Chapter Text
Many nights ago, just before the third floor would open, two figures met up on the staircase that no others had access to. With the dead of night covering their meeting, Chihiro was finally able to meet with her 'accomplice', Junko.
"I thought," Chihiro said, glaring daggers at the ground to avoid eye contact. "that we had a deal." Both people stood in the hall of the third floor, the first seething with rage and betrayal. The other, gleefully unphased.
"And I thought you were gonna take a bath for once! That was part of the agreement, too~." Junko playfully shrugged, strutting down the hall as the Ultimate Programmer attempted to catch up.
"What- B-But, I bathe..." Chihiro pouted.
"Then you must naturally have the B.O. to kill a horse, cuz damn!" Junko pantomimed gagging. "Fa-real though, I thought you'd just love the delish dip of despair! Is this how you're gonna treat me for such a gift?"
"N-No, you're absolutely right, Junko, I-I'd never-"
"It's been a few days since we last saw each other in person, huh," Junko stated calmly, coming to a halt. Leaning over her shoulder to glare into Chihiro's eyes. "You never told me the point of that agreement anyway, but the mouth-watering despair that followed its end on your face was to die for! Don't tell me, little Cheero had a little crush on him~?"
"No, I-" Chihiro began to reply before Junko lunged. Equipped with a screwdriver, she began to strike quickly and rapidly. Each and every quick stab and slash was easily blocked or parried.
"C'mon, my vision's 10,000/20, and even a blind person coulda seen it! I'm testing your honesty, dumbass!"
"Well, I guess... maybe I did-" Immediately, the strikes stopped as Junko dramatically collapsed with a wail.
"Waaaaaahhhhh... N-Now, we're gonna look like even bigger chumps! Y-You're willing to betray m-me over some dork t-that didn't even remember you existeeedddd... Waaahaahahhhhh!!!!" Junko cried.
"And here I thought you would've loved the despair of that betrayal." Chihiro blushed, sighing longingly at the sight of Junko chastising them.
"But for real," Junko immediately stood up straight, ditching the upset persona for a new one. "It's simple to deduce the one-sidedness of this romance, even were it not for your three atrocities." Junko began walking once more, this time into the nearby classroom. With another sigh, Chihiro followed.
Writing on the chalkboard, Junko made sure to label each part very carefully for Chihiro's lacklustre intellect.
- Atrociously rank.
- Atrociously filthy.
- Atrociously repulsive.
"As you can see, it is atrociously clear just how out of touch you are with the rest of society. And knowing who you really are? What you've done? What on earth would he want with you?"
Chihiro stood quiet, biting their lip.
"Ya know, I'm jealous." Junko grabbed a chunk of their hair, looking down at the floor depressingly. "To be despised and hated this much, to be as gross and repressed. It's so tantalisingly full of despair that you can't help but put a 'Super' in front of it... It's super, super, super, super, super despair. No, more than that... Super super super super super super super super super super super super super super super despair... It just feels...so...good..."
Chihiro had to withhold the temptation to roll their eyes, electing to just stand there and watch the overdramatic girl go off.
"I've been thinking." Junko softly spoke once more. "You haven't been your usual self for quite some time, Cheero." Lunging forward again, Junko painfully grabbed their wrist, hoisting it up to stare at their hand. "It's like you're no longer drinking it in. Tasting it... Loving it. Don't tell me you already got bored of despair? That's my cliché!" They slowly caressed Chihiro's hand.
"Never! I'd never go against your-"
"Save it. Because the despair of my own friend betraying me?" Junko softly chuckled. "It tastes just as rich as the world's despair. You're no longer safe."
"H-Huh?" Chihiro gasped.
"Puhu... puhuhu..." Junko began to laugh. "Your immunity, special privileges, all gone. I'll kill you just the same as them."
"T-That's not-"
"Yeah, that's not really a shocker, is it? I always woulda killed you." Junko licked her lips. "The delicious despair of me betraying you was always meant to happen, but I'm not one to see a plan to the end, anyway. Where's the fun if it all goes accordingly?"
"Junko!" Chihiro shouted.
"Get back to your dorm room. It's almost morning~. I'll make sure this game is one neither of us can predict!"
"Something neither of us can predict..." Chihiro mumbled, watching as Junko swiftly turned on her heel to return once more to the Data Centre... If she wanted to see something she couldn't predict, then Chihiro would make sure she got what she wanted. Before Junko could even finish opening the door, Chihiro was already sneaking a hand into her sleeve, pressing one of the external control buttons she prepared, summoning a Monokuma unit behind her. With a simple order, Monokuma did as he was controlled to do... and smacked Junko right in the back of the head with his metallic paw, knocking her unconscious instantly.
With her head held high, Chihiro approached the now sleeping fashionista, already getting to work, tying her hands behind her back. She'd find use for Junko somehow. After all, she wasn't needed now that the game was up and running. With Alter Ego able to work Monokuma... Junko's only purpose was to be disposed of. Perhaps she'd frame Mondo for it so that she could finally use the execution planned for him.
An execution she'd never get to use... as soon after, she would find herself face to face with him on the other end of the courtroom.
~♥️~
"...what?" Mondo uttered, his voice quiet and mousey. Chihiro, who up until that point had been a bubbly, sweet girl... was now staring up at him with a manic grin. ' You're so fucking stupid. ' The words Chihiro had just said echoed inside his head. Disbelief, anger, despair, embarrassment, disappointment, betrayal... they all ran through his mind. Still, the disbelief was the loudest, along with the statement, as well as the unusual wide toothy grin the Ultimate Programmer wore. It didn't fit on her face—like a mask stretched over a false head that was the wrong size for it. To see that face on Chihiro, of all people... It couldn't be real. It couldn't be her .
"Is that your confession, Chihiro? Do you finally admit we were right?" Sayaka demanded, not mentioning the fact that she was strong-armed to do most of the work. Even though Sayaka had become confident in her accusal a little while ago, she still couldn't believe it. The person before her was entirely different from the one she had come to know. It was as if a demon had emerged and stolen the body of Chihiro Fujisaki, intent on taking her place. For a moment, Sayaka thought there was an ethereal glow in Chihiro's eyes as she stared ahead.
Chihiro paid no heed to the accusations hurled at her. She simply stepped away from her podium, walking towards Monokuma. With a flick of her wrist, the bear obediently vacated his platform for her. Now standing alone, she let out a sigh of relief, which quickly turned into a dry chuckle, a testament to her unwavering confidence.
"'Admit you were right'...? When you managed to get most of your deductions wrong? I don't think so." Chihiro shook her head, staring ahead straight at Sayaka, now the dead opposite side of the circle from her.
"It doesn't matter. You're the actual mastermind behind this killing game, right?" Mukuro asked, still in a low stance as if ready to kick off in her direction at any moment.
"...Yes. Although, I'd hold off if I were you." Chihiro warned, bringing her arm up on level to her face, using her opposite hand to cradle it... as if ready to push a button through her sleeve at any moment. "After all, I'd hate to involve myself in a murder again. Even if it is punishing a rule breaker."
"A rule breaker?" Leon parroted, staring at the girl across from him with a rare sight of rage on the baseballer's face.
"The rule specifies violence against Monokuma, not the mastermind." Byakuya reprimanded, only for a cocky grin to return to Chihiro's face.
"But Mukuro and Junko are guilty of that, aren't they?" Chihiro chuckled, turning to the blonde boy with a smug grin to rival his own. "I wouldn't mind popping them like grapes to set an example for your tiny brain to catch up if you don't believe me~."
"Why you...!" Byakuya grumbled, seething as he clenched his fist at her.
"You... who are you?" Mondo asked, unable to look Chihiro in the eye as he stared down at the floor.
"Me? I'm Chihiro Fujisaki, of course. Don't tell me you've forgotten." Chihiro teased, causing Mondo's body to stiffen once more.
"No... No Chihiro wasn't like this. Chihiro wasn't capable of this! What did you do with her?!" Mondo roared, snapping his head upward to lock eyes on his target. With pure fury on his face, he only hesitated to rush her at the sight of Chihiro's hand, ready to act on a moment's notice as she pulled her sleeve back.
"Ah-Ah~ Violence against the headmaster is against regulations... as of now ." Chihiro mocked, pressing a button on the device clasped to her wrist, causing an echo of beeps to come from the handbooks of everyone present. "Thanks for the reminder of the specifics, Muki-Chan."
" Don't call me that." Mukuro snapped, slamming her fist down hard enough to splinter the wooden podium slightly.
"Destruction of property is also against the rules, you know..." Chihiro's cocky face turned cold before she eventually sighed. "...is what I'd like to say. Sadly, they only specify the cameras. Perhaps I should add that as well?"
"Enough of your games!" Leon spat, stealing her attention. "No more debates. No more bullshit! We're not gonna play by your dumb rules! This killing game is over , Chihiro!"
"Oh, you'll play. You don't want to be punished, right?" Chihiro warned.
"Quit taunting." Junko rolled her eyes, once again lacking her usual silliness. "It's just a waste of time. How about we get to the juicy details, huuuuh?"
"Oh?" Chihiro's smile almost immediately returned, a flicker of elation in her eyes. "My... you haven't changed a bit, have you? You want me to drop that on them already?! Not even an appetiser..."
"Drop... what on us?" Sayaka hesitated, a pit of unease forming deep within her.
"Oh... you know. Nothing major." Chihiro shrugged, yet was unable to hide the expression she now naturally wore. "Just that Junko's earlier assertion wasn't too far off."
"What do you refer to?" Kyoko narrowed her eyes.
"Memory manipulation. You all lost quite a bit of time from your high school days... including the majority of the last two years." Chihiro said, like ripping off a bandaid. No finesse, no grandstanding... just the cold-hard statement.
"Wha... but I already—" Sayaka began to refute, only for Chihiro to wave her off.
"With a TV program. A recording from two years ago, thanks to my beloved child. Isn't that right?" Chihiro chuckled, resting her hand on Monokuma's head as if she were petting his metal hide.
"...what?" Sayaka's eyes widened.
"Don't tell me you're surprised. After all, you already met Alter Ego, didn't you? Sure, it was a mere copy on a laptop... but it's the same program." Chihiro explained, aggressively shoving Monokuma's face away now that she was done with the demonstration. "After all, I've let it run the entire killing game. It knows what it's doing quite well, especially to get you guys off track~"
"So... you used Monokuma to make false evidence? Is that what you're saying?" Kyoko demanded, only for Chihiro to shake her head.
"I did no such thing. If Sayaka happened to watch an old recording and assume it was live... then that's on her!" Chihiro cackled. "Besides... TV isn't really a thing right now, anyway. It was better than letting her watch static."
"The fuck does that mean?!" Mondo shouted.
"Oh, nothing. Just that all the TV stations that used to exist are kind of in smithereens or abandoned!" Chihiro grinned widely. "After all, there are much more important things for the Survivors of the Tragedy to focus on than entertainment!"
"'Survivors... of the Tragedy'?" Sayaka blinked.
"H-Huh?! The 'T-Tragedy' again?!" Toko gulped.
"That's right... Jill brought that up, didn't she?" Mukuro hummed as she recalled Toko's other personality's words.
"Ah, well then... why did you all suddenly revert your feelings toward Jill?" She tilted her head like a confused dog. "After her introduction, you all accepted her with open arms... then after the incident, she came out once again to hostility. I understand the Tragedy had been difficult, but I can't remember any of that time... what happened to make you all hate her again?"
"I suppose I should probably let you guys figure it all out, hmm? But you complained about playing the game... so how about I just rip it off and show ya?!" Chihiro gleefully shouted, pressing a finger firmly against her wrist-mounted device, causing the monitors above to flicker on with an image.
Chaos.
Carnage and destruction. Murder and war.
Tragedy.
City blocks reduced to rubble. What were once homes, now only the foundations covered in debris. What was worse was... Sayaka was sure she recognised one of the streets as her very own home address... now an apocalyptic sight. The sky was a deep dark red, the polluted air causing the sun's rays to barely illuminate the earth through the hefty darkened clouds in every image, baking the world in crimson.
"...what?" Sayaka's breath hitched in her throat, causing her to stop thinking straight as she stared up at the images before her. Even Byakuya and Kyoko had become stumped. Their usual confidence drained along with the rest of them.
"T-That's not... I mean... c-come on! That's obviously 'shopped!" Leon cried, uncertain in his own response.
"That's Inage Ward...." Mondo pointed out, staring up at one of the screens. "That... that can't... I was there a month ago! It was fucking fine!"
"No. You were there two years ago. I know you're a moron, but keep up, would you?" Chihiro mocked
"Huh..." Junko hummed as she looked up at the images. Sayaka slowly teetered her head away from them to see the fashionista's expression, which was... that of disinterest. Mere boredom.
"How..." Toko blinked, still stunned by the destruction. "If you're right... and it has been two years. How?! Did a w-war start?!"
"Technically!" Chihiro shrugged nonchalantly. "I mean... so many military devices are handled electronically these days. Right, Mukuro? Several armies around the world, all with lacklustre security on their tech... it was basically child's play! I barely even had to lift a finger. Alter Ego was able to do the rest."
"You... you hacked the military!? " Mukuro gasped, causing Chihiro to stir back into a fit of giggles.
"Only Japan's, North Korea's and the French Armed Forces. The rest of the world reacted in kind and did the rest for me!" Chihiro sighed with ecstasy. "And I did it all from the comfort of the academy we're currently in."
"You... you're seriously trying to say you started World War III?! " Leon gawked, holding onto chunks of his own hair in stress.
"Just look at the results yourself! Isn't it so amazingly wonderful!? Doesn't it just fill you all to the brim with despair?! " Chihiro cackled. "Fun little fact. That's why we're here in the first place. This academy was to be one of Japan's best shelters. I mean, you tried so hard to break out, but the iron walls and plates on the windows were there for your own protection! Ah... isn't it just great?! Though, it's hard to say if there's anything left out there to protect you from!"
Feeling a slight smack on her shoulder, Sayaka's attention came back to life. She had disassociated to the point she hadn't even noticed she was hyperventilating. Looking toward the cause of that smack, her eyes met Junko's. The blonde looked at her with a mixture of disappointment and impatience. With Junko making a 'hurry up' motion, Sayaka tried to steel her breathing and come back down to reality.
"Are you trying to tell me... the world ended?" Sayaka asked.
"Oh? You only just figured that part out? Look, Mondo! You're no longer the slowest one!"
"If... if the world ended. If what you're trying to tell us is real... Our memories being gone... the world practically ending..." Sayaka took a deep breath as her eyes focused on the images again. The source of Junko's boredom. "If all of that is true... Why not show us?"
"...Excuse me?" Chihiro blinked in confusion, although her smug demeanour only faltered briefly before it returned. "Are you blind as well, now?"
"No. I can see those images quite clearly." Sayaka seethed, narrowing her eyes as she stared Chihiro down. "What I'm saying is... your source is nothing but... but bullshit! "
Non-Stop Debate!
"If you want us to believe in this impossibility..." Sayaka began, "I suggest you show us actual evidence for it! Because right now? I don't believe any of it!"
"That's not how you reacted initially... I would have thought you'd hit the depression stage already..." Chihiro sighed, "But you're still stuck in denial, it seems."
"The Tragedy..." Byakuya began, his voice wavering slightly as he turned to Junko. " This is what you meant?"
"Hey, don't look at me!" She waved him off, throwing her hands up in mock surrender. "I was suuuuuper proven wrong before, wasn't I?"
"The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History." Chihiro listed. "That's the official name. However, most refer to it as simply 'The Tragedy'."
"If that's the true state of the outside world... " Mondo muttered under his breath, a shaky hand covering his mouth. "What happened to my gang...? My... my mom..."
"It can't be! It can't be real! " Leon cried, nearly ripping out the hair he clenched onto. "I-I mean... come on, man! Y-You expect me to believe that fake shit?!"
"Assumptions, assumptions..." Junko sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Fool me once, yadda yadda."
"What's not to believe?" Chihiro questioned, pressing a button on her device to update the screens to new images. "It's all there. Real photos of the outside world!"
Break!
( Class Photos -> Real photos )
"Hang on, that's wrong!" Sayaka swiftly yelled out, causing Chihiro to stammer mid-sentence.
"Your denial is delicious, Sayaka dear... but I'm afraid it's getting repetitive." Chihiro mockingly cooed. "Just move on and accept—"
"How about you accept that your AI isn't as high and mighty as you hype it up to be?!" Sayaka denied, raising her voice over the programmer with fury behind her eyes.
"...What did you just say?" She spat back with venom laced in her words.
"You relied on Alter Ego for it all, right? You relied on Alter Ego to do the hacking for you. You relied on Alter Ego to choose the channel for you. You relied on Alter Ego to get the images for you... but it's all made-up evidence! The photos are generated, and the TV wasn't altered at all... The Tragedy didn't happen! You fell for your own AI's lies!"
"It... it was fake?" Byakuya blinked, trying to compose himself.
"I... How foolish of me... to fall for such attempts." Kyoko sighed, giving Sayaka a look of support before focusing her anger back on Chihiro.
"I... I knew they were fake!" Leon instantly celebrated, winding down from the intense pressure he was under mere moments ago with a breath of relief.
"You... you think the Tragedy is fake?" Chihiro stuttered, unable to hide her worried expression.
"If you wanna prove me wrong. Then do it! We're all stuck down here anyway. It's not like we could use it to escape right now. Use that fancy device of yours to open the vault door! Show us the outside world!" Sayaka spat.
"Ha! You'll eat your words, Sayaka Maizono! Brace yourself for all to see! And hold onto your podiums... when the air gets sucked out of the pressure lock..." Chihiro trailed off, focusing her attention on her wrist-mounted console as she pressed a series of buttons, causing the feed on the monitors to swap to the Main Hall surveillance camera.
With a final button press, an alarm began to ring out, causing several flashing lights to occur on screen as the massive vault door went through a series of shifts and movements... before the door eventually managed to open, sliding outward down the middle like an elevator's door, letting the outside morning sun shine in.
From the camera's view, they weren't able to see much due to the high angle of the ceiling... but what they were able to see was more than enough. Bright, vibrant grass, along with a smoothly paved stone path leading from the exit outward. A warm, resolute light of the sun made its way through the outside.
"WHAT?!" Chihiro screeched like a tyre upon a driver's hasty break check. Pressing more buttons on her device, the camera feed cut to the POV of a Monokuma unit as it waddled towards the entrance... only to see the beautiful courtyard of the academy, along with bright blue skies with barely a single cloud.
"You piece of shit." Mondo spat, his fists clenched fully tight. "It wasn't enough, was it? It wasn't enough to betray me. It wasn't enough to cause the deaths of everyone else and put us in this fuckin' game? You wanted us to suffer. You wanted us to feel despair? I'll fucking kill you!"
"How... t-this doesn't... it doesn't make sense!" Chihiro cried, hyperventilating as she rubbed her eyes to make sure she was seeing right. "N-No... it's fake! That sky is fake! It... It..."
"N'aww, what's da matta? Your wibble pwan didn't go thwough like you hoped?" Junko cooed with her squeaky childish persona, her eyes becoming big and sparkly as she pleaded towards Chihiro with fake worry.
"You... what did you do!? Why didn't... why didn't you... You lazy—"
"What are you getting mad at little ol' me for? I'm not the one who faked ending the world." Junko rolled her eyes, losing character quickly.
"Another difference..." Chihiro huffed to herself, mentally chiding herself as she did so. "It doesn't matter."
"Answer me, goddamn it!" Mondo snapped. "I asked you a goddamn question, you son of a bitch! You just couldn't get enough, could you? That's why you betrayed me... that's why you... you fucking killed them!"
"What? Me? Betray you? How rich coming from you ." Chihiro shook her head in disbelief.
"What?!" Mondo growled, causing Chihiro to turn her attention away and promptly ignore him.
"W-Wait, but... if... if it was all a lie... why did Jill know about it? W-Was she referring to something else?" Toko wondered, sniffling slightly as she was still calming down.
"That's the kicker, isn't it?" Junko sighed, rolling a strand of hair around her finger. "I couldn't exactly tell when that happened, but it seemed she was one too."
"'One too'? What do you mean?" Kyoko asked as her eyes narrowed in on Junko. When the fashionista didn't reply, Sayaka felt the need to answer for her. The thing Junko could possibly be referring to Jill as...
A Mastermind
[ A Meddler ]
An Accomplice
"That could be it!" Sayaka announced, slamming her fist into her palm as she came to her conclusion. "Junko, are you saying Jill was... was a 'meddler' as you put it?" Sayaka asked, causing the fashionista's eyebrows to raise slightly with great interest, which Sayaka took as an indication that she was right.
"A meddler? What on earth does that mean?" Byakuya sighed in exasperation. It seemed he was too fed up for his usual shtick of acting like he already knew all the facts.
"She called me that earlier, during the investigation. Actually, you know what? Here." Sayaka said, pulling out her e-handbook to go through her truth bullets.
Select one: (-> Junko's Flowchart.)
"Junko gave me this to explain it... kind of. Apparently, she made a timeline of all the times she noticed someone meddling with the mastermind's plan?" Sayaka explained, still not entirely understanding any of it.
"A flowchart of times the mastermind's plan was messed with..." Kyoko hummed for a moment before moving on. "So it refers to times when the mastermind was caught on the back foot, as it were? Then, if Junko is suggesting Jill would be part of this as well... Perhaps Jill was able to ascertain those generated images and found out about Chihiro's plan to tell us about the Tragedy as a distraction?"
"Heh, 'distraction'..." Junko chuckled under her breath before moving on. "Pretty much, yeah. 'Cept for like, ooooone teensy eensy key detail, you got it! However, even with my analytical prowess, I can't analyse something from literally zero data. I have no clue when Jill did it."
"Wait, that..." Chihiro narrowed her eyes at the flowchart being shown. "Aha... ahahaha! So that's it! That makes so much fucking sense! You idiot! "
"Hey! Words hurt, ya know..." Junko mockingly pouted at the insult, but that didn't stop Chihiro's tirade.
"Ah, it makes so much sense now! You knew from the start, didn't you?!"
"Eh, maybe!" Junko playfully shrugged. "It was pretty obnoxious to have you try me like that to my very face... but, nevertheless, you thought you had me right where you wanted. The real reason I let you do as you please was because I was interested to see how it turned out!"
"It's refreshing to hear you be honest for once... but how about you update that garish thing already if you're on that path?" Chihiro snarkily remarked. "Seems you got one part wrong."
"Nah, I just didn't wanna spoil the best part! But, oh well. Sayakaaaaa~!" Junko sing-songed, turning to the bluenette next to her. "You've got the flowchart! Update it for me, wouldja?"
"Huh? What part?" Sayaka blinked, only for Junko to annoyingly shoo her as if telling her to hurry up.
"Come on! If you're as smart as ya like to act, you'll figure it out! Plus, consiiiiidering the thingies you've said. I'm pretty sure you know about it!" Junko pushed, slapping Sayaka on the back in some kind of supportive manner.
Looking down at the image before her... it taunted her in a way she couldn't pick out. With the interpretation of their words Sayaka currently held, Chihiro noticed an inconsistency instantly. According to Junko, if it was correct from the get-go, it would have given some crucial details away...
The horizontal arrows represented the mastermind's plan. The dark blue arrows represented Sayaka herself, causing it to be altered. The light brown and pink arrows. Only they could be wrong. Considering Chihiro said 'one part wrong' instead of 'parts wrong', it could only be one of them... and Sayaka should know it?
"Ah... I—" Sayaka's breath hitched in her throat as she was about to ask for clarification, only for the air in her lungs to be ripped away as a theory crossed her mind.
'Surely... n-no...' Sayaka internally began to talk herself out of it, before spying the cheeky grin on Junko's face. 'E-Even if I'm right... surely it doesn't mean...'
Tapping onto her handbook, Sayaka began to edit the image she was given. If she was right, then this is what she had to change.
"Here!" Sayaka said a little too loudly for the mere completion of moving an arrow over. With a lump in her throat, Sayaka tried to ignore the implication as she showed Junko her efforts... even though it was currently displayed on the screens above, courtesy of Monokuma.
"Well done! Surely that's what ya meant, right Chihiro?" Junko applauded before turning to the mastermind.
"So you do know. I had my suspicions... but even Sayaka, huh? No wonder you're 'so special'"
"I... don't get it. What are we looking at?" Mukuro asked, only for her sister to berate her quietly.
"Yeah, uh... me neither." Leon shrugged, the chorus going around the room as it seemed only the three of them even understood what was being discussed... except for Byakuya, who merely looked enraged.
"Well, I guess that's done then, huh?" Chihiro mockingly grinned as she mockingly clapped. "Congratulations, Sayaka Maizono, on solving one of the mysteries of the school."
"Wha—?" Sayaka gulped, not believing a word of it. "I didn't solve anything..."
"Oh? So you 'just knew' where to move the arrow to on the flowchart perfectly?" Chihiro taunted, slamming her hand down onto the podium with much more force than she ever had in any prior trial. "Then how would you like a little hint?"
"A... a hint?"
"You already know those top arrows there represent your actions. Or, rather... things that happened to you. Would you like to know what they were?" Chihiro teased. "Well, don't worry. I'll tell you. Right here, before the third class trial, right before the murder, you were in the Rec Room."
"I... I was. Yasuhiro and I were meant to meet up there for Byakuya's alibi, but..." Sayaka grimaced as she recalled the night in particular.
"But Yasuhiro got scared and thought Sayaka was there to kill him... so he tried to get to her first. Using a dosed rag, he knocked her unconscious, intent on killing before he could be killed." Kyoko continued from where Sayaka left off.
"Well, this time around, right?" Chihiro taunted, causing both girls to stare at her uncertainly. "But yeah, that's correct. Sayaka being drugged and then almost killed was what this point in the timeline refers to. Now! Next on the list. What does this one during the fifth class trial refer to?!"
"How does that..." Kyoko narrowed her eyes in thought, eventually deciding to move on to the demanded question. "The fifth class trial... where Sayaka aided Byakuya in his deception against you."
"Yeah, that happened . But it did nothing to alter the flowchart. Go on, Sayaka. Surely, you know. Only you could know." Chihiro demanded, her voice going from taunting and cheeky to angry and fierce as she began to shout. "What did you do during that trial?!"
"What I did... during that trial?" Sayaka repeated, feeling the void creep around her as her suspicions were almost confirmed. As sound faded around her once more, Sayaka was only able to hear her own heartbeat and thoughts. Last night... the execution. "I... Are you talking about the... t-the vision I saw?"
"'Vision'?" Kyoko inquired. When Chihiro didn't respond, Sayaka elected to explain further.
"During... during the trial, I suddenly got distracted and stopped responding for a moment, remember? Well... that's because, inside my head, I saw... I saw something." Sayaka confessed, sheepishly looking down to the floor as she explained her crazy dream. "I basically had a dream then and there... about the trial continuing down a different path than the one we took. I dreamt of... of the vote condemning Byakuya and him being executed. After that vision, I felt like it was wrong to convict him. That's why I helped him during that trial."
"You saw my execution...?!" Byakuya stiffened, trying yet failing to stay composed.
"Shit, no wonder you were so all over the place... getting a daydream of all of us being punished for getting the vote wrong..." Leon grimaced, only for Sayaka to shake her head.
"Well, I..." Sayaka started, taking a deep breath before explaining all the events of her dream. "The main thing I don't understand... is the relevance. I don't see how this matters."
"Oh, trust me. It does. It wasn't a 'vision'. Besides, that's not the first one you've had, is it?" Chihiro spat, staring daggers at Sayaka as she hurried her up. "That's not the first time, right?!"
"Well... well, no , but—" Sayaka hesitated, eventually steeling herself. "What does it matter?! It was just a dream! A vision from stress!"
"Even you don't sound confident in that response, you know." Chihiro mocked, leaning forward as she stared the idol down. "How about we reflect on the other shifts in the flowchart, hmm? Starting with the one you just changed!"
"Well, Sayaka? How did you know to move it there?" Junko asked, her voice feeling like needles pricking Sayaka's ears.
"I... just knew..."
"Oh! Perfect, that excuse again!" Chihiro sarcastically clapped.
"Shut your mouth, asshat! If Sayaka's havin' some trouble, all we gotta do is help her out, yeah?" Leon interjected. "Bring it!"
Make Your Argument!
"Sayaka, you say you saw a vision of the trial? Were you hallucinating?" Kyoko inquired, her voice softer than her usual stoic self.
"I... I had a really bad headache, and... it was like an explosion went off in my face. Like knowledge and memories of an event were suddenly injected into my head." Sayaka poorly explained, still rubbing the side of her head as she contemplated how to go forward.
"Sayaka... y-you knew Mukuro's name as well." Toko considered, "Was that... and all the other things, the same story?"
"Yeah... it was," Sayaka admitted. "It was like... like I had amnesia, then suddenly lost it. All of a sudden, I just knew."
"Well, it's just random-ass knowledge you had after, right? Maybe our heads did get fucked with somehow, even if the amount of time that's passed is wrong?" Mondo suggested.
"Nothing actually changed around you, right? Like, nothing about the world was different when this happened to you?" Leon inquired, much to the annoyance of Byakuya.
"This isn't one of your comic books, buffoon." The Togami heir scoffed. "There is no such thing as the supernatural."
"Yasuhiro would probably have a go at you for that one." Junko goofily interjected.
Break!
( Hope's Peak Map -> just random-ass knowledge )
"Hang on, that's wrong!" Sayaka interjected. Although her shout of refutation was determined, her demeanour instantly fell as she realised what she was about to say. Seemingly, her body moved on its own as she called out towards Mondo. However, it was too late to back out. Everyone was already looking at her. "Uh... there was something. Something that changed physically."
"... what on earth are you trying to suggest?" Byakuya narrowed his eyes in disbelief from the get-go, causing Sayaka to become slightly sheepish as she admitted the truth.
"The elevator." Sayaka gulped, avoiding eye contact as she confessed. "The elevator that goes from the first floor to the fourth. That wasn't always there. It only showed up after Yasuhiro died. I... I swear, it didn't always exist, but all of you act like it did!"
"You... you mean that elevator suddenly appeared after the trial?" Kyoko inquired, a curious yet concerned glance sent Sayaka's way.
"Sort of... I think... I think, more accurately, it was after I was attacked by Yasuhiro." Sayaka contemplated, only for her train of thought to be thrown off the rails by Byakuya.
"Come on! You're usually more intelligent than this." He berated, snapping his fingers to get her attention away from Kyoko. "You're saying the elevator that we all saw on day one magically appeared after you were attacked and drugged unconscious? It doesn't take a genius to put together the mystery behind that misconception!"
"Oh! You mean... Yasuhiro drugging her made her forget!" Leon clicked his fingers as he deduced it, making Byakuya nod his head in agreement at the ginger boy for once.
"I..." Sayaka hesitated, scolding herself inside her own head. Was she really about to say, ' Oh, actually, I believe it was supernatural! '? She sounded ridiculous. Only after chiding herself did she notice she was being asked a question. Paying attention to the world around her again, Sayaka turned to Toko who was currently talking to her. "S-Sorry, could you repeat that?"
"I asked h-how did you know Mukuro's name, then? If it was... in the form of some memory or something, w-what memory did you get to tell you that?" The author asked. Humming to herself, Sayaka tried to recall the moment she learnt Mukuro's last name... in fact, she was sure she had written it down in her truth bullets somewhere...
Select one: (-> Vision of Mukuro.)
"Here, let me go over it." Sayaka began by recalling the events in detail.
"Muki-chan had a crush?!" Leon gawked at the end of it, causing the girl in question to uncharacteristically become flustered.
"Hey! Shut up..." Mukuro scoffed, crossing her arms to seem more irritated than embarrassed, although she ended up only becoming more so from Junko's interference by whispering teasing jabs at her.
' I'm also pretty sure it wasn't you that she was crushing on back then, either. Sorry, Leon... ' Sayaka thought to herself, thinking it best to leave that detail behind.
"Aww, look at you guys, isn't that just splendid! You're all working together, and you're all failing miserably! How adorable!" Chihiro sarcastically cooed. "That's great. But you haven't answered my question at all."
"Right..." Sayaka sighed, still unable to think of what the light-brown arrow might be.
"Relax, Saya! We just gotta tackle this together. Trust me, we got this!" Leon gave her a wide, toothy grin and a thumbs up to go with it. "Round two, baby!"
Non-Stop Debate!
"Our captor is requiring us to solve the shift Sayaka just changed. Hence, the light brown arrow at the bottom of the flowchart." Kyoko pointed out. "Therefore, the information we should focus on would be something that happened right before the second trial."
"Right, we gotta focus on Sakura's murder! " Mondo agreed. "That fucker over there said the top two are Sayaka herself, but this one's a different colour, meaning it represents someone else!"
"'That fucker over there...' oh, how you wound me." Chihiro dryly mocked. "Unless you're excited for your execution , I'd suggest you quit hurling insults and get thinking!"
"Sakura's murder... she was killed by Kiyotaka by accident when he removed the knife from her in a panic," Mukuro recalled.
"That was also the trial where we learnt about Genocide Jack's true identity..." Leon added. "But, I dunno if we're supposed to be thinking of that trial."
"What makes you say that?" Toko inquired.
"I mean, look! The way the arrow is... looks like it was before . As in, like, before the investigation and all that?" Leon shrugged, not entirely confident in his answer.
"Keep in mind Sayaka was the one to place it ," Byakuya interjected.
"But Chihiro and Junko marked it as correct , didn't they?" Leon bit back. "That's gotta be it! It's something to do with what happened before the second trial started!"
Break!
( Memory of a Different Game -> Sakura's murder! )
"Hang on, that's wrong!" Sayaka called out, a shaky hand pointed at Mondo. "It... it was probably a murder, but it wasn't to do with Sakura's death... I think."
"Huh? Then whose?" Mondo raised his eyebrows. "Leon's right. The arrow definitely is before the trial, so it wasn't Taka's execution, and it's a little late to be Hifumi's, either."
"You're right..." Biting her lip, Sayaka looked down at the arrow she herself had moved into correct place. From right before the second class trial to before the game started... There was one event in her mind she used as a reference for the possibility. The stupid, unbelievable possibility she refused to accept. The event that the light-brown arrow at the bottom of the flowchart marked was...
Sakura Ogami's murder.
The starvation motive.
[ Chihiro Fujisaki's murder. ]
"It... I..." Sayaka started, unable to get the ridiculous response past her lips. "I... I had a nightmare. A recurring one over the past couple of days. Of a killing game just like this one... except that I was the first to die. It played out almost the same, except the victims and blackeneds were different. In the case that arrow points from, Chihiro was the victim..."
"If you were the type to joke during these serious moments, I would tell you that isn't funny." Byakuya scolded.
"Ha, you're..." Chihiro dryly chuckled, causing Sayaka to brace herself to be reprimanded and yelled at for her stupidity, only for Chihiro's laughter to become heavier and louder. "Completely right!"
"What?!" Byakuya snapped. "Quit this mockery!"
"Sorry, Byakuya, but it's true~ I was murdered by Mon—" Chihiro teased, only for her words to be overshadowed by Mondo's yelling.
"Huh? Wait, hold the fuck on! Why the fuck are we talking about dreams or visions or whatever bullshit?!" Mondo interrupted, slamming his fists down on his podium. "None of that stuff fuckin' matters. All that matters is that... that bitch is the one responsible for this bullshit! So—"
"Ah-Ah! You'll do well to remember that the condition of this class trial is not simply to reveal the mastermind but to solve the school's mysteries! If you give up now, then I get the regulation agreement to kill you all, remeeeember~?" Chihiro taunted, giving him a wide, toothy smile, causing him to quiet down.
"S-Still, he has a point... that... it was just a dream! All it was was a dream! It has no... no importance! It doesn't matter!" Sayaka pleaded, only for Chihiro to swiftly nip her in the bud.
"A dream, hmm? Are you sure that's all it was?"
"You were dead! I was dead! The majority of everyone in this room was! Me, Mukuro, Leon, You and Mondo! We all died in it!" Sayaka denied. "It obviously wasn't real!"
"I might have been wrong on how your memories were all manipulated. But I told you, I was sure that they were." Junko cut in, staring straight ahead at Chihiro. "Sure, this Sayaka Maizono didn't die in the killing game, but the one in your memory did. You remembered a history different from what we currently live in. And you did it multiple times."
"What are... d-do you really expect me to believe that..."
"That 'dream' of the other killing game. You, Junko, and I all remember it. We all remember the different history. Apparently, Jill did as well. If you refuse to believe that, then how about you shut your mouth?! You already want to close your eyes and cover your ears, so what's the harm!?" Chihiro shouted.
"'Me, Junko and you'? T-Then, you're saying... this other arrow, the pink one from trial 6 to the start... is Junko?" Sayaka blinked in confusion, running a hand through her hair as she tried to wrap her mind around what was being said. It was stupid . The mere premise made zero... it made no sense!
"Chihiro remembered a history of a killing game... and naturally decided to make it a reality. You tried your best to recreate it, but you failed spectacularly, and that's why your mockery of a counterfeit wasn't up to par!" Junko spat, smiling just as manicly as Chihiro.
"You can say that all you want, but yours failed too." Chihiro mocked.
"I dunno what you mean, but you won't do any good trying to throw the blame around this late." Junko retorted, but Chihiro's determined glance didn't err.
"Cute. You can deny it all you want, but even after my death, I was able to remember much more! All the way up to the sixth trial, where they revealed you as the mastermind." Chihiro taunted, turning her attention to the stammering peanut gallery. "In fact! Why don't we tell them what they've been waiting for, huh?! The cold, hard truth! At least that was something you were able to accomplish, Mondo! You were the only one not truly fooled by Junko's mask!"
"W-What the fuck are you getting at now?!" Mondo spat.
"The true timeline of events!" Chihiro screamed. "It was as if the world blinked when I remembered the other history. The other me's memories! The memories of you murdering me, Mondo. Striking me down with a dumbbell in the front of my skull... and even the events after death. Fascinating, isn't it?! I had no idea how or why I was able to remember it all... but that's where it got great. I got to watch on until the remaining idiots fumbled their way onto Junko's plan and revealed her as the genuine mastermind! After all, how could I not pass up that easy revenge?"
"'Revenge?'" Kyoko repeated, staring at the petite girl in disbelief. Everyone had a shared look similar to that, of pure disbelief.
" You betrayed me. You betrayed my trust! I admired you! I admired your strength, and you caved my skull in! " Chihiro screamed at Mondo, her face becoming bright red with anger as she then turned to continue her screaming Byakuya's way. "And you strung up my corpse, hanged me from the gym equipment and desecrated me just like you desecrated Sakura!"
"Even if we believe your ridiculous ass story, what about the rest of us?! What the hell did I do? Or Muki-Chan? Or Sayaka? Or Kyoko? I can go on. What the hell did the rest of us do to deserve this shit, huh?!" Leon demanded, slamming his palm down.
"The rest of you? You're joking, right?!" Chihiro spat, seething as she stared at all of those around her, going down the list one by one. "Junko and Mukuro are mass murderers. You and Sayaka both tried to kill before anyone else did! Kyoko revealed my deepest, darkest secret like it was nothing after my death! Toko is one of the worst serial killers in history! All of you... all of you are horrible filth! I'm giving you what you deserve!"
"Oh, shut UP! " Sayaka snapped, gripping her podium tight as she clenched her teeth in anger. "You had a little vision of some made-up events that never happened, and all of a sudden, you're some high and mighty being giving us our 'justice'?! What a pathetic excuse. You're just a killer. You're nothing more than that! You're just a murderer!"
"You seem to be fine labelling me that while you're standing right next to her. " Chihiro coldly stated, staring right at Junko. "I didn't do anything wrong. All I did was approach Junko before she had the chance to enact her plan and tell her that I could make her dream a reality. She had the strength to carry it out, and I had the technology. She ate it up. I made Monokuma for her, and she got the killing game she always wanted! You should be thanking me. I made it much more tame than what she pulled! The Tragedy was real! She made it happen! She broadcasted the game to the only survivors left, hijacking the world's airwaves!"
"Riiiiiiight. Because of your time travel mumbo jumbo?" Junko mockingly asked, cocking an eyebrow as she folded her arms. "I'm afraid no one's gonna believe all that. Besides, if what you said was true... surely the Ultimate Analyst would have seen through your entire scheme from the get-go and come up with a counter-plan the moment you revealed your knowledge to her, right? You wouldn't have been able to fool me... ya know, if that fake story was real!"
"Y-You... you bitch!" Chihiro snapped.
"Yeah, forget the whole flowchart thing. Made it up. Sorry! Sayaka's just psychic, remember? That's how she knew all of that stuff she shouldn't have known. It's okay, relax now! We have the mastermind cornered. Let's just move on!" Junko hurried along, smiling smugly as Chihiro stammered.
"That's why... that's why you... y-you—!"
"Junko... it... are you really...?" Sayaka trailed off, looking to the girl next to her for answers. The smug demeanour was all she needed to see.
"It hardly matters! Besides, even if by some slim, nigh impossible chance, Chihiro was telling the truth about 'remembering other timelines' or whatever, it hardly matters. It's not like I did anything in this history, anyway." Junko smirked.
"YES! Yes, you did!" Chihiro begged, slamming her hands down on the podium before her as she shouted. "It was all your doing! You got everything set up. All I did was give you the technology!"
"And your proof?" Junko's smirk faded into a small, thin line, her expression darkening as she stared deep into Chihiro's soul. "You've done your best to fill us all with apathetic despair... but I was born with nothing but that. Your deception won't do anything to me. You can't do it. You can't win. Even if you managed to get them to blame me... they'd come for your head next."
"Agh! Y-You... that... FUCK!!!" Chihiro screamed, grabbing chunks of her hair as she tried to think of her next attack, but Junko didn't let up.
"You can trick and manipulate and lie all you like, but even if you came close earlier, look at them. Look into their eyes." Junko ordered. "These idiots... they're so full of hope it makes me sick to my stomach. Try as you might, you can't break them. They'll get back up and soldier on. You did well getting Makoto killed first. He would have had you in your place in seconds. Face it, Chihiro. You're pathetic at this."
"I'm not done yet!" Chihiro snapped. "S-So what... So what if it's already coming to an end?! Nothing's done yet! You're forgetting about the most important part of the class trial!"
"You can cut it out with the pathetic attempt to seem intimidating. It's clear you're truly not built for this." Byakuya mocked, further shaking Chihiro's resolve. "You're not scary nor intimidating. Merely insane."
"Shut the hell up!" Chihiro screamed. "You can mock me all you like, but that smug grin will be wiped clean off of your face in a moment... after you vote. "
"Vote?" Sayaka blinked in confusion. What would be the point? They wouldn't hesitate to vote for her unless...
"Oh, but it's not the usual vote, is it? Where you simply vote for the blackened and it's all over? Not at all. This is a vote of what you're willing to give up. A vote to see your resolves!" Chihiro announced, her voice becoming more and more hoarse as she continued on. "Do you think I'd just let you bastards out because of a silly little challenge Monokuma idiotically accepted?! After all, your reasoning behind my 'murders' of Makoto and Celeste is pathetic at best, so it's not like you really have a blackened to commit. You haven't paid for what you did to me yet! Especially not her..."
"Yeah, not really." When Junko felt the other's eyes trail to her, she gleefully shrugged, letting Chihiro continue on.
"So, here's how this will go. Open your ears and listen carefully. I won't repeat myself." Chihiro coldly stated, her eyes darkening as she stared right ahead. "Even if you don't believe the cold truth I've told you, I'm sure none of you doubt the fact that Junko was involved. Even though she tried to deny it, she basically gave herself away in her egotistical grandstanding. Even if you get to leave scot-free, she'd start it up again. The Tragedy? All her and Mukuro. They were behind the whole event... even if it doesn't exist here."
"What are you getting at?" Mukuro scoffed, still in disbelief at the mere premise.
"Simple. Junko and Mukuro are exempt from voting. So here's the ruling. You can either vote to execute me, but I'll give Junko full control of the facilities. She'll have complete power over Monokuma, over Alter Ego, all of my devices and traps and everything else. Or... you can vote to execute Junko. I'll learn to forgive you for what happened to me... after all, only some of you directly hurt me , and the others that did are nowhere near as monstrous as her." Chihiro finished, her offer clear on the table. It wasn't a vote to determine the identity of a culprit... but instead, a vote for the bigger of two evils. To kill the mastermind of the killing game they currently find themselves in? Or the one behind the so-called original... as well as the 'Tragedy' Chihiro claimed existed. "So? What will it be? Do you trust her , of all people, to let you go after everything's said and done?"
"Junko, I get... but why the hell is Muki-chan exempt from the vote?!" Leon demanded.
"She was equally as complicit in the game and the Tragedy. But, I recognise she was manipulated. Don't worry, Leon. If you vote to kill Junko, Mukuro will get to live, too." Chihiro smiled... almost genuinely. If it weren't for the plasticy texture of Chihiro's mask, Sayaka might have believed any of the words she was saying. Might have. "So, are you ready , Junko? Ready to feel the 'despair' you crave so fucking much?! The Ultimate Punishment? The despair of betrayal of these people you tried to manipulate twice?!"
"Been there, done that, got a new coat." Junko rolled her eyes, shrugging Chihiro off as she instead opted to check her cuticles.
"I see. You really want this to be in your domain, huh? A battle of Hope and Despair? Such foolish ideals. Your deep-rooted nihilism over what Hope and Despair mean is pathetic and purposeless! So what? I wanted revenge... but you just wanted madness. You wanted to specifically snuff out hope! How is that any better than what I've done!?" Chihiro sneered. "You can mock me all you like... but unlike you, I can repent for this! I can make a change... but you... you're irredeemable!"
"Is that your big strategy? Tell them you'll have a change of heart, so all the things you did are okay?" Junko's face blanked into a stoic mask of boredom... except there was no mask. The real, unexcited, depressingly bored Junko stared on with her mouth in a small, thin line. "So boring... you fail to be the next me until the very end. Well, that's fine. There's only room for one me in this world. How about we get on with it then? After all, we don't even have an audience, thanks to your incompetence."
"Fine! Monokuma, start the final vote!" Chihiro demanded, slamming her finger onto one of the many buttons on her arm's device. With a scowl, she stared at the fashionista before her in disgust. "It's time to end this. To end everything, especially you! To put things your way, let's give this everything we've got! My Hope or Your Despair! Which do you think would really win?!"
"Junko would win." Sayaka interrupted. With her eyes closed, Sayaka took in a deep breath through her nose... her mind was already made up. "You want us to kill Junko and let you go because of something that happened in a different possible life? Something that didn't actually happen? You've caused several deaths, all because of something that happened to you in a dream?! Makoto, Hifumi, Sakura, Taka, Hiro, Celeste, Hina... their blood is on your hands! I'm going to get out of here with everyone else, and we'll be able to live happily while you rot in prison for your murders!"
"Huh...?" Chihiro's face came to a blank, bland expression... almost eerily similar to Junko's despairing boredom. "You're going to jump right back into bouncing up and down on some garish stage after all of this? After letting a genocidal artist like her go free? How foolish. Letting her manipulate you... Sayaka, I thought you were better than that. Yet look at you! Marinaded in Junko's lies... you have to be an idiot to think you can return to the pathetic life you used to live before this game after this is all over. I bet the Tragedy will be on the horizon after a mere couple of weeks if you let her live."
"Say whatever the hell you want about me or about Junko... but I won't tolerate anyone speaking down on my dreams!" Sayaka roared. "We stopped the culprits in the cases before... and we will stop you! Bet on that! "
' Dreams has been added to the truth bullets section of your handbook.'
"Enough! Let's start the final dance, shall we? Grab your levers, and cast your vote!" Monokuma called out from behind Chihiro.
Non-Stop Debate!
"Do you really think Junko is just going to let you all go?" Chihiro instantly began, getting a word in before anyone else. "If I die here, and she regains control, the killing game is just going to start up again. You'll play right into the palm of her hand as she consumes you in true despair. She's nothing compared to what I've done."
"The same is true for Chihiro. She'll kill you all for 'failing to vote correctly'. That's her true plan." Junko scoffed. "Even if we win this 'vote', she won't let any of you leave."
"Junko and I actually made a promise, you know. I really wanted Kiyotaka to make it to this point in the game." Chihiro cut in, staring straight at Mondo. "I made her promise to let him live, but she executed him regardless, even though Sakura's death was a suicide."
" This... I... " Mondo began, overwhelmed and overstimulated with information thrust on him all at once... so was everyone else.
"Even if I could vote, there's no way in hell I'd betray my sister again," Mukuro interjected. "What you've told us is nothing more than a fairy tale! We won't submit just because something bad happened to you once upon a time! Ever since Fenrir, I've been surrounded by senseless death... that's why, just this once, I can say with conviction that it's time to end it!"
" Hngh... " Byakuya growled as he turned away, hiding his expression.
"Think carefully about your decision. Do you really trust her? Do you really trust these people?" Chihiro pleaded. "What's the first thing that's going to happen when everyone leaves? The police will investigate as soon as Hope's Peak reopens its doors for the new semester and the bodies are discovered. Junko's already guilty! We don't even have to lie! Besides, even if she didn't keep you trapped in here for her killing game, the first thing she would do would be rat you all out. Do you think you'd manage 24 hours before you were locked up because of her, Toko?!"
" Snf... ugh... " Toko sniffled, immediately understanding the lingering threat. She'd be turned in for Genocide Jill's actions in a heartbeat.
"I had power over Monokuma. The facilities in this place are already under my control, yet here I am helping you," Junko warned. "Don't forget, Chihiro's already foolishly opened the gate. All we have to do is leave the trial grounds, and we're good to go."
"We could just walk out of here... we'd finally get to go outside again..." Leon drearily smiled at the mere concept of 'going outside' as if it were some fantasy he'd never get to experience.
"And that outside world you cherish so much will fade away in due time. The end of the world itself will be knocking on your doorstep. What will you do then? The shelter of Hope's Peak wouldn't exist twice now that I've already set this track on the road. I admit I caused seven deaths... but I prevented millions by preventing the Tragedy! All we have to do is get rid of Junko, and millions... no, billions will survive what they wouldn't before! The planet itself would be saved from her tyranny!"
" Ah... " Leon mumbled, slightly unsure of himself any longer.
"That's crap, and you know it!" Sayaka interjected. "The Tragedy isn't real. It never happened! Do you really think one lone high school girl is capable of ending the world ?! It can't happen. It won't happen. We won't let it!"
"Won't let it? So you do admit it's possible, then? You ought to get your story straight..." Chihiro smiled. "Do you know which survivors hiding inside the academy Junko killed first? It was the headmaster. Jin Kirigiri was executed right before the game began, all because he tried to protect us from her."
" Grh... " Kyoko tried yet failed to stifle a growl coming from deep within her, clenching her fists tight.
Break!
( Dreams -> This... I... )
( Dreams -> Hngh... )
( Dreams -> Snf... ugh... )
( Dreams -> Ah... )
"Don't give up on your dreams just yet!" Sayaka countered, "Nothing's over. Nothing is set in stone! Forget the rules Chihiro is forcing on us. We don't have to kill anybody! The Tragedy? Give me a break! None of it will happen as long as we work together to prevent it. Even if Chihiro's telling the truth, we can stop it right here, right now!"
"Sayaka..." Junko considered her for a moment... but eventually, the genuine look of boredom was replaced with a small smile. No mask, no facade... just a smile.
"Like I needed you to tell me that. As if I'd let some egotistical maniac continue to control me. My choice of vote never wavered." Byakuya scoffed. "I made a promise that my pride would seize victory, and I'm not about to let it wriggle away from my clutches. I already said I'd have the mastermind's head, and there she is. I won't give in to such lofty ideals of what 'Hope' and 'Despair' mean for some little girl's temper tantrum of 'revenge' over something that never happened. I'm putting an end to this right now!"
With a click of his lever turning, Byakuya cast his vote against Chihiro.
"I... I'm putting everything on you, Sayaka! S-Sorry to put the pressure on you, b-but... you're the first person to genuinely call me a f-friend... I'd be even more horrible than I already am if I went against you." Toko smiled, tears welling up in her eyes as she spoke. "I... I have a lot to do to make up for my place in the world. My mere existence was horrible from the start, even before Jill came around... even if it's hard, e-even if it's scary, sometimes you just have to jump in the deep end, r-right? I think that's what Hina would say..."
With a click of her lever turning, Toko cast her vote against Chihiro.
"Other than the already horrible part, I'm the same. I messed about like an idiot before all this... but I'm done with that bullshit! I've left my team behind one too many times... you made me realise that, Saya." Leon sighed, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "The first thing I'm gonna do after getting out of here is go run around on a pitch somewhere. I was given this talent from the day I was born... I'd be a fool not to use it! I'll make sure to never strike out, not ever again! That's why we have to get out of this place! I can't help but notice that Chihiro never said she'd let us leave, even if we sided with her. So it's not like I'm gonna listen to her anyway!"
With a click of his lever turning, Leon cast his vote against Chihiro.
"Even until the end, I always believed in you, Chihiro. When you asked me for help... when you told me what happened to Daiya wasn't my fault... I cared about you. But all I cared about was a lie. You're the rat bastard responsible for Taka's death. I promised him I'd live on and get revenge... but now I see I almost turned into you . Senseless revenge and death... gets me fucking nowhere. Taka wouldn't approve anyway, would he? Let's get out of here together. All of us. I've never trusted a cop in my life, but I'll make sure you turn yourself in." Mondo grimaced, unable to look Chihiro in the eye as he turned towards the bluenette instead. "Sayaka? I gave you a lot of shit for just trying to help us out... you uncovered the truth over and over. I wouldn't be a good captain at all if I kept that up, huh? I'll trust in you like I shoulda done from the start. I'll never slow down over some misguided hatred again. I'll go full throttle, non-stop! Ain't that right, bro?!"
With a click of his lever turning, Mondo cast his vote against Chihiro.
Sayaka looked at them all with a heartfelt smile. It didn't have to end in another senseless death. They could leave without another drop spilt... it would be okay. But before that, there was one last case.
Break!
( Dreams -> This... I... )
"Kyoko, don't give up on your dreams just yet!" Sayaka called out, shaking the detective out of her despairful state. "You still have something you need to do, don't you? We'll do it together. I'll come with you in support. But that means we can't give up here!"
"Giving up? That was never an option... I may have lost myself for a mere moment, but I would never give in to the likes of her." Kyoko smiled, her eyes gently shut as she considered her next words. "Despite feeling as if I was lost amidst an ocean of doubt... whether or not any of what we were told is real or fake... I never drowned. A lighthouse shone down upon me, guiding my way. I'll emerge whole, no longer half. I won't be consumed ever again! Even if my hatred for my father still has merit within me, I won't let it control me. Not now, and not ever again! Besides. I still have to tell him, don't I? Staying here along with the mastermind's wishes was never an option."
"Oh, what crap. You won't be able to leave. You won't be able to do anything as long as Junko's in control. Do you really want to see what she'll do to you? What she's capable of?" Chihiro sneered, clenching her fists tight. "Don't fall for her lies! You're dead if you think she can be trusted! Trust in her, and you'll fall into despair! She'll torture you in ways you can't even hope to imagine!"
"No. None of that will happen. We'll leave this place together. No more senseless violence. No more death. It's still within our reach! Besides, Chihiro, you made a fatal miscalculation with your plan here." Sayaka taunted, causing Chihiro's darkened look of despair to swiftly change to one of rage.
"Oh yeah!? And what's that?!"
"Look at me. Look at them. Not one of us is falling for your persuasion attempts. Your fatal mistake was letting us vote before you could even try to properly manipulate us, but it's far too late for you to try!" Sayaka shouted, her voice steady and confident as she thrust an accusatory point at the mastermind.
"I'm not done yet. The finale hasn't happened! Just you wait—"
"NO! It's already over... and I won't allow you to badger your way into making us think your way. Not now, not ever! If you think you can yell and cry to get your way, you're no better than a kid throwing a temper tantrum!" Sayaka slammed her hand down onto her podium, the resulting smack echoing in the trial undergrounds. Before Chihiro could make a retort, an idea crossed the idol's mind. "You've tried to use Monokuma to overwhelm me before... but now it's your turn! I won't let you weasel your way out of this like a cockroach! We're voting, and it's going down right now!"
Bullet-Time Battle!
MAX SPEED!
"You messed up letting us vote!"
"This nightmare won't consume our dreams!"
"We're leaving. I'll guide our way out!"
"Your efforts are only going to make you suffer. Give up and come with us!"
"With hope in our hearts, we won't give in to you!"
"Don't try and talk your way out of this."
"What's the matter?! Feeling overwhelmed?!"
"We won't be manipulated into doing what you want! Never again!"
"We're ending this. Here and now!"
"While you're sitting there, overstimulated and overwhelmed, know we're already conducting our votes!"
"It's too late for you to win."
"If you're unable to think, just close your eyes and cover your ears!"
"This is for everyone's sake! I won't let your selfish 'revenge' have any more victims!"
"Give up! It's too late to try anything!"
"STOP!" Chihiro demanded, pressing her hands onto both of her ears from the constant yelling coming her way. "If you keep this up, all that's gonna happen is the birth of the Tragedy once again! Two ruined histories. Y-You have no real argument—"
"Neither do you!" Sayaka cut her off quickly, not letting her have even a moment to talk, let alone think. "Even if all that's waiting for us at the end of our dreams is pain and tragedy, we won't run away from it!"
"We're not going to escape with our tails between our legs!"
"Even if this history is 'fake', even if your history is 'real', it's in the past! Don't let it shackle you!"
"We're leaving with our heads held high."
"If that's too much for you, just shut up and end the game for us!"
"This doesn't have to be the path you choose. The lies you presented yourself as were noble and sweet. You don't have to be this!"
"But if you refuse, we'll make sure you witness the strength of our dreams!"
"You won't be able to hold us here. We won't fall into despair! The Tragedy won't happen. Not now, not ever. We won't let it!"
With a click of their levers' turning, Kyoko and Sayaka cast their votes against Chihiro in tandem. With a unanimous vote, Chihiro was selected.
"Wha... I... I lost?!" Chihiro blinked in confusion, yet that confusion quickly turned to anger. "You're seriously going to let that genocidal freak off easy!? She'll kill everyone you know, starting with your families! That bitch is the one behind all of this! Hell, she was complicit in this game up until my plan for revenge targeted her next! She wasn't even tied up until after Sakura's death!"
"And your proof is wheeeere?" Junko innocently fluttered her eyes, a smirk forming across her lips.
"I already gave you your out, you know? My final plea to see if you'd just give up and turn yourself in..." Leon reminded, looking almost sad as he talked down to her. "Too bad that it's too late."
"But don't worry, we'll make sure the police take good care of ya. Now hurry up and open that fuckin' elevator before I make you." Mondo demanded, curling his hands into fists, ready to strike any time.
"Do you... do you think I'm just going to accept that?! Accept that you all made the wrong choice and threw your lives... the lives of humanity away?!" Chihiro nearly vibrated with anger as she stared down at the floor. "I'm afraid you've misunderstood my intention for what happens now."
"And what does that mean?" Mukuro's expression darkened, ready to leap at any moment... only for Junko to place a hand on her shoulder, making the soldier ease up.
With a press of her arm's device, the button and gavel from the throne behind her were brought forth by Monokuma. Placing both onto her podium, Chihiro instantly grabbed the gavel.
"Nothing's stopping Chihiro from simply killing us off the moment we defied her." Byakuya pointed out, crossing his arms adamantly as he turned to the mastermind in question. "If you're going to aim for my head, you better not miss."
Ignoring his calm yet determined warning, Chihiro sniffled as she cradled the gavel in her hands, holding it close to her chest. She stared down at the button with big, wet eyes before looking up to do the same at those around her. "Y-You'll really... really help me? You'll let me live... after everything I did?"
"The best time to make up for what you did was before you got people killed. The second best time is right now." Leon repeated, offering Chihiro a hand from the other side of the court. "Come on. Let's leave this place. All nine of us. No one else has to die today. We'll... get you the help you need. Leave this messed up place with us. Turn yourself in."
"Chihiro. C'mon. Open the elevator, and let's get out of this place." Mondo pleaded. "I won't forgive you... but still. We can do this. Together, right?"
"You guys... I..." Chihiro wiped her sleeve against her face... the mask of sobs quickly replaced as she raised the gavel over her head with an eery grin. "As if! Turn myself in?! How stupid do you think I am?! You all voted wrong. You remember how it goes, right?! It's time for a very special punishment! Now, get ready to drop dead one at a time as you all watch each other die!"
"Mukuro!" Leon begged, already racing out of his spot towards where Chihiro was with Mondo not far behind him. However, Sayaka managed to grab hold of Leon's hand before he could get very far. Cutting in the middle, Mukuro did the same as she raced in front of Mondo to prevent his actions. "Sayaka?!"
"What are you doing?! We have to stop her!" Mondo roared.
"She's made her choice." Was all Sayaka could say. Looking past Leon to stare Chihiro down, Sayaka mentally bid the Ultimate Programmer farewell. ' I genuinely wish it wouldn't have come to this... but you only have yourself to blame. '
"You've all been found guilty of a failed vote. Thus, the blackened gets away with it!" Chihiro cried out, the gavel raised up and above her head. "Now, LET'S GIVE IT EVERYTHING WE'VE GOT! IT'S PUNISHMENT TIME! "
GAME OVER
CHIHIRO FUJISAKI HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY.
TIME FOR THE PUNISHMENT!
As the gavel smashed down on the button, the Monokuma standing behind Chihiro sprang back to life with a menacing grin. Even the sliced-off mask in Junko's clutches had a brief flicker as not only the same Monokuma unit they had dealt with each trial approached, but so did the remaining few. Even after Mukuro and Junko's meddling, there was still an uncomfortable amount of them to deal with as they sprang out from the drains lining the walls. Some crawled out from the ceiling vents, falling to the floor from up above, eventually forming a massive circle around the courtroom, all nine participants, Chihiro included, surrounded within. Chihiro looked upon them all with a fierce glare of hot-blooded elation, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet as if chanting and cheering on the Monokuma that surrounded them, yet no sound came from her mouth.
With almost perfectly timed synchronisation, each Monokuma's left eye lit up with a terrifyingly bright red hue. With a clatter of footsteps sounding all at once, the crowd of Monokuma marched forward, the sleuth of bears stomped forward, all zeroing in on the same target. With utmost stillness, no one dared move, allowing the Monokuma to approach their target... Sayaka held her breath as the wave passed her, only daring to breathe when only one person remained encircled.
After all, Chihiro's incessant trust in AI would always be her downfall. Regardless of the decision Chihiro had made regarding the vote, the AI interpreted it as who was voted for... an idiotic mistake, made whilst overwhelmed and unable to think properly. It would be her doom.
"H-Hey... What the hell are you all doing?!" Chihiro screamed, attempting to back away, only to bump into one of the robot bears behind her. Yelping, she leapt forward, trying yet failing to worm her way out of the crowd. "Monok—Alter Ego! What is the meaning of this! H-Hey... HEY! STOP IT! STOP—"
Despite the number of times Chihiro spammed the buttons on her wrist-mounted console, the bears did nothing to change their behaviour. As her room to move quickly diminished, Chihiro attempted to make one last leap between two of them to escape... only for all of them to pounce at once the moment she made a break for it. Her screams very soon became gargled as she was dogpiled, each bear leaping with either their claws ready or their razor-sharp mouths wide open, ready for a bite. Sayaka shuddered as she clenched her eyes, not daring to look due to the horrendous sound coming from within. She had done it to herself in an attempt to kill them all, yes... but that didn't make any of it triumphant. As Sayaka tried to zone out the sound of Chihiro's flesh being torn apart, the Monokumas filled their bellies with her body,
"Fuck! We should go... right?" Leon called out, already backing away to the elevator. At the sound of his voice, several members of the dogpile snapped up to attention, their mouths covered in Chihiro's fresh blood.
"Don't gotta tell me twice!" Mondo shouted as he broke into a sprint, making sure the girls got on before he fully stepped onto the elevator. With everyone on board, Mondo spammed the button to close the gates as the horde of bears approached. One managed to snag its arm in between the metal curtains, only for Mondo to kick it back out as the elevator made its slow ascent.
"G-Gah! Can this thing g-go any faster?!" Toko shrieked as the weight of the elevator shifted. It seemed they were still giving chase.
Only when a gloved hand encased her own did Sayaka realise she had been hyperventilating again. Smiling at the detective, the two shared a silent understanding. That they'd get out, and they'd do it together.
With a Monokuma's claw smashing its way in through the mesh roof, they all collectively sighed with relief as the elevator finally rose back to surface level. Racing out back into the school proper, Mukuro and Leon dived for the corner of weapons, each taking a stand in front of the elevator shaft.
"Come on, we—" Sayaka began to plead, only for Mukuro to instantly cut her down.
"GO! Mondo and Leon can protect you. I'll hold them off here."
"Ah, hell no! I ain't leavin', and that's final!" Leon swore, already readying his bat as he stood by her side. "Come on, let's do this!"
"You won't listen to reason at all, will you?" Mukuro scoffed, checking her ammo in the pistol she'd left behind.
"Never have! Not exactly gonna start now." Leon chuckled, tightening his grip on the bat as the other six continued on.
"Junko, can you shut them down if we get to the Data Centre?" Sayaka asked, flinching slightly as she swore she heard a gunshot down the hall behind them.
"Already on the case!" The fashionista scoffed, running up to the elevator as Mondo tagged his handbook for it.
With the other six already making their way to the fourth floor, Leon and Mukuro held their stand. A lucky few managed to climb the shaft, but their luck ran out as they found either a bat caving in their heads or a bullet to the eye. Eventually, their luck ran out entirely as the Monokuma unit that stood atop the elevator had managed to damage the cables in its frenzy... sending the elevator down in a swift, unstoppable plummet. Due to the rickety construction, any safety features to slow it down or prevent the occurrence were lacking entirely, causing it to plummet all the way to the bottom. After nearly 15 seconds, they heard the thunderous crash below.
After a last-line defence... the remaining Monokuma were either already destroyed or lost down below in the depths... along with their operator, Chihiro Fujisaki, who lay dead in the furthest down trial chambers.
Chapter 6:Channel Surfing.
Complete
Students remaining: 8