AN: Skip the second section of this chapter if you don't want to read anything violent.
I failed Miiko and Kurumi, and even Nagisa and Saki, but I vowed that I would not allow it to happen again, even if it cost me my life. So long as it spares the lives of my friends, I cannot say I have any regrets, although I must confess that I am afraid… She uttered a silent prayer while Miyu clung to her and grieved, holding and hugging her.
Haruna was not unaware of the cruel irony that after so many years of pining after Miyu, Miyu was finally holding her the way she'd always wanted, and this was the context. She certainly did not regret taking a bullet for Miyu, but she regretted leaving her as the sole survivor of Lyrilily, knowing what suffering would come with it. She looked at Saori and Tsubaki with agonized eyes.
"Please take care of her!" she cried, then she looked at everyone else as well. "All of you! That is the only way this Killing Game will end—!"
Monochio was quick to cut her off after that. "Foolish child, this Killing Game will never end! Now, enough of this! You've had your final words! Let us proceed with the vote!" Monochio swished its tail and every PheFo lit up with the voting screen. Miiko and Saki were crossed off just like Nagisa. Haruna was about to join them… "And remember, the rules state that incorrect votes will result in execution, so choose wisely!"
Unsurprisingly, the vote was unanimous. Even Haruna voted for herself. What other vote was there to make? She instead tried to hold her head high as the minutes she had left turned into seconds. She looked at Miyu.
Maybe it was bad luck you chose the syringe you did, but like Taka from Hope's Peak, I believe hard, honest work will always triumph over Talent and luck in the end! That is why you aren't the one about to be executed, Miyu. Bad luck got us into this mess, but cunning and hard work will get us out! Ending this Killing Game… is up to the rest of the class now! Oh, but Miyu, my poor, sweet, lovely, dearest companion… I pray that you will forgive yourself soon, for I already do, and I know all of the others do as well. Including Kurumi and Miiko.
That was the truth behind Haruna's belief in what she had done. Of course, she took no pleasure in killing Kurumi, but she would've been damned if she let Monochio take Miyu away from her too. It was a pyrrhic victory, but she could win by playing parallel to the rules. She wouldn't break them, but she could make them work for her. It was a very Chairman thing to do, the law-keeper in her.
This, combined with Haruna's devotion—not just to Miyu, but everyone—was what finally convinced the students that Haruna was telling the truth. She had indeed done something to protect Miyu from being executed, but that was taking Miyu's execution for herself. She wasn't going to sacrifice the entire class for Miyu's sake, she set up the game so that only she had to be sacrificed.
"Enough of this folly!" Monochio finally decided. "As justice declares, you committed a crime, and so, it's punishment time!" It swatted the red apple on its desk with its paw, and sure enough, the apple sank into the desk, proving to be but a stylized execution button. While the rest of the class started protesting, Haruna did her best to hold steady, Miyu still clinging to her arm just as Kurumi and Miiko one trial prior.
GAME OVER
Haruna Kasuga has been found guilty. Time for the punishment!
"After School Detention with the Chairman"
ooo
Unlike Miiko, Haruna was not dragged away to her execution, rather, she needed only blink, and the trial room was suddenly gone. The next time she opened her eyes, Haruna was in a classroom, but unlike the trial room, it was sunshiny and clean. She stood at the teacher's desk, a Bible in one hand, and a ruler in the other. The intercom overhead played a remix of Monochio's execution music with one of Haruna's own songs, and 23 desks sat in front of her, each seat filled by a robot student dressed in the clothes of her classmates.
Right as her execution title card appeared on the screens broadcasting the execution back to the survivors, a bell to start class sounded off in the distance and every robotic student suddenly wound up their arms and began to throw items from their desks and backpacks at poor "Professor" Haruna. At first, it was only little things like erasers, pencils, paper, and the occasional spitball. As the execution carried on, however, and the music revved up and escalated, the objects flew harder and faster and became increasingly intense.
Eventually, it even reached a point where they were hurling large, heavy textbooks at her, and compass needles with razor-sharp tips that embedded themselves in the chalkboard behind her, inches away from her face. All the while, Haruna was completely powerless to fight or flee, frozen in place by a divine and invisible hand that forced her to recite Scripture and use her ruler to point to the random sketches and doodles on the chalkboard behind her as if they were part of the lesson.
Then, just as Haruna finally managed to break free from her unseen puppet-master and make a run for the door, every one of the 23 robotic students immediately pounced on her and tackled her to the ground, quickly burying her under hundreds of pounds of metal. They were careful not to crush her, however, instead resuming their beating, this time using fists and feet. The wood floor soon ran pink, and the grand finale came when 21 of the robots finally stepped away. A nearly-dead Haruna managed to pry open one swollen eye one last time.
The Kurumi and Miiko bots were leering down at her with desk chairs raised high over their heads. Right before Haruna closed her eye again in resignation, her stomach churned as she realized, squinting against the harsh overhead light, that the Kurumi and Miiko bots' metal faces had human skin pulled over them. Despite what Haruna witnessed during Miiko's execution, she did not need to ask to know where the skin had come from. Then all at once, they struck, beating Haruna senseless with the chairs, holding back no longer.
They continued the onslaught until the Ultimate Chairman was but a pink mess with white bones sticking out at odd angles in every part of her body. By the time it was over, the execution music ended, all that remained of Haruna—or the chairs—was a broken, bloody pile. The class filed out in a calm and orderly manner, the school bell to end class ringing in the distance. Haruna's ruler was broken, and her Bible's pages were torn and stained pink. The last robot flicked off the classroom light and shut the door. The second execution was complete. Haruna Kasuga was dead.
ooo
The survivors had no words. They could only weep into their hands, or cling to one another, shaking or shellshocked. "Thanks" to the high quality of the screens broadcasting the executions, the survivors had also seen the Kurumiiko bots and the human skin pulled over their metal faces. They had also seen how the other robots were designed to resemble them, viciously beating Haruna to death.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Shinobu snarled, but Monochio was frowning at the execution screen in disapproval even though it wasn't broadcasting anymore. Its disapproval only made Shinobu angrier. THE FUCK DOES IT THINK IT HAS A RIGHT TO BE ANGRY FOR?!
"In light of all that has transpired today, although you have passed the second class trial, I am henceforth hereby revoking all rights to legal access to any and all of the Implememor-Es. Any student who even attempts to seek or watch theirs will be severely punished." Then it saluted them, stood up, and marched out of the trial room without another sound, posture as stiff and proper as ever. Stage II was complete.
The class was left to mourn. Rinku and Rei held one another for comfort while Maho held both of them. Kyoko's head was bowed again, the bill of her cap creating a shadow that obscured almost all of her face. Shinobu was in the same position, although of course, she had no cap to conceal her expression. She scowled at the floor with sheer, unfettered rage and hatred. Yuka and Towa wept together while Noa bawled and embraced Muni. So many of her dear, beloved, precious cuties had died in such short order!
Muni, meanwhile, sniffled and whimpered pathetically, choking lightly because of how hard Noa was hugging her. How did I even get over here?! Muni thought through her gross sobs as she remembered that Noa wasn't even in her unit. Ibuki was wincing at the screen, tears silently streaming down her face as she clenched and unclenched her hands. Esora stood off to the side, dead silent, dazed expression on her face.
Miyu was on the floor again, Saori and Tsubaki standing protectively over her, facing the others. They'd fended off Noa and Rika, who came with good intentions, but exuberance and embraces that were not appropriate at the time. They could comfort later. Right now, Miyu needed to process, but that would take time too. None of them expected her to be ok after how much she'd lost in just two Stages alone. It was a cruel thing, for her to be the sole survivor so early on, and there wasn't even a guarantee she'd survive Stage III.
I must have some of the worst luck in the universe, Miyu thought miserably, then the guilt for feeling so self-pitying clawed at her and left her breathless. Haruna had pleaded with her not to watch the execution, but Miyu couldn't bring herself to look away. It felt disrespectful, but in hindsight, perhaps… No. If I hadn't watched, I would've spent the rest of my life regretting THAT. I was damned either way.
Fitting. Perhaps this really was her punishment. But oh, how dirty and disgusting she felt, comparing herself to Haruna after all Haruna had to face. Though in a way, Haruna had felt just as trapped as Miyu had. The moment Monochio's Medicine destroyed Kurumi, Haruna was left with the option of allowing Miyu to take the fall, or allowing herself to take the fall. She was damned either way from the very beginning.
Miyu sobbed again while the others met each other's eyes uncomfortably, some of them looking away and hugging themselves or clutching their arms awkwardly. It was a new level of reality none of them wanted to face.
This could happen to any of us. Any of us could be next. Next to die. Next to be all alone… Who knew how many Stages were still in store for them?
Oh, God, what did we do to deserve this? What could any of us have ever possibly done to deserve even a fraction of this? Miyu's faith was shaken. Was God real? And if He was, what the hell was wrong with Him for being an all-powerful being and standing idly by as all of this happened. Unless… Miyu shivered. Did we do something bad? Is there something we forgot…? I'm sorry, but I hope I don't wake up tomorrow…
Stage II: One Eye on the Past, One on the Present, None on the Future. Complete.
Stage III: The Great Outdoors
AN: I imagine the execution music to be a mashup of Peko's theme, and Lyrilily's "Certified Human!"