A remote island so far off the grid it doesn't even earn a speck on any nautical chart. In the gloom-soaked conference room of a solitary, tower-like building, several people sit shoulder to shoulder, their expressions grim as they stare at the monitor fixed to the head of the table.
"Care to place a little wager with me?"
"Huh? A bet… now?"
The screen is broadcasting—live—the Killing Game currently strangling Hope's Peak Academy's 78th-class students.
"Fine. I've decided. What the hell—let's do it."
"Sheesh, even with his memories scrubbed that kid hasn't changed. Still doesn't know the meaning of self-preservation."
The man who mutters this pops the cap off a nearby bottle and gulps liquor straight from the neck.
"Kizakura, this is a pivotal moment. If you can't approach it seriously—"
"My stomach's in knots, that's why I'm drinking… breaking apart inside, I tell ya…"
"Heeey~ Keep chugging like that and your gut really will rupture, y'know~?"
"…Silence."
The elderly man at the head of the table utters a single word and the brief commotion evaporates. He closes his eyes, exhales, then speaks again.
"Status report."
"No murders yet, but at this rate someone will crack. We should mobilize every strike force we have and storm Hope's Peak immediately—"
"The entire campus is occupied by Despairs. Even if we currently hold a slight tactical edge, a frontal assault is still suicide."
"So we just sit here and watch?!"
"Ryota Mitarai, calm yourself. We understand you owe K a considerable debt, but the Future Foundation rescued you—and the Future Foundation is protecting the world right now. We need prudence, not impulse."
"Munakata… You're always preaching we must exterminate Despair, so why go timid whenever this agenda comes up? Is it because of what happened during the Student Council tragedy… because of K—"
"Mitarai…! We agreed never to bring that up again!"
"Watch your tongue. Mention that incident before me once more and be prepared for the consequences."
"…Mitarai, Munakata. That's enough. Yukizome, continue the briefing."
"…Yes, sir."
Watching the pointless bickering, the girl's thoughts drift.
'Lately it's arguments, arguments, arguments… No consensus, only factions. Would things be different if he were still here…?'
These were once the heroes who cornered Junko Enoshima herself, yet without a proper anchor they're beginning to creak apart. For now it's minor friction, but left unchecked it could fracture beyond repair.
'Why did you save me at the last second…? If you hadn't pulled me out, you might have made it out of the academy…'
She recalls the boy who burst in at the eleventh hour, using himself as bait to rescue her—the same boy who'd been so close to Hajime Hinata.
She remembers lazy afternoons the three of them spent gaming or sneaking out to catch a movie—small, ordinary, blissful moments. And she remembers the agony in his face after failing to save Hinata.
'I can't afford to drown in negative thoughts…'
Shaking her head, Chiaki Nanami—Branch Chief of Future Foundation's 13th Division—decides to trust in the choice of the boy who saved her and refocuses on the meeting.
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"Hehe… then do your best."
Celestia Ludenberg flashes a satisfied smile, plucks the book beside her, and opens it as though the rest of the world no longer exists.
The way things stand, I have to persuade at least ten people tomorrow, no matter what. Can I really pull that off? No—doubting myself isn't an option. I have to succeed.
If the truth breaks tomorrow, who'll turn on me for sure? Byakuya, definitely. Fukawa too—she's glued to him these days. Mukuro Ikusaba, obviously. Toss in Celeste and that's four guaranteed enemies. Which means I need ten of the remaining eleven on my side.
Damn, tougher than I thought.
Who among the ten will actually back me…? Kyoko Kirigiri and Mondo Owada almost certainly. Sayaka Maizono should help to some extent. Beyond that… no clue.
I've grown pretty friendly with everyone lately, but once they learn I've been hiding the secret of the Killing Game, will they still trust me? Their lives are on the line; I can't blame them if they don't.
So, who is absolutely essential to recruit? No matter how I slice it, I have to win over the protagonist of the original story, Makoto Naegi.
Like me, Makoto's been chatting up everyone, building rapport, and he's sharp enough to connect dots. Most important: he's a reliable person.
If you can't trust the ever-optimistic, never-yielding "Ultimate Hope," who can you trust?
Sure, bringing Byakuya Togami over would be a huge help, but right now I don't see a path. The guy's currently in full "smug heiress-hunting beta spectacles" mode and loving every second of this situation.
Still, flanked by Kirigiri on my right and Naegi on my left, I'd feel invincible—Junko or whoever else be damned. Picturing that, I start plotting exactly how I'll persuade Makoto Naegi.
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Ding dong, bing bong!
Morning had arrived. Yesterday's investigation period hadn't produced any fireworks.
I wanted to sneak into the hidden room in the second-floor boys' restroom, but I held back—Junko might catch on. I still have to smuggle Alter Ego into that space, so I'd better stay away for now.
"Attention, all students! Please proceed to the gymnasium immediately! Once again: all students, head to the gymnasium right now!"
"Looks like it's time. Shall we go?"
Smiling pleasantly, Celeste slips out of the library first. I rub the sleep from my eyes and start after her when Kyoko Kirigiri, careful to stay out of Mukuro's line of sight, glides up to me.
"K, could we talk for a second?"
"Uh, Kirigiri? What's up?"
Given that she ditched Mukuro to get to me, it must be something covert. I lower my voice and fall into step with her.
"Last night Celeste said she had something to discuss with you. What did you two talk about?"
"…Well, about that…"
I summarize the wager I made with Celeste and the secret I'm hiding. Kyoko nods, sinking into thought.
Watching her, I suddenly grow curious about her own secret. Probably something about her father, right?
"By the way, what's your secret? If you don't want to tell me, that's fine! Worst case I'll plug my ears in the gym—"
"This actually ties in. I need a favor."
"...!"
Kyoko leans in so fast my brain lags a beat. Then she whispers in my ear.
"No matter what I say in the gym, don't panic—just back me up. It's more important than anything else. Promise me."
"Uh… okay. But what kind of secret—"
"No time to explain. Besides, here comes an uninvited guest."
Sure enough, Mukuro is stomping toward us, eyes blazing.
"One more time: don't freak out. Act natural."
Kyoko pulls away. I'm still wearing a sheepish grin when a massive hand smacks my back. I jump—Mondo.
"Tch… hang in there, kid. Your big bro's rootin' for ya…"
Even after I insist it's not what he thinks, Mondo keeps sulking. Together we head for the gym.
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"Puhuhu… Everyone here? Then let's kick off our pulse-pounding Secret Reveal Screening…! Or that was the idea, but most of you blabbed the moment you got your envelopes yesterday, so the thrill's kinda gone…"
Monokuma's voice droops in theatrical disappointment, but he quickly rebounds to his usual chipper register.
"Well! Five of you still haven't spilled, and the highlight's yet to come! It's a big one… I can't wait to see those reactions!"
"Fine! I know the secret of the Killing Game, and I've been hiding it on purpose!"
"Pu…pu…?"
Not letting the bear control the tempo.
"K-kun, do you really think blurting that out now will make the others understand you? You idiot."
Just like Monokuma warned, the classmates staring at me look either icy or outright flustered. I expected as much, but it still stings.
"Of course I know. I just didn't want to dance to your tune. Besides, I needed time to sort out my thoughts."
"Agh… twice now the wind's gone out of my sails… I worked so hard to prep these lines… and now I'm totally un-motivated…"
Deflated, Monokuma slumps onto the floor. He jabs a button on his remote and the huge screen—the same one from the first motive video—descends.
"Fine… let's just get this over with…"
The moment his soulless mumble ends, text begins to crawl across the screen.
Ultimate Counselor K knows the secret behind the Killing Game, but has deliberately kept it hidden.
"Let's skip that one quick… It was supposed to be the highlight, but whatever…"
The Ultimate Gambler, Celestia Ludenberg, was actually born Taeko Yasuhiro and has used a fake name all this time to hide her 'uncool' real one.
"Hey, your surname's the same as mine! What? I think it's a great name."
At the sea-urchin-headed clairvoyant's casual comment, Celeste starts trembling. Pretty sure her blankets are getting kicked off tonight.
The Ultimate Biker Gang Leader, Mondo Owada, let his admired big brother sacrifice himself to save him, then covered up the death and was hailed as the gang's new boss.
"It's fine… I'm tired of running from the truth. My protégé will steer the gang just fine…"
Looks like Mondo's finally conquered his weakness. My chest tightens in sympathy.
Junko Enoshima once lost her tent while camping, spent the night soaked in rain, and caught a week-long flu.
"Wait… you're supposed to be a fashion queen, right?"
"…..!"
Mukuro Ikusaba's face twists in genuine shock. Guess this one wasn't part of any master plan; Junko must've tossed in an embarrassing real memory for kicks.
"A-all right! Time for the highlight! It wasn't meant to be, but it's still plenty juicy! Let's fire it up!"
When Kyoko's turn arrives, Monokuma springs to his feet, all traces of melancholy gone. Just what kind of secret could she have?
I risk a glance—Kyoko's staring at the screen, tension carved into her features. Please… let it be nothing serious…
Then the text appears and freezes everyone in place.
Kyoko Kirigiri once met K in the locker room and enjoyed a steamy, clandestine rendezvous.
"You've gotta be kidding me."
The curse bursts out before I can stop it. Spreading a malicious lie like this? No way I'm letting it slide—I have to clear this up.
"Puhuhuhuhu! So? What's the relationship here, hmm? Hm!?"
The damn bear is practically salivating as he grills Kyoko. It was the only way to beat the Mastermind, but seeing her cornered still hurts. What do I even say—
"We're a couple."
…Huh?
"Puhuhuhuhuh… Denial's useless—wait, what did you just say?"
Completely flustered, Junko drops Monokuma's usual cadence.
"K and I are dating."
Wh… wha—Sis…?