3,582Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. Here we are, with one of the last few things you've all been waiting for; the class witnessing the fifth trial's verdict, and Makoto's execution. I hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.
Chapter 103: Watching Chapter 5: 100 Miles; Pain of a Junk Food Junkie Part 15
"...Huh?" Was the only thing Makoto could say, processing Monokuma's announcement.
"Time's up! Class trial's all over!" The mechanical bear declared. "Everyone can stop talking now!"
And that moment quickly switched into disbelief and outrage.
"NO!"
"FUCK THAT!"
"TIME'S UP?! There's no 'times up'!"
"Since when was there a time up?!"
"Show us the damn timer you two-faced shitty space-junk!"
"What?" Makoto's dumbfounded look quickly turned into one of dread. "Time's up?"
"What do you mean time's up? There's no 'time's up'." Kyoko protested. "Since when have we-?"
"It's because you were late! So we had to push back the start time!" Monokuma cut in and explained.
"BULLSHIT!" Mondo and Leon both shouted out in rage.
"You're just making stuff up on the spot!" Hina followed up just as angrily.
"Never once have you mentioned a start and end time! This is a clear and blatant attempt to shut down the discussion!" Taka cried out in the height of his moral outrage.
"YOU COWARDLY PIECE OF SHIT!" Sayaka downright screeched in fury. "Now that the discussion isn't going in the direction you wanted, you decide to stop it?! With some BULL about time being up?!"
"It would be more of a surprise if they didn't interject at some point…" Byakuya remarked, his tone frosty. "Cowardly it may be, but they've set up this fake trial in the first place. Little point of it if those you're trying to deceive manage to figure it out."
"So then, it's time for voting time, okay? Everyone, please vote using the lever in front of you!"
"Voting time…?" Makoto repeated, beginning to look blue in the face.
Now fear began mixing with their anger. "Shit…!" Leon exclaimed worriedly. "They're gonna vote now? When the suspicion is still on Makoto?"
"No… No, they can't be voting for Makoto!" Hina shook her head in denial, distress mixing with her anger. "They know him! They know Makoto wouldn't do something like that!"
"The only other option is Kyoko. And in their eyes, it's not possible for the girl to commit the crime, not without access to her own room." Celeste pointed out, hiding the dreadful feeling building up within her. "What… What else can they do right now…?"
"...No. No, no, no…" Mukuro started openly muttering, shaking and even closing to whimpering.
"Now, who will be chosen as the blackened? Will you make the right choice, or the dreadfully wrong one?"
"Hey, hold on!" Makoto protested fearfully.
But the bear quickly continued on without pause. "What's it gonna be? What's it gonna beeee?!"
The present lucky student found himself shaking. "Am I… Am I gonna be…?"
"No…" Sayaka's fury quickly shifted back to worry and fear, pushing herself close to Makoto. "No, they can't! They know you! They can't think that you would…"
At Makoto's other side, Kyoko's grip was practically iron-clad. 'They're gonna… will they really…?' She thought dreadfully. 'Did… Did future me condemn Makoto to…?'
Once again, the screen switched to the slot machine. The slots spinned around for a moment of time…
The class awaited the verdict with bated, dreadful breaths. They've done this already four times before. Saw verdicts of four of their classmates. But this felt different. Felt longer. Felt more suspenseful.
However, some of them knew what the verdict would be. Be it consciously or subconsciously, they knew who would be voted for. They want to be wrong. Want it to be something, anything, that would go against their conclusions…
Before landing on Makoto. Lights flashed out yet again, with cheers and coins flowing out of the machine.
But when has this viewing ever shown them what they wanted?
More students began losing color across their faces. Some began breaking out in cold sweat. Some covered their mouths in horror. A few, looked angry… yet resigned at the same time.
A feeling of disbelief and despair washed over the entire class as they processed the fact that remaining survivors voted for their Ultimate Lucky Student, their class representative, their friend, Makoto Naegi.
The scene went back to the trial room, with the students off their podiums and gathered together. "What…?" Makoto spoke in numbing disbelief; looking at all the survivors. "You think *I'm* the killer…?"
Makoto's incredulous, horrified question snapped the group out of their stunned state. "You… You all…" Sayaka found herself unable to say anything, a rising fury causing her voice to fail her. A feeling of fury that burned brighter than in any of the past trials.
"They… he…" In contrast, Chihiro felt devastating disbelief clogging up his throat, the programmer covering his mouth in horror. Tears already began to slide his face at the verdict, knowing what's going to happen.
"..." Mukuro was silent. Looking paler than she has ever been before, a glazed look across her eyes, her expression almost a different kind of unreadable. No trace of her usual composure was there; only a hollow, numbed look.
"Did… Did all of them vote for Makoto?" Taka finally asked the question on everyone's mind, looking as shocked and blue as everyone else.
The students in question, those whose counterparts survived and have voted for Makoto… disbelief, horror, guilt, anger, all of those were showing clear across their face, Taka's question echoing in their mind.
Unfortunately, they soon got their answer…
In response, Hiro looked away in shame. "Sorry, man…"
Hina did the same, looking down at the floor. "Yeah, s-sorry…"
Even Toko looked uncertain. "It's all your f-fault…!"
Byakuya, however, merely looked frustrated. "..."
For a moment, Sayaka looked ready to verbally tear them apart. Maybe even physically so. She twisted her head around, a good set of words ready to leave her lips. But then the idol saw how the present counterparts of the four survivors reacted, causing those words to die on her lips.
Cause it's clear the words she would've said to them were things they're already telling themselves.
"...You idiot. You absolute IDIOT!" Hina screeched at herself, looking both furious and anguished at the same time. "That's all you have to say?! That's all that you can possibly do?! Vote for a guy you KNOW wouldn't do it?! You couldn't do something, ANYTHING, to defend him?! Couldn't even say any other damn thing?!"
Instantly, Sakura put her arms around her friend to comfort her. But that hardly stopped the swimmer from railing at her counterpart… at her own self. Tears running down her face as she hurled claims of being an idiot at herself.
'...That's all that you're gonna do? Just throw all the blame on everyone else? Just like you always do?' Toko's face twisted into a look of anger and bitterness. But rather than that expression being aimed on anyone around her, it was aimed purely at herself. 'You just gonna throw blame at Makoto, as if he could've done something? As if he forced you to vote for him? Not even give a half-assed apology?! How pathetic are you?! How pathetic… am I…?'
"..." Hiro couldn't say anything. Could hardly think of anything. All he could do was look down numbly, feel that guilt gnawing at him, eating at his inside like an alien parasite. But… what could he have done? What could any of them have done? Defy Monokuma? Refuse to vote? 'But if we do that… we would all just get killed!'
As for Byakuya… Byakuya just felt resigned. An angry resignation over the results of the trial. 'In the end, you continue to be the mastermind's puppet…' He scoffed to himself. 'Even when you declare to defy the mastermind, get out of their game, you continue to play it. Took the bait to suspect Kyoko, and did all you could to corner her. Leading… to this.'
"I say again… what choice did they have?" Despite Celeste's words, the gambler looked far from resigned. No, she looked visibly distressed, as if it was taking everything not to burst. "What other option… what else could they have believed or chosen at this point?"
"This is… this is just bullshit…!" Leon declared, his shocking slowly shifting into anger. "All of this is bullshit! Every bit of this damn, fucking trial is absolute BULL!"
And for Makoto himself, the one whose counterpart got voted for… anyone looking at him would be able to tell what he was feeling. A look of disbelief, his eyes shining with hurt and betrayal, his face devoid of any healthy color… it was clear that he felt the knife-wrenching gut of betrayal; and it was cutting deep.
"Everyone… you're wrong…!" Makoto protested desperately. "You've got it all wrong! I didn't do it!"
"Good job, everyone!" Monokuma exclaimed cheerfully.
Makoto slowly turned towards the bear in clear terror. "G-Good job…?"
"Yeah. They got it right!"
"Liar!" Hina practically screeched, her eyes closed shut in a fruitless attempt to stop the stream of tears. "Liar, liar, liar, LIAR! We didn't get it right! There isn't a right answer! This whole trial is just a sham! A FAKE!"
"That fucking bear…" Mondo growled in pure, animalistic rage. "That. Fucking. Bear. That goddamn, motherfucking bear and THE FUCKER CONTROLLING IT!"
"All of it… everything has gone according to their plan…!" Taka exclaimed in pure frustration, fists clenched tightly and body shaking with emotion. "They were able to stage a class trial, and pin the crime on one of the survivors!"
"Not everything, Mr. Ishimaru…" Hifumi spoke, though much of his usual energy was practically gone now. The fanfic creator looked positively stupefied at the results of this trial. "They're target, after all… was Miss Kirigiri. They just… change strategies. The moment Mr. Naegi went off script."
'...The mastermind is a despicable monster. A fiend not worthy of any respect!' Sakura growled to herself in righteous fury, her arms still wrapped around the emotional Hina. 'I will not stop. I will not rest. I will not even pause until we find the person that would do this, and ensure they never get the chance!'
"N-No, I know that's not true…" Makoto shook his head in frantic denial. "None of this makes any sense… this whole trial doesn't make any sense!"
"It makes perfect seeeeEEEENNNSSSSSEEE!" Monokuma insisted forcefully. "It's the same as always! It's just like all the other class trials! And I'm gonna end it the same way!"
The last statement nearly wiped the anger out from the entire class, fear for their luckster filling hearts. However… one couldn't let go of her rage.
"No… No it isn't! IT'S NOT THE SAME, YOU DECEPTIVE LITTLE MONSTER!" Sayaka screamed. At this point, she was standing up from her seat, her rage keeping her from sitting still. "It's nothing like the other class trials! There's no one else that was murdered! No one that chose to murder! No one else decided to continue your sick little game! This is just you, CHEATING, to get your way! Using the corpse of someone YOU murdered! Lying to continue getting your FUCKING, SADISTIC, FIX!"
While she chose not to direct this fury at Hiro, Hina, Byakuya, or Toko, that did not mean it was completely gone. No, it just meant that fury is directed somewhere else. Right now? The one who set this whole thing up in the first place.
"It's time for your heart pounding, positively thrilling punishment!"
"No… no, no, no, no…" Hina continuously shook her head, eyes now wide open and tears still sliding down.
'...Dead, dead, dead, dead, they're dead…' Was the dark, rage-filled thought of Celestia Ludenberg/Taeko Yasuhiro. Rather than let grief overtake, her heart and mind began filling with an abundance of fury. Once they find the mastermind, she will make sure that she'll get her own chance on making whatever sadist hiding behind the bear suffer.
'...This would be the future I help create.' The ever-present guilt filled Mukuro's heart, already unable to stomach what's about to happen. Tears began forming from her numbed expression. 'This moment… I would play a hand at getting Makoto killed. My corpse is being used to have him executed…'
"W-Wait!" Makoto continued to protest in terror. "Why do I-?!"
Desperately, he turned to Kyoko; with the girl herself looking displeased with all of this. "Kyoko-!"
Near instantly, attention was turned towards the amnesiac version of the detective. They've nearly forgotten about Kyoko's involvement in this. How she pinned the crime on Makoto when eyes narrowed down at her at the start. And it wasn't lost on anyone that the detective likely voted with everyone else against the luckster.
Sayaka, in particular, found herself slowly turning towards the present Kyoko. The lavender-haired girl question was notably stiff, her hair shadowing her eyes and hiding any emotions she may be showing.
What was said next…
"I don't expect you to forgive me. I know this is all my fault…"
Did next to nothing to sooth the hearts of the riled up class.
"...You set him up…" Was the soft, yet furious whisper of Sayaka Maizono. The idol was still standing from her seat, so it gave everyone a good look of her reaction. And she looked… calm. Deceptively calm. With her hair shadowing her eyes.
No one was fooled by that calm demeanor.
"You set him up to be voted for…" Sayaka whispered yet again. "Implicated him as the killer… You are leaving him… LEAVING HIM TO DIE!"
The idol's head shot up, revealing a scalding glare that would put any of Mondo's to shame, aimed directly at the detective. "Just so you can save your own skin, so you don't get voted for and executed, you condemn the one boy who supported you! Who trusted you! Who, even now, believed full-heartedly in you! Did you even think of any other way to get out of this?! WERE YOU ONLY THINKING ABOUT SAVING YOUR OWN LIFE?!"
Kyoko said nothing. Did nothing. Made no attempt to excuse, justify, or explain her future's self actions. She could say that didn't expect Monokuma to cut the trial short. Say that she didn't know Byakuya would make that claim, could make that claim. That she, as the Ultimate Detective, was the best chance for them to solve the mystery of the school…
But she couldn't bring herself to say any of that. She may be cold, yes; but she's far from heartless. And seeing what her future self has done, has wrought, was reminding her of that painful heart.
Her silence did not calm the idol down. In fact, she looked ready to tear into the detective further. But before she could, someone jumped in and grabbed Sayaka by the shoulder, taking her attention away from Kyoko. That someone was none other than Makoto; and the look across his face snapped Sayaka completely out of her rage.
It was a look of utter devastation. Sorrow, hurt, confliction, fear, it was all clear for everyone to see. Written across the luckster's face and in his eyes. Yet, within that devastating look, was a silent plea. A plea for Sayaka not to continue this.
That look, all of it, hurt Sayaka's very core. It hurt everyone who was able to witness it. It took everything for Hina and Chihiro not to burst into even more tears; Hiro and Toko were practically shrinking with shame; Sakura and Celeste had their teeth grit tightly together; and even Byakuya couldn't help but look away, his chest twisting in a way that was extremely rare.
But none took it worse than Kyoko. For the first time in a long time, her emotions were out for anyone to see. A mixture of anger and guilt twisted her expression, one no doubt similar to the one her counterpart held. Only the bowing of her head kept her emotions hidden, at least somewhat.
Almost instantly, Sayaka's angry look fell and a look of sorrow, mixed with fear, overtook her. The blue-haired idol then launched herself at Makoto, clinging onto him tightly. The luckster could only respond by clinging back in kind, one hand on her back and the other stroking her hair.
'... You don't deserve this…' Sayaka thought to herself, as the two collapsed back onto the couch. Guilt, anger, and fear swirled in her heart, mixing into some kind of gut-pulling creation. 'You don't deserve any of this…'
Her words caused Makoto to fall silent for a moment. "Kyoko…?"
"Let's give it everything we've got! It's… PUNISHMENT TIIIME!"
Whatever grievance, whatever anger, any other feelings the students had for Kyoko was pushed back the moment those infamous words. All that was left was fear and dread for what's to come.
Only one student was devoid of any such dread. It took every ounce of effort for Junko not to show any clear giddiness over all that's transpiring and what's gonna transpire. But she couldn't shake the clear glee that was shining across her eyes. 'This is what you get, lucky boy, for not following the script and exposing the nosy detective!' She bragged to herself once again. 'You put your hope in her and this is how that nasty little hope gets rewarded! All that is left is the despair of being punished for a crime you didn't do! An execution that was meant for someone else! Take in that despair! See how devoid of hope you really are!'
She was overjoyed. She was heartbroken. She was gratified. She was in anguish. She felt great pleasure. She felt plentiful despair.
And this is what she wants to share with her classmates. With her sister. With her frustratingly, optimistic luckster. She wants them to feel that despair.
Monokuma then pulled out his gavel and slammed it onto the big red button in front of him.
*GAME OVER. MAKOTO HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY. TIME FOR PUNISHMENT* Those words were what appeared under the button as a pixelated Monokuma dragged a pixelated Makoto before the screen turned black.
The screen slowly lit back up to show a close up of a pale face Makoto. As the camera slowly moved back, a slamming down was heard and shook the screen. The cause of that slamming was revealed to be a trash compactor, slamming every few seconds, with a screen showing Monokuma's moving head on top. Makoto was sitting in a classroom desk, which was being moved on a conveyor belt, directly towards the trash compactor.
'No!' Hina wanted to scream. To shout. To demand, plead, beg for this not to happen. But her throat was too clogged up, and she found herself close to hyperventilating as tears yet again streamed down her eyes. Not even Sakura's comforting hug was enough to calm her. 'No! Please, no! Don't do it! Not him! Not after Sakura! Not when my future self voted for his death!'
Chihiro was crying just as much, his hands clamped around his mouth once more to stop any pitiful sounds from coming out. 'Why…? Why him?!' He screamed in his mind. 'Why… Why when someone tries to be strong, try to have more courage… we're always punished for it?! WHY?!'
Both Hiro and Toko felt the dread that was likely piling from this execution. They could practically feel the vibration from each slam of the trash compactor. While the fortune teller was looking at this with a blue face and wide-eyed regret, the writing prodigy had her eyes firmly shut, unable to bear watching the execution beyond the obvious reasons.
'He's right here… he's right here… he's right here…' Sayaka constantly reminded herself that their Makoto is there with them. Still breathing. Still in her arms. Not being rolled forward in a trash compactor. A fruitless effort, however, as whimpers left her mouth and tears stinged her eyes.
As he was being moved, Monokuma suddenly appeared in front of him, with a teacher's stand and a chalk-board, teaching a lesson on the board. The screen then quickly flashes to the TV on top of the compactor, before sliding down towards the compactor itself. As it got closer and closer, the title of the execution flashed at the next bang.
AFTER SCHOOL LESSON
Byakuya felt himself rigid in his seat, his grips on his sleeves and his face stone-like. 'So… is this how your optimism, your trust will be awarded? I wonder… do you think it's worth it now? How do you feel, knowing that your decision to keep quiet led to this?'
'Makoto… I'm sorry this is what you've been given as the result of your choice.' Sakura watched stoically as she held onto her devastated best friend, unwilling to look away from the luckster's execution. 'You do not deserve this. You shouldn't be punished for the scheme of a madman… as well as the actions of someone you trust…'
With each slam of the compactor, Mukuro's numbed expression twisted into something else. Guilt, dread, grief, anger, all of it was piling together and showing across her face; leaving a devastated young girl, rather than the hardened soldier people knew her as.
'Why… Why stay with Junko…?!' The soldier exclaimed to herself, her teeth and fists clenching tightly together. 'Why continue to remain loyal?! Why, when… when she would kill you at the first opportunity! When she would use your corpse to stage a class trial! WHEN THAT TRIAL IS BEING USED TO KILL MAKOTO!'
The camera moved to Makoto's feet before slowly moving upward, showing the stiff and sweating lucky student. For a moment, he was looking down at his lap before looking back up at the board in front of him; his face continuing to lose more color and turn bluer.
The screen then showed what Monokuma was teaching… which looked be sex education.
"...Oh, that son of a-!" Leon had to bite his lips to keep from continuing, looking even more pissed than before. He knew exactly what the bastard was implying, and that was not okay!
Mondo looked just as pissed, veins popping out everywhere. 'Fucker just had to try and rub in salt, does he? Be the biggest piece of shit as possible!'
And there was Taka, whose knuckles were clenched till they were white, feeling more righteous anger than ever before. 'He's toying with him! Drawing this entire mockery of justice for the sick thrill of fear!'
The screen switched to a close of Makoto's, as he got closer and closer to the compactor. With each second that passed, the luckster's face got bluer and bluer, his body shaking.
Celeste/Taeko decided that she detest the feeling of fear. First, it was the fear of seeing herself die, of the thought of dying; now it was the fear for her luckster, for the only person she could see going above C-Rank. Her body was shaking, her eyes dilated, her teeth gritting to suppress anymore show of that fear.
'I hate this! I hate absolutely all of this!' Taeko exclaimed to herself, anger and fear warring with each other. Tears even began to form yet again, tears she's desperately fighting back. 'Damn that bear! Damn the one controlling that bear! Damn this fucking killing game! DAMN ALL OF IT!'
Hifumi… he was merely in disbelief. Still processing this happening. Makoto was the protagonist. They're watching their future almost fully through his eyes. Very rarely was there another point of view. Yet… 'He's about to die? Is this the plot twist that no one saw coming?'
For a second, Makoto turned his eyes behind him. They instantly went back forward the moment the compactor slammed onto the belt.
This was killing her. Every slam of the compactor, Makoto's clear fear, the knowledge that this was supposed to be her punishment… all of it was gnawing at Kyoko like it never has before. To the point where she couldn't hide the anger at herself, the building guilt, and the absolute trepidation she felt at seeing the execution. It was taking everything she had to look at the screen and not look away.
This wasn't actually happening. This was merely a look into their future. Makoto is still there, he isn't about to be executed, none of this has happened yet. So why… why was this affecting her so much?
The lucky student himself was as tense and blue-faced as his counterpart. Every slam of the compactor, every show of how close he is to death, caused his chest to tighten further and further. He could feel his blood running cold, his heart beating rapidly, and his mouth running dry.
Despite his fear, despite the dread he felt at seeing his execution… he recognized the scene. 'The opening… it actually showed my execution…' Makoto realized. 'It foreshadowed my own death…'
A part of him wanted to scream. To laugh. Cry even. To have some sort of reaction to all this. But the screen in front of him is leaving him paralyzed. Unable to do anything but watch his own punishment.
On the other side, with each slam of the compactor, Junko felt it harder and harder to keep herself contained. To keep off the cheshire grin that would run across her face. The gleeful cackles that were begging to leave her lips. That cheers, the cries of euphoria, that were bubbling in her chest.
It was hard, so hard to contain herself, that she had to curl up and cling onto her stomach in order to maintain any form of control. However, she couldn't keep out the darkening, swirling eyes of madness and despair that were eclipsing her sockets.
At the next slam, he closed his eyes.
'Makoto…!' At that moment, Sayaka couldn't bear to watch. Her tears now slipping, she turned away from the screen; and seeing Makoto's own reaction, she was ready to pull his head away.
'No…!' Mukuro closed her own eyes, uncaring of the tears now running down under her eye-lids; a heavy layer of guilt and self-hatred encompassing her face.
'...I'm sorry…' Following both the idol and the soldier, Kyoko twisted her head sideways. She cursed herself for acting like such a coward. For not being just to face the screen and watch what her future self had wrought. But she couldn't. She couldn't watch the death of one of the few people she cared most for in the world. Couldn't watch the one who stood by her side take the punishment laid for her.
Couldn't let anyone see the tears that were stinging her eyes.
The camera then switched back to the TV up top of the compactor. And near immediately, the face of Monokuma was suddenly replaced… with the face of Chihiro.
And just like that, the fear, the anger, the grief, the despair… was shifted into one of pure confusion. "Is tha- Chihiro?" Leon spoke in bafflement.
"No, that's… that's Alter Ego! Isn't it?" Hifumi gasped, hands clamping around his cheeks.
Their words got those who were facing away from the screen twist their heads in surprise and confusion.
After a moment, that face disappeared. And immediately after, the compactor was put to a screeching halt.
And the confusion immediately turned into pure shock. "Did he… Did he just…?" Taka stuttered out.
"...What the fuck?" Mondo whispered, stunned.
The camera switched back to Makoto, who, after waiting for a moment, shot open his eyes and looked up in confusion.
Soon after, the door behind him opened up as the conveyor belt continued to move, revealing a deep hole under it. Makoto and the desk he was in then fell into the hole, as Monokuma looked on in panic. The screen then showed Makoto falling downward, in that same fearful posture.
The moment the screen turned dark… everyone reacted.
"WHAT THE FU-?!"
"How did-?!"
"But wasn't he-?!"
"How in the-?!"
"WHAAAAAA-?!"
Once again, pure pandemonium surrounded the class, as they tried to wrestle with what just happened. None of them thought Makoto would survive this. They didn't think there was anyone capable of saving him from his execution. They were all prepared, whether they wanted to or not, for the death of their favorite lucky student.
None of them thought that Alter Ego, of all people (Or machine, rather?), would save him.
Makoto himself was stunned. Frozen. It was taking him time to process that his future self, from the looks of it, survived his execution. That his life was saved by Alter Ego.
Like everyone else, he fully expected to see himself die. To see himself get crushed by the compactor, turned into a bloody red paste. So the sudden turn made it difficult to shake off the dread.
Junko was in a similar state. The eyes of despair wiped completely into confusion when she saw Alter Ego. Like the others, that confusion turned to shock when she saw her own execution get snubbed by an overblown software that was supposed to be a metal ball of junk! Like, how?! When?! Why?! Just… what the hell?!
Yet again, she found herself stumped. Processing too much to even think about enjoying the shock of it all.
And in the midst of this pandemonium, it was Byakuya once again that brought an end to it. "Enough!" He shouted out sharply, putting the yelling to a halt. "We need to continue. Our answers will be in the viewing itself."
It took a moment for everyone to properly contain themselves. But slowly, they were all able to put their focus back on the screen, in order to get a better understanding of what just happened.
The screen transitioned back to the trial room, with everyone looking shocked and confused. "Huh? Huuuuh?!" Monokuma spoke, sounding as surprised as the students. That tone quickly shifts to irritation. "What's this? What's going on?!"
"Hey, was that…?!" Hina spoke bafflingly.
"Ah! Yeah, it had to be!" Hiro confirmed, eyes wide.
"Alter Ego…!" Byakuya stated in clear shock.
"So, it really was Alter Ego?" Leon spoke up, sounding more composed than before. However, that wasn't saying much, considering the clear shock in his tone. "But… how? Wasn't he smashed to smithereens?"
"Did… Did he manage to transfer a part of himself into the network before getting pulled off?" Taka theorized, trying to wrap his head around it all. "Like some sort of copy?"
"I… would go along the lines of a malware…" Hifumi revised hesitantly. "While I wouldn't compare Alter Ego to such a thing, it feels more like a virus in the system…"
"...Alter Ego?!" Monokuma growled in anger. "Is this some stupid virus from that stupid guy?!"
Suffice to say, Mukuro was as stunned as everyone else. Yet again, Junko got caught unaware. But this time, it wasn't a mistake of her own making; at least not completely. No, this was something that completely caught off of left field.
One look at her sister told the soldier how she felt. She was completely stunned. In total shock. She was even trying to fake it or hide it! However, she knew that Junko's shock would soon shift into complete irritation and possibly even anger over this.
And soon, as Mukuro processed what just happened, that shock slowly shifted into relief. Relief that Makoto didn't get crushed by that compactor. Relief that the lucky student was now living up to his title. Relief that she didn't see her light die on screen.
"He must have planted it when he invaded my network…! Damn it all to hell! I don't believe this!"
"...Son of a bitch…!" Mondo began laughing, a hand over his forehead. "Alter Ego pulled a fast one on the fucker!"
Slowly, the students digested the fact that Alter Ego managed to plant a part of himself within the network. That he made something of a virus/malware, and used that malware to save Makoto's life. And slowly, their surprise and confusion turned into relief, happiness, and sweet, sweet, vindication.
"Take that, you teddy bear reject…!" Leon whooped, pumping a fist up. "You got shown up for a second time!"
"And it was by someone who you claimed had a pointless death!" Taka spoke passionately, smiling widely. "This shows that that was far from the case!"
"This is the power of plot armor people…!" Hifumi laughed jubilantly. "As well as the power of a most wonderful angel!"
"It… It would seem that the previous gamble has paid off." Celeste stated. The gambler in question looked positively relieved, breaths openly leaving her mouth and a few tears even leaving her eyes. "In ways none of us expected."
She wasn't the only girl openly relieved. Both Hina and Sayaka were crying yet again; but instead of sorrow, it was of joy. The swimmer had a wide, open smile on her face as tears streamed down her eyes; the idol, meanwhile, took to giving the luckster beside her a full body hug yet again, something that the boy slowly returned back.
As for Chihiro, the creator of Alter Ego himself… he was still in shock. The programmer was one of the few that had trouble processing what had happened. Something that, as Celeste had stated, no one saw coming.
Alter Ego saved Makoto. It managed to place a malware of itself within the school, and stopped the execution from finishing. His own creation, which he thought was destroyed without accomplishing anything, saved his classmate. His friend.
"It seems you finally made a miscalculation." Kyoko declared. "No… you miscalculated from the very beginning."
It was only due to the mass amount of euphoria that no one thought or moved to call out the future detective for her role in Makoto almost getting executed. Any thoughts about that were pushed aside in favor of celebrating this small victory.
"I would agree." Byakuya nodded in agreement, a vindictive smirk across his face. "He let us have access to that laptop, believing it to be of little use to us. Yet even when he prevented it from getting into the network fully, it was able to leave that little surprise."
"It was his own arrogance of the control he had that caused this mistake…" Sakura spoke in agreement, her arms still wrapped around her tearful friend. "And in turn, saved Makoto's life."
Slowly but surely, Makoto was getting out of his frozen state. Yet his emotions were still in a spiral. Relief. Happiness. Vindication. Nervousness. Those were some of several things he was feeling. It was those feelings that caused him to cling onto Sayaka tighter, something the idol didn't mind; she was too busy keeping a tight grip on him.
Kyoko herself was also visibly relieved, the usually stoic detective taking several deep breaths to calm herself. She swiftly wiped away the tears before anyone could notice them, and did her best to gain back some level of composure. Yet, it was clear that this trial has shaken her immensely.
'It's not over yet…' The detective managed to recognize. Despite the execution being halted somewhat, despite Makoto being saved from being crushed by that compactor… he still fell down into a likely garbage chute.
"...What was that?" Monokuma growled.
"What I'm saying is, you shouldn't have underestimated us." The lavender-haired girl said fearlessly.
Finally, Junko was able to shake off her stun state. And it took everything within the Ultimate Despair not to scream out in absolute fury. She even had to bite her lips hard enough to draw blood.
'What. The. Absolute. Fucking. HELL?!' Was what she wanted to scream from the top of her lungs. 'What was THAT?! How in the… what the… WHAT?!'
She was furious that the absolutely despairful execution was put to a halt. Frustrated that a program she thought was completely destroyed pulled a surprise attack like that. Frustrated beyond belief that Makoto's ABSOLUTELY UNPREDICTABLE LUCK saved his ass!
Oddly enjoying the shock factor of it all. A frustrating sexual tension that left her squirming a bit.
"Hmph! Why are you talking like you've already won?!" Monokuma spoke in retort. "I barely felt a thing! It was a pinch, an itch! The stupid virus is gone now, got it?! And so is Makoto… maybe I didn't get to smash him flat, but you're never gonna see him again!"
That wiped away all the cheer from the class, smiles dropping and voices quieting down; the students recognizing the clear fact that Makoto still fell into a garbage pit. Likely with no way of getting out.
"...Shit…" Leon cursed, yet again voicing nearly everyone's feelings on the matter.
Junko, meanwhile, took this as a chance to calm herself down. Her future self is right. There's no way that this hopeful fool, even with all his luck, will be able to get out of that pit he fell into. Everything with Alter Ego? A fluke. A hope spot, only for despair to remain supreme! This was not a win for her classmates!
Yet, even as she told herself that… she couldn't shake off this pit that has grown in her stomach.
"To waste away in a garbage-strewn pit… in way, that's an even BETTER special punishment!"
"..." Kyoko was silent at that.
"Makoto…" Hina whimpered, fear and guilt swimming back in her head.
"We were celebrating too soon…" Byakuya sighed in admittance. "Alter Ego's interference hasn't changed much. While he got saved from a gruesome death, Makoto is now trapped."
"Maybe he can escape through the pit…?" Hiro spoke hopefully.
"Doubtful. Can't imagine for there to be any openings to wherever all our trash is being thrown to."
Suffice to say, there was renewed concern for the lucky student, many of them wondering how he'll get out of this. If he can get out of this.
It was something the luckster himself was wondering. Can he get out of this? Will he be able to? Is there some sort of opening, despite what Byakuya said? Honestly, he wasn't sure what to think anymore. He should've died. But it was Alter Ego, likely even his own luck, that saved him. So what should he expect? What should he even hope for?
"You're gonna get out of this… you're gonna…" Hearing the whisper beside him, he turned to Sayaka. The two had ended their rib-crushing; however, the idol refused to let go of him and snuggled back into his shoulder. "This isn't the end… it can't be…"
"..." Makoto took a moment to digest her words. Then… "Yeah… Yeah, this isn't the end… there's gotta be a way out…"
This wasn't over yet. So long as his future self was still breathing, there had to be a way for him to escape. To survive. So he can't give up just yet.
"Puhu… puhuhu…!" Monokuma continued to laugh. "But it's still not enough… I'm still not satisfied! I'm still gonna bring despair to the rest of you - bring despair to the entire world…!" So, with his signature laugh leaving his mouth, the bear bounced away.
"...He's insane." Was all Taka could say, pale in the face.
"Thanks for stating the obvious dude…" Leon snarked; though he had chills himself. Indeed, several students were either shivering or losing what color they managed to regain. "Seriously, though… what the hell?"
"Just… again, I must ask… what exactly is the mastermind's goal?" Celeste questioned, attempting to suppress her own shivers. Still, she couldn't keep out the wavering of her voice. "What does he intend with this game? What does he intend to achieve through this?"
No one could answer that. The mastermind had clearly stated it was for despair, to bring despair to the entire world… and the fact that he's showing this live across all TV somehow cements that. But would their deaths really do that? Would the world seeing them turn on each other like rabid dogs really bring society into this despair the maniac so desperately craves?
None of the students, aside from the secret Ultimate Despairs, knew the answer to that. And many of them were growing to fear the possible answer.
"..." For a moment, things were quiet, with the camera focusing on the tensed-looking Kyoko.
"Is he… gone?" Hiro finally asked nervously.
"Hey, Kyoko." Immediately after, Byakuya turned towards Kyoko angrily. "What's the meaning of all this? Just what the hell is going on?"
The focus on the detective brought about a different type of tension. While some kept their eyes on the screen, others turned towards the present girl.
"It's okay. We're not the ones being trapped this time." Kyoko assured the Togami heir.
"Huh…?" Was Hina's confused response.
"Now it's the mastermind that's ensnared…"
"...I'm so confused." Hiro moaned, holding his head. "The entire chapter is so confusing man…"
"For once, I agree with you dude…" Leon sighed, holding his own head. "Kyoko, just… can you give people a straight enough answer for once? For once?!"
"Especially in regards to all that had happened in this trial…" Sakura stated, arms crossed.
Kyoko was silent, ignoring the stares coming from her classmates. She got a feeling on what her counterpart intends to do. A feeling that she desperately hopes is correct.
"What are you talking about…?" Was Byakuya's bewildered question.
"You'll understand soon enough." Again, the lavender-haired girl assured him. "Very soon indeed…"
"...Just what do you have planned, Kyoko?" The present Togami heir questioned, a look of clear suspicion across his face. "What possible ace do you have up your sleeve?"
"...I believe that ace is inside the garbage pit."
THAT got the attention of everyone. "You… Future you is going to save Makoto?!" Hina asked, the hope clear and loud in her voice.
"I believe so, yes…" The detective nodded.
"...Are you certain about that?" While Celeste would like nothing more for her luckster to get out of there, and survive… she was skeptical. For a multitude of reasons. One of which… "You were ready to abandon him to a fate intended for you, to save your own life. And I very much doubt you knew of Alter Ego's malware within the school system; so you had expected for him to die. Would you really risk your life to save him, when you were ready to see him executed before?"
What followed was a tense silence. The detective was stiff as a board, while the gambler narrowed her eyes accusingly at her. Several of the students looked nervous, others; conflicted. A few even felt their previous fury slowly coming back towards the detective.
However, the one who broke the silence… was Makoto. The future victim himself. "I believe she will." He stated. "Kyoko… she has something planned. We can see that she does. She didn't know about Alter Ego, true… but that just means she's thinking of a way to take advantage of this."
"...You still t-trust Kyoko that much?" Toko couldn't help but ask skeptically. "Even after… w-well…"
"It's not that." Makoto shook his head. "I just… know her well enough to say this. Kyoko isn't a coward. When she feels the risk is worth the reward, she'll take it. And… she probably saw something in my rescue to do it. A way to fully counter the mastermind."
That was when the students noticed. The tone Makoto was taking, it wasn't his usual hope-filled optimism he takes whenever he talked about stuff like this. It was more… subdued. Hesitant. Somber.
It got many of them worried. Had some of them flinching. But none of them knew what to say. How to handle it. With all that had happened, all the twists and turns in not only this trial, but the chapter as a whole… many of them had trouble digesting it all themselves.
The most they can do is just continue watching for now; and see what happens next.
And that's the end. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I'm aware that you guys were expecting a few things to happen here, such as everyone congratulating Chihiro or Mukuro attempting to kill Kyoko. However, I felt that with how confusing the entire trial looked, I felt that emotional whiplashes and waves of confusion were the best way to go. Rest assured, no one will forget who was the one that ultimately saved Makoto in the end; or forget how the luckster ended up in that position in the first place. Next chapter will wrap up the fifth chapter of the game. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.