Chapter 4: Sins of the Forsaken (Deadly Life #4)
Warning: This fic contains intense violence, lots of cursing, character death, gore and blood, sexual innuendos (thanks Maggi- Wait. You're dead now. Meaning there are no sexual innuendos!... Maybe! Hooray!), and possible spoilers for the Danganronpa series, most notably the first one. But hey, everyone lurking in this fandom has at least played the first Danganronpa so no need to worry much there!
With that said, please enjoy!
"Thanks for meeting me here, Haruto."
"Yeah, of course. I did say that if you needed anything, you come to me… So what's this about, Jared? And… Why here of all places?"
Jared knew he had no other choice. This was the only way he could save lives. This was the only way he could prevent lives being lost under his watch. Just moments prior, Jared had taken the initiative to take a bottle of Chem C-9 from his Evidence Room and had it safely pocketed in his cargo pants.
Now, he was in the Ultimate Bassist's Cell, with Haruto after he called him over for a small chat. Jared's face was resigned. He was ready for what he was about to do. Even if it meant he was going to leave with regrets, he had to do this.
He just had to.
"Why Zuri's Cell?" Jared asked. "Well, from what I know, this place functions like a recording studio. I… was hoping I could use it."
"Huh?" Haruto blinked. "What for? And… you couldn't get Zuri for this?"
"The girl never makes it to her morning shifts," Jared shook his head with a sigh. "She could be sleeping for all I know. Don't really want to disturb her."
"I see," Haruto folded his arms. "So then, why me?"
"Hey, you're the one who's willing to hear me out," Jared shrugged. "Why shouldn't it be you? Look, I just need the recording studio to record a message. And the reason I need you here is for you to be a witness…"
"A witness?" Haruto blinked, confused. "Jared. What the fuck is going on?"
Jared went silent.
It was Haruto's turn to look serious as he placed his hands over his hips.
"Jared…" Haruto sternly said. "What are you thinking about doing? D-Don't fucking tell me you're thinking about killing–"
Jared looked down, somberly.
"I… I hate to do this," Jared lowered his hat to cover his eyes. "But someone has to die. If it means I can protect her, then I have no choice. I'm sorry…"
He reached into his pocket to take out the Chem C-9 for Haruto to see. But before he could even touch the cold, brown bottle–
SLAM!
"W-What the–" Haruto widened his eyes, jumping back slightly at how immediate and sudden that was.
The door had closed.
Haruto charged toward the door, pounding on it.
Jared had stopped what he was doing and joined Haruto in the confusion. Jared blinked. What? Why did the door close? Did… Did someone press… He widened his eyes.
"N-No, no," Jared turned to the camera. "Out of all days, Zuri actually made it to her damn shift?!"
Jared rushed toward the camera.
"Z-Zuri!" Jared yelled. "Open the door! Open the door, damn it!"
Nothing happened.
Haruto sighed.
"Fuck," Haruto grumbled. "Guess we're stuck in here, huh? How does the system work again? Zuri's gotta go ahead and press the button to open the door within five minutes otherwise they're gonna have to use an eHandbook or something?"
Jared sighed.
"Yeah," Jared frowned. "Look, let's just… open the door somehow. It's still on a five minute timer so maybe there's a way we can cheat the system or something."
"Cheat the system?" Haruto deadpanned.
"Yeah," Jared nodded. "Like, maybe we can use one of these bass guitars and… pry the door open or something!"
"...That's a stupid fucking idea and you know it," Haruto grumbled.
But certainly, if there were any alternative escape routes, Haruto was all ears. However, he had to note that Jared was more concerned about leaving the door open instead of actually leaving this damn Cell.
Did he really want to use the recording studio that badly?
…
Five minutes felt like five seconds.
Haruto grumbled.
He was getting more frustrated by the second. He slammed the palm of his hand against the metal door, gritting his teeth.
"Shit!" Haruto growled, stepping away and looking for something to throw around. "The door can only be–"
HISSSSSSSSSSSS!
Haruto stopped talking as he turned around. What the hell was that? He glanced at Jared. He heard it too and it was clear that he was confused by what that sound was. The police officer blinked, tracing the sound to…
…the ventilations?
Jared sniffed the air.
There was an odd smell.
Was something being sprayed into the Cell…?
…
It didn't take long for Jared to realize.
He widened his eyes.
No.
It couldn't be!
The answer hit him like a brick. Almost as if he were knocking at death's door, he realized what was happening. He remembered everything White Collar had told them when the entirety of Cell Block S opened. It was…
He turned to Haruto.
The gas was slowly leaking in.
He had to move fast.
Jared grimaced.
Then he stormed up to Haruto, taking off his hat.
"H-" Haruto was about to say before his face was covered with the hat. Haruto had no time to make any noise. Because the moment Haruto tried to move against him, Jared had to counter. He closed his fist.
I'm sorry Haruto. This is for your own good.
He could feel the gas enter his nose and mouth. He could practically taste it at this point. His eyes started to tear up. It was suffocating. So suffocating that it burned his throat. There was no time to feel that pain though. No time at all.
He punched Haruto through his hat-covered face and tackled him into the Sound Booth. He coughed. Knocking the former basketball player to the ground, he shut the door, feeling something heavy push itself against it. That must've been the chair he accidentally knocked over while he pushed Haruto inside.
He coughed again.
God damn it.
There was so much gas.
There was way too much in his system…
He covered his mouth.
Fuck.
What to do?
What to do?!
Haruto was noticeably dazed from what he had done, and with the hat covered over his face, he couldn't even see anything, but it was clear that Haruto was pissed off. He was swinging wildly. He must be thinking that he was trying to kill him.
Heh.
Jared felt eyes tearing down his face.
This wasn't how this was supposed to go.
This wasn't part of the plan.
"D-Damn…" Jared coughed loudly but spoke softly. "...It… Zuri… Such bad timing…"
He covered his mouth.
Zuri was a Traitor wasn't she?
Crap.
If he died now…
Jared felt his mind getting weaker. He took out the bottle of poison. His eyes never stopped releasing tears as he coughed harder and harder. This was the only way out.
"...Guh…" Jared weakly mumbled before taking off the cap from the poison and chugging the whole thing down into his system.
And the moment he did…
Cough.
Cough.
Blergh…!
He covered his mouth, trying to contain the blood inside his mouth. But it wasn't enough. Some blood started to seep out, bubbling out in foam as it dripped down onto the ground. He slowly rested his head on the ground. His pulse became weaker. Despite his agonizing pain on the inside, he could only smile to himself.
Well, I stuck to my code.
Haruto.
Zuri.
Talia.
Even you…
…Cassandra.
Huh.
Even in his last moments, he still thought of her. He wondered why that was…
…
"Fucking asshole!" Haruto roared as he finally took the hat out of his face. His nose was crooked as hell and his nose was bleeding, albeit, a little at the moment as most of it was stained onto the hat itself. "Jared! What the fuck was that all about–"
Haruto stopped dead in his tracks.
He stepped forward.
Jared wasn't moving.
He was just lying there on the floor. Blood had stained the lower part of his mouth. Haruto's hand started to shake as his eyes shook.
"...F-Fuck, no you fucker, you can't do this to me," Haruto dropped to his knees. "J-Jared? Please… Tell me you didn't just die on me… Tell me I didn't just…"
Jared was dead.
There was no doubt about it.
Haruto clenched his fist.
"Grk," he gritted his teeth.
How was he going to get out of this now?
…
"Y-You…" Haruto started to growl. "Grk! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!"
What had he done?
…
…
…
Jared killed himself to save lives. He saved the life of Haruto who was going to die of hydrogen sulfide. He saved Holland's life by becoming the blackened to his own murder. That was the conclusion everyone had reached.
And yet, Cassandra stood by her podium, her face completely dark. The conclusion they had reached repeated itself over and over in her head, taunting her. Mocking her. Insulting her. She couldn't look at the ones that helped reach that conclusion. She couldn't even be bothered to listen to anything else.
All that was ringing in her mind was now the question: Why?
Why Jared…?
Why…?
Why are you such a fucking dumbass…?
Cassandra's face was hidden in a shadow as Haruto looked downright guilty for everything that had happened. And not just Haruto, but Holland too.
Both men… had a part in what happened to Jared…
"...This is all my fucking fault," Haruto grumbled to himself. "If… If I had known about the damn Gas Chambers… I would've… Maybe both Jared and I would've…"
"...No, it's my fault," Holland looked away. "I shouldn't have closed the door so quickly… I… I overreacted… And because of that…"
Arthur folded his arms. He wasn't going to say anything on the matter but unsurprisingly, it was his sister who came to speak for him.
"We are also to blame," Ina looked down. "If we had chosen Trust as we promised, Jared probably would not have needed to meet with Haruto in the first place…"
"...I don't think Jared would've wanted us to blame ourselves for his death," Mimi looked down. "Even though some people do deserve the blame for starting all of this…"
She of course referred to Ina.
And Ina could only look away in regret.
Not again…
"...Jared probably wouldn't have wanted that," Cassandra spoke for the first time after a long period of silence. Her face was still shrouded in a dark veil, but anger seeped through her tone of voice. "But you all still deserve to be blamed for every single shit that happened to him…"
Cassandra perked her head up as she glanced at each and every single person in the damn Cell with hatred in her eyes. She first turned to the Kingston siblings.
"If you two had fucking Trusted like you were supposed to, none of us would be in this fucking mess in the first place," Cassandra glared.
Cassandra turned to Haruto.
"If you had just moved your fucking ass, maybe then Jared wouldn't have a need to fucking poison himself," Cassandra pounded her fists on her podium.
Cassandra turned to Holland.
"If you had just bothered to actually listen to everything instead of shutting the damn door on them, then Jared wouldn't have been gassed in the first place," Cassandra bit her lip.
Cassandra turned to Zuri.
"If you had turned off the fucking Grinder, Jared wouldn't have turned out like the way he is now!" Cassandra yelled.
Cassandra turned to Abigail and Mimi.
"And if you two had actually called out Haruto about his bullshit, maybe then… we could've found Jared so much sooner without him being grounded up," Cassandra clenched her fist.
Cassandra pounded her fist onto the podium again. She gritted her teeth as she glanced to herself.
"A-And… if I had… if I had chosen to Trust Jared instead of Distrust…" Cassandra hugged herself, shaking slightly, her eyes looking absolutely dead. "If I had chosen the damn bounty Advantage… Then Jared wouldn't have…"
Cassandra trailed off.
She blamed everyone.
Everyone… including herself.
"F-Fuck," Cassandra glanced away. "F-FUCK!"
No one even had the gall to refute Cassandra. Deep down, they knew she was right. If they had just done things differently… if they could change one thing in the past, Jared probably would've been alive…
In fact, the only person who didn't seem all too guilt-ridden, pressed forward by glancing toward Monohebi.
"Monohebi," Arthur sighed. "I believe it is finally time to put an end to this tragic turn of events."
Monohebi flicked her tongue.
"It seems you have finally reached a conclusion," Monohebi stated. "Which means that I can expect no more interruptions…?"
"Yes," Arthur nodded. "No more interruptions."
After all, based on the looks and how quiet everyone had gotten, it seemed that ending this Trial would be the best now. So all that was left… was for Monohebi to announce the following:
"Very well then," the snake had nodded. "I shall now prepare the vote…"
As usual, everyone's eHandbooks started to ping, signaling that it was now time to vote. Begrudgingly, everyone did as they were told. Despite how sluggish everyone moved over these surprising turns of events, the Voting Process was quick and swift…
…
…
…
…
…
…
Jared: 7
Arthur: 1
…
"With the votes tallied, I can now formally give my final verdict on the supposed blackened of this case," Monohebi announced, baring her fangs. "My final verdict for Jared Caertas, the Ultimate Police Officer:
…
…
…
GUILTY
…
…
…
...That is all."
Monohebi smacked her tail down onto her throne as if she had just slammed down a gavel to conclude these Prison Trial proceedings. Flicking her tongue, the snake continued.
"This Prison Trial has concluded," Monohebi announced. "Congratulations prisoners. You were correct. The blackened of this case was indeed Jared Caertas, the Ultimate Police Officer. Do with that information how you will."
TRIAL ENDS
They were right.
And yet, it felt so wrong for it to be right. Jared killed himself. The answer was so simple. And yet it was turned into a convoluted mystery thanks to the carelessness of both Haruto and Mimi. Carelessness of everyone in fact.
Cassandra still didn't want to believe it and yet she still felt the glee emanate from a snake's jagged red eyes.
God.
She wanted to skin the fuck out of that snake–
"So, it's true…" Mimi noted, looking down. "Jared really did…"
"Fuck…" Haruto placed his hands over his hips as he looked down, regretfully. "If I had known that I wouldn't have…"
The atmosphere was much somber than before. For once, there was no anger toward an attempted murderer or anything dramatic like that to distract them from the horrifying truth. The truth is that everything that occurred today was one big tragedy.
A series of accidents and misunderstandings that led to the death of someone who just wanted to save lives.
Someone, who although had lost their way, came back in the end to make sure no one else would die.
Jared had saved Haruto.
He had saved Holland.
And he had also saved whoever was his Loved One…
…
"...Haruto, why did Jared even want to meet with you in Zuri's Cell in the first place?" Holland looked down. "Jared knew that there were cameras there. He… He should've expected at least someone would listen in…"
"No, he wouldn't," Zuri looked down. "I… kept missing my Morning Shifts and since he skipped out on his shift… he never knew that you would be on the Morning Shift in my stead today. He... never would've seen that note I made for him..."
"B-But still… he should've had more faith in you, regardless," Holland placed his hand over his head. "He should've… This is… This is all my fault…"
Holland flipped his hoodie over his head.
"I… I… I just can't believe that everything happened because of my own stupid misjudgment…" Holland mumbled to himself.
"I know it's easy to blame yourself for this," Zuri looked down. "It's like what Cassandra said. We all had a part to play in his death. He was just…"
"...Regardless of who is to blame, until we hear from Haruto why Jared decided to have his chat with Haruto in Zuri's Cell of all places, we won't know the full picture of events," Arthur moved the conversation back on course. He looked at Haruto expectantly.
Soon, everyone else followed his lead.
The basketball player could only sigh and look down in shame.
"...I… I don't know what he planned to do exactly, but from what I remember before… everything happened," Haruto frowned. "Jared said he needed the recording studio to record something… And… I was to be there as a witness. I think he was going to explain what he was going to do but then the door closed and…"
"The rest is history," Ina frowned. "So, without Jared, I suppose we will not know what he was planning on doing…"
"But the answer should be obvious, shouldn't it, Miss Hamamura?"
The sinister voice forced everyone to tense up. The gloomy purplish atmosphere turned red as White Collar walked into the frame, allowing his cane to guide him and Monohebi to slither by his side.
"Mister Caertas said he was going to the recording studio to record a message and he needed Mister Walker here to be a witness," White Collar chuckled. "Double with the fact that he had the bottle of poison on him and had the Loved One Disadvantage and I hope you can all deduce what exactly was Mister Caertas's plan."
…
…
…
…
…
…
"N-No way…" Abigail covered her mouth.
This was… way too familiar. Too much familiar territory for her…
"You figured it out, Abigail?" Zuri asked.
Abigail looked away with a wince.
"...Abby, what is it?" Haruto asked her, concerned.
"...He planned to kill himself from the very beginning," Abigail hugged herself. "That was his original plan."
"W-What?" Mimi gasped.
"...He… planned to kill himself from the beginning?" Cassandra softly asked. That hurt for her to hear. He was never going to survive today regardless of everything? Regardless of the door closing? Regardless of his stupid code…?
"I see," Arthur folded his arms. "Had the door not closed and things went according to plan… Jared was to use the recording studio to record his dying message. Once he finished, he was going to drink the bottle of poison right then and there."
"And… he needed me to be a witness for that?" Haruto asked. "W-Why?"
"...It was all to give us an easy Prison Trial," Holland theorized. "If he just killed himself and left a dying message alone, some of us would think that foul play would've been involved, and we would've gotten into a heated debate that could've led us to our death. But by having a witness, it would lessen the chance of people doubting each other, give us a solid alibi, and lead us to a quick and swift Trial."
"So he was just going to make me watch as he went ahead to go kill himself?" Haruto blinked. "All to make sure we got the answer right… Goddamn it, Jared…"
"From the get-go, the Prison Trial Jared initially planned for us was going to be easy," Arthur sighed. "But thanks to the door closing and Haruto and Zuri's unnecessary tampering, it ended up a lot harder than it needed to be…"
"Like you're blameless in all this," Cassandra clenched her fist. "You're the reason Jared wanted to go kill himself in the first place!"
That hit Ina harder than it hit Arthur.
Yet more blood on her hands as she grimaced to herself. She noticed Mimi avoided even looking at her. It was clear that the witch girl expected this outcome…
…
"White Collar," Ina turned to the man in the devil's mask. "Could we see who?"
"Who?" White Collar perked his head.
"Who would Jared go so far to protect?" Ina frowned. "Who was his Loved One that my half-brother and I put in danger? I have to see the error of what we have done…"
"Oh," White Collar chuckled sinisterly. "You wish to know about Mister Caertas's Disadvantage and life story… Very well then. Ask and you shall receive. Monohebi, if you please…"
Hey that rhymed!
Monohebi nodded toward White Collar.
"Yes Master," she tipped her head down.
However, since Jared's eHandbook was broken, she had to resort to an alternative means to find it. That alternative means was simply taking out a separate eHandbook out of nowhere and searching for the video file pertaining to Jared's motive. Once she found it, the video began to play…
"To my humblest dearest Jared Caertas," White Collar sat on his throne as he stared back into Jared's eyes. "The police officer who values saving lives no matter how much he needs to sacrifice in order to do so. But just how much are you willing to sacrifice I wonder? How much blood will you shed to save your peers? To remain faithful to the corrupted code you claim to hold so dear. I wonder if you can even remain faithful enough regarding the one who care most:
...
...
...your closest ally, Talia Wayward..."
White Collar evaporated into static to showcase a waitress, Talia Wayward, talking to a police detective. The footage was noticeably taken some time during the night as the restaurant Talia was working at seemed to be at closing hours. But most notably, she also seemed slightly irritated.
However, behind that irritation was a notable look of concern.
"For the last time, I haven't seen him," Talia glared at the police detective. "I've had countless other detectives ask me the same thing and I'm going to tell you the same thing I told them. I don't know where Jared is. He's been missing for years so… just… leave me alone."
Talia quickly placed a tray of glass cups on the counter, trying hard not to let them fall on the floor. But it was clear that mentioning Jared was putting her in a bad mood.
However long he was missing, it seemed that she truly did miss him.
"So, you don't know anyone who might be after him?" the detective asked. "Anyone who might be responsible for him disappearing?"
"Why do you care?" Talia snapped with a glare. "For all I know, you could have been responsible for his disappearance."
The police detective remained silent.
That was an odd accusation.
"...Er, Miss Wayward, are you assuming that I'm a part of your local police precinct?" the police detective questioned.
Now, it was Talia's turn to go silent.
"...Aren't you?" she asked.
"No, we're… international, you can say," the police detective continued. "...Is there something we should know about?"
Talia scoffed.
"...If you're looking for Jared Caertas, he's probably already dead," Talia stated. "I know they had something to do with it."
"Who?" the police detective asked.
"If I tell you, you're just going to leak it to them and get me killed," Talia mumbled. "Jared warned me about that a long time ago."
"And again, we don't work with your local precinct," the police detective assured. "We are looking into something that Mister Caertas might be a part of…"
"What, like a crime ring or something?" Talia raised an eyebrow. "The only thing Jared has ever done wrong in his life was associate himself with that bastard, Paul Easeman."
"The local Chief of Police?" the police detective blinked, confused. "Is he not as honorable as we were led to believe?"
"...Are you kidding?" Talia scoffed. "Chief of Police Paul Easeman is a self-righteous scumbag, unlike Jared. Jared was the only good cop in our community, through and through. He also knew bullshit when he smelt it. His only fault was that he can't seem to get out of bullshit without burying himself further…"
She paused.
Her voice sounded sad.
"Knowing Jared, he got caught in too deep," Talia sighed. "And Easeman probably put him down."
"...So you think Chief Easeman had something to do with Mister Caertas' disappearance?" the police detective concluded.
"Quit saying he disappeared," Talia grew visibly annoyed by the minute. "All you're doing is giving me false hope. So just admit he's dead and leave. I gave you what I think. I don't have concrete proof and I just want to move on from the pain. I hoped that after my birthday, I'd get to rest easy but you detectives keep coming up to me with the same damn question. I don't know anything concrete, so fucking…"
Talia sighed as she dropped the tray of glass bottles on the ground. She hugged herself.
"F-Fucking l-leave m-me alone…" she mumbled, trying to hold back tears.
…
The video abruptly ended. White Collar, as usual, swirled a glass of wine with a sinister grin plastered during his screen time. He chuckled and prepared to speak.
"Talia Wayward," White Collar summarized. "As you can see, Mister Caertas, she misses you dearly. It's been a while since you two last met and from what I heard, you missed her birthday. That is quite the shame."
He shook his head.
"Unfortunately, there is still the matter of the Disadvantage…" White Collar began to say.
…
White Collar began to laugh, sinisterly.
…
"If no one dies by the next 24 hours, Talia Wayward will die by my hands. A shameful end to someone who just turned 20, don't you think?"
White Collar sat back after making his announcement. His sinister grin widened.
"That is all," White Collar chuckled. "Do with this video what you will, Jared Caertas. I truly wonder how much blood you will shed for Miss Wayward to live past 21…"
White Collar held up his glass of wine and toasted to those who were watching.
"And goodbye…"
"Talia Wayward…?" Cassandra blinked.
After watching the video, she supposed she shouldn't be surprised that he had someone back home that he would call a close ally. She wanted to know how close their relationship actually was but refrained from asking anything of the sort. She looked down. So this was the person he killed himself for…?
A waitress?
"Talia Wayward," White Collar chuckled as he began to explain. "A waitress working at the Dalton Diner. A close friend of Mister Caertas. Maybe something more…"
Cassandra's heart skipped a bit.
"Mister Caertas knew Miss Wayward ever since he arrived in the city to start his career as a police officer," White Collar explained with a grin. "Adorably, they met at the Dalton Diner, and have since become close for years on end. The youngest waitress trying to make a buck or two at the time and the youngest police cadet trying to make it big on the police force, how sweet."
White Collar leaned against his cane.
"Mister Caertas' future was looking quite bright and normal…" White Collar slightly sneered. "He was a fanatic of serving justice and sacrificing his life to save others, even at a young age. And yet, Mister Caertas would get the surprise promotion of the century after a peculiar case that haunted the city he was in…"
"Wait a minute, Jared did tell me that he… shot someone," Haruto blinked, remembering that conversation he had with Jared earlier in this Killing Game.
"...You shot someone, didn't you?" Haruto pieced it together quite quickly. He scratched the back of his neck, slightly confused by what was so wrong about a police officer shooting someone. "But that's kinda the norm for police officers ain't it? So why are you-"
"It was the first time I shot someone," Jared lowered his police hat to cover his eyes. "After that, I… tried to never use a gun ever again. It's required for all officers in the force to carry one but… I just don't like using them."
Haruto raised an eyebrow at Jared. It was strange seeing a police officer so disturbed over shooting someone. At least, that was based on Haruto's understanding. Clearly, there was something more to the story but it was best to try to ease whatever fear Jared had.
"...Did they deserve it?" Haruto asked Jared.
It took a moment for Jared to think about the answer to that question. Did Warren Nizens deserve it? Did that womanizing, psychopathic serial killer deserve every bullet from that gun that day?
"...Yes, yes he did," Jared coldly responded, looking down with a frown. "One hundred percent..."
"Yeah, me too," Cassandra mumbled to herself.
Jared told her too.
"Warren Nizens," White Collar announced. "The Womanizer. The criminal that boosted Mister Caertas from meek police cadet to police officer! And all it took was for Mister Caertas to shed blood for his dream to become a reality!"
"The Womanizer?" Ina blinked.
"...Ah, I think that was some… Canadian serial killer that killed 24 women?" Holland rubbed his chin.
"28," White Collar corrected. "The Womanizer's body count kept on rising and the police were just, oh so slow, to catch up to him. Every one of their best officers were forced to patrol the city to make sure the Womanizer would never strike again and yet, lo and behold, who was it that would soon be the Womanizer's next victim?"
Arthur narrowed his eyes.
"...Talia Wayward," Arthur deduced.
"Exactly," White Collar grinned. "During the end of one of her shifts, the Womanizer attacked her. Miraculously, she survived. But his attempt on her life awakened something in Mister Caertas. A dark side he never even knew he had…"
"A dark side?" Mimi blinked.
"Don't tell me you haven't felt it…" White Collar chuckled. "How adamantly and psychotically he was ready to shoot me dead. I bet it gave him a rush even back then… When he murdered Warren Nizens out of vengeance for what he did."
"He… murdered Warren Nizens?" Ina blinked.
"...He shot him," Haruto folded his arms. "Jared said he was unarmed. That he went against protocol. B-But at the same time, that bastard deserved it! He murdered fucking 28 women and probably hurt a lot more that we don't even know about, right?! Why are you trying to make Jared seem like some crazy psychopath here?!"
"It's true," White Collar nodded. "Warren Nizens deserved his fate. He deserved to burn in Hell for what he did. But my beef isn't with what Jared Caertas did on that fateful day…"
White Collar leaned forward and pointed the sharp end of his cane toward the prisoners.
"It's what he did after…" White Collar's grin grew wider.
"A-After?" Zuri blinked.
"After Warren Nizens was shot dead," White Collar chuckled. "Jared Caertas got promoted and soon became the youngest police officer in the force. He received achievements, praise and adoration from many. He was even referred to as his city's hero. But unfortunately, his upbringing came with one downside."
White Collar leaned against his cane.
"He was to lose every part of himself that separated him from a true hero," White Collar continued. "A fate sealed when he found himself working alongside his boss. The corrupted Chief of Police, Paul Easeman. Someone who knew all too well that Jared Caertas did not deserve the promotion he deserved. And yet, for years after, Paul Easeman took advantage of that... and turned Mister Caertas into his… shall we say… personal executioner…"
"Personal executioner?" Zuri blinked before gasping. "W-Wait… don't tell me Jared was…"
"Killing criminals under Paul Easeman's orders?" White Collar started to laugh. "Of course! Once a criminal, always a criminal. That's the motto. Why give them a chance to right their wrongs when they will forever be wrong? That was the motto Easeman hammered into Jared's mind."
White Collar extended his arms.
"Jared Caertas is a serial killer, through and through!" White Collar exclaimed with a grin. "Enacting vigilante justice under the orders of his boss. Disguising them as shots in self-defense or suicides. And yet, they all died just as Warren Nizens did. Unarmed. Defenseless. No mercy. And with each kill, poor Mister Caertas drove himself into a dark, dark corner while appearing publicly as the hero!"
"N-No, that's wrong!" Zuri exclaimed. "Jared would never do something like that! He would never just kill people aimlessly like that! He would…"
"You know he would," White Collar's red jagged eye glinted. "He tried to do the same to me, after all."
White Collar placed a hand on his heart and grinned.
"But… I suppose there is some truth to what you speak," he hummed. "Once upon a time, Jared Caertas truly did want to be someone who did things the right way. But Paul Easeman corrupted that young man and turned him into a weapon who will do everything it would take to make sure justice is served!"
White Collar started to laugh.
"Cruel, isn't it?" White Collar grinned. "In the end, Jared Caertas was deemed a hero! And yet, all this time, he was the darkest form a hero could take. A vigilante. A killer. An anti-hero of his own story. A sinner… just like the rest of you."
This couldn't be true.
Jared was someone who wanted to save lives, not take lives.
But at the same time, the only life he ever did attempt to take was White Collar's. The amount of guilt that would've been in his mind if he remembered. The torturous guilt that would be eating away at him…
"...Even if Jared was some killer back home," Cassandra clenched her fist, speaking up after hearing White Collar's tale. "You can't pin all of it on Jared! That fucking Chief of his was the true culprit behind everything he did! He had no choice to do it!"
White Collar glanced at Cassandra, slightly surprised. He hummed in thought as he examined her closely. Her shaking hands. Her quivering lips. Her desperation to believe that Jared was still a good person despite everything.
"...Whether or not White Collar is telling the truth about what Jared did," Holland folded his arms. "We know better. We know that Jared… really is a good person through and through."
"Oh?" White Collar perked his head. "And why is that? He killed people… He takes the lives of criminals!"
"...But he never once considered taking any of our lives," Holland pointed out. "The first thing Jared did as soon as he knew his time was running out was to take his own life! Not once did he ever consider taking the life of someone here! Even when he nearly died to… me… he did what only he would do and make sure that I never got put on the chopping block!"
Holland clenched his fist.
"So… don't you dare talk about him like that!" Holland exclaimed.
"Damn right, you fucker!" Haruto cracked his knuckles, glaring at White Collar after reeling away from his shame. "He did everything he could to save our lives!"
White Collar rubbed his chin.
He was surprised.
Normally, they would take in the story and be all shocked and stuff. But now… they were outright denying him. Denying how he perceived the sinner that was Jared.
He chuckled.
That was an interesting change of direction here.
…
"...I don't think you have a right to talk to me like that," White Collar chuckled. "Especially you, Mister Delaney…"
Holland glanced at him with that same stoic expression he always wore.
"...What do you mean?" he asked.
"I think there are more enticing matters we need to discuss now," White Collar's grin turned into a serious look. "Because despite everything that happened, we have ourselves a rulebreaker."
"A rulebreaker?" Mimi blinked. "But wait! W-What rule got broken?!"
"Ah, of course…" Ina gasped.
It seems that Ina had forgotten all about that. It was a piece of evidence that hadn't even come up during the Trial and now, it was finally being brought to light. Brought to light after the worst realization came to mind possible. Jared had killed himself and now someone was about to be executed for an entirely different crime…
"I believe I underestimated the power of the Grinder," Arthur muttered as he showed Ina Jared's eHandbook. Ina widened her eyes. So, that was why he screamed. He had shown her not just Jared's eHandbook but what was left of Jared's eHandbook.
The eHandbook was completely broken.
What was left was now a tablet forever stuck on a black screen. The screen itself was cracked in all sorts of angles and the eHandbook was practically bent at a near 45-degree angle. Truthfully, Arthur should've realized it sooner as soon as he had grabbed it but he had to worry about the grotesque smell.
"Jared's eHandbook is broken?" Ina blinked. "So that means…"
"Rule #9," Arthur recalled, folding his arms. "Please do not damage the eHandbooks."
"Our rulebreaker did more than damage the eHandbooks," White Collar looked visibly irritated as Monohebi handed him Jared's eHandbook. Once he had his hands on it, he waved it in the air. "They flat out broke it. They violated a rule and as a result, they will have to be punished for it."
"S-Someone broke an eHandbook," Mimi gasped. "But… How could anyone break the eHandbook? Wh-Who broke it anyway?"
"...The eHandbook was broken thanks to the Grinder," Arthur deduced. "As such, we can only assume that the one who broke the eHandbook would have to be the one who turned on the Grinder."
Arthur glanced away.
Even he… wasn't exactly happy about this.
"And that person is…" Arthur folded his arms.
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
"…Zuri…?" Holland was the one who answered. He had figured it out all too quickly as he turned to the bassist in shock and fear. This couldn't be right. This had to be a sick joke. R-Right?
Zuri looked away, closing her eyes in shame.
That nervousness she felt.
That fear she had suffered throughout the Trial.
Holland finally understood where it was all leading up to.
It was leading up to this moment in time.
...Well, if you want the truth..." Zuri rubbed her arms, nervously. "I... was the one who turned on the Grinder and Minecart System."
"So, you were the reason the Grinder and Minecart Systems were turned on?" Arthur blinked in bewilderment. That was not what he was expecting! "Which also meant that you were the reason that Jared found himself ground up in the first place?"
Zuri timidly nodded her head.
"Hmph," Arthur folded his arms with a sigh. "You could've saved us a lot of trouble if you had just confessed that sooner."
"Y-Yeah, I should've confessed that... sooner," Zuri looked away. "I... I just didn't say anything because I was worried this exact thing would happen. I'm sorry for giving you guys trouble."
Holland blinked as he looked at her. It was clear to him now. She was still hiding something. But... what was it? And why? Was it something so bad that she was even willing to hide it from him?
"...Th-This was what you were keeping from me?" Holland asked, his voice cracking slightly. "Z-Zuri, please tell me this isn't true."
Holland turned to his peers desperately.
"...G-Guys, come on," Holland began to shake. He hadn't looked this disturbed since… He was found out for his attempted murder. "M-Maybe there was some other way the eHandbook got broken up. M-Maybe it was broken before the murder and the real rulebreaker simply… I-It just can't be Zuri! A-And if it was… i-it was an accident! Sh-She didn't know…"
"Was it really an accident?" White Collar questioned. He leaned against his cane as he glanced toward Zuri with a deathly stare. "I mean, her actions when she turned on the Grinder don't really say it was… now was it… Miss Auraline?"
Zuri tensed up as she avoided looking at Holland.
"Z-Zuri, please…" Holland walked up to her. "S-Say something… S-Say it's not true. D-Deny it. Y-You didn't break the eHandbook…"
Holland clenched his fist before turning back to White Collar.
"A-And if it wasn't an accident…" Holland began. "Th-Then why would she break it on purpose?!... I-It doesn't make any sense! Y-You're wrong about this! Z-Zuri is…"
"Holland, stop."
"Z-Zuri…?" Holland turned back to Zuri.
The bassist was rubbing her arms uncomfortably. Her eyes were solemn and filled with resignation. She knew this was coming. She had resigned herself to her fate a while ago. And yet, Holland could tell she was holding something back.
"...It's true…" Zuri miserably confessed. "I broke Jared's eHandbook… I broke it, because I didn't bother to stop the Grinder…"
"...H-Huh?" Holland blinked.
"Yes, now that you mention it, I am curious," Arthur folded his arms. "Why didn't you stop the Grinder? I can imagine you being in a state of shock but… according to Holland, you simply dragged him away from the scene of the crime. You didn't even consider going back to the Security Office to turn everything off."
Zuri said nothing.
"Zuri… come on," Abigail stepped up this time. "You have to tell us. You're not really the rulebreaker, are you?"
Zuri still remained silent.
"...Z-Zuri… please say something," Mimi looked close to tears.
Zuri bit her lip.
"...Zuri, please…" Holland softly begged.
…
"I'm a crappy leader," Zuri softly smiled as she turned back to everyone. A tear rolled down her cheek, confirming that she was in fact, the rulebreaker. "If I was good enough to get to my shift, I didn't request that Holland and I switch, none of this would be happening. If I was half as responsible as Jared was, I would've done more to help keep the peace… And if I was even half as strong as Jared… I wouldn't have given into temptation like that…"
"T-Temptation?" Holland blinked. "W-What are you talking about… W-What could you even be tempted by…"
"You were tempted by the motive," Arthur deduced.
"W-What do you mean, half-brother?" Ina blinked.
"Remember the rules of the motive?" Arthur began to answer.
"Similarly, in fairness to the traitors, if the Traitors kill an Innocent, they will also get to leave the facility for free," Monohebi nodded her head. "However, if a Traitor kills the other Traitor or if an Innocent kills another Innocent… that's too bad."
"Prison Trial time," Mimi frowned, looking down.
"Which is why both sides are going to want to play these upcoming Minigames," Monohebi stated. "So, if any of them wish to kill someone to leave, they better hope they kill the right person."
"We know that Jared was a Traitor," Arthur explained. "And Zuri was an Innocent. And put yourself in Zuri's shoes at the time she saw Jared moving toward the Grinder… Do you really think she would've known that Jared was alive at the time?"
"...N-No," Holland widened his eyes, turning back to his girlfriend. "Z-Zuri… W-Was that the real reason you…"
Zuri let another tear roll down her cheek. Another confirmation.
"...You decided to let Jared's body get grinded up, believing that would kill him," Arthur deduced. "And in return, you would be able to leave the facility without a Prison Trial. That was the temptation, wasn't it?"
"...That's why you got scared right after," Holland couldn't believe he didn't catch something as simple as that. "Because when we got thrown into the Investigation, that meant that you didn't kill him, because in reality, he killed himself. W-Were you really going to not tell me…?"
"I guess, we're even now, huh?" Now both of Zuri's eyes started to seep tears. "I'm so sorry, Holland… But… It's true. Everything you guys said was true. At the time, I thought Jared was alive… and if I just let him die to the Grinder, that would make me the blackened. And then I could leave without risking more lives…"
"...N-No… D-Don't admit it!" Holland pleaded, trying to keep his emotions in check. "You're lying! You have to be! You have to be covering for someone! You can't be the rulebreaker! You just can't!"
"Holland, please…" Zuri felt her lips quiver. "It's the truth. I did it because I was selfish… "
"N-No… I don't believe this!" Holland exclaimed. "...You're too nice for that! You would never betray us like that! You would never betray your friends like that!"
"Never betray her own friends?" White Collar perked his head at the sound of that. "Do you really believe that Mister Delaney? That your sweet Miss Auraline can do no wrong? Keh. She's just as much of a sinner as the rest of you."
"...N-No, no no no no no," Holland covered his ears as he shook his head.
Zuri, meanwhile, stepped forward, looking serious.
"...My memories," Zuri frowned, looking down. Now she looked desperate this time. "...Is that my sin? Are you really saying that… That I really…"
"Betrayed your own friends?" White Collar leaned forward with a sinister grin. "Yes, Miss Auraline. Yes, you did. You plucked the leaf from your Dream Palm, until there was only one left. The Lime Leaf. And you did it, because you're just as selfish as any other sinner here…"
Zuri clenched her fist.
"W-What did I do?" she asked. "W-What happened to Hana, Laurel, and Venessa?!"
White Collar shook his head with a sigh.
"You really want to know?" White Collar asked before placing a finger over his grinning masked lips. "Very well then. I'll allow myself to speak. But to understand your story, we have to go from the very beginning."
White Collar began to chuckle.
"This wasn't the first time you would betray someone close to you," White Collar shook his head. "The first time you did it was with your parents. A common conflict in interest between daughter and parents. You wanted to be with a friend. But your parents wanted a different future for you. And by the end of it, you chose to go against your parents' heeds and abandoned them, leaving behind to chase a dream of foolishness with your best friend, Hana."
Holland glanced at Zuri.
She never did speak about her parents that much. Was that why?
"That dream of foolishness started with two," White Collar continued. "Then it gradually evolved into four. And you called yourselves, the Dream Palm. A band that stuck to mostly cover songs, yet you gained quite the following. But at the same time, you were all just amateurs."
White Collar began to chuckle.
"Then, suddenly one day, a simple Lime Leaf seemed to exhibit strong musical talent far more than the other three," White Collar began. "So much so that she got herself invited to Hope's Peak Academy."
White Collar slightly sneered at that name.
"Yet, you chose to stay and continue your foolish meandering," White Collar continued. "Your reasoning was that you wished to be with your friends. But unbeknownst to you, you didn't realize just how much your invitation truly affected your Dream Team. Truly affected… you in general…"
"W-What are you talking about?" Zuri blinked. "As far as I can remember, everything was good, wasn't it? Everyone was happy for me and the decision I made. How did it…"
"Miss Auraline," White Collar shook his head. "When you become an Ultimate, you are no longer some ordinary high school girl chasing a fool's dream. You are leagues above everyone else. You have no place among the riff raff. You ride the path to stardom. Fame. Glory. At this point, the other three are just holding you back… keeping your true potential down… Hana, Laurel, and Venessa? They aren't Ultimates. So why should you continue bothering with them when you can do so much more… solo…"
"W-What?" Zuri widened her eyes. "I went… solo?!"
"...Th-That doesn't make sense," Holland shook his head. "Z-Zuri would never go solo! Sh-She said so herself!"
"...Have you ever thought about being a soloist before?" Holland asked. "Just like… being your own musician and away from Dream Palm?"
"Oh, I could never," Zuri shook her head before smiling at her bass guitar. "Dream Palm is everything to me. I could never abandon Laurel, Venessa, or… Hana."
"...But you have a lot of talent doing things on your own," Holland noted. "You can write lyrics, edit music, and compose too. It's just weird that you would stay as the Bassist."
"I guess the reason I stayed as the Bassist was because I wanted to share the spotlight with my friends," Zuri smiled to herself. "Everyone in the band had their own role. Hana was the loud and extroverted singer. Laurel was the serious and strict synthesist. Venessa was the relaxed and chill drummer. And I had to stay as the mysterious, in-the-background bassist. It was the only way our band could remain interesting that way I think…"
"...I see," Holland noted.
He guessed that made sense. Zuri only stayed as the bassist in order to keep the band intact. He supposed if she started to overshadow her own bandmates, problems would have arisen from that.
"But… if you're wondering, I did often dream of what life would've been like if I did go solo," Zuri said. "The thoughts were there. But I also imagine it would be less fun if I didn't have my friends with me."
White Collar shook his head.
"Once upon a time, Miss Auraline would think that," he shrugged before grinning and placing a finger over his masked lips. "But the Ultimate Bassist Miss Auraline did it anyway. And she did it, behind her own friends' back. And wouldn't you know it? Miss Auraline received much more praise than she ever did with Dream Palm. So much so that she relished in it. Enjoyed the glory so much… that she became the very reason the seed she had planted with Hana, had suddenly wilted…"
"You mean to say… Dream Palm is… over?" Zuri dropped to her knees. "And… I was the reason…?"
"Dream Palm has stopped posting for a long, long time now," White Collar stated. "Your friends have separated. They've all avoided speaking to one another. And it was all because of your selfishness."
White Collar leaned closely to Zuri, his jagged red eye glinting.
"You rotten, selfish sinner…" White Collar cursed. "You hoped that being an Ultimate Bassist meant you still could hide in the background, and let your friends take control. But that's not what being an Ultimate is all about. Ultimates are famous. And Ultimates cannot associate themselves with the commoners… Once you're an Ultimate, you're set for life. And you can't be set for life, when you have three other commoners, dragging you down…"
"Hana…" Zuri gasped. "Laurel… Venessa…"
She covered her mouth.
Did she really do that? She couldn't remember squat but if she did do that then… She truly was as terrible as she thought she was. She closed her shaking eyes. Tears flew out of her eyes again as Holland rushed to her side, holding her tight.
"...It's my fault…" Zuri wept behind her hands. "...I… I destroyed Dream Palm…"
She looked up to Holland, guilt ridden as she couldn't even believe he was still here to comfort her.
"H-Holland… I really, really didn't want this to happen," Zuri sniffled. "Not to you and not to… them… I never wanted for this to happen…"
"Didn't you?" White Collar perked his head, his expression looking downright ghoulish. "After all, shouldn't you have expected this… when you became an Ultimate?"
"...Zuri, it's going to be okay," Holland hugged her close. He turned to White Collar. "...Look. Zuri did something wrong. She made a mistake, but we all did. So… let's just forget about this and…"
"Forget about what?" White Collar perked his head before shaking his head. "Oh… Mister Delaney. Don't even try to sneak her out of her due punishment. She's still a rulebreaker. Sinner or not, rulebreakers… must be punished…"
White Collar slammed his cane on the ground.
Holland gritted his teeth, holding onto Zuri tightly and making sure to shield himself in front of him. He caught himself between Zuri, who couldn't stop crying, and White Collar and Monohebi, who looked ready to start her punishment.
"N-No… I won't let you…" Holland grimaced. "Z-Zuri's done nothing wrong!... It's not fair! Zuri didn't mean to break that rule! She… She's innocent… Please!"
"...Holland," Zuri's voice shook. "Let go…"
"...Zuri, no, don't say that," Holland shook his head. "Th-There just has to be a way to protect you! Th-That's…"
"Holland… please…" Zuri tried to stand up.
"...M-Maybe I can…" Holland tried to come up with some possible bullshit reason. "...I… I was the one who broke it. N-Not Zuri! Zuri didn't break anything!"
"Holland, stop!" Zuri yelled, silencing her boyfriend as she stood up and looked down at him with tears in her eyes. She tried to her best to smile at him, but none of it was assuring enough to him. "It's… It's alright… It's going to be okay."
Zuri turned to White Collar. She tried to stop herself from crying. She tried to remain strong. But deep inside, she knew that was impossible. Because of her, Dream Palm was over. It had been over for a while. It was all her fault. And she didn't even remember that… How cruel was that…?
She opened her mouth to speak but Holland stood up and started to yell.
"...H-How can you say that?!" Holland yelled. "H-How can you say it's going to be okay?! You and I both know it's not going to be okay!"
Zuri turned back to Holland, another swell of tears forming on the corner of her eyes. She widened her eyes. Because she could see that her usual stoic boyfriend was now letting tears stream down his face.
The first time he did that, it was for his mother.
The second time was when he had to apologize.
The third time... was for her.
"...I love you, Zuri!" Holland confessed, eyes flooding. "I really, really do! You are the best thing to ever happen to me throughout my entire life! You gave me a second chance when no one else would! How can I be okay with this? How can I be okay with any of this…?!"
"B-But I'm a…" Zuri widened her eyes. "I'm a horrible…"
"I don't care!" Holland yelled. " I… I can't lose you, Zuri! I just can't! Please! I can't do this without you!"
Zuri stared at Holland, tears streaming down her face.
…
Then, she started to cry.
…
"H-Holland, I'm scared…" Zuri told him, quietly. "I'm really, really scared…"
"Z-Zuri…?" Holland's vision blurred due to the tears. He tried to wipe them, precariously.
"...I'm really sorry for everything," Zuri cried. "Not just to you, Holland. But to everyone here too. I… I really tried to be a good leader. But, now that I'm going to leave for a while… please… no more, okay? No more of all these backstabs and betrayals… No more…"
"Z-Zuri… please…" Holland stepped forward to reach his hand out.
"...H-Holland…" Zuri tried to smile but all that was coming out was her sniffling voice and her weeps. "...I love you too. It's such a shame that it had to end this way. I really wanted for you to listen to my solo piece…"
"D-Don't…" Holland said.
"Please tell Hana, I'm sorry," Zuri made no effort to wipe her tears. "Tell my friends, I'm sorry… for everything… I really am…"
"Z-Zuri…?" Holland dropped to his knees as Haruto and Abigail rushed to his side.
Arthur looked away bitterly.
Cassandra had no reaction.
Ina bit her lip and Mimi couldn't help but start to cry as well.
Zuri closed her eyes.
She felt a chained collar attach itself to her neck. Instinctively, she held onto that collar, and opened her eyes one last time. There she saw them. Her friends and Cassandra. She saw them stare at her with tears in their eyes.
And no one was more tearful than Holland, who remained quiet and watched her get dragged away with teary eyes.
Once she felt the force of being taken away, she closed her eyes.
…
She missed him already.
Monohebi slithered toward a large red button and slapped it with the end of her tail. With a single hit, the button clicked, bursting into stars as a pixelated screen showcased Monohebi dragging Zuri by the neck.
Below this scenery were the words:
...
RULEBREAKER! RULEBREAKER! ZURI AURALINE HAS BROKEN A RULE
COMMENCING PUNISHMENT...
...
Zuri kept her eyes closed as she found herself standing up on a wide and open stage.
Her wrists and neck were chained to an electric bass guitar that she held in her hands and a giant bear trap that she seemed to be standing right in the middle of. She opened her eyes slowly to see bright light blasting into her eyes and the sound of a crowd cheering the name of the Dream Palms.
Around her were mannequins, each a different color and each wielding their own musical instruments. The first mannequin up front was blue and held onto a microphone. The second mannequin was red and stood by a synthesizer. The last mannequin was yellow and sat near Zuri on the drums. She recognized this all too well.
This was a mock representation of the Dream Palms.
And what's worse, Monohebi showed up on a table with three buzzers whilst wearing what seems to be glasses and a prize pin on her scaly chest. She was clearly acting like a judge.
Final Performance (Dreamin Ver. 2): The Ultimate Bassist's Execution
Monohebi nodded her head and soon, the performance began as the faceless crowds behind her started to roar in cheer.
Zuri took this chance to strum a random chord.
The moment she did, she watched her mannequin bandmates do their own schtick. The blue mannequin pretended to sing. The red mannequin smashed keys. The yellow mannequin banged on the drums every once in a while. Zuri grimaced. She needed to save this performance. But what could she play?
She bit her lip.
Instantly she started to play the bass guitar, trying to play as rhythmically as possible to whatever the other mannequins were doing. As she did, she felt hot. She felt a burning sensation. She felt like she was being…
…Shocked?
Zuri couldn't stop.
She realized that the electric bass guitar was slowly zapping her nerves, getting her more and more pumped up and energized enough to continue to play and speed up the tempo. She looked worried. She started to sweat.
The blue mannequin continued to pretend to sing.
The red mannequin continued to mash chords.
The yellow mannequin hit a cymbal.
Zuri continued to play.
Monohebi shook her head and pressed the first buzzer.
Zap!
Zuri couldn't even let go of the guitar as she faltered slightly. She had to keep going. The performance wasn't over yet. She had to keep playing until she…
The blue mannequin continued to pretend to sing.
The red mannequin continued to mash chords.
The yellow mannequin hit a drum.
Zuri continued to play.
Monohebi shook her head and pressed the second buzzer.
Zap!
Zuri yelped in pain as the tempo got faster. She felt herself grow tired. She felt herself sweat. She stared at the mannequins, imagining them to be the real Hana, Laurel, and Venessa. But obviously they weren't. They were terrible. Much more terrible than…
The blue mannequin dropped the mic.
The red mannequin mashed another chord.
The yellow mannequin dropped its drumstick.
Monohebi pointed the tip of her tail down, like a thumbs-down. The crowd started to boo as Monohebi pressed the third buzzer.
ZAP!
Zuri yelled in pain. She couldn't stop. She wouldn't stop. She kept playing. She played chord by chord at an impossible speed. Her fingers started to bleed, cutting themselves on the strings as Zuri started to feel herself grow faint.
The blue mannequin fell to the ground.
The red mannequin toppled onto the synthesizer.
The yellow mannequin fell to the side.
Zuri ended the piece and did a pose.
ZAP!
ZAP!
ZAPPITY!
ZAP!
The lights exploded, putting the stage in almost pure darkness. But from what anyone could see, they could see that the mannequins were on the floor, unmoving. Zuri remained standing, but she wobbled around. Smoke erupted from her body as she slowly dropped the bass guitar. She shook around. Blood seeped out of her mouth, eyes, and fingers.
BEEEEEP!
Zuri didn't couldn't feel anything afterwards.
Because the bear trap she was in the middle of, slowly snapped shut, clamping directly where her torso was. Blood seeped out as Zuri's body shook. Her pelvis would've been undoubtedly crushed into pieces. And if the electrocution didn't kill her, then the bear trap most certainly did.
After all…
…
The lower part of her torso toppled down to the ground, detaching itself from Zuri's upper body.
Monohebi slithered up toward the stage and tipped her head with a single bow, doing a pose and allowing the crowd to cheer at the amazing performance they had seen.
Truly, the best final performance…
Zuri never expected to open the door to Hana's place one day and suddenly see Hana, Laurel, and Venessa looking at her like she had done something wrong. It was a strange sight to behold. It seemed like they were talking about something and her presence had simply interrupted them.
She blinked.
"Er, hey girls," Zuri gave them a small smile. "What's up?"
"...What's up?" Laurel folded her arms as she stepped up from the armchair she was sitting on.
"No, Laurel, don't," Hana urged, grabbing her by the elbow.
Laurel scoffed and shook Hana's grip away with a heated look.
"You mind explaining something to us?" Laurel took out her phone.
Zuri blinked.
She was confused.
Did she do something–
Zuri widened her eyes.
Oh…
"Zuri Auraline: Ultimate Bassist's Solo Cover of Fury."
It was a video she had posted last night. She did it out of curiosity of how people would react to it but based on the looks that her friends had given her… It definitely did much better than she expected. She held her ground.
"It's… just a solo cover," Zuri said, rubbing the back of her neck. "I don't see what's so wrong with it."
"You don't see what's wrong with it?" Laurel blinked before frowning. "Zuri. Look at the views. Look at what everyone's saying about you! About us!"
Zuri never bothered to read the comments.
But if Laurel was insisting…
She read what was commented on her video, before widening her eyes.
'Wow! That's Zuri Auraline?! From Dream Palm?! She has a really nice voice!'
'Goddamn, her voice is amazing! Better than that Hana girl's'
'She's so much cooler than her bandmates! Favorite one right there!'
'She should do more solo content more often. Dream Palm's only holding her back…'
'She was such an amateur last I checked! Damn! Going solo really worked out for her!'
"What?" Zuri blinked. "Wow… I… never thought people would like my singing voice that much…"
"Are you serious right now?" Laurel put her phone down. "Did you not see the shit people were saying about us? They called us amateurs! They said that your voice was better than Hana's! They think we suck and you're better than us! You have to do something about this!"
Zuri blinked.
She looked at the frustration in Laurel's eyes. She looked at the sight of discouragement from Venessa. She looked at Hana… She was… hurt. Emotionally hurt.
"I… What can I do about this?" Zuri blinked. "I mean, I just posted this video because I wanted to see what else I could do."
"And you did great," Laurel placed a hand on Zuri's shoulder. "But you have to take the video down. These people are literally spouting shit about us because of it."
Zuri looked at Laurel.
Take the video down? But what about all the good things that people have said about her? She always remained as the mysterious bassist that everyone wondered about but now that she was an Ultimate… Why should she?
She grimaced as she looked away from Hana's face.
"I… I can't…" Zuri frowned.
"W-What?" Laurel blinked.
"I can't Laurel…" Zuri frowned. "I mean, this is just a cover. I only did it because I wanted to show off my Talent. I can't just delete it y'know. I… I actually really like it myself too."
Laurel looked at Zuri in disbelief.
"Look, I'll just make another video telling people to stop posting hate comments, alright?" Zuri made a compromise. "If they like me this much, then they'll have to listen to what I have to say right?"
"...Zuri, before you do that, I have to say," Venessa had stayed silent for a while. "You sound way too good in that video. Have you… been practicing your own stuff behind our backs?"
Zuri paused.
She bit her lip.
It didn't take a genius to know that she was in fact practicing her own stuff.
"Zuri," Venessa sighed. "We need all the time we can get for our gigs. You can't just go off and go solo like that. I mean, we're a team. Dream Palm can't be Dream Palm without the Lime Leaf."
"Yeah," Laurel folded her arms. "You know, ever since you got that invitation to Hope's Peak, you've been acting like you're better than the rest of us. I get it. You're an Ultimate. But just because we aren't, doesn't mean you can just do whatever you want. We have to stay focused as a team–"
"Guys, I think that's enough," Hana rubbed her arms.
"No, Hana, it's not," Laurel frowned. "How can we possibly do stuff in the band when we have someone just doing stuff behind our back and not even letting us know about it? When were you even going to tell us you were doing solo covers? And why do you even have your own channel? I thought we promised to share one!"
"Laurel, please, you're overwhelming her," Hana urged.
"Just answer the question, Zuri," Venessa frowned. "Is there something you want to say to us…?"
"I…" Zuri stuttered slightly.
She didn't expect to have this conversation. At least, not now of all times. She shuddered to herself. She tightened her fist and sighed.
"I…" Zuri began. "It's true. I do want to go solo… It's something I've been thinking about doing for a while. I'm sorry…"
Venessa sighed and stood up from her sofa.
"And the cat's out of the bag," Venessa frowned. She was definitely disappointed by that response. "Well, good luck with that, I guess. I'll just be in my room…"
"W-Wait Venessa," Zuri began.
Venessa walked off.
Zuri watched her do so before her eyes gazed back toward Laurel, who only shook her head.
"That's… wow…" Laurel sighed. "So, think you're too good for us, huh? Should've known. The quiet ones are always thinking of shit like that."
"L-Laurel," Zuri tried to say.
Roughly, Laurel also stormed off.
All that was left was Hana, who couldn't even look her in the eye at the moment. Zuri frowned. She didn't understand it. What was so wrong about going solo?! Weren't these friends willing to accept whatever decision she made?!
"Why are you guys so mad about me going solo?" Zuri frowned at Hana. "I mean, you're my friends! You guys should be happy with whatever decision I make!"
"...We're not mad that you're going solo, Zuzu," Hana looked down. "We're all happy for you. Really. We are. But…"
"But…?" Zuri raised an eyebrow.
"...But we wish you would've told us sooner," Hana folded her arms. "Instead of keeping it a secret from us. I mean, what were you so scared of that you would go behind your own bandmates' back like this?"
Zuri blinked before looking down.
She… had a point.
Why didn't she tell them?
She could've trusted them with this fact!
Was she just too scared?
If so, too scared of what?
"A-Anyway, we wish you the best then," Hana sniffled slightly. She was definitely hurt for this to be so sudden. "I guess, Dream Palm will be open to you whenever you want to come back."
Zuri looked at Hana.
"After all, you helped make it with me," Hana gave her a small smile. But that smile shifted into a sad frown as she hurried off, leaving Zuri in the room alone.
"H-Hana," Zuri tried to say but Hana had already left.
…
Zuri remained in the room alone.
Laurel had left her phone behind. Picking it up, she scrolled through the comments on her video. All of the positive love going her way. All the negative hate going to her friends. She grimaced as she read it. Grimaced as one specifically caught her eye:
'That's an Ultimate student right there. The other three are outmatched. The only reason they exist is because of Zuri!'
She sighed.
Ah.
That's what she was scared of.
She was too scared to admit that everyone was right…
"Z…Zuri…?"
Holland never moved from his spot. He remained on his knees, staring up at the screen. He had just watched Zuri Auraline being executed. He just saw his girlfriend get electrocuted and cut in half. He wished that this was all a bad dream. A terrible nightmare that he could wake up from. That he would just get out of bed and Zuri would be there, assuring him that it was all just a dream…
Just a dream…
"H-Holland…" Mimi walked up to Holland, wiping away stray tears. "...Y-You have to get up now. Zuri is…"
"...M-Mimi?" Holland slowly turned to Mimi. His eyes went dark. What was he supposed to do now? "D-Did… Did I do something wrong?"
"W-What?" Mimi blinked.
"D-Did I do something wrong?" Holland repeated. "D-Did… You put that Redemption spell on me… r-remember?"
"A-Ah…" Mimi widened her eyes.
"There," Mimi gave Holland a small smile as she let go of his hand. "I have casted a Redemption spell on you. Your redemption arc starts now. Listen closely. The Redemption spell will last for the entirety of our time in this game. Meaning, once we get out without you doing anything bad, you will be redeemed for your past crimes! But if you do anything bad from now on, my Redemption spell will break and you will forever be cursed with loneliness. Do you understand?"
"S-So… D-Did I do something to deserve this?" Holland asked.
"...No, Holland, you didn't…" Mimi shook her head. "That spell was just–"
"Th-Then why?!" Holland cried out, tears pouring out of his eyes. "W-Why did Zuri die?! H-How did I still end up alone?! H-How did I lose the most important person in my life?! H-How Mimi?! H-How?!"
"I– I– I don't know," Mimi started to cry herself.
"H-Holland, look man, I get it," Haruto stepped forward. "She was really important to you. But you shouldn't be yelling at Mimi over this–"
"Th-This is all your fault…" Holland accused.
Haruto said nothing. He bit his lip and glanced away.
"...Th-This… Th-This is all your fault!" Holland ran up to Haruto and started punching him in the chest. "I-It's your fault! It's your fault! It's your fault!"
"H-Holland!" Abigail prepared to rush to Haruto's side but Haruto held up his hand and shook his head.
No matter how hard Holland punched him, Haruto took it like a champ. He let himself get punched in the chest by Holland. He placed his hands on his hips before sighing and grabbing Holland by the wrists as the game designer desperately tried to hit him.
"I-It's your fault… I-It's all your fault…" Holland cried.
"...I know," Haruto somberly said. "I fucked up. And there's nothing I can do to take that back. So… if you want to keep on hitting me, do it. I deserve it."
"Grk… Grk… Grk…" Holland collapsed to his knees. "I-It's… not just your fault Haruto… It's my fault too…"
Holland nearly felt his heart give away. He can't even come to terms with it. Can't even come to terms with the fact that Zuri was gone. Gone from him… forever.
"If I had been smarter… If I had been better and more observant I could've saved Zuri…" Holland regretfully said. "Zuri wouldn't have to die and she would be okay… She'd be here right now… Z-Zuri…"
Holland slammed his fist on the ground.
"Z-ZURIIIIIIIIIII!" Holland wailed as he sobbed on the ground. "G-Guh…Aghhh…Grk…."
…
Cassandra glanced away from this sight. Her face had darkened. She didn't want to be around here anymore. She instantly left to head to a Voting Chamber. She didn't even wait for White Collar or Monohebi to excuse them.
Similarly, Arthur turned to leave as well.
"...Half-brother…" Ina tugged on the end of his sleeve. "You do not wish to stay either?"
Arthur said nothing. It was clear that Zuri's death affected him too.
"...No, I don't," Arthur merely said.
Ina let go, watching Arthur walk off to a Voting Chamber as well. She turned back to see Holland being comforted by Haruto, Abigail, and Mimi, all of whom were trying to get him to stand up. She grimaced.
Two more lives were lost when they didn't need to be.
And Ina knew it was her fault as well.
…
"That was a wonderful execution," Monohebi nodded her head in satisfaction as she slithered up to White Collar. "I am quite glad we decided to recycle an unused one from… M-Master?"
Monohebi tilted her head.
White Collar was quiet.
The man in the Devil's mask seemed to watch the prisoners move toward the Voting Chambers inch by inch with a solemn look on his face.
"...Let's go Monohebi," White Collar merely stated.
"Ah… of course, Master," Monohebi nodded her head, curiously.
Master White Collar only looked that way in their office. Did today's events trouble him as much as it did to the other prisoners? That couldn't be right. Master White Collar wouldn't let something like this trouble him. They were sinners after all! He wouldn't care about sinners!
…
Unless they were…
Monohebi turned her head back as she noticed Cassandra enter the Voting Chamber, wordlessly. She flicked her tongue before following behind White Collar.
Haruto wandered back into his room.
Holland had excused himself, leaving Haruto by himself.
But even with Holland had gone off, guilt was still written all over his face. Despite him being innocent… Despite him not even being an attempted murderer, Haruto still knew that he did something wrong. He still knew that he made a mistake, and he also still knew that he was to blame for what happened.
For what happened to Jared.
For what happened to…
Haruto clenched his fist. Holland had every right to be mad at him. If Haruto had not been such a coward or an idiot, Zuri wouldn't have…
…
By the time Haruto returned to his door, he noticed Abigail leaning against the wall, standing right outside of his room. She had been waiting for a while it seemed. He paused. God. She was angry, wasn't she? Angry about what he did. Haruto didn't need to ask. He took one look at her face.
And the moment she saw him, she stormed up to him, her face filled with frustration and anger.
"...A-Abby, I'm–"
SLAP!
Haruto felt his cheek. He widened his eyes, noting just how much that stung. He glanced at Abigail's eyes, noticing that tears were almost forming from her eyes.
"I… I deserved that," Haruto looked down, ashamed.
Then, without another word, Abigail quickly gave him a hug, holding him tightly. No words. Just one action. She buried her face in her chest, letting some tears slide down her face and staining his shirt with some of her running eyeliner.
"...A-Abby…" Haruto frowned. "I'm really…"
"...You're an idiot," was all Abigail said, as she whimpered behind his chest. "You're a fucking idiot."
Haruto bit his lip and hugged her back.
"...I know," Haruto said, solemnly. "I know…"
What else was there to say? He kept her head safely buried into her chest as she hugged him tightly. He really messed up.
Things weren't going to be okay.
And even with Abigail by his side, he wasn't sure how he could make up for his mistake…
(Ultimate Bassist's Cell)
Holland slowly wandered into the Zuri's Cell.
His eyes had long dried up, but he looked absolutely terrible. Why wouldn't he? The girl he loved had been killed. And now, all he had left were memories. Mementos of her existence. He blankly stared at the room they had investigated together. Blankly stared at the where the bass guitars were.
That was where they shared an intimate moment.
He clenched his fist.
He wished he could share more. He wished that everything that happened didn't happen and that together they would meet here and just… He shuddered. He glanced at the ventilation.
So, this area was a Gas Chamber, huh?
It wouldn't hurt if someone went ahead and closed the door for five minutes.
He wouldn't mind breathing in hydrogen sulfide right now.
He shook.
His eyes tiredly trailed toward the Sound Booth before landing at the soundboard. He said nothing, but he did recall that there was something with it. Something about Zuri not… Ah, right…
"W-Wait!" Zuri gasped, rushing over to Holland.
"...H-Huh?!" Holland blinked. "W-What is it this time?"
Zuri instantly hovered herself over the soundboard. She made sure that Holland wouldn't be able to press anything on it.
"Uhhh… why are you…?" Holland blinked.
"I-It's not ready yet!" Zuri exclaimed. "Y-You can't listen!"
"...W-What?" Holland looked surprised. "B-But it could be evidence!"
"Y-You're just saying that so you can listen to my music!" Zuri pouted, folding her arms. "Nope! You can't listen! Not until it's finished!"
It wasn't finished.
But the headphones she used were still right there, itching for him to put them on and listen to what exactly she had recorded.
He tiredly stared at it.
He didn't speak.
He sat down on the chair, placed the headphones, and pressed play, allowing it to play the most recent recording…
…
"Okay, so this is Take 5 of my solo piece, Sweet Hope," Zuri's voice came through. "I just need to remember to hit the right chord at the end and not let my voice crack."
She giggled to herself.
"As usual, this is dedicated to the most special person I've… truly met. This one goes to you, Holland."
Holland could hear Zuri smiling behind the audio footage. His expression never changed. He just sat still and listened as she started to strum single notes:
…
At the ocean
Where Hope resides
A warm hand touching me
With the tides
Holland slowly widened his eyes. This was the theme that she always hummed… It was:
I see you with
Your unchanging face
Yet it brings a smile to my
Otherworldly grace
Holland remained still as he listened to her voice:
I feel your sadness
Under the rain
I confessed
To share that pain
She started to strum chords and picked up the pace:
It's a Hope
Together in prison
With two hands to cope
And a sweet mission
For lovers
To elope forever and ever
She reached a higher note, giggling slightly:
It's a Hope
Where two can see
It's a love
Born from a tragedy
The piece grew softer as Holland felt her voice whisper in his ear. He glanced around, instinctively. He was alone:
It's a love
Born from a tragedy
It's a Hope
For two lovers
To elope forever
And a sweet mission for two
Our hands will remain connected
Forever
Yeah yeah
Forever
There was a small interlude before she sung again:
It's our Hope
It's a love
Born from a tragedy
Yeah yeah
In a prison overseas
She raised her voice and sang softly:
It's our Hope
It's our moment
It's our time
To elope forever
It's my Hope
The piece slowed down as she sung the last two notes:
Sweet Hope
…
The moment the piece ended, Holland said nothing. He heard Zuri's voice one last time as she sighed in relief.
"It's not good enough," Zuri sighed to herself. "God. I wonder what Holland will think of this…"
She hummed to herself in thought.
…
Then the recording ended there.
Holland rested his back against the chair and slowly let the headphones slip down to his neck. He slowly covered his mouth. Aw crap. He was starting to cry again. His eyes started to leak out as he began to shake.
"Z-Zuri…" Holland mumbled. "I-It is good enough… It's so much better than you realize… It… I wish I could have just told you that to your face…"
Holland sniffled to himself.
"...I miss you, Zuri…" Holland quietly cried.
(Ultimate Police Officer's Cell)
...
"Attention all prisoners," Monohebi's voice announced. "It is now midnight. Curfew hour begins now. As such, all prisoners must report to their confinements. Anyone who is caught outside of their confinements will be punished accordingly. Be sure to review the rules on the Rules App of your Handbook. That is all."
...
The Nighttime Announcement may have sounded.
But Cassandra was in no condition to sleep.
She found herself stepping into the Ultimate Police Officer's Cell as she glanced around. Every memory of Jared, every reminder of who he was, every reminder of how much she… truly enjoyed being near him. She couldn't believe it.
She actually… really liked his company.
And now, just like that, he was gone.
The only reminder she had of him was this damn Cell and a memory of what he had last told her. She clenched her fist. She didn't want a reminder of that. She wanted any memory of her time with Jared to be a good one…
…And yet she could never think of any good memories.
Every memory she had with him was just bad.
And it was her fault.
Her and her closed-off bitchy attitude.
It was her fault that she couldn't make the best moments with him truly count…
Guh…
Why was she like this…?
…He was just… an ally… wasn't he…?
…
"Miss Mura."
Cassandra said nothing.
Of course, in a time she wished to be alone, he decided to come along and intrude. She didn't even need to turn around. That modulated voice was enough to let her know that White Collar was right behind her, probably asking her for updates on that deal she made.
That deal.
That fucking deal…
She grabbed a gun from the display case with the SWAT uniform, turned around and pointed it toward White Collar. She placed both hands on the grip and the trigger, getting ready to fire it and end it once and for all.
Sure enough.
She was right.
White Collar had been standing behind her. What she didn't expect was Monohebi slithering behind him too. And the moment she saw what Cassandra was about to do, Monohebi hissed and bared her fangs.
"See, Master?!" Monohebi hissed. "I knew you shouldn't have trusted this skank! I will paralyze her and punish her for her discretions!"
"Monohebi, stand down please," White Collar merely stated.
"I have a very special punishment lined up for one Cassandra Mura," Monohebi declared behind the wisps of her voice. "Let's end this skank's life Master!"
"Monohebi," White Collar sternly began.
Monohebi quickly slithered to Cassandra but before anyone could do anything, White Collar slammed his cane in front of Monohebi, stopping her dead in her tracks.
"M-Master?" Monohebi glanced toward White Collar in shock.
"Monohebi," White Collar's mask turned angry and downright ghastly. His eyes started glinting like crazy. "Are you disobeying orders?"
"W-What?" Monohebi gasped. "I… I would never…"
"Then stand down," White Collar reprimanded. "When I say stand down, I mean stand down. If you don't, then I'm afraid I might just have to put you down instead…"
"M-Master–" Monohebi seemed taken aback by that. "I was… I was just looking out…"
White Collar's mask turned back to Cassandra as he fixed his tie.
"...If you know what's good for you, Monohebi," White Collar began. "Please leave us. I wish to talk to Miss Mura, privately."
"B-But Master!" Monohebi exclaimed.
"I won't repeat myself again Monohebi," White Collar turned to the snake with scorn in his jagged eye. "Leave… or I will make you leave."
"M-Master…" Monohebi gasped.
She seemed hurt by what White Collar was telling her. She looked down, sadly. She couldn't believe her Master was falling for whatever this foolish skank had planned for him. She couldn't believe that after everything, her Master would still side with this bitch rather than her… his faithful servant.
It…
…really pissed her off.
She flicked her tongue toward Cassandra in irritation. Then, she turned to White Collar.
"I… apologize for my actions," Monohebi nodded. "I… I will be going now…"
The snake slithered off.
And as she did, Cassandra couldn't care less and kept her gun pointed directly toward White Collar. It was that snake's fault that everything that happened between her and Jared got so screwed up. So, fuck that snake!
But first…
"You really shouldn't have done that," Cassandra hatefully stated. "Because now, who's going to protect you once I pull the trigger?"
White Collar eyed Cassandra carefully.
Then, he gave a small sigh.
…
"...You and I both know you won't," White Collar stated, forcing Cassandra to tighten her grip. "Because I believe you know that Mister Caertas removed the bullets from those guns a long time ago. In fact, the only gun that even has bullets is the gun he tried to shoot me with, and I can assure you, the gun you have in your hands is not that…"
"Y-You don't get to say his name!" Cassandra yelled. "Not after… everything…"
"Don't I?" White Collar approached her.
"S-Stay back!" Cassandra stammered. "I… I'll shoot!"
"Don't think I didn't notice how much Mister Caertas truly meant to you," White Collar pointed the sharp protruding end of his cane at the bottom of Cassandra's chin. "Don't think that I didn't know why you couldn't bring yourself to fulfill your part of the deal. I know why…"
"Grrrr…" Cassandra closed her eyes. "Sh-Shut up! Sh-Shut up!"
"You loved him, didn't you?" White Collar leaned forward with what she thought was a taunting whisper.
"F-FUCK YOU!" Cassandra screamed before pulling the trigger.
Click.
Click.
Click.
Click.
Click.
Click.
Six clicks.
No bullets in the chamber.
White Collar was right.
Not just about the gun.
But about…
Cassandra dropped the gun, letting it hit the floor as she dropped to her knees. Finally, she felt her emotions overwhelm her as tears started to flow out of her eyes. Tears of empathy that she had promised she wouldn't show anyone. Tears that she had held back throughout every terrible thing that's happened in her life, often replaced by her anger and frustration.
And yet here she was, showing it for the first time.
"G-Guh… h-he's really gone," Cassandra covered her mouth as she came to grips with the reality of it all. "Jared's really… fucking gone… That fucking asshole… H-He…"
Cassandra started to shake as she watched White Collar slowly drop down to one knee as he set his cane aside.
"H-He… H-He's really gone," Cassandra started to outright sob. "Th-The one guy who gave a damn about me in this damn place. Th-The only one here who was willing to Trust me. Th-The only one here who would stay by me. H-He's gone and it's all my fucking fault… I-It's all my f-fault that h-he's… I… I killed him…"
Cassandra felt two arms wrap around her in a comforting hug.
And to her surprise, it was from White Collar himself.
…But she couldn't even bring herself to question why.
She hugged him back as she let tears stain his black suit and let everything out all at once.
"G-Guh… I… c-cared so much about him…" Cassandra cried. "I r-really really cared about him and I s-screwed it up. A-And because of that, he's gone now and I l-lost the only guy who ever gave me a chance…"
White Collar said nothing as he gave her that hug she deserved.
"J-Jared was right," Cassandra bitterly wept. "I… I'm nothing more than a s-selfish bitch… Th-That's just who I am… Th-That's just who I'm forever meant to be… Isn't it…?"
White Collar remained silent for a moment before letting go of her. He took out a handkerchief from his chest pocket and slowly wiped her tears.
Cassandra couldn't stop letting tears fall out of her eyes.
All those emotions finally releasing.
Just like Holland…
And the more she thought about Jared, the more it made her want to cry. That man lived up to his code until the end… And she could still do nothing but blame herself for everything that happened to him.
How couldn't she?
She felt White Collar continue to wipe her tears quietly. She glanced up at him, emotionally vulnerable and in no mood to be angry at the moment. She just wanted to be sad now. She's been angry for far too long?
"...W-Why?" Cassandra asked. "Why the… Why are you being so goddamn nice to me right now?"
White Collar was about to go and wipe more tears, but Cassandra caught his wrist. She tried to glare but all that came out were more tears.
"W-Why do you fucking care about me so much that you would come here and fucking… comfort me?!" Cassandra yelled. "Fucking answer me damn it! F-Fucking… G-Guh… G-Guh…"
Cassandra started to sob again.
White Collar sighed, placing his handkerchief down.
"...You wish to know why I would care for you, even though you are a sinner?" White Collar asked, perking his head with sympathy on his masked face.
Cassandra tried to wipe her own tears with her own hands. She felt so pathetic. So weak. The heartless Cassandra Mura was what she was normally called and yet now… she was just here, crying like a little bitch.
She hated it.
And yet, she needed to.
She had to as she felt White Collar stand back up.
Opening her tear-stained eyes, she noticed White Collar hold out a hand for her to grab.
"...Come with me," White Collar began. "I will tell you why…"
Cassandra whimpered slightly but did as she was told. She took his hand. White Collar grabbed his cane. Together, the two left the Ultimate Police Officer's Cell… unbeknownst that someone was following behind them...
(Cell Block B)
Cassandra didn't know what she expected when she slowly followed behind White Collar's guidance. She thought he was showing her a secret passageway back to that creepy dining room again.
But to Cell Block B of all places?
She sniffled slightly, wiping away any remaining tears forming on the corner of her eyes. She timidly looked up toward the man in the Devil's mask.
"W-Why are we here?" Cassandra asked, meekly. "W-Why couldn't you just tell me back…"
"...Because I wanted to share with you my favorite place in this entire godforsaken facility," White Collar answered. "A sneak preview to what your fellow prisoners will find tomorrow."
He had led her straight toward the middle part of that excruciatingly long common area that Cell Block B had. The place where the horse plot that Ina and Mayu pulled off… Specifically just to reach the last door on the 2nd floor that had yet to be opened for the public to see.
Using what seemed to be his own eHandbook, White Collar swiped it against the blacked out eHandbook reader.
The eHandbook reader went from black to red.
Swiping it again, the eHandbook reader went from red to green and opened up.
Then, politely, White Collar gestured for her to enter the room.
"I believe you will enjoy this..." White Collar began, bowing his head. "Please, after you…"
Cassandra timidly looked down.
Normally, she wouldn't even dare go first but since she didn't even care what happened to her at this point. So, she went anyway. She just lacked that energy to argue. That energy to live...
(Ultimate Fairytale Writer's Cell)
Cassandra didn't know what she expected.
She figured she was going to be placed in a trapped room but this was…
"I-It's… beautiful," Cassandra breathlessly whispered.
"So you agree?" White Collar's mask genuinely smiled behind her as he walked over with his cane to stand by her side. "Welcome to the Ultimate Fairytale Writer's Cell. Or… as I like to call, St. Esther's Garden of Eden…"
…
The Ultimate Fairytale Writer's Cell was a large dome-like area. Fitting the recreational themes of the Cell Block B, it was an entirely grassy terrain with flower beds, a small makeshift river stream that circled around a smaller area within the middle of the room. To get over the river stream were four bridges situated in four different directions: One on the North, one on the South, one on the West, and one on the East. Currently, Cassandra and White Collar were facing the one on the South.
Within the smaller area that was surrounded by this clean river-like moat, was a large tree, filled with fruits of every kind. This tree had a door, windows, and a picnic blanket set up neatly underneath the tree's shade. And just like the Ultimate Basketball Cell, it was also an open area with no ceiling but barbed wires attached on top of the walls that surrounded them, allowing them to breathe in fresh air from the night sky, but also preventing them from even climbing out to escape.
We all saw what happened to Haruto after all…
Surrounding the outer rim by the flower beds were yellow bricks on the ground that circled around and was heavily decorated by flowers of every color: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet…
Just as Cassandra and White Collar remarked, it was truly a beautiful Cell…
And for a moment, Cassandra became lost in its beauty. She stared at all the color and nature in this Cell, feeling as if she truly were stepping into the lost Garden of Eden. Feeling Hope like never before…
"...Shall we?" White Collar asked her, gesturing for her to follow him.
Cassandra blinked before remembering why she was here in the first place.
Remembering why she felt so… weak at the moment…
She nodded and crossed over the bridge over by the shallow river stream that was adorned with koi fish traveling around in an endless loop. Then, they made their way to the picnic blanket.
…
"Sit, please," White Collar gestured for her to join him as soon as he seated himself and leaned against the tree with a relaxed look on his mask's face. He patted the space next to him. "Join me in admiring this… artificial beauty…"
Cassandra didn't even know what he meant by that but did as she was told.
She sat next to him on the picnic blanket, admiring the sights and smell of nature in the air. The colors of the flowers were soothing to look at. The sounds of the riverstream were soothing to hear. The smell of the grass and trees were satisfying to the core.
Together, they sat still for a long moment of silence.
It didn't take long for Cassandra to open her mouth to speak, finally regaining her usual composure. She wiped the corner of her eyes with her fingers.
"...Garden of Eden, huh?" Cassandra asked. "You really like your biblical references, don't you?"
"Perhaps…" White Collar simply stated as he eyed the grassy terrain. "I'm sure even you know the story behind the Garden of Eden, yes?"
"...The big guy up top makes the entire world and keeps some dude named Adam and a woman named Eve in his big ass garden," Cassandra recalled, hugging her legs. "Then some snake comes along and makes Eve and Adam eat an apple that gets them kicked out of the garden, right?"
"That's the gist of it, yes," White Collar's mask chuckled. "Adam and Eve. They were the prototypes for today's mankind. God had only intended for them to live a happy and sin-free life there. And yet, all it took was a mischievous snake and one bite, that paved the way for sin to rule the world."
Cassandra snuck a glance toward White Collar.
"...So you're one of those religious types that want to purge the world because of a story?" Cassandra asked, unimpressed. "What? Trying to make your own Garden of Eden… by killing Ultimate students?"
"...Ha," White Collar shook his head. "I can see why you would think that. But it is as you mentioned. The story of Adam and Eve is just a story. There is no evidence that a Garden of Eden truly existed. Nor any evidence of a Moses separating the Red Sea or a Noah that built an ark to save two of every animal in existence…"
"You're telling me that you, a religious nut, don't actually believe in these Bible stories?" Cassandra asked, bewildered. "Wow, that's…"
White Collar remained quiet for a moment before speaking through his voice-modulated Devil's mask.
"...You sinners all seem to think that I'm some sort of priest or… God-fearing servant, fulfilling a duty to the world," White Collar shook his head. "I assure you. Religion is the least of my concerns."
Cassandra eyed him curiously.
"...Miss Mura, do you know what religion really is?" White Collar asked, as he stared off into the distance.
"Just a belief system that people share, isn't it?" Cassandra didn't know why she would ask such a random question.
"...True," White Collar nodded. "But that's not what I see when I think of the stories from the supposed 'Word of God.'"
"Oh really?" Cassandra asked.
"Religion is what people go to when they are truly lost in this world," White Collar answered her. "To many, it's Hope. Hope for those who are unable to function without guidance. The prayers that people preach, the stories that are passed from generation to generation, and the belief that the world is controlled by an unseen entity who judges the world He sees fit. It's just a form of Hope."
"And how'd you reach that conclusion?" Cassandra raised an eyebrow.
"...Because once upon a time, I never cared about religion," White Collar answered her. "Before, I wasn't always so well-versed with Bible stories or the belief in Heaven and Hell or the Ten Commandments…"
White Collar rested his head against the tree.
"I never even believed in any god," White Collar muttered. "Not even now…"
"Then why continue pulling up all of this sin and religion talk?" Cassandra muttered. "Is that you just trying to believe in a god?"
"...Perhaps so," White Collar simply answered. "That could be the Hope that I so crave. The Hope of what religion will bring me."
White Collar's voice turned solemn. Cassandra could hear that tone shift from his voice as he matched her eyes.
"You wish to know why I cared about you?" White Collar asked. "Why did I bother to comfort a sinner like yourself?"
Cassandra blinked.
White Collar chuckled slightly.
"...Because I could relate to your Father," White Collar answered.
"W-What?" Cassandra blinked. "W-What do you mean… H-How?"
White Collar's mask turned serious as he glanced away.
"...I had a daughter once," White Collar softly spoke behind his mask. "She was… about your age. And she was… very similar to you, minus the vulgarity and… other negative qualities. But when you were in tears, you reminded me so much of her. It surprised even myself when I ended up hugging you…"
White Collar chuckled softly.
"Perhaps that was why I decided to let you get a chance to meet with me," White Collar said. "Perhaps that was why I really wanted to talk to you over dinner. Or why I even bothered with the deal in the first place. Perhaps I just… missed that feeling… That sacred duty of being a father."
"...What happened to your daughter?" Cassandra asked, looking at him with surprising sympathy.
White Collar paused for a moment. It seemed he needed a moment. He didn't move for a bit but once he did, he spoke up again.
"...She was taken from me," White Collar answered, his voice a little sorrowful. "A long time ago. Even now, I have never truly been able to accept it. My daughter was my everything. And yet her life and future was cut short… Right there in front of my eyes."
Cassandra mouthed an 'oh' and turned away. She never expected this psychopath to have such a… tragic story. Nor did she even expect herself to remind him of…
"...My fondest memory of my daughter was in a garden, just like this one," White Collar pointed his hand toward the grassy fields and flowerbeds. "She was young and cheerful. She would run around and play in the fields. And whenever I came out and saw her in that garden, I would run alongside her, carry her and hold her high up in the air…"
White Collar clutched onto his cane tightly.
"'Daddy, daddy, look at me, I'm flying,' she would say," White Collar reminisced. "We would laugh and then she would always give me the brightest smile a father could ever enjoy."
White Collar's mask never grinned throughout his reminiscence. Even that sinister mask could look solemn.
"Those were happier times," White Collar continued. "...And after I lost her, I lost every sense of who I once was. I lost what I truly believed in. I lost my purpose in this godforsaken world. And then, I came upon religion."
Cassandra turned back to White Collar in surprise. Back to religion now?
"...By my daughter's grave, was a church," White Collar explained. "It isn't unusual for a church to be by a grave. But one day, while visiting my daughter, I thought, why not? I sat there, for three hours. I listened to the songs. I heard the prayers. And yet, while everyone felt as if God was giving them Hope in the New World, I still felt cheated."
White Collar tightened his grip on his cane again.
"If God is truly all that great and powerful, then why did he take my daughter away?" White Collar's voice sounded frustrated. "Why couldn't he bring my daughter back? How could I possibly believe in a force so powerful; they were willing to let innocence burn, and sinners run wild."
White Collar started to sneer.
"I don't dress like the Devil by choice," White Collar explained. "I dress like the Devil to send messages. One of them, to challenge God himself. Because if he truly does exist, he would put a stop to my actions. He would be convinced to stop now or pay a heavy price and yet… he never does…"
"...Is that what you Hope for?" Cassandra asked.
White Collar said nothing to that regard.
Instead, he stood up, his mask looking serious and less solemn now.
"Miss Mura," White Collar began. "You and I have both lost people we loved. We both have a reason to exact vengeance now. But unlike me, you have at least one more person that you can do this for: your Father. You have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to return to him. All that is required is that you sacrifice the blood of one more… Arthur Kingston."
Cassandra glanced away.
"...If I remind you so much of your daughter, then why bother asking me to do something like that?" Cassandra countered. "I'm sure your daughter wasn't a killer..."
"...Please, keep in mind," White Collar sighed. "You remind me of my daughter. That doesn't mean you are my daughter. No one can replace my daughter. No one can replace those happy memories with fake ones..."
"...B-But to... J-Jared wouldn't want that," Cassandra bit her lip.
"And yet, who was it that got Mister Caertas killed in the first place?" White Collar pointed the sharp end of his cane toward Cassandra. "It was Arthur Kingston. If he hadn't decided to betray Mister Caertas, he would've been alive right now. You would've had a chance to tell him how you truly felt about him. And yet, just like my daughter, his life was cut short…"
Cassandra hugged herself.
He made a solid point.
The main reason Jared died was because of Arthur's betrayal. While others had a part in it, if Arthur hadn't gone ahead and betrayed him, what everyone else had done wouldn't have happened.
Jared would've been alive.
Jared would've been…
"Miss Mura, listen to me," White Collar ordered. "You can take all the time in the world to fulfill your bargain, but in the end, Arthur Kingston has to die. Because if he doesn't, you will lose. And you will never see your father again. I do not wish for Hikaru Mura to suffer the same loss that I did. And I know you don't want to bring more pain into your father than he is in now…"
Cassandra bit her lip.
"What other choice do you have?" White Collar questioned. "No one else has forgiven you for what you have done to Miss LaDroubi. Mister Caertas was the only one who could have protected you and Arthur Kingston ruined that. You have no one but me and my ongoing deal…"
He was right.
What other choice did she have?
Why should she even give a damn about everyone else…?
Why… should she even care…?
Cassandra felt another tear slide down her eye.
…
Jared.
What should I do now?
…
And as Cassandra pondered through that decision, a familiar serpent slithered away: Monohebi. She had been following and watching them closely. And with every conversation, the snake only hissed quietly and grew more irritated and angrier.
This had to stop.
Whatever was going on with her Master, it just had to!
Things were going too far.
Even with Jared dead, the skank's will over her Master wasn't broken.
She flicked her tongue.
Her jagged red eyes glinted heatedly.
…
There was only one way to settle this now.
One way…
"I'm sorry Master," Monohebi stated. "But I will do this for your sake…"
For his sake.
For the sake of her Master…
DANGANRONPA: CORRUPTED HOPE
God. This was such a depressing end to Chapter 4: Sins of the Forsaken. Depressing for everyone, even for White Collar. Like damn. But as usual, I have a lot to talk about. For starters:
The title: Sins of the Forsaken. Now, forsaken literally means to be abandoned or betrayed and as you all have seen, there was a huge theme of betrayal throughout this entire Chapter, as if it wasn't obvious with the flashbacks. The Bible story that I pulled was the Denial of Peter, where after Jesus is betrayed by Judas and arrested by the Romans, Peter is interrogated and in fear, denies knowing Jesus three times. Similarly, this is exactly what happened with Cassandra and Jared, where Cassandra denied Jared… probably three times and in the end, she lost him forever. Really poetic in the way I feel but the Sins of the Forsaken can relate to anyone, including Zuri or Jared themselves. Even has ties to the main motive of the chapter too!
Speaking of which… Zuri. Oh God, Zuri D: Before I start, thank you CandleFire45 for giving me such an amazing character! Before before I start some more, here's a fun fact as well:
Zuri was originally supposed to be a Survivor and secret protagonist of Corrupted Hope. However, that obviously changed when I moved around people in Chapter 3.
Honestly, Zuri was probably the nicest character in this entire story. Despite the sin she did, she was seriously someone that it really hurt to kill off regardless. I really liked her relationship with Holland, her arc of being that background to becoming a main frontrunner, and just her in general. Despite the fact that Zuri is a really nice person, Zuri is still human and like everyone else here, she's done horrible things. Her horrible deed was abandoning her friends, and she gave into the temptation of not even trying to save Jared, which might be a little controversial to what we knew of Zuri.
Now, it may feel a little cheap to kill Zuri due to rule breaking, but originally, Zuri was supposed to be Jared's killer. She was supposed to be the culprit of Chapter 4 but no matter what I did, I couldn't figure out how to make her the killer, without making it an accident and without making it seem like she was secretly evil or something like that. I already had accidental crimes of passion already with Mayu and Barracuda, and I didn't want another one of that. Plus, it would also be character regression for Jared as well.
So, simple solution?
Jared kills himself. Zuri breaks a rule. Jared dies as a victim. Zuri gets executed. And everyone is sad. Yay!
For the Trial, the Gas Chamber twist was something I've planned for a long time. You can see the seeds being planted in Chapter 2 when they first mentioned the gas leaks, and Chapter 4 brought that back and delivered… to positive reactions I would say! Now, originally, Jared was supposed to die to the gas leak as well, and that was how he was going to be poisoned… But, given how the Gas Chamber functioned, it would've been impossible for him to just kill himself without having a blackened and I wanted this to be a suicide.
So, now you have another case that parallels DR 1, but a little more interesting. In DR 1, three people attacked Sakura before she killed herself. In Corrupted Hope, it was three people discovering Jared after he killed himself, with one of them covering up their 'crime' and the other using his death as a means to escape. In fact, the motive is pretty much the motive from DR 1 as well. While Sakura was straight outed as a Traitor, the Corrupted Hope cast had to play a game of Among Us or Guess Who to determine who was a Traitor and who was an Innocent.
Thank God, I won't have to do that again because that was so damn hard DX
Zuri's execution, as mentioned in the chapter, was actually a refurbished version of Sayaka Maizono's unused execution. I don't know! It just worked really damn well! Especially to call it "Dreamin Vers. 2".
Finally, the ending scene between White Collar and Cassandra. I've seriously planned a long time for Cassandra to finally break down and not only that, but to White Collar of all people! I also planned for White Collar to reveal some part of his story to her as well and it's yet another highly anticipated scene I really wanted to get to throughout Chapter 4! And now, I'm glad you guys get to read it :D
All in all, I'm surprised at how fast I finished Chapter 4. I beat my deadline so perhaps I can try to work on Chapter 6 Trials before Chapter 5 in the meantime. After December 23, I hope to have a 3 week break from everything…
Especially because I need it DX Man, Holland, Zuri, Jared, White Collar, Cassandra… God this chapter was so sad…
…
Anyway, I think there's more I want to share, but I think I'll save those for the Discord channel. Got any thoughts and criticisms? Let me know! I'm just a little iffy on the true sins of Jared and Zuri but hey, they are still good people in their own right despite that!
Until then though… Chapter 5 :D We're nearing the endgame now!
Prisoners Remaining: 7
Abigail Ellsworth - The Ultimate Equestrian (oddlyillregular) [1,000,000]
Arthur Kingston - The Ultimate Snowboarder (SinWriter7) [0]
Cassandra Mura - The Ultimate Scam Artist (ExtraMeme) [500,000]
Haruto Walker - The Ultimate Former Basketball Player (theotakureader101) [0]
Holland Delaney - The Ultimate Game Designer (Sempi) [1,000,000]
Ina (Hamamura) Kingston - The Ultimate Revolutionary (VividIsSleeping) [0]
Mimi Kazoo - The Ultimate Fairytale Writer (Idraegan) [0]