Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, in this chapter, the group will see bodies go missing, survivors go searching, before getting emotional. Very emotional.
Before we begin, I would like to discuss my short story series, Adept. So, I realized that I rushed the first short I made, wanting to publish it as soon as possible. So to rectify that, I decided to rewrite it (Which makes me glad no one had bought it yet). I can't make it free due to Amazon restrictions, but I made a 5 day promotion for it so everyone can have a cheap sample of my work. After the five days are over, it will still be available for 99 cents, and I'll also be selling the rest of my short stories for same price.
You can find the story here: www . amazon . com dp/B07MP8DL5B (The 5 day promotion will start on Feb 9th, and end Feb 13th). I'll also put the link on my profile here.
I understand that all of you came here to read Class 78th Watches the Future (Otherwise, there would be no point coming here). But I would appreciate it if you help support it by at least reading the first short and/or telling the others about it. I still plan on writing fanfics, and I'm not planning to stop anytime soon, but I would also like to become an actual author. Write original short stories and books. So I appreciate any support you're able to give me.
That's all. Hope I'm not annoying with these notes. Or acting pushy in anyway. So, with that out of the way, enjoy the chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.
A Lucky Soldiers: Heyoo readers. Its been a bit since the last chapter but update is finally out! Anyways, even with this update out, I've suffered a soul-crushing punch to the face the other day as I lost my 375 day login streak on FGO due to school T_T Its scary to think that I've been to the pits of despair and back so many times and every time I go back, the pit gets deeper... *cries*. Anyways, a couple short questions this time around:
Q: You mentioned there will be no bonus scenes, does that include the cut content like the survivor's executions as well?
L: Yup. I don't think Spirit wants to do anything that deviates from the main story.
S: That's correct. Want it to keep canon as much as possible.
Q: Junko's own final moments ended with her basically feeling "empty" at the end of it all; is seeing how all this ultimately built up to her own end being an anticlimax going to finally give her that ultimate despair she was looking for, or might it convince her to go back to the drawing board (thereby preventing the killing games from taking place) once she has the big payoff (or lack thereof for her) spoiled for her? Hell, will it have any impact at all?
L: I'm not sure where Spirit is deciding to take this so I'll let him answer this:
S: I can't say anything sure for sure. One, it can be spoilerish. And two, Junko is an unpredictable psychopath. Her emotions can vary from a wide range. So it'll be a bridge to be cross when we get to chapter 6.
Chapter 55: Watching Ch 3: NGL! STGH! Part 14
The next scene showed Makoto practically leaping down the stairs before running into the nurse's office, with Sakura, Byakuya, and Celeste right behind him. He froze as he pushed open the door.
He looked left and right and found that everything was still where it was, except for one thing:
Hifumi's body.
If any of them didn't believe Celeste's words before, there was no choice but to believe it now, especially since they're seeing it with their own eyes.
"What the hell?! What's going on here?" Byakuya cursed, starting to look a bit rattled.
"What… what did they do to my body?!" Hifumi shouted, his stomach churning very uncomfortably at the thoughts coming into his head.
"This shit's getting crazier by the second!" Leon cursed.
Hina just stared numbly at the screen as she shook from fear.
Not even Kyoko and Mukuro were immune to the surprise. The two of them were both bewildered at how fast Hifumi's body has disappeared. Makoto was gone for only a few minutes… so how was the culprit able to take the body without anyone noticing?
'But… Hifumi's body was there just a few minutes ago.' Makoto thought in shock before speaking out loud. "It just… disappeared?"
The camera moved to Hina, who was still in shock. Perhaps even more so. "Me and Celeste were in the bathroom…" Hina numbly explained. "But we were only gone for like a minute! And then, when we got back…"
"This must be the work of the culprit." Celeste declared. "They must have came and carried the body away."
"But how?!" Sayaka questioned shrilly, one step close to panicking. "It shouldn't be possible to carry a body out of the nurse office, without anyone noticing, in under a minute!"
"Especially one of Hifumi's weight." Celeste said, frowning.
"This is unnatural." Byakuya stated, a bewildered frown on his face. "Two murders, and then one of the bodies disappearing? All in the span of a few minutes?"
"Can this guy teleport or something, like Makoto said?!" Hiro questioned, holding his head as he tried process what he's seeing.
"Impossible. The only explanation is that someone moved the body." Kyoko replied. 'Unless...'
"They must really be enjoying this… enjoying the sight of us standing around, frightened and confused." Celeste clenched her fist, holding them to her chest. "We're all going to die here. We're going to die, just like those guys died…"
'Huh?' Kyoko perked up at this, staring at the screen with quickly concealed confusion and suspicion. Did she heard right?
Before she could think more on it, however, Hina got her attention. "We're gonna die… we're all gonna die…" The swimmer said, her voice sounding distant.
That got everyone's attention, and worry. "Hina…?" Sakura spoke softly, looking at her friend in concern.
But the girl didn't respond. "We're gonna die. We'll all be murdered. Executed. Slaughtered!" By now, everyone can tell she was panicking. She wrapped her arms around herself, breathing erratically. "This is our future! There's no escape for any of us!"
"Hina!" The swimmer was broken out of her panic filled trance by Sakura and Makoto, the latter having rush over and kneeled beside her. Both of them placed one of their hands on her shoulders. Makoto spoke up for the both of them. "Please, calm down. Breathe."
Slowly, the swimmer did as they wanted, and took some calming breaths. She's still rattled beyond relief, but she isn't going to go in another panic-filled rant.
Makoto looked at Sakura, silently asking if she can handle this. When the martial artist nodded, he hesitantly got up, giving Hina a comforting squeeze on the shoulder before getting back to his couch.
"I don't believe this." Byakuya said, bewildered. "I can't believe a body would just… disappear." He frowned in thought. "First there were two murders, and now one of the bodies has been taken? This is… unnatural."
"H-Hold on!" Hina spoke up, finally breaking out of her frozen state. "What do you mean, TWO murders?!"
More than a couple of eyes widen again at this. "Oh shit…" Leon cursed, grimacing. "She doesn't know."
"She isn't going to react well…" Makoto said, biting his lip in worry.
"Taka's been killed. We found him in the equipment room." Sakura said softly.
That caused Hina to turn pale. "I-It can't be! Taka, too?! It can't be… it can't be…" Suddenly, she screamed. "NooooooOOOOOOO!"
"Hina, calm down!" Sakura urged her friend.
But the swimmer didn't listen. "We're all gonna die… all of us… they're gonna kill all of us!" She panicked, breathing frantically.
Sayaka couldn't help but feel the same thing, and she felt disgusted at how weak she was. This entire thing is taking a toll on her mind, even with her death having come and gone. The second and third motives, the tension around everyone, the murder of Chihiro and execution of Mondo…
Now, it's the murder of both Hifumi AND Taka, with someone running around with hammers and a robot suit, and now Hifumi's missing body. And they haven't even gotten close to the trial yet. She almost started to think that she was lucky that her future self didn't have to go through this.
"Then who might the next target be?" Was the question that came from Byakuya's mouth. "Toko?"
"Huh…?" Makoto said, before his eyes widen in realization.
Several other eyes widen at this. "Fuck!" Leon cursed. "They completely forgot about Toko!"
"Damn it!" Sakura growled, angry with herself. How could she forget about her own classmate?!
"They need to get back there!" Hina exclaimed, panic and desperation etched into her voice. "The killer might come after her!"
"I completely forgot!" Sakura stated, eyes widening. "She's still unconscious in the equipment room!"
"You left her at the scene of the crime?!" Celeste questioned in shock.
"We didn't have a choice." Byakuya responded. "She passed out, and she refused to wake up."
"So she is still unconscious?" Celeste inquired.
Before Sakura could answer, a sudden realization struck her. "Wait, so you knew she was still up there, and said nothing?" Sakura turned towards the Togami heir. "Why…?!"
"Yeah, why?!" Sayaka turned towards Byakuya with a glare. "If you had just reminded her, she could've easily carried Toko with them!"
"I'll… let my future self answer." Byakuya sighed, having two good guesses as to why his future self did what he did.
"That annoying little insect that clings to me wherever I go…" Byakuya said cruelly, a smirk on his face. "We'd be better off without her."
Naturally, that angered several. "You son of a bitch!" Mondo growled, trying hard to keep his barely controlled anger at bay. "You want her to die?!"
"I get that she's annoying, but that's no reason to just leave her there!" Leon stated angrily.
"How could you be THIS cruel to Toko?!" Hina demanded, a fierce glare aimed at him. Sayaka held the same glare as Hina, with Makoto holding her hand in order to keep her from harming him.
Sakura's own features darken. "Byakuya…" She slightly growled. "Be grateful that I know you've changed, and that you're not your future self anymore. Otherwise…"
Byakuya gave no outward reaction towards the implied threat, but indeed, he is grateful that he had changed for the better. While he still thinks of Toko and Jack as an annoyance, he does not wish her death.
"Look, let's all calm down." Kyoko said, hoping to alleviate the situation.
"Y-You bastard!" Sakura growled, her features darkening.
"Calm down. You forgot about her too, didn't you?" Byakuya retorted calmly, not fazed by her anger. "You have no right to blame me."
"Everyone stop fighting!" Makoto shouted, getting everyone's attention. "Right now we need to hurry back!"
"I can't take this anymore… I don't want anyone else to die!" Hina said, looking and sounding traumatized.
"Byakuya…" Sakura growled at the heir fiercely. "If something's happened to Toko, I'll never forgive you!"
Her only reply was a disinterest "Hmph" before the group began running up the stairs.
The tense looks from some of his fellow classmates confused Byakuya. Did they forget about the new rule Monokuma, about two murders only being allowed?
Though not all of them seemed to have forgotten. Kyoko, Mukuro, and Celeste seem to have remembered.
The scene then switched to the five student group running into the physics lab and towards the equipment room. When they got there, Makoto immediately set his eyes to the still unconscious Toko. 'Toko!' Quickly, he knelt down and checked to see if she's okay. "Thank God you're okay." Makoto said as he let out a breath of relief.
Immediately, everyone loosened up as Makoto confirmed Toko's safety. "Look like they made it in time." Sayaka said, a small smile of relief.
However, that small bit of relief was soon taken at the next scene…
However, the look of relief turned confusion as he looked up. And quickly, it morphed into shock and horror once again.
Because once again, another body has disappeared, the one being Taka's.
"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Mondo shouted, rage and disbelief combined in his tone.
"They got Taka too?!" Makoto exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock.
"No way… no way this is happening…" Sayaka breathed incredulously.
"What the hell is going on here?!" Leon shouted.
Taka could only stare at the screen in shock, confusion, and trepidation. "What… what are they doing to my body?!" Taka questioned, trying to figure out why they would take his corpse.
"Th-This isn't possible…" Byakuya stuttered, looking a bit more rattled. "Like before, they were only gone for a mere few minutes! So how? And why?"
"This is bizarre indeed…" Kyoko murmured, frowning in thought. Something tells her that she would have to wait for the investigation before putting the puzzle pieces together.
The others also stared at the bloody puddle in shock, especially Byakuya and Sakura. "This can't be happening…" The heir murmured in disbelief.
"Are we hallucinating all this or something?" Sakura questioned, looking tenser than before.
"No…" Makoto shook his head at the claim. "It's not a hallucination." Makoto stared at the puddle of blood, where Taka's body was previously at. 'I know I saw it before. And what I'm seeing now… isn't what I saw before.'
Chihiro felt himself curl up once more, fear and confusion plain in his tear-filled eyes. Fear for his friends, the remaining survivors in this look of the future. And confusion for everything that's happening. Why? Why kill two people? Why take their bodies? What's the point in all this?
"I really wish this an illusion right now…" Hiro stated, looking panicked and confused. "Cause I don't know what's going on!"
"For sure man..." Leon muttered. This is getting way too confusing.
"Wh-What?!" Hina's exclaimed, staring at the puddle of blood. "Are you saying… Taka disappeared, too?!"
"Stop saying 'disappeared'." Byakuya slightly growled, forcing himself out of shock. "It didn't just vanish into thin air. Obviously whoever did this has hidden the body."
"But… why would they do that?" Makoto asked as he got up from the floor.
"I couldn't' even possibly begin to imagine." Byakuya said, his teeth clenched.
"What benefits do the killer get by moving the bodies?" The present heir asked, furrowing his eyebrows. "Are they trying to sow confusion? Remove some sort of evidence? Rattle us?"
"Right now, it's hard to say." Kyoko answered, looking in thought herself. "All we can do is wait till our future selves find the bodies, and begin the investigation."
"Anyway, our costumed suspect is clearly continuing his crime spree." Celeste interjected.
"We gotta hurry up and catch him, before he kills ALL of us!" Hina exclaimed in fear.
Byakuya, however, interjected at that. "Oh, I don't think you have to worry about that." He stated.
That earned several confused "Huh?" from several students as they turned to Byakuya. "What are you talking about?" Hina asked.
In response, Byakuya facepalmed. "Did you honestly forget the last rule Monokuma placed?" He grumbled, extremely annoyed. "God, I really am surrounded by imbeciles."
That some of the students angered. But some of the others, such as Makoto, Chihiro, and Sayaka, remembered what Byakuya was talking about.
"You're talking about the only two murder rule, right?" The luckster said, now remembering the rule.
The heir nodded. "Yes. I'm glad some of you decided to use your brain cells." He sighed. "The rule states that the killer could do two murders. And since two people are dead, that means no one else will die."
That had several relaxing, with some looking mildly embarrassed. "How the fuck did we forget about that…?" Mondo groaned.
"Guess we got too caught up with everything…" Leon said sheepishly.
"Huh…?" Hina said in response, looking at Byakuya in surprise and confusion.
"Think about it…" Byakuya continued. "Who could possibly be responsible for killing and hiding these dead bodies?"
"U-Umm…"
"When Hifumi's death cry went up, everyone here was together on the 3rd floor." Byakuya began.
"After that, we split up into two groups." Celeste spoke up.
"And now this time, you all came here as a group from the nurse's office." The heir then reveal his conclusion. "In other words, the only ones who could have done this are Hiro and Kyoko, who are still missing."
Slowly, eyes turned towards Hiro, who went pale at the looks (And growing glares) aimed at him. "W-Why are you looking at me?!" Hiro exclaimed. "Kyoko could've done it too!"
"But she has an alibi." Celeste pointed out, trying to push down the rising fury she's feeling. The fury at the possibly being Hiro that killed Hifumi. "She was in the dining hall when Hifumi and I were attacked with the first two justice hammers." The fortune teller gulped at that.
Meanwhile, Mondo felt his barely held back anger crack. Something that Makoto, Taka, and Chihiro sensed.
"H-Hold on a second!" Makoto protested. "Kyoko has an alibi for when Celeste and Hifumi were attacked! There's no question that she was in the dining hall with us!"
"Hmph." A smirk entered Byakuya's face. "You seem very adamant about defending her." The heir pointed out. "Perhaps you are… in love?"
That brought a blush from the luckster. "Th-That's not it at all!"
Despite the situation, Makoto couldn't help but bury his face into his hands and blush angrily. How could Byakuya go for this kind of a low blow in this situation? Has he no ability to read the situation? Makoto quickly remembered how Byakuya used to be like so he sent a quick glare at Byakuya to which the heir avoided the eye contact.
Sayaka subconsciously gripped Makoto's arm tightly, but pushed down the urge to glare at Kyoko. Hina, Mukuro, and Celeste also pushed down their jealousy. This isn't the time to feel that way.
"Well, anyway. Yes, I do accept Kyoko's alibi." Byakuya said in acceptance.
"Which means, the suspicious individual we're looking for can be none other than… Hiro." Celeste concluded.
"Hold on a moment!" Hiro protested, looking really scared. "There's gotta be some mistake! Some conspiracy here! I would never kill somebody!"
"I would like to believe that do, I really do…" Leon sighed with a grimace. "But out of all the survivors, not only are the only one able to do all that shit, but you had the motives to do it."
"M-Motive?!"
"You're greedy to a fault, Hiro!" Sayaka pointed out, scowling angrily at him. "You've clearly shown that when you ask Makoto to donate his organs to him, despite having other options available to you!"
"And even before that, you and Celeste were our top suspects." Byakuya added. "The evidence is clearly stacked up against you."
Before Hiro could muster up some sort of defense, he stiffened up as he felt a large amount of killing intent. Shakily, he turned to the source of it, which happened to be Mondo.
Said biker looked just as murderous, his tenth clenched, his eyes pooled with anger, and every muscle in his body tensed. His look and posture caused Taka to look at his friend cautiously, while Chihiro scooted away, fearful as to what Mondo would do.
He wanted to kill Hiro. Make him regret killing his bro. Everyone bone in his body is screaming at him to grab the fucking con artist and strangle him. But the knowledge that he won't be able, along with the Chihiro's fearful looks, was what keeping from launching himself at Hiro.
And he couldn't let his anger consume. Not again. Not when he saw the consequences of that anger with his own two eyes. So slowly, he suppressed that anger, kept himself from going over that edge. He's still not perfect calm, but it was enough as to not try and murder Hiro. "Hagakure, when this is done, we're going to have a good, long, fucking chat…" But that didn't stop him threatening.
The fortune teller couldn't help but shivered at this, unable to muster up any defense for himself at the absolute murderous look in Mondo's eyes.
"I... I think we should wait until they actually find the killer before we umm... you know..." Chihiro whimpered out, causing everyone to once again relax a little bit and return their focus to where it needs to be.
Hiro gave a silent thanks to Chihiro, to which he replied with a small smile. However, even though Mondo wasn't facing Hiro anymore, he could still feel the anger emanating from the biker.
"Which further means, there will be no more murders." Byakuya declared. "The regulations are very clear about that."
"Oh, that's right…!" Makoto's eyes widen in realization. "There's a rule that says you can only kill a maximum of two people…"
"As long as that rule is in place, there will not be a third murder. If they were to break that rule…" The heir trailed off.
Monokuma then popped up. "I'd mince ya! Mince ya without a second thought! Mince ya, grind ya, turn ya into pace!" The bear viciously stated. "By the way, did you know that fish paste can also refer to shellfish, like shrimp or crabs?!" With that, he disappeared once again.
"...Indeed." Was all what Byakuya could say to that.
Despite realizing it earlier, some couldn't help but sigh with a bit of relief. However, none of them think that they're out of the woods yet. They still need to find Hifumi's and Taka's body. And then there will be the trial itself…
Yeah. They're definitely not out yet.
"So, since two people have been killed, there is no possibility of any more." Celeste deduced.
"You knew that from the beginning, didn't you Byakuya?" Sakura realized, looking at the heir. "Which means you knew Toko was never in danger…"
Several eyes widen in realization at this. "So that's why you didn't mention us leaving Toko there sooner…" Makoto spoke up. "And why you didn't panic like the rest of us."
"Then what's with that comment of being better off without her?" Hina demanded.
"I still meant it when I said we'd be better off without her, though." Byakuya stated with no remorse.
"Well, that answers that question…" Junko deadpanned, with some annoyed sighs or grunts from the group. It was Byakuya being Byakuya.
"Anyway, with that in mind, we can now relax and search for the two missing dead bodies."
'Two missing bodies…' Makoto thought to himself. 'Two people have been killed, and their have bodies have been hidden. The only one without an alibi, the only one who could have done it… is Hiro.'
Hifumi flinched and shivered, while Taka clenched his fists and teeth tightly at the mention of their future selves' murders. Hiro also tensed at the mention of him being the only possibility, especially with the looks being given to him.
"Hiro… how could your future self do that?" The one who spoke up was Hina. The swimmer was glaring at him, looking ready to attack him. "How could you kill not one, but two of our friends?"
"It couldn't be me!" Hiro protested, sounding desperate. "I'm telling you, it gotta be some sort of conspiracy! Some fake Hiro running around hurting people!"
"Stop trying to deny it! The only one who could've done it is you!" Hina retorted. "So why? Why do it?"
"Hey hey... I still think it's too early to come to a conclusion..." Chihiro said.
"What do you mean? They just said he's the only one who could have done it!" Hina replied angrily.
As Hiro and Chihiro were trying to come up with some sort of defense, both Makoto and Kyoko were thinking to themselves. Both were doubting the possibility that Hiro was the killer.
For Kyoko, she felt that this was too convenient. Two murders where the only suspect possible is Hiro? Its almost like some sort of set up. And once the investigation starts, that set up can reveal itself.
For Makoto, he just couldn't believe Hiro would be willing to do that. Call it his naive belief in his friends, but while it's been made clear that Hiro would do almost anything for money, murder is one of the few lines he wouldn't cross. And if it was just simple greed, why bother killing two people? One would just be enough.
'But… is he really the killer?'
"Huh?" Several eyes turned to Makoto, who shrunk a bit under the stares.
Byakuya was the first to speak up. "What makes you think something like that?" He questioned. "Hiro is the only one who could've done it. Everyone was together at some point when the attacks and/or murders happened."
"I know, but… it just feels too quick to write off Hiro as the murder." The luckster explained. "Until we get more information, we can't just simply conclude that Hiro is the one who do it." His statement earned a hopeful look from Hiro and Chihiro.
"Makoto, I hate to say this, but I have to agree with Byakuya." Sayaka said with a frown. "You know how Hiro is. You experienced what he's willing to do to get money or save his own skin. How could you not think that he committed this?"
"Because I know what it's like to have evidence and fingers pointed against you." That sentence drew a lot of flinches, remembering chapter one. Especially since most of their future selves were the one accusing Makoto. Sayaka and Leon especially felt their guilt crop up at this… "Also, I'd like to wait until the very end before I conclude something... even if the chance is small, what if we're wrong?"
"You have a point." Sakura sighed. "Still, unless there is evidence saying otherwise, our only suspect is Hiro."
"Then we'll just have to watch and see if there any more evidence." Kyoko replied, supporting Makoto.
Hiro was practically crying from the mercy he was receiving.
'And what about Kyoko?' His thoughts then went back to the purple haired detective. 'If she's not involved with the case, then where did she go…?'
"Speaking of which, where did Kyoko go?" Taka asked, finally speaking up. "They haven't seen her in the first, second, or third floor…"
"I hope she's alright." Hina murmured worriedly. "I mean, I know she isn't dead or anything, but still…"
"Yeah, I'm worried too Hina." Makoto told her. He then turned to the detective herself. "Where do you think she's at?"
"Hard to say…" Kyoko answered. "But I'm sure that my future is okay, wherever she's at." Did she find something extremely interesting? Possibly bigger clues about the mastermind, or the school itself? That's the only reason she could think as to why she's out for this long.
"Hey, Makoto. What's the matter?" Byakuya questioned.
"Huh?" Makoto was brought out of his thinking at the question. "Oh, no… it's nothing."
"Whatever." The heir dismissed. "We need to find those bodies, or our little narrative here can't move forward."
"Very well. Then let us split up and begin searching." Celeste stated.
"B-But…" Hina started to protest.
But Celeste spoke up before she could finish. "There is no need to be afraid. No more murders will take place during the case." The gambler reassured her.
"I-I know that." Hina stuttered. "I mean, I think I do. But…"
"If you're still nervous, I'll come with you." Sakura offered.
"O-Okay, thank you…" Hina said gratefully, sagging in relief.
"Your future self must be really rattled, huh Hina?" Makoto asked sympathetically.
"Y-Yeah…" Hina rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment, but still shaking a little bit herself. "It's just… a lot is happening."
"I agree." Sayaka nodded empathetically. Her future self is already dead, and yet she still feel overwhelmed by what's happening to her friends.
"No need to thank me." Sakura waved off.
"Then let's get moving." Byakuya began walking out of the room. "Yell out if you find anything."
With that sentence, the others began walking out as well. "With that, we began our search for the two missing bodies in the third floor." Narrator Makoto spoke up. The scene switched to each characters looking in different rooms. "For a while, we haven't made any progress. And just as I was about to go to the second floor…"
"Makoto…!" Makoto, who was near the stairs, turn his head to the side to see Celeste and Byakuya quickly walking towards him.
"Why are you just standing there? We need to get to the repository." Byakuya told him, scowling.
"Huh?" Makoto's eyes widen in surprise. "You mean…?!"
"...I found them." Celeste confirmed. "Hifumi and Taka's bodies had both been hidden in the repository."
"I've already told Hina and Sakura. We'll go on ahead…" With that, Byakuya and Celeste went back to the repository. Makoto quickly followed them soon after.
The group grew tense at this. This is it. When they find the bodies, the investigation and trial will begin. Hifumi and Taka are especially tense. Neither of them are looking forward to seeing their dead bodies once again.
The scene switched to Makoto, Byakuya, and Celeste inside the art room. Celeste was the first one to enter, with Makoto and Byakuya following. "So we entered in. And when we did, I saw…"
The camera moved from Makoto's horrified face, to Byakuya's neutral look, before expanding to show Hifumi's and Taka's corpses lying on the ground of the repository. "The two missing bodies, right there on the floor."
'How…?' Was the question that weighed heavily in Makoto's mind. Confusion, distress, and slight frustration was gripping his mind. How on earth was Robo Justice able to get both Hifumi and Taka's body into the repository, without ANYONE noticing? Taka's is one thing, but Hifumi's was in the first floor. There's no easy way to carry someone of Hifumi's weight from the first to the third floor.
Kyoko, Mukuro, and Byakuya were of similar thoughts. They both knew that it would be physically impossible to carry both bodies in one room, without anyone seeing them. That's not including the blood the bodies would spill off.
Celeste also had those same thoughts. However, unlike Makoto, Kyoko, and Byakuya, she felt hesitant to think about it. As if the answers are front of her, and if she looked at them, she won't like what she sees. Why? What could the answer possibly be? She felt her stomach clenched when that question came to mind.
Even Hifumi asked himself this. As embarrassing as it is to admit, he knows that he wouldn't be an easy person to carry. The only one OP enough to carry him around is Sakura, and she was with the others. And she doesn't any sort of duplication abilities.
Several of the others, however, felt too riled to even attempt to think rationally. Chihiro, Sayaka, and Hina felt themselves too distraught at the sight of their dead classmates. Mondo was incredibly furious at seeing his bro dead once again. Taka had a sense of self-loathing for himself.
The only one who wasn't too confuse, distraught, or angry was Junko. 'Okay, now he's dead!' The model confirmed happily. Celeste must've snuck in the depository, and betray Hifumi there. Which she probably planned to do from the very beginning.
Still don't know all the details, but she'll probably figure it out once the investigation. Might end up a bit boring though, already knowing the culprit.
The camera moved to each of the four survivor faces, with Makoto and Hina looking horrified, while Sakura and Byakuya had neutral gazes. Before anything could be said, the school bell suddenly rang.
A moment later, the announcements played. "A body has been discovered!" Monokuma announced. "After a certain amount of time, which you may use however you like, the class trial will begin!"
Just as the announcements ended, Monokuma appeared. "And so here we are!" The bear declared. "Without further ado, let me give all the next Monokuma File! I was going to hand them out when you found the bodies the first time, but I thought something might happen. It was really hard to resist, but… turns out I was right!"
"That… damn…. bear!" Mondo growled, close to frothing at the mouth. "Will he stop sounding so goddamn gleeful?!"
"How can… anybody enjoy all this?!" Hina hissed, tears of anger and sorrow threatening to come out.
"I don't think that's a question any of us can answer, Hina." Makoto said softly. That's a question that would way on everyone's mind.
"Just hand it over already." Byakuya interjected, impatience in his voice.
Sure enough, the bear hand each of them a file. "Now, make sure to investigate with all of your mental might and prepare for the class trial! Okay, see ya later!" And with that, the bear disappeared.
"Well then, now that we've found the bodies, all that's left is to uncover the culprit." Byakuya said calmly, looking at the Monokuma file.
"Why… is your future self acting so calmly…?" The one who spoke up was Chihiro. The programmer was looking at Byakuya with unshed tears shining in his eyes. "How can you be so apathetic? Watching your classmates die, being forced to execute another person… and you can treat like it's a game?! Or a job you need to accomplish?!" By now, Chihiro was shouting. "That's horrible!"
No one else said anything to that, but the angry looks from Sayaka and Hina, as well as the tears in their eyes, tells everyone that they agree with the former crossdresser.
Byakuya sighed. "Would you rather me panic and scream like everyone else?" Byakuya replied, slightly irritated but ever so calm.
"But how could you-"
"Shut it. When did I explicitly say that I didn't feel anything from this?" Byakuya gritted back, interrupting Chihiro. Though it angered Mondo in the process, he also couldn't bring himself to say anything in response.
'Seeing a dead body is always a new experience...' Kyoko and Mukuro thought to themselves, silently agreeing with Byakuya.
"We all choose how we act depending on the circumstances, and even as I was before I came here, I'd rather face it head on than to act like that and do nothing." Byakuya said, pointing at the screen. Those were some cold words, but nevertheless, Byakuya still got his point across. Seeing no objections, he let out a big sigh before returning his attention to the screen.
"H-Hold on…" Hina spoke up, a scowl formed on her face. "How can you be so… so calm…? I mean, they're dead, ya know?!" Tears began swelling up in her eyes. "Dead! Gone forever! They're never coming back!" Tears began sliding down her cheeks. "Awful… this is just too awful!"
Suddenly, she bent down and clutched Hifumi's head near her lap. "Wh-Who would do this…?" The girl sniffled. "Why…? WHYYY?!" She then broke down crying, he tears falling on Hifumi's cheek.
As Hina broke down… several of them felt themselves crying. Sayaka, Hina, and Chihiro were the first to break down, clutching onto Makoto, Sakura, and Mondo respectively. All three of them felt overwhelmed at this, at everything that's happened. For Sayaka, is was the guilt she's carrying. For Chihiro and Hina, it was the grief they felt those who died in the future.
Makoto also let out a couple tears, but he quickly steeled himself to comfort Sayaka, who seemed to be going through much worse than him. His blue haired friend clutched to him tightly, sobbing on his shoulder. Seven of his friends are dead now. Nearly half the class. And it's going to officially become half soon, once they find the culprit. When will this end? When will there future selves stop killing each other?
Leon gritted, trying to hold back any tears he's feeling. This is fucked up. Way too fucked up. Seven of them are dead, he's one of the damn corpses, more death is going to happen, and there still isn't even a hint a way out. There's gotta be something, right? Something that would save all there asses… right? His gritted his teeth as tears leaked out his eyes.
Mondo was caught by surprise when Chihiro clinged to his arm. But seeing the state he's in caused his anger to fade some, and he patted his head to comfort the smaller boy. As he did, he finally started thinking.
Why? Why his bro, of all people? He just began recovering. Just started moving on from his future self's death. Why take that away for good? Just… why?
Taka felt his hand clench, and his shoulder shake. The self-loathing he felt grew much more. If he was only strong enough, more discipline enough… his friends wouldn't have to go through this grief. Mondo wouldn't have to be so angry.
But he wasn't. And because of that negligence, he ended up killed. Another victim of this sickening game. Tears slowly slid down his eyes as those thoughts went through his head.
Hifumi and Hiro also felt themselves crying, both of them out of terror. For Hifumi, it's the thought that he could be killed in the future. The thought scared him before, but now seeing that as a sure possibility… it scared him even further.
For Hiro, it's the possibility that he could be executed. He can't believe that his future self killed two people. Sure he tried selling Makoto's organs, but if it really came down to it, he'd never do it himself. But if he really did kill those two… then that mean he would be executed if found out. He'll have to experience that future. That thought terrified him to no end.
Like Makoto and Mondo, Sakura was also comforting her friend, holding her close. The martial artist herself was close to crying. Seeing her friend like this, breaking down over everything that happened, is weighing heavily in her heart. But she held on, focusing on comforting Hina.
Even Mukuro herself felt emotional. Though she didn't tear up, it still pained her on the inside. Would she really put her classmates through this? Put them through this despair that her sister loves so much? Why would she, when Junko would easily kill her at any given time, when given the chance? Why… would she willingly put Makoto through all this, when he valued her much more than Junko ever did?
The only ones who manage not to tear up at all were Kyoko, Byakuya, Celeste, Junko, and Toko, the last one still unconscious.
Despite not as emotional as his classmates, the Togami heir still felt himself incredibly frustrated. Three chapters in, and they have nothing on the mastermind. Little clues as to who the mastermind is, no clue on a way out, very little about what's happening… and what little they did gain only brought more and more questions. Questions they have yet to get answers to.
Celeste used every trick she knew to not show any emotions. And even then, she threatened to tear up at the sight of all this. But she can't show weakness like her classmates. Cannot be overwhelmed by her emotions. So she clung to her mask tightly.
Kyoko felt herself grimace, the only kind of emotion she was letting herself show. The murders, the trials, the executions… even she feels that this is becoming too much. It was bad enough with one murder for each chapter, but with two murders? And that's not to mention the confusion that was sown before, and after the murders.
The detective looked at Makoto, who was soothing a crying Sayaka. She could see the tears that were threatening to come out of his eyes. So for him, and admittedly, partly for herself, she grabbed one his hands and gave a small squeeze of reassurance. The luckster gave a small, grateful smile, something that she returned.
Junko, meanwhile, looked away from everyone, her body shaking. This was to cover the euphoric expression on her face, with the shivering being of pleasure. This is so good! The grief, the emotions, all this despair is like ambrosia for her! It's making it extremely difficult not to scream out in orgasmic pleasure before fainting. She really was lucky that her seat was behind everyone else's.
Everyone was silent as they let out their emotions. However, that silence will soon end at the next scene…
At first, nothing had happened as Hina crying, with Makoto, Sakura, Celeste, and Byakuya silently watching. But then, against all possibilities, Hifumi slowly opened his eyes. A groan came out of his mouth, shocking the entire group.
"He's alive again?!" Makoto exclaimed in pure shock.
THAT got everyone's full attention. "WHAT THE FUCK?!" Mondo exclaimed in shock.
"How?!" Leon shouted right after.
"That… shouldn't be possible!" Celeste stammered, the mask she wore breaking off.
"He was dead!" Byakuya pointed out. "He died in the nurse office, before being moved in the repository! There's no way he could be still be alive!"
Even Junko was shock at this. This was not something she saw coming. How could the fatso still be clinging on to life, with all the blood spilled from his head? 'If he manage to survive this, I'm going to be incredibly annoyed!'
"Does… does this mean Hifumi will live?" Chihiro asked hopefully.
Hifumi, who also felt shock at this seeing future self breathing once more, felt himself becoming hopeful. Could he actually survive this? Will he be alive?
That hope, however, was taken away by Mukuro. "I don't want to say this, but don't get your hopes up. He seems to be barely clinging to life. And with that amount of blood he lost, he might not stay awake for long." The soldier pointed out.
Her words seemed to take away any hope the group was feeling, with Junko giving her an approving smile.
"Where… am I?" Hifumi asked, his voice extremely weak. "Cold… so cold… is… winter coming?"
"H-Hifumi! Wake up!" Hina shouted tearfully, shaking his head slightly.
"...Huh?" Was all that the fanfic creator said. "Ahh… that's right… I remember now… Hope's Peak…"
"Come one!" Hina begged. "You gotta wake up!"
"I remember… everything…" Hifumi continued.
Everyone froze again, processing what he just said.
"Wait… did he actually gain back his lost memories?" Taka slowly asked. "Does he really remember 'everything'?"
"Does that mean they haven't completely lost their memories?" Makoto asked, sounding hopeful. "Can they still get them back?"
"That's possible." Kyoko mused, narrowing her eyes. "However, it took a large blow to the head for Hifumi to recover those memories. I doubt any of our future selves will want that to happen to them."
"Still, maybe future Hifumi could tell them what happened!" Sayaka said, sounding eager. "He could at least tell them that their memories are wiped!"
"I don't think that's possible." Byakuya interjected, his eyes narrowed. "As we can see, he can barely talk. I doubt he can give us anything of use…"
"Before… I'd met you… all… I'd met… you all…"
"His memories are blending together. He has nothing useful to offer us…" Byakuya sighed.
Several of the students' shoulders sagged at this. Some knew that it was a stretch, but still, they had hoped that Hifumi would be able to give the remaining survivors anything of use.
"Ahh… the light…" Hifumi moaned, reaching up with one of his arms. "It's… reaching out… to me… like… the tail… of a comet…"
Many tensed at this, some tearing up. They're about to lose their classmates, again. Despite seeing him wake up, seeing revived, the hope shown to them is about to be taken away.
Hifumi himself was crushed by this. Look like this is just going to be a fluke. A small miracle shown to them before being taken away.
"Hey, Hifumi! Who was it? Who attacked you?!" Hina asked, sounding desperate. "Who tried to kill you?!"
"Who… killed me…?" Hifumi repeated. "That's right… I remember… their name…"
The group was even tenser now, some biting their lips or gripping their knees. If they can get a name, get the culprit's name, this trial can end quickly. They won't have to figure it out.
'Don't be me, don't be me, don't be me, don't be me…' Hiro pleaded, his hands clap together in prayer.
"Y… Yasu…" Hifumi's voice got weaker and weaker. "...hi...ro…" With those final words, his arm went lip, and his eyes slowly closed.
A heavy silence engulfed the room. A silence with different range of emotions. Shock at the name revealed. Grief at seeing their friend die once again. And anger at the one presumably responsible for this.
Many who held doubt that Hiro was the culprit felt those doubts crushed at this. It's one thing if the suspect was the only suspect left. But it's another if the victim themselves reveal their attacker.
Hiro himself was in shock, repeating in his head what Hifumi said. Surely, he didn't hear that right, right? Hifumi didn't say that he was the killer… right?
That thought, however, when Hina slowly turned to him with angry tears. "So…. you really did do it…" Hina said in a near whisper. "You… actually killed Hifumi and Taka. Killed both of them."
"You… are the worst, Hiro." Sayaka hissed, her stare venomous. "Not only did you resort in killing one person… but two!"
"Why… why would your future do this?" Chihiro asked quietly, staring at Hiro with anguish and feeling ever so betrayed. "How could he even think about doing all this?"
"I- I didn't - It can't-" Hiro tried to get out a response. But his mind is far too jumbled up right now to give any appropriate answers, if there was any.
Mondo didn't say anything. But the bowed head, tensed muscles, and his still posture, clearly tell the emotional state he's in right now.
When Hiro name left Hifumi's lip, several of them gave Hiro glares or looks of severe disapproval. Hifumi, who was sitting next to the fortune teller, tried to scoot back away from him, while Taka kept himself from looking at him.
The only three, other than Junko, that didn't immediately assume that it was Hiro was Kyoko, Makoto, and Celeste.
For Kyoko, she just felt that it was something off about this. Despite Hifumi's words, she can't automatically rule that Hiro was the one who did it. Maybe it was her instincts as a detective, but unless all evidence points to Hiro being the culprit, she can't accept that he's the blackened.
Makoto, however, thought differently. As someone who befriended all of his classmates, he had that secret sense of pride of knowing what each of them are like. And he knows that Hifumi usually uses last names, not first. So why would he use Hiro's first name instead of his last? Why say…. Yasuhiro instead of…
'Wait… no way. It can't be…' Makoto's eyes widen slightly, realization hitting his mind. If he was right… then he might already know who the culprit is.
Celeste herself was staring at the screen in pure shock. There was no thoughts of Hifumi's second death. None on whether or not Hiro was the killer. The only thing that was on her mind was this.
'How… how does Hifumi know my last name?'
And that's the end. I hope you guys liked this chapter. Worked really hard to put in that emotion. Let me know if I succeeded. Next up will be investigation time. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.