Chapter Text
“Wow, what a twist! But this isn’t quite over yet,” Monokuma said from his pedestal. “Everyone needs to vote for the killer!”
That statement was met with more silence, as everyone was still trying to process Hifumi holding an artificial head in plain view. The voting panel lit up in front of Kaede, and she pushed the button to vote for Hifumi without much thought.
“It’s the heart-racing showdown as the Blackened and the Spotless face off! Will you make the right choice, or the dreadfully wrong one?”
Before long, the voting screen descended, showing the end results: all ten votes going to Hifumi, meaning even he had voted for himself.
“Would you look at that, it’s the first unanimous vote! So it’s lucky that it’s correct- the killer of Chiaki Nanami is indeed none other than Hifumi Yamada!”
As soon as the students left their trial podiums, they gathered around Hifumi. Gundham was the first to talk, asking, “What foul demon possessed you to commit all that you did?”
“I’m not sure, my Overlord. It happened so gradually,” Hifumi said, his voice utterly defeated. “But Miss Akamatsu was correct- this all started on the very first day we arrived on this area.”
“That’s what I don’t fucking get! I said it as clearly as possible- to never use that machine because it was very dangerous!” Miu yelled. “Why didn’t you listen?!”
“Because I had no way of knowing you were telling the truth!” Hifumi snapped back. “And for all I know, you did learn what it did, and were plotting to use it behind everyone else’s backs! That’s why I absolutely needed to learn as well!”
“I may be the greatest inventor of all time, but that means jack squat if I can’t study the machine,” Miu said. “Which Monokuma made impossible!”
“And we were supposed to trust in each other! That’s why we drafted up the shift schedule in the first place,” Kaede added. “I know Miu can be difficult, but did you really never even try to reach out to her at all?"
“I couldn’t risk that! I needed to know for myself!” Hifumi insisted.
“What did you learn then, Hifumi? What made you desperate enough to use it, even if it meant…” Sayaka’s voice shook as she asked, “Drugging me, your own classmate?”
Hifumi let out a broken chuckle. “I have nothing left to lose. Perhaps spilling it all will make you understand the fever I’ve been in, all this time.”
As the conversation happened around her, Tenko had no reaction, which unnerved Kaede more than anything. She would have understood an upset, or even furious reaction, but Tenko was completely stone-faced.
“The true purpose of the Monokuma Miracle Machine was beyond anyone’s imagination, and one that I knew I had to use, for great good!” Hifumi said, getting into his dramatic persona. “And I will tell that purpose, here and now: the machines are meant to transfer a person’s consciousness from their body into a brand new body!”
“I knew that those body parts were too complex to just be a prop! But I wasn’t sure why they existed,” Miu said. “Because as soon as saw those manacles inside the machine, I couldn’t think of another reason they’d be there besides murder!”
“You should have mentioned that sooner!” Hifumi cried out.
“You just spent the entire trial talking about how no one should believe a word I say!” Miu exclaimed indignantly. “What good would telling you anything have done if you weren’t going to listen?
“Arguing on this point is meaningless. What’s done is done,” Peko said curtly.
“Then you tell us, Yamada. What happened that night?” Tenko finally spoke, but with a voice that seemed to be barely restrained fury.
“I still don’t know. Those body parts are a true marvel- they are nearly impossible to break, they give you the strength of five people, it’s a body that will never get sick, or age,” Hifumi said. “And in a killing game, anyone could be in danger of being attacked, at any time.”
In her head, Kaede heard what Monokuma had said, the day before Chiaki had been found dead: “ All humans are afraid of similar things, right? Of growing old, of breaking their limbs, of being so pitifully limited. Surely everyone would prefer to not worry about that anymore. ”
“That’s why I had to do it. I wanted to keep Nanami safe,” Hifumi said, steadily getting more worked up. “And with that machine, I could give her a body that would protect her!”
Following Hifumi’s declaration, Korekiyo started to chuckle, which evolved into full blown laughter. “Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful! Everyone responds to the threat of a killing game differently. But you, Yamada, decided to respond by chasing your heart's deepest desires! You did not care what you had to do, or who got in your way. Your convictions surpassed all of that!”
As Korekiyo’s words sank in, Hifumi went pale. “No, it wasn’t like that! I didn’t mean to hurt anyone! But it was the only-!”
“You did try to cover it up,” Ryoma pointed out, glaring at Hifumi. “And had you succeeded, it would have meant everyone else being executed.”
“You’ve got it all wrong! I thought that perhaps, someone had sabotaged the machine before I used it,” Hifumi said, looking around at everyone. “And that’s why it didn’t do what it was supposed to!”
“Is that why you were so insistent that I was the killer? You thought I’d done something?” Miu asked incredulously. “Didn’t you remember that tampering with the machine is against the rules?”
“I didn’t want to hurt Nanami!” Hifumi repeated. “The killer had to be someone else! At least, I absolutely believed that."
“You say that you only had the best of intentions, but when I think about what you did,” Ishimaru couldn’t meet Hifumi’s eyes. “I don’t know what to think!”
“That makes two of us, Kiyotaka. Even to this day, I don’t understand how you can overlook your own crimes,” Hifumi said. “Stealing *that* for yourself, and assaulting an innocent girl in the process!”
“Where on earth did you get that idea?!” Ishimaru asked, horrified. “I would never do anything like that!”
“You said before that your memories of that time were fuzzy. Perhaps that was a convenient lie,” Hifumi said accusingly.
“I don’t know who told you that I committed those awful acts, but… wait a moment, is that the real reason you killed me?” Ishimaru said, coming to a realization in his mind.
Hifumi adjusted his glasses. “I had to bring righteous justice down upon you, for the sake of-!”
“Ahem. Sorry to interrupt this fiery conversation between students,” Monokuma said. “But it seems that no one can decide on what exactly happened, even after all this debating. So this is a little unusual, but I’m going to show an exclusive bit of film- the very moment of the murder!”
“Wait, why would you need to show that?” Kaede asked. Ignoring her, Monokuma pressed some buttons, and the voting screen changed to show something else. Like or not, everyone was now treated to a view of the laboratory’s third floor…
For a moment, all that was in view was the Monokuma Miracle Machine. Then, Hifumi showed up, carrying four artificial limbs in his arms. He briefly dropped the limbs to push open the fake wall, and carried the limbs inside the hidden room. Hifumi left long enough to bring an entire artificial torso back in there, then stayed for a while.
After that, Hifumi left the hidden room, this time to open the door to the dumbwaiter, before bringing out Chiaki’s unconscious body. He took her over to the Miracle Machine, which had it’s lid open, and placed her inside, before restraining her wrists and ankles.
At that moment, Chiaki’s eyes flew open, and she looked around. There was panic in her eyes, but she otherwise had her usual stoic attitude. Then she saw Hifumi. “Yamada. What’s going on here?”
“Ah, Nanami! I didn’t expect the sleeping drug to wear off so soon. But it’s fine,” Hifumi said, in a cheerful tone entirely dissonant to his actions. “You could learn the wonderful thing that’s going to happen to you.”
Being as sharp as she was, it didn’t take long for Chiaki to take stock of her surroundings. “This is the Miracle Machine… the one we all promised not to use. Why are you here?”
“The big reason that no one wants to use it is because they don’t know what it does,” Hifumi said. He pulled the lever of the machine, which caused a panel full of buttons to rise from the floor. “But I do! This machine is going to give you a new body, one that is perfect for an angel like you.”
Chiaki seemed to realize that trying to break out of the restraints was futile, because all her attention was focused on Hifumi. “There hasn’t been a chance to approach this machine alone, except during the first day we arrived at this area… I think. That day, you doubled back and came here on your own.”
It was a statement, not a question. As Hifumi fiddled with the panel, he said, “Monokuma told me information, but of course I didn’t take him at his word. I looked over this machine on my own, and it’s perfect!”
As Hifumi continued to rant, he happened to move his head in such a way so the camera looked right into his eyes: and they swirled with utter madness. “Once I put you in the new body, you will be safe, and you will finally acknowledge me! You will acknowledge all that I’ve done for you!”
“Hifumi Yamada. Of course I acknowledge what you’ve done for me. You’ve looked out for me, and you are a good person,” Chiaki said. The panic had faded in her eyes, and her tone was steady. “You don’t have to do something like this. You can stop this, and we can explain this machine to everyone together.”
“That’s not an option! If I leave this alone, someone else is just going to use it first instead,” Hifumi said, his tone laced with desperation. “And that someone might rig this machine to be a murder weapon. I can’t allow that!”
“Are you talking about Miu?” Chiaki asked. “She would be the only person that I think of with the talent to pull that off.”
“It’s too suspicious that she told everyone to stay away from the machine for vague reasons,” Hifumi said heatedly. “And she admitted to using her talent attempt murder before!”
“...In circumstances like this, I suppose no one could fault you for doubting others. That’s why we all agreed to the shift schedule- because we doubt each other, but also because we believe in each other. And I believe in Miu.
This statement was enough to stop Hifumi dead in her tracks. “Why would you ever believe in Iruma?”
“Because I have faced all that Miu is as a person, good and bad. One could certainly argue that there is a lot of bad,” Chiaki said. “But I think there is much more good in her. Miu has created helpful machines for us… and she has loaned us one of them, to help everyone. She is a hardworking person, and someone I consider a dear friend.
But if you get to know her better, perhaps you could become friends with her too,” Chiaki continued, making sure to keep eye contact with Hifumi. “If you think that there is reason to be concerned about her, you can bring it up at the next meeting. But please, Yamada. If you are going to believe in anyone, believe in me. I think it would be best if we don’t use this machine, even if we do know what it does."
The entire time that Chiaki was talking, Hifumi had his back turned to her, so it was hard to tell what he was thinking. Then Hifumi turned around- and the madness had gone beyond his eyes to consume his entire expressions. “You’re only talking like that because you haven’t realized how good this is going to be for you. You shouldn't be listening to Iruma, you should only be listening to me. This body will be wonderful for you, you just can't see it yet. But soon, it will be different. Soon, everything will be perfect for us!"
Before Chiaki could say anymore, Hifumi shut the lid of the Miracle Machine, and approached the panel again. He pushed the big red button, and the machine shook intensely.
The footage stopped there, likely because it was easy to figure out what happened after that. Kaede could feel the air start to become tense with fury and disgust. Wait, is this the reason that Monokuma did this? To throw all the blame onto Yamada?
“Yamada, this isn’t true, right? This is something inflammatory that Monokuma made up,” Kaede said, slowly. “All you have to do is tell us your side of the story.”
Hifumi’s expression had been pure horror the entire time. “I didn’t think I’d be forced to relive that…”
“Wait, so it’s true?! You really did and said everything in that video?” Sayaka asked, looking about ready to throw up.
“Your soul concealed a rot the likes that I never suspected,” Gundham said, looking at Hifumi as if he were a stranger. “A servant that deceived even his master…”
“You’re looking at it all wrong,” Hifumi said, looking for some kind of escape despite being surrounded. “This was all for Nanami’s sake-”
Hifumi didn’t get a chance to finish talking, because Tenko abruptly punched Hifumi across the face. “Shut up! I don’t want to hear your excuses anymore!”
Shock took hold, keeping everyone from moving as Tenko punched him again, ranting all the while. “You never gave a damn about what Nanami wanted! You only cared about your own sick desires!”
“Your anger is understandable, Tenko, but perhaps you should calm down,” Ryoma said sharply.
“Does everyone still not get it? Yamada never planned to talk with Nanami, or listen to what she wanted!” Tenko shouted, her fists shaking. “That’s why he planned all that he did! Drugging her, and his own classmate too! Sabotaging the shift schedule. And most of all, trapping her in the machine with those manacles!”
Tenko’s not wrong, Hifumi did do all of that. Even so… “Tenko, he didn’t mean to kill her-”
“That’s not what I’m talking about! Yamada wanted to force a body onto Nanami that she never wanted or asked for!” Tenko yelled. “All because that’s what he wanted, and damn anything else!”
Hifumi mournfully looked down at the artificial head still in his arms. “She would have seen how wonderful it was, if only Monokuma hadn’t-”
Tenko slapped the head out of Hifumi’s arms. “With you, it’s always someone else’s fault, isn’t it? You’ve blamed Miu, Peko, Ishimaru. But it’s all on you. The only reason that this happened is because of you!”
“Chabashira, the amount of pain and fury in your voice… where is it coming from?” Sayaka asked, alarmed.
Tears of anger started to run down Tenko’s face. “Nanami wanted people to trust Yamada! She told me to give him a chance, and I did! And he repaid us by betraying that trust!”
Those words are what finally reached Hifumi, causing something to break inside of him. His eyes became hollow and empty.
“This is definitely spicy entertainment! But there are standards to follow here,” Monokuna said, in an amused tone. “Which is why it’s time for the punishment!”
“Maybe this is still a nightmare,” Hifumi muttered listlessly. “Soon I’ll wake up, and she’ll be there, with that wonderful smile.”
“I’ve prepared a very special punishment for Hifumi Yamada, the Ultimate Doujinshi!”
Hifumi looked over at the artificial head on the floor. “Please open your eyes. Let me know that I’m useful to you…”
“Let’s give it everything we’ve got! It’s punishment time!”
Hifumi Yamada has been found guilty
Commencing Execution
Hifumi found himself inside an area with walls made out of stone, and torches lighting the way, like a dungeon from an eight-bit game. Hifumi immediately tried to find an exit, and busted through the first door he saw.
There wasn’t an exit, but there was a large, black crown on a pedestal. Hifumi’s curiosity compelled him to take the crown, and experimentally place it on his head. This had immediate consequences, as the crown clamped itself on Hifumi’s head. He tried to take it off, and in the process turned back towards the door, to see he was no longer alone: there were now four people with strangely blank faces in the room.
A closer inspection revealed that they were cyborgs made out of the artificial body parts, and they were dressed in a specific manner, in keeping with the eight-bit game aesthetic: a warrior, a thief, a monk, and a mage.
Vanquish the Big Bad!
Ultimate Doujinshi Hifumi Yamada’s Execution: Executed
Before Hifumi could blink, the monk rushed over and punched him in the stomach, causing him to cough up blood. The monk continued to punch without mercy, not even letting him catch his breath.
When the monk finally stopped, it was for the thief to approach instead. In a flash, the thief got behind Hifumi, using a pair of daggers to slash his legs and force him to the ground.
Up next was the warrior, wielding a sword. Hifumi quickly found out that it was real when it was slashed across his gut. At this point, he could only try to to block as much of his body as he could, even with the other injuries.
Finally, the mage approached holding a wooden stick, and for a moment Hifumi thought he would get a reprieve. But fire came shooting out of the stick, completely engulfing him for three, painful seconds.
Despite everything, Hifumi was still alive, so the four cyborgs gathered around him and pointed their weapons upwards. Despite himself, Hifumi looked up to see what they were doing- and saw an energy beam gaining power directly above him. Before Hifumi could react, the beam fired on him.
After the light faded, all that was left was a pile of ash and a pair of glasses.
“I never understood why people wish they could live in a fictional world,” Monokuma said conversationally. “Did they believe they would be immune to dragon fire and sharp weapons?”
Kaede didn’t know how to feel. It was terrible, watching yet another friend be executed. But the monstrous nature of Hifumi’s crimes dulled any pity that she might have had for him.
“Tanaka, are you doing okay?” Sayaka asked in a comforting tone. “You and Yamada were close friends, so this must be hard for you.”
“...This is only the cruel whims of fate,” Gundham said darkly. “I was born to walk this world alone, and I will continue to walk alone for eternity.”
“Everyone can still work together,” Ishimaru said, alarmed. “There’s no reason to talk like-”
“To still speak of unity is the height of utmost folly!” Gundham yelled. “Humans are weak, selfish creatures! To believe otherwise is pure delusion!”
Gundham stormed off to the elevators, with Ent-B following behind him.
“Dammit! Dammit!” Tenko screamed, still crying tears of frustration. “I should have known better! Someone rotten to the core like Yamada can never change! I should have taken action, and-”
What happened next, surprised everyone. Peko had been watching Tenko’s meltdown, and in the middle of it, approached the aikido master and wrapped her in a hug, stunning Tenko into silence.
“This isn’t you, Tenko. This is Monokuma’s awful machinations weighing down on you,” Peko said softly. “But I know that you are stronger than that. So take a deep breath, and find that strength.”
Tenko did take a deep breath, and her anger drained out of her, as she hugged Peko back. “Thank you so much. I shouldn’t let Monokuma control how I feel!”
“Ke heh heh. Especially if he wants you to be blinded by emotion to a crucial fact,” Korekiyo said. “A curious aberration of this case.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Monokuma said, his tone oddly flat. “One of you killed another, just like every killing game!”
“However, not a single person involved in this case had the desire to murder,” Korekiyo pointed out. “Not even Yamada- whatever one might think of his actions, he truly did not mean to kill anyone.”
Pulling apart from the hug with Peko, Tenko raised an eyebrow at Korekiyo. “But two more people still died! So does knowing that even matter?”
“It’s hard to say at this point. But perhaps this distinction will make a difference in the future.” Korekiyo spread out his arms. “Or maybe it won’t! That is the true beauty of humanity!”
“We can think about that later. We’re probably all mentally exhausted from the class trial. So let’s go to sleep,” Kaede suggested. “And no matter what, we can’t let this drive us apart. Chiaki would have wanted us to keep working together.”
“But Nanami is dead. She can’t tell us anything anymore,” Ryoma said in a dreary tone.
In fact, everyone in general was exuding a mix of devastation and revulsion. They all trudged towards the elevator, not looking at each other, and Kaede watching this helplessly, not knowing what to say.
Everyone, that is, except Miu. Kaede realized that in fact the inventor hadn’t spoken a word since the murder video stopped playing. “Miu? Are you there?”
“She believed in me. Chiaki really did believe in me,” Miu said, her tone filled with disbelief.
“Until the very end. Chiaki is dead, but… I don’t think she’s really gone,” Kaede said, putting a hand on Miu’s shoulder. “Your time with her will stay with you, just like she will stay with all of us.”
“Monokuma found a gullible fool that would buy his line of bullshit. Because of that, Chiaki was taken from us.” Miu clenched her fists. “How long until it happens again? Until we get betrayed again?”
“I think we were on the right track, putting all of our heads together,” Kaede said firmly. “But what’s important is that we don’t give up! There are people that would never betray you, Miu. Chiaki, Maizono, and me. More than anything, I want us to make it out of this together!”
“Even if you’re right, someone else could still decide to kill.” Miu shook her head. “Until we stop this killing game, that could still happen!”
“Which is exactly why we have to defy it, however we can,” Kaede said. “But first, let’s get away from this trial ground.”
Unbeknownst to Kaede, and everyone else, in another part of the island, an entirely different conversation was happening. In what looked to be an office room, Monokuma was with another person.
“Whew, that’s another class trial wrapped up. That was a close one, wasn’t it?”
The other person didn’t answer, but seemed to be studying Monokuma.
“I hope you appreciate what I did for you,” Monokuma continued, unsheathing one of his claws. “I had to bust my butt covering up for your mistake! But I didn’t do that for free. I expect you to return the favor.”
Monokuma pointed to a desk drawer. The other person opened it, and found a pair of Flashback Lights inside. The person took them out of the drawer and left the office.
Monkuma chuckled as he watched them leave. “Puhuhu… you really will do anything to get what you want. I look forward to seeing what you do next!”
Chapter 3, A Wicked Symphony: End
Surviving Students: 9
You got the Art Notebook! A memento of Hifumi Yamada. Filled with beautiful art that you’d never expect given Hifumi’s exterior.
For the final time, the students went to their bedrooms for this third area. Miu didn’t know what everyone else was up to, but she couldn’t sleep. At first, she tried to work on one of her many inventions that she had going, but her mind refused to cooperate with her.
Then Miu decided to try and sleep, but even when she closed her eyes, that eluded her to, and she was beginning to become very irate. A blue light assaulted Miu’s closed eyes, and she groaned and shoved her face in a pillow.
“Can this light go away! I’m trying to get some fucking sleep here!” Miu yelled into her pillow.
“...Rude.”
Miu felt a bolt run through her body, because that was Chiaki’s voice. “I must have fallen asleep at some point,” Miu said, her face still in her pillow. “Because you can’t be here. You’re dead.”
Chiaki’s disembodied voice sighed. “It sucks. Monokuma had put his claws in Yamada’s mind before anyone noticed, and it ended up like this.”
“I can’t help but agree with Tencrotch a bit. He could take some responsibility for his own fucking actions,” Miu groused. “But he got executed, so what does it even matter anymore?”
Why am I even still listening to this? Even if it is Chiaki’s voice…
“Because this case is not over.” Chiaki stated simply.
That caught Miu’s attention, even if she still had her face in her pillow. “What do you mean? We had a class trial, caught the murderer, the whole nine yards.”
“But that doesn’t mean all the mysteries have been solved,” Chiaki said. “There are parts of this incident that even I don’t know about, but will be important for everyone to know… I think.”
Miu considered this. My brilliant mind did pick up on a few odd points. The way it wrapped up was way too convenient for the Mastermind.
“I know that this is a dream, but what the heck, I’ll bite. I know I’m a genius and all, but why did you decide to come to me?” Miu asked. “Kaede’s the one that everyone considers the leader. I guess because they’re impressed by her tits, even if they aren’t as big as mine.”
“Because the only person I can leave this to is you, my rival,” Chiaki said, her voice distinctly soft. “This is a mystery that requires the Ultimate Inventor.”
“Pulling that card, are we? Sure, I guess I could take on this mystery,” Miu said, trying to sound arrogant even with her muffled voice. “If my darling rival couldn’t solve it, then it really is one that can only be solved by me, the gorgeous girl genius!”
Chiaki let out a delicate giggle. “‘Darling rival’, is it? Then if you’ll allow me to be dramatic for a moment, consider this my last request, to my cherished rival. May we meet again, one day…”
The curiosity that Miu felt finally overpowered her, and she opened her eyes and looked out into her room. There was no longer a blue light, and Chiaki was nowhere to be seen.
“So it was just a dream.” Miu lay back down in her bed, staring at the ceiling. She did not sleep, because her mind was racing, trying to make sense of everything she heard.
Even if it had been her own, sleep deprived mind sorting through her thoughts, Miu couldn’t deny the validity of the words. This case was not over.
Miu would pull back the veil behind Chiaki’s death, set up by the Mastermind. She would defeat them, and end this Grand Killing Game once and for all.