Chapter Text
Wasteland. As far as the eye can see. Day or night, the sky was an ominous blood red courtesy of the smog from Towa City. As usual, everyone was sifting through the rubble of demolished and abandoned buildings, splitting up to cover more ground.
… Kaede wishes she could have gone with Shuichi… Alas, it was better to split up the level-headed students to keep everyone calm and on task. There was a lot they would need to collect, for just the sixteen of them to survive…
The pianist jolted out of her thoughts as a thunderous crash came from nearby. Seemed like Gonta moved another huge slab… Kaede rushed over to see if anyone was hurt.
“Is everyone alright?!” The blonde called out as she approached, slightly short of breath.
“Yup, yup~!” Angie cheerfully reported, eccentrically saluting at the pianist a few feet away from Gonta, plopped on a pile of rubble casually.
The entomologist nodded with a gentle, reassuring grin as he rubbed the back of his head.
“Uh-huh! Kokichi-kun said he wanted to check back here, so I helped.” He gestured vaguely at the cleared out area before them.
Kaede sweatdropped as she drank in not just the massive piece of a building that Gonta shoved to the side, but also the hole in the ground that their resident gremlin hopped down without a second thought.
“Nice work, Gonta~…!” The purple-haired shorty chirped as his footsteps echoed down the staircase that descended into the earth.
Kaede exchanged wary glances with Gonta, while Angie just giggled and trailed after the trickster without hesitation. Gonta followed after the artist, wishing to protect Kaede at the very least. When they reached the bottom of what turned out to be two sets of stairs, they discovered a basement T-corridor. Approaching the room on the left, Kaede coughed as a cloud of dust emerged out from the sudden movement of the door, and revealed… a pantry?
A well-stocked pantry. This would definitely last them a while. Kaede furrowed her brow as she gazed around at their surroundings, on-guard for the previous residents… Even though they needed the food, too, the pianist didn’t want to just steal from others. But there wasn’t anyone here. Not in the pantry, and not in the hallway from what she saw.
“Whoaaa~! Sooo cooooool~!” Kokichi’s echo-y voice could be heard from a room away.
Kaede sighed as she closed the pantry behind her and hurried over to the other door that Kokichi, Gonta, and Angie had gone to check out. When she poked her head inside, she was startled to find a…
“A library?!” The pianist had never seen so many books in her entire life. There wasn’t enough shelves for them all, so some were either piled on top of the shelves or scattered around the tables and floors. The lights were also very dim and flickering, giving the room an ominous vibe to it.
“Kiyo’s gonna be mighty happy about this~!” The artist chirped, picking up a random book to leaf through it before tossing it aside carelessly and going for another book.
“Kirumi and Shuichi, too…!” Gonta was impressed as he rubbed the back of his head, gazing around the room and feeling overwhelmed at so many pieces of preserved literature.
Kokichi flashed the gentle giant a thumbs-up before going back to the books he was perusing.
“I knew ya wouldn’t let me down, Gonta~…! You’re freaking awesome!!! Just think of how much this is gonna help us~…”
Kaede’s smile dipped as the initial excitement wore off. She gave the room another once-over before sighing and planting her hands on her hips.
“Guys… Forget the library for now, alright? There’s a pantry next door, and that’s a little more immediately meaningful to our situation, don’t you think…?”
As expected, the three eccentric students reacted in their own ways. Kokichi chucked his book carelessly behind him as he broke out into an enigmatic grin.
“A pantry~? Well, why didn’t you just say so!” With that, he flounced out of the library. Arms casually waving in the air.
“Nyahahaha~! We eat like kings tonight!” The artist cheered and followed the trickster’s jolly example, waving her hands in the air as she ran.
Gonta chuckled sheepishly as he ran a hand through his hair.
“That’s good… We couldn’t have gone another day without food…” The entomologist mused and more calmly jogged out of the library.
Kaede cast the library one last glance before going after her friends. Within seconds of her stepping out the door, there was movement from the bookcase on the far end as it opened up, and a shadowy figure stepped out from a black-and-white door.
“The curse begun, but soon they’ll see… The buried truth will end with me.” The figure intoned with a slight whimsy to their dark tone. In the dim light of the library, their pale skin and sharp golden orbs pierced Kaede’s very soul as she peeked back in to see what the disturbance had been…
And she let out a shrill shriek in shock as she registered who was standing there.
~*~
Kaede sat up in bed, sweating and panting heavily as she peered around her dark room. All was quiet, nothing was amiss… But the pianist massaged her brow all the same, like she narrowly escaped something – someone dangerous.
“H… How real was that…?” The blonde stuttered, teeth chattering slightly. Eyebrows knitted together in bewilderment. “That was… That was the library, right? We were… searching the remains of Tokyo, trying to… to… survive… But why did we find this place…? That had to be the basement of the academy, right? Where was the rec room? Why was there a pantry…?”
Kaede hugged herself as she left the remaining ‘question’ unspoken… The mystery of the figure emerging from the secret door in the library. They seemed… familiar. Yet even as Kaede tried her best to clear the fuzz out of her mind, the details were still indistinct. Probably because of how dimly lit the library was back then… The most she could recall was those sleek, honey orbs… staring right at her with such intensity…
… Is she seriously considering this happened?! The pianist shook her head fiercely, hugging herself even tighter as she shivered in dread. No way. If that dream was real, then what was happening to the world out there?! Did that mean no help was coming at all?!
Kaede… there’s no way she could believe that!!! Whatever crazy truths were waiting to be uncovered here, there had to be a world to return to outside of this… this… cage! Whether their families were alive or dead, whether they had homes to return to…
“W-We can make a new home together…!” Kaede anxiously consoled herself, shivering as she squeezed her eyes shut. “Please just let us have a world to return to…! G-Give us something to work with!! Don’t let Kiibo’s death be for nothing!!!”
The girl moaned as the tears started leaking out again. Those accursed tears… Why did Kiibo do it…? Why did they have to play this sick game where friends killed each other?
Just… why…? Why, why, why…?!
~*~
Shuichi groaned as he rolled out of bed the next morning. The usual daily announcement had rang out a while ago, but he hadn’t been in the mood to rise up to that verbal racket… The detective imagined that most of his classmates would be feeling the same way. Take a day off from the rituals they settled into in the last week. Just one day.
… Apparently, someone didn’t get that memo. If the doorbell going off occasionally was any indication. They weren’t incessant, just… every minute or so it’d go off. That’s how Shuichi figured it probably wasn’t an emergency, and it probably wasn’t Kokichi reaching out to him…
Shuichi paused as he finally reached the door, and pulled out a photograph from his pocket to stare at it briefly. Yesterday, Rantaro had helped to retrieve this for him, after they’d parted ways for the evening. Shuichi was hoping to look at his Uncle, but… the mystery girl from his dreams was a tragedy as well. Even though she was preserved in a morgue of some kind, he could vaguely see dried blood on her side and an old bullet wound, on top of a bloodied gloved hand limply at her side in the fridge.
Dying from a gun was probably a more “merciful” way to go than some of the other victims that Monokuma portrayed… But the girl still must have suffered, bleeding out. Shuichi momentarily squeezed his eyes shut in a solemn prayer for the poor girl, and pocketed the photo. Steeling his nerves, he cracked open his door, peeking out just as the figure raised her arm to ring the doorbell again.
“Kaede…?” The dark-haired boy mumbled, prying the door open a little more but still being hesitant. He wasn’t ready to go out yet.
The pianist flashed a weary grin as she rubbed her arm vulnerably.
“Hey, you ready to start the day? I know yesterday was… brutal… But everyone’s in the dining hall! You’re the only no-show.”
Shuichi blinked owlishly at this revelation.
“Everyone…? I thought…” He trailed off frowning, stroking his chin as he averted his gaze to the side. Perhaps he was projecting, underestimated everyone’s resolve. Then he shook his head and grinned nervously at the blonde, who was still awaiting an answer. “Can you give me a minute? I need to, um… freshen up.”
Kaede closed her eyes, beaming, as she giggled lightly.
“As long as you don’t take ten minutes or something~…! Kaito’s raring to come drag you out, y’know.”
“… I won’t be long.” Shuichi sweatdropped and closed the door again, leaning against it and taking a deep breath. Then he shook his head again, face mustering as much determination as possible. “I’m not running away from this anymore. I should’ve done this while Kiibo and Kiyo were still alive…”
Heaving a regretful sigh, the dark-haired boy cast aside his cap, leaving it on his coffee table. After that, he made his way to his wardrobe and dove deep in there. It had to be here, the detective knew he’d seen it back there when taking stock of what clothes he had available…
There it was. So strange that the Mastermind would let him have a keepsake this precious to him… But Shuichi wasn’t going to complain, exactly. He knew it was the genuine article. Knew what it looked like and more importantly how it felt beneath his fingers as he slipped one arm through and then the other. Lastly, he fluffed it out a bit and stared down at his final wardrobe change thoughtfully.
‘Yeah… Still a bit large on me, but I’ve definitely grown up. Uncle would be proud…’
Flashing a bittersweet grin, Shuichi transferred the photos of the mystery girl and his Uncle from his black outfit’s pocket to his new pockets, doing the same for his notepad and pen… And then sucking in one more deep breath, he ensured his appearance was fine in the mirror, and stepped outside while pocketing his dorm key and locking up.
Kaede was clearly wowed as he exited his dorm, not expecting the detective to have something like this.
“Sh… Shuichi…? You’re… not going to wear your hat anymore?” The pianist chuckled sheepishly, addressing that first rather than the ‘elephant in the room’, so-to-speak.
The dark-haired boy raked a hand through his short hair and grinned nervously.
“I felt it was time for a change. The hat was getting in the way of me… seeing stuff. I want to see the truth! As much as I can.”
The pianist looked him up and down, lingering on his face and hair, noting his ahoge which had previously been concealed by his hat. Then she resumed roving her eyes over the rest of him.
“I… see…” Kaede gave off the impression that she clearly didn’t. “And the rest of this…?”
Shuichi peered down at his appearance one last time before shrugging nonchalantly, smiling anxiously at the pianist.
“I know you’re curious, but let me just cover those questions when we’re with everyone. I’d rather not keep repeating the same story.” He massaged the back of his neck, averting his gaze with complex emotions cycling through his eyes.
Kaede stared at him for several moments longer before nodding slowly.
“A-Alright…?”
The walk to the dining hall was a short, easygoing affair. Like the blonde had said, no one was loitering outside. Shuichi only paused outside the dining hall to stare at the path leading to the boiler room, and heaved a deep sigh. Shaking his head at Kaede’s worried gaze, he proceeded into the dining hall from outside, not really in a mood to go the long way around through the halls, and no doubt everyone was waiting for them to get back.
When Shuichi stepped inside, Kaede at his heels, he could feel everyone’s eyes on him.
“So anyway, like I was say…ing…” Kaito trailed off, one hand on his hip as he stared dumbfounded at the detective. “Uh, I thought you were lookin’ for Shuichi, Kaede? Who’s this guy?”
Even though logic dictated there couldn’t be anyone else here besides the fourteen of them, the astronaut couldn’t quite bring himself to believe this was Shuichi standing before them. He was so… different.
“Ah…” Tsumugi mumbled, transfixed like everyone else.
“Nyeh?” Himiko blinked owlishly.
Shuichi closed his eyes calmly and grinned pleasantly out at everyone. No hat on, and wearing his Uncle’s old trench coat. The piece of clothing not only made him look small, but also seemed shabby and too well-worn; the hem of the coat trailed past his knees a bit, but still hovered off the floor. They couldn’t see the back of the coat, but it had the emblem for his Uncle’s detective agency. Old dirt and grime stains (among other questionable blemishes) were all over the beige exterior, and it came with a hood that could easily replace his hat if he was so inclined.
But he wasn’t wearing the hood right now. He was just letting everyone view him as the detective he aspired to be. His arms limply hung at his sides, though there was that impulse to shove them in the trench coat’s deep pockets…
“Good morning…”
“Ah… Good morning…” Tsumugi was again one of the first to find her voice, though she couldn’t muster more than a simple greeting for the time being.
“Oh, Shuichi! Um…” Gonta stroked his chin, struggling with how to react to this turn of events.
Kokichi snickered as he propped his arms behind his head.
“You finally got rid of that emo hat~! And with that coat you look like a proper hardboiled detective now!!! The training wheels are off~!”
Tenko snorted derisively, glaring over at the gremlin.
“Quiet, you degenerate!!! Learn some manners, why don’t you!?”
Rantaro stroked his chin casually as he peered at the detective.
“Since everyone’s dying to know… Why the image change? I could understand ditching the hat, but seeing a ragged coat like that is… surprising.”
Tenko’s nostrils flared as she glared over at the mysterious boy next.
“You could learn some manners, too!!!!!”
Shuichi held up his hands peacefully and chuckled weakly.
“I just thought… it was time for a change. The hat was getting in the way, and I didn’t want my Uncle’s old coat to go to waste.” The dark-haired boy’s smile became mysterious, so chockful of personal emotions as he peered down at the trench coat, reaching a hand up to feel the material that felt comforting to him. “I wanted to wear it when I managed to become a detective that I could be proud of… But the Class Trial got me thinking: None of us know how much time we have left. Whether I’m ready or not, this class needs a detective. Not a trainee. If I’d just been more confident in myself, if I stood out more… maybe Kiibo and Kiyo would still be with us.”
The class fell quiet at this. Some tense, and some solemn. Some miserable, and some furious. Kirumi clasped her hands in front of her waist and flashed a small, cordial closed-eyes smile.
“You’re hoping that by donning that coat, you’ll psyche yourself up. I imagine that coat has many memories of your Uncle and your time working at his agency… An admirable endeavor.”
Shuichi nodded slowly at the maid, face reflecting a slightly chagrined expression that quickly became one of melancholy.
“Pretty much… I don’t want to make this morning all about me, it’s just easier to explain with everyone here. Treat me like you have been – I’m still the same Shuichi Saihara at heart. This is just me trying to live up to my talent.”
“Of course.” Kirumi smoothly replied, raising an index finger astutely. “Bear in mind, however, that the burden of everyone’s lives is not your responsibility alone. Greatest detective or not, you are only human, Saihara-kun. No single person should be held accountable for everyone’s wellbeing in a crisis such as this.”
Kaede pumped her fists before reaching over to pat the detective on the shoulder reassuringly.
“Yeah!!! We’re all in this together, Shuichi! What happened to Kiibo wasn’t your fault!!”
Ryoma snorted, twirling his cigarette between his fingers as he leered at the pianist.
“Wasn’t your fault either, Kaede. Just cuz Kiibo confided in you… Don’t act like you should’ve done something when you barely knew the guy.”
The blonde blushed fiercely, rubbing the back of her head bashfully while sticking out her tongue playfully.
“Was I that transparent…?”
“You might as well be invisible.” Maki scoffed, rolling her eyes and combing a hand through her hair while scowling. “Are we ever going to talk about what he did, though? Stop pretending he was a martyr… Kiibo fired the first shot. Murder’s not just a possibility anymore. Someone else can and will snap at some point. Monokuma all but confirmed it after the execution.”
An uneasy silence fell among the class for a few moments before Gonta managed some more words.
“More… motives, right? Will they be more pictures? Or…?” He stroked his chin with a troubled expression.
Rantaro planted his hands on his hips as he heaved a sigh.
“There’s a ton of different ways to incite murder… It all comes down to fears and human desires. On that front, Monokuma seems to be a master of psychology.”
Miu scoffed virulently, arms crossed as she scowled deeply.
“’Psychology’, my perky round ass!!! I lost a chance to analyze a cyborg cuz of that fucked up bear! And he wants to throw more at us?!”
Angie hummed deeply, striking a meditative pose with her eyes closed.
“Everything will be fine~… The path before us is clear! Just forsake your desires for the outside world~! Content yourselves with your new lives here! Our world may be small, but it is better than succumbing to murderous impulses~!”
Tenko spluttered, striking a flabbergasted pose.
“You want to stay here?!?!?!”
“Fuck that!!!!!” Miu pointed at the artist accusingly.
Kaito raised up a fist in outrage.
“Are you an idiot?! Stay here, and Monokuma can do any number of things to you!!!”
Angie shook her head sharply, keeping her eyes closed and posture calm.
“The rules state he will not kill us unless we break the rules. Class Trials are only held if a student murders another~…! So if we all abstain from murder, we will be fine~!”
Maki narrowed her eyes at the white-haired girl hawkishly.
“And if the bear changes the rules so that we have to murder to survive…?” She challenged.
Ryoma heaved a small sigh, closing his eyes patiently.
“Not too mention those Exisal things… Nothing in the rules say they can’t kill us for the hell of it.”
Angie waved them both off without disrupting her meditation more than that.
“Monokuma is the one insisting on making this a game. He will not jeopardize his source of amusement to ‘put things back on track.’ The moment he does, the ‘rules’ become irrelevant~! And at that point we have him cornered. So long as Monokuma asserts that he is fair and just, we will be able to hold a Class Trial against him and end this once and for all~! Your concerns are all trivial and nonsensical.”
Shuichi blinked owlishly, as a number of them stared at Angie like she was an alien. They couldn’t wrap their heads around her logic – it rested on the premise that they could trust Monokuma to keep his word… And why would they ever do that?! Between kidnapping them, threatening their families and friends, and executing Kiibo…
Angie just didn’t make sense.
“Ohh…” Himiko tapped her chin suddenly, peering up at the ceiling like she just had an epiphany. “I kinda see it, yeah! We’re not alone anymore, nyeh! We have, um… what was her name again…?”
A few students groaned at the magician bringing this up. Because like ‘magic,’ Himiko’s words summoned their latest headache.
“Rise and shine, ursine~!”
Monophanie appeared, sparkling with an innocence that most of them didn’t think she deserved.
“My name’s Monophanie!!” The pink Monokub puffed her chest proudly, leaning over excitedly as she pounced on the table. “And yes, I’ve defected from my brothers to help you guys out~! I don’t like the thought of you kids killing each other… Blood is so gory…! Let’s work together to make sure another killing doesn’t happen~!!!!! What do you say, gang? Are you with me?!”
Maki’s glare was potent enough that it could have melted the pink Monokub… But she didn’t bother wasting her breath. There was no point. They tried ditching the eyesore last night, and she’d left them alone to mourn… But now she was back. And more annoying than ever.
Kaede scratched her cheek sheepishly, closing her eyes and chuckling nervously.
“S-So… You’re able to help us escape, right? That’d be a really big help…!”
Kaito groaned at the pianist’s dependence on the Monokub as he raised a challenging fist.
“Don’t trust the enemy, Kaede!!! She’s just here to spy on us!”
Miu sneered at the pink kub as she drooped at the current way the discussion was headed.
“Screw just leavin’~! Use that Exisal of yours to curbstomp your ‘bros’ and ‘daddy’~! You should be able to handle that, right?!”
Monophanie shook her head pitifully, poking her paws together.
“My brothers will just gang up on me… Even you guys agree 4-on-1 is unfair, right?!” Mushrooms grew out of her head as she became more depressed. “Also… the only way out of here is through the underground passage… Even if I help you guys avoid the traps, there’s going to be a roadblock you guys can’t overcome yet. Y-You need a special key…”
Kokichi perked up at this, his bright, mischievous grin was too blinding for most of them to stare at with the naked eye.
“A special key, you say~…? I could bypass that roadblock~…!”
Monophanie shivered as she shook her head again.
“I-It’s like Miu-chan’s lab…”
Kokichi’s expression froze as he suddenly became unreadable.
“It’s like that, huh… I knew something was up with that place.” He grunted as his mouth pressed into a hard, thin line.
Miu scoffed impatiently as she waved the pink kub off dismissively.
“You’re useless!!!!! Just go and die, ya piece of shit junk!!!!!!!!”
Angie shook her head sharply as she snapped her eyes open, a dark expression occupying her face now.
“No, no, Iruma-chan~… Monophanie is our guardian angel now. And she will not be the last. Through her, we will win over her brothers, and then the academy will be ours~!”
“I’m not so sure if it will be that easy…” The pink Monokub mumbled, dragging her foot across the table guiltily as she clasped her paws behind her back and dipped her head in shame. “I’m not very well liked by my brothers. Especially right now…”
“Rise and shine, ursine~!”
And just like that, the other Monokubs and Monokuma showed up. Monokuma patted his belly contentedly.
“Hellooo~! Looks like you guys are having a good time. Let me join in!”
“D-Daddy…!” Monophanie gasped, but was accosted by the orange Monokub as he held up a wad of cash.
“You lost the privilege to talk to Pops when ya turned on us, sistah~! Back off!!!”
Monokid held up his guitar threateningly.
“Why don’t we just tear shit up?! And by ‘shit’ I mean Monophanie?!”
Monotaro sighed listlessly, crossing his arms in mild frustration.
“No, no, no…! Bullying her will just make her go mute like Monodam!!! We need that explosive trigger from Father to make her go out with style~!”
“… So you wanna blow her up.” The orange Monokub deadpanned before shrugging nonchalantly. “Well, it’s not the worst way to go!”
Monokid saluted, his long tongue slithering out as he drunkenly giggled.
“I’ll get the 36 tons of dynamite~!”
“…” Monodam said nothing.
Himiko pouted at the scene of Monophanie getting bullied.
“You guys gotta stop bullying your sister…”
“Who cares?! Just let ‘em take out the trash!!!” Miu grumbled, waving her hand dismissively.
Monokuma held up his paws, oozing with outrage.
“No bullying!!! Bullying is not cool! Bullying is the worst!!!!!” He lowered his paws and sighed. “Personally, I think bullying is cuz of lousy parenting. It’s all the parents’ fault!!! They should do a better job raising their kids!!!!!”
Ryoma deadpanned at the heavy hypocrisy radiating off the monochromatic bear.
“… Why are you here?”
Monokuma giggled mischievously, paws over his mouth.
“Ahh, I figured I’d give you guys a prize for surviving the Class Trial~!”
At this, the male Monokubs suddenly became anxious.
“Th-The prize… Er, right…” Monotaro began to sweat.
“I’ll just, uh… hand it out, then…” The orange Monokub mumbled, sweating just as much.
Himiko pointed at the pair of them accusingly.
“Are you guys getting bullied, too?!”
Monokid held up his guitar as he barked out a shrill yell.
“Wh-Wh-Who would even bully us, ya shrimp?! We’re too badass!!!”
“…” Monodam said nothing, though there was an aura of expectation around him as he silently stared at his brothers.
Himiko pulled down her hat over one eye, scowling.
“I know how awful it is to be bullied… I know from experience…”
Tenko gasped as she struck a flabbergasted pose.
“You were bullied, Himiko?! Use your magic to turn those human rejects into cubes or something!!!”
“Don’t just make up my backstory…” Himiko grumbled, not exactly denying the bullying part… “And I don’t use my magic for that kind of thing!! That’s wrong!!!”
Tenko flinched back at the redhead’s reproachful tone, and didn’t say anything more. Monokuma, meanwhile, tensed up.
“Wh-What?! The Monokubs are being bullied?! B-But the Monokubs should always get along!!!” He turned to the male Monokubs expectantly. “Hey, you kids play nice together, right?! I’m not a lousy parent, am I!? “ He raised his claw threateningly. “Even if you do bully each other real bad, it’s not cuz I’m a bad dad, right!?”
Monodam took the initiative in answering their ‘father.’
“WE-ALL…GET-ALONG. ALWAYS.”
“Y-Yeah… We sure do…” Monotaro nodded shakily, wilting at how intense Monodam was being.
Monokuma patted his belly contentedly.
“See? My children are good kids~! They would never bully each other!”
“The bullying will never stop… because of people like you.” Himiko grumbled.
The orange Monokub adjusted his glasses.
“Well, I think the threatening vibe we Monokubs give off is perfect~! Cuz we’re a team of scary badasses who are gonna drag you down to hell~!”
“Ah-hahaha~! Such adorable little badasses~!” Monokuma roared with laughter.
“… Anyway, we’re gonna hand out the rewards youse all have been waiting for.” The orange Monokub continued. And with that, the four brothers (Monophanie was excluded, even when she tried joining in) tossed four items onto the dining table. “Listen up! Cuz we got these here fabulous, nonsensical prizes for youse~! A Dragon Gem, an Ocarina, an Ancient Passport, and a Hexagonal Crank from some zombie game! These prizes all come in a bundle~!”
Monotaro giggled.
“Wow! What a bunch of random junk! Bravo, bravo~!”
Monokid roared with laughter.
“I was just gonna chuck these at Monophanie anyway, so here ya go~!”
Kaito frowned as he punched his fists together.
“What’s all this crap? What are we supposed to do with this?”
Monokuma rubbed the back of his head bashfully.
“Honestly, I’m not sure~! Maybe there’s a way to use them without knowing what they’re for? Who cares? Just put your best foot forward. It’s easier to move forward than backward~!”
Gonta nodded sagely while beaming pleasantly.
“How nice!”
“Don’t be inspired by him, Gonta!!” Tsumugi grumbled, pointing at the monochromatic bear accusingly.
Monokuma just cackled.
“Anyway, that’s the situation so just do your best however you please~!” With that all said, the bear departed as quickly as he appeared.
Monodam stared at the male Monokubs intensely.
“LET’S-GO.”
The orange Monokub raised a paw in outrage as he grumbled testily.
“You’re gonna get payback for all the bullying by attacking us in our secret weak point!!”
Monokid tilted his head, his long tongue slithering out.
“Our secret weak point? You mean the nape of our necks!?”
“Not that, anything but that!!” Monotaro despaired, waving his paws in the air fretfully.
Tsumugi blinked owlishly.
“Wait… so the nape of your necks is your weakness…?”
Monodam stared at the orange Monokub with triple the intensity.
“I…WOULD-NEVER-DO-THAT. I JUST…WANT-TO-GET-ALONG.”
Monotaro rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
“What? Get along? Really?”
The orange Monokub scoffed arrogantly.
“Don’t let ‘im fool ya!! He killed Monophanie, remember?!”
Monophanie held up a trembling paw.
“U-Um, I’m right here…?”
Her brothers soundly ignored her as they departed.
“So long, bear well~!”
Monophanie deflated as she echoed the same catchphrase and left as well. Seeming to understand the students weren’t in the mood to talk with her, and would be busy with the prizes they received.
Kokichi stared down at his hand boredly as he sighed.
“Maaan, seeing the robo Monokub left out reminded me of Kii-boy… Real shame he’s gone. Well, I still have his noggin, but it’s just not the same~…”
Tsumugi pointed at the brat accusingly, letting out a mournful wail.
“You took it?! How could you?!”
Kokichi propped his arms behind his head and grinned coyly.
“Anything can be a clue in the Killing Game~! It’s not like we even have a grave you know? Monokuma left us the head just to taunt us. No one else wanted it, sooo… I called keepsies first~!”
The cosplayer spluttered in outrage, trying and failing to point out all the reasons that the trickster was just wrong… But Kaede waved the bluenette off, smiling tenderly.
“I-It’s okay, Shirogane-san… I took custody of the picture, so if anybody ever wants to see it, let me know, okay?” She massaged her arm tenderly, knowing that there might not be too many takers on that…
Tsumugi peered at the pianist strangely, but didn’t offer further comment. Maki rolled her eyes as she got down to business, standing up.
“So… what should we do with this junk?”
Rantaro crossed his arms as he furrowed his brow.
“Call it a hunch, but I’m pretty sure we use these around the campus. For example, the dragon statue up on the second floor probably gets that gem. Also, in the hallway leading to the gym I’m pretty sure I saw an indentation for that… passport thing. The ocarina and crank I’m unsure of, though. Probably places outside the main building.”
Kokichi hummed as he openly perused his Monopad.
“Seems like all four locations are marked on our maps~! Just need to divvy out group assignments of who wants to explore where~…”
Kaito plucked up the crank before anyone could claim it.
“So…! We just need to go check these places out, yeah?! Seems easy enough!!! Who wants to go with me?!” He pumped his fist, whipping his head around every which way to find if there was any takers. “… Guys?”
… They needed a few minutes to hash out the group assignments.
~*~
To no one’s shock, the Student Council, which had yet to be properly unveiled, stuck together as they accepted the Ancient Passport and navigated to that hallway Rantaro mentioned. Well, it was the four of them – Tenko, who was more of a hanger-on, was dragged off by Kaede, to Himiko’s relief.
“Stand back, everyone!!” Gonta declared as he took the passport and placed it into the indentation. He reeled back as within seconds of completing the action, the wall crumbled, kicking up a big cloud of dust and debris.
“The wall came down?!” The cosplayer marveled at the sight.
Himiko tapped her chin thoughtfully.
“Was it cuz of my magic…?”
Tsumugi blinked owlishly, shaking her head.
“N-No, Himiko… Gonta used that item on the object, and…” She trailed off as the redhead cut her off, tugging her hat down over one eye.
“No, it was cuz of my magic.” The magician grumbled testily.
Tsumugi deflated like a balloon, sighing.
“… Okay, sure, Himiko. Let’s go with that.”
“Kyahahaha~!” Angie giggled as she threw her hands in the air mirthfully. “Good job, Gonta~! Let’s explore this hidden passage to our hearts’ content!! What will we find?!”
… The answer, to their bewilderment, was a single Ultimate Lab after turning left in the new corridor. The door was a bluish metal, and had a magic circle etched onto it with a strawberry in the center. It didn’t take much imagination to figure out whose Lab this must belong to…
And indeed, when they entered the room, they could see that it was chockful of magic props of all kinds. Water tanks, a box on a gurney with an attached buzzsaw, a guillotine, a bubbling cauldron with two torches on either side of it, a small booth for telling fortunes, a coffin pierced with a number of swords, a comfy chair, a cage with doves in it, a small table with what seemed like a blank journal and a feather pen and candle sitting next to it, and another small table with a magician’s top hat and magic wand sitting on top of it. In hindsight, that didn’t seem like much… So Gonta peeked at one of the red curtains surrounding the room, the one of the right side from where they’re standing. As opposed to a wall like he was expecting, the entomologist found a wealthy storehouse of more props shelved and stored away… Too much for Gonta to go through on his own.
And besides! As a gentleman, Gonta didn’t want to invade Himiko’s privacy.
“Whose Lab is this…? If this was mine, there’d be a bunch of magic items in here, right?” Himiko asked, seeming truly vexed as Tsumugi stood at her side, adjusting her glasses.
“Um… why are you asking me?” She laughed softly, not really getting it at all.
Angie giggled melodiously as she approached the cauldron with reckless abandon.
“Kyahahaha~! Whatcha got cookin’ over here, Himiko-chan?! I seen some villagers use these, back on my island~!”
The redhead planted one hand on her hip as she wagged her index finger pointedly.
“Don’t go touching whatever you want… That pot is collecting mana…”
Gonta tilted his head as he came back from peeking behind the curtain.
“Mana?” He stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Himiko blinked owlishly at the gentle giant.
“Don’t you know? It’s a necessary energy source for magic…”
Tsumugi hummed as she adjusted her glasses.
“Oh, I see. You mean, like ether or life force?”
Himiko shrugged lazily.
“Hm, the names are different depending on the school of magic, but I call it mana. This place is filled with mana. It’s perfect for me.”
Gonta wasn’t sure what to say about that, since he grew concerned when he noticed the buzzsaw attached to the box, and the swords piercing the coffin… But Angie assured them that the room had a lock, so everything would be fine!
“Oh yeah…” Tsumugi mumbled as she got a better look at the coffin. “This is the magic trick where the person in the box is stabbed by swords, but comes out fine.”
“It’s not a trick… That’s one of the Space-type spells, nyeh.” Himiko sighed, planting one hand on her hip.
“Ooh! That sounds like high-ranking magic~!” Tsumugi gushed, sparkles in her eyes.
“Exactly!!” Himiko pointed at the cosplayer emphatically. “You need a lot of skill for Space-type spells… No average mage can handle them.”
“Mhm, mhm, so in other words…” The cosplayer mused. “You couldn’t just be a mage, you’d have to be a sage… You’d need the Words of Wisdom for that.”
Gonta had his arms crossed, staring at the swords with a troubled expression. To take his mind off them, he turned to the cage with the doves, who were very much alive in there.
“Oh, hey, Himiko! What magic uses these birds?”
The redhead was pleased that one of the Council members finally understood her – that these weren’t tricks, this was magic!
… Of course, Gonta is a gentle soul who should probably know better…
“I use that for a number of spells… It’s also good for carrying my familiar…” Himiko mused, tapping her chin thoughtfully.
Tsumugi got excited again, eyes sparkling.
“Familiar…? Oh, you mean the trick where a dove comes out of your hat? Er… you mean a magical animal?”
Himiko grinned happily and nodded sagely.
“Yes, that’s right… But my familiar isn’t a dove, it’s a tiger cub.”
“A tiger cub?!” Tsumugi gushed, clasping her hands together and drooling a little. “It must be so cute!!! I’m jealous of you, being able to pet something fluffy like that whenever.”
Gonta nodded sagely with a pout of his own.
“Yeah… A tiger cub sounds cute…”
After a little more poking around the “magic pocket space” – Himiko’s name for the storage area beyond the curtain – Angie clapped her hands to gather everyone’s attention as they stood in the main part of the magician’s Lab.
“Now that we have a moment to ourselves~… Let’s go over why the Student Council is needed, hm? Kiibo-kun certainly something naughty, spilling Shinguji-kun’s blood like that…” She clasped her hands together, sparkling, as she giggled. “That said… It was no loss to us~! But now everyone is painfully aware Monokuma’s motives are real! It is up to us to ensure a murder never happens again~!”
Though Tsumugi appeared troubled at the mention of Kiibo, she nodded along with Gonta and Himiko, showing solidarity in Angie’s plans. A Council might be something new for the others to deal with… But they were just going to have to get used to it.
For everyone’s safety… The Council must rise up…
~*~
Shuichi and his group assembled up on the second floor with the Dragon Gem in tow. Like Rantaro predicted, the dragon statue up there was missing an eye. And the moment Shuichi inserted the gem, it began to glow an ominous red before the statue and wall lightly exploded. This opened up a new path for them on the second floor.
“So there’s hidden passages around the academy…” The dark-haired boy mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
Kokichi lit up like a Christmas tree as he leaned forward with anticipation.
“We get new real estate!? Let’s gooo~!” And without warning, the trickster rushed right through the open path without a care in the world.
Ryoma massaged his brow as he huffed quietly.
“Reckless idiot…” Still, the Tennis Pro supposed Monokuma wouldn’t lay traps if they were supposed to kill each other. … Supposing he never changed the rules mid-game or something.
Shaking his head pitifully, Ryoma ambled through the open path after Kokichi. This left the detective alone with the maid, who appeared just as introspective as he was. Raising an eyebrow curiously, Shuichi probed her.
“Something the matter, Tojo-san?”
Kirumi shook her head lightly while retaining a stoic expression.
“No, but I feel stagnant air drifting from this damaged wall. As if no one has set foot beyond this point for quite some time.”
Shuichi hummed thoughtfully.
“Quite some time…?” He echoed, getting that vague sense as well. “How long would that be…?”
“Several weeks at least.” The maid mused. “If the Mastermind has had access to this area, they haven’t been back here in ages. I’m rather curious about this campus; I’ve never seen a place like this.”
Shuichi nodded along as they stepped into the new passage together. He couldn’t disagree with her there. Turning right a few steps later, and they saw a door to their right – it seemed antiquated, sturdy yet stylish. The detective couldn’t really tell whose Ultimate Lab this was, though. He got the vague sense it was a lab, but his top guesses would have to be Kiyo or Kirumi’s Lab…
When they stepped inside, they found themselves in a Victorian-style room. A chandelier dangling from the ceiling, lit candelabras along the wall, antique furniture along the edges, a more ornate dining table than the one where they usually eat… There was also an area behind some shutters, and at the far end of the room was some brightly lit windows with lace red curtains adorning them.
“These are Victorian.” Kirumi mused as she began to slowly pace the room. “These decorations adorned the British Empire at the peak of Queen Victoria’s reign. This… must be my research lab. During the Victorian era, employing a maid was considered a status symbol.”
Shuichi made a noise of understanding.
“Speaking of Victorian era… Jack the Ripper was from that time period, right?”
“Ever the detective, I see.” Kirumi chuckled lightly.
The detective chuckled along with her, massaging the back of his neck bashfully. Shortly after, they peeked behind the closet shutters, drawing them back to reveal a series of laundry machines, vacuums, and pressure washers.
“These will help my cleaning duties go much easier…” The maid stroked her chin as she surveyed the equipment.
“You don’t have to do it on your own…” Shuichi mumbled, raking a hand through his short dark locks. “Knowing we can bring our laundry up here is helpful enough…”
Kirumi shook her head sharply, closing her eyes calmly and gesturing vaguely.
“As I told you before… It is a maid’s duty to be selflessly devoted… Serving everyone here is the bare minimum I can do to atone for my failure. I realize that as the Ultimate Detective you feel responsible for Kiibo and Shinguji’s deaths… But as someone who was manipulated by Kiibo, I am chiefly to blame for what happened. I had the power and means to stop Kiibo… and I did not.”
The dark-haired boy’s frown deepened as he gestured vaguely in kind.
“Even if you had prevented that attempt… Kiibo would have found another way, Tojo-san. Or another murder would have transpired somewhere else.” Shuichi released a haggard sigh as his shoulders slumped in resignation. “Believe me, Tojo-san… Wanting to go back to undo past mistakes… I’ve been there. A lot. It’s given me some bitter memories…”
The maid’s expression softened as she quirked an eyebrow at him curiously.
“So you’ve regained some of your memories, have you?”
Shuichi cracked a self-depreciating grin.
“A little. It does make me wonder if any of our missing memories are worth retrieving… If we’re not better off leaving them behind. I don’t remember everything, but I am beginning to understand the kind of person I became. Being a detective… takes a strong will, Tojo-san. Rarely are we the valiant heroes that writers romanticize us to be.”
Kirumi hummed as she stroked her chin, narrowing her eyes a little.
“You’ve been through some hardships, then.”
Shuichi barked out a short, chagrined chuckle.
“I’m sure it doesn’t compare to the situations you’ve been in, Tojo-san. All I’ve ever tried to do is protect the happiness I find within arm’s reach. Long lost friends, my Uncle, my mentor that I found at Hope’s Peak, the clients I’ve wanted to save from false accusations… But it wasn’t easy. There was too much for me to handle on my own. I tried when nobody else would listen… And as a result? I lost everything. I was an empty shell until you all came along. That’s just the impression I’m getting.”
The maid’s eyes widened briefly as she recalled the motives that Monokuma gave to them… The pictures of killed loved ones…
“You didn’t… see your motive, did you?” She asked quietly, clasping her hands in front of her waist and staring down at the floor, gritting her teeth as she recalled her own.
Shuichi pulled the photos out of his trench coat pocket, staring down at them with a bittersweet expression.
“Kiyo received mine… I had Rantaro get them for me last night. Figured I was better off confronting the truth now than being forced to do it later. Dunno how many others will be feeling the same way… But I know Ouma-kun forced you through the same trial. It’s only fair for someone to share your pain, if even just a little.”
Kirumi pressed her mouth into a hard, firm line as she narrowed her eyes at the floor.
“You didn’t have to put yourself through that, Saihara-kun… I was the one foolish enough to play into Ouma-kun’s hands. If anyone suspects me in later trials because of this motive, allow me to take the fall alone. I’ve seen how hard you worked during this first case… You don’t deserve to fall under scrutiny for my sake.”
Shuichi shrugged casually and mysteriously chuckled.
“We only get one shot in the Class Trials, Tojo-san… Whether it’s you, me, Kaede, or whoever… No one should ever be ‘off-limits’ of being suspected. Not with everyone’s lives on the line. That said, sharing your burden was only part of my reason for facing the truth. I had a hunch of who I lost… I just wasn’t expecting to lose both my Uncle and my mentor.”
Shuichi shoved the photos back in his pocket and kept his hand in there, gazing up at Kirumi with a resolute expression that surprised her.
“I’m not going to ‘get over’ it, I do have to know how and why they died… But I won’t succumb to murder to get those answers. I barely know everyone here, and I still want you all to make it out alive. To pull that off… I need a ‘desire’ to escape and to personally overcome that urge. It’s one thing to be a threat to the would-be killers in the Class Trial, but it’s another thing entirely to be able to empathize with you all. That’s… why I faced my motive head-on.”
Kirumi fell quiet after hearing the detective’s resolve. For the maid, it was rare to encounter someone this… determined. From what she observed, Kaede possessed a similar fire in her soul… The issue is that for Kaede, she was facing obstacles in the form of Yonaga, Monokuma, and Kiibo’s death, her personal sense of responsibility for not stopping him… The pianist needed a lot more support to overcome her demons.
Shuichi, though? Even if he was just starting his own personal battle, there was something admirable about his resolve. Without knowing what “failures” he’d suffered, Kirumi admired that ability to pick himself up.
Kirumi smiled mysteriously as she closed her eyes calmly, clasping her hands in front of her waist, but this time conveying a more serene aura. She wasn’t as anguished as she had been moments ago. But perhaps that wasn’t so strange after listening to the detective.
“Empty shell or not… We will fill you again, Saihara-kun. You won’t have to endure everything alone, even after we escape together…” The maid slowly paced over to Shuichi, and trailed around him calmly, lightly tugging at his coat with her fingers. “This coat of yours troubles me… It suits you, there is no mistake about that. But it could use a cycle through the wash. If you’ll allow me, I will handle everything.”
A light pink dusted across Shuichi’s face as he averted his gaze, pulling away from Kirumi slightly.
“Th-That’s, uh… That’s fine… My Uncle did what he could to keep this clean, and I’m not that bothered by it. It feels… homely?”
The dark-haired boy sweatdropped as Kirumi thinned her lips and abruptly spun him around, fluidly extracting the coat from him and emptying the pockets. She shrewdly peered down at the clothing item before strutting over to the washers emphatically.
“Give me one hour, and I will have this back to you as good as new. As a keepsake, this coat should be well-maintained, and cleaning it is the least I can do for you.”
Shuichi held out his hand to halt her, but at that point he conceded that Kirumi was done listening to his ‘excuses’. Drooping his shoulders a bit, he massaged the back of his neck, blush deepening just a tad as he averted his gaze in embarrassment.
“M-Much obliged…” He mumbled.
Was Kirumi always this pushy? This… fussy?