The Truth of the Incident (2)

"Th-that... what are you even saying...?"

"Why would Nanami, Kirigiri, and Kei..."

"D-don't tell me..."

The color drained from every face in the room as they turned to stare at Nanami, Kirigiri, and Kei.

"N-no way, right...?"

"Kirigiri's been leading the charge to uncover the truth this whole time... If she were a traitor, why would she...?"

"Same with Kei...! He sat there in the kitchen earlier and listened to everything I was struggling with...! There's no way a traitor would be that kind — sitting through someone's problems like a counselor..."

"And her? She's been glued to a game the entire time. Hardly the profile of a traitor..."

"Ahaha. Well, even for Ultimates like you, telling a traitor apart was never going to be easy. If it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠weren't for my luck, I probably would've had a hard time pinning them down myself..."

"Your luck...?"

Komaeda looked around at everyone, his eyes shining with hope, and began to speak.

"I... I wanted all of us to stand and fight against the despair of having traitors in our midst. And to do that, I needed to separate the traitors from the rest of us."

"So you're saying you've already identified them? How exactly did you..."

"Haha... I just told you, didn't I? I used my luck..."

".....?"

Watching the utterly bewildered look on Togami's face, Komaeda went on.

"When we were deciding who'd clean the old building, I was going to have us draw lots so the traitors would get picked... but the cleaning groups split themselves up on their own, didn't they...? That's when I knew. Nanami, Kirigiri, and Kei were the traitors..."

"Hold on! How does that even follow?!"

As Komaeda kept spouting one incomprehensible thing after another, Koizumi finally snapped, the look on her face saying she could not listen to another word of it.

"You've been going on and on about 'luck' this whole time... What does Nanami, Kirigiri, and Kei ending up on the cleaning team have to do with them being traitors...?!"

"Well... because at that moment, I desperately wished for us to be divided so I could tell the traitors apart from everyone else..."

"That's what I'm saying!! You think just because you desperately wished for something, it actually happened!? What kind of insane logic is that?!"

At that, Komaeda's voice drooped, turning gloomy.

"Ahaha. Fair enough... Compared to all of your brilliant talents, my so-called Ultimate talent is pretty pathetic... I suppose you might not even remember it. That's okay. I understand completely..."

"Wh-what are you talking about...?"

"Ah, sorry. I have a habit of thinking negatively... Anyway, I'm sure none of you particularly want to hear about my worthless talent, but if I may be so rude as to introduce it one more time...?"

".....?"

"My talent is Ultimate Luck..."

The moment those words left his mouth, the others stared at him in utter disbelief and started laying into him.

"You've gotta be kidding me. Even if your talent really is 'luck,' you expect us to believe everything just went the way you wanted!? That's not luck, that's a goddamn superpower, you moron!"

"That's way too big a lie! Are you, like, delusional or what!? Cut the crap and just confess already!!"

"O servant of a wicked demon steeped in falsehood! Thy cunning has already been laid bare by Jum-P, Golden Hawk of the Mystic Realm, who whispered it unto me through telepathy. Should that serpent tongue of thine continue to wag, an eternal curse shall settle upon thy flesh..."

"I will hear no more of this... Until Hinata has been treated, I shall have you bound and isolated in the old building."

They tore into Komaeda with icy contempt, but his expression didn't so much as flicker. He simply looked around at them, smiling, and opened his mouth once more.

"Haha. I don't mind how you handle me, but... I do have a way to prove those three are the traitors. Don't you want to hear it?"

"A... a way to prove it...?"

"That's right... Nanami. Kirigiri. Kei. If you're truly not traitors... why don't you declare, right here and now: I am one of the three traitors Monokuma defined yesterday. Can you do that?"

The others stared at him, dumbfounded by the sheer absurdity of it.

"What is that supposed to mean...? You want them to just randomly declare that they are the traitors...?"

"Does not compute! Ibuki has no idea what you're getting at!"

"You... what the hell are you thinking...?"

"Isn't it obvious...? He's lost it. He's just talking nonsense."

"You little—! Cut the crap and—"

"No. This isn't a joke. I've never been more serious in my life. Come on. Even if you don't mean it, just say it. And don't be vague about it — repeat exactly what I said."

"..."

"It doesn't even have to be true — just declare it once. If you can do that, I'll drop my suspicions! Come on...!"

"..."

"Um... why aren't any of you three saying anything? Hm?"

"..."

"Hahahaha... I know it's a worthless talent compared to everyone else's, but it looks like my luck came through after all...?"

The sudden silence from Nanami, Kirigiri, and Kei sent a ripple of unease through the others, and they started firing questions at the three of them.

"Y-you guys... what's going on all of a sudden...?"

"Why... why are you making those faces and not saying a word..."

"But... what is that even supposed to mean..."

Hearing the fear creeping into their voices, Komaeda spoke softly to the group.

"It means something, all right. It means those three are the traitors..."

"That's impossible...! There can't be traitors among us...!"

"Earlier, when I went to the old building to help Hanamura, I ran into Nanami. She was shaking — looking pretty shaken up — so I decided to try a leading question."

"A leading question...?"

"That's right. I said, 'I'm a traitor too, so we're on the same side.' And Nanami, well... she went, 'Y-you're a traitor too...? B-but... traitors aren't supposed to be able to tell the others that they're traitors, are they...?'"

".....!"

Komaeda flashed a grin at Nanami and pressed on.

"Nanami. The traitors, for some reason, can't reveal to the others that they're traitors... isn't that right?"

"That's..."

"Really, Nanami. Falling for a leading question like that? You must've been under a lot of pressure. You'd have to be pretty close to breaking to fall for something that sloppy..."

"I... I...!"

"Anyway, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠at the time I just brushed it off — said something like, shouldn't traitors be able to reveal themselves to each other...? Hahahaha..."

"Nngh..."

"So. Coming back to the original point — why is it that you three can't tell everyone 'I am a traitor' right now?"

"..."

A look of deep satisfaction spread across Komaeda's face as he glanced around at the others, whose expressions had gone rigid.

"I was right after all. This luck is the only talent I have, you know. Well, the side effect is that misfortune always comes eventually... but if it means exposing the traitors, a little misfortune is nothing."

"Please wait a moment! You have all been saying 'traitor, traitor' since yesterday, and there is something I wish to ask!"

"S-Sonia...?"

Sonia cut in suddenly, posing the question to the entire group.

"What ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠exactly is a 'traitor'?"

"Huh...?"

"What is this 'traitor,' that killing one does not trigger a Class Trial... and that they cannot even publicly declare themselves to be one...?"

"Y-yeah...? What even is a traitor, then...?"

"Come to think of it... the one who told us the traitors existed in the first place was Monokuma — the mastermind behind this killing game."

"Then... that means the traitors aren't necessarily the bad guys!! And if Monokuma, the mastermind, called them 'traitors'... then the traitors are actually the good guys...!"

"Puhuhu? The traitors are the good guys? That's not it at all!!"

Monokuma popped out of nowhere and made his announcement to the students.

"The traitors are on the same side as Monomi — the one who wiped your memories and locked you up here!! Well? Can you still call the traitors the good guys after hearing that?"

"I... I don't believe a word you say...!"

"Puhuhu... Then, Monomi... why don't you tell them...! The traitors aren't really on your side, are they?"

"They are on my side...! The traitors and I are watchers from the Future Foundation!"

For a moment, silence fell.

"Puhuhuhuhuhu! A new word just dropped! Future Foundation? Watchers? And what are those supposed to be...?"

"Hw-hwawah!? Why ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠did I say that out loud...!?"

"Puhuhu! I don't need a naughty little sister who tells lies! I just changed your settings so you'll always tell the truth!"

"E-everyone...! This is the truth! The honest-to-goodness truth, you know... Ah, no... Hw-hwawah..."

Monomi stammered in a panic, her face going pale — and then she vanished somewhere.

"Puhuhu... I may have started the killing game, but the ones who locked you up here and wiped your memories were Monomi and the Future Foundation's watchers...!"

"Th-that's impossible..."

"For your information, the 'Future Foundation' is a terrifying bunch known as the destroyers of the world! Even if you combined Togami's Togami Conglomerate, Sonia's Kingdom of Novoselic, and Kuzuryu's Kuzuryu Clan, you still couldn't stand against them...! Well? Scary, right? Horrible, right?"

"I... I can't believe it! Why would an organization that huge come after us of all people...?"

"E-evidence! Show us evidence..!"

"Scary...? That's... y-you're the one running a killing game. You're way more..."

"Hmm...? I'll let you decide that for yourselves... I'm outta here! Time to get back to what I was doing! It's been a while since things got this interesting! Puhuhu..."

And with that, Monokuma vanished.

Everyone stood lost in confusion, the silence stretching on and on, until Togami was the first to collect himself and break it.

"...Even if every word Monokuma said is true, we cannot automatically regard the traitors as our enemies."

"Y-yeah... Even if the traitors really did wipe our memories and kidnap us... the one who made us kill each other is still Monokuma, right?"

"I... I don't know anymore. I don't know who to trust... Everything is so confusing."

"What on earth is going on..."

"Ibuki's brain cannot compute this... It feels like my head is on fire..."

Amid the chaos, Kei quietly turned to Komaeda.

"Komaeda... why did you do all this...?"

"...Hm? What do you mean?"

"You don't even know for sure what the traitors are, so why the hell did you pull a stunt like this?!"

"Hahaha... I wonder? Why did I...?"

"If you'd just told everyone what you'd figured out and tried to drive the traitors out, I would've gladly...!"

"No... that wouldn't have been enough. That wouldn't have been enough to witness everyone's brilliant hope rising up against despair..."

"What...?"

"And as for what the traitors actually are... whether they're good or evil... I never cared from the start...! All I wanted was to see it — the intoxicating, beautiful hope that all of you would bloom when you stood and fought against despair...!"

"You... you..."

"Rather than just anyone becoming a killer... wouldn't it be far more despair-inducing for all of you if the 'traitors' you'd been so wary of were the ones who committed murder?"

"You...!"

"And... the ones who fought back against that despair... they would've bloomed with a hope more brilliant than anyone else's...! The more I think about it, the more of a shame it is. Haha..."

"You're insane!!!"

"Ahaha. Thanks for the compliment..."

Kirigiri stepped in before Kei could lose his composure again, and put a question to Komaeda.

"Komaeda. In that case, the reason you gave Nanami the knife..."

"That's right! I gave Nanami the knife so that a traitor would commit murder..."

"....."

"Well, I told Nanami that someone who'd figured out she was a traitor would attack the two of us during the party, so she should keep a knife on her for self-defense... And of course, I coated the blade in fluorescent paint so it'd be easy to see during the blackout..."

"And after that...?"

"After that... I asked Monomi to turn off the lights for a bit because we were throwing a surprise party. And once the blackout hit, I just stood there, perfectly still, right next to the glowing knife."

"But you pushed Hinata...!"

"Ahaha, Nanami. I didn't push him."

"What...?"

"Hinata lost his sense of direction in the blackout and was wandering around. He just happened to collide with me and get shoved toward the knife..."

"Y-you expect me to believe that nonsense...?"

"I told you, didn't I? I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student... I wanted so badly to see a traitor commit murder, and then watch all of you overcome that despair... so that's what happened."

Komaeda delivered these outlandish claims as if they were nothing at all — and yet no one could laugh them off or brush them aside. Perhaps it was some aura rolling off him, quietly insisting that every word was true. Or perhaps it was because he had just proven his luck by correctly naming all three traitors.

In that heavy silence, someone muttered.

"No way... I can't believe it... That's literally a superpower..."

Hearing that, Komaeda began to speak, a lonely edge in his voice.

"Well, I don't think it's that amazing of an ability... It has a fatal side effect, you know..."

"A side effect...?"

"In the end, Hinata survived thanks to the quick first aid, which meant my plan to make a traitor commit murder fell apart completely — and every last bit of what I did got exposed...! See? Misfortune always follows right behind my luck...! Ahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"

Everyone was too exhausted, body and soul, to do anything but stare blankly as Komaeda's laughter dragged on and on. Then, from among them, someone suddenly stepped forward and walked right up to him.

"Yeah. Looks like misfortune really does come after your luck."

"Hahahahahahaha... Kei, are you saying you understand me...? Even if it's the understanding of a traitor... it makes me happy, having an Ultimate understand me...?"

Komaeda was still smiling, his face alight with that same rapturous look. Kei's voice, when he spoke, was ice-cold.

"Want me to tell you what you've actually done?"

".....?"

"The truth is, every last member of the 77th Class is—"

The words died in his throat. Just as Kei was about to spit it out, his eyes burning with rage and hatred, the electronic student handbooks belonging to Kei, Kirigiri, and Nanami all went off at once.

Kei checked his handbook and clenched his teeth. Then he locked onto Komaeda with a look that could kill, and his voice came out shaking with fury.

"Once you learn the whole truth, I really can't wait to see how you'll react."

Komaeda took that in and laughed, as if the whole thing delighted him.

"Ahaha... I have no idea what you mean, but... when you put it like that... now I'm really looking forward to it...?"