Prologue: Opening Pandora's Box Chapter 11

Kyoko blew a straw piece of lavender hair from her mouth, watching the slowly moving walls with an idle expression as the dumbwaiter made its way steadily underground. Her phone had been the only source of the light for the detective and her 'partner', the sunlight from the day earlier now a mere memory as they descended through the dark depths.

She was used to waiting. After all, it required patience for detectives to crack a case since the answer won't be revealed conveniently. Where there is a mystery, there are clues left behind the suspicious and putting the pieces together to track the culprits down is her specialty.

Her gloved hands rubbed against the wooden floor of the dumbwaiter. Although the scarred hands beneath the fabric had long numbed her sense of touch, she was still able to notice the smoothness of the surface instead of bristly and filled with holes that wood gained as it got older. If anything, it appears that the wooden material the dumbwaiter was made out of was entirely new, although that would make sense if someone in particular needed a transportation down and a ride with old, rotting wood would make the descent dangerous.

This wood feels too smooth. Probably newly replaced. She looked out from the entrance of the dumbwaiter and extended a finger to touch the cables. So are these cables. Someone has been making a few trips around here.

At that, she turned her gaze towards Hakashita.

The gray-haired man was humming a tune merrily to himself, singing the ninety-nine bottles of beer chant to pass the time. In spite of his cuffed hands, the old man's fingers drummed along their ride's outer rim to the beat of his song. Not a care in the world.

The man turned his neck towards the detective when he caught her staring at him in the corner of his eye. His lips parted into a wide smile and gave her a nod before turning his attention back to counting the rocks embedded in the walls surrounding them.

He's too calm. The girl thought to herself. Most people don't act this way whenever they are arrested. This smells like a trap.

She crossed her legs, trying to get comfortable as she began to ponder to herself.

There may be an ambush, but I'm pretty sure that there was no way Hakashita could contact anyone about his whereabouts. I checked him and there were no signs of any kind of communication device on him, although he could tip off anyone who may be down here. I just need to be careful. As long as I keep an eye on him, she clenched her fists, this case will be as good as finished.

"Hey." Speaking of the devil, Hakashita's voice interrupted her thoughts. The Steering Committee was snapping his fingers in front of her face trying to get her attention."I know you're going all Sherlock Holmes over there, but I believe we should get to know each other better, Miss Kirigiri. At least…until we reach the bottom."

'Miss Kirigiri' shoved his hands away from her. "What's there more to talk about? All I need to know from you are the answers to this mystery."

"Answers, answers, answers, is that all that matters to you?" complained the gray-haired man. "Haven't you ever heard of the saying 'curiosity kills the cat'? Do you want to be that cat in question?"

"Of course you would say that, considering it would be to your benefit if I don't crack this case."

He chuckled. "On the contrary, I'm very much invested in seeing the Ultimate Detective in action. I have heard so much about your work in the crime-busting field that I have become quite the fanboy of yours. The Sirius Astronomical Observatory Murder is a particular favorite of mine."

Kirigiri's back stiffened.

"Really now, I must say that I cannot praise you enough for your performance in solving that mystery. Three senior detectives dead, their heads rolling literally, and stuck in the middle of a snowstorm, and yet you managed to unveil the culprit Tadashi Asakura in the process."

He glanced up with a knowing look despite his eyes hiding behind those black sunglasses. Despite the dark, Kyoko could see her reflection in the shades and, to her shame, a look of mixed emotions was adorned on her pale face.

"If it weren't for you and your partner, Yui-" he tried to continue.

"Shut your mouth."

Those icy words were spat out of the sleuth's mouth like venom, with far more emotion than she had ever let on before. Her gloved hands were noticeably clawing at the floor, digging into the wooden surface.

"Do not dare to finish that sentence…"

"Oh ho? Did I touch upon a sore subject? My apologies." The man's tone was oozing with false sincerity. "I often get so carried away with gossip that is of interest to me that I often forget how…insensitive these talks can be with certain people. Forgive an old man's rambles."

Kirigiri put back on her iron mask, letting her silence show her disdain for the man. However, inwardly, she was scolding herself for getting so emotional.

What was with her this past week? Her outbursts were popping up more and more frequently, something that her grandfather would disapprove of. What happened to years of training to keep her emotions in check? She was the detective who climbed her way up the Detective Library rankings after facing multiple incidents with death and seeing things that no normal person would have to go through in the entirety of their life, all while having a coolhead.

Yui Samidare.

The name that the Steering Committee member was about to utter out loud. The name of the detective that she admired the most. Her biggest source of admiration…and her biggest source of regret.

Underneath her gloves, the scars marring her hands seemed to be warmer than usual, and it was not due to the room temperature.

"My bad, my bad. I just wanted to make some small talk with such a fine young woman. I really do admire you, I truly do." He said, appearing sheepish at his own insensitivity. "I shouldn't have tried using her name so vainly."

She scoffed. "There's nothing more to talk about…not unless you care to tell just where we are heading?"

"Ah, ah, ah." A finger waved playfully. "That would just be spoiling the upcoming performance that's about to begin. Who in their right minds would want to skip to the ending before going through the entire show first?"

"I wouldn't know. Watching shows fabricated to disconnect people from reality does not settle well with me."

"Really now? You mean to say you never went to the movies with your friends? Never taken to see a theater with your family? Not even watched a Sunday morning cartoon?"

The detective shrugged. "A waste of time when I could use it for something more productive instead. Besides, I prefer reading instead."

A gray eyebrow was quirked. "All crime files, I presume?"

Kyoko gave an annoyed glance. "Just because I take my role as detective seriously does not mean I don't enjoy doing other things from time to time.

"And how often do you take that time for yourself? Once every full moon or so?"

"Ha, ha." she responded sardonically. "Enough about me. If you want to make small talk with me so much…" she narrowed her eyes. "...then I suggest we make better use of our time hearing your life story."

The man in front of her was silent, as though contemplating her words. Quietly humming to himself (and obnoxiously audible enough for her to hear) the sleuth waited a few more seconds before he finally responded.

"I don't think that's fair for you to ask. After all, you're keeping your own secrets close to your chest, so why should I reveal my own cards?"

Kyoko couldn't help but roll her eyes. God, this man was making her job more stressful than it already is, considering how vigilante she was taking on this case.

"However…considering I already have some lore surrounding your own personal experiences, then I believe that sharing some details about myself is also appropriate."

The detective blinked. She couldn't believe it. Hakashita was finally going to reveal some actual, relevant knowledge for once. This could be useful to understand the underlinings of this case, the motivations behind the true culprit or culprits.

However, just as he was about to open his mouth, a ding was heard beside the miniature elevator as it collided with the ground beneath with a crunch heard from one chewing on some particularly chocolately-chip cookies.

"Well then, it seems like we finally reached the bottom of this abyss!" The gray-haired man kicked open the door and stepped out, casually stretching his back in the process. "Boy, am I glad to finally be out of that tiny box, it was surely cramped in there, don't you agree?"

Kyoko, still inside the wooden contraption, could only gape at the scene in front of her, her purple pupils dilating at the scene in front of her as her arms fell limply to her sides, unable to process the sight that was in front of her.

Hakashita took in her expression with an amused (and irritatingly smug) look on his wrinkled complexion, taking in the girl's disbelieving expression all for himself before turning his neck to gaze at what caused the normally unflappable detective to become so speechless.

Behind the two individuals stood an enormous building that was easily double the size of the Old School Building, and dwarfing possibly even the Reserve Course Building in size. The whole place was in ruins, its outer walls crumbling, crushed by the stalactites hanging overhead and stalagmites piercing through the ground like the teeth of some sort of demonic beast.

Even though the building was not as well kept as its surface counterparts, it did not take away the aura of majesty and dominance radiating from the construct before her. Like a sleeping king hidden in a mountain, aging with time but waiting for the day to wake again, the great ruins before her seem to say Look upon me with not despair, but praise and wonder, for even though my walls are cracking and my corpse falling apart, yet still I stand here with pride.

Hakashita walked by the stunned Ultimate and picked up a lit torch by what appears to be the entrance of the monument before him, clasping both hands on the wooden pole before facing Kyoko again.

"We arrived at our destination," he said in a monotone tone as though speaking like a GPS. The light from the torch flickered across his face, shining brilliantly on one side of Hakashita's face with the utmost intensity, almost giving him a demonic appearance. The flames reflected off of his shades, giving the illusion as though his very eyes that were normally unseen behind his shades were now made of fire as well.

"Since you are a newcomer, I believe it is expected of me to give you a one-of-a-kind excursion through the First Circle." he said with dramatic flair and a teasing grin. "Welcome to the real Old School Building, Miss Kirigiri."

A hundred questions were swarming inside the mind of Kyoko Kirigiri as she stood petrified in front of what Hakashita announced to be the actual Old School Building.

Where are we?

First Circle?

How has no one else stumbled upon here?

What does he mean by real Old School Building?

Just what the hell am I looking at?!

Even though she was no Ultimate Archaeologist, the sheer fact that a ruin this enormous was buried, dormant, underneath the very grounds of Hope's Peak Academy was a mindblowing discovery in its own right.

She walked up to the doors, with splintered wood and barely hanging onto the metal latches, rubbing a finger along the grooves.

I-I can't believe that something this big could still be in such a preserved state of being. Did someone just happen to build a school underground and left it here?

"It fell down." Kyoko was jolted from her thoughts by the sound of Hakashita's voice. As though reading her thoughts (like how a certain Idol liked to pretend), the Steering Councilman continued.

"This entire building fell out from the sky at some point and found its way here, far from the light of the sun and moon and separated from the people just like how the Steering Council wished for Hope's Peak to be…but to a greater extent."

"I'm not kidding." he responded to Kyoko's disbelieving look. "If you go inside and reach the rooftop, you'll find a huge crater above where the academy was dropped inside.

"Although that area is now blocked due to a cave-in…so that might not be a good source of evidence…" He mumbled to himself.

"That's not possible." she snapped, unable to process such an outrageous idea. "There's no way a school this size could be in such a condition after dropping from whatever distance is between here and the surface." She tried reasoning logically.

"What if I told you it was because of magic?"

"Magic." At that, the sleuth couldn't help but let out a sneer at the thought. "Are you pulling my leg right now?"

He raised his arms in surrender. "No, no! I'm being entirely serious right now, I swear! Although…" he turned his back. "...it is not necessary magic, in a sense."

The man waltzed around the gates of the main entrance, clasping the torch in his hands like a sword, shining light towards the inside of the humongous gates. "This school was only preserved by the powers beyond our very own, and the contents are just as equally well preserved. However, the main difference between magic and the forces that have preserved this school is that magic is make-believe as an excuse to justify what is thought to be impossible. The forces here are very much real."

Oh great, Kyoko thought to herself, another Yasuhiro. How wonderful.

Kyoko was no believer of the supernatural, and she was worried that she somehow got herself ensnared with a cult following. However, she couldn't deny that Hakashita knew something about the school in front of her, albeit with very shaky logic.

"You don't have to follow this through." he pointed back to the elevator. "I'm a nice guy. You took a look here and got more truth about the school than probably anyone else in the entire campus besides me." He eyed her beadily.

"You could just let me go right now and we can call it a day. Just take the elevator up and your good to go—"

"Not happening." Was the immediate response from the young woman. "I've come this far... I'm not about to back out now when the answers lie beyond those doors."

"That's the spirit, I guess." The old man's mouth opened up into a toothy grin. "So...shall we?"

He raised an arm and pointed to the door, giving a small bow in the process.

"Ladies first." he spouted in a faux gentlemanly manner.

She rolled her eyes, but did not refuse the gesture. With a deep breath, she pushed open the doors and entered the school, her footsteps echoing throughout the empty hallways. Hakashita entered right after her, the flame from his torch lightening up the formerly dark corridors.

The area was in no better shape inside than it was outdoors, but in spite of its musty interior, the contents still had that regal presence that the outer shell of the ruins emanated. The walls were cracked and cockroaches were scurrying through said cracks, the remnants of a wallpaper peeling off carelessly. Furniture was strewn across the room, torn open with their stuffing guts spilled out while their fabric skin that appeared to have been vibrant once now dulled of life.

A ceiling was hanging overhead, covered with cobwebs, as well as hanging unevenly on one side because some of the chains that were holding it up had snapped apart. There was a counter that was beside the front gate that appeared to be for the security guard or whoever was at the gates back then. The wooden top had splinters and a nameplate so dirty that whatever name was on it formerly was now unreadable.

However, that was not the strangest part of the room, for there were other certain characteristics that heavily contrasted from even Hope's Peak Academy.

For one, there was the collection of different armor pieces that stood proudly with their backs against the wall, all surprisingly in good condition. Kyoko recognized an old, shogun armor piece that came from before the Meiji era, the crest the shape of buffalo horns and plating barely battered looking at all. A Roman gladiator armor piece and a knight armor piece flanked both sides of the samurai, also in good condition besides a few crumbled plates here and there.

Around the area were strewn stray pieces of marble that looked like it came from a statue that was broken apart. Kyoko concluded from the way the marble was shaped to perfectly match human anatomy, the former sculpture was probably Greek in design. Fortunately, the sleuth did not find any more realistically crafted parts from areas that are better left unmentioned.

There were also paintings that were on said walls mentioned earlier. However, these paintings were, just like everything else, damaged and beyond repair. It was a shame too because what the detective could see from what was left of the better preserved portraits could rival even the former Ultimate Artists. Some were creative and abstract in design, others grounded in a more realistic setting. There was even a picture of a winged humanoid that appears to be falling from the sky.

But the painting that caught Kyoko's attention the most was the one in the center of the room, far in the back. A massive sheet was covering the picture, which stood almost 12 feet tall, probably being the biggest canvas in the entire room.

Kyoko walked towards the end of the room, her boot's heels echoing across the musky silence of the abandoned domain. Hakashita made no effort to stop her.

Pausing in front of the sheet, she cautiously peeled off the cover, making sure not to damage anything underneath. The sheet flopped onto the floor to reveal the rest of the person inside the painting.

The eyes were the first thing she noticed. Hard, gray eyes that seemed to be judging her, valuing the purpose of her worth with cold judgment. They were eyes full of knowledge and experience, but also ones of expectation and severity. The face was next, and the second thing she noticed was that it was young. The man (for it was a man) was a handsome youth with dark black hair like that of the void. He was wearing a fitting black suit with the insignia of Hope's Peak Academy covered over his heart.

"Couldn't contain yourself for much longer, could you?"

The lavender-haired girl turned at the sound of the gruff and amused voice, her hair whipping behind her. She didn't even notice the old man creeping behind her, she was so focused on the portrait of the man that she blocked out everything else.

Hakashita turned his attention away from the sleuth and towards the center of her interest.

"Ah…I see that you've just met Mister Kamukura here, have you now?"

Kamukura? Kyoko's own gaze turned back to the man in the portrait in awe. Does he mean Izuru Kamukura?

The Steering Committeeman looked over Kyoko's shoulders. "Yes…that is the actual, perfectly painted self-portrait of Hope's Peak Academy's founder and first Headmaster, Izuru Kamukura. The man, the myth, and the upholder of Talent and Hope himself. That portrait you happen to so thoughtfully unveiled was painted for him on the day this school was founded and costs more money than what the Togami Corporation makes."

The girl immediately removed her gloved hands away from the ridges of the painting. Now, Kyoko was not picky with what she touches and probes considering all the bodies she analyzed, the various clues left behind culprits, or murder weapons and poisons used to kill. But this was a different matter altogether.

Despite being the founder of the greatest school in Japan and, possibly, the world, society does not know anything else about the man other than that vague description. In fact, some people wrote him off as a folklore legend or myth, which was preposterous considering he was an actual person, albeit one who happened to have kept to himself, apparently being so devoted to upholding the Hope of humanity that he stayed inside the school for most of his life.

That was the only thing known about him along with a few preserved photos of the man and a monument of him outside the Main Course building, both portraying Kamukura as an old man. There were only three known photos of the man and their cost was so high that multiple companies could be bought with that price. Multiple so-called genuine copies were trying to be sold, only to be apprehended by the police. She should know because she had a few occurrences.

So, the very fact that there was a fourth perfectly preserved image of the founder that not only was larger than any other of the pictures, but also one that displayed him during the founding of the school was, as Hakashita declared, priceless.

However, that was if this was a genuine article and not some fake like many others before, so she must take this with a grain of salt.

"Believe it if you want to or not," drawled the man behind her, "No matter how much you want to believe otherwise, the truth is what it is…the truth. And I'm sure that grandfather of yours drilled it into your head so thoroughly?"

The girl swiftly turned her neck. "What do you mean by that?"

"Da zwitchk zould bee here zumwer…" The man ignored her question, scrutinizing the armor of the shogun, having flung the glass case door wide open. Due to his cuffs, the Committeeman was forced to hold the torch in his mouth like a dog with its own bone. He did not seem to mind having live flames flickering so close to his face. "Jus ztey wehr yu ar…"

A minute passed. Then two minutes, with three coming around the corner.

Kyoko rolled her eyes and was about to ask the elderly man if he was finished, but before she could give out her retort, a click was heard when Hakashita suddenly placed his thumb and pressed onto the shogun's crest.

She felt a sudden movement beneath her and looked down, only to find a detective girl-sized hole where there was a stable floor holding her earlier.

"...shit."

Gravity came into play as the purple-dressed Ultimate fell from the lobby through the floor, but not before the last thing she saw was Hakashita, the torch still in his mouth as he laughed mumbly, pointing both hands at her in glee.

Kyoko was no stranger when it came to having her life in danger.

Considering her line of occupation, it was only expected of her to risk her life in her career as detective. Being framed for murder, having to deal with worried criminals trying to silence anyone snooping over their dirty business, direct physical assault. The last part was why she trained under Grandfather Tohachiro before he passed away, picking up some of his combat knowledge as self-defense. Although she wasn't devoted to the martial arts as he was, she appreciated her maternal father for teaching her anyway.

If anything, the only thing she felt as she was falling to her doom was embarrassment. Really? She of all people fell for the trapdoor cliche seen on children's cartoons? She hoped that wouldn't be on her tombstone if she died?

Just as she had that thought, her body finally made contact, but instead of feeling the impact of her body exploding from impact from a cold, hard surface, the detective was surprised to feel a soft and cushy texture beneath her.

Kyoko bounced off the object and fell on her back, letting out a groan as she rubbed her aching back. Her fall wasn't broken, but the landing was softer than she expected.

A moment passed before the Ultimate picked herself up, dusting the dirt off her skirt. She surveyed her surroundings, noting the strange place she ended up in.

The walls were no longer the dreary and dirty brown they were in the lobby. Instead, there was a bronze-like texture to them that made everything feel more metallic.

There was also the fact that the hall was far brighter than it was, with torches mounted on the walls being the main source of illumination, the orange-yellow light flickering on the bronze.

On the walls were portraits of art, starting off with a wall that appeared to show the ancient cave paintings preserved from the time of the early man. Kyoko traced a gloved finger across the paint, noting its texture before turning her head towards her right where the great hall extended.

"How curious." she uttered out loud.

The next portion of the wall showed hieroglyphics of Ancient Egypt, displaying the tale of the Osiris and Horus, the father and son fighting over the throne before Horus defeated his father. There was a painting of the Roman Empire, the rise and fall of the great Julius Caesar, and the construction of the pyramids.

She then took a step back to view the art gallery before her in its entirety.

"A timeline of human history?" she questioned. "The Old School Building is a history museum?"

Kyoko continued surveying the hallways, noting how there was a variety of cultures represented, from the Norse pantheon and their Ragnarok, their battle during doomsday, to tigers, elephants, and other animals roaming the lands and mountains in India, to the Mesopotamian myth of Gilgamesh and his wild friend Enkidu slaying the Heavenly Bull.

It was a very impressive collection, one that could easily rival a majority of the museums in the world. The fact that there was a secret gallery underneath the school was a shock in itself.

"Just what is going on here?"

Kyoko was about to continue through this great hall of fame when she suddenly noticed the hole in the wall.

This one was far more Greek in design, containing legendary figures such as the gods overthrowing the titan Cronus, the hero Heracles strangling the Nemean lion, Perseus slaying the serpentine woman, Medusa, and taking her head as his prize. However, the gigantic gap in the wall blotted out whatever tale was supposed to be next, the wall completely destroyed.

It was also the only section that had no artwork.

Narrowing her eyes, the sleuth reaching out her arms, grabbing thin air.

"Well...I suppose I don't have any other option now, do I?" she mumbled, and proceeded to climb through the gap, carefully avoiding the sharp edges protruding from the ruined wall.

"Let's see what more secrets you have in store for me..."

Unlike the 'Hall of Fame' outside, there was no source of light through the cavern that Kyoko found herself in, needing to use her phone once more to at least see a few meters ahead of her.

All she saw was white, cement walls, the material of the walls appearing to be more modern than the rusty, metallic ones of the halls outside.

It was a long corridor, and the detective had to wonder how anyone in this underground facility had the time to build a labyrinth this complex.

She was getting tired of walking, the silence of the hallways only being disturbed by the clicking sounds of her boots against the marble floor. She had walked a considerable distance and yet had not found the end.

"I'm wasting time here. I should probably just turn back now and figure something else out." she murmured to herself.

Before she could go back, a sound was heard in front of the sleuth.

Click!

The sound was muffled and barely audible, but it was enough for her to stop her trek and turn her head towards the noise.

"Hello?"

Nothing.

"Is anyone there?"

No response.

Her eyes narrowed.

She could feel something in the dark. Some sort of presence.

Kyoko felt her heart beat a bit faster. Despite her confidence in her fighting skills, if someone else came and was armed, there was no possibility she would come out unscathed.

"Hey."

The noise came from above. The detective turned her head up at the sound of the familiar voice. There were air vents in the ceiling, large enough for a grown adult to crawl through.

A hand reached out from one of the ventilation shafts, the metal grille having been torn off the hinges and flung aside.

Hakashita's head emerged from the small hole, his face upside-down as he looked at her with a smug grin.

"Fancy seeing you again, Miss Kirigiri. I would have thought that I would need to introduce you here myself, but it turns out you managed to find this place yourself." crawling out like an overgrown cockroach, the man jumped through the vent and landed in front of the young woman. Kyoko took notice of his rumpled suit, and the fact that his torch was gone. His hands were still cuffed.

"You're looking quite well," the man stated.

"No thanks to you." snapped the lavender-haired girl irritably. "You tried to kill me."

"I'm offended! Is that the thanks I get for allowing you access down here, where I gave you a once in a life-time viewing of the secrets beneath Hope's Peak Academy! For shame Miss Kirigiri, for shame!"

"Oh please. You're trying to hide the truth about what you're up to down here. It's obvious you're trying to sabotage my investigation and throw me off the trail."

The old man let out a laugh.

"Sabotage? If anything, I'm preparing you for the events to come! And besides, I have the cushions where you landed because I often used that route as well. I do enjoy feeling my face as I make a free fall." his sunglasses gained a far more dangerous glint. "And believe me when I say that if I had an actual intent on killing you...you would already be dead."

Kyoko simply scoffed.

"Whatever. Just lead the way." she grumbled and glaring. "And no more tricks! If I catch you try anything funny, I will personally give you a lifetime sentence myself!"

Hakashita's face for a moment shifted into an unreadable expression but calmed down.

"Right then. This way, if you please."

With the Steering Committee Member leading the way, the duo made their way down the dark hall.

Kyoko's purple eyes looked around, searching for any sign of company besides her and the old man. Finding nothing, the girl's eyebrows furrowed.

"Are there no guards here? Or anyone else who works here?"

"You're asking a lot of questions, aren't you?" he commented back, his back facing the detective as he kept on walking. "No one has been in this place for years. After all, who would want to spend their time stuck underground in a creakily old box in danger of cave-ins?"

"That's not what I meant. I mean to say, are any of your 'accomplices' here right now? You mentioned you would get offed by the people you work with if you did something wrong."

The man chuckled, his voice echoing down the hallway. "You sure are a curious little kitten, aren't you? No. It's just us down here. The others don't even know anything about this place. Hell, only the Steering Committee knows about the true Old School Building in the first place."

Only the Steering Committee. Kyoko mused. But that wouldn't make sense. If what Hakashita is showing me truly is tied to the Kamukura case, then does that mean Hajime Hinata is somehow down here? But why would the Steering Committee orchestrate Hinata's kidnapping when they already have him in their possession? I should wait to collect more clues.

Lost in thought, Kyoko wasn't paying attention when she smacked face-first into Hakashita's back. The sleuth stepped back in annoyance, as the man turned to face her.

"Finally getting your head out of the clouds?"

Ignoring that remark, Kyoko looked over the man's back and saw a large vault door staring right in front of them. To say that the door was…bizarre…was an understatement. Although the metal had rusted to a grimy copper color, the front was covered in a series of complex gears and locks that were all unique in shape and size.

"So we're going in there, huh?"

"That we are." Hakashita agreed. "Stay back."

Flexing his ensnared fingers, the man pressed the palm of his hands onto the door. Kyoko did not find any DNA scanners on the gate like the ones at Hope's Peak Academy, but it seemed to do the trick as the door seemed to recognize Hakashita, the gears beginning to turn, the locks unlocking in the process.

A few more moments where the door made sure clicks, clanks, and bangs before the door finally split open.

Hakashita grabbed the door handles and pulled them open.

He stepped to the side and raised an arm.

"Welcome to the Observatory."

Kyoko walked forward, peering inside the room that was the size of the Main Course gymnasium, and then wrinkled her nose.

To say the room was a mess would be a huge understatement. Papers were scattered across the floor, books overturned with some lost their covers while others had pages torn out. There was a large pile of wrappers, chip bags, chinese food bins, and more attracting a swarm of flies near them.

It was an utter pigsty.

Kyoko took a look at the desk beside the bed. On top was a large pile of empty coffee cups, stacked so high that she wondered how it hadn't collapsed already. She peered inside a couple of them, noticing that they were dried out and crumbly.

"It's just the way it is." Hakashita said, dusting crumbs off one of his books and opening it up, sitting on one of the few clean chairs in the room. The title of the book said Paradise Lost. "Make yourself at home."

The detective merely ignored the man, going on full autopilot as she searched the scene before her. This was far from the most messy of cases she had done before during her detective career and she did not mind getting her hands dirty.

His relaxed features seem to portray his confidence that there will be nothing of worth to be found here. However, that won't stop me from collecting evidence on the contrary.

Kyoko began searching inside the Observatory. She scoured the bookshelves, searching for a hidden switch or compartment that may be of some use. She was disappointed when she did not find anything worthwhile, only finding more trash and books on philosophy and history.

There was a stack of magazines near the foot of the bed. One was an issue on the Ultimate Fashionista Junko Enoshima, with the cover being of her posing seductively in a red dress and winking.

She grimaced at the sight of the model.

Junko was an enigma, and Kyoko wasn't sure if it was a good or bad thing. The two had met only a handful of times, but Kyoko could not deny that the fashionista seemed cunning underneath that layer of ditziness and vulgarity she outwardly portrayed as a valley-girl. Right next to the picture was a plush of a black and white bear, or at least was. The bear was completely torn apart, its stuffing spilled across the floor and, oddly enough, some metallic parts as well. The bear had a black beady eye and a red eye that looked eerily similar to the Hope's Peak Academy insignia, and its face split into a half grin. For some reason, the hairs on the sleuth stood up as she analyzed the bear carefully.

The detective continued searching the room for more clues, but finding nothing but more junk in her wake.

She was about to request a leave for a new room when a crunch was heard below her. Looking down, she saw that underneath her boots was a torn sheet of paper, wrinkled and crumbled from the edges. She lifted it up so she could see what it said.

Due to its condition, the words were blurred and almost unreadable. However, what few lines were decipherable said this:

Day 1

Today begins the latest project from Hope's Peak Academy, approved by the Steering Committee themselves. The test subject is a volunteer from the Reserve Course who was recommended to become the new Ultimate Hope. We have prepared the proper measures for the experiment and are receiving additional help from the Ultimate Neurologist.

Day 4

Subject is undergoing mental rearrangement and being uploaded data collected from Hope's Peak Academy's database on all talent recorded on the files. Current subject is at 0.5%.

Day 17

Subject is now at 8%. Seems to be doing fine, although the subject appears to be showing some signs of resistance as well as constant twitching. Needs to be held down.

Day 32

Subject is at 19% before completion. We've noticed that the uploading appears to be altering the physical traits of the subject such as the subject's hair getting a little longer, gaining a slightly darker appearance. Additionally, the left eye has started changing shade from a green hue to a more crimson color. Other than that, there appears to be no error with our work, although the subject needed stronger chains to be held down.

Day 45

We have passed the 30% mark. The few changes mentioned earlier have continued with the subject's newly black hair reaching shoulder length while both eyes are now red. The subject has also stopped trying to struggle. We believed that they are beginning to grow more passive, no longer requiring the drugs needed to stay under.

Day 60

Today has been a total disaster! The test subject was about to hit the 50% mark when suddenly the lights went out! I found the switch and flipped it on to find that there, in the middle of the room where it previously was, the Ultimate Hope vanished! Our lives' research, just poof! I have to report to the Steering Committee! Especially the big four. Surely they know about-

That was where it ended, that last line having been cut off. Where there was supposed to be the continuation of sentence was instead blackened burns torched at the bottom of the sheet. Kyoko rubbed a gloved finger on the bottom where the wrinkled paper was charred.

Human experimentation. She thought with disgust. They were actually going through human experimentation on the Reserve Course student.

This sounded like something out of a science fiction novel, implanting someone's mind with data so that they become a superhuman. That confirmed what the Kamukura Project actually is but it did not give her any clues about the kidnappers nor their intentions.

And what were these burns at the end? She wondered. Was it sabotage or a freak accident?

She put the page into her jacket.

Although it's not much, it's still all I have as of this moment. I need more evidence to come to a proper conclusion.

"We're done here." Kyoko called out to Hakashita, who was still lounging in his chair with the text in his hands. "Let's move to a different room."

The elderly man sighed, closed the book, and put it away.

"It seems that my role as tour guide never ends. Can't you give your senior a break? My poor old bones are not what they used to be."

"You were the one who wanted me to follow you down here. I would rather not waste my time in a room that has nothing but trash and junk."

The old man let out a chuckle. "Fair enough, Miss Kirigiri. Follow me."

Hakashita was the first one out and Kyoko was following behind. However, just as she was about to make a step out of the room, a small creaking noise was heard from inside the Observatory.

Kyoko's eyebrows furrowed.

The girl looked behind her shoulder to where the source of the sound was.

A moment's silence. And then the creaking noise happened again, this time louder.

"Miss Kirigiri, I believe its time to go." Hakashita said behind her, but he was not in his lackadaisical demeanor anymore. His posture was notably rigid and his smile forced. "You wouldn't want to keep an old man waiting now, would you?"

Something's wrong. Kyoko's detective instinct kicked in.

"Yeah, just a minute. There's something here I'm not done checking out."

"There's nothing here but trash!" the Committeeman protested, but Kyoko ignored him and went back inside the Observatory.

There was another creak, this time followed by a rattle. Kyoko slowly followed the noise to the center of the room where the huge table in the middle was. It was a long piece of carpentry, probably 10 feet long, the wood dark brown and polished.

Another creak, and Kyoko saw that there was a dent on the side of the table.

"What are you doing back there, Kirigiri?" the old man said indignantly.

The girl did not respond, her gaze focused on the dent, and another rattle that came from the bottom.

"Kirigiri, I believe it's not polite to ignore your elders!"

Kyoko knelt down, looking under the table. Sweeping away stray pieces of plastic bags, papers, and garbage, she dug through the junk like a mole, clawing through piece by piece.

There, newly discovered was the gleaming skin of a metal coffin. Just like from the Greece section from the art walls, it had decorations of mythological figures portrayed on its body, but much more sinister. The monsters, such as the giants, hydra, and cyclops, were depicted frighteningly, their monstrous and twisted visage appearing as if they were crawling out of the coffin itself.

She gripped the handle and dragged it away from under the table, and looked at the Steering Committee man in front of her.

"Explain." she answered coolly.

"J-just hang on for a moment." the old man was sweating, the nervousness obvious. "That is not something you should be touching so recklessly. Let's just put that back and forget about this."

Kyoko raised an eyebrow.

There was a large knock that occurred from the coffin, much louder and more angrier this time. Hakashita's face grew more sweatier and the detective knew that her assumptions were correct.

"What is it that you're hiding from me?"

The old man was silent.

"I can easily break the lock and see what's inside."

"DON'T!" he yelled. "Look, you can take me to prison. I won't fight it. But please, don't open that thing! It'll be a huge mistake! A-and we need to go!"

Kyoko paused. "Why do you care if I see what's inside? What are you afraid of me seeing?"

Another creak.

"Is it Hajime Hinata."

"No." Hakashita said quickly. Too quickly. "That's not him. He's not in there."

"I thought you were taking me to him. To the real Hajime Hinata."

"Well, we can't! You wouldn't believe me even if I told you why, so I might as well say it. You were right, he's not here. We don't know where he is. And this coffin, whatever's in there, is not him either. Please, we need to leave now. We can't stay here any longer."

Kyoko didn't answer.

"Miss Kirigiri, if you really want answers, you have to trust me. Now's not the time to be stubborn, especially with that thing. If you have any sense of self-preservation, I suggest you listen to an old man like me. You don't want to open that lid."

"What's wrong with this thing?"

"Don't-"

The lavender-haired girl grabbed the metal handles of the coffin and, without a word, lifted the lid up.

And then Hell came to Earth.

Hi. Sorry for not posting for so long, but I had exams and needed the time to study. Anyway, here is the second to last chapter of our prologue. Hope I managed to write a decent build up because, boy-howdy, do I have big things in store for the future! Anyone, criticism is great so if there is anything that you feel could be improved on, I'm all ears.