast and that even the one known as Sayaka Maizono can hear you.]

Jolyne smirked, and then, applying all of her strength into a single leap, she jumped causing a crater that ran over 5 metres from the area that which she performed the leap. Everyone within the epicentre of the jump was turned into bloody chunks due to the sheer force of the leap, and those who were a good distance away were blown back or away by such force being exuded.

"That does not matter to me. She will be my ally soon enough. For now, though, I'll wait to speak to anyone using the mental link. Once I'm done this, that is," Jolyne thought as she flew through the air, aided by the wind pressure that she created due to the jump. Landing atop a flat rooftop of a skyscraper, she jumped again, doing a lesser amount of damage this time as she launched herself in the direction of the warehouse. The distance was closing, and fast. By the time she made the third jump, she was hovering just atop the warehouse where the rest of the Kuzuryu Clan members were hiding.

As she began to descend from the sky, her right arm transformed into Magma, and a splash screen appeared in front of her, reminding her of her objectives.

[Kuzuryu Clan Hideout Raid Dungeon]

-Kill 350 out of 350 remaining members of the Kuzuryu Clan- [000/350]

-Kill Natsumi Kuzuruyu- [Nightmare]

Time Limit Bonuses:

Completion in under 10 minutes: 1 Legendary Armour Gacha Token

Completion in under 15 minutes: 2 Epic Magical Relic Gacha Tokens

Completion in under 20 minutes: 1.5 million Yen

Completion rewards: 450,000 EXP, 4.4 million Yen, 1 Legendary Gacha Token, 1 Legendary-Grade Stand DISC.

Failure: Death (Presumably)

Jolyne dismissed the splash screen with her left hand, as she recoiled her right arm, which was now fully transformed into a giant glob of magma. The wind blew past her face, as her hood flew backward, revealing her cheek-length dual-coloured hair. A small hum of light came from her magma fist as it glowed with bright orange light. As soon as she came close to the roof, with a mighty roar, she announced her attack.

"GREAT ERUPTION!"

The attack shot off of her arm and headed straight for the roof of the warehouse. It hurled down like a meteorite from the sky, and when it made contact, it melted through the roof and into the building. A loud, massive explosion about 1 kilometre in diameter boomed across the cityscape, blowing windows and shaking nearby buildings.

Heavy smoke bellowed through the crater that was left of the warehouse, as Jolyne landed in a superhero pose within the crater, fist on the ground as the crater became a little bit deeper due to her landing. Standing up to full height, she brushed her right shoulder off, before coughing due to the smoke inhalation. In the corner of her eye, the counter of how many men had been killed skyrocketed from 0 to 350. Noticeably, however, it did not show that Natsumi Kuzuryu had died.

Out of reflex, Whitesnake summoned behind its user, catching five black blades in quick succession, before a suited figure rushed through the smoke at blinding speeds, ready to punch Jolyne from behind, only to be met with a punch to the gut at the hands of the white and black Stand. A glob of blood rocketed out of Natsumi Kuzuryu's mouth as she stopped dead in her tracks, a shock wave coming from the blow to the gut, blowing away any smoke in the nearby area, while also causing Jolyne's cloak to lift off the ground ever-so-slightly.

Natsumi fell to the ground and onto her knees, coughing violently as Jolyne turned to face the blonde-haired teen. Blood trailed down her mouth, as Jolyne noted the tear in her suit right where Whitesnake had punched her. There was a health bar above Natsumi's head, and Jolyne was a tad bit shocked at what she saw.

[-10%-]

"I knew Whitesnake was strong… but that's beyond insane! Though, if I had to guess, Great Eruption did most of the work. Even so… I wonder how much health Great Eruption had managed to drop before Whitesnake punched her in anticipation?" Jolyne thought as Whitesnake dropped the black swords to the ground as they dissolved from thin air.

"Magical constructs…, eh? You were learning conjuration Magic, weren't you?" Jolyne said, looking down at Natsumi. The blonde did not respond, earning a sneer from the mage. "Whatever… you need not have to answer me, bitch. Still, though, I wonder…. What would've happened if you didn't attack that day? I'm sure you remember, don't you?"

More silence. Jolyne grit her teeth, glaring daggers at Natsumi. "You know, you're bodyguard was tougher than you. He was able to rip my eye out of its socket. All you seemed to be able to do was fail at impaling me, and attempt to punch me. I guess you were trying to get back at me for using self-defence, right?"

More silence. Now Jolyne was starting to get confused. Why was she silent? She was still alive, wasn't she? "Whitesnake, check her pulse," Jolyne commanded as the Stand waltzed up to the downed blonde. Pressing a hand to her neck, its eyes narrowed.

"She has a pulse, master," Whitesnake stated, before backing away. Jolyne furrowed her brows. Had she knocked her out? If so, then this was an easy kill. She raised her hand and was about to activate Blood Spears when suddenly, she stopped. Whitesnake looked at its user, raising a non-existent eyebrow. "What seems to be the matter, master?"

"Nothing is wrong… I just… can't bring myself to kill her. I don't know why, but I can't…" Jolyne said, lowering her hand. Walking over to Natsumi, she knelt to her, before lifting her head to bring Natsumi to eye level. And what she saw made her heart crack. She didn't know why it did, but it did.

Tears. Natsumi was crying. She didn't know why, but she was. Her eyes were red around the edges, bloodshot almost, as tear stains marred her cheeks. And then, in a small, weak voice, Natsumi spoke. "Why?"

Jolyne raised an eyebrow. "Why…? What do you mean?"

Natsumi sniffled, choking back a sob as she tried to make her voice sound brimming with rage, but failed to do so, as her voice came out more as a half-hearted plead than anything else. "Why my family? W-What did we… did I, ever do to you? Wasn't taking my brother enough?! Huh?!" Natsumi demanded, her voice weak as Jolyne flinched.

She wanted to bite back. Truly, she did. Before she could, however, Natsumi continued. "I stayed away! I wanted revenge, but even I knew that it was impossible! Yet you come knocking down my door! I posed no threat to you, yet you kill what remains of my family, my friends, my co-workers, and all of this after two weeks after killing my brother, and mortally wounding someone who I'd call a sister!" Natsumi shouted. She choked back another sob, as her eyes became brimming with anger. "YOU KILLED MY PARENTS! YOU KILLED THEM WITH THAT STUPID FIREBALL ATTACK! THEY DID NOTHING TO YOU! ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! AND YOU KILLED THEM! YOUR FIGHT WAS WITH ME! NOT THEM! SO WHY!? WHY GODDAMNIT, WHY!"

Jolyne did not say anything. All she did was get up from the ground, head lowered, and slowly began to walk away. Natsumi shouted at her, screamed at her, demanding answer after answer. There was none. She had nothing to say to her. She could say nothing to her.

She… was wrong. Jolyne had been wrong….

This whole time… Jolyne had been wrong. Natsumi was right. She wasn't a threat to her. She never would've been. Never could've been. Jolyne's throat tightened, her mouth no longer in a straight line as it formed into a sneer, her only eye remaining narrowing into an angry slant. Natsumi continued to shout, continued to scream, and continued demanding for answers.

Until she said something that Jolyne knew would've haunted her for the rest of her life. That one sentence would go on to change how she did things. In retrospect, she thanked Natsumi for opening her eyes to her true nature.

"THEY DID NOTHING TO YOU! ALL THEY DID WAS EXIST AND SHARE MY NAME! WHY US?! WHY OUR FAMILY?! WE DID NOTHING WRONG TO YOU! IT WAS MY MISTAKE! I FUCKED UP! NOT THEM! THEY ONLY REACTED! ONII-CHAN REACTED TO WHAT YOU DID! HE FOLLOWED OUR TRADITIONS! AND YOU PUNISHED HIM FOR IT! YOU…! YOU…! YOU FUCKING MONSTER!"

Jolyne turned on her heels, reached out her hand, and clasped it down into a balled fist. Natsumi flinched, expecting death, but nothing happened. Jolyne's expression was one of anger, but the eye that remained showed something else. It showed understanding. She watched as Natsumi gulped, the waterworks coming to an abrupt halt.

"I know… I understand…. I made a mistake. One that I cannot fix just yet. I assumed that you were a threat when in reality I should've seen that you had no chance to become that," Jolyne stated, her expression still marred with slight anger, though it was quickly fading. "However, was it not you who instigated this whole ordeal?"

Natsumi flinched, looking away from Jolyne. The dual-haired mage hummed, before looking away. "That's what I fucking thought," Jolyne spat, lowering her hand as it disappeared into her cloak. "Had you not attacked me on the day of my awakening, things would've gone differently, I can assure you that. Perhaps there's a timeline where I don't go down this route, and something else happens. But that's not the timeline we live in, now is it?" Jolyne continued, glaring at Natsumi. "And your right! Your parents were innocent… Fuyuhiko, while overreacting, was doing what he thought was the right thing to do. I mortally wounded you during our first meeting. Something that, in hindsight, I should not have done. I believe the saying goes "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." Correct?"

Natsumi nodded silently. The anger had faded completely from Jolyne's face, as she pursed her lips. "Damnit… I fucked up! God fucking damnit! I let my emotions get the better of me…! I should've remained focused on my mission with Junko and Mukuro, not getting caught up in old fights!" Jolyne thought, a small sigh leaving her lips.

"Know this, Kuzuryu Natsumi. I can be forgiving. And while I do not have the means to do so just yet, I can promise you this. If you swear loyalty to me… once the power becomes available to me…. If the power becomes available to me…. I will resurrect your family as recompense for what I did to you."

Silence filled the crater, as the smoke began to fully dissipate. Natsumi was about to say something, when the sound of sirens filled the air, as did screeching tires. Doors opened and shut, as the sound of guns safety being removed echoed throughout the whole area. When the smoke fully cleared, Jolyne looked up to see that nearly over 10 police cars had surrounded the entire crater, each of which had 2 police officers.

Natsumi gasped, looking around as Jolyne sighed. Natsumi put her hands behind her head, while Jolyne stood stock still, doing absolutely nothing. Then, one of the police officers spoke. "YOU, IN THE CLOAK! HANDS UP WHERE WE CAN SEE THEM!"

"Fuck no. I am NOT putting up with this bullshit right now," Jolyne thought, narrowing her eyes as she growled out the name of a spell that was slowly starting to become one of her favourites. "Abomination Creation."

Confused expressions made themselves known on the police officer's faces, as the one who spoke went to say something, only for whatever it was that they wanted to say to die in their throat. Purple sludge began to form around Jolyne's feet, as it split off and began to create Abomination after Abomination after Abomination.

A dark aura outlined Jolyne's body. The police opened fire, though the bullets did nothing but warp through her thanks to her Magu Magu no Mi. She was purposely repressing Bullet Time, mainly so she could scare Natsumi into submission. While she found herself unable to kill Natsumi due to her morals spiking up again, what she could do was make her a loyal servant.

After all, if she were to be one of the rulers of the new world set in place by Junko and Mukuro, a ruler would require servants, would they not? Natsumi, for all the trouble that she had been, had talent. Talent that she could use later down the line. Besides… she wasn't going to let Natsumi getaway. Not again. If she did that, then there was no telling what she could do.

"I must thank you… Natsumi-chan. Had it not been for you, I would never have been forced to get this powerful this quickly…." As the monsters grew from the sludge pool, Natsumi couldn't help but go wide-eyed at seeing it. Her pupils appeared to be quivering, shaking as if they were viewing a monster. All Jolyne could do was smirk upon seeing that, all the while bullets continued to fly through her as if they were nothing. "You were right about one thing, Natsumi-chan…." Jolyne stated, shooting out her arms in a wide birth, a manic smile making itself known on her face, all the while her eyes gleamed with a dark, violent, twisted determination. "I AM A MONSTER!"

And when she shouted that, the abominations roared with newfound vigour. No longer were they slow-moving, misshapen beasts. Their forms changed from bulky, tall, black, purple and violet creatures. They were now black, purple, and violet lean, boney, sharp tooth having monsters. Claws the size of daggers, and eyes slanted with red glowing lights, befitting of what they were. "ABOMINATIONS! KILL THEM ALL!"

An ocean of screams and gunshots filled the surrounding area, mixed in which was unsightly laughter, coming from Jolyne. Blood showered down like rain, as droplets of it fell upon Natsumi. Jolyne walked toward the blonde, greyish green eyes meeting emerald green eyes. Jolyne cupped Natsumi's chin and smiled.

"So… Natsumi-chan. Will you swear loyalty to me?" Jolyne questioned. The answer, much to Jolyne's shock, came faster than she expected.

"I… Kuzuryu Natsumi…. Swear loyalty to you, Jolyne-Sama…." Natsumi said, closing her eyes as she looked at the ground, bowing her head as a sign of respect. Jolyne smiled, backing away as Natsumi stood up.

"Good… Now, let us go. I have somewhere I need to be. Follow me. We are going to Hopes Peak Academy. There is somebody who I think you should meet."

With a sombre nod, Natsumi followed Jolyne out of the crater and passed the dead bodies of the police officers. The Abominations reverted back to their original forms, looking at Jolyne. Once she dismissed them, they melted into puddles, before said puddles evaporated. No evidence of them being here would be left behind, and seeing as all the bodies of the Kuzuryu Clan members were melted away into nothingness by her Magma, the only bodies being left behind were the ones of the police officers.

And as they left the area, Jolyne's remaining eye glowed a bright green.

"Next stop, Hopes Peak Academy's basement."

[Hajime Hinata]

"Are you absolutely sure that you wish to do this, sweetie?" A young woman's voice, his mother's voice, to be precise, flowed through his ears and out like a flowing river. He really wished Tengan-sensei didn't ask for him to make sure his parents were okay with his procedure. There was a reason as to why he started living on campus. He didn't want to deal with this nonsense. Hajime wasn't all too keen on really hearing his parents out.

"It's tantamount to killing yourself! If you do this… we'll, I'll disown you right here and right now!" A rougher, angrier-sounding voice spat, his father. Hajime's eyes glazed over. He really didn't care what they said. His life had been shit. Sure, his parents put up with him, but he knew deep down that they saw him as a failure.

And so, he saw no reason to live as one. He was given the option of a lifetime. A chance to start fresh! To start living a life that he could lead without anyone messing with it! He could become The Ultimate Hope! All he had to do was sign a bunch of papers, get a rudimentary surgery done, and boom! Instant success!

And then, all of it would be worth it. The bullying, the mistreatment, the mocking, all of it! All of it would be worth his time! He didn't give a rat's ass about what his parents thought. All he cared about now was getting this meaningless conversation over with.

"You can't disown me if I'm technically dead, right?" Hajime responded bitterly. His dad was about to interrupt, but Hajime continued. "You two never gave a rat's ass about me, and if you did, it was lost in translation. Now all of the sudden you're pretending to care? Whenever I told you about the pain I was in because of what people at Junior High said to me, you ignored me. When I nearly got run over by a car on my way home from school in the fifth grade, you shrugged it off and didn't care! Neither of you ever cared! Now I have the chance at a better life, and suddenly you've changed your mind!? Fuck that! This is goodbye!"

Without allowing them to speak to him, he hung up the phone. Looking down at the cell phone his parents got him when he moved away, he saw his reflection. Plain brown hair, ordinary grey eyes, slightly tanned skin, lean build… none of that mattered. Not anymore. He was going to be a changed man after all of this was over. And not a damn thing was going to stop him.

"Quite the explosive conversation… but nonetheless, they are aware. It is time to go, Hinata Hajime," a man in a suit said as Hajime nodded. Silently, Hajime left the room with the man in the suit. By the time the sun came up again, he was going to be a new man. Hajime Hinata will be no more… only whoever is created by this experiment.

A part of him was nervous. Technically, he was throwing away his life. His dad was right. This was tantamount to killing himself. But unlike killing himself, he was going to have the chance to live on as someone new. If he had hung himself, like he originally intended on doing before he was approached by Tengen, then his life would've been a waste.

A small, sad smile made its way onto his face. His mother and father had probably already started to replace him. The last he saw his mother, she had started to gain a small amount of weight. But, he knew the difference. They were already having another child to replace him. That was fine. He was a failure anyway.

A talentless, worthless, piece of trash. Everyone had told him that. Other Ultimates told him that. Society constantly said that. So what was the point? Who cared if another talentless piece of trash disappeared? The only difference would be that he would come out of it all a changed and bettered man. He would be the face of hope! Maybe under a new name, and a new face. But that didn't matter.

Entering a black, all-tinted windowed car, Hajime buckled himself into the seat as the suited man got in beside him. Once the door was closed, the suited man placed a bag over his head. He remained calm. He knew why this was happening—no one was allowed to know where the facility was that this was being held. This had happened before when he met the doctor who would perform the procedure.

"You're calm about this. A stark difference from last time. This is your last chance. Are you sure you wish to continue? You may never live as Hajime Hinata ever again. You probably won't even remember yourself, or even know who you are. This will wipe your mind completely. You will be, for all intents and purposes, erased from reality."

Hajime nodded. "I understand. I have nothing left to live for anyway. My family has already disowned me, I have no friends, and I have no talent. My life is forfeit. I would rather die for the sake of The Future than die a meaningless death in the Suicide Forest."

A gruff huff of confirmation was all that he heard before his vision went dark, and his mind went blank. For the last time, he would fall asleep as Hajime Hinata. And when he awoke… well, it wouldn't be him anymore. It would be whoever came out as a result of the surgery. He knew they had sleep-gassed him. They were going to drag his body into the operating room, just as they had explained that they'd do.

And using his last effort of consciousness, he smiled underneath the bag. He had made the right choice. He was confident in that.

[?]

Staring out a window, overlooking Tokyo City, was a man. His grey slicked-back hair shone in the sunlight, his neatly pressed whitish grey suit matched his silver hair, and his black tie contrasted with it neatly. On his hip was a sword sheath, as he never went anywhere without it. After all, a man or woman's outfit was never complete without his or her sword. Especially if one practiced the art of mastering a Katana.

"Has there been any word from Yukizome-san?" The suited man asked as a grunt came from his rear. The grunt in question came from a man deep within the shadows, though only the top half of his body was hidden underneath them. It was easy to tell they were strong, no doubt about it. Physically, they were built like a tank, so much so that even their pants had a hard time keeping all of the muscle hidden underneath. The person in question also wore a suit, although it was dark blue, and rather than having a black tie, they had a red one.

All it would take would be one good look at them and you'd know that they were one tough bastard. Nothing short of armour-piercing rounds would penetrate that skin of theirs, especially due to how it shone under the light.

"No, Munakata-Kun. Nothing but radio silence. You think she betrayed us?" The man in the shadows asked, only to earn a "tsk" from Munakata.

"Do not assume that. For all we know, that Mage she spoke of earlier might've been on to her. Chances are that she's dead. And if she isn't, then I will question her myself as to what happened, and why she has gone radio silent. For now, inform The Great Gozu that something is wrong and that he needs to pay a visit to Hope's Peak Academy. Am I understood, Sakakura-Kun?" Munakata said, glancing over his shoulder.

A swift nod from Sakakura was all that was needed for Munakata to hum in approval. He went back to staring out the window, a frown slowly developing on his face. "Is our infiltrator almost ready?"

Sakakura cleared his throat. "He is being… rather difficult. But, his powers are only growing stronger. If we are to stop the Kamakura project from happening, then he might be our only answer. It's his cooperativeness that is the… issue."

Munakata raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Once again, Sakakura cleared his throat, before speaking. "What I mean is that… despite his vast amount of power, and his readiness when it comes to the task at hand, he seems to… refuse to follow orders. No matter how many times we discipline him, he refuses to answer to anything we demand him to do. That, and on top of his interest in that redheaded magician, it would seem as if his mind is completely subverted. This isn't to mention that the Government is starting to become weary of Project D.I.C.E. With all the funding we're asking for, we—"

"That's enough, Sakakura-Kun," Munakata interrupted, raising his hand as the words died in Sakakura's throat. "I understand your concerns. However, whether he wants to or not, he will have to fight against The Mage once the time comes. For now, prepare Subject 001 for her first test. Locate and track down the mage, and have 001 do battle with her. If she is successful and comes back alive, then we shall continue from there. We mustn't have the Despair Sisters win. Taking out their strongest asset first and foremost will do damage to them, and force them to retreat long enough for us to capture them. Am I understood?"

"B-But Munakata-Kun! What of Subject 009, what do we—"

"Am. I. Understood, Sakakura-Kun?"

Sakakura paused, a bead of sweat falling down the side of his face before he nodded briefly. Munakata hummed, placing a hand on the hilt of his sword. He stared out the window, a small smile on his face as Sakakura left the office, the doors closing with a loud slam.

"Now… what is your next move on the chessboard… Junko Enoshima? I look forward to what it is you might do. This game of ours… has become quite exciting. I never would've thought you to bring magic into this…." Munakata said, looking over to his laptop sitting on his office desk. Walking over to his desk, he picked up the mug next to the laptop, which displayed a picture of Munakata and Chisa as the laptop's background, at a time when they were both young children. A look of longing appeared on Munakata's face, his eyes gleaming with a bright, hopeful shine. "I have no doubt that you have captured Chisa… but I will get her back. I will undo your corruption. And once I am done, the world will be at peace. Despair will cease to exist, and a brighter Hope will lead humanity to a shining future. That is the goal of the Future Foundation."

His head turned and looked over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing toward someone standing just beside the door. The figure in question was tall, and lean, and was wearing a black jacket with a white shirt in the middle. One arm was bandaged, while the other was left bare. His mismatched eyes met Munakata's glare, if only for a moment, before looking away over to the right. "And you… you said that she taught you your magic. Yes? Do you pledge allegiance to The Future Foundation…. Gundham Tanaka?"

Gundham stepped forward, taking a knee as an icy aura filled the room. "I, Gundham Tanaka, Overlord of Ice, pledge my allegiance to you, and the future foundation. In their stead, I will tell you what they told me…. Hiyoko Saionji, Mikan Tsumiki, Mahiru Koizumi, and Teruteru Hanamura all pledge their allegiance to the Future Foundation, your wish is our command, Munakata-Sama." As Gundham said that, he rose from his bow, and glared at Munakata. "But understand this…. The Dark Warlock is mine. Do I make myself clear?"

Munakata nodded. "Very well. I will order for her capture, so that you may take her life. After all, it is for the future of our great nation. It would be stupid of me to not allow you your revenge," The former Ultimate Swordsman said, earning a nod from Gundham.

"Indeed. I shall take my leave. I must make sure the others are okay." And with that, Gundham left the room, leaving Munakata all by his lonesome. A small smile made its way to his face, putting one hand in his pocket, while the other remained resting on the hilt of his sword. For the longest time, he did not believe in magic. That was until one day he witnessed that orphaned boy use some form of magic on a dying cat.

"Yes… had it not been for Subject 009, I would not have been introduced to the world of magic. After I adopted him as my son all those years ago, I have never looked back." Approaching the window once more, his reflection got caught within the window, as the grip on the hilt of his sword tightened. "That being said… his rebelliousness is inconvenient. No matter… Subject 009, Oma Kokichi, will become the strongest warrior of The Future Foundation. He and he alone will rival that of This "Jolyne Brooks" person. And, he will also be the one who puts an end to the Izuru Kamakura project. After all… hope cannot be artificially made."

A pang of guilt wormed its way into his stomach, as his eyes narrowed. "Let's just hope that I am not too late to save that boy, Hinata Hajime, from throwing away his bright future…."

Little did he know… that he had already been too late.

-To Be Continued in – The Beginning of the End – Part 1