Hell Difficulty

"Why the hell are you skinny bastards so slow?"

"That's because... you're just too fast, Togami."

We followed Togami as he darted ahead with surprising agility, and what greeted us at Jabberwock Park was a colossal object that looked for all the world like a giant bomb — and, nestled in its center, a monitor ticking steadily through a countdown.

"W-what is that...?"

"I got no clue what that's supposed to be..."

"Something just popped up that I can't even begin to guess at..."

"You don't think... that's a bomb, do you...?"

"A b-boooomb...!?"

Kazuichi's theatrics drained the color from everyone's faces, but I felt nothing. I already knew what that thing was.

It's nothing. Just a timer Enoshima threw in for fun, to test whether she can wipe us all out before it hits zero.

No. I'd sworn off trusting my game knowledge. I couldn't rule out the possibility that it was a real bomb this time. A little caution, at the very least, was in order.

"It's a mystery..."

"That's right! It's a mystery!"

"".....!?""

Monomi burst out of nowhere, and the students — who'd been certain she was dead — nearly jumped out of their skins. Well, Monomi did have a few spare bodies lying around. Not that it mattered. Monokuma could generate himself infinitely, so she was never going to be much help.

Once they'd collected themselves, the others peppered her with questions about the countdown. As if Monomi would know. She just stood there sweating bullets, insisting she wasn't sure but they should all do their best anyway — and when the students fixed her with a collective glare, she wilted and sank straight down into the earth.

No matter how I looked at it, Monomi was useless.

"Still... there are far too many unanswered questions about our situation."

"Unanswered questions...?"

The discussion that followed covered all of them: how a device that enormous could have been installed overnight, how all eighteen of us had been dragged to this place, and how a tourist destination like Jabberwock Island could be sitting completely empty. The real answer was that this was a virtual reality, which made all of it trivial — but there was no chance any of them would deduce that. They settled on the conclusion that some vast organization was behind it. A reasonable judgment, by ordinary standards.

"...Which is why, for the time being, we search this island and gather information. The electronic student handbook says we're free to explore, after all."

"Explore the... island..."

"That's right. All of you just follow my lead. I'll get every last one of you back to your ordinary lives. That's an order from your leader."

"Whoa! Okay, that was actually really cool!"

"You're so reliable and chubby — I think I'll call you Pig Trotters from now on!"

"P-Pig Trotters...?"

Togami's face went slack with shock at Hiyoko's words, and then he started turning the nickname over on his tongue, again and again. At a glance, it looked like a cruel jab had landed and stunned him. In truth, he was moved. As the Ultimate Impostor, he had never been allowed a name of his own — and someone had just given him one.

To be that happy about a nickname that mean... I couldn't begin to imagine how lonely a life he'd led. His leadership and his genuinely kind heart were things we were going to need. I made a note to sit him down for a counseling session later and try to lift his spirits.

"All right. From this moment, we search the island."

And with that, we scattered for a while and began exploring on our own.

"Hey... Kei. You said you were the Ultimate Counselor, right...?"

"Huh? Yeah, that's right...?"

"So, uh... there's actually something I kinda wanted to talk about..."

I already knew every secret this island had to offer, so there hadn't been anything worth investigating. I'd been taking it easy on the beach when Kazuichi sidled up to me like a man with a classified document.

"The thing is... I, uh..."

"What? Don't tell me you're actually into Sonia."

"GAAAAAH! H-h-how did you—!?"

Watching him panic, I couldn't help a dry laugh. You didn't need game knowledge to see this one coming.

"You sneak glances at her every time she's in the room. The second there's an opening to talk, you jump on it. And just a little while ago, when Gundham and Sonia were having a conversation, you barged in with your eyes bugging out of your head."

"I-I guess a real couple really is on another level..."

"No... a kindergartener could have figured that out."

"Whatever! Just help me, man...! I can't stand watching that chuunibyou Tanaka laughing it up with Miss Sonia like they're best friends...! I can't even get a proper sentence out around her...!"

Honestly, Kazuichi had a high probability of remaining a lost cause until the bitter end. But I wasn't about to waste a golden opportunity to build some rapport.

"Well... I can help, I guess... but how exactly am I supposed to..."

"Isn't it obvious!? You're dating that detective! Give me some tips...!"

"Hmm..."

My memories had been wiped clean, which meant my romantic experience was sitting at a solid zero. Kazuichi's problems, though, were so glaringly obvious that I could at least point a few of them out.

"You're too much."

"Huh...!?"

"Way, way too much. You just charge in headfirst — who's going to fall for that? And she's a sitting princess, no less."

"Th-then what am I supposed to do..."

"Reel her in with something she's actually interested in."

"Yeah, but I don't even know what she's into..."

Sonia's interests were, to put it mildly, unusual. That was because the kingdom she served as princess of — Novoselic — was a deeply strange place. In Novoselic, elementary schoolers drove tanks. Coming-of-age ceremonies and weddings required you to hunt an animal, or raise one. Japanese anime pulled in viewership numbers north of ninety percent. As a result, Sonia herself was completely steeped in Japanese anime, dramas, and the rest of that subculture. I figured I might as well tip Kazuichi off.

"W-wait, what? Miss Sonia likes that kind of stuff...?"

"Don't believe me if you don't want to. But look at how well she clicks with Gundham and tell me you don't get the picture..."

"Huh... so that's how it is...? Man, you're something else, though. How'd you even know that? Wait — your girlfriend's a detective. I guess couples really do start to take after each other..."

People kept calling Kyoko my girlfriend, and the secondhand embarrassment was going to turn my face red. Wait. Had it already gone red?

"All right! Then I need to start studying subculture, like, immediately... except where do I even learn that stuff? You wouldn't happen to know any of it, would you...?"

"Uh... not as much as Sonia, but I know some, yeah...?"

"I'll take ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you as my love sensei — just teach me! Please!"

I'd been trying to build a casual friendship. Somehow I'd ended up with a disciple. Yamada, you watching? Your successor just showed up...

I'd been stuck giving Kazuichi an entirely unplanned lecture on subculture when the announcement rolled out across the entire island.

"W-what was that just now...? Recreation? In a situation like this...? Ugh... I really don't wanna go..."

I dragged the whining Kazuichi to Jabberwock Park by force. The others were already gathered.

"Is that bastard late again? What a coward."

"B-but how was I supposed to know what was gonna happen...!"

"Then don't come at all. Go crawl in a hole somewhere, asshole."

"Hey, every word out of your mouth is pissing me off. You showed up because you're scared of dying too, same as the rest of us."

"Wh-what..!?"

That was all it took. Mahiru and Fuyuhiko went at each other.

"H-hey... both of you, just calm down..."

"Stay out of it, you little shit..."

"Could you not insert yourself, please?"

The mood was curdling fast, so I stepped in to break it up — and both of them rounded on me at once, eyes blazing.

"B-but... we shouldn't be fighting among ourselves..."

"What? Don't get the wrong idea, you dumbass! Since when were you one of us?"

"...What?"

"Yeah... let me make this real clear while I've got the chance... I could kill somebody whenever I damn well feel like it...?"

The air went cold.

Right. This was who Fuyuhiko had been — until Peko's death in Chapter Two shocked him into becoming a better person. I had zero intention of awakening him through anyone's death. I was going to have to turn his heart around some other way...

After that little speech, the rift between Fuyuhiko and the others only deepened, but Togami managed to mediate just enough to settle things down. Our group-project team leader, through and through. I really needed to get him a gift one of these days.

"Ahem..."

"Whoa! There he is!!"

The second the fighting stopped, Monokuma popped out wearing an emcee's outfit he'd apparently sourced from somewhere.

"You were all going at it so hard... I was hoping it might turn into a murder right then and there... What a shame..."

"We're not going to commit murder over something like this!"

I shouted it, and Monokuma muttered under his breath.

"Well... this time might be different, you know...?"

"What...?"

"Anyway! It's time to kick off the Side-Splitting Monokuma Comedy Live!"

The words were barely out of his mouth before Monomi came stumbling out in a dress, looking like she was about to cry, and got hauled toward ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a stage that had been set up and waiting.

"Huwawa... I can walk by myself! Please stop dragging me!"

"Upupupu... You need a good scolding... Getting up to no good over and over in the middle of the night... Monomi, you really are a rotten little sister...!"

"Huwawa...!"

Monokuma took the podium, cleared his throat, and launched into a manzai routine with Monomi.

And against every expectation, it was actually pretty funny. Why did Monomi have this kind of chemistry with him? Was it possible she really was Monokuma's secret little sister?

"...That's right. You kids should watch out for Monomi too, you know? Because... the one who stole your memories without permission and locked you up here — that's Monomi!"

The manzai had been rolling along nicely when Monokuma dropped that bombshell, and the students reeled.

Well, their memories did get taken, but it was to rehabilitate a bunch of kids who'd become Ultimate Despair. I fail to see the problem.

"Th-that's impossible... Memory ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠loss...?"

"It's a lie... it has to be a lie..."

"But... everyone's memories cut off from the moment we stepped through the front entrance, didn't they...? If you think about it that way..."

"Bingo! You've already forgotten every last memory of the years you spent at Hope's Peak Academy! Upupupupu..."

"Hu... huwawa..."

The second bombshell sent them into a full panic. Monokuma gave them no room to breathe, driving the point home without mercy.

"Which means you aren't new students at all! You just decided that on your own after your memories got wiped...!"

"P-please stop...! The children are getting confused..."

"And whose fault is thaaaat!"

"UGYAAAAAAH!"

Monokuma's uppercut sent Monomi sailing into the distance.

"".....""

The students sank into silence. Monokuma grinned.

"Well? Shocking, right...? Losing years of your memories — isn't that just awful? But... there is a way for you to get them back..."

"Th-that method being...?"

"That's enough! You actually think we'd commit murder over a delusion that stupid...?"

"Besides... I don't even buy this whole memory-loss thing...?"

The others pushed back — but beside me, Teruteru flinched hard, and then his whole body started to shake.

In the original game, Teruteru spiraled into a panic over the realization that years had passed while his mother was left running the shop all by herself. Then he heard Nagito's murder plot, came halfway unhinged, and killed someone to get his memories back.

Which meant the two I needed to watch most right now were Teruteru and Nagito. I had to stop Nagito's trolling and Teruteru's panic, no matter what it took.

I was still turning over how to handle the two of them when Monokuma looked straight at me, smiling, and addressed the whole group.

"Can't believe in a little memory loss...? But what's even harder to believe... is everyone standing here right now, don't you think...?"

"W-what's that supposed to mean...?"

"You don't know a single thing about each other... Which is why... you had no idea there are traitors mixed in among you, did you? Upupupupu..."

Right. This was the moment Monokuma told them a traitor existed, planting the seed of distrust. But the traitor wasn't a threat to us. Because the traitor's identity was Nanami — the Future Foundation's AI...

"A traitor...? What are you talking about...?"

Chiaki asked Monokuma the question herself. Wait. Chiaki...?

"See, here's the thing... why do you suppose there are eighteen of you...?"

That's right. Chiaki wasn't an AI this time — she was a person, and every one of her memories was gone. Of course she'd challenge Monokuma. She had no idea she was the Future Foundation's observer.

But... traitors? Plural? The traitor was supposed to be Chiaki alone... Ah, damn it. Kyoko and I had been Future Foundation too.

At Monokuma's sudden declaration of hell difficulty, my mind went white.