The Climax of Retaliation
When breakfast ended, several students including Asahina stubbornly refused to go to the gym and were subdued by Monokuma, who dragged them away.
In particular, Asahina resisted fiercely until the end, and Monokuma, angry, broke her arm in the process.
"Well, I expected you to be too disappointed after seeing the motives this time, so I let you off once... but next time, if you don't want to sacrifice even one person, you'd better obey my words... Hehehe..."
"...Can you really despair us?"
"Hehehe...?"
Kirigiri glared at Monokuma and said.
"You've given us a total of three motives for murder so far, and used another black villain who is on our side like a spy to sow discord and torment us into despair. But you haven't managed to make even one of us despair, let alone commit a murder."
"..."
"At this point, don't you have a feeling? You'll fail. No, you've already failed. According to your plan, a murder should have already occurred by now. But you think your plan will succeed even after seeing these children's eyes?"
The children's eyes were slightly weak because they were forced into a killing game, but they were filled with hope and expectation that things could get better in the future.
"No matter what motive you present from now on, you won't be able to break these children."
Looking at this disgusting yet enjoyable situation, Enoshima quietly whispered to the microphone in front of her.
"Hope is like weeds. If you try to pull them out all at once, they grow back stubbornly. So, you have to pull them out slowly... very slowly. Then... only a very faint hope will remain."
Enoshima, who spoke in her own voice without excitement, immediately returned to Monokuma's tone and finished her sentence.
"And... I think the moment when even that faint hope disappears is too good!!"
With that said, a monitor began to descend from the ceiling of the gym.
"Tch, another video... Good, come at me anytime!"
"What else are you trying to show now...!"
"Just... maybe close your eyes and cover your ears...?"
"Still... I don't know what that bastard will do like last time's motive video if I don't see it... so just watch it now and forget it cleanly..."
"Alright, please focus! Then, I'll announce the fourth motive! This motive is... right away... 'Heart-pounding Despair Video Call'!"
"What...? Video call? With who...?"
"My words aren't finished yet! By the way, last time's motive video, I let you watch one by one out of consideration, but this time, without that, everyone will watch together!"
"Eh... why?"
"Well, how many more despairing things are there in this world than watching the pain of friends you've become close to? Hehehe..."
"..."
"Then first, come out in front of Naegi!"
Monokuma's call, Naegi came out with a stiff expression and stood in front of the screen.
"Then, let's begin..!"
-Click click click...
-O-oppa!?
"Ko... Komaru!!!"
Finally, the screen showed Naegi's younger sister 'Naegi Komaru'.
"Komaru... are you okay...!?"
-Sniff... hic... Oppa... I thought I'd never see you again... I... I... I was at my limit now... I don't want to live in this meaningless life anymore...!
"Enoshima...! What did you do to Komaru...!"
"By the way, it's not Enoshima, but Monokuma..."
"What did you do to Komaru...!"
"If a teenage girl is like this, losing her sanity and trembling... then... you must have done what I was thinking with 'No way...' ... Hehehe..."
".......!"
Naegi glared at Monokuma with anger, clenching his teeth as if to kill him. Monokuma laughed loudly at Naegi.
"Hehehe...! What? What did you think!? All I did was destroy your house and kidnap your sister to lock her up quietly... Naegi, you have quite a dark mind compared to your cute face! Hehehe..."
Monokuma rolled around comically as if something was funny, even falling off the stage in the gym by accident, but the children couldn't laugh at the funny sight.
"Then next! Kuwata Leon!"
-O... Oppa! I still have something to say...
"Ko... Komaru...!"
Monokuma abruptly ended the video call, and continued connecting the children to hostages one by one.
-Le... Leon Oppa...! I think I have no hope now, so I'll confess my love at the end... I love you...!
"..... Me too."
-Le... Leon O...!
"Only in this situation... I have the courage to say my true feelings... I'm regretful..."
-Sa... Sayaka...! You're alive...? I... I...! I thought all the members were dead...!
"A... Ayaka! What happened to the other members!? What happened to the other members!?"
-Th... the other members...! Already...
"A... Ayaka? Answer! Ayaka!!"
-Oogami... I'm glad you seem stronger than before... I'm fine... This is just a trial... It's nothing... I'll solve this situation... You do your own thing... Cool...!
"Kenichiro...! That blood...!"
-I... I'm... fine... Cool... Cool... Please... Don't live starving for blood like before... Use that power for everyone...
"Kenichiro...!"
-Yashiro, how are you? Are you hurt anywhere? Don't worry, I'm fine. Anyway, in this situation, you have to stay alert? Don't worry about me, take care.
"Eh... Mom...?"
-Ishimaru!! In this situation, you have to engrave the indomitable spirit of not giving up and trying hard...
"A... Father...! Even in this desperate situation, I'll burn myself to save everyone..."
-Nu... Nuna...! Long time no see...! Here... it's really frustrating...! No space to exercise... No mochi...! There are swimming pools and donuts...?
"Yu... Yuta...! You're safe...!"
-Nyaa...
"Eu... Grambo... You've become so thin... How did you manage to...!"
-Dore-nim... I'm sorry... I couldn't protect the Togami family...
"...Arashais? What does that mean! Answer!"
-If it's Dore-nim... I can... revive the Togami family...
"Damn...! My butler isn't someone who can be easily taken! How did you... Enoshima...!"
-Hi... Hifumi...! Here... it's hell...! No anime... no manga... no light novels...! Only literary novels and magazines... If I stay here like this... I'll go crazy...!
"Noona... What kind of fight are you in...?"
-O... Oowada-senpai? Damn, so Oowada-senpai was captured too!? What about Crazy Diamond...
"Yukimaru... If you can escape from there... I entrust you with Crazy Diamond..."
-Se... Senpai...? What do you mean...? Who else but Senpai would handle Crazy Diamond...'
-Chi... Chihiro...! Good...! You're alive...! Don't worry...! Soon the future...
"Hehehe... NG keyword...!"
"A... Dad...!"
-Kirigiri... If it's you... I know what to do... I'll trust you...
"..... Grandfather?"
-And... please... your... father...
".....!"
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"Hehehe... The expressions are quite interesting...?"
Naegi glared at Monokuma, swallowing the rising anger. Of course, not only Naegi but most of the children were angry at Monokuma. After all, who wouldn't be angry when their most precious person was threatened?
"What is the reason for doing this to us...! Why are you so cruel...!"
When the children protested to Monokuma in angry voices, Monokuma smiled quietly and answered in a meaningful voice.
"If you're curious, ask Naegi or Kirigiri or Fujisaki? If you sacrifice the life of just one of the three, you can all know the truth? Hehehe..."
"..... I can't say it...?"
"Naegi... of course you can't say it... You talk about cooperation and trust... but in the end, your own life is most important to you, right? Isn't that so...? Or... try telling the truth to everyone! Of course you can't! Hehehe..."
"..... Uugh...!"
"Calm down, Naegi. That's Enoshima's trap. Since Kei is neutralized, we three who know the truth of the killing game have no choice but to lead the children. Enoshima is deliberately provoking us by trying to eliminate one of our three as soon as possible."
"....."
"As expected... you're weak, Naegi! You're not the Ultimate 'Luck' but the Ultimate 'Weakness'? Hehehe..."
Continuing to ignore Monokuma's provocations, Togami, who had somewhat regained rationality compared to the other children, asked Monokuma.
"As expected... it's clearly weird... Kidnapping so many people and even occupying the world's best famous academy, Kibogaoka Academy, in the heart of the city and doing a lame show... No support has come yet..."
"I told you! The police are..."
"It's not that kind of hollow organization. My family must have moved by now... Rather, the Togami family's butler was kidnapped... And according to what Arashais said earlier..."
"Haa, your words are quite funny...? So what are you trying to say...?"
"..... Maybe we've gotten involved in something even more absurd than we thought..."
Togami seemed to have something more to say, but he was holding back because he was aware of Monokuma in front of him.
"What? Boring... I thought you were going to make some great deduction... Then, I guess I have to tell you why I made you watch the video call."
Monokuma cleared his throat and then spoke calmly.
"If no murder occurs within 24 hours, the other side will start the killing game."
Monokuma's nonchalant statement made Naegi's heart drop. Can Komaru endure the situation I'm in now? Even I have broken down several times, but Komaru who seems to have almost lost her sanity?
Looking around, the children were also starting to show faint despair in their eyes, different from before. They tried to brace their hearts, thinking this wouldn't do, but Naegi couldn't help but feel negative emotions.
"What do you think? If you don't commit murder, you'll see your precious people killing each other, and if you can't bear that sight, just pick anyone to kill!"
From where did it go wrong? Was it because we were too optimistic that no murder had occurred even after three motives?
"Haa... Honestly, I didn't want to use this method unless necessary... I can't control it because I can't go there now... Well, if I leave it to the children, they'll handle it well..."
Because of Kei's existence who knows the truth of the killing game, maybe I thought I could easily stop the killing game in the future? Or, I just thought I'd quietly endure while believing in Kei's plan?
"Earlier, you said everyone wouldn't give up, right? I'll know if that's true within 24 hours!"
Or, was it wrong to have hope in the first place?
"Hehehe... Finally, everyone is despairing? Well, in a place where even faint hope is pulled out... only despair remains..."
No, that's...
"In the end, you all... will end up... despairing...!"
That's...
"Then from now on, I'll start counting!"
"That's wrong..."
"Then see you in 24 hours!! Of course, if no murder occurs!! Hehehe..."
Naegi's barely uttered words were drowned out by Monokuma's energetic shout, and in the gym where Monokuma disappeared, silence lingered for a while.
The budding hope that had just started to bloom was pulled out, and a despairing 24 hours began.