Prologue: Opening Pandora's Box Chapter 3
After his odd meeting with Hagakure, Makoto decided to investigate the school for a bit and visit his other classmates.
Despite being there for the first week, not many students were in the classroom with the exception of him and a few others. The teacher of Class 78, a Mr. Koichi Kizakura, did not mind the absence of the other Ultimates much and Hope's Peak Academy allows students to skip classes if they are using the time to hone their talents instead.
Although, that did not necessarily mean that students actually spent their time wisely, as in the case of Leon Kuwata who was currently preoccupied trying to play the guitar.
"Listen man," Kuwata said to Naegi. "Chicks love a guy who is in touch with his musical side. All I've got to do is strum some strings and let out some sweet words and they will flock to me like bees gathering around honey!"
Naegi sweatdropped. I don't think it will be that easy.
"Are you sure that you know how to play that thing?" he asked, pointing at the white guitar in the Ultimate Baseball Star's hands, the red-head's fingers sliding against the smooth strings carelessly.
"No." Leon replied back. "But, it can't be any harder than playing baseball."
Soon, the peaceful atmosphere of the room was disturbed by sounds too unholy to mention. It was as if someone had stretched rubber bands inside a camel's intestines and began flinging them around while the camel choked.
Makoto's pupils shrunk as he clasped his ears to block out the terrible sound of Leon trying to apparently kill his guitar, the boy strumming the strings roughly and without grace.
As if that wasn't bad enough, the Ultimate Baseball Player tried singing along with the noise that was an attempt to be a song. Poorly at that. His voice was off-key and none of the lyrics even rhymed.
Finally, the torture ended when the red-haired male decided he had enough.
Makoto removed his hands from his ears and sighed in relief, glad to be rid of that noise.
Leon panted heavily and looked up, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"So, how was it?"
The brunette began sweating his own precipitation as well.
"It was...interesting."
He tensed as the other Ultimate gave him a scrutinizing look, narrowing his light-blue eyes. Naegi was never a liar and could never get away with saying something that is nothing other than the truth. He hoped his half lie would satisfy Kuwata.
A few more tense moments as the two stared at each other in silence, neither daring to move an inch.
Finally, Kuwata grinned, giving him a thumbs up.
"Good, 'cause that was just the warm up."
The brunette's face paled.
"I-I just remember something! I have somewhere else to go! See ya!"
He ran out the door, ignoring the cries of protest from Leon.
"Oh, come on man! Don't bail on me now! You haven't even seen my full potential yet!"
Naegi continued running, heading towards the courtyard of the school. Part of him felt bad about leaving his friend like that, but he didn't want to hear anymore of that god awful music.
"I'll make it up to him later." he told himself. "Besides, I did want to meet more people."
Kuwata was just one out of the many people Makoto had visited that day. He already bumped into Asahina, Ogami, Fujisaki, and Yamada that day and already, his legs felt tired.
He was in the middle of looking for a good spot to rest when he accidentally bumped into someone, sending both him and the other person falling to the ground.
"Oof!"
Makoto groaned as he landed on the hard concrete, the fall hurting his back.
"Watch where you're going, plebeian."
Makoto looked up to see the handsome yet arrogant face of Byakuya Togami staring down at him coolly.
The heir sneered. "You must be one of the riff-raff that is currently attending the school. The Ultimate Lucky Student, am I right?"
The brunette nodded, his cheeks burning in embarrassment. "Y-Yes."
"Hmph. So Hope's Peak is stooping so low as to allow those without talent into the school? Pathetic."
Makoto flinched.
"W-Well, there's no shame in having a lucky talent," said Makoto. "And I do try my best in the subjects that are taught."
"That's no excuse," retorted Togami. "This place is only supposed to teach the best and brightest, not mediocre trash like yourself. The top of the percentage who had to work with their own two hands to get where they are today."
He began circling Naegi as the other boy pulled himself back up.
"Talent is a requirement to enter the academy," stated Togami. "My Ultimate talent is the sole reason I'm able to attend. I am the heir to the Togami Corporation, the single most powerful corporation in Japan. That's why I was born. The Togami Family was established by the 10th generation of the family. Our assets and income are unrivaled. Only the top 1% can even hope to rule over the vestigial empire that I currently rule."
Makoto stayed silent, not knowing how to respond.
"You, on the other hand, look just like the 99% who are merely content with their lives, basking away frivolously without a care for the world. Your appearance, the way you speak, and even the way you walk is just so plain and dull."
Makoto looked down. It wasn't like it was untrue. He was an average boy. Average looks, average grades, and average interests. He was just...average.
Togami opened his mouth to say more before a noise and a cry was heard behind them.
Both boys turned around to see the Ultimate Moral Compass, Kiyotaka Ishimaru, lecturing Mondo Oowada.
"How dare you be late for school, Oowada-kun!" yelled the raven-haired prefect. "This is unacceptable behavior, especially from the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader!"
The biker growled.
"What are ya talking about?"
"You arrived at 8:00, when school officially begins at 8:30! As a student at Hope's Peak, it is our responsibility to make sure we attend school with utmost punctuality! Now, 10 laps around the campus, on the double!"
"Screw that!" roared Mondo. "I'm a biker, not a fucking horse! I don't run unless I have a bike under me!"
"That is unacceptable!" shouted Taka. "The school has a reputation and it is our responsibility to uphold its honor and pride! And part of that means having a clean record!"
"I don't give a shit about your damn rules! Now, get the hell outta my face!"
Mondo tried to walk away, but Taka was not finished.
"I will not allow you to sully this great academy's name, Oowada-kun! Ten laps, now!"
Mondo snapped.
"Shut the hell up already!"
He pulled back his fist and sent it flying towards Taka.
"WWWWAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTT!" cried Makoto.
Mondo paused as the two boys stared at Makoto running to the scene. Byakuya merely narrowed his eyes and walked behind him, not bothering to intervene.
"D-Did something happen?"
"No!" shouted Mondo. "Nothing happened! Go the fuck away, kid!"
Makoto was nervous, but his body moved before he could stop himself.
"T-There's no need for violence!"
The biker gang leader gave him a fierce glare.
"Are you defending this dipshit?" he growled at Taka.
"I'm just a neutral party, but it doesn't have to go down in violence, especially on the first week of school."
Mondo's eyes narrowed, and he turned back to Taka.
"Alright, let's go, you and me."
"Very well," said Taka.
Makoto paused, shocked. Were they going to ignore what he just said?
"The bathhouse," said Mondo. "One-on-one. 7 pm."
"Understood," replied Taka. "And as the Ultimate Moral Compass, I must insist that a battle of endurance is a far better method of resolving this conflict than a brawl."
"Fine. Just prepare to eat shit!"
He gave a glare at the other two boys.
"That goes for you guys too. I won't let anyone interfere."
And with that, Mondo left.
Taka then turned to Naegi and Togami and bowed.
"I HUMBLY APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE I HAVE CAUSED!"
He straightened and held his hand out to Makoto.
"Thank you for diffusing the situation! I CAN SEE THAT YOU CARE ABOUT KEEPING THE ORDER AS MUCH AS I DO!" he shaked Makoto's hand, almost ripping it off. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a match to win! I bid you good day!"
He left the two, leaving them both in a state of confusion.
"What was that about?" asked Makoto.
Togami shook his head and snorted.
"Don't mind him. He's just a fool who's obsessed with rules."
He turned and began to walk away before glancing back at Makoto.
"You have foolishly put yourself in harm's way in between two meat-lugs, especially that brutish biker more than capable of popping your head like a pulp. Just be sure to know that people like that don't often last long in the real world."
Then he walked away.
Makoto looked at his back and began pondering the Ultimate Affluent Progency's words and looked down at his scrawny frame.
I suppose he has a point. Mondo clearly is hotheaded, and wouldn't hesitate to pummel anyone who gets on his nerves. However, for some reason, he felt a sense of pride for his admittedly foolish actions.
He looked at the sky, turning a beautiful shade of orange-pink in the sky.
It's dawn right now. I better go.
Makoto began to head back to the building when he inadvertently tripped over a pebbling and fell.
As his face was about to hit the floor for what was quite possibly the second time that week, he thought Oh no, not again!
He crashed face down just as a knife was thrown in his direction and impaled the tree behind him.
(10 minutes earlier.)
Mukuro was getting frustrated.
Mukuro had been following Makoto Naegi, waiting for the right time to kill him. She had been stalking the boy, watching him as he met and conversed with the other students in his class, listening at the corners of the hallway, hiding behind groups of other Ultimates, and even holding a magazine to her face to disguise her eyes tracking a familiar ahoge in the crowds (thankfully no one noticed that the fashion magazine she borrowed from Junko was upside down).
She was no Ultimate Spy, but her training from Fenrir did give her some experience at stealth and infiltration.
However, while tailing Naegi, she found out that he was really, really, hard to kill.
Mukuro had tried to assassinate Naegi multiple times, and every time, he always managed to get away just as her knife was about to strike him.
She tried to push him out an open window but Sakura had been at the scene and caught him instead.
She tried dropping a metal ball on his head but it got stuck on the way down due to a hole being in one of the dents.
She even tried some good old stabbing, but someone had slammed into the luckster and spun him around so that she only stabbed his backpack instead and tore open the contents. Mukuro was able to flee from the scene and hide her combat knife before anyone noticed.
Mukuro was starting to feel the pressure. If she didn't kill Makoto by tonight, Junko was going to be very angry. And an angry Junko is a dangerous Junko.
Not only that, but Mukuro was feeling frustrated. How can a weak and scrawny looking boy like Naegi keep escaping death, much less avoid her attempts to murder him? She knew she was the Ultimate Soldier, not Ultimate Assassin, but she killed men three times his size. How come she was struggling against him?
Maybe it was just bad luck.
"I need to kill him." she thought. "But how?"
She turned around to give herself some insight before realizing that someone was huffing and puffing beside her. She jumped when she realized the Toko Fukawa was standing next to her, her eyes lustily glancing at Byakuya Togami who was in the middle of lecturing Naegi.
Mukuro stared at her.
Toko didn't notice, too absorbed in her fantasies.
"M-m-master...l-looks s-s-so c-cool..." the bespectacled girl said, drooling.
Mukuro looked at the heiress in disgust.
"Fukawa," she whispered.
The other girl turned to look at her, eyes widening.
"W-what do you want?"
Fukawa had a reputation for being an antisocial girl who never got along with anyone due to her rude manners and disgusting hygiene. She was the Ultimate Writer and wrote many romance novels, ironic considering her own failure at having a love life.
In reality, she is the true identity of Genocide Jack, a serial killer who murders innocent men with her scissors and crucifies them as a part of her "signature". She has a split personality disorder and does not remember taking part in the crimes, although she knows about Jack.
Junko already discovered Fukawa was Genocide Jack the moment the Ultimate Fashionista laid eyes on the latter, although she kept the secret because of the potential it has of leading to Despair. Mukuro couldn't help but wonder why Hope's Peak Academy would even dare to recruit an established serial killer.
Although it was a bit hypocritical for her to say that considering Ikusaba herself was an established war criminal and complacent with Junko's upcoming schemes that are definitely considered acts of terrorism.
"I-I asked y-you a-a-a question?" the Ultimate Writer said, her eyes narrowing as she fiddled with one of her braids.
Mukuro snapped back at reality and glanced at her fellow classmate.
"Nothing."
"N-n-nothing, m-my ass!" Fukawa hissed. "Y-your staring a-at M-master, a-aren't y-y-you!" she accused.
"I wasn't."
"L-L-liar! D-D-Don't think I d-didn't see you e-eyeing him! I-I won't l-let anyone take my m-master a-away!"
"I wasn't." Mukuro repeated.
"Liar!"
Mukuro sighed and turned her gaze back to Makoto, who was standing next to the Togami.
"D-don't ignore m-me!" Fukawa hissed. "W-well, i-if that's how you want t-to be, I-I'll just have to show you wh-who is the r-real b-bitch here."
Fukawa glared at her one last time before returning her eyes on the blond.
"W-why is he t-talking to that n-nerd anyway?"
Mukuro shrugged. She didn't care. The only thing she cared about was finding the perfect chance to kill Makoto.
Her eyes lit up when she saw the brunette's unguarded back. This was her chance!
However, she need to get rid of Fukawa first.
Mukuro turned and saw the bespectacled girl looking at Togami's back. She then remembered an interesting fact about her classmate.
"Fukawa, have you ever kissed a boy?"
Toko snapped her head to Mukuro and stared at her, her eyes widening.
"I-I've d-done what?"
Mukuro smiled.
"I asked you if you've ever kissed a boy."
"W-w-what the h-hell do you think a-a-are y-you implying!" the Ultimate Writing hissed. "Y-y-you think I-I-I'm a s-slut, d-don't you!"
"Not at all," replied Mukuro, her voice not betraying the smug grin that was appearing on her face.
Fukawa glared at her.
"A-are you trying t-to make fun of m-me!"
"Not at all," said Mukuro. "It's just that I was thinking you were so in love with Togami that it's kind of a shame that you haven't had the opportunity to kiss him yet.
Fukawa froze and stared at Mukuro, her mouth agape.
"K-kiss M-m-master?"
"Yes. Don't you want to?"
"I-I..."
"Togami is a really handsome man. It's such a shame that he doesn't know who you are."
Fukawa stared at her.
"Huh?"
"Yeah. You might have the title as the Ultimate Writing, but it's not like Togami even cares. I doubt he even remembers you exist. He's an affluent progency. He's from one of the wealthiest clans in the world."
"H-he's just t-too good f-for a girl like m-me," stuttered Toko, her eyes beginning to water.
"Yes, he is," said Mukuro, "but maybe a kiss could change that. You just got to get the romantic setting down and let the sparks fly."
Fukawa stared at Mukuro for a moment.
"Really?"
"Yep," Mukuro lied.
Fukawa wiped her tears.
"M-maybe you're right."
The soldier smirked, her plan succeeding.
"Of course I am."
"S-so, how do I go about it?" asked Fukawa.
"Just go guns blazing," explained Mukuro.
"Guns?"
"It's an expression," said the other girl.
"O-oh."
"Anyways, just get out of here and prepare a romantic setting, like some sort of miniature Paris scene or something," explained the former mercenary. "Make sure you are presentable. Maybe even put on some perfume, or maybe not."
"Y-yeah...YEAH! J-just like one of my novels!" Fukawa said, her stutter disappearing for a moment with her palm smacking her forehead. "H-how c-could I b-be s-so ignorant?!"
Excitedly she turned around and zipped away, excitedly muttering about Master.
Mukuro gave herself a small smirk of satisfaction and pulled out her combat knife. However before she could do anything, familiar yelling emerged from the distance and Makoto sprang up and ran away.
"Oh you gotta be-"
She didn't finish that sentence as she ran after Makoto and Togami, keeping her distance away from the boys.
She watched all the proceedings with Taka and Mondo, and Togami eventually decided to go away, leaving Makoto by himself.
"Alright," thought Mukuro. "Now's my chance."
She crept silently and threw her knife, the blade gleaming as it sailed through the air and flew straight for Makoto's exposed neck.
However, just as it was about to hit, Makoto had tripped on a pebble and fell flat on his face.
Mukuro blinked as the blade buried itself into the trunk of a tree, her mouth agape.
"You...gotta be kidding me."
"What's that noise?"
She quickly hid herself and watched as Makoto looked up and turned to the tree.
"Who's there?" he called out.
She cursed herself as she realized her mistake.
"Junko is going to be so mad."
Makoto continued crying out.
"Anyone there?" he said, going to the tree where Mukuro was hiding behind. He began circling the tree with Mukuro spinning around it as well, trying to keep out of his line of vision. The two continued on like some sort of merry-go-round for Ultimates.
Mukuro glanced over her shoulder to make sure that Makoto wasn't behind her before suddenly bumping into something in front of her.
She fell on her rear, and as she glanced up, she saw the concerned eyes of the boy she was trying to assassinate not just a few minutes ago.
"Are you alright?" asked Makoto, holding his hand out.
Mukuro looked down and then up, her brain trying to process what was happening.
"Um..."
"Are you okay?" asked Makoto.
The soldier paused before deciding to play along.
"I'm fine," said Mukuro, taking his hand.
He pulled her up and smiled.
"That's good," said Makoto. "I was worried there."
"Um, thank you."
The two stood there, neither knowing what to say.
"So," began Makoto.
"Yeah."
"Why were you throwing a knife at me?" asked Makoto.
Mukuro stiffened and her eyes darted left and right, desperately searching for a way out.
"It was...a training accident," she blurted at the top of her head. "I'm the Ultimate Soldier, so I was practicing my knife throwing skills. I didn't realize that there were other people in my training grounds."
Makoto rubbed his chin, pondering over her words as Mukuro sweated. She could easily silence him right now, so why was she letting him have the chance to speak when she cold-hardheartedly slit throats of others before.
Makoto looked at her in the eyes again and suddenly she knew why.
Those eyes were filled with such innocence, such trust, unlike anything seen before in those green orbs. They were so...hopeful, full of a purity that Mukuro had not seen in anyone else before.
"I believe you." he said.
"Huh?"
"I believe you, Ikusaba-san. You didn't mean any harm."
Mukuro froze.
"How do you know my name?"
Makoto's cheeks went red.
"I read it on the forums," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "It had the list of all the members of Class 78 and I happen to come across your name. I saw you during the presentation and connecting the dots with your statement of the Ultimate Soldier, it was easy to figure out."
"Oh."
"I'm Makoto Naegi, by the way," said Makoto, offering his hand.
Mukuro shook it and nodded.
"I'm Mukuro Ikusaba. Nice to meet you."
Makoto smiled, his innocent smile shining like the sun.
"You too."
For a moment, the two stayed like that, smiling at each other.
Mukuro was the first to pull away, her mind racing with thoughts.
"Well, I got to go."
"Wait," cried Makoto, catching her by the sleeve. "There's one more thing."
"Huh?"
"Would you like to be my friend?"
Mukuro froze.
"Eh?"
"We just started Hope's Peak Academy, so I haven't made many friends yet," he explained. "I figured we could hang out, get to know each other, that kind of stuff. What do you think?"
Mukuro stared at him.
"Sure." she blurted out loud without thinking.
Makoto's face broke out in a large grin and he took her hand.
"Then it's a promise."
The two walked away, heading towards the building.
As the two walked, Mukuro's mind was a mess.
What had just happened? Why did she accept his offer? And what the hell was that feeling she had in her heart when he smiled at her.
However, at that moment, she decided to forget about her mission and just live a little.
Maybe being Makoto's friend wouldn't be so bad.
After all, what could go wrong?
"That little piece of shit!" Junko screeched, slamming her hands on her desk in a secret chamber underneath the statue of the school's founder.
She had watched the whole proceeding from the camera she tagged on Mukuro and was not happy at all.
"What the fuck was that, Muku? You had the perfect chance to kill him, and yet, you didn't! You made an agreement to be his friend! What the hell was that?"
The gray-haired man was standing beside her, much more composed.
"Even I never realized just how...charismatic the boy is?" the music box in his hands said. Junko still didn't know why the man communicated with the box instead of saying anything out loud, but she was too pissed off at the moment.
"This is not what we planned," the Ultimate Despair muttered. "We had planned for Mukuro to kill him and for us to have some fun. We could have spread despair through his deaths."
Mikaboshi held up a finger. "Who?"
"Dunno. His parents. Siblings. Old friends."
"You're thinking too small." he said. "Also we could use this to our advantage. In fact, him being alive is possibly much more beneficial than we hope. We will need to have a change of plans."
Junko gagged at his last word, but she decided to hear him out.
"Go on."
"I won't explain it right now, but you know what a false hope is, correct?"
"Yeah, yeah, an unachievable goal that gives you a sense of accomplishment for pursuing said goal."
"He managed to avoid being killed by the Ultimate Soldier. That in itself is an accomplishment, but we could use this. We just need to test his resolve first."
Junko narrowed her eyes. "And what do you suggest?"
"Well, my fine Enoshima! That is for...a later date." he continued with the Ultimate Despair groaning. "Don't worry, it won't be too long."
He paused and patted the huge container he was sitting on.
It was a cylinder-like shape with a glass covering on top, being futuristic in appearance. However, the contents were the most interesting part. A naked young man with long, flowing black hair was slumbering peacefully despite the disturbing talk between two individuals.
"Izuru Kamukura the Second, formerly known as Hajime Hinata."
"The so-called Ultimate Hope," Junko said, glancing at the being inside the capsule.
"Or as I prefer, the Ultimate Whatever-the-Hell-You-Know Man." Mikaboshi said, standing up and placing his hands on the capsule. "After all, we all know that what Hope's Peak Academy really cares about."
He turned down and despite his expression not changing, the music box's voice gave a hint of pity. "He's just a homunculus, barely even a functioning human being now. Despite having all the talent in the world, he neither has the will nor drive to put into use."
Junko stared at the sleeping body and shrugged.
"Eh, who cares. As long as I'm in despair, I'm good."
The gray-haired man sighed and looked back at her.
"Anyways, we have some guests waiting."
He pointed to a monitor to her right. A nervous, skinny boy with bags under his eyes and light brown hair was sitting far away from a tall, black haired boy with messy hair and an ahoge at the top, his sandaled feet being thrown on top a set of cushions as he grouchily read his book that read Netter's Neurology 3rd Edition.
"That 77-B boy who loves anime and your...boyfriend."
Junko smiled gleefully.
"Ryouta Mitarai, the Ultimate Animator, and my love Yasuke Matsuda."
"And you will gladly kill this Matsuda?"
"Without hesitation."
The music box gave a snort. "Poor guy."
He gestured to the plans in front of them, currently in process.
Junko was familiar with the first plan. That was her Despair Video plan, a brainwashing video that used the technology of Mitarai to rewire the thoughts of other people to become her brainwashed slaves. After all, a queen such as her deserved loyal subjects. She planned to test the video on Class 77-B.
The second plan was the Student Council plan, or Killing Game Zero. It would set off a death game between the sixteen members of the Student Council, forcing them into killing each other and if all goes according to plan, the school will try to cover up the slaughter, but not before Junko and Mikaboshi reveal to the world the dirty deeds of Hope's Peak Academy and the lengths they will go.
The third plan was the Reserve Course plan, with that one being tweaked by Mikaboshi. The plan was to show the Reserve Course Students how their funds to the school were being used for a horrific project, evidence pointing to Izuru Kamukura, and with the enhanced use of the Despair Video, brainwash them into protesting the school. Originally, Junko planned on forcing the Reserve Course to commit mass suicide, but Mikaboshi said that they still have some uses.
The final plan was Project Pandora. Junko was in the dark about that one since Mikaboshi came up with it and refused to share any details with her. She was frustrated, but at the same time curious.
"Project Pandora," he said. "It will be a catalyst of sorts. A new era. It will change the world as we know it."
"Oooooh, sounds intriguing."
"All you have to know is that once this project is completed, the world will never be the same."
Junko frowned.
"What a tease."
"Haha." he laughed. "Well, you better be off then. You can't keep your 'friends' waiting again."
The Ultimate Fashionista grinned and nodded.
"And what about you?"
Mikaboshi paused and took a card out of his pocket. The emblem of Hope's Peak Academy was on the silver card as the words Steering Committee Council shown brightly in kanji.
"As for me, I have a meeting to get to. The Committee is in panic right now."
And with that the two left the door as the words 'Project Pandora' gleamed ominously in the dark room.
Project Pandora...I wonder what that is? Junko and Mikaboshi are making their move and the other Ultimates will soon find themselves in the midst of the new age.