Well, I'm back! Sorry for the sudden hiatus everyone, I just needed a break from this story for a bit. But now, I'm back, and earlier than expected, too. I have an idea of how to approach this final chapter of this particular arc! I might have been influenced by GOW: Ragnarok's Odin and Thor scene, but who can blame me? It's fucking iconic! And… well, Jolyne looks kinda like Odin from that game, eyepatch and, well, she even has a cloak… fuck it, whatever. It's really influenced by that scene. Anyway, After this chapter, we'll be wrapping things up with the final arc of Danganronpa, and then, we'll be hopping into the RWBYverse!
Guess that means I gotta rewatch Vol. 1… Fuck.
Anyway, for this chapter… prepare for sadness…
But, before that! Let's move on to my response to reviews/comments!
[Response to reviews/comments]
(Qoutev) Dead Phone: It's been a while, hasn't it? Nice to see you commenting again! Anywho, Chinatsu and Jolyne merging guilds is going to generate some spicy drama, you know, because they hate each other! And yes, Jolyne has a crush on Rantaro. It was hinted at in Class 77 – B goes Camping – Part 5 if I remember correctly. So, in other words, half the story ago. No need to feel too bad, there are some things that happened early on that even I forgot about! Which, in retrospect, goes to show just how dumb I can be sometimes…. Oh well! Also, thank you for the kind words!
(Qoutev) TACO SENSEI: Well, when you're not given a choice by your retainers, I don't think them liking it has to be a part of it, ya know? Kokichi would probably hate it the most, but then again, as stated above, they don't have much of a choice, now do they? Oh… and, yeah. RIP them, ig…. Also, writer's block is horrible, but it's now subsided, so… enjoy the incoming chapters!
(Qoutev) JammyJam: Lore is good, and, as you can tell, I like Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
(Qoutev) Gh0sty.C0ffe: You're pretty spot on with how this is going to go. Just… a lot more padded out. Ya know, like One Piece, but worse!
(Qoutev) Lucia: Thank you! Thankfully there hasn't been any during this brief hiatus, so that's a plus!
(Ao3) ThatCatMan: Fun Fact! That was the original plan! Then, I thought it'd be kinda tasteless, so I switched it to Adam. So, from now on, whenever you see Adam get mentioned or shown up in this fanfic, remember that he was originally supposed to be Jesus, but the author bitched out at the last second.
BearticGuy7: Those who have Stands via DISCS can have their Stands grow, just look at Sports Maxx from Part 6.
Sand The Sand Man: Thank you! I hope you continue enjoying it!
Kolt999: Understandable man. Hope you get better soon! And don't worry dude, if you're sick, you're sick. The only reason why I post when I am sick is that I have no life or commitment outside of this, and feel bad when I don't do something.
Now… as for your review when you DID feel better….
Lady Mary and Daimen being connected was something that I planned to do since I created Chinatsu. Plus, this has everything to do with my plan for the RWBYverse. And, yeah, honestly, sparing her just because of morality is super boring. Besides, the way I'm going at it now creates tension between the characters and potential character arcs for them to go through.
As for Adam…. Lowkey he was the reason behind my hiatus lol. I kinda had to do some research on The Bible and all that jazz. Unfortunatly, we won't be seeing much of Adam, at least not in the early game. He'll be like… a background threat. Honestly, I probably should've introduced him way later in the plot, but, I digress. I don't really have much planned for him at the moment, considering it is so early on in the story, so… yeah.
Unnamed Guest: Look, I know you're never going to see this because I can assume you dropped the story, but, on the off chance that you are seeing this, here are my answers to you: Because, and I cannot stress this enough, I do not want Jolyne to come off as this overpowered Mary Sue who always wins no matter what. I think I've said this before, so allow me to say it again, I, positively, hate it when someone writes a story, makes their character overpowered as shit, refuses to put any form of stakes in it, and has it wind up as "the MC saves the day" every time. It's one of the main reasons why I fucking HATE Dragon Ball Z, and why I'll never watch/read it even if the Manga/Anime makes it look really good. Because I know that, at the end of the day, Goku, or any of his stupid clones that he calls his children and friends, is going to win. Now, if it's pulled off correctly, then sure, yeah, that's fine. But when it's half-assed, like most of, if not all, Gamer Fics, then it boils my blood. So, hopefully, that gets my point across.
Now, with that being said, let's jump straight into the new chapter!
xxXXxxXXxx
[Jolyne]
Waking up with Sayaka cuddling up to her was something that she rather enjoyed. It was nice, to feel her girlfriend pressing up against her. Especially after last night. Alas, she couldn't stay like this forever, and so, Jolyne begrudgingly sat up, waking up Sayaka in the process.
"Good morning," Jolyne said, as Sayaka smiled.
"Good morning, Jolyne. Sleep well?" Sayaka asked as the mage shrugged.
"Better than a few nights ago, that's for sure. I felt well rested for a change," Jolyne replied as Sayaka kissed her, which she graciously accepted. When the two parted, Jolyne stood up. "And, thank you, by the way. For last night? I mean… I was nervous, and… well… I'm new to this whole thing. I was also really wound up and tense so… it helped me," Jolyne said, looking over her shoulder as Sayaka nodded.
"Any time, Jolyne~" Sayaka teased, as the dual-haired mage blushed, looking away, earning a giggle from Sayaka. Afterwards, the two went about their morning quietly, not interrupting one another as they went about their morning activities. Both brushed their hair and teeth, while Jolyne left the bathroom for Sayaka to have a shower first since she had classes to go to, while she didn't.
She had a lot to think about. Today was the day when she got to take down that other clan. The bastards who killed Sayaka's parents were going to pay for what they did, and they were going to pay for it by drowning in their own blood. She knew that the other Gamer, Chinatsu, wasn't going to be an easy kill, but, at the same time, it would be so worth it.
She didn't care what that Kokichi brat had to say. Accident or no accident, they attacked the family of an innocent person who had NOTHING to do with ANYTHING. Call her a hypocrite, which she was, but it was unforgivable. Honestly, she didn't know how Natsumi was so willing to forgive Jolyne.
Or maybe, there was some silent resentment there? She wouldn't blame her if that was the case, after all, she killed her family with no remorse, and she was pretty sure that the only reason why Natsumi didn't try to kill her for what she did to her family was that the blonde knew it was futile.
That mistake… the mistake of killing Natsumi's family…. It would be one that cursed her until she could undo it. She promised Natsumi that she'd bring back her family, and it didn't matter if it was in this world, or the next, or even the one after that. She'd do everything in her power to bring back her family, no matter the cost.
She owed her that much, at least.
When Sayaka came out of the bathroom around twenty minutes later, dressed in her usual outfit, Jolyne was about to have a shower herself, when she got a notification from… Daimen of all people.
[We need to talk. Get your secretary, and meet me at the back of Hopes Peak Academy. You have no time to waste. Get moving.]
Jolyne frowned, sighing. What did that oaf need now? Couldn't he just let her relax for one second? It was bad enough she was bombarded by Quests thanks to Mono, but now she had to deal with Daimen today? What else was she going to have to do? Milk a cow?
Looking over to Sayaka, she waved at her to leave with an annoyed expression on her face. "Hey, Sayaka, you go on without me, alright? Gotta meet up with someone important today, so I'll see you… probably either at lunch or after school." the dual-haired mage said, as Sayaka gave her a concerned look, but nodded and left nonetheless. Once Sayaka was gone, and after waiting around for 5 or so minutes, Jolyne placed a finger on her head, and direct messaged Natsumi.
"Oi, hope you're awake. My boss wants to speak to us again."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously. Besides, you gotta drive the kids to school anyway. Quickly, now, I don't want to keep him waiting. I've never seen him angry before, and from the message I got, he seemed angry, or at the very least stressed out about something."
There was a brief pause before Natsumi responded back in the affirmative. It wouldn't take long for Natsumi to get to the school, so while she waited for her, she reviewed the Quests she had at her disposal…. Which weren't many. Aside from her Harem Quest, she didn't have any side quests. Which, you'd think because she was, well, a Gamer, she'd have some side quests.
[Tutorial Worlds such as this one don't have Side-Quests, or, at least, not many. The ones they do have are very few and far between, and require you to talk to other people outside of those around you. I'm sure if you kept Class 77 – B alive, you could've gotten a few side-quests out of them, Jolyne Brooks.]
"Well, that answers that…" Jolyne thought, pursing her lips. The dual-haired mage looked out the window of her dorm room and watched as students hung out with other students. There was a certain apprehension in the air like everyone knew something big was going to happen. Like they were anticipating something.
They weren't wrong in thinking that. Something big WAS coming. Just what that was, however, was something that they had no idea of comprehending.
Around 7:45, Jolyne got dressed in what she typically wore, swapping out her hoodie for her black and white cloak, and having a white shirt on instead of her now white hoodie, and exited her room. She made a beeline for the back of the school, as the children entered her dorm room, waving at her. She waved back, then turned the corner.
By the time she got to the back of the school, it was barren and empty, and standing against the wall was Daimen in his student façade. Natsumi was rounding the corner on the opposite side of the building, as Daimen sighed and ushered them over. When they got there, Jolyne noticed that Daimen seemed… worried almost.
And then… he spoke.
"I don't typically jump straight to the serious shit. But today calls for that. Jolyne, whatever you do… you cannot kill Chinatsu and her guild. That's an order," Daimen stated as Jolyne's eyes widened.
"What!? Why!" The mage snapped as Daimen groaned.
"Look. I could tell you, but that would require me to put more effort into my job, and I—" he stopped, inhaled sharply, then sighed. "Fuck it. Look, you're going to need her for later on. I can't say what, lest I get turned into a pile of mincemeat. Just… know that… while it's not important to us yet, something came up that requires every gamer alive. If you want revenge THAT badly… well… we have this thing called "Blood Payments." You wanna know what that is?" Daimen said, crossing his arms as Jolyne raised an eyebrow. Before she could speak, however, Natsumi spoke up.
"Blood… Payments? Uh, I mean, The Yakuza had this thing that if you failed something massive, you cut off a finger or commit seppuku… is it similar to that?" Natsumi asked as Daimen shook his head.
"Nope. Think of it as a trial by combat. The guilty party and the prosecutor take up arms and fight. The fight goes on for however long the prosecutor wants it to go on for, or, until their satisfied. No third parties are allowed to step in, and it's ONLY between the guilty party and the prosecutor. All you have to do is show up at the house with some form of peace offering. If they don't accept it right away, then the Blood Payment shall begin. Sound's awesome, yeah?" Daimen explained as Jolyne rubbed her chin in thought.
It might not have been what she wanted, but… if it was the only way she was going to get revenge…. She might as well take it. There wasn't exactly anything wrong with taking it, and… besides, if she HAD to ally with Chinatsu and her guild, then this was the only way revenge was going to be gotten.
"So… wait a second… all that training… was for nothing?" Natsumi asked as Daimen scoffed.
"Nah, it was for something. You've got something WORSE after your guy's ass now. They somehow ascended to the level of a Multiversal Gamer without even being one… I wonder how that was possible… oh well, not my problem. I can't wait to see how you handle it, that'll be comedy gold!" Daimen said, before looking at Jolyne. "Now, do you want to go to their base now, or, do you want to wait?" Daimen asked as Jolyne blinked.
"What? What do you mean "do I want to go now?" It's not like you can—" Jolyne paused mid-sentence, before pinching the bridge of her nose. "You can teleport me there, can't you?" As Jolyne said that, he smirked.
"You know it! Tell me, how much do you know about the Norse Mythos?" Daimen asked as Jolyne shrugged.
"Other than Thor and Loki being brothers, and Odin being their father, I know nothing else," Jolyne replied as Daimen sighed, before whistling a rather melodic tune, stretching his arm out as, out of nowhere, a black bird with blue eyes flew down from the roof of Hopes Peak Academy. Jolyne blinked a few times, looking at what appeared to be a raven, as Daimen scratched the back of its neck with two of his fingers.
"This is Huginn. This is one of Odin's information gathers, and, also a personal teleporter. Any one of the Aesir Gods, or Disciples, can call upon him for use if need be… as of recently, anyhow. Dire times call for Dire responses. Granted, it can only be where you know the location to be, so that's a downside. Otherwise, it's pretty OP! Speaking of which, he's how I escaped the void the times that I spoke to you. I typically can't leave it without some outside help. Though, as I've said, things have changed. But, that's for later. Whenever you're ready to go, say the word, and you and I shall depart," Daimen said, before looking over to Natsumi. "Unfortunatly, you can't come with me. What you can do, however, is inform Jolyne's guild of what's going on, and what Jolyne is doing."
Natsumi nodded, before looking at Jolyne. "Stay safe…." Natsumi said as Jolyne smirked.
"I'll be fine. I've become stronger. I'll be able to handle anything those weaklings throw at me, if, a fight breaks out, that is," Jolyne said, as Daimen then did something strange. He pulled something out of thin air, and… it was a dark brown bottle of something. Jolyne raised an eyebrow, as Daimen smiled.
"Mead. You're gonna want it. It's pretty good, too. And, it works as a peace offering. If things don't work, then we can do Blood Payments. I want to avoid fighting at all costs… Chinatsu is kinda the envoy of my ex-wife, er, wife? Honestly, I don't know what the relationship is anymore. Whatever. The point is the less bloodshed, the better. Chinatsu should know what we're attempting, so, if things go as planned, try not to rip her head off, yeah?" Daimen asked as Jolyne rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, yeah. Let's just get this over and done with…." Jolyne said as she swiped the bottle of mead from Daimen. She opened the cap, took a whiff, and recoiled. It had a rather strong, pungent smell. But, it wasn't entirely revolting like beer was. "Smells… odd…." Jolyne said, placing the cap back on, as Daimen chuckled, snapping his fingers as Huginn began to fly around them… followed by hundreds of other ravens, spiralling around them until they all dispersed, as they appeared in front of a warehouse, with Huginn resting on Daimen's shoulder.
"We're here," Daimen said, frowning. Jolyne reached for her scythe and held it lazily in her right hand. Taking the mead in the other hand, she glared at the front entrance. She half expected to appear at the front of The Future Foundation. A part of her wondered what had changed. Daimen looked at Jolyne, then nodded. Jolyne took a few steps forward, then, as she cleared her throat, she shouted.
"CHINATSU OUMA, ENVOY OF LADY MARY, AND LEADER OF D.I.C.E.! OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!" Jolyne hollered, as she received nothing but silence in return. A few seconds passed, and Jolyne was about ready to tear the door down herself when the door opened. Outstepped a woman who appeared to be a child, but she knew her to be older than that. Her vibrant purple eyes and blue hair made it obvious as to who it was, along with their white apparel and checkered flag neck scarf.
Chinatsu Ouma stared at her with wide eyes, before she then glanced at Daimen, and her eyes widened even further. Beside her was Kokichi Ouma, her brother, who glared at her. She did not even give him the time of day, as she spoke. "Chinatsu Ouma. I come bearing gifts," Jolyne started, as she raised the bottle of mead. "It isn't much, but… I've brought mead. May I come in?" Jolyne continued. "I do not seek a fight. I only wish to talk. I take it that Lady Mary has already informed you of something, yes?"
In response, Chinatsu bit at her lower lip, before looking over to Kokichi. She whispered something to him, and he nodded, then entered the warehouse before she spoke up. "Come in…" Chinatsu said, wearily as Jolyne walked forward, Daimen following behind her. Once they entered, she was met with 4 other people, all dressed similarly to Chinatsu. There was a table in the center of the room, which seemingly looked recently put there, almost as if they were preparing for a guest or guests. Whatever the case might have been, the two sat at the table, Chinatsu nervous, while Jolyne was calm.
Jolyne placed her Scythe across the table as a gesture of peace which made Chinatsu gulp. She seemingly didn't have a weapon of her own to place, so she let it slide. Kokichi reappeared and placed two cups in front of them. Kokichi shot her another dirty look, which she paid no mind to. She looked around the warehouse and saw that everyone was tense.
Was she really that scary to them? What exactly had Chinatsu told them about her? Maybe she painted her as the boogeyman? It was a possibility. Honestly, as far as Jolyne was concerned, she didn't care for the others or their opinions. What she did care about was the other person who looked nothing like them, looming in the background, watching them.
The person in question was a gorgeous woman, wearing a toga dress of some kind. She had white hair, golden yellow eyes, and rather… enviable sized breasts that were just barely covered by the dress she wore. The only thing keeping the toga together was a red sash, which was tied at the back with a large red bow of some kind. The toga was parted slightly at the hips, exposing some of the woman's thigh, which pointed out the fact that she was wearing a garter belt and thong. She wore a pair of twin steel gauntlets with what appeared to be sharp claws, mimicking her own Bear Claw.
Jolyne assumed her to be Lady Mary, and by the gods was she pretty. Fitting for a disciple of… whoever she was the disciple of. Daimen walked over to her, before nodding at The Multiversal Gamer, silently wishing her good luck. Jolyne looked around and hummed. "Nice place… But, I thought you worked with The Future Foundation. What happened?"
"Destroyed the place. Father became… corrupt. I couldn't bare to watch him fall into a hope-filled delusion," Chinatsu replied curtly, as Jolyne nodded, popping the cap on the mead bottle, pouring a small amount in both cups, before placing the bottle with the cap back on it in the center.
"I see…." Jolyne continued, as she took her cup, and sniffed it. The smell was a little off-putting, and when she took a sip, she had been delighted to find that it tasted… okay. "You gonna drink yours?" Jolyne asked as Chinatsu did the same thing she did, but scrunched up her face. "Not a fan?"
"Never been a fan of alcohol, really," Chinatsu replied as Jolyne nodded.
"This is my first time drinking, so… honestly, that doesn't matter. I'm getting distracted. You know why I'm here," Jolyne said, putting her cup down as she steepled her fingers. "See, the original plan was to take everyone in my guild, bust down your door, and ransack the entire place till you were all nothing but blood stains on the floor," Jolyne started, as she reclined. Chinatsu glared at her, but Jolyne paid it no mind. "Obviously, plans changed. For some reason, neither of our envoys wants us to kill each other. So…."
As Jolyne said that, the dual-haired mage stood up, and looked around the place. "I've decided… that we'll come to a truce. An… alliance of sorts. Now… what you did to Sayaka's parents… it was an accident, I understand that. Hell, I've had my fair share of accidents in the past. So, it's all water under the bridge," Jolyne continued, as she rounded the other side of the table, staring directly at Chinatsu. "So, if we join our guilds together… then, it'll make it official," Jolyne continued, as she used CHECK on the entire room.
As name's she didn't recognize showed up, like Lilith, Tamayo, Samidere, and Tsuko, she also saw a bunch of names that she did recognize. Like Gundham, Mahiru, Hiyoko, and Mikan. "So… that's where you all went off to, huh?" Jolyne thought, huffing. They were hiding in the darkness, using the shadows to mark as a proverbial shield from her eyesight. Too bad they didn't know about CHECK. "Hell! I'll let you keep my escaped prisoners! You know the ones," Jolyne continued, as she spun around on her feet, stared into the darkness of the warehouse, and frowned.
She knew they saw her, just as she saw them. And she knew that they were all probably freaking the hell out right about now. Either way, that wasn't the point. The point was that she now knew where they were.
"That's right! I finally found you, you sneaky fucks! I knew you'd find somewhere to hide! I just never suspected it'd be with the OTHER mage! Congratulations! You pulled the wool over my eyes!" Jolyne shouted, earning no response back. The dual-haired mage scowled. "Hide all you want, you know what'll happen when I get my hands on you!" Jolyne hollered, as she turned to face Chinatsu. "So, what's it gonna be? The peaceful option, or…." Jolyne said as she picked up her scythe. When she did, she flared Despair Aura within the room, making Chinatsu and the others, with the exception of Daimen and Lady Mary, flinch. "Or the violent one. Because quite frankly… you and I both know who the victor of that fight will be."
Without warning, thick vines wrapped around Jolyne's legs, as one of the other D.I.C.E members, Samidere if she remembered thanks to CHECK, glared at her. The person in question had shoulder-length green hair, similar to that of Rantaro's in a way, and was wearing the same straight jacket-like apparel that everyone was wearing, including the black and white checkered neck scarf. The vines wrapped around her ankles, wrists, and neck, as she was lifted into the air by the thick green appendages, as Chinatsu stood up, and fired a concentrated beam of light directly at Jolyne's chest….
Only for it to pass through magma, and to earn a scowl from Jolyne, who amped her Despair Aura in response, knocking everyone but Chinatsu, Daimen, and Lady Mary to the floor. Jolyne's Magma body burned away the vines, as the dual-haired mage landed on the ground, grabbed her scythe, then slammed into Chinatsu with enough strength to knock away 2,500 HP from Chinatsu's 15,000 HP, leaving Chinatsu with 12,500 HP.
The blue-haired gamer gasped in pain, as Jolyne grabbed her by the collar of her shirt, and threw her out of the building, chasing after her with her scythe in hand. "FUCK YEAH! Glad you chose the hard way!" Jolyne shouted as she landed just a few feet in front of Chinatsu, as she summoned Whitesnake to her side, turned her right arm into Magma, and readied her scythe in her left hand. A faint green shield cast over Jolyne's body, as she stared down Chinatsu, who looked scared out of her mind.
Jolyne didn't even hesitate, sending Whitesnake after Chinatsu, having it swing right hook after left hook at Chinatsu, who dodged all of the attacks that her Stand was slinging at her. Jolyne also kept on the pressure by slinging magma balls at the opposite side where Chinatsu was dodging, making it even harder for the other gamer to dodge.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT?!" Chinatsu screamed, as she shot lightning at Whitesnake, who dodged, and followed it up with a sucker punch, connecting with Chinatsu's jaw, dealing 3,000 damage. Chinatsu hit the ground, as Jolyne jumped in front of her, and started stomping on her head once, twice, and a third time more, dealing another 1,500 damage to Chinatsu, before then kicking her in the ribs, and sending her flying into a shipping container just outside of the warehouse.
In the span of five seconds, Jolyne had dished out 7,000 damage, dealing almost half of her health in one go. Chinatsu sputtered up blood, as she coughed, blood pouring down the side of her face and out of her mouth as she shakily tried to stand up. "It's a little something called Blood Payments. What? Did Lady Mary not inform you?" The dual-haired mage asked, raising an eyebrow, smirking.
Chinatsu gnashed her teeth together, and threw a haymaker at Jolyne's face, only for it to be caught by Whitesnake, who slammed her into the shipping container, leaving a large dent, and doing around 1,000 damage, due to it holding back.
And then, Chinatsu did something that shocked Jolyne. Glaring at Jolyne with hatred that seemed almost unfounded, at least, in Jolyne's opinion, she unleashed an attack that made the mage's eyes widen to the size of saucers.
"REALITY BREAKING WAVE!"
An invisible wave of something slammed into Jolyne, just as she activated her Anti-Spell Body armour, which ate the attack. However, it still caused Jolyne to go flying backward. Luckily, she had been able to keep her footing.
"If it wasn't for Anti-Spell Body… that would've either done significant damage to me… or straight up killed me. Either way, it didn't work, and, from the looks of things, Chinatsu seems tired… Time to finish this, preferably before she can whip out another one of those, seeing as my thing is on cooldown!" Jolyne thought as she rolled her neck side-to-side, keeping up the confident appearance.
When Chinatsu saw that her attack failed to do whatever it was supposed to do, Chinatsu became desperate. She started firing lightning at her, which she blocked using Whitesnake, who tanked the hits. Then, Jolyne closed the distance, grabbed Chinatsu by the neck again, and repeatedly kneed her in the stomach, with each knee doing 500 damage.
"This! Is! For! Sayaka's Parents!"
The blows totalled up to 2,000 damage, leaving Chinatsu with 5,000 HP left. There was now a dent the size of the entire shipping container after she was through, and then, Jolyne spun around and slammed Chinatsu into the ground, dealing yet another 1,000 damage, before drop-kicking her in the face, dealing yet another 2,000 damage. Her face was starting to look like a mess of blood and bruises, as the other gamer began to scramble away from Jolyne, who marched over to Chinatsu.
Using CHECK, Jolyne saw that Chinatsu only had 2,000 HP to her name, and with that pathetic display of fear, she knew it too.
A few good stomps, or hell, even a strong enough slap from Whitesnake would've been more than enough. Hell, if it wasn't for Chinatsu's defence stats, presumably, this fight would've been over the moment she threw the other gamer out of the warehouse.
However, Jolyne knew that she shouldn't get cocky. According to Daimen, someone walking around was just as powerful as herself. So, if that were the case, she'd need to keep up her guard. If this person was looking for her, then she needed to prepare.
But right now, she had to deal with Chinatsu.
"P-Please! N-No more! N-No more!" Chinatsu begged as Jolyne glared down at Chinatsu. "I-I'm sorry! I-I'm sorry! P-Please! N-No more! I-I'll make a-an alliance w-with you! J-Just, please! I-I don't want to die!" Chinatsu stammered, as Jolyne sighed, looking over to the entrance of the warehouse, as Kokichi stared in abject horror.
Her best guess was that Kokichi assumed that the fight was supposed to have been a fair one, or, perhaps less one-sided than what it had turned out to be. Hell, even Jolyne thought so, but… maybe she was just too powerful for the other Gamer? Honestly, she didn't know and didn't care. What she cared about was getting this over and done with. The dual-haired mage sheathed her scythe, and unsummoned Whitesnake, as well as deactivated her Devil Fruit, marching away.
"Good. I'll send the request when I get back to Hope's Peak Academy. You weren't going to die, anyway. I'm not allowed to kill you, remember? Lady Mary and Daimen wouldn't allow it. 'Sides, you paid your blood debt now, anyway. So everything's water under the bridge," Jolyne said, looking over to Kokichi. "You might want to get your resident healer or something. Those wounds won't patch themselves. DAIMEN! LET'S GO!"
"Right!" Daimen shouted from inside. "HUGINN! BACK TO HOPE'S PEAK!"
And then, the swarm of birds surrounded Jolyne, and took her back to Hope's Peak Academy, leaving behind a traumatized Kokichi and Chinatsu.
[Kotoko]
She was tired. Tired after getting through yet another 30 minutes of killing those gross, disgusting, rotting, totally NOT adorable zombie creatures. She saved Monica twice from being disembowelled by one of a pair of brutes using Geb, and Monica repaid the favour by wrapping up and melting thirteen zombies that had cornered her using her Hermit Purple and Hamon.
And while they had been struggling with the zombies, Masaru, Nagisa, and Jataro were a completely different story altogether.
The three boys were utterly decimating the zombies as if they were nothing but flies! It was actually kind of cool to watch. Nagisa with his Boku No Rhythm wo Kittikure blowing up large hordes with three to two bombs, Masaru's The Fool burying them in giant blankets of sand, and Jataro drowning and crushing zombies into the ground with his Oasis! Hell, they were even comboing into one another, it was like watching a perpetual motion machine at work! At least, that was what Monica compared it to.
Honestly, Kotoko was kind of jealous of their teamwork. But, she had Monica, even though she and Monica didn't get along all too well. Her Hermit Purple and Geb worked wonders with small crowds. She found out that using Geb to get all the Zombies wet, and having Monica's Hamon stuff electrocute the whole group was a quick and easy way to kill them. So while it wasn't fancy like the trio of idiots, it was pretty damn effective.
They had stopped to take a break because they felt as if they earned it, and were chilling in Jolyne's dorm room. Yes, they were avoiding classes, and no, Kotoko didn't care! And neither did Monica, surprisingly. Nagisa sort of cared, but Masaru and Jataro were keeping him preoccupied with… well, shoving him around like he was a hacky sack.
"Honestly… Monica thinks that those three are missing a few brain cells," Monica quipped as Jataro shoved Nagisa into Masaru, who shoved him back, all the while the frantically panicking boy was trying to regain control of the situation by trying to duck out of the next shove… and failing miserably.
"Eh, it's fun to watch, though! So, like… who cares?" Kotoko replied as Monica shrugged.
"Monica guesses you're right…. Hey, do you want to go for a walk? I'm bored," Monica asked as Kotoko shrugged. She didn't see the issue in it. Besides, she needed some time away from the chaotic trio, as she was now calling them.
"Yeah, sure. Besides, I wanna explore the school! I haven't seen the main building before!" Kotoko said, a smile on her face as she and Monica left Jolyne's dorm room without the boy's noticing. She wondered just how big Hope's Peak Academy was, and if there was anything fun to do within the building, other than, well, classes and whatnot.
Walking down the empty hall, the two walked in silence. Kotoko didn't know what to talk about with the Lil' Ultimate Homeroom, namely because they had so little in common. The only thing they did have in common was, ironically enough, taste in music, and… well… the obvious. But, aside from that, there wasn't much else to talk about.
Not to mention, she was pretty sure Monica was a tad on the manipulative side. She could tell just by how she talked to Nagisa and even Masaru. The only reason she knew what manipulation was… well, the less she talked about her mother, the better.
"So…." Kotoko began, as they rounded the corner to the first set of stairs. "How's your day been, Monica?" Kotoko asked as Monica hummed out a reply in the "eh" kind of reaction. Kotoko blinked, shaking her head in disappointment. "Are you… annoyed that you have to train? Cause I know I am. Don't get me wrong, I understand the reasoning for it, but… it's just so booooorrrring, you know?"
"Monica thinks that you're overreacting," Monica replied, looking over to the purplette for a split second, before turning the corner up the flight of stairs. Kotoko caught up to the green-haired girl and pouted.
"You can't mean to tell you actually like training! It's so gross! All that blood and rotting flesh, it makes me squirm!" Kotoko replied as Monica shrugged.
"Monica can melt them with Hermit Purple, so I don't have to deal with that," Monica said, looking straight ahead. "But, Monica guesses that you don't have that luxury, so Monica understands," the Lil' Ultimate Homeroom continued as the pair finished walking up the stairs. "Monica wonders, though… what do you think of Kuzuryu-san?"
Kotoko blinked. "Kuzuryu-san? Hmmm…." Kotoko thought, pursing her lips. Kuzuryu was…. Actually nice! She had assumed that she'd be angry with her for, well… killing those three bodyguards that her mother sent with the car, but… at the same time, Kuzuryu understood, if not only reluctantly. Aside from that, she was caring, and nice, and avoided using the G-word around her as much as possible. There was one slip-up in the beginning, but Kotoko forgave her after she calmed down.
"Hmm… I think Kuzuryu-san is tots adorbs! Like, seriously! She's super nice and friendly! A bit of a clutz sometimes, and strict when it comes to veggies, but… otherwise, she is awesome! What do you think, Monica?" Kotoko asked, as she looked over to Monica, who had stopped dead in her tracks, her emerald green eyes widening with… fear? Or, perhaps confusion? Honestly, it was hard to pinpoint what emotion was in her eyes, but it wasn't a good one, that much Kotoko knew. When Kotoko looked to see why the answer was pretty obvious. It was because of the person who was standing in front of them.
The person was tall, like… really tall. He had long, black, flowing hair piercing red eyes and pale skin. He was wearing a black suit and tie, and with the way he was looking at them, it wouldn't spell good things. There was an almost accusatory gleam in his eyes, one that she had seen before from other people, but… usually not in normal situations.
"Little children… in the walls of Hope's Peak Academy. The headmaster warned me that you were potentially working with the person who I am after…. Perhaps…. Evening the playing field, and sending a message, will help my efforts," the tall man said, his monotone voice creeping Kotoko out, as he reached out to grab them.
The pair immediately booked it.
They ran with speed fueled by adrenaline, although Monica was using her Hermit Purple to launch herself forward, leaving Kotoko in the dust. "WAIT UP! MONICA!" Kotoko called out, as the green-haired girl turned the corner of the other hallway up ahead. As Kotoko ran, she tripped and fell face-first on the floor, groaning as she did.
Slowly, she tried to get up, only to feel something slam down on her back, making her cry out in pain. "You shouldn't have ran, little girl," the man's low, monotone-sounding voice said, as she looked over her shoulder. The man loomed over her, as his right hand was covered with a red, spiky gauntlet. "Two would've been good, but one will suffice for now. This is only just the beginning."
And then, pain exploded out from her body, as she screamed. Blood came out of her mouth, and her vision became blurry. Summoning Geb to her side, Kotoko commanded it to slash across the man's neck… but it missed, slicing his cheek open instead, causing him to stagger in surprise more than anything else.
She used this chance to collect herself, and run. She turned the opposite corner at the end of the hallway that Monica had run down and slumped up against one of the classroom doors. There was a trail of blood that had led to her location, and it was only then that she realized that she was bleeding pretty badly.
She was going to die…. He was going to kill her, and there was nothing that she could really do about it. She had no healing abilities as Monica had with her Hamon, which she knew she had when she saw her fix Masaru's sprained ankle yesterday. She could see the exit wounds on the belly of her shirt…. He had stabbed right through her using the claw gauntlet thing on his arm….
Why? What did she do wrong? Was he… someone who knew her mother? Was he trying to get revenge for her? He said something about a message…. She didn't know what it was… but… she had to… warn… the… others….
Darkness… silence….
Nothing.
-To Be Continued in – The End Of The Beginning: Part 1-
So… this one was REALLY short, but it kinda had to be. I don't want my comeback chapter to be bloated, ya know? Most authors do that and usually burn themselves out again. Plus, I feel like ending it off like that builds suspense for the next chapter, and, you know, seeing as I'm VERY trolly when it comes to my cliffhangers, gotta have a true Jazzhands zinger, ya know? Besides, this chapter already has a lot happening, and with this next arc being the last one, it needs to have a catalyst… it just so happens to be a death. R.I.P. Kotoko, you were taken too soon…
Whelp, that wraps up this chapter folks! Stay tuned for more! Till next time! Peace!