Today was the day.

It was now dusk, and only a few more hours remained until all the remaining participants' secrets would be leaked to the outside world. Unless someone were to die, nothing could be done to stop it. The day had already begun with a gloomy disposition for most of the participants, and Masashi could only imagine their growing fear as the deadline approached.

"Ugh… Can't believe this is happening," said Kasumi, the one assigned to watch Masashi. They were now in the dining room of the woodland kingdom, having spent the last few hours at other parts of the amusement park. "I'm worried, Masashi… Really, really worried… Do you think something will happen?"

"I really hope not, but our chances have not been pretty good," he answered, finding it pointless to lie. "If nothing happens… then our secrets will be revealed."

"Y-Yeah…" Kasumi said before she let out a yawn.

"You've been yawning quite a few times today," Masashi said. "Have you been getting enough rest?"

"To tell you the truth... no, not really..." Kasumi replied. "I kept watch on Takumi last night, and I had a bit of trouble falling asleep. But Maiha woke me up and insisted that I be your guard since it was my turn, so here I am—"

Just then, two people entered the dining room from the hallway going down to the living quarters. It was Maiha and Faye.

"Yes, I know, it's so nice to enjoy the view in the evening," Maiha said to Faye, neither of them paying any heed to Masashi and Kasumi. "And in the spring as well! Spring evenings are quite a sight for the eyes with all the cherry blossoms."

"I'm glad you can appreciate those as well," Faye said, looking equally joyful. "Back home, I like to look out my window and appreciate the evening scene. There's something soothing, relaxing, and comforting from seeing all those lights!"

"Hmm? Is something going on?" Masashi asked.

Maiha looked toward him. "Oh, no, not much. Faye and I are merely conversing about menial subjects. We have just returned from Sorao's room, having fed him his dinner."

"How… is he?" Masashi asked, who had a feeling that Sorao must be quite anxious now that his secrets would soon be leaked to the world.

"When we came in, he was quite tense, actually. Very watchful of us, staring at us like a hawk," Faye said. "But once he eyed the snacks I was holding, and we unlocked his handcuffs, he became much more relaxed."

"I guess he's pretty wary every time someone goes into his room unless he sees it's mealtime," Masashi said. "Maybe it has something to do with the incident involving Sayua a few days ago…"

He still wondered what had happened that day. When he and Maiha had gone down to his room, they had found Sayua standing beside an unconscious Sorao. She had apparently talked with him, only for him to get angry and attack her, so she had used her tranquilizer on him in self-defense. In fact, Masashi recalled that she had held Tanjiro's diary. Could the conversation have had something to do with that?

"Well, it doesn't quite matter," Maiha said, sneering as she pointed to a pocket in her black dress. "I have the keys to his room and to his handcuffs. Therefore, there's nothing that he can do in his current state."

"That's a relief," Kasumi added. "Even if you're pretty cold and sharp-tongued, at least you're careful."

As soon as she said that, however, the joy on Maiha's face waned, the ballroom dancer staring at her with some contempt. Kasumi must have noticed it as well, for she too looked away and faced Faye instead.

"Yes, yes… Faye, it's time for us to go," Maiha said, looking keen to leave. "And before you ask, Masashi, we're off to the Mars Cafeteria. Faye and I plan to do a little cooking to pass the time."

"Oh… all right," Masashi said. "You two have been spending a lot of time with each other."

Maiha smiled a bit modestly. "Yes, I suppose we have. Ever since I defended her from Sorao's vicious insults, the two of us have conversed quite a lot in our free time."

Faye chuckled. "I'll be honest, I never thought that Maiha would be such a pleasant person to be around! She makes for a delightful, pleasant, and affable friend."

"Friend…" Maiha muttered, looking at her with some amazement. "Ah, Faye… you consider us friends?"

"Well… we may not be that close, but I think we're more than mere acquaintances at this point, don't you think?"

Maiha responded with a smile. "Yes, I suppose you're right. Someone whose company I enjoy can be considered a friend…"

Wow… Maiha looks pretty happy… Masashi thought. That's nice… If only she were a bit softer in general, then I think more people would like her more.

The two girls left the dining room, and a few seconds later, Kasumi let out a derisive scoff.

"Oh, thank God she's gone!" Kasumi said, sounding slightly grouchy. "I gave her a compliment, and she looked at me like I was beneath her!"

"Well… your compliment came with a slight insult," Masashi said. "And more importantly, she was personally wronged by a thief. You remember what happened to her when she was a little girl, right?"

"Yeah, some guy ended up stealing her wallet, and since then, she hates all thieves! Even a phantom thief like me!" Kasumi let out another derisive scoff. "I can't believe that she doesn't understand the difference between an ordinary thief and a phantom thief!"

"Maybe you should… talk with her about it," he said, trying to sound as soft as he could. "She won't really learn the difference unless you teach her."

Kasumi for a few seconds seemed to ponder over it before her expression turned back to that of disinclination. "No, no, forget it! She won't listen to me, and quite frankly, I've much better things to do than waste my time talking to her!"

Masashi did his best to hold in a sigh. Trying to get the two to talk to each other about this is like trying to make the Earth stop spinning…

Kasumi then sprouted a smile on her face and took out a deck of cards from one of the pockets of her black skirt. "Say, how about we pass the time by playing poker?"

Though it was a blatant attempt to change the subject, Masashi decided that it was not worth pursuing the matter any more. "Sure, but I'm not exactly a good player."

Kasumi giggled. "Really? Well, since it's you, Masashi, I'll go a bit easy, 'kay?"

It was then that she let out another yawn. "Ready when you are..."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, yeah, don't worry about me!" Kasumi insisted. "I'm fine... I won't let a little drowsiness get in my way..."

For a long while, the two passed the time with several rounds of cards. Though he had expected to be easily trounced even with Kasumi's promise, he found himself winning surprisingly more games. Whenever he won, he always felt that it had been mainly due to luck, which, he supposed, was fitting given his bestowed title of Ultimate Lucky Student. It was a little cute, though, to see Kasumi complain about his victory, which uplifted his mood.

"There's no way you could've gotten a full house…" Kasumi said at the end of another game. "You didn't pull a fast one over me and do something to the deck, did you?"

"It's your deck, Kasumi. And do you think I have the wits to do something like that?"

Kasumi giggled a short giggle. "Good point."

Just then, however, two people came from the hallway that led out to the main deck. It was Haruyuki and Takumi.

"Ah, Masashi, Kasumi, there you are. We've been looking for you," Haruyuki said. "Do you have any plans tonight?"

"No, not really," he answered. "Why, is there something going on?"

"Indeed there is. I was at the theater in the space station earlier, and Monokuma said that there would be a film screening. Since we have no better ways to spend the evening hours, I've been thinking that you may watch the film with us."

"Oh, well… I guess there's nothing better to do, so why not? Kasumi and I will go," he replied.

But Kasumi did not look as blithe about it as Masashi had expected. "Um… I think I'll pass. I'm not really in the mood tonight."

"Oh… is that so…" Haruyuki said, the muted interest on his face waning. "Why, if I may ask?"

"I… I just want some time for myself," she explained, sounding a bit listless. "I think I'll appreciate some alone time."

"But, Lady Kasumi, you're supposed to be watching Sir Masashi, aren't you?" Takumi pointed out. "Don't you think Lady Maiha will get upset if you leave?"

"Don't worry about that," Haruyuki said. "I shall explain your sudden departure to Maiha if asked. You seem quite tired, so you may as well rest."

"Rest? No, no, I just need some time to relax, really. No need for a nap," Kasumi insisted. "I think I'll go to the Neptune Clubroom... There's a telescope there, and I've found that stargazing helps me relax."

"All right, then," Masashi said. "Don't forget to come back here later."

This morning, Maiha had decided that everyone would gather at the dining room at 10:00 PM. Masashi did not know what they would use the last two hours before midnight for, but he imagined that nothing could be done to stop the motive. At least it would be good to make sure that everyone would be in the same place to make sure that nothing bad should happen.

"Don't worry, I won't forget," Kasumi said. "See ya!"

She then rushed out of the dining room to the hallway leading to the main deck.

"When does the movie begin?" Masashi asked.

"It is now 7:00 PM, and it will begin in an hour," Haruyuki answered. "I suggest that we wait here. I find this place to be more... soothing for conversation. It's quite relaxing with its warm colors."

"All right, we'll wait here, then. By the way, have you seen Sayua?"

"Um, I think we saw Lady Sayua wandering around the ships some time ago," Takumi answered sheepishly. "She seemed to be thinking hard about something… When we saw her, she didn't get angry at us. I thought she might get moody upon seeing me since… you know."

"Yes, I too was surprised, as I was quite sure that she had not forgotten what you did to Tanjiro," Haruyuki added. "She did not respond much to us and wandered off elsewhere. In fact, she seemed not to want to strike up a conversation with us."

"Huh, really…" Masashi said. "I guess she just wants to be alone. Maybe she doesn't trust us."

"I should not be surprised. We have only a few more hours until the motive takes effect, and perhaps she feels uneasy and wishes to keep herself away from us for her safety," Haruyuki replied. "She has no need to be uneasy around me, however. I have no plans to do anything vile to her."

I'm not surprised Sayua may think you're a bit weird, though... Masashi thought.

The two of them went on to chat about various trivial subjects such as the weather and their favorite films. Takumi sometimes joined in, but he remained silent for the most part whenever Haruyuki began to ramble about something that interested him.

"Now, then… let's talk about something a bit more interesting," Haruyuki said. "Do you remember what I said a few days ago? I said that I should look into the mystery of our amnesia. I've been asking everyone about it."

"S-So have you found anything about it?" Takumi asked, looking a bit uneasy.

"Unfortunately… no. But I suppose that should not be surprising. After all, it would've been incredibly lucky to have even one clue regarding our amnesia."

Oh… Guess it was always a long shot, anyway, Masashi thought.

Haruyuki, however, did not bear the look of disappointment. "However, in the process of my investigation, I stumbled upon something else. Just to be sure, has Maiha already told you about what she knew about Mitsuji Mizugami, the founder of Brightmere Research?"

Masashi nodded. "Yeah, she told me about how she'd met him once when he was a college student. Her father worked in real estate and sold his paternal uncle some property."

"Ah, so you know that much. Excellent," Haruyuki said. "Tell me: did Maiha say what kind of property was sold?"

"Um… no. I don't think she thought it was important."

"That may be what she thinks, but I asked her earlier about all that she knew about Brightmere Research," Haruyuki said as he flashed a small but telling smile. "Apparently, the property that Maiha's father sold to Mizugami's uncle was a mansion in one of the southern islands under Japanese jurisdiction. Just to be sure, I went to the library. I found a book related to the various parts of Japan, and it mentioned that the island is quite a distance to the south of the mainland. Apparently, that island has a great and stately mansion, and the residence is owned by the owner of a large fashion company and used mainly as a summer vacation house. The book was published many years ago, so I assume that the information about the mansion's ownership is outdated."

"Do you think there's something important about that island?" Masashi asked.

"If Mitsuji Mizugami is connected to that island, there is a good chance that he has taken residence there, and it may very well be the headquarters of Brightmere Research. Its isolation from the mainland makes it an ideal place for any devious schemes, yes?"

"Huh... that's a good point. If he's stationed there, then I doubt many people will go there to disturb him," Masashi said.

"Still, I'm not sure how knowing that helps, Sir Haruyuki!" Takumi added. "It's not like any of us can control where these ships go!"

Haruyuki let out a small sigh. "Unfortunately, you are right about that. But at least we have a better understanding of Mizugami's potential whereabouts, and that may prove useful later—"

Before Haruyuki could finish, however, someone ran into the room. The three men at once turned their heads to the visitor.

"Oh… you're here…"

It was Sayua, who had come out from the exit leading to the main deck. She looked quite alarmed to see them, an air of unease around her.

"What's the matter?" Masashi asked.

"N-Nothing…" she answered. "What are you doing here?"

"We are merely chatting about many things," Haruyuki answered laxly. "Afterwards, we will head off to the theater to watch a film."

Sayua glared at him quite intensely. "Are you leaving any time soon?"

Haruyuki turned his head to the clock. "No. It is 7:15 PM, and there are about forty-five minutes remaining. We plan to stay here a while longer before leaving for the theater. Say, do you wish to join us?"

Sayua gritted her teeth. "No, no! I don't care about your stupid theater right now! I'd rather… do something else!"

Without giving them any time to ask any further questions, Sayua rushed out to the hallway that led one down to the lower decks of the woodland kingdom, including the living quarters.

"What's up with her?" Masashi asked. "She acted like she was in a hurry."

"M-Maybe she wanted to use the restroom," Takumi suggested meekly. "People can get very angry when they really need to go badly."

"Yes, that's quite true from my experience. It's incredible how a full bladder can be so agitating," Haruyuki said with a deep tone as if that were profound. "Hmm… say, Masashi, you now know a bit about Mitsuji Mizugami's background. Tell me: what do you think of the man?"

"What's there to say? This killing game is evil!" Masashi replied without thinking. "There's no justifying all the horrible things that we've gone through!"

"It is, of course, inexcusable, but you have not answered my question. I am talking about the man himself. Not the killing game."

"Mitsuji Mizugami… he…"

Masashi stopped. Though the question was simple, and he already had reached an answer, he still found it hard to say it.

"I… I didn't know what to think of the head of Brightmere Research at first. I was… confused on what he sought to achieve through this evil killing game," Masashi said. "But I read the newspaper article and saw the man… and I was surprised. He seemed rather… understandable."

"Understandable?"

"His past… He lost his parents when he was still very young," Masashi answered, feeling sorrow smite his own heart. "Even if he still had a home thanks to his uncle, I can't imagine the pain of losing your own parents… He must have felt very lonely. No wonder he thought that the world was awful…"

Haruyuki said nothing, looking quite contemplative. Takumi, on the other hand, looked keen to say something, his hands shaking.

"Um… I think so too!" Takumi said. "Mr. Mizugami… I can't help but think of him as kind-hearted."

"Kind-hearted?" Haruyuki looked at him with heightened curiosity. "That's an interesting descriptor. Why would you describe him as such of all things?"

"Well, at first... I thought that he was this big bad warlock who wanted to do no good at all! He was wicked and evil!" he explained. "But then I learned that he'd started Brightmere Research to help people and change the world… and from his picture, he really looked like a kind-hearted man… Sorry if that sounds weird."

"That… That doesn't sound weird, really," Masashi said, remembering what he looked like from the picture in the newspaper article. Nothing about his appearance oozed evilness, and he looked like a kind young man. Who would imagine that he was leading a group conducting killing games right now?

"And… you know what else…" Takumi said, his tone getting more serious. "He lost his mother and his father, too…"

"'Too'..." Haruyuki said, and in a second, his face lit up, as if he had just remembered that Takumi too had undergone such suffering.

"Even though he still had his uncle… I'm sure that he's never stopped missing his mother and his father…" Takumi said. "I'm sure that's why he grew bitter about the world… I'm sure that there's a hole in his heart that he yearns to fill... It's a feeling that I understand."

When Takumi finished his sentence, he bore an unusually serious demeanor. There was no doubting the heartfeltness of his words.

"How interesting… You two feel quite sorry for our captor," Haruyuki said. "It's interesting how much… empathy you have for the man responsible for our situation."

Huh… Empathy…

When he heard Haruyuki say it, Masashi noticed how odd it was. He had many reasons to hate Mitsuji Mizugami. He was the leader of a group orchestrating sadistic killing games. He had kidnapped several innocent people as part of this. And he was the one who caused innocents to die. This included Mari, who had never intended to kill Hikari, and yet she had suffered punishment instead of Sorao or Takumi.

And yet…

He thought back to all the things that Monokuma had said about the world. He had preached that the world was a cruel place, and all the scoundrels and wretches in the world guaranteed that more and more innocents would be harmed. After everything that had happened to Masashi, he found it hard to disagree with Mizugami's reasoning. And after learning about the unfortunate suicide attempt by Mari's younger sister, he could not dismiss the thought that Mari had harbored a certain bitterness toward the world.

Might Mitsuji Mizugami have a point after all?

Before any of them could say anything, however, someone ran into the dining room from the hallway that led down to the lower decks of this ship.

"Hey, you three!" It was Sayua, who looked quite agitated and edgy. "You're gonna help me out with something, and I won't take no for an answer!"

"Well, now, this is not quite what I expected," Haruyuki said.

The three men and Sayua were now standing out on the main deck of the woodland kingdom. To be precise, they were standing at the ship's bow, their bodies turned toward the sea. That they were even standing out here was due to the latter's bidding, as she had told them what she planned to do.

"Are the fireworks ready?" she asked.

"Uh, I think so," Masashi answered.

After Sayua had barged into the dining room, she had revealed to them that she wished to use the last remaining fireworks that Arashi had made. It would all be part of the group's last attempt to reach out to the outside world. The fireworks had been stored in the kitchen, and given their number, setting them all alight would make for a wondrous sight. As part of this plan, Sayua told them to observe the fireworks and then the nearby surroundings to see whether any ships would come. She could do all this herself, but she insisted that having more than one set of eyes would make sure that nothing should be missed.

"A-Are you sure this'll work?" Takumi asked, shivering from the stark wind. Having checked his Monopad, Masashi knew that the time was about 7:30 PM, and the heavens had already grown dark. Tonight, there were hardly any clouds in the starry heaven, so it made for perfect visibility for any ships that might be passing by.

"Well… you never know until you try!" Sayua said with a stern look on her face. She had borne such a look ever since she had entered the room and announced her plan to them.

"You certainly seem keen to enact this plan," Haruyuki noted, putting his hands in the pockets of his black coat. "Even though it will not stop the motive in any way, do you still wish to go through with this?"

"Better than doing nothing!" Sayua insisted, sounding quite fussy. "At least if we get someone's attention, then we'll be out of this hellhole! Now come on, light the fuse already!"

"All right, all right," Masashi said.

He took out a box of matches and lit the fuse for one of the fireworks. As soon as the fire burned through the fuse, everyone waxed silent. Then the fire reached its destination, and the fireworks flew up into the starry heavens and left behind a stunning imprint in the shape of a blossom.

"How beautiful!" Haruyuki uttered.

He, Sayua, and Takumi remained transfixed at the sight, wonder and amazement entering their expressions. Masashi too was enthralled, but once the fireworks began to wane, he lit up the next set of fireworks and thus kept lighting new ones. Each time, the fireworks failed to lose their luster, and the beauty that he now beheld made Masashi regret once again that he had failed to stop Arashi from executing his murder scheme. Eventually, there were no more fireworks to set afire, and the beauties of the heavens vanished, letting the stars take back their place.

"Well, that was something!" Sayua said, now turning her head left and right. "Looks like... it's all clear now..."

"Now we hope that any nearby ships have spotted our signal," Haruyuki said.

"A-Are we really going to stay here?" Takumi asked, shivering again.

"Perhaps for a few minutes," Haruyuki said. "I doubt that this endeavor has actually yielded us anything, but it doesn't hurt to stay here for a bit for any positive results."

The four waited out here in the cold as they had been bidden, but after some time, nothing new had appeared. There were no ships on the horizon, and the wind only grew starker. Masashi had had the faintest hope that Sayua's attempt would work, even though it had no effect on stopping the motive, but seeing that things had stayed the same still disappointed him.

Masashi checked his Monopad. "It's 7:45 PM…"

"Tch, so what if we can't see anything from here?" Sayua said. "We'll um… we'll go to the Neptune Clubroom! Yeah, you can see from up high there, right? Maybe we'll get ourselves a better view!"

"Well, I have my doubts, but it'll be nice to go inside and no longer endure this frigid air," Haruyuki said.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, let's just go already!" Sayua said, sounding as if she had not paid him much heed.

The four then left the main deck of the woodland kingdom and crossed the gangway to the Egyptian palace and then to the space station. After entering the lobby, they headed up the stairs. The Neptune Clubroom was on the topmost deck and thus was above the Mars Cafeteria and the Saturn Theater. When the four arrived at the Neptune Clubroom, all that greeted them was silence, the vibrant room quite lacking in actual life.

"Hmm? How strange…" Haruyuki said. "I thought Kasumi would be here. Didn't she say earlier that she'd come here for stargazing?"

Sayua shrugged her shoulders, looking unbothered. "Who cares, she probably just left to take a walk or something. C'mon, let's go to the window already."

The window was opposite to the door, and by it was a great telescope that faced up at the starry heaven. From here, they had a greater view of the wide sea at which they were trapped. Despite the better view, however, it yielded Masashi nothing, as he saw no signs of nearby ships or even anything from human civilization.

"Nothing…" Takumi muttered after a few minutes of silent staring. "Oh, I don't wanna say it, but… I don't think the plan's worked."

Sayua scoffed, looking quite nonchalant. "Well, whatever. It was a long shot, anyway."

"You don't look disappointed," Haruyuki pointed out.

"Like I said, it was a long shot. Got it?" she said, sounding a bit annoyed. "Now, don't you have a movie or something to go to? A movie at the theater on this ship?"

"Hmm, yes, that's right. Since we're here anyway, we may as well go down to the Saturn Theater," Haruyuki said. "Do you wish to join us, Sayua?"

Sayua shook her head profusely. "Not interested! I.. have better things to do."

"Like what?" Takumi asked.

She snarled. "I… I'm gonna keep an eye out for any ships. Maybe we just looked out there a bit too early. These things take time, you know."

"I guess so, though I don't really expect much at this point," Masashi replied. "So are you going to stay here?"

She paused for a second. "I think I'll be walking around the ship, so don't be surprised if you don't find me here later. Now get going, will you?"

As there was no reason for them to stay here any longer, Masashi, Haruyuki, and Takumi bade her goodbye and left the Neptune Clubroom. They walked down the stairs to the Saturn Theater, and when they entered, Masashi noticed that Monokuma was standing behind a counter in the middle of the room.

"Welcome, dear customers!" Monokuma said. "I was wondering when ya dinguses would come!"

"What a tone switch..." Masashi remarked. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, since I'm the one screening the movie, I thought I ought to be a little nice and help out with snacks as well!" Monokuma answered. "No movie watching is complete without boatloads of popcorn!"

"In that case… where are the snacks?" Haruyuki asked. "It seems that you have been merely standing here the whole time, so I should think that you'd have prepared them by the time we arrived."

"Umm… I was doing… captainly stuff?"

Just admit that you were lazy… Masashi thought, already feeling tired from talking to him.

"It'll only take me a few minutes for the popcorn to finish," Monokuma continued. "So wait! Or look around. I don't really care either way as long as I get paid for this."

"Hmm, I may as well take a look around," Masashi said.

While Monokuma fiddled with the popcorn machine behind him, Masashi looked around and saw the door leading to the projection room. He took a peek into the room and saw nothing remarkable. Equipment was strewn throughout the room, and there was a filled shelf on the wall directly opposite to the door. The most important feature of the room, the projector, was not on yet, so nothing was displayed on the great screen, which Masashi could see hence because of this room's transparent glass.

As soon as he was done taking a peek, Masashi headed back to the food counter and saw that Monokuma was now scooping up some popcorn and putting them in three separate bags. He sprayed some butter on it with a dash of carelessness, and he likewise hastily grabbed three empty bottles and poured soda into them from a soda machine.

"Here you go!" he said, shoving them onto the three.

"Uh, thanks," Masashi said, a little irked by Monokuma's behavior. "What is this movie, anyway?"

Monokuma chortled, putting his paws on his mouth. "Oh, I've not mentioned it to anyone yet, but the movie is… Magically Loving You!"

"Hmm? Isn't that an... animated romantic film?" Haruyuki said.

"I think so… I'm pretty sure I've heard of it before," Masashi said. "What's it about?"

"Sheesh, do I have to do blurbs now? Well, I guess it's part of the job description," Monokuma answered. "The main protagonist of the movie is a young girl who loses her parents, and she has only a mysterious artifact left behind by them. Then she suddenly finds herself in a magical world, and there she meets a young magician boy. She discovers that he has an artifact just like hers, and together, the two journey through the magical world to discover the truth behind the artifacts."

"It takes place in a… magical world?" Takumi said, growing much more interested.

"Uh huh! Not too shabby a setting, doncha think?"

Hmm, the film sounds pretty cool, actually, Masashi thought. I'm pretty surprised… I'd have expected Monokuma to choose something cruder… crazier… bloodier…

Haruyuki chuckled. "I've never watched this film. I'm quite interested now."

"Really? I've never taken you to be much of a fan of romance films," Masashi replied.

"I am not a huge fan of love stories. Many of them come off as a bit too… sentimental to me. But as a critic, I am willing to give them a try, and if they come with a mix of genres, then I am willing to see how the experimentation works out."

"Nice of you to be open-minded, I guess."

Monokuma waved his paw dismissively at the three as he scoffed. "Now, come on, go on to your seats already! Not like there's anyone else, so you can get the good seats!"

And so the three entered the auditorium, which was lined with several rows of red seats. They picked three seats in the middle.

"Puhuhuhu! Things are all ready!" Monokuma said, standing by the doorway. "I'll start up the projector, but that's it! I'll be elsewhere, and if you need any technical details, just call my name, okay?"

Masashi then saw Monokuma rush over to the projection room and start up the device, upon which something was displayed on the screen.

Time to see what this is all about… Masashi thought, leaning back on his seat as he began to munch on his popcorn.

"Wow… that was pretty good!" Masashi said.

The movie had just ended, the ending credits having finished, and the three of them were still in their seats, taking in what they had just watched.

"You seem to have enjoyed it," Haruyuki asked, bearing his usual placid countenance.

"It was pretty fun, all right," Masashi said. "I thought the movie showed the relationship between the boy and the girl pretty well, and it was cool to see them defeat the evil magician in the end."

"Yeah… it was sweet to see them get together in the end," Takumi said, smiling. "And all the scenes were so pretty! I really liked the backgrounds and how well it was animated!"

"I concur," Haruyuki said, who looked a little pleased as well. "I must say, I did not expect myself to be quite moved by the goings-on in the story, but somehow, I found myself entranced and could not look away. Yes, it stirred my heart when the hero and the heroine had an argument in the middle of the story and were then separated from each other. Even though I knew that they would reunite in the end, it still saddened me to see their separation. Luckily, it all ended well with a satisfying and rewarding conclusion. Even I am surprised to see how delighted I was at the kissing scene."

"It really was a tale of true love!" Takumi said.

Love…

It was then that Masashi grew silent, and memories began to fleet through his mind, the joy in his mood waning.

"Um, Sir Masashi? Is something wrong?" Takumi asked. "You look… sad."

"Well… I was just thinking about… Mari."

Haruyuki let out a small gasp of surprise, though keeping his composed countenance. "Ah… Masashi… I… I can see that you are still suffering from her loss. My condolences…"

"No, no, no need to be soft with me," Masashi replied, though he appreciated his attempt to sound comforting. "I was just thinking about how the characters in the story managed to get a happy ending… but real life doesn't always work like that. Mari… I loved her… and yet I couldn't manage to save her…"

He still remembered his last moment together with Mari, her last moment of freedom before her departure to the execution site. Her last words to him were those that he would never forget as long as he lived:

"Masashi... this is my last wish. Please… never stop loving the world."

But what did it mean? What did it mean to love the world?

To be quite honest, he was not in the mood to find the answer.

"I wish… I had said to her that I loved her."

"Well… no one can blame you. There was so much going on at the time, yes?" Haruyuki said.

"Sure, but… maybe Sorao was right," Masashi replied. "Right before I attacked him, he told me that I couldn't say that to her because my love for her was… shallow. I couldn't accept that she had already accepted that she would die because it was her destiny… Maybe that's why I couldn't say those words..."

Once again, he could not see why she was so willing to yield herself to destiny's whims.

How could she live her life like that?

Well, it was too late to ask her now. There was no way to talk to the dead. Even if Hikari Fey, the Ultimate Spirit Channeler, were alive now, she still could not do it because she had lost access to her powers for some reason, so it was truly over.

"Hmm… How odd."

"What?"

Masashi looked at Haruyuki, who had spoken those words with a skeptical tone.

"Was Sorao actually right about why Mari chose to reveal herself as the culprit all because she thought it was destiny?" Haruyuki said with his usual analytical tone. "As far as I remember, Mari herself gave us a different reason."

"H-Huh?" Masashi said. "What do you mean?"

"Yeah, Sir Haruyuki, I don't get it!" Takumi added.

"Have you both forgotten?" Haruyuki said. "Don't you remember what you said to her, Masashi?"

"Mari, wait!" he cried out. "Please tell me! Why did things turn out this way?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, sounding somewhat puzzled.

"I still haven't heard your side of the story!" he said. "Why… why did you choose to reveal yourself as the culprit? You could've gotten away with it after Sorao confessed, but… you pointed out what we had missed. Why did you make that noble choice?"

"Noble… Masashi, as I said earlier, my choice was not noble," Mari said. "No… it was wholly selfish on my part."

"Selfish?"

"Until now, I felt that I was but another participant in this killing game," Mari continued. "Though I felt a certain connection between us, it was so faint that it could break easily upon pressure. However…"

Her face reddened a bit, much to his surprise.

"I hadn't realized how strongly you cared about me," she said. "So when I heard you say those words… Honestly, it was enough to make me even feel doubt about my own beliefs for the first time. I began to feel something more than mere 'concern' for you. For the first time, I felt... moved that someone truly felt that way about me."

"And that's why you chose to confess?"

Mari nodded. "Do you understand why I called it selfish? I didn't do it because it was 'noble'. I couldn't bear the pain of watching you suffer… and it was that very pain that made me see that my time was up. There's nothing noble about it at all."

"Ah… I…" Masashi said, his voice shaky. "I… I can't believe I've forgotten those words…"

Yes, now he remembered clearly. He had apologized to her after he had rudely dismissed her from his room, but he had come to regret it. It had been that apology that had shown Mari how much she meant to him.

"Of course, I have no way of knowing for sure how exactly she felt toward you," Haruyuki continued. "But I am quite certain that 'destiny' was not the main factor in her choice to sacrifice herself. No… she cared about you. She loved you."

"She… revealed herself… out of love?"

The art critic nodded. "At least, that's the most idealistic reading on her words… and quite frankly, it's mine as well."

"But… what does it mean?"

"She understood that you loved her so much that you were unwilling to accuse her for the crime. She saw your suffering… so she wanted it to end by revealing the truth. Would she have done it if she had thought that your feelings for her were shallow?"

"I… I…" he muttered. "I can't believe it…"

Regret had reigned supreme in his heart, but now, confusion had ousted it.

How could he have failed to see how Mari had felt toward him?

How could he have been tricked by Sorao's words so easily?

"Sir Masashi?" Takumi said. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah... I'm fine now... I just need some time to think, that's all..."

"I see... You must be quite shocked at the moment," Haruyuki replied, setting a finger on his chin. "Say, what time is it? I think it's time for us to go to the dining room to rendezvous with the others."

"Ah, right! The time! Let me check…"

His sorrow now fleeting from his mind, Masashi took out his Monopad and checked the time.

"It's a few minutes after 10:00 PM! Definitely time for us to go!"

The three of them made their way to the exit of the auditorium, ridding themselves of their popcorn containers and soda cups at nearby disposal bins. During this time, Masashi thought about what exactly would happen once they all met up at the dining room. Soon, Monokuma would follow through with his threat, and everyone's secrets would be revealed.

Masashi wondered how exactly Monokuma would do it. Would they be simply released on some online forum and spread thence? Or would they be sent to the mass media and publicized everywhere? That would imply that Brightmere Research had connections to the media, and given that it was connected to a group of elites, Masashi shuddered at how likely this possibility was.

All his internal speculation vanished after the three stepped out of the auditorium, however. No sooner had they taken a few steps than two people suddenly rushed into the theater.

"Oh, there you are!"

It was Kasumi, who was accompanied by Sayua. Both girls looked quite agitated and unnerved, and such a sight did not fail to introduce a sense of dread in Masashi's mind.

"You won't believe what you're gonna hear!" Sayua said. "Something bad… something bad's going on right now!"

"Huh? Something bad?" Masashi said, the dread quickly filling his mind. "Wh-What…?"

"I… I…" Kasumi said, her lips shaking, her body slightly trembling, despite her attempts to show composure through her voice. "I was attacked!"

"Wh-What?!" It was Haruyuki, who now sounded greatly alarmed. "Kasumi! A-Are you all right?!"

"Y-Yeah… don't worry about me, I feel fine now," she answered. "Still… I… I don't remember clearly what happened after I was attacked."

"D-Do you at least know who did it?!" Masashi asked, frantic.

Kasumi nodded hesitantly.

"It…

"It was…"

She gulped.

"It was Sorao!"

"Wh-WHAT?!"

Masashi inwardly questioned whether he had heard her correctly, since at first glance, she looked completely unscathed. But what he could make out from her masked face was nothing but grim affirmation that she was not jesting.

"B-But how?!" Takumi replied. "I-Isn't Sorao locked in his room?!"

"I couldn't believe it as well when she told me!" Sayua said, scowling. "But Kasumi swore that it was that bastard who attacked her!"

"Please explain what happened, Kasumi!" Masashi said. "Even if you don't remember all the details, give us an explanation as best as you can!"

"A-All right…" Kasumi said. "I… I think that I was in the Neptune Clubroom at first. Then I decided to take a walk and went down to the Simulation Room. I had to take the roller coaster to get to that side."

"Right…" Masashi said. So far, everything that she had said made sense.

Kasumi then grimaced. "Once the roller coaster arrived at the Simulation Room side, I stepped out. But as I approached the Simulation Room, I saw someone entering the room. It… It was Sorao! Right there in the flesh!"

"Unbelievable!" Haruyuki said. "What did you do next?!"

"I stealthily followed after him! I couldn't very well let him be since he was supposed to be in his room!" Kasumi answered. "But he noticed me, and then… he grabbed a wooden club from one of the crates in the room. And he lunged at me with it!"

"Oh my God!" Masashi exclaimed.

"A-Are you okay, Lady Kasumi?" Takumi said nervously.

"Once again, I'm fine… but thanks for the concern," Kasumi said. "Anyway… I fought back, and we got into a little struggle. I tried to attack him with the tranquilizer."

"Tranquilizer?" Masashi said.

"You remember that Monokuma gave us four tranquilizers a while ago, yes?" Haruyuki explained. "Maiha used hers on you when you attacked Sorao. Faye used hers when Sorao attempted to escape after the motive was revealed. And Sayua used hers when Sorao suddenly attacked her after she gave him dinner. Kasumi was the only one who still had hers."

"That's right… I'd never thought that I'd have to use it, but I knew that if I didn't subdue Sorao with it, I'd be in great trouble!" Kasumi said. "But… Sorao managed to get a hold on the tranquilizer and attacked me with it!"

"O-Oh no!" Takumi said, gaping. "Y-You were attacked with the tranquilizer?!"

"Yeah… And right after that moment, I managed to grab Sorao's club… and hit him on the head with it!" Kasumi answered. "He stumbled back before falling onto the ground, all knocked out. I… I saw blood coming from his head. For a moment, I thought I'd killed him! Thankfully, I checked his pulse and saw that he was still alive."

"But you were affected by the tranquilizer, right?" Masashi said. "Didn't you fall unconscious soon after?"

"That's right… I don't clearly remember right now, but what I know is that before I fell unconscious, I managed to leave the Simulation Room. I headed right to the roller coaster, and just as I boarded it and got it running, I fell asleep…"

"And where did you find yourself when you woke up?" Haruyuki asked.

"At the other side of the roller coaster ride… in other words, the entrance side," Kasumi answered. "When I woke up, I didn't remember what'd happened… I was confused… even now, I still don't remember all the details, mind you."

"You didn't think about finding us?" Masashi asked.

"Sorry, but... at the time, I was afraid that something bad was going on! I feared for my life! That's why... I fled back to my room in the woodland kingdom. It was the one place that I knew was safe. I thought if I stayed out there any longer, I might find myself in a trap sooner or later!"

"Well... I guess that makes sense. You must've been quite shaken by what was going on."

Kasumi nodded. "Once I was back in my room, I stayed there, just wanting to stay safe... and sometime later, my memory started to come back to me! I remembered my encounter with Sorao! So I rushed out and found Sayua wandering around the space station, and I told her what'd happened!"

"And afterwards, the two of you came up here, looking for us," Haruyuki said, concluding the tale.

Kasumi's account, however, only left Masashi with more and more questions. Just how had Sorao escaped his room? Why had he gone to the Simulation Room? What was his ultimate objective?

"This is all very alarming…" Haruyuki continued. "If what you say is true, then it means that Sorao is now free and is scheming something nefarious."

"Well, we're in big trouble now, don'tcha think?" Sayua said. "If we don't get Sorao soon, he may try to kill us!"

Masashi clenched a fist, a grave frown appearing on his face as that unsightly thought entered his mind. "No… I can't let any lives be taken by that man! We have to go get Maiha and Faye now!"

"But where are they, anyway?" Kasumi asked.

"The Mars Cafeteria, I believe," Haruyuki answered. "Just before Takumi and I headed to the woodland kingdom and found Masashi and Kasumi, we were at the Mars Cafeteria. The two ladies were eating a few snacks that they had cooked, and I believe that they planned to make a few more. They may still be there."

"R-Right…" Sayua said, nodding along. "Come on, let's go there pronto!"

The five students hurriedly left the Saturn Theater and went down the stairs to the Mars Cafeteria. When they stepped inside, there was no sign of life anywhere in this wide room. The only other rooms connected to the cafeteria were the men's and women's restrooms and the kitchen. Masashi cried out the two women's names, but no response came.

"Just what is going on?" Masashi said.

"M-Maybe they've already left," Takumi suggested sheepishly.

Masashi thought so as well, but it did not hurt to check.

He walked into the kitchen, calling out their names again, only to stop at his tracks.

"Ah... AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

On the kitchen floor lay Maiha and Faye face-down, blood coming from their heads, no movement coming from their bodies.

"No... No way this is happening!"

Masashi could not believe it.

He refused to believe it.

"GYAAAAAAAAAH!" Takumi shrieked, he and the others now glancing at the two bodies. "Lady Maiha! Lady Faye!"

"No way… They can't be… They can't be dead!" Sayua muttered, scowling.

Masashi rushed over to Maiha at once, checking for her pulse. In an instant, all his fear vanished upon his hearing of the first beat.

"Oh… Oh, thank God…" he uttered. To be sure, he checked Faye as well, and indeed, she had a pulse as well. "They're alive…"

"But simply unconscious, it seems," Haruyuki said calmly. "I figured as much before you even examined the bodies."

"How so?" Kasumi said.

"Quite simply, the body discovery announcement. There are five of us, and that is more than enough people to trigger the announcement. And yet, none has played. Clearly, they are still alive."

"That's… actually pretty solid reasoning," Masashi replied, realizing that his panic had been pointless in hindsight.

Upon his response, a noise came from one of them. It was Faye, who groaned as she began to stir.

"Oh… Oh, what's going on…?" she said, sounding quite dazed. "Everyone… what are you doing here…?"

"Faye!" Masashi cried out. "Are you okay?!"

"Could be better… I feel… sore…" she replied, raising her upper body. She rubbed her eyes, but when her gaze was directed at Maiha, she gasped. "Oh no, Maiha! She... She's lying there dead!"

"No, no, she's alive!"

Masashi rushed over to Maiha and called her name out as he shook her body to wake her up. In a few seconds, a small groan came from Maiha, and she too turned her head.

"U-Ugh… Wh-What's going on…?" she muttered, groaning as she rubbed her head. "This throbbing feeling in my head… aah…"

"Maiha! Are you all right?!" Masashi said.

Maiha did not answer at first, but after a few seconds, she let out one last groan as she stood up. "I feel… better now… though I feel something on my head."

"I think... that's the blood."

"BLOOD?!" Maiha exclaimed. There was not that much blood on the ladies' heads, actually, but Masashi understood why the presence of even a small amount was alarming in its own right.

"Hmm... The blood appears to have clotted already," Haruyuki remarked matter-of-factly. "It seems that you're lucky, since the wounds on your head appear to be minimal."

"Ah… thank goodness you're both all right," Masashi said, feeling a bit more relaxed. "But… what happened here? It seems like you guys were attacked!"

"That's right…" Faye said, nodding with a shaky expression. "I don't know about Maiha, but I was ambushed!"

"Wh-What?!" Masashi said.

"At one point, Maiha and I were chatting here in the kitchen, and she decided to leave for the restroom here," Faye explained. "Sometime after Maiha left…. I heard someone step into the kitchen. I thought it was Maiha, and I was working on something on the back, so I didn't turn around…"

"And that's when you were attacked?" Haruyuki said.

Faye nodded with a grim expression. "Struck on the back of the head! I didn't even see my attacker!"

"But I think I may have," Maiha added. "After I left the bathroom, I headed back to the kitchen, only to find Faye lying on the floor! There was already blood on the back of her head! I was alarmed, but there was someone standing by her!"

"And... who was it?" Sayua said, looking at them with a somewhat intense look.

Maiha frowned. "It was a cloaked figure! The figure was wearing a pair of goggles, a scarf over the lower half of the face, and a cloak covering the head and the whole body, so I couldn't tell who the attacker was. Anyway, the ambusher tried to attack me, and fortunately, I avoided it in time. Unfortunately, that only delayed what would come next by a few seconds, and as I tried to flee, the ambusher struck me!"

"Wh-What weapon did the attacker use?" Masashi asked.

"I believe it was… a small blackjack," Maiha answered. "I've seen that blackjack before. It was an item in the shop in the woodland kingdom. The attacker must've taken it some time ago."

"A blackjack, hmm?" Haruyuki said. "Such a weapon is small and easy to conceal on one's person…"

"I can't believe it!" Kasumi added. "I can't believe that you were attacked too!"

"'Too'? Who else was attacked?" Maiha said.

Masashi quickly explained what Kasumi had related to the rest of the group, and by the time he was done, Maiha had grown utterly aghast, her right eye twitching.

"I-I cannot believe this is happening!" she said. "You said Sorao had been at the Simulation Room. But that can't be… I made sure to lock the door to the room. I still have both keys to the Simulation Room—"

She stopped, however, as she searched the pockets of her black dress, and her agitation was quickly replaced with panic.

"This can't be!" Maiha cried out. "The keycard to Sorao's room, the key to his handcuffs, both keys to the Simulation Room… they're all gone!"

"WHAT?!" Masashi exclaimed, the others crying out in surprise as well. "They're gone?! D-Did the attacker take them?!"

"Most likely… in fact, I wager that getting the keys to the Simulation Room was the true purpose behind your attack," Haruyuki said, stroking his chin. "If the attacker had wanted to kill you, they would've done so easily, since you fell unconscious."

"B-But who did it?!" Takumi said. "Was it Sorao?!"

"He managed to unlock the Simulation Room's door, right?" Kasumi said, sounding quite frantic. "So he must have attacked Faye and Maiha as well!"

"But why me?" Faye said, looking confused. "Why did he have to attack me if all he wanted was Maiha's keys?"

"To stop you from interfering, I suppose. You might've fled and alerted the rest of us if he had let you be," Haruyuki suggested. "I still wonder why he wanted to go to the Simulation Room… Just what lies in store for him there?"

Maiha let out a disgruntled sigh as she rubbed the back of her head. "Never mind his potential motives! We must find him at once!"

"But where could he be?" Faye asked. "Kasumi may have knocked him out at the Simulation Room, but he may have awakened by now and gone elsewhere!"

"Actually… no."

It was Kasumi, who was scratching part of her head.

"I know where he is…" she uttered. "He's… still at the Simulation Room side of the roller coaster ride."

"H-How can you sound so certain?!" Maiha said, leering at her with great skepticism.

"I-I'll explain… wait, maybe it'll be easier if I show you," the phantom thief responded. "Follow me!"

Kasumi rushed out of the kitchen, and everyone else followed after her, having no time to assess the situation. The sevensome left the Mars Cafeteria and headed down the stairs to the lobby. Then they took a left and went down the stairs leading down to the roller coaster ride. When they arrived at the station, Masashi saw nothing out of place. The roller coaster was parked beside the platform, and the only other thing of note was the post by the station. The post had a red button that would call the roller coaster from the other side of the ride and bring it here. Of course, pressing it now would do nothing since the roller coaster was on this side now.

"Look at this post," Kasumi said, standing by it. "Look at the back side."

"Huh? The back side?" Masashi said.

He and the others looked at the back side of the post. On that side was a small cover of a panel, and when he slid it to the right, he saw nothing but a bunch of wires.

"They're… just part of the button, right?" he said. "How is this related?"

"Well… I just remembered something about what happened after Sorao's attack," Kasumi answered, sounding quite uneasy. "After he struck me with the tranquilizer, and I knocked him out with the club… I knew that I had to get away from the Simulation Room. But before I boarded the roller coaster, I opened up the panel of the post on the Simulation Room side. And I… cut the wires."

"You WHAT?!" Sayua said, looking utterly shocked. "You… You cut the wires?!"

Kasumi nodded. "If I reached this side of the room, but then fell unconscious, there was the risk of Sorao waking up and calling the roller coaster back to his side. Then he could reach me and even kill me! That's why I had the idea of cutting the wires! I'd already known about the wires when I checked out the posts a while ago."

"And what did you use to cut the wires?" Haruyuki asked.

"A pair of scissors. I carry a pair for emergencies. You'd be surprised to learn how handy a pair of scissors can be."

Indeed, she took out a pair of scissors from her pockets and then put them back in. "Because I cut the wires, the post on the Simulation Room side should be nonfunctional."

"Ah, and if it doesn't work, then it means that Sorao cannot call the roller coaster back to his side," Faye reasoned, nodding along. "And since the roller coaster's here on our side…"

"Sorao must be trapped on the other side!" Takumi said excitedly.

"Yeah, as far as I know, the roller coaster's the only way to get to the Simulation Room, right?" Kasumi said. "That's why I'm certain that Sorao's still there!"

The seven students then boarded the roller coaster, Maiha sitting at the front. She pressed the button on the front car, after which the train started, and they went through the same hectic ride as before. By now, Masashi had gotten used to it, and yet the thrill and excitement had not disappeared for him. When the train arrived at the other side, the seven stepped out and took a few seconds to recover their bearings.

"Look over there!"

Kasumi pointed at the post by the station. It looked exactly like the post on the entrance side, but when Masashi looked at the back, he saw that the panel was already open, and the wires inside were cut.

"So this post is no longer functional…" Haruyuki muttered as he looked at it. "This corroborates Kasumi's account."

Maiha scoffed and opened her mouth, but at the last second, she instead clicked her tongue. "We have more important things to attend to now. We must find Sorao at once! He should be somewhere on this floor."

The seven then rushed through the hallway connected to the station. The hallway was short and narrow, and so they reached the Simulation Room's door in a few seconds. When they arrived, however, the door was shut. Masashi tried to open it, only to find it locked.

"What? You can't open it?" Faye said. "Kasumi, you didn't lock it, right?"

"N-No! I simply fled after knocking him out!" she answered. "I didn't have the key, anyway!"

"So if Sorao is inside, then it means that he has the key, right? Since he's locked himself in?" Sayua said, looking at the door with a certain intensity.

"That's quite likely. Luckily, we don't need a key," Haruyuki said. "Kasumi, you bear a lockpick on your person, do you not? Now is an opportune moment to use it."

Kasumi stuck her hand in her pocket, but a few seconds later, a sudden look of unease and shock appeared on her face. She took something out, only to yelp upon seeing it. Indeed, in her hand was a lockpick, as Masashi had seen her use it before, but this time, he saw that the lockpick's shaft had been snapped off.

"It's of no use, then!" Maiha cried out, scowling. "And to think that you should be of use for once!"

"N-Not my fault that my lockpick's broken!" Kasumi responded, sounding agitated. "I-It must've been broken during my scuffle with Sorao!"

"Well, not to worry. You have plenty of other lockpicks, yes?" Haruyuki said, appearing to sound as comforting as he could.

"Yeah, but... I left my other lockpicks in my room! After the whole case with Futaba and Abraham, I decided to carry only one lockpick at a time!"

"Ah, yes, I remember. In that case, Maiha and I found two lockpicks that you had dropped," Haruyuki said, sounding as if he were fondly recalling an old memory. "It was the lockpicks that caused us to fall under suspicion for a while—"

"Enough reminiscence!" Maiha exclaimed, the frustration in her eyes becoming greater. "It'll take far too much time to have the wretched thief go back to her room and get another lockpick. I believe we should look around this floor and see whether there's something we can use to get into the Simulation Room."

"G-Good idea, Lady Maiha," Takumi added.

There was not much to explore on this floor. To the left of the Simulation Room were the men's and women's restrooms, and after a brief search of those rooms by those who were suitable to search them according to their sex, the group found nothing of worth. They then walked through the hallway right of the Simulation Room, and the only two rooms available there were the Control Room and the Relaxation Room. They decided to split into two groups, with Masashi, Faye, and Haruyuki in the group searching the Relaxation Room.

"All right... Let's go," Masashi said.

The Relaxation Room was a great room in which the color white reigned supreme. There were several equally white benches set through the room, and the one feature that added sundry colors to this whiteness was a piece of artwork that stretched across the walls. This artwork showed what looked like a premodern village, and it reminded Masashi much of a glass painting that he had seen in a church once.

But there was one part of the artwork that stood out at once as different and unsightly.

"Wh-What in the…?!" Masashi said. "Th-That part of the painting… it's… shattered!"

Indeed, a gaping hole now stood at one part of the wall on the left side of the room. Masashi remembered that formerly, the painting had shown a clock tower, but now, there was hardly any sign of the magnificent structure in this ruined artwork. The hole was crudely made and was great enough for anyone to walk through, and near the hole were several glass fragments, as well as a sledgehammer.

"I suppose it's no mystery as to what happened here," Haruyuki said as the three approached the hole. "Someone grabbed the sledge and smashed a hole in the glass painting, presumably to reach the other side."

"But why?" Masashi said. "Is there… something there?"

He peered through the hole and saw at once that on the other side of the glass painting was a hallway that looked much dimmer and duller in color. The glass painting in this room had been hiding the hallway the whole time, and as the glass was not transparent, it would normally be impossible to see the hallway.

"Th-That hallway…" Faye said, looking quite uneasy. "J-Just where does it go…?"

"Well, we can find out by ourselves if we explore it," Haruyuki answered.

"Wait, guys! Look!"

Masashi saw something amid the glass shards, and he held it up for all to see. It was a small key, one that he recognized at once.

"This is one of the Simulation Room's keys!" he blurted out. "What's it doing here?"

"Maybe the one who smashed the painting dropped it?" Faye said, eyeing the key with much confusion. "Maybe that person didn't need it anymore?"

"Just who in the world smashed this part of the painting?" Haruyuki said.

"Sorao, maybe?" she suggested. "He had both keys, right? Seems likely to me that he did it."

"But doesn't that mean he's already entered the hallway and left for parts unknown?" Masashi said. "He may not even be on this floor anymore…"

"Either way, it's best that we tell the others first, yes?" Haruyuki said gravely.

Masashi quickly rushed back out to the hallway, calling out the others' names. In no time at all, Maiha, Takumi, Kasumi, and Sayua ran out of the Control Room, and they rushed to the Relaxation Room with Masashi. Upon their arrival, the newcomers let out cries of shock and befuddlement at the shattered painting. Masashi explained to them what they had found.

"Unbelievable! Just what in the world is going on here?!" Kasumi said, sounding quite uneasy.

"You can speculate all you want, but I insist that we head back to the Simulation Room first," Maiha ordered. "We shall investigate this hidden hallway later. In the meantime, we have to confirm whether he's still in the Simulation Room."

No one argued with her as she led the way back to the Simulation Room. As they ran through the hallway, Masashi wondered what would soon happen. If Sorao were in the Simulation Room, then what were they to do? He was only one man, but since he was now cornered, he might act more violently and prove to be difficult to apprehend. Whatever the case might be, Masashi could not help but be stricken with a sense of foreboding and unease.

When the seven students stopped before the Simulation Room's door, Masashi inserted the key into the hole and slowly turned it. When he opened the door, everyone stepped inside with care, as if sneaking into a den of animals.

No sooner had Masashi taken a few steps inside than he saw something on one of the eight metallic chairs set in a circle.

The group's search for Sorao had come to an end at last.

Indeed, it was he who sat in that chair.

But only one glance was needed to see that he was no longer on this earth.

Several stab wounds were made on the chest and all the way down to the knees. Blood was splattered all throughout his body, sullying his clothes, dripping onto the floor, and filling the air with a rank stench. The dead man's eyes were shut, his face blank and devoid of life, but something about the blankness suggested a lingering agony.

"Wh… What in the world…?" Masashi could only utter.

Everyone else was frozen, gaping at the corpse.

Was this an illusion?

Just then, an all too familiar jingle rang throughout the room, and a nearby monitor turned on.

"A body has been discovered!" Monokuma said merrily. "Puhuhu… Puhuhuhuhuhuhu!"

Those words and that wicked cackle were enough to dispel all doubt from Masashi's heart.

What he saw before him was real.

Sorao Mineta was now dead.

Here it is, everyone, the moment you've been waiting for: Sorao Mineta has died at last. At this point, I doubt it's really a surprise, but hey, congratulations to TheRoseShadow21 since all three of her characters (Tanjiro, Mari, Sorao) have been killed off in a row!

Anyway, I'm not giving my thoughts on Sorao just yet. Next time, the investigation begins!