Days passed and the students spent as much time outside as they could, coming in only for bare necessities. Little progress was made in the way of an escape, the students unable to find a path forward that didn't leave them under threat of explosion, electrocution, or exsanguination. They were also unable to find anything that would help overcome those barriers. Despite that, the students still explored and lingered around every inch of campus. As spacious as Hope's Pinnacle was, the sprawling building was a gilded cage and would never feel like home to them, no matter how big.

Miyu stood on the academy steps, watching the sun set on yet another peaceful, albeit unsuccessful, day outside. "Were it within my power, we would never need go in again!" she sighed. Alas, we do need to sleep…

It was funny and bittersweet; from the outside, Hope's Pinnacle almost looked like someplace she wanted to attend.

"Well, who says we have to go in?" Rika smiled wickedly. "There's no curfew in the rules!"

"Rika! Enough of your games!" Tsubaki interrupted, placing protective hands on Miyu's shoulders. "Rules or not, she needs proper bedrest!"

"Not games, camping, my dear girl!" Rika cried pompously. "She'll still get a good night's sleep! I'm a camping expert, so trust me!"

Tsubaki rolled her eyes, but Miyu was intrigued, and as always with Rika, her idea spread like wildfire throughout the student body.

"Alrighty then, hype!" Rika clapped, quickly taking charge of the class. "Then I do declare the first official Hope's Pinnacle Camping Trip as begun! Though of course, if anyone wants to go in at any time, they may," she added, gesturing kindly to the academy behind her.

"Sheesh! Are we sure she's not the Ultimate Organizer?!" Saori slapped her forehead.

"What's an organizer?!" Rika asked back cheerfully. Saori only slapped her forehead again. "Anyway, I've decided that, for dinner, we can totally do a cookout! If we're gonna go camping, we gotta do it right, and we might as well go ALL OUT! Amirite, ladies?!" Rika laughed. "Fresh from Mama Nature herself!" Some of the students crinkled their noses. Muni, Shinobu, and Towa held their stomachs. Others, however, were still intrigued.

"My, my! How exotic! Cooking with ingredients fresh from the wild!" Hiiro stared off into the forest with a dreamy smile.

"I agree!" Rei nodded, her eyes lighting up as well.

"You know cup ramen and curry don't grow in the wild, right?" Muni smirked.

"But the ingredients to make them do," Rei replied, not realizing that Muni was making fun of her. "Perhaps we can even try a fusion, creating dishes from ingredients both from the forest and the kitchen!"

"Oooh! Great idea!" Rinku grinned. "I can pretend to forge like I'm in a jungle! As the Ultimate Explorer, I know all the eatable stuff!"

"Don't you mean "edible"?" Noa asked politely, though it was clear from her dreamy expression, that she thought Rinku's chronic mispronunciation of things was adorable. Towa shot her a deadpanning look, knowing Noa would've just called her a dumbass if she did the same thing.

"What? No! Noa! We're not doing edibles!" Rinku cried, and some of the students snorted, torn between laughter and dumbstruck shock. How and why did Rinku know what edibles were?! Noa herself looked like she was having a stroke while Towa doubled over in hysterical laughter.

"I found some berries in the eastern forest that I'd never seen before," said Aoi. "Rinku confirmed that they were safe to eat, and they were delicious! I would definitely love to make jam with them!"

"Yes! Try something new! Be bold and creative! Explore!" The students were all hyping each other up, but none so much as the Ultimate Cook herself, not that this surprised anyone. Instead, they found it rather endearing to watch Maho getting so worked up and excited. Her brain overflowed with ideas, and she wanted to try every single one of them. She even gave a mad cackle of delight, drunk on the power of possibility!

"I'll… grab the utensils, plates, and cups…" Shinobu finally said, nose crinkling as she swiftly took her first chance to head inside.

"I- I- I'll bring blankets and chairs and stuff!" Muni reached out, racing awkwardly after Shinobu.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Towa cried, not even trying to come up with an excuse for herself.

"How long you think they'll stay outside tonight?" Dalia chuckled, also rising to follow them in. She was going to be in charge of drinks.

"I'll bet you some of my Monodiscs!" Rika replied, half-joking and half-serious. She was going to stay outside and prepare, manning the bonfire.

Hiiro also helped setup camp, though she focused on the cooking rather than the firepit. "You know where and how to position the pot and other tools better than anyone else!" Maho cried, gripping Hiiro's shoulders with uncharacteristic intensity and pulling her close, even though Hiiro was taller than Maho. "So, I'm giving you my blessing to stay here and guide the others!" She was going to join Rinku on the foraging expedition.

"I will do my best." Hiiro saluted Maho solemnly, but her eyes twinkled in amusement as Maho quickly took charge of Rinku and the others.

"And this is how you make the best fire!" Rika grinned, tossing an armload of sticks and charcoal into the pit.

"All of that?! You just threw it in so casually!" Saori cried, voicing everyone's sentiments, albeit in a far shriekier manner than some of them would've. Noa, though, narrowed her eyes, thoughtful, quicker to catch onto that which Saori was still oblivious to.

"Rika. What was in all of that?" she asked, gesturing to the firepit. "Type and amount of wood and charcoal, I mean."

"Clever girl!" Rika's eyes sparkled and twinkled like twin flames themselves as she met Noa's curious, inquisitive gaze. "I know it's hard to tell, but I actually didn't just chuck it in there!" She gestured to the firepit again, and upon closer inspection, the armload of sticks and charcoal was bundled into a cube-shape, bound together by a cord tied in unusually expert knots. "Burn speed, flame height, and heat and be somewhat controlled depending on the airflow allowed by the shape and configuration of the wood and charcoal within it!" Rika explained proudly.

"And… how and why do you know this?" Saori sighed, but it was a rhetorical question. She knew better than to question Rika's random knowledge anymore. No doubt, she had some backstory ready. Maybe it was a summer camp she ran for a volleyball team in the past. Maybe it was just a hobby. Maybe it was a family tradition. In any case, despite everyone else's earlier terror at the thought of Rika lighting a massive fire, she actually proved the best candidate for the job and got a powerful but tame blaze up and roaring in almost no time flat.

"You learn more every day," Kyoko murmured, dazed, but she was looking at Rika rather than the fire.

Don't I know it! Saori thought.

ooo

"Hey, hey, Marika, look!" Rinku pointed excitedly at a large patch of purple mushrooms with white spots.

"Oooh, they look delicious!" Marika grinned, licking her lips as she picked one of them up.

"Wait, I wouldn't eat it like that if I were you!" Rinku held out a hand. "Those kind are really, well, mushy! And bitter! At least until you cook 'em. But don't worry, once Maho works her magic on them, they'll be the yummiest things you ever tasted! There's nothing Maho can't make delicious!"

It was never Rinku's intention to befriend an Ultimate Foodie after being accepted into Hope's Peak, but when fate sent Rinku a DJ who also happened to be an Ultimate Cook in her class, Rinku considered herself blessed multiple times over.

She and I really are such a perfect pair! The vocalist and the DJ! The cofounders and coleaders! A perfect and complementary mix.

"Woah!" In the distance, Rinku and Marika heard Maho howl. She was startled by a rather large bug sleeping beneath a leaf of a nearby vegetable that she was going to harvest. Her disturbance of the leaf disturbed the bag, disturbing her.

"Oh, poor, silly Maho!" Marika chuckled as she and Rinku heard what sounded like Maho stumbling away, and then falling and rolling over.

"Hey, Maho! You ok?!" Rinku cried, racing after the sound, also struggling to stifle her laughter, feeling guilty the entire time.

ooo

"You know? This actually wasn't the worst idea you've ever had!" Muni complimented Rika as she dug into her meal.

"Gee, thanks, Muni…" Maho deadpanned, shooting her a look from the large iron pot hanging over the campfire.

"Gee, thanks, Muni!" Rika grinned, flashing the smaller, younger girl a big thumbs up. "It was a pretty baller Ultimate Baller idea, huh?!"

"Way to be humble, Rika," Tsubaki sighed, rolling her eyes.

"That's on you for expecting her to be humble," Saori deadpanned, smirking. "But yeah, Rika, you already made that joke," she said.

"Good enough to tell a second time! Just for anyone who didn't hear it the first!" Rika replied with a wolfish smile and a wink.

"Way to be humble, Rika!" Saori's eyes and mouth went wide in disbelief. This pride was beyond even what she was expecting!"

"That's on you for expecting her to be humble," Tsubaki deadpanned, smirking. As much as they bickered and bantered, though, every face lit by the gentle glow of the campfire was smiling genuinely.

"My compliments to the Chief!" Rinku cried, kissing her fingers, and flicking them at Maho.

"Umm… thanks." Maho blushed, shoulders raising. Her heart fluttered. "Th-though… h-h-honestly… I think it's all thanks to you, Rinku…" she said softly. "You've always taken me… to all the places I've always wanted to go!"

Whether she was remixing discs or dishes, Rinku was always there. After all, who else could've found such perfect wild ingredients except the Ultimate Explorer? They were perfect together! And the entire story… had started with them…

Maho teared up, but before any could fall, Rinku flung herself at Maho and hugged her, bawling. Some students snickered while others tried to wipe their eyes as secretly as they could. Muni, meanwhile, wasn't amused at all. Nearby, Rei smiled.

I'm happy for them. Her heart squeezed once in her chest, and her eyes darted over to Esora. Esora was already looking at her.

Wh-what? Emerald eyes darted away self-consciously, but then she forced her gaze to meet the other girl's once again.

For a moment, their expressions were tight, as if neither of them knew what to say even though no words were going to be exchanged. Then all at once, Rei smiled. Now it was Esora's turn to feel her heart squeeze. Rei always looked lovely when she smiled, but for her to look at Esora like that… Now it was the Ultimate Corporate Manager's turn to grow tearful.

Then Esora winced as something stung her shoulder. Yuka was grinning, having just slapped her hand on Esora's back. Rei giggled as Esora winced, trying and failing to wiggle away from the far-stronger Yuka. Shinobu snorted, but for once, at Yuka rather than Esora. It was just hard to be truly hateful or distrustful when surrounded by such good food, friends, and atmosphere.

"Dish Jockey! Dish Jockey!" Rika whooped, finally hopping up to fist-pump the air. "Hey, DJ! Go, DJ! You're the best, D-Gay today!"

"Huh?!" Somehow, Maho turned even redder, and they all knew it wasn't the fire Rika was stoking with her free hand. All around, everyone else cheered for the Ultimate Cook, remixer of discs and dishes, and she looked close to exploding with flusterment.

Towa cheered through a mouthful of food, on her way for yet another helping. Once again, rather than teasing her, Noa was right there with her, also going for second helpings. Ibuki watched them with a laugh, genuinely grateful to see them getting along. Things had been tense between also of them, especially Ibuki and Noa, but at least for that moment, all was forgiven and forgotten, and everyone was all friendly again.

"Here, we got you more too," Noa and Towa grinned as they rejoined Ibuki with three plates balanced between them. Ibuki laughed and shook her head in disbelief, but she was genuinely touched by the gesture.

"So… promise no drills tomorrow?" Towa asked sweetly, giving her leader the cutest puppy eyes she could. Ibuki only rolled hers and scoffed, but she was smiling, laughing, and nodding. All right. She could be nice. Just this once.

Miyu sat directly in front of the flames, watching them dance, nestled between Saori and Tsubaki. They were her guardian angels, leading the efforts in taking care of her in light of the loss of her entire unit. In fact, on that very first night, Saori and Tsubaki came to her dorm so that she did not have to sleep alone. Rinku had the same idea, so once again, the Lyrilily dorm was full. From then on, the others worked on a rotating schedule so that Miyu never had to sleep alone again.

I may have lost faith in God, but I have not lost faith in them… Miyu's grateful eyes swept around the campfire, and she reclined further between Saori and Tsubaki, smiling up at them as they smiled and chatted with each other. I'm glad they're friends…

"Did you know you can divine from fire?" Hiiro asked suddenly, eyes twinkling impishly in the fire's glowing light. The students more excited by magic leaned in while the others leaned back, smirking. If nothing else, they could at least count on Hiiro to put on a show for them, even if they didn't believe that she could actually use magic to predict the future.

"Pyromancy, fire scrying, call it what you want, the shape of flames can shed literal light on the future!" Hiiro explained, though she mostly worked with tarot cards and crystal balls. But as the Ultimate Diviner, she figured she ought to master every type of divination. Now, she wooed and awed the class with a seductive chant and dance, throwing fistfuls of dust and powder into the hissing, crackling tongues of red, orange, and gold.

She promised poetic prophecies foretelling future victory. There would still be much suffering, it was a Killing Game after all, but if Hiiro was not mistaken, something dark was rising from the depths of the fire, dark silhouettes rejoining the colorful flames above. One interpretation of this reading was resurrection.

"No way!" Shinobu scoffed and shook her head, but for once, it wasn't just the skeptic who was doubtful. Hiiro only smiled serenely at all of them, tapping her lower lip and tilting her head.

Be careful, for the world we once knew is far behind us now. Anything is possible, and reality is never as it seems! I confess my reading surprises me as well, but I will put my faith in it even so. After all, this is the fire I saw in the crystal ball last Stage. If I could predict something good once…