Chapter Text
[MAKOTO vs BYAKUYA]
“Hell yeah! That’s the way!” Leon shouted as he saw the first pairing results. Smiling confidently at the lucky student, he threw out a thumbs-up. “You got this, Makoto! Now, hurry up and do ‘the thing’ again! You’re unstoppable when you do ‘the thing’!”
“Uh…’the thing’?” Chihiro inquisitively asked, having been left out of the loop due to her absence during the last trial. “Does Makoto have some secret talent or something?”
“Come on, you know what I’m talking about! ‘The thing’ Makoto always does!” the baseball star insisted, but the blank look on the programmer’s face was evidence to the contrary. Fortunately, Leon realized his mistake, laughing nervously as he said, “Oh, right, you weren’t here last time. Okay, I’ll bring you up to speed! Makoto has the power to make people guilty!”
“W-What?!” a now terrified Chihiro stammered, her gaze shooting over to the lucky student. “I-Is…that true?”
Makoto’s embarrassment reached new heights as the situation escalated without him being a part of it. Sure, his luck didn’t turn against him completely sometimes, but the more Leon looked at him with that hopeful expression, the more pressured he felt to develop this ‘thing’ the baseball star claimed he had! Not that it was possible…probably. Resisting the urge to face-palm, he instead chose to address the notion directly.
“No, Chihiro, I can’t do that…and Leon, I told you before, that’s not—”.
“Naw, man, I’m with Leon on this one!” The lucky student was flabbergasted as Mondo suddenly backed the baseball star’s claim. And with a grin just as determined as Leon’s, the biker made his opinion known. “Whenever you do ‘the thing’, we always make it out okay! So, stop being such a pussy and do ‘the thing’ already! Lives are at stake, man!”
Struggling for words, Makoto stammered, “B-But…but…t-that’s not how it works—!”
“Don’t worry, man! We’ve got your back!” Leon interrupted, derailing the lucky student’s rational counter.
“Ain’t nobody gonna get in your way as long as I’m here!” Mondo ‘reassured’ him, pounding his fists together. “You just concentrate on doing ‘the thing’ and leave the rest to us!”
Makoto’s jaw dropped, and he couldn’t form a full sentence, instead stammering, “But…I don’t…I can’t…why do you…”
“Do the thing! Do the thing!”
Leon and Mondo chorused together, their ‘encouragement’ only making the lucky student’s anxiety over being in the first match that much more horrifying! He wasn’t exactly sure how this was supposed to go anyway! Was he the one to decide if it was odds or evens? Or was it Byakuya? Would Monokuma select one of them or was he supposed to just shout it out randomly?
His head pounded as the stress mounted, further intensified as his two friends chanted louder and louder. At this rate, his skull was going to burst open from the sheer pressure of having to make such a—
“And, here we go!”
Makoto’s internal anxiety suddenly skyrocketed as Monokuma shouted that announcement, silencing the biker and the ballplayer. With a wave of its arms, the demented bear threw the dice into the stone cylinder and slammed it down on the table.
“Time to decide!” the bear shouted, a strange circular dial appearing on the tally board, with those same words stamped into the center. Accompanying the image was a loud ticking noise, as if the dial was counting down, the ominous rhythm matching the furious heartbeats in Makoto’s chest.
Still frazzled from the unexpected ‘encouragement’, the lucky student waited patiently for instructions…a fatal error.
“Cho!”
From the other side of the room, Byakuya made his decision. He chose Cho, or evens, with no reservation. Glancing his way, the Togami Heir smugly grinned at the lucky student, having been quicker on the draw. Makoto felt not only embarrassed, but ashamed as well. His indecision may cost them a vote…and if Celeste was executed, he’d never forgive himself for letting it happen.
“…Han.”
It was mostly a formality, calling out his decision. Whoever spoke first had the upper hand, kind of. Makoto wasn’t quite sure if there was a way to gain an advantage, other than speaking faster than your opponent, and that seemed kind of difficult in its own right. As far as he could tell, Monokuma was right…this truly was a game of chance, one that no one could rig, even if they wanted to.
“Your choice has been made! “Monokuma gleefully shouted, it’s grin widening. The dial on the monitor vanished, replaced with the tally board again. “Now then…for the results! What’s it gonna be? What’s. It. Gonna. Be?!”
Very slowly, the bear tilted the cylinder up slightly, getting a sneak peek at the results. Immediately, the grin worn by the mechanical bear sagged into a frown.
“Dammit…”
Almost inexplicably, a tally mark formed on the ‘Spare Celeste’ side. Everyone immediately understood the meaning, and none were shocked when the bear lifted the cylinder to reveal a five and a two – odds.
Half of the class rejoiced. Byakuya scowled deeply but didn’t seem that perturbed, instead choosing to scoff in Makoto’s direction. For his part, the lucky student let out a deep sigh of relief…that didn’t last long.
“Alright! Great work, Makoto!” Leon shouted from his podium. “I knew your ‘thing’ would win in the end!”
“Hell yeah! That’s the way you do it!” Mondo concurred, fist-pumping. “As long as we have Makoto’s ‘thing’, we’re unstoppable!”
“W-Would you please stop calling it that?!” a flushed lucky student shouted.
Embarrassment times ten flooded Makoto as they continued to refer to his luck as a ‘thing’…not to mention how out of context that could be taken! Just as he was about to reprimand them further, an unexpected congratulation reached his ears.
“Well, well, it seems that your luck has saved you once again,” the smug tone of Byakuya forced the lucky student to turn his way. Despite having lost, the Togami Heir didn’t seem perturbed, a fact that perplexed Makoto. Seeing his confusion, Byakuya chose to enlighten him. “I had a feeling your ‘luck’ would win this match. It is your ‘talent’, after all.”
The mocking tone he used to emphasize Makoto’s ‘ability’ made the lucky student furrow his brows. Taking note of this, the Affluent Progeny smirked condescendingly.
“Let’s just see if that luck of yours can hold out. This game is far from over.”
His cold words were amplified by his elated expression. A sickening wave of disgust washed over most of the class. Byakuya was enjoying this ‘game’ far too much. And he obviously wouldn’t feel any remorse for Celeste if she was executed. It was disgusting…watching him revel in the sheer anxiety they faced as they danced like puppets in the Mastermind’s hands.
“Wow…what a shocking development,” Celeste sarcastically, and abruptly, spoke up, seeming incredibly bored by the outcome. Glaring at Makoto, she seethed, “You gonna give another ‘inspiring’ speech about hope and friendship? Or are you gonna leave that to tv shows about magical ponies?”
Makoto flinched. He really was getting predictable, wasn’t he? Even so, that didn’t mean that his words were meaningless. He’d prove that to Celeste…one way or another. That is, if Monokuma actually let him speak this time!
As if on cue, Monokuma let out a deep, and audible, sigh.
“As you all can see…it’s Han…this round…is over…” Monokuma quietly announced, as if all the energy had been drained from its body. “Let’s…move on…to the next…”
“No! Not this time!” Makoto abruptly interjected, still feeling snubbed from the last two voting sessions. Barely waiting for Monokuma to, slowly, glance his way, the lucky student went on a tirade. “You said we get 40 seconds to say our piece. Well, I have something to—”.
*BRRRRRRRRRRR*
A buzzer cut him off, stunning him and everyone else into silence. It only lasted for a few moments but when it was done, Monokuma abruptly regained its vigor.
“Time’s up!” the bear announced, grinning at the lucky student. “It’s been exactly 40 seconds since I marked the tally. If you wanted to say something, you really should have spoken up earlier—”.
“I would have if I knew that’s how it worked!” Makoto instantly retorted, feeling genuine frustration as he was snubbed…for the third time. “This isn’t fair! How come I never get to—?!”
*BRRRRRRRRRRR*
As the buzzer rang again, Makoto’s anger began to subside, realizing he had no chance of winning this argument…even if he used ‘the thing’. He briefly wondered if he would ‘ever’ get the chance to say his piece after a voting session…but instantly realized how horrific that thought was. He didn’t want more voting sessions…he just wanted his friends to live…was that so wrong?
To add to his dismay, Monokuma let out its signature laugh, stealing away any retort he could have mustered.
“Puhuhuhuhu! Ahahahahaha!” the bear cackled as it completely reverted to its usual sadistic self. “Ahhhhh, I needed that! A little taste of despair is quite a pick me up. Now then, let’s move on to the next round! Taeko, pull the lever!”
Begrudgingly, Celeste complied, jerking the lever downward and watching as the reels selected the next ‘players’.
[SAYAKA vs LEON]
A deep, relieved sigh escaped Sayaka as her name came up next to Leon’s. A quick glance his way showed him smiling, almost cheekily, directly at her. She returned the gesture, a light giggle escaping as her nerves settled.
Initially, she’d been terrified. Even after everything Celeste had done, she couldn’t stomach the idea of watching her be executed. And if her name had come up next to someone like Toko or Hifumi, who undoubtedly planned to vote for execution, she would have been devastated if she chose wrong. But that wasn’t a concern anymore. Regardless of who won this round, it was a victory.
“Another point for our side,” Sayaka reassured herself, any pressure from before evaporating. “After this, we’ll just need one more.”
“Alrighty then! It’s time for Round 2!” Monokuma announced, pulling up its sleeve slightly before tossing the dice into the cylinder and slamming it down. “Time to decide!”
Once again, the dial with those ominous words overtook the tally screen, the gut wrenching ticking returning. Sayaka glanced toward Leon, who stared back at her. Each of them waited, seemingly for the other to respond…and it was becoming a bit awkward…just staring into Leon’s vibrant blue eyes—
“Would one of you pick already?! My arm’s getting tired!” the demented bear shouted, wiggling its arm in emphasis.
Realizing it truly didn’t matter, Sayaka called out, “Han.”
“Cho,” Leon responded almost immediately.
“Your choice has been made!” Monokuma said with a nod, lifting the cylinder slightly to see the outcome…before sighing deeply. “…If I knew this match-up was going to happen I would have just marked on the board already. There’s no heart-pounding excitement under here…”
Lifting the cylinder revealed a three and a four – odds. Sayaka was the victor. Feeling slightly emboldened, the pop idol let out an exaggerated sigh before smirking at Leon.
“You almost had me there,” she joked, a warm sensation spreading through her chest as the baseball star chuckled and returned her smile.
“Damn, I guess you were just too good for me!” He laughed and Sayaka thought it was one of the most pleasant sounds to reach her ears.
“Next time, be a little more assertive,” she playfully chided, winking at him. “Girls like it when a boy takes—”.
“Just fuck already…”
Celeste’s harsh ‘advice’ ripped through the room, drawing stares and glares from the entire class. Sayaka felt her face flush but managed to keep her expression neutral as she unconsciously glanced toward Leon…whose face was bright red, his jaw practically hitting the floor. Unlike the pop idol, however, he was staring, wide-eyed, at the person responsible for his flustered state.
Following his gaze, Sayaka became aware that Celeste was staring her down, a frustrated expression carved into her face. Strangely, even though she could practically feel the anger radiating off the gambler…she could detect something else there as well…a feeling she knew all too well.
“Seriously, watching the two of you ‘flirt’ hurts almost as much as getting executed,” Celeste snapped, clicking her teeth. “Hell, I’d take the witch roasting over the slow burn of watching you two fucktards dance around the issue! So, hurry up and vote before I vomit.”
The gambler’s harsh commentary stung a bit, but it wasn’t anything Sayaka couldn’t handle. She’d been through much worse verbal abuse during her time as an idol, from rival idols and their fans. Not to mention that the shame from her crime against Leon and Makoto had been far more debilitating. Suffice it to say, nothing Celeste could say would rattle her…but that didn’t apply to her friends.
“Trying to influence the vote, are you?” Junko abruptly spoke up, a firm frown marring her features. “Did you think we wouldn’t notice? I’m not gonna let you get away with—!”
“Actually…” Monokuma interjected, not even glancing toward the Fashionista, which seemed to ruffle her more than being glared at. “I never said she couldn’t try to influence the vote. Only that the voter only gets 40 seconds after the vote to speak. So, technically, she can say whatever she wants!”
Junko opened her mouth to protest…but it died in her throat, falling silent while gritting her teeth. Sayaka frowned as she understood why. If Junko argued, Monokuma could take that as arguing against the voting system…and twist it into a punishment for the Fashionista. The demented bear was being beyond cruel again…and almost specifically targeting Junko.
It made sense. Besides Makoto, the Fashionista had been the most vocal about opposing the bear. In all honesty, Sayaka was kind of surprised it had taken the Mastermind this long to start scheming against them. After all…Sayaka hadn’t hesitated when she blackmailed or destroyed the careers of her peers in order to climb to the top of the charts.
“I’ll need to be more vigilant from now on.” Sayaka told herself, hands balling into fists. “Junko…doesn’t deserve this. I need to do what I can to help her…just like she’s helped me—!”
“Hey, life-destroyer, I have a question for you.”
Sayaka’s thoughts were forced back to reality as Celeste jeered toward her. A twinge of guilt throbbed in her chest at being called a ‘life-destroyer’, memories of her cruel tactics in the music industry flashing through her mind. However, she kept her composure as she turned her attention back toward the gambler, her face completely neutral.
Seeing that her tactic was as debilitating as it should have been, Celeste huffed and folded her arms, glaring at the pop idol with scathing fury…before smirking maliciously. When she saw that, Sayaka saw something she never expected behind the gambler’s façade…but didn’t have time to call it out.
“Tell me, Sayaka, how does it feel to fall in love with your attacker?” Celeste chuckled, and her smirk twisted into an even more insidious grin. “Wishing he would’ve penetrated you with a different kind of six-inch rod, huh? Never figured I’d see a genuine case of Stockholm syndrome with my own eyes!”
Celeste’s bright crimson eyes focused on the shimmering blues that Sayaka stared her down with. A wheezing noise echoed, and the pop idol chanced a glance over to see Leon, his face somehow redder than before, trying to force words out but failing miserably. His emotions were running wild and she could tell he would need to be comforted later. For all his bluster and bravado, Leon could be incredibly sensitive when it came to his own feelings. In that moment, Sayaka was immeasurably thankful she’d won the Cho-Han match.
“There’s no way Leon would’ve been able to handle her taunts,” she regretfully admitted, feeling more than a little sympathy for the baseball star. “But that doesn’t matter right now. I know what I need to do.”
Sayaka didn’t like the fact that Celeste was forcing them to acknowledge their difficult feelings in front of everyone…although she was pretty sure it wasn’t exactly a secret to anyone…maybe Hiro, he wasn’t all that bright. Having their ‘dirty laundry’ aired out in front of everyone was a bit unsettling, to say the least.
However, Sayaka wasn’t as naïve as she pretended to be. And Celeste was underestimating her if she thought this would be enough to change her vote. At the same time, she couldn’t take this offense lying down either…
“Nothing to say to that, huh?” Celeste prodded further, obviously confident in her manipulation skills. “Then why don’t the two of you can go fornicate in the corner like the rabid rabbits you are! You’re already licking each other’s wounds, so you may as well shove your tongues down each other’s throats—”.
“You’re afraid…aren’t you, Celeste.”
The look of absolute shock that overtook the gambler’s features made a swell of pride overtake the pop idol and gave her the leverage she needed to push back. With a soft giggle, she regarded Celeste with soft words.
“You don’t want to die, but you don’t want to live with your guilt and regrets. So, death was the more viable option…even though it terrifies you. No matter what you choose, you lose…and it has you positively frightened…right?”
Everything about Celeste’s posture and expression screamed ‘how the fuck does she know that?!’. Sayaka had to suppress another giggle as the gambler opened her mouth to retort, but quickly snapped it back shut, completely at a loss for words.
As an idol, Sayaka knew that the better you are at reading people, the more you can appeal to their interests. Her intuition was so sharp, she kind of frightened herself sometimes…or at least she used to. Now, instead of using her intuition to harm others, she was using it to help save someone…just like her friends had once done for her.
“Makoto…Junko…Leon…You all helped me when I needed it the most. And because of that, I want to do the same for someone else.”
Right now…Celeste was going through the most painful experience of her life. Sayaka truly did understand that. And, even if she denied it, even if the gambler outright rejected her help, she would still offer it to her. After all, everyone deserves a second chance…don’t they?
“Celeste…you’re in that same dark pit I once thought I’d never be able to climb out of. And maybe…you never will. But that won’t stop me from lowering a rope down to you.”
As that thought crossed her mind, Celeste finally collected herself enough to retort, “Y-You…you goddamn bitch! You don’t know me! Like hell I’m afraid! I want to be executed—!”
“You can’t lie to me…” Sayaka almost joyfully cut her off, stunning the gambler into silence. Morphing her features into a gravely seriously expression, the pop idol declared, “After all, I’m psychic.”
Celeste’s eyes widened, and she instinctively took a step back, bumping into the slot machine trapping her at her podium. Sayaka struggled to hold in a laughing fit. For all her deceptive talk, Celeste was just as vulnerable to manipulation when the cards were stacked against her. The pop idol knew that normally, the gambler would have brushed off her comment and thought nothing of it.
Sadly, due to the extreme stress and fear, the normally intellectual gambler was actually considering if Sayaka was, in fact, a mind reader. It honestly made Sayaka feel a bit like a bully…but it didn’t bother her all that much.
“Let’s just call it a bit of payback for embarrassing me and Leon in front of everyone.”
Suddenly, smiling as bright and bubbly as always, the pop idol tilted her head playfully and proclaimed, “Just kidding! I’ve just got really good intuition…that being said…I know I’m right.”
Celeste, too flabbergasted to make a retort, could only stand there as Sayaka turned to face Monokuma, her warm smile never faltering.
“I vote for her to live,” she effortlessly declared before turning that soft expression back toward the gambler. “I know what it’s like…the fear of being killed…the despair of having everything you care for taken away…I know it all too well.”
A tally was marked on the side of crying Celeste sprite, giving two votes for her to live and zero votes for execution. However, Sayaka didn’t spare the monitor a glance, keeping her gaze focused on Celeste.
“Someday…I hope that you can find something to live for again. It’s not easy…but it’s possible.”
“…Stupid bitch,” Celeste instantly responded, a fiery glared aimed directly at her. “You don’t know anything about me. So, stop pretending like we’re friends—”.
“We may not be friends, but we are kindred spirits,” the pop idol interrupted, earning an even more infuriated stare from the gambler. Undeterred, Sayaka met her gaze as she finished. “You and I…we both tried to kill someone for our dream. We didn’t want to, but we did it anyway. And even if you don’t regret it now…someday you might realize—”.
*BRRRRRRRRRRR*
“Time’s up! No more chatting!” Monokuma announced as the buzzer subsided, pulling up it’s sleeve and preparing for the next match. “Time’s a wastin’! Pull the lever, Taeko-baby!”
As the bear’s antics silenced her, Sayaka let a gentle smile overtake her lips.
“I did all I could. It’s up to her now…to see if she wants to change…or stay the same.”
Lifting her gaze, she averted her eyes away from the gambler and instead focused on the boy staring at her. She chuckled as Leon flushed when he met her gaze, feeling a hint of pink redden her own cheeks.
“Things might be…a little awkward from now on. But…I’ve already decided. I’m not going back to the person I was before. Even if it’s crazy, even if it gets me killed…I won’t regret putting my faith in my friends…not ever again.”
“Who the FUCK does she think she is?!” Celeste fumed as she reached for the slot machine lever. “We’re not ‘kindred spirits’ at all! I conspired to kill for a castle! She killed for her friends! It’s completely different!”
Yanking hard on the lever, the slot machine began to spin, and as it did, Celeste felt sweat drip down her neck. Two votes to live…those bastards wanted to keep her trapped in this hellhole of a school forever! Perhaps that was how they planned to ‘punish’ her, but she wouldn’t accept it! Sayaka was wrong! She wasn’t afraid of dying! Dying was the only thing that could free from this hell! If anything, the stupid idol bitch was just trying to make her suffer more!
And because of that, Celeste really needed the next pairing to be in her favor. Of the remaining students, only a handful of them would vote for her execution. Hifumi certainly would, Toko probably would as well, considering Byakuya chose that earlier. One of them needed to be selected next! However, if it was both, then while it would guarantee a vote for execution, it would rob her of an extra vote in another round.
And since the whole Cho-Han game/selection process was based on luck…she could only pray some semblance of her luck remained intact after the massive unlucky streak from this morning.
“Come on…come on…just give me a chance…all I need is a chance to—!”
In the midst of her silent prayer, the reels stopped…and a wide grin overtook the gambler’s face. It wasn’t perfect, but at least she now had a fighting chance for execution. After all, she’d almost completely forgotten about the other person who’d undoubtedly vote for her execution…
“Looks like…Lady Luck hasn’t given up on me yet!”
[HIRO vs JUNKO]
“Good…this is good.”
Mukuro breathed a bit of a sigh as ‘her’ name finally came up. And given her opponent, there was a good chance she’d be able to win. Sure, the game was luck based, but there was no way she’d let Hiro get the first words in. And besides, she’d been watching Monokuma closely during the last few matches and had noticed a few things.
“Junko’s control over Monokuma is superb, as expected. However, the precise handling of the dice isn’t as random as it should be.”
The soldier had spent a great deal of time analyzing the bear’s movement’s trying to be sure that her sister truly wasn’t rigging the game. To her disappointment, it appeared that her sister had been honest with them.
“Junko definitely isn’t cheating, but she’s definitely imitating the actions from that gambling anime she was watching before the killing game started. If she keeps that up, she’ll keep throwing down odds…so I just need to place my bet on Han.”
Sparing a moment to look Hiro’s way, she found him in the midst of panicking. He nervously bit his thumbnail, an obvious internal debate going on. Perhaps it wouldn’t matter if she lost to Hiro. Even though he was upset with Celeste, when push came to shove, the man was a coward. Cowards often had trouble becoming murderer’s or even conspiring to nefarious actions. They went with the majority. And since there were already two votes for her to live, there was a good chance Hiro would vote that way purely because most of the class was in favor of her survival.
“Okey dokey! Let’s get to it! Time to decide!” The monitor next to Monokuma shifted back to the dial with those oppressive words once again. The dial turned, and the nerve-wracking ticking sounded once more. “And…here…we…go!”
Monokuma shouted, tossing the dice into the cylinder exactly the same way as before, much to Mukuro’s relief. A wave of confidence rushed through her, and the instant cylinder slammed into the table, she shouted:
“Han!”
A startled yelp sounded from Hiro. Mukuro honestly felt a bit of sympathy for him…but only a bit. He was a coward, after all…and an idiot. After a few moments of silence, the clairvoyant nervously called out his choice.
“Ch-Cho…”
“Your choice has been made!” the bear jubilantly cried, the monitor returning to the tally board. Slightly tilting the cylinder to see the result before setting it back down, Monokuma let out another sigh. “Well, I guess you can’t win ‘em all…”
Instantly, a smirk broke out on Mukuro’s face and she was about claim victory when the bear suddenly laughed manically.
“Puhuhuhuhuhuhu! It’s time for a shift in gears! This rounds results are…” Lifting the cylinder, Monokuma revealed a pair of snake eyes – evens. “Cho! That means, this vote goes to Mr. 30% Accuracy!”
“W-Wait a minute…I won?!” the clairvoyant shouted, somehow more surprised than anyone.
Mukuro’s enthusiasm shriveled as she stared, almost bewildered, at the dice. Her careful calculations had been wrong…and it had cost them the winning vote!
“Dammit! I could have ended this all right here!” she internally seethed, before another clever strategy formed in her mind. “Alright, time to fight fire…with fire!”
Yasuhiro Hagakure was in disbelief. He’d actually won! The vote was his! He held Celeste’s fate in the palm of his hand…kinda? At the very least, his vote would determine if she was immediately spared…or her persecution continued.
Honestly, he really wanted to vote for execution. And given what she’d put him though, who wouldn’t?! Targeting him solely because she viewed herself as smarter than him! Which was wrong on so many levels! First off, he’s older than her! Making him smarter by default due to having more life experience! Secondly, wanting to kill someone for a castle was beyond disturbing!
“She could have at least tried to kill me because I was a threat to her or something! And for a castle of all things! Doesn’t she realize how hard it is to sell a castle on the black market?! I have a difficult enough time with 00parts!”
“Mr. Hagakure…”
The clairvoyant’s thoughts were disrupted as Monokuma stared at him…surprisingly patiently. None of the bear’s usual malice or intimidation was visible. It was unnerving, seeing the bear appear to actually give a damn…and about him no less! No one had shown him such respect since the moment they’d been trapped in this damnable school…but now Monokuma was addressing him formally and politely.
It was obviously a trap…maybe? Regardless, Hiro lowered his guard and let the bear calmly continue.
“The floor is yours. Will you vote to ally yourself with the popular opinion? Or choose to betray everyone’s expectations and lead Miss Taeko down the path to execution? The choice…is yours.”
…No pressure or anything!
As if he wasn’t conflicted enough as it was! Sure, Celeste was a Grade A bitch but…not even he thought she deserved to be burned alive. After all, she may have framed him, but she didn’t actually try to kill him. And everyone was still alive so that was a plus! Not to mention that he really…really didn’t want to be the first one to start voting for execution!
At the same time…Byakuya did make a good point that she was dangerous. And since Monokuma changed the rules regularly, there was no guarantee that someone as crafty as Celeste would find a way to try and target him again! The thought of her…sneaking up behind him…plunging a knife into his back…wasn’t really realistic in this situation, considering it would leave considerable evidence behind, but that imagery flashed through his mind anyway!
“What am I supposed to do?! I came to Hope’s Peak to escape from the mafia! To avoid death and danger! Not get myself thrown into the middle of it!”
By this time, everyone was staring at him, eagerly waiting for his vote. Makoto stared at him with worried anticipation, obviously hoping he’d choose to spare the gambler. Meanwhile, Byakuya’s piercing gaze dug into him, even if the clairvoyant didn’t have the courage to meet his gaze. Everyone was waiting for him to make a decisive choice…but he just couldn’t—
“Hiro…you have the power to end all of this…right here, right now.”
The clairvoyant gasped as Junko’s voice reached him, his gaze slowly shifting over to her. He nearly froze when he saw her. She was staring directly into his eyes, an unexplainable power radiating off of her. And as it washed over him, he began to fill with a strange kind of confidence…the likes of which he’d never experienced before.
“If you vote for Celeste to live, we’ll beat the Mastermind at their own game!” the Fashionista continued, pushing her will further onto him. “I know she tried to frame you for murder, but that doesn’t mean—”.
“Ahem!” Monokuma loudly interrupted, finally seeming to grow impatient. “Miss Enoshima? Just what do you think you’re doing?”
Junko wasted no time, smiling as she answered, “Trying to convince Hiro not to vote execution, I thought that was obvious. After all, you said that Celeste could influence the voters, but you never said we couldn’t do the same. Isn’t that right?”
Her smile widened, and it brimmed with the kind of confidence Hiro had always wished he had. The way she stood up to Monokuma, fought back against anyone who dared to deny her, and always stood up for people who couldn’t do it themselves…she never hesitated. Meanwhile, he continued to struggle with what should have been a simple decision…
“…I did say that, didn’t I?” Monokuma quietly acquiesced, only a hint of anger showing on it’s face. “Very well, as a matter of course, I’ll state it plainly. I don’t mind if anyone tries to influence the vote, but I won’t allow for any more delays! Once you’ve said your piece, kindly STFU and let the voter make their choice!”
…Did Monokuma actually just pronounce STFU instead of actually telling her to shut the fu—
“Alright then,” Junko continued, her fervor seemingly undamaged. Shifting her gaze back to Hiro, who flinched a bit as a result, she steeled her gaze and laid out her case. “Hiro, we can’t let the Mastermind win. You have the power to stop the Mastermind’s scheme right here and now.”
The way Junko spoke to him…was like nothing he’d heard before. She showed so much confidence and trust…for him of all people! Sure, until this point, she’d been kind of indifferent toward him, but now she was treating him with the respect and integrity that someone his age deserved!
“Huh…maybe I was wrong about her. I don’t really want to kill Celeste…well maybe to harvest her organs and sell them to pay off my debt. But if I play my cards rights, maybe Junko will donate her organs instead! That way, my debt goes away and no one dies! Everybody wins!”
As if reading his thoughts, Junko smiled warmly and said, “Don’t let this chance slip through your fingers. We need you to be strong…for all of us! Be the better man and vote for her to live—!”
“—That’s right, loser. Follow instructions obediently, just like the drooling mutt you are. It’s all you’re good for, anyway.”
Hiro’s breath caught in his throat as Celeste’s jeer interrupted the Fashionista. His head snapped over to her, her words still ringing in his ears. As their gazes met, the gambler scoffed and turned away, as if disgusted to even look at him.
“Always doing whatever anyone tells you, following the popular opinion, doing exactly what a note slipped under your door said without even thinking it could be a trap!” Celeste chastised, not even glancing his way. “I mean, you’re falling into another trap right now, and you can’t even see it! How pathetic!”
At that, Hiro’s eyes widened. “W-What do you mean ‘another trap’?!”
Finally, Celeste glanced his way and sneered, “Junko doesn’t give a shit about you. Think about it, she’s never cared about your opinion until now, right? Why would that suddenly change? Oh, that’s right, she’s trying to get your vote so she can feel all important and have the ‘honor’ of outwitting the Mastermind—”.
“And you’re so different?!” Junko abruptly shouted, startling the clairvoyant. “You’re just trying to get him to vote for execution because you can’t deal with the shame of owning up to your crimes!”
Celeste chuckled and replied, “Yeah, that’s about right. But at least I’m being upfront about it—”.
“Upfront my ass! You’re always pulling underhanded tricks like this!”
“And manipulating a dog into siding with you isn’t underhanded at all, now is it?”
Hiro could only shrink back as he realized he’d lost his place in the conversation. He tried to speak up, but always found himself drowned out by their abrasive tones. And soon enough, he was relegated to being a background character…like usual. As the two women continued to argue back and forth…something Celeste said replayed in his mind.
“Think about it, she’s never cared about your opinion until now, right? Why would that suddenly change?”
…That couldn’t…be true, right? Junko always had everyone’s best interests at heart, even he could see that! She always stood up for everyone…well, mostly. Come to think of it…when was the last time she stood up for him in particular? Hiro racked his brain, trying to remember…only to realize, it had never happened. In fact, all he could remember…were the times she told him to shut up. Yeah, he knew he could be a little dense sometimes…but to always be put down by everyone…despite being the oldest student here…what was up with that?!
“Why doesn’t anyone here get that I’m older and therefore wiser than anyone else? Sure, people like Kyoko are good at investigating and stuff, but I should at least be given proper respect!”
That’s when something else Celeste mentioned echoed in his mind.
“Follow instructions obediently, just like the drooling mutt you are. It’s all you’re good for, anyway.”
Why hadn’t Junko tried to refute that? Why hadn’t she told Celeste that he was far more than an obedient dog? Why didn’t she stand up for him like she’d done for Sayaka, or Leon, or Mondo? Why…didn’t she seem to care about his opinion? The person she said…she needed the most right now…
Sadly…he already knew the answer. Celeste was right. Junko—no, all of his classmates didn’t truly respect or even thought of him as reliable. Time and time again, he was tricked into following the crowd…despite what his inner voice told him was the right thing to do!
He’d been pushing down his own feelings, fearful of everyone else’s reactions. But dammit, he had needs too! More importantly, he had a debt that needed to be repaid! And he couldn’t let little things like morality get in the way of that!
“My inner voice…I’ve ignored you for too long! But not anymore! I’m gonna do what I should have done in the first place!”
Steeling his nerves, prepared for the onslaught of criticism he knew he’d receive, Yasuhiro Hagakure made his choice…the choice that was best for him!
“Once the execution is over…I’m coming for your organs Celeste!”
“I’ve made my decision!” Hiro abrupt shouted over the two arguing women. Junko and Celeste, stunned into silence, shot their gazes toward him expectantly. With a grim expression, the clairvoyant shouted, “I vote for execution!”
Much of the rooms enthusiasm died as a tally mark appeared on the ‘Execute Celeste’ side, it’s presence sending a sickening wave of dread through most of the students. However, that didn’t stop Junko from slamming her hands onto her podium and shouting, “Hiro, why?! We were so close to putting this all behind us! Why would you—?!”
“I’m nobody’s lapdog! That’s why!” he interrupted, folding his arms angrily. “I won’t be influenced by anyone anymore! From now on, I’m gonna do whatever I think is right! I’m getting outta here, one way or another! And no one’s gonna stop me!”
It was shocking, to say the least. Hiro was acting…almost like Byakuya, just no where near as intimidating. At the same time, his words were beyond disconcerting. Hiro had always been an odd duck, but completely predictable. But this new attitude was…dangerous. The desperation of their situation was affecting all of them, but it seemed that it was having an even more devastating effect on someone as easily influenced as Hiro.
Even worse, was that their chance for a swift end to this tragedy was delayed…or perhaps slipping from their grasp. With Hiro’s vote, the opposition had taken the first step toward despair, which is what most of the students were trying to avoid. They could only hope that the next few rounds would go in their favor…
A deep, disappointed sigh escaped Junko and she couldn’t stop herself from saying, “Hiro…you’re a god-damn idiot. You let Celeste influence you right now…don’t you get that?”
A startled gasp completely disrupted the angry visage Hiro had put on, returning him to his usual confused state. His arms dropped to his sides and although it took him a moment, he realized she was right.
“W-Well…that’ll be the last time it happens!” he said earnestly, trying to regain some of the intimidation he’d had a moment ago…but failed. As if sensing their doubts, he fervently shouted, “I-I mean it! From now on, I’m my own man! So take that Celeste! I bet you’re regretting stuffing me into that locker now!”
“My only regret is that it too so long for you vote,” she proudly proclaimed, earning a shocked look from the clairvoyant. With a dastardly smile, she quipped, “Speed it up next time. I don’t have all day.”
“H-Hey! I voted for what you wanted! The least you could do is thank—!”
*BRRRRRRRRRRR*
“Your 40 seconds have passed! No more talking! You’ve been doing enough of that already!” Monokuma announced as the buzzer died down, leaving a frustrated, and slightly disappointed, Hiro to stew over his recent decisions. “Now then, time’s a wasting, just like Miss Taeko said! So stop complaining and start jerking…the lever that is.”
Despite the lewd comment, Celeste could only smile as she reached up and pulled the lever. As she did, everyone watched with bated breath as the reels spun…and eventually clacked to a halt.
[TOKO vs HINA]
“Hina…I wonder what you’ll do if you win?” Celeste honestly pondered as the reels stopped.
The gambler had been avoiding eye contact with the swimmer for quite a while now. Well, more accurately, she’d been doing all she could to purge any thoughts relating to Hina from her mind entirely. After all, she’d said her piece to the swimmer earlier…her farewell, as it was. Fortunately, Hina had averted her gaze ever since that conversation, mostly hanging her head with a look of hurt betrayal on her face. Even that was almost too much for her, and Celeste didn’t want lingering feelings clouding her mind when she was burned at the stake.
It would be…difficult to bear. Speaking of bears…
“The next match is set! If the two of you are ready, let’s get this show on the road!” Monokuma exuberantly shouted, glancing between the two girls.
Hina, for her part, said nothing. She merely nodded her head somberly, almost as if she wasn’t paying attention. A twinge of sharp pain gripped Celeste’s chest but she forced it away, focusing on the other player instead.
“R-R-Ready…” Toko said eagerly, before fixating her gaze on Byakuya. “M-M-Master! This is for you!”
“Hmph!”
Even though that was the only response the Togami Heir gave, it was enough to further motivate the writing prodigy.
“I promise! I won’t fail you! I’ll beat that cow-titted sow and earn your—!”
“Enough.”
“…Yes, Master.”
“Setting herself up for failure…again,” Celeste mentally noted before turning her attention toward Monokuma. “If that stupid bear truly hasn’t rigged the game, then this comeback is nothing short of a miracle. Hiro was easy to manipulate, as always. Toko will undoubtedly vote for execution, because that’s what her ‘Master’ would want. And Hina…”
…Honestly, she had no idea how Hina would vote. That was the only unpredictable element in this match. Either the swimmer would be able to bounce back from heart-wrenching betrayal…or she would succumb to hatred and vote for execution. Sadly, part of Celeste wanted Hina to spare her…solely because she didn’t want to see someone as pure-hearted as Hina become twisted…like she was now. But at the same time…she wanted to be executed…to be free of the agony of her repressed feelings once and for all. Even so…
“Will death…really make these feelings go away?”
Before she could contemplate further…it began.
“Alrighty then!” Monokuma shouted as the monitor next to him changing back into the ticking dial as it displayed his next words. “Time to decide!”
With lightning speed, the bear tossed the dice into the cylinder and slammed it down, waiting patiently for one of the players to—
“H-Han!”
“Han!”
Everyone was shocked as both Hina and Toko called out the same bet simultaneously. Toko instantly seethed, and it seemed she was about to call out when the swimmer abruptly changed her choice.
“Cho then…”
Hina’s voice was even…and Celeste couldn’t tell if there was malice there or not. The gambler grimaced as she realized it was getting harder and harder to read the swimmer. Not because it was difficult…but because she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know what her former friend was thinking.
Toko, almost triumphantly, replied, “D-D-Don’t think being p-polite gets you off th-the hook! You t-tried to steal m-my answer—”.
“Shut up and let’s hear the results,” Byakuya impatiently commanded, to which the writing prodigy instantly acquiesced.
“Y-Yeah! Hurry up and sh-show us who won!” Toko demanded of the bear, who lifted the cylinder slightly to see the outcome.
Even though Celeste was watching the bear intensely, trying to see even the faintest hint of a reaction that would indicate if the outcome pleased the demented bear…Monokuma’s face didn’t betray even a hint of emotion.
“Your choice has been made!” the bear cackled in his usual tone, making the situation even more tense. “What’s it gonna be? WHAT’S IT GONNA BE?!”
Lifting the cylinder…Celeste’s heart sank. A two and four…Cho. Hina was the victor.
“Cho again! That means that our resident tanned swimmer is the winner this time!” Monokuma announced on principal, a bit more jovial than was expected.
A few students, such as Makoto and Junko, breathed sighs of relief, while Toko herself hung her head in utter shame. Slowly, she turned to in Byakuya’s direction and bowed deeply.
“M-Master Byakuya…I am so s-s-sorry…I have failed y-you…”
“Yes, yes you have.” Byakuya’s cruel words, rather than demoralize the poor girl, seemed to brighten her day.
Straightening up swiftly, Toko practically beamed as she shouted, “B-But next time…I s-swear I won’t let that c-cow-titted hussy—!”
“Be quiet.”
“Yes, M-Master.”
Despite the comedy show going on next to her, Celeste couldn’t tear her eyes away from Hina. The swimmer’s head hung low, and her expression was unreadable. From deep within her soul, Celeste felt the urge to call out to her…to try and soothe her somehow…but she knew that was impossible. That bridge had been burnt by her own hand…and there was no way to repair it.
“This is it! We’ve done it!” Makoto abruptly shouted, startling the gambler, and refocusing her attention on him. “With Hina’s vote, we’ll be able to save Celeste from execu—”.
“I vote for execution.”
…Those were the first words Aoi Asahina had spoken since her conversation with Celeste. They were laced with venom…and hurt. And like a dam bursting, a rush of painful emotions flooded Celeste’s conscience.
All the guilt…the frustration…the anguish she’d kept buried deep inside…it overwhelmed her. And then, just as quickly as it came…Celeste shut it all away. She sealed off a part of herself she knew she couldn’t function without…but she locked it away regardless. Because…if she gave in now…if she let those emotions overtake her…then she would be nothing more than that sad pathetic little girl she’d spent years rejecting.
So…no matter how difficult it was, the only reaction that Celeste permitted herself to show…was a victorious smile.
“Hmph, looks like you took my lesson to heart,” Celeste said, only moments after Hina’s surprise heel-turn. “Killing me off first was the smart way to go. I’m glad I could—”.
“Shut up…JUST SHUT UP!”
Celeste’s mouth snapped shut as Hina’s fury washed over the entire courtroom. The swimmer breathed heavily, teeth gritted tightly as she somehow managed to keep from exploding again. For a few moment, silence reigned in the courtroom. Everyone had expected Hina to go on a rage-induced tirade…but she fell silent instead, the only sound echoing was her labored pants.
“…Why? Hina, why did you…?” Makoto hesitantly asked, his voice shaky, with a hint of fear seeped into his words…as if he didn’t want to know the answer. Unfortunately, because he asked, Hina chose to answer.
“I won’t…let her hurt my friends,” Hina said swiftly, turning to face the lucky student directly. Her face was hardened, and she showed no hint of remorse. “She betrayed all of us…She tried to kill us all…I won’t…let her get away with that!”
Her unforgiving words, combined with her fiercely determined visage, displayed a side to Hina that no one knew existed. Or perhaps, a side of her that hadn’t existed…until just now.
“Hina…” Sakura said slowly reaching a hand toward her friend.
“I’m fine…” Hina insisted, meeting her friend’s gaze effortlessly. “Let’s just get this over with. The next round will decide everything…”
Sakura unintentionally flinched, her hand slowly falling to her side as she stared, eyes filled with empathy and sadness, at her distressed friend. She wanted nothing more than to comfort her best friend…but no kind words or reassuring hugs would repair the swimmer’s fractured heart.
“Righto! It certainly will! With the votes evenly stacked like they are, the next round will be…the ultimate climax!” Monokuma cheered before nodding in the swimmer’s direction. “Also, thanks for not going over 40 seconds! At least someone gets how to properly convey their emotion without rambling on like a manga protagonist!”
Hina scowled deeply at his words but said nothing. After all, she had said all she wanted to say…and she had made her choice. Only time would tell if she could ever come to regret it.
“Now for the final push! Crank that yank, Taeko-baby! Let’s get this final match underway!”
Following Monokuma’s order, Celeste reached up and grasped the lever again…hesitating for a brief moment before pulling it down one last time. As the reels spun round and round, everyone pondered who the final match-up would be. A lot of people hadn’t voted, more than half the class actually.
However, as the slot machine finally clacked the last two player’s names into place…everyone felt that the universe must have preordained this match-up…
[HIFUMI vs TAKA]
“The final vote…”
Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru stared at his name on the second reel of the slot machine…the nickname he’d allowed everyone to use in order to encourage friendship…but had revoked once he assumed his current position. Taka…how long had it been since anyone had called him that? He missed it…strangely. His position held more value than a silly nickname, and yet…
“Finally! My time has come!” Hifumi abruptly shouted, almost triumphantly. His expression was one of righteous fury, as if he was about to correct a vicious injustice…which was probably true from his perspective. “Miss Ludenbe—Ahem…Miss Yasuhiro…Justice has come for you!”
Celeste scowled and glared at him as he emphasized her true name. Chairman Ishimaru almost expected her to lash out, as she’d done several times since the voting began. However, instead of her usual jeers, she remained oddly silent…much in the same way he had.
Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru hadn’t been himself recently. Ever since Chihiro had awakened, his views of discipline and order…had become skewed. He still believed that justice could only come from order…but at what cost? He had frightened Chihiro earlier, when he’d meant to be encouraging. Not only that, he had begun to question his behavior toward Mondo.
When Chihiro effortlessly forgave the man who nearly killed her…it felt so natural, and it made his actions feel…not ‘wrong’ per se, but…he wasn’t quite sure how to describe it! And now, in the midst of his swirling emotions…he needed to pass judgement upon Celeste…someone in a vastly different, yet somehow similar position…to Mondo.
“At last! We’re in the final round of the voting!” Monokuma excitedly announced, twirling a bit as the despair began to set in. “And what a final match-up it is! The two intended victims, dead-locked into a battle to see which will condemn Miss Taeko to her gruesome fate—!”
“I knew it! You rigged the game, didn’t you?!” Junko abruptly cut in, as loud and disruptive as ever.
Though Taka couldn’t deny…he was wondering that notion himself. Even though he wanted to refute the Fashionista for daring to question the rules, it felt beyond coincidental that he and Hifumi had been selected for the final vote. And it didn’t feel like fate or destiny either. It felt…orchestrated.
“How rude!” A hurt expression of shock overtook the bear’s face, but it was instantly replaced with a malicious grin. “But you’re in the ballpark! Ya see, I didn’t ‘rig the game’, as you so eloquently put it. Each throw of the dice has been genuine, like I promised. And I didn’t tamper with whatever pairing the slot machine choose…but I did choose the order in which we saw the pairings—”.
“How is that not rigging the game?!” the Fashionista furiously questioned. “You set it up so that this round would have the two people most likely to vote for her execution—!”
Something snapped inside Chairman Ishimaru as Junko rudely assumed what his vote would be, prompting him to interrupt, “That is quite enough, Miss Enoshima!”
As expected, the Fashionista snapped her head over to glare at him. Weathering the fury in her sky-blue irises, the Disciplinary Committee Chairman cleared his throat and explained, “Allow Monokuma to explain without disruption! We will never get anywhere with all of your useless shouting!”
Junko’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, but only for a moment. An instant later, her brows furrowed, and she seethed, “So you’re fine with the fact that Monokuma rigged the game? Going against your precious rules of law and order?”
“I agree with Junko,” the firm voice of Kyoko suddenly penetrated the room. The mysterious girl had been silent for so long, and it seemed there was a reason for it. “To begin with, the format of this vote is quite illogical. Since the total number of votes to spare or execute Celeste is three, that means that almost have of class won’t be participating in the voting at all.”
As much has it pained him to admit, Kyoko made a solid point. This entire voting session had been plagued with chaos and inconsistency. Even Committee Chairman Ishimaru had to agree that it was quite strange…and seemed more intentional than it should have been.
“Alternatively, if the number of total votes had been five, rather than three, everyone would have gotten the opportunity to vote,” the lavender haired girl continued, a gloved hand resting on her chin. “It certainly seems peculiar. And the fact that—”.
“Ahem…is that the sound of someone arguing with how the voting works?” Monokuma interrupted, holding up a sign with the newly minted ‘No Arguing The Voting’ Rule printed on it.
“Not at all,” Kyoko effortlessly replied, the tiniest hint of a confident smile tugging at her lips. “I was merely pointing out an alternative. I am in no way questioning the vote and will accept the results…even if I disapprove of the outcome.”
“I see…” the bear said solemnly, nodding as if in understanding. “A suggestion isn’t exactly an argument…I can agree to that…even if I disapprove of the outcome.”
As the bear threw her words back at her, Kyoko’s features hardened, obviously understanding that it was best to drop the subject immediately. Then, almost too suddenly, she snapped her gaze toward Taka. The Disciplinary Chairman almost flinched but managed to hold himself together. After all, what kind of leader would he be to allow himself to be intimidated so easily?
“That being said, it doesn’t mean the ends justify the means…” Kyoko continued, her words as resolute as always. “If you truly value the principles of law and order, you must concede the fact that they have led you astray before. Sadly, if you always play by the rules, you will never be able to see the larger picture.”
As her harsh words echoed in his ears, Chairman Ishimaru’s fists clenched tightly. His eyes blazed, and his hair shimmered white as the proud Disciplinary Chairman refused to give in.
“We will see whether or not the voting has been altered once we heard Monokuma’s testimony!” the Disciplinary Chairman shouted, his powerful aura blazing. Then, to the shock of the bear itself, Taka turned all of his fury onto the scheming Headmaster. “Now, explain yourself Monokuma! If you have truly manipulated the voting, then this entire trial is a farce and we will be forced to revoke the current votes in favor of a recount!”
Monokuma blinked for a moment, then tilted its head. The action surprised Taka, considering he’d just levied a heavy accusation against the Headmaster. Finally, the bear spoke, “I’d like to avoid a recount…as recalibrating the slot machine would take a few minutes and I don’t wanna miss my soaps!”
The bear’s joke fell flat, as expected. Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru was about to lose his temper when Monokuma abruptly continued.
“As I promised, the slow machine did pick the pairing randomly…but I never said ‘when’ it picked them!” A feeling of dread spread through the room as the bear chuckled. “Hehehe…you see, all the pairing were chosen at the start of the voting! And while I didn’t initially choose the order in which they would appear…I did decide that this tie-breaker round would be decided by the ‘victims’ of Miss Taeko Yasuhiro! After all, I never said I wouldn’t eventually choose the order in which the pairing faced off! Puhuhuhuhuhuhuhu!”
As expected, the courtroom quickly descended into madness as a flurry of furious shouting shook the room.
“You son of a bitch!” Mondo exclaimed.
“Cheating bastard!” Leon concurred.
“I should have known…” Sayaka quietly joined in.
“This isn’t fair at all!” Makoto shouted, showing genuine anger.
“I’m fine with it,” Celeste tossed her opinion in, knowing it wouldn’t make much of a difference.
“What happened to always following the rules?!” Junko practically spat, her voice louder than all the others. “The entire trial has been rigged! We don’t have any obligation to continue it!”
As their furious resentments resounding through the room, Monokuma slowly raised its paw. After a few more furious shouts, and a curse or two courtesy of Mondo, the cacophony of voices slowly subsided. Once silence reigned in the courtroom once more, the bear softly answered.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite hear you. Was that all of you violating the rule of questioning how the voting works? Because if so…”
Suddenly, large square holes abruptly appeared in the baccarat table, in front of each and every student. Before anyone could react, a series of clanking noises erupted as miniature gatling-guns shot out of each hole, the barrels point directly at every single student in the courtroom. As one, the barrels of the guns began to rotate, seemingly prepared to riddle them with holes at a moment’s notice.
“…This trial’s about to get a lot more interesting! Ahahahahaha!”
Frozen in place, most of the students stared, horrified, at the firearms. Chihiro trembled and began to hyperventilate, drawing Mondo’s attention and causing him to grit his teeth furiously. Sakura stared at the weapon, appalled that the Mastermind would take things this far. Hina glared at the gun, then over to Celeste, silently blaming her for this misfortune. For her part, the gambler appeared almost smug, seemingly pleased that the outcome for the final vote wouldn’t be overwritten. Sayaka found her head snapping in Leon’s direction, almost shocked when she found the baseball star staring back at her, concern shared in both their eyes. Hiro and Hifumi yelped loudly, ducking below their podiums, and shivering in terror. Even students who hadn’t voiced their disapproval, like Byakuya and Toko, couldn’t help the hint of fear that washed over the entire courtroom at Monokuma’s show of power. At the same time, students such as Junko, Makoto, and Kyoko could only seethe quietly, completely outmaneuvered by the bear’s new rule.
All the while, Chairman Ishimaru could only stand there…appalled. Monokuma…hadn’t broken the rules…and was instead using them to drive them into a corner. That…That was…to be expected. But if that was the case…why was he so shocked and appalled by it? They all knew the bear was dubious, so why did he think for a moment that the demented Headmaster would keep his word? Had his position as Disciplinary Committee Chairman…blinded him?
No…that couldn’t be true. Even if Monokuma turned his back on the rules of law and order, that didn’t mean he had! And now, more than ever, his classmates were in need of his leadership!
“Very well then! All we need to do is proceed with the vote, correct?” he shouted over the rattling of the spinning gun barrels. “Then, let’s get on with it! I assume no one has objections to that?!”
Only the rattling of the spinning barrels answered him, unsurprisingly. Given their current situation, no one had the courage to speak up…not that they really wanted to at this point. Monokuma had made a very clear point this time…it didn’t matter how many, if any number of them went against the rules, they’d be ‘punished’. Even if it made the killing game less interesting for the Mastermind, they were willing to do whatever was necessary to keep their own version of the rules from getting broken.
For a moment, nothing happened. But then, Monokuma slowly turned to face the disciplinary Chairman directly and said, “Well…since you asked so nicely…”
All at once, the gatling-guns ceased rotating and disappeared into the darkness of the holes from which they came. Visible expressions of relief came over the students, with Taka releasing a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. Glancing around the room, the Disciplinary Chairman saw some of the students, namely Junko and Kyoko, staring at him incredulously.
However, he took their frustration in strides. He did what needed to be done in order to keep everyone alive…even if that meant giving in to the Mastermind’s unfair voting system. He would explain himself later, and hopefully, he wouldn’t have to write anyone up for criticizing his decision.
“Now then, let’s proceed with the voting!” Monokuma jeered, drinking in the combination of furious and horrified expressions of the students. The monitor behind the bear once again displayed the ominous words, ‘Time To Decide’, and the ticking dial. Almost ceremoniously, the bear tossed the dice into the cylinder one last time before slamming it down. “Time to decide! Make your choice and announce it proudly!”
“W-Wait!” Hifumi stammered, still completely rattled from the gatling-gun incident. Picking himself up off the floor and standing on shaky legs, the fanfic creator continued, “I-I’m not prepared for—!”
“Don’t care!” Monokuma interrupted, grinning with madness. “Life is…simply unfair, don’t you think?”
There was no time to ponder, no time to consider if he was making the right choice. Almost without thinking, Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru called out his bet.
“Cho!”
Less than an instant later, Hifumi stammered, “H-Han!”
The moment their bets were called, the monitor once again returned to the tally board, an even split between execution and redemption. Monokuma chuckled and was about to tilt the cylinder to get a peek at the answer, but suddenly stopped.
“You know…let’s have it be a total surprise!” the bear said aloud, gripping the cylinder tightly. “For this final round, we’ll see if Miss Taeko’s luck will be in her favor…or turn against her completely!”
Celeste scoffed and said, “Just get it over with. We’ve all waited long enough.”
“Indeed, we have…” Monokuma concurred, anxiously grasping the cylinder in preparation for the reveal. “Now…one last time…what’s it gonna be? WHAT’S. IT. GONNA. BE?!?!?!”
With a sudden jerk, the cylinder was lifted, and the dice were finally revealed. A six…and another six! The result was Cho! Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru had won! The vote was his! It was time for him to end this madness, once and for all!
“Dammit!” Hifumi cursed, stomping his foot in frustration. “I wanted to deliver the killing blow myself…but I’ll settle for you doing it Mr. Ishimaru.”
Unexpected shock tore through the Disciplinary Chairman, blinking rapidly at the fanfic creator’s comment. “E-Excuse me…?”
Now it was Hifumi’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “You’re going to vote for execution, aren’t you? You were Miss Yasuhiro’s original target, after all. She wanted you dead more than anyone else—”.
“W-Wait a moment,” Chairman Ishimaru interrupted, a bit more confused. “I-I am aware of her targeting me, but I thought it was a lie she told you in order to secure your assistance? Did she not lie about my threatening to punish her in order for you to target me?”
Again, Hifumi seemed more than surprised as he answered, “…Yes, yes she did. But she had you in mind as a target from the beginning, I think. After all,” the fanfic creator abruptly glared at the gambler and finished, “No matter what I said, she insisted that you be the one to die first.”
Celeste almost seemed to revel in the furiously glare Hifumi shot her. Then again, it made sense. From her perspective, the two individuals most likely to vote execution had been grouped together, unfairly mind you, but the fact remained that her chances for execution had skyrocketed. And Taka could tell that she was completely aware of that.
“Yeah, that’s right,” she confirmed, barely acknowledging the fanfic creator before turning her gaze toward the Disciplinary Chairman. “You were my target from the beginning. Of course, the idea to betray Hifumi had been a part of the plan from the outset, but if all else failed, I planned to bash your god-damn brains in myself!”
Strangely, even as she berated him, Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru couldn’t fully understand how things had gotten to this point. It was true that his methods had been rather harsh, but he never imagined that anyone would garish so much hatred for him over something so trivial.
To that end, before he announced his vote, he needed to ask the one question that had kept him silent for so long during the trial.
Clearing his throat, Chairman Ishimaru began, “I can see that you harbor a great deal of resentment toward me—”.
“That’s putting it mildly,” Celeste snapped, her voice seething.
“—That being said,” he continued, pushing through her scathing comment. “I’m afraid I must ask…what have I done to inspire such hatred?”
There was silence for a moment as Celeste’s glare intensified, her breathing becoming even as she answered, “You already know why…”
Again, confusion overtook the Disciplinary Chairman. Arching an eyebrow, he replied, “No, I’m afraid I don’t. That’s why I asked. What have I done to inspire you to plot my death?!”
Now it was Celeste’s turn for shock, a somewhat welcome change considering her abrasive behavior as of late. She hung her head, as if in shame, staring down at the floor, her face completely obscured by the long twin drills now draped over her face. Capitalizing on the moment, Chairman Ishimaru pursued the matter further.
“I realize that my methods for maintaining order in the academy have been…difficult to comprehend. However, I can assure you that I never meant any disrespect or—”.
“You…” Celeste interrupted quietly, almost too quietly. “You don’t…” Her breathing quickened and she struggled to keep herself calm.
“I don’t…what?” Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru aggressively asked, getting tired of her antics. However, that immediately changed when Celeste snapped her head up, a look of unforgiving rage burning in her crimson irises.
“You…little…BITCH!”
“What have I done to inspire you to plot my death?!”
…It couldn’t be…it just wasn’t possible. Even though it had only been a few days ago…even though it surely hadn’t been as impactful for him as it had been for her…there was no way he couldn’t remember what held told her when he came to fetch her from her dorm room! She had plotted his murder, calculated contingencies, and now stood on the precipice of execution herself…and he didn’t even realize why?!
As the truth dawned on Celeste, her humiliation intensified ten-fold…so much that it hurt.
“He…doesn’t…remember?” Even that thought brought an immense feeling of agony, recalling the moment he’d belittle her, and all the anguish that accompanied it. “Of course…of fucking course he forgot about it! It wasn’t meaningful to him so why should it! He wasn’t the one told that his talent didn’t exist!”
Celeste’s head drooped as she realized that, to him, the incident wasn’t even worth remembering. He had insulted—no, humiliated her! He had tried to take away the one thing that she felt absolute pride in! He had trampled all over her dream and accused her of being a heartless monster! And now, he stood over her, practically triumphant as he asked her to recalled the reason she’d fallen into madness in the first place!
“I realize that my methods for maintaining order in the academy have been…difficult to comprehend. However, I can assure you that I never meant any disrespect or—”.
“Never meant any disrespect?! You…YOU…!”
“You…” she silently seethed, her rage building. “You…don’t…”
“You don’t have ANY IDEA how much I fucking hate you! I’m not the talentless one! YOU ARE!”
“I don’t…what?”
Like floodgate bursting open, a swell of rage and despair came pouring out. And no matter how hard she tried to calm down…to accept her death with grace and dignity…none of that mattered to her anymore. He would know her pain…he would know her fury…and he would know that everything was…ALL HIS FAULT!
“You…little…BITCH!”
As Celeste’s vulgar words rang out, Taka reared back, almost losing his balance. At the same time, the gambler leaned forward, her teeth gritted tightly and her eyes bearing all the hatred she’d suppressed for so long.
“You want to know what you did?! I guess it wasn’t important enough for you to remember!” She screamed at the top of her lungs, slamming her hands down onto her podium. “But I remember! And I’ll never forgive you! I’ll never let you forget what you said to me!”
Her throat ached as her voice started to become raw…but she didn’t care. There was no way she could stop now, whatever had kept her angered chained down had broken free, and now her vengeful words would be heard by all of their classmates.
Rearing her head back so hard that her twin drills flung up around her, one of them wrapping around the slot machine crank, she screamed what she’d wanted to tell him the moment he’d insulted her.
“You told me that I don’t have a talent, but I do! I do have a fucking talent, god-damnit!” Shaking her head violently, emboldened by pure rage, she continued, “Me! Not you! You’re the talentless one! So, go die in a fucking ditch! ASSHOLE—!”
In the midst of her infuriated rant, she abruptly jerked her entire body to one side…only for intense pain to shoot through the side of her head. A surprised yelp of agony escaped her and as she turned to see what the issue was, a dull almost burning-like sensation emanating from the right side of her head. Grunting audibly through grit teeth, her hands flew up to the hair drill extension…but felt nothing.
Blinking away tears of pain, she slowly turned, her eyes widening in horror as she saw the hair drill extension hanging from the slot machine crank…a tuff of her real hair attached to it. With shaky hands, she ran her fingers around the side of her head…and felt skin. The extension had torn a patch of hair completely off, exposing a very small portion of her scalp.
Everyone was silent as they watched this…no one really having any idea what they should or even could say.
It was then that Celeste felt them…Tears. Tears of pain, rather than emotional anguish, leaked out of her eyes…ruining her mascara and running long black lines down her cheek. Her fingers touched her cheeks, black streaks staining her fingertips.
At that moment, something inside her completely snapped…
“You…this is all YOUR FAULT!” She screamed, her words aimed at Taka, who stood almost completely flabbergasted at the sight of her. Her fury coursed more violently than ever, and she shouted, “Why couldn’t you have just died like you were supposed to?! None of this would have happened if you had just…had just…ARRGH!!!”
Without warning, Celeste grabbed the detached hair drill from it’s spot on the crank, yanking it free before angrily glaring at Taka again.
“YOU DID THIS TO ME! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU STOLE EVERYTHING FROM ME!”
Rearing her arm back, she threw her hair drill at him…but as one would expect, it barely got more than a few feet away from her. Undeterred by this, Celeste’s hands flew up to her other hair drill, furiously fumbling with it until she managed to somehow remove it, but not without tearing a few more strands of hair in the process. She savagely grunted in pain, channeling her frustration, and twisting it into motivation as she balled the hair drill in her hands before rearing back and shouting.
“GIVE IT BACK! GIVE MY DREAM BACK TO ME, YOU BASTARD!!”
With all her strength, she lobbed the messy, balled-up hair extension, a visual representation of her crushed hopes, in Taka’s direction again. Sadly, it never reached him, it didn’t even get within a few feet, twisting in the air and landing closer to her than him. Seeing that both her attempts failed, Celeste’s fervor immediately vanished, her body growing heavier. Slumping against the rail of her podium, the gambler panted heavily before reaching a trembling hand up to the bald spot where the extension had torn out. Moisture stung her eyes as her fingers ran over the spot, wincing as a stinging pain ached.
“God…dammit…”
She spoke softly, but everyone heard her voice crack, and she wheezed into a light coughing fit. Time seemed to pass slowly as she took in shaky, painful breaths. Everything hurt…her body, her mind, even her very soul was utterly exhausted. She had truly lost…and regardless of the vote’s outcome…she wouldn’t find peace.
Everything had been taken from her. Her pride in her gambling skills. Her confidence that had bordered on arrogance. Even her dignity as a human being had been stripped away. And worst of all, the dream she’d spent years attempting to make come true…was forever out of reach.
All of it…taken from her…until all that was left was a sad, pathetic, lonely girl…who had destroyed herself. Taeko Yasuhiro…the girl who barely existed…was all that remained.
It took time, almost a full minute, but soon enough, she managed to somewhat regain her composure. Straightening up to her full height, she briefly squeezed her eyes shut, weathering the dull ache that pounded from the newly torn bald patch on the side of her head. Snapping her crimson eyes open, she glared at the Ultimate Moral Compass, forcing herself to speak despite the agony she was experiencing.
“Hurry up and vote…put me out of my misery…”
All of her fight was gone, but even so, she refused to beg for her life. At the moment…she wasn’t sure what was a worse fate. Dying would be beyond horrifying…but having to live with the feelings of anguish for all that she’d done…was a fate worse than death. Even Hina had abandoned her…the gambler’s betrayal had tainted the naïve swimmer’s heart…and was the only thing that Celeste, even in her disheveled state, could freely admit she regretted.
The sad truth engulfed her…the truth that she was truly, utterly, and completely…alone.
The entire room stood still after Celeste choked out those words before falling silent. Her battered appearance garnered a few sympathetic glances, namely from Makoto, Chihiro, and Sayaka. While others such as Byakuya and Toko looked entirely pleased with the outcome.
Meanwhile, Hifumi was a mixture of elation and pity. The fanfic creator was certainly pleased that his attacker was getting their comeuppance…but seeing her in such a fragile state sent a tiny ache through his chest. He knew he shouldn’t pity her, after all she’d done to him and the others. At the same time…in his heart, he knew he was just as guilty as she was. And now that his righteous fury had died down, he felt a wave of regret similarly to when he realized he’d almost killed Taka. His feelings of self-righteousness had driven him into madness once again. And he hated himself for it.
Kyoko and Junko stood in place quietly, stoic expressions hiding any feelings of sympathy or anger they may have been feeling. Mondo stared at the gambler, a bit horrified, realizing he must have looked almost as pathetic during his own trial. Leon had the same expression, angry and yet empathetic for what the gambler was going through. Rather than focusing on Celeste, Sakura’s attention was focused on Hina, a deep frown having settled onto the swimmer’s normally cheerful face. Across from them, Hiro looked on with a scowl, internally questioning his decision to execute someone in such a delicate state of mind.
“Geez, talk about being a drama queen, am I right, Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru?” Monokuma abruptly asked, drawing all attention toward the Disciplinary Chairman.
His eyes were downcast, his expression unreadable as he stood there, staring at the floor almost without blinking. The flames in his eyes flickered and the white sheen of his hair seemed to have lost some of its luster as he remained in silent contemplation.
“It’s still your vote! And I’m afraid we really don’t have all day,” the bear reminded him, the image of the ticking dial suddenly returning to the monitor. A countdown began ticking away, the click of each second lost echoing around the room. “Now is the moment you’ve been waiting for, Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru! Justice shall be served! Order will be maintained! And with it…Peace will return to our fair Academ—”.
“I VOTE FOR MYSELF!”
Those furious words rose over Monokuma’s annoying tone, stunning the bear, and the rest of the class, into utter silence. However, that wasn’t the most shocking development. As everyone turned to focus their attention on the Disciplinary Committee Chairman…they found he was no longer there. Instead, standing in his place, a young man with jet black hair and piercing red eyes stared back at them.
Kiyotaka Ishimaru…had returned.
To Be Continued…