Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, I planned for this to be longer, but I decided to give Lucky a break on over 6,000 words chapter, especially when he got some things on his plate. Hope you guys don't mind. This chapter, we are back to the main plot. I hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.
A Lucky Soldier: Here we are moving on from the last chapter that Hiro kinda got himself dumpster-ed on. I mean, if you want other people to look good, you first gotta put yourself down am I right? Yeah? Yeah? (I'm looking at you Matou Shinji). Anyways, I'm happy to announce that I'm done with finals for the semester, and at this point, I hope all of you in school are also done with them. Christmas season is going to be busy as usual but with finals out of the way, I can at least relax at home now :D. Anyways, enough about me, let's move on.
Q: Will Kyoko talk to Celeste and Hina for their actions? (Much longer post, but won't quote the whole thing)
L: Well, both things have yet to happen so we haven't figured it out at least.
S: What Lucky said.
Chapter 51: Watching Ch 3: NGL! STGH! Part 11
The next showed Makoto sitting on his bed. 'I still have some time left. What else should I do…' Before he could decide that, however, he suddenly saw something slip under the door. "Huh?"
The others quickly noticed that as well. "Is that a note?" Chihiro voice out everyone's curiosity.
"I would assume so." Taka confirmed.
"Hooh~? How interesting.." Junko chimed.
Curious, he went over to the object, to see that it was a piece of paper. 'Someone must've slipped it under the table…' The luckster then picked the paper and read it's content. It said, 'Meet in the Dining Hall!'
As soon as they saw the small note, they all immediately knew who it came from. "Why do you want Makoto in the dining hall?" Sayaka questioned, suspicion and anger clear in her tone. "Are you gonna try to pressure him into donating his organs?"
"Or his identity?" Hina added. Several students were giving the clairvoyant suspicious and/or angry looks.
"I-I don't think it's that!" Hiro exclaimed nervously. He really hope it isn't about that.
"You should learn when to call it quits you idiot, if this is coming from me of all people, it truly means you're hopeless." Celeste said.
"I-I'm not hopeless!"
'The handing writing is… really good.' Makoto thought, impressed. 'But to want to meet up so suddenly… Who wrote it? And why? What's the point of calling me out like this?' A small, nervous frown Makoto's face. 'I'm kind of nervous, but… there's no way I can't check it out now.'
"Are you sure it's wise to follow the content of that letter?" Hifumi asked nervously. "I mean, it could be a trap, just like in chapter 1." He didn't notice the slight flinch Sayaka for that statement.
"I don't think it's anything like that…" Makoto argued slightly. "Besides, if it is, then why not pick somewhere more secluded, like one of the other dorm rooms or locker rooms?"
"Fair point…" Sakura nodded in agreement.
The next scene switched to Makoto entering the dining hall, to see Hiro the only one inside. "Oh, Makoto!" Hiro greeted.
"Hiro…?" Makoto turned his head back to the letter in his hand. "Then the letter I found in my room…"
"Yup, I wrote it." The fortune teller confirmed.
"Your handwriting is… really nice." Makoto commented on, surprise.
"Y-Yeah. It's r-really surprising." Toko stated. "I th-thought for sure that i-i-it would be messy."
"It's not like I'm a one-trick pony, you know!" Hiro responded back. "A have a few tricks up my sleeve!"
"You can't call exploits 'tricks'." Byakuya remarked, earning a squawk of protest from Hiro.
"Well, I was always taught that if you had bad penmanship, a ghost would come and haunt you." Hiro stated.
"And he learned it for the most ridiculous reasons…" Celeste sighed, shaking her head. "Where on Earth did you heard that?"
"From a couple of guys in some forums…"
"...And you wonder why we all think you're a hopeless sucker." Mondo deadpanned.
'...Who taught you that?' Makoto thought in slight disbelief. Shaking his head, he got back to the matter of hand. "And why did you want to meet with me?"
"Oh, I just did what Kyoko asked me." Hiro revealed.
"Kyoko…?"
At the mention of the detective's name, conclusions were quickly made. "This must be about Alter Ego, isn't it?" Mukuro said out loud. "Has any progress been made?"
"Or did two certain idiots attempt to see the AI privately?" Junko remarked, looking at Hifumi and Taka. The former shuffled awkwardly at this while the latter hung his head in shame.
"I'm just an errand boy on this." Hiro stated. "Anyway, whaddya say to a late-night bath session?"
"Huh…?" Before he could think of say anything else, his mind deduced what Kyoko wants. 'She all of us to meet in the bath house? Then… did Alter Ego finish his research…?'
"S-Sure, Hiro! Let's go take a dip together!" Makoto said loudly, quickly walking with the fortune teller.
His acting earned sighs, smirks, and giggles from the group. "You really are a bad liar, Makoto." Hina giggled.
"Especially when put on the spot." Leon snickered.
Sayaka covered her mouth as she giggled while Kyoko merely smirked at the blushing boy. "As I said before, foolishly open."
"Let us hope his honest nature doesn't tip off the mastermind." Byakuya remarked.
"ANYONE would've been tipped off by him" Junko deadpanned in her mind.
The next scene switched to Makoto and Hiro entering the dressing room of the bathhouse, where all of the other remaining students are waiting. As soon as they did, Taka angrily spoke up. "Hey! You! How long were you gonna keep us waiting?!" He pointed at his watch in irritation. "It's almost ten o'clock, you know that?! Bedtime for all good little boys and girls!"
"I-Is he's gonna be like this for the rest of this future watching?" Toko asked in annoyance. "He's really annoying. M-More annoying that the current Taka."
As everyone looked over at Taka, everyone could feel the aura of depression emanating from him. "Am I really that annoying…?" Mondo could only pat his friend's back in comfort, not being able to deny that he can be at times.
"Tch… shut up…" Hifumi growled.
"What'd you say?!" Taka turned to Hifumi fiercely. "You want me to make you cry, little girl?!"
"Little girl?!" Hifumi roared, glaring at Taka. "How dare you?!"
"It was my future self's words!" Despite this, Taka stood up and bow in apology. "Never the less, I apologize for insulting you!"
"As if I would accept an apology from my riv-"
"Hifumi." Sakura interrupted sharply. "Don't try to make an argument. Taka apologized, even when it isn't himself saying those words."
The fanfic creator grumble, but didn't say anything else.
"Taka…" Byakuya let out an amused snicker. "He seems to be even worse off than I'd heard. Well, maybe it's a good thing. Maybe he's finally starting to grow a personality."
That made Taka's mood plumet even further. And for Mondo's temper to rise up. "That's a lot of shit you're letting out, Togami!" Mondo growled. "Maybe a knuckle sandwich would taste better?!"
"That insult is as clever as a lie from Makoto." Byakuya said dryly.
"I'm not that bad!" The luckster protested.
"Does the phrase foolishly open mean anything to you?"
"I manage to keep some secrets, didn't I?!"
"What-?!" Now the moral compass faced the heir. "You got a lot of poop fallin' outta that mouth of yours, you know?!"
"How rude…" Toko hissed. "A maggot like you has no right to speak that way to our heaven-sent Master…!"
That got a lot of groans from the group, especially Byakuya. "Oh great. Here goes that master crap…" Leon grumbled. "Honestly, where did that come from?"
"You're asking the wrong fucking people." Mondo muttered. And it doesn't seem Toko is gonna inform them of that. "I'm still trying to figure how the fuck Toko fell in love with the asshole."
"Hm? Are you back to your normal gloomy self?" Celeste inquired. "I can hardly keep track at this point."
"Sh-Shut up…!" Was Toko's retort.
"Well anyway, everyone's here, right?!" Hiro quickly spoke up. "Then my messenger duty is done!"
"You wanted us all to meet here, right Kyoko? So, what are we doing here?" Sakura inquired.
"Isn't it obvious?" Hiro rhetorically asked. "It's gotta have something to do with Alter Ego, right?!"
"Yeah, totally!" Hina agreed eagerly. "Did he finally find a clue? What is it? A way out?! The mastermind's true identity?!"
Their eagerness was started to affect the present Ultimates. "I'm really hoping that its a way out!" Hina stated. "Maybe a hint!"
"A clue to the mastermind's identity can be just as good." Chihiro added, leaning forward slightly. "Something that'll give us an edge on them."
"And considering Taka or Hifumi aren't begging for forgiveness, doesn't seem like the two went for another rendezvous!" Leon remarked with a grin. "So hopefully, it's something good!"
Unfortunately, their eagerness was cut through by Byakuya. "I wouldn't get your hopes up…" The heir pointed at the future Kyoko. "Take a look at Kyoko."
"Huh?" Immediately, the group looked at the detective's future self. Most of them didn't see a noticeable different, however.
But the girl herself and Makoto did. "She looks troubled." Makoto pointed out, frowning. "She got a slight frown on her face, like something unexpected happened."
That concerned everyone. "What do I have a bad feeling suddenly…?" Junko asked nervously.
At first, the lavender haired girl was silent. But after a moment of silence, she softly spoke. "It's gone."
Blood run cold at that simple statement. "What… what did she say?" Hina squeaked.
"Gone…?"
"I came here a little earlier to check up on things, and that's when I discovered…" Kyoko moved her body to reveal the empty locker. "Alter Ego - the laptop - has disappeared…"
Immediately, faces went pale. "What?!" Sayaka exclaimed. "It's gone?!"
"Someone took Alter Ego?!" Makoto spoke up right after.
"Are you fucking serious?!" Mondo shouted.
"She's… she's kidding, right?" Hiro questioned, looking panicky. "Right?!"
Chihiro didn't say anything. Just stared a the screen with wide, horrified eyes.
Hifumi also had a similar, but far more potent. "She's...gone?!"
"Please don't tell that damn bear found the laptop!" Leon groaned.
"What?!" Makoto shouted in shock.
"You're kidding, right…?" Hina asked, turning pale. Silence was her answer.
"H-Huh…? What…?" Hifumi stuttered out, trying to process what he heard. "She's… gone?"
"You can't be fudgin' serious!" Taka growled. "What'd you do with him?!"
"Was it the mastermind? Did they finally notice what we were up to?" Celeste questioned.
"I'd told Alter Ego to yell if anyone he didn't recognized appeared." Kyoko told her. "If it was the mastermind, I'm sure he would have alerted us."
"Maybe we just… missed it?" Hina hesitantly suggested.
"I was in the laundry room right next door all day. There's no way I wouldn't have heard have it." Kyoko shot back.
That slightly relieved the group, but not completely. "But if it's not the mastermind," Celeste questioned. "Then who else… would…?"
Slowly, heads turn towards Hifumi and Taka. The two went pale under the looks, especially when Chihiro slowly gave them suspicious glares.
"Now, wait a moment!" Taka protested, waving his hands. "While I admit my future self is weirdly infatuated with Alter Ego, I doubt he would go as far as stealing! He should still have his moral values!"
"Don't you lie, vermin!" Hifumi growled, directing a glare at the moral compass. "I see what you're doing! Trying to redirect the blame at me to save your skin!"
"I wasn't even thinking anything remotely like that!"
Before Hifumi could argue any further, Kyoko interrupted them. "Enough. Now's not the time to point fingers." Kyoko stated, though her words are more directed at Hifumi. "We'll find out as we continue watching."
Hifumi grumbled but stayed silent, while Taka let out a sigh of relief.
"B-But…" Makoto stuttered nervously. "If it wasn't the mastermind, then…"
"The solution to this particular mystery is obvious! It could only have been…" He pointed directly at Taka. "Him! Mr. Ishimaru! You stole her, didn't you?!"
"What?!" Taka shouted in outrage. "I'm the Ultimate Moral Compass! I would never do something like that!"
"I don't think it counts when you say it about yourself like that…" Hina replied with a sweatdrop.
"Yeah, I agree with future me," Hina said in response to her future self. "Doesn't that, you know, ruin the image of the Ultimate Moral Compass?"
"It's merely stating a fact, Hina." Taka told her. "I am the Ultimate Moral Compass. I know and follow what's right and what's wrong, as well as do my best to make sure everyone around does the same. There's no need to be modest about something like that."
"Well, if you put it like that, I guess it makes sense…" Hina admitted, rubbing the back of her head.
Taka ignored Hina. "You're the suspicious one here!" He accused Hifumi. "You're nothin' but a big, jiggling sack of fat!"
"Shows what you know." Hifumi growled in indignation. "This isn't my true form! I still have three more transformations left!" A moment later, he fully processed the accusation made against him. "Er… wait, I mean - it wasn't me! Everyone knows YOU'RE the thief!"
"Wrong!" Taka denied. "It's you!"
"Well I'm sure it was one of you." Hiro spoke up. "So whoever did it, just hurry up and confess!"
"Which one of you did it?" Chihiro questioned, glaring at the two. "Which one of you took Alter Ego?"
"C-Chihiro, calm down!" Taka nervously told the programmer. "It's no time to make hasty accusations!"
"B-But if it isn't the m-mastermind, then it has to be one of you two!" Toko pointed out. "No one else is interested in the AI like you two."
Sakura sighed to herself as if watching children fight amongst themselves.
"No. There's no way either one of them did it." Kyoko rebuked.
"Huh?" Hiro, along with the others, looked at her in confusion. "Why not?!"
"I told Alter Ego to yell if either Taka or Hifumi came in the dressing room." The girl revealed.
That took Taka and Hifumi by surprise. "W-What?" Hifumi stuttered.
"I see. A precaution in case either of the two got any ideas." Mukuro mused.
Taka's head slumped at this, depressed. "Am I really that untrustworthy?"
"It's just a precaution, Taka. Don't take it too personally." Kyoko told him.
That shocked both Taka and Hifumi. "Wh… what…?" Taka stuttered.
"It was a countermeasure against the clear danger that one of them might come for it." Kyoko explained.
"But… I never heard any yell." Celeste pointed out.\
"Exactly. Which means it wasn't them." Kyoko stated.
"But… if it wasn't Hifumi or Tak, nor the mastermind, then who took Alter Ego?" Chihiro asked, frowning nervously. "I mean, I can't think of anyone else."
'I can.' Byakuya thought. And judging from the grim or nervous looks from some of his more smarter classmates, they can as well. 'The spy for the mastermind. The traitor.'
"Then… who was it?" Hiro asked, looking nervous.
"The fundamental circumstances are becoming clear…" Byakuya mused. "If it wasn't the mastermind, and it wasn't Taka or Hifumi… then quite simply, it was someone else. Makoto, Celeste, Sakura, Hina, Toko, or myself… one of us must be the thief."
"Why would any of US wanna steal Alter Ego?!" Hina exclaimed.
"Yeah!" Hina agreed with her future self. "None of us has a reason to take it for ourselves!"
"Did you honestly forgot the end of chapter 2?" Byakuya sighed. "And this is coming from one who hasn't seen it himself."
That caused several more minds to click. "You're… talking about the spy, aren't you?" Sakura asked, her voice grim.
The heir nodded. "The spy, the traitor, the one working for the mastermind; they may have took it."
Blood ran cold at the mention of the spy. "But… we don't know for sure if there's actually a traitor!" Hina argued. "For all we know, Monokuma talked to somebody outside of Hope's Peak!"
"But if it was somebody else, Alter Ego would've screamed anyway." Kyoko countered. "So it can't be anyone outside of the surviving group."
"So the only options are Makoto, Hina, Sakura, Byakuya, Celeste, Toko, and Hiro." Mukuro mused. "Though we can take Makoto out, since we're looking at this through his point of view."
"And that means one out of six of us is traitor." Byakuya concluded. "One of us is spying for the mastermind."
"Also remember, none of us knows the other very well with limited exceptions like maybe Hina and Sakura. 'We' may understand that there's no reason to take it but 'they' don't." Kyoko added.
Several of the students had sick or anxious looks on their faces. Makoto's especially. Is there really a spy among them? Someone… working for the mastermind? He couldn't stomach the thought that one of them was actually a spy.
"How about this for a reason?" The heir then dropped a bomb. "There is a traitor among us."
"...Huh?" Was the only response Makoto could give from that statement.
"One of us is working for the mastermind - a spy." Byakuya explained. "And that's the one who stole Alter Ego. Can you deny the possibility?"
"I-It can't be!" Makoto immediately denied.
The luckster was ignored. "I've actually been thinking for some time now that there might by a spy among us." Byakuya murmured. "The mastermind brought someone in to help keep things moving smoothly."
Makoto could only stand there, his mind numb. 'A spy for the mastermind? A… traitor?' He shook his head in denial. 'No… it's impossible. Something that horrible… t-there's no way!'
That's what several of them felt. That it was impossible for any of them to spy for the mastermind.
Yet… the evidence is there for them to see. First, the epilogue of chapter two. And now the missing Alter Ego, who hasn't been stolen by the mastermind, Hifumi, or Taka.
"Why do you not speak?" Byakuya questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Are you struck silent by your inability to comprehend such a possibility?"
"You're acting like your not a suspect!" Mondo growled, glaring at Byakuya. "Out of the people mentioned, you're the most likely to spy for the mastermind!"
Byakuya merely looked at him tensely. "While I'm not denying the possibility, my attitude during the entire thing does not include that I am a spy." He said stiffly. "And if your judgement is based on personality, you could easily look at Hiro and Celeste."
"Y-Yeah!" Toko agreed, glaring at Mondo. "T-Those two are g-greedy or cowardly enough to do it! So don't point fingers at Master!"
"Hey, don't throw me under the bus!" Hiro cried out. "Why do I have to be a suspect?!"
"DId you forget the last chapter, Hiro?" Sayaka growled. That got Hiro a bit sweaty.
"And please, don't drag me into this conflict." Celeste said, her smile becoming slight venomous. "Hina and Sakura are not abstained from being suspects."
"Sakura and I would never do that!" Hina denied, glaring at Celeste. "We wouldn't work for the mastermind, especially Sakura!"
"Do not use us to redirect the suspicion away from yourself. After all, we are all under suspicion." Sakura said tersely, giving the gambler a firm look.
Makoto and Kyoko gave each tense looks as the others continued arguing. They both knew that this was bad. If things continue on like this, this glimpse of the future could tear them apart.
"Enough!" Kyoko said sharply, effectively stopping the arguments. "This is no time to argue. We'll see whether or not there's a traitor as we continue."
"Kyoko's right." Makoto backed up the detective. "We can't spend our time arguing like this. That's what the mastermind wants."
That got the group to back down momentarily, though many are tense, and are giving each other hostile or nervous looks.
Junko held back a mad giggle. This is getting so deliciously tense! If this tension continues growing, then things will grow more and more interesting. They may not even be able to finish this watching.
"I don't care!" Hifumi suddenly shouted. "I don't care… who…" A depress look entered his face. "Someone, anyone… save her. Please, rescue her. I'm begging you. I just want to see her smiling face again…"
"Same here." Taka clenched his feet tightly. "How many times do they hafta kill bro before they're happy…?" His teeth grinded anxiously. "I'll beg, I'll scrape my head across the ground. Just please give him back…!"
"...This is both weird and sad." Leon groaned. "They're really attached to Alter Ego…"
"Yeah…" Hina agreed, giving a slight sympathetic look to the depress Hifumi. Now that she think about, Hifumi must be really lonely, to have fallen in love with an AI. Not to mention how the future Taka is feeling…
Chihiro also softened at the sight of Hifumi. While he still won't let the fanfic creator get anywhere near Alter Ego, he can't but feel sorry for his classmate.
"This is pretty messed up…" Hina said softly. "But still, I think I kinda get how they feel…"
"I think Alter Ego is most likely safe, for the moment at least." Kyoko mused. "
"If they wanted to destroy it, they wouldn't have taken it." Celeste agreed. "They would've done it right here."
"So you're saying whoever did it has something else in mind for him…" Sakura deduced.
"It's something, at least…" Makoto sighed. But, what do they have in mind for Alter Ego? That question rings in his, along with everyone else's, head.
'Something else…?' Makoto thought to himself.
"That doesn't matter." Taka gritted out. "Nothing… nothing else matters... " He then rose his voice. "No matter what it takes, I'm gonna get him back! That's my promise as a man!"
"I swear I'll save her! Using the power of love…!" Hifumi declared.
Before anything else could be done, the school bell rung. Seconds later, the nighttime announcement played as usual. "It's nighttime…" Hina said, frowning.
"It is unfortunate, but we will have to leave the search for tomorrow." Celeste stated. "For now, everyone get some sleep."
"How can you be so casual! We don't have time to wait around!" Hifumi growled.
"What good are you if you are too tired?" Celeste retorted. "You will be much more effective after a good night's sleep."
"Who gives a crap about 'effective'?!" Taka argued fiercely. "We're talkin' about our FEELINGS here!"
"Never thought I hear Taka say something like that…" Leon remarked.
"Same." Sayaka agreed. "Then again, this a combination of Mondo and Taka…"
"So does this actually count?" Junko asked.
"Anything we do at night brings a higher chance of the mastermind noticing us." Kyoko said in persuasion. "Celeste is right. We should begin our investigation tomorrow morning." She then turned to Makoto. "What do you think, Makoto?"
"I… agree with you." Makoto reluctantly said. "If we run around tonight in a panic, the mastermind is sure to notice, and we won't get anything done." He turned to Taka and Hifumi. "Taka, Hifumi… I know how you feel right now, but… it's best if, just for tonight… you can try to endure it."
Both boys let out noises of frustration. But neither tried to argue Makoto's point.
"I feel really bad for them…" Hina said softly, looking down. "This is really affecting them…"
"I feel the same, Hina." Sakura agreed. "But Makoto is right. They just have to endure it for one more night…"
"Okay, then let us part for today." Celeste declared. "We will begin our search for Alter Ego in the morning."
"And you should think about what I said - someone may very well be spying for the mastermind." Byakuya advised the group.
No one had anything to say to that. And slowly, the group trickled out of the locker room and towards their rooms. Makoto's voice began speaking over the clips. "Alter Ego… gone as quickly as he appeared…"
Shots of each character's faces were shown as the narrator spoke. "We'd finally discovered some small measure hope. But even that… was taken away from us. And we couldn't even put up a fight."
Looks of frustration, sadness, and anxiety entered several faces, especially those that had survived, as Makoto spoke. They had something. Something that could've given more of a clue to find out who they're dealing with, or possible even a way out! But, without any of them noticing, that vital clue was taken from them.
Chihiro bit his lip, worried and frustrated. Alter Ego was his only chance to help the others. But now, it's gone, possibly in the mastermind's hands. What are they planning to his AI? Will they try to track it? Erase it?
Kyoko, despite not looking it, felt as frustrated as the others, if not more so. Her future self finally had a clue, something to solve the mystery of the killing game. She did everything she could to keep the mastermind from taking it, yet it was taken all the same. She can't help but feel frustrated.
The scene then showed everyone slowly entering their rooms. "We were given hope, and then when that hope was taken away… despair." Narrator Makoto continued. "It's just like… just like what the mastermind is doing to us…"
Next shown was Makoto sitting on his bed. 'Could it really be true?' Makoto thought to himself. 'Whoever stole Alter Ego… could they really be working for the mastermind? If that's true…'
Suspicious looks were cast at one another. Specifically on those who survived. Which one is a spy for the mastermind? Which one is a traitor to the group? Those were things several of them were thinking.
Makoto gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. He hated it. He hated having to doubt his own friends. He wants to believe that none of them would take Alter Ego for nefarious purposes. None of them would work for the mastermind. But the evidence is plastered around.
And not only that, but his classmates are beginning to get tense around each other. Beginning to argue. Beginning to point fingers. Beginning to doubt each other. And that scares him more than anything.
"No! It can't be! There's no way!" Makoto shouted to himself, holding his head.
"The scary thing isn't the idea of someone spying on us." Narrator Makoto spoke up once again. "What's really scary is… the idea that we're starting to doubt each other again. That scares me more than anything."
"Dammit…!" With that last shout, the present Makoto huffed and fall back into his bed. Not long after, he fell into a restless sleep.
That made a crack in the tense. Some of the group begin looking awkward, as well as a bit guilty. They know they shouldn't be acting like this. That now isn't the time to doubt. But with each chapter, it's getting harder to believe the best in each other.
The scene switched to morning, with the school bell ringing and the morning announcement playing once again. Slowly, Makoto got up from his bed, determination entering his feature. 'Today… we have to look for Alter Ego.' He then spoke up to himself. "Okay, first thing first… to the dining hall!"
The scene switched to Makoto quickly entering to the dining, in surprisingly high spirit. But when he got there, his confidence turned to confusion when he saw that only Sakura, Hina, and Kyoko is here.
The present students mirrored Makoto's confusion. "There's only four in the dining hall?" Leon asked, raising an eyebrow. "Where are the others?"
"Why isn't my future self up and ready to save the fair lady?!" Hifumi demanded. While he was silent for the most part, due to being sadden, as well as his future self voicing his thoughts, he cannot be silent about this!
"Yeah. You would think Taka and Hifumi would be the first ones up to do this." Hina said, frowning a little.
"Is this it?" Sakura asked, looking around. "What happened to the others?"
"Aren't they coming…?" Hina questioned in slight concern.
Kyoko was silent, a slight frown on her face.
'Only three people in the dining hall…' Makoto thought to himself, looking at the three girls. 'Hina, Sakura, and Kyoko. So including me…' "Only… four people?" Makoto voiced out, confusion laced in that voice.
Kyoko, like her counterpart, had a slight frown on her face. Could this be…? Is another murder about to be unveiled? But why would…
'Of course… the motive.' Kyoko thought, not letting her thoughts show. 'I forgot that they showed it early on.' And it seems like yet again, someone took the bait.
"God! This is why hate people who take their sweet time with everything!" Hina pouted.
"Anyway, let's wait a little while longer for the others." Sakura advised.
So the small group of four sat down, waiting for the others. "So we decided to wait, in case anyone else showed up." Narrator Makoto spoke. "But no matter how long we waited…"
The scene slowly transitioned to Hina pacing in front of the table, Kyoko frowning in thought, and Sakura and Makoto looking concerned. "So… it's 8 o'clock. We've been waiting here a full hour…" Hina spoke, worried.
"A full hour?" Chihiro said, his voice full of concern. "Where are the others?"
"While Byakuya and Toko being absent isn't a surprise, the others should've came." Sakura said, frowning.
"Why haven't the others come?" Sakura asked, also concerned.
"Hiro and Celeste have never missed a day… till now." Hina pointed out. "And what I'm really worried about is… Hifumi and Taka."
"They were more eager than anyone to look for Alter Ego…" Makoto agreed. "And they're not here."
"Maybe they decided to go 'fuck it' and went searching themselves?" Mondo suggested.
"I don't think so." Mukuro voiced her own opinion. "I think they would only do that if it was clear that no one else was going to search."
"Then what's the heck going on?" Junko asked, crossing her arms. However, contrary to her question, she's got a good picture to what is possibly happening. And she can't wait for the chaos to be unveiled.
Finally, Kyoko spoke up. "Something must have happened."
"Huh…?" Makoto, along with Hina and Sakura, turned towards the lavender haired girl at that statement.
"I was careless. I was too distracted by Alter Ego…" Kyoko murmured loudly. "But Monokuma gave us a motive. There was no way something wouldn't happen eventually."
'Monokuma's motive…' A flashback of Monokuma offering ten million dollars for the one who gets out of Hope's Peak.
Blood ran cold at the implication. "Oh no, don't tell me…" Leon groaned.
"A-Another murder?!" Chihiro exclaimed, looking shaken up.
"B-But, it was money! Nobody should want to kill for money!" Hina protested, looking quite pale herself.
"And nobody should want to kill for secrets." Celeste retorted. "Yet we all saw what happened." Mondo gritted his teeth at that.
Makoto himself was shaking, scared of what is to come, but also angry that he has to accept it. He wanted to see that it wasn't possible, that no one would kill for money… but that would be a pointless endeavor. He knows what he's about to witness next.
After a moment of silence, Kyoko spoke up again. "We need to go look for the people who didn't showed up." She told the three.
"O-Okay. Let's go track them down…" Hina agreed, looking more than a bit scared. And with that, the four of them quickly left the dining hall.
"So the ones who're safe are Makoto, Kyoko, Hina, and Sakura." Mukuro listed off. "Which means Byakuya, Toko, Taka, Hifumi, Celeste, and Hiro are possible victims."
The six mentioned tensed up, some looking incredibly anxious. All six were hoping that they aren't the next victims.
As they got into the hallways, Kyoko begans making plans. "We can cover more ground if we split up." She stated. She then turned to Sakura. "Sakura, you go check the dorms. Make sure to check all of our rooms." Next, she turned to Makoto. "Makoto, you check the first floor of the school. Meanwhile, I'll check the 2nd floor."
"Okay, then I guess I'll check the 3rd floor." Hina said, a look of determination on her face.
"Don't take risks. If anything happens, call for help right away." Kyoko ordered them.
"I really hope nothing happens…" Hina said worriedly.
"So do I." Makoto agreed.
"Okay, let's go." With Sakura's statement, the four left to do their individual search.
The seriousness of the situation got some adrenaline running, several students tensing up. Like future Hina and Makoto, they hope nothing had happened. But, like the last two chapters, it's a futile hope.
Byakuya looked down in thought. Who would be the next murder victim? Hifumi? Taka? Celeste? Possibly even himself? It's hard to say at the moment. However, he grimaced to himself as he noticed that his adrenaline started flowing throughout his body at the excitement from the new developments. Old habits do die hard he noted to himself.
Hifumi and Hiro bit their nails nervously. Are they the next victim? Did somebody kill them? Fear gripped their hearts at the thought of seeing their own dead bodies.
Taka himself felt some anxiety. Is he the next one to die? Will he be denied the chance to have his bro live on through him? Will he die not being able to do anything? Or worse, be a murderer just like Mondo?
'No!' Taka though forcefully. 'I wouldn't stoop that low! I would not repeat Mondo's mistake!' With that thought, he can only pray that the worst won't happen.
Celeste felt herself clenching her fist tightly, to stop any shaking sensation. Why? Why is her body reacting like she's afraid? There's no way she's going to die. There's no need to be afraid. She isn't scared. She has no concern about dying. She should be used to taking risks all the time especially since she is infamous in the underground gambling world. So why is it so different now?
Everyone waited in anticipation as the future Makoto, Sakura, Kyoko, and Hina split up to search for the remaining survivors.
And that's the end. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Next up, they'll be seeing an injured Celeste, Robo-Justice, an even more injured Hifumi, and then one or two dead students. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you guys later.
A Lucky Soldier: Dammit! A recap episode for Goblin Slayer today? I have to endure another week for it to happen? Noooooooooooo *cries in despair* Welp, I guess I'll start reading the LN then. Also, after finishing the latest singularity in FGO, I am now 110% more excited for the coming animation for it. I'm sitting her listening to the 2nd map music on loop for the billionth time and still not bored of it. MERLIN IS COMING.