Part 76: Super High-school Level Update #69

It's over...

The third execution is over...
Celes-san's execution is over...

I can't sympathize with her after she killed two of her friends, but...

But nevertheless, she was one of us.

And he's taking it so lightly...!



Oh dear! What a mess.
Once again, someone killed because they couldn't sever their connection to the outside world...



You should take your lives more seriously! You're still young!!



Good grief... you guys were supposed to bring "hope" to the next generation. Will that ever happen, I wonder.



W...what hope are you talking about?! I refuse to take that responsibility, just let me out of here!!



Whether you accept it or not, you bastards are the poster children of "hope"...
Thrusting you bastards straight into despair is my chosen destiny!
It may be sad, but it's the unescapable reality.
Y...you keep making fun of us...
How long are you planning to keep it up?! What the hell is your goal?!



I'm getting sick of that question! Can you please stop asking it?



There's something far more important...
Kirigiri-san, didn't Celes-san just give you something that looks like a key?



So what door does that key open?



............



Huh? You don't know the answer?



Before I answer your question... I have one of my own.



What... did you do...?
What did you do to my body?



...Eh!?





Just answer... What did you do to my body?



Wow wow... my heart is thumping... W...what do you mean, your body...!
I...I'm innocent...
I know nothing....



............



U...um...

W...what the hell...? What's up with that conversation...?

Did the mastermind do something to Kirigiri-san's body...?
What does that mean...?




I feel the atmosphere has grown heavy, so I suggest we part now...
Well, then. I hope you bastards continue to enjoy our fun school life.
If you feel lonely feel free to always call me. Not that I'll answer or anything!



Upupu... See you later!!



After that, Monobear disappeared, leaving the rest of us once more struck with despair.

But, truthfully, it wasn't all despair...
There was a tiny glimmer of hope. That is...



Hey, Kirigiri-san. I hate repeating Monobear's question, but...
Was that a key Celes-san gave you earlier?
So it seems.



It's a locker key...



Eh!? So maybe...!



Celes hid that thing there...



I see... It is difficult seeing what is right in front of our eyes... Let us go and confirm, then.



Yes... Let's.



We left the school trial courtroom and rushed to the public bath's locker room.



And then, just as we were about to go in...

Kirigiri-san turned back to face us.





From here on, I'm going in alone.
Please go to the cafeteria... I'll report my findings later.



And why, exactly, should we let you go alone?



...Isn't it obvious?

Saying that, she took a quick glance at the security camera.



That's not what I mean. I'm asking why it has to be you.
You are the prime suspect for being a mole, after all...



............
In that case... let me go with her.



Naegi...?
...Please. I'll join her!
............
...If we stand here and fight, it will just catch someone's attention.
Hrm. Do as you please.
Thank you, Togami-kun...
Well, then. I leave it to you.
We'll be at the cafeteria.



Eh? Naegi and Kirigiri-chan...?



Oh! I see! So that's how it is!
Good luck, Naegi! Her type is surprisingly easy to win over, you know!

Asahina-san left that piece of wisdom behind and walked towards the cafeteria, leaving me and Kirigiri-san alone.



Let's go, then.
Sure...





I'm opening the locker.

Kirigiri-san took the key Celes-san gave her out of her pocket, and moved towards the designated locker.
She opened the locker slowly, and then...





Good morning.
Heh heh... I feel like it's been ages since we've met!



Thank god, it hasn't been harmed...

Kirigiri-san's voice was surprisingly full of emotion, as if she was honestly relieved that Alter Ego was safe.



I kept my promise to Celes-san, and kept quiet without speaking! Isn't that great?!



Ah, and also...
I'm almost done decrypting the files on this hard drive. I may even be done by tomorrow...
I'm doing my best, so please wait just a little longer.



...At least we have one thing to be thankful for.

"One thing to be thankful for"... I guess that's true. But...

Can you hold on for a second? As long as we're here alone, there's something I want to ask.



............
Please tell me. What were you doing alone all this morning?



...Did you come here with me just to ask that question?



It is... unnecessary to tell you right now...
Unnecessary...?
I'm... worried about you...!



Worried...?
During most of the investigation this morning you were gone and no one knew where you were...
And then, you refused to give an explanation...
I don't know what to think...



So... you suspect me of being a mole, don't you.
...Never!!
I... believe in you, Kirigiri-san...



You... believe in me?
Of course I do! It's natural for friends to trust each other, isn't it? That's why I'm asking you to tell me!
I want you... to trust me too...
We're friends, aren't we?



............
...I understand.



I guess I can try trusting you too, just a little...
Trusting... you...
So...!



...Fine. I'll tell you.
I'll tell you where I went, and why...
You see...



The story Kirigiri-san told me...

Was truly a peculiar one.

Even though I just said I trusted her, it wasn't an easy story to believe...
That's why I waited patiently until evening to check it out with my own eyes.
And then, when it became Night Time...

I started moving.





............



The boy's restroom on the second floor. There is no security camera on monitor inside...
There's a utility closet over there.
And inside it...



The utility closet in the second floor boy's restroom...

Is there really something there, like Kirigiri-san said?



Let's find out, shall we?





It looks like a perfectly normal utility closet.

Is there really a secret here, like Kirigiri-san said?





...Kirigiri-san said it was in here, didn't she?
But I can't see anything sp--

It happened when I put my hand on the back wall.

Suddenly, as if something was being sucked out of the room...

"Creaaaaaak!!"



...a loud sound could be heard, and my body passed through the wall...

Then, before I could tell...



"Crash!!"

I fell into the room behind the utility closet.



Eh......?

In a word...
The closet's back wall turned into a revolving door, and carried me over to the other side.

Just like... Kirigiri-san said.



The boy's restroom on the second floor... There's a utility closet over there.
And inside it...
Inside it, there's a hidden room.



So this is... the hidden room...
What's in this place, anyway?



There are a lot of files here. Some of them look like previous years' graduation albums.
Each and every one is covered in dust, though...

One file, stuffed in the corner of one of the shelves, suspiciously caught my eye...

"Hope's Peak Academy active student roster"...?
That's the only file... without any dust on it...
...It looks like someone read it recently.

Without thinking twice, I reached over for the file.
But before I had a chance to look inside...

A single piece of paper fell out of it and caught my attention.



What's that...?
"We must not leave this place"...?
That's a strange thing to write on a note...
If it said, "We can't leave this place", I'd get it. But, "We must not leave this place"...?
............



There's a hazy feeling inside my head. What is it...?
Something feels strangely wrong...

I feel like I'm having a deja vu...

...Those words. "We must not leave this place".

I think... I heard... those words... before...

But...
I... can't remember......

What is it that I'm not remembering...?
What is it that I don't know...?

What is it...?

What is it......?











A strange noise rang inside my head.
It was the noise of my grey matter shaken around.

And then, immediately...

Everything turned black.

I didn't understand what was happening.
And it took just an instant of not understanding...

...for things to end.

When I woke up...
It was a while later.





O...ow.....
It hurts...

It seems... I was hit on the head and lost my consciousness.
...That's the only thing I understood.

I could tell by the sharp pain on the back of my head.





Empty bookshelves.

Eh? Empty bookshelves...?

They're gone...
Someone took them...!

The graduation albums... the student roster... and also,
That note that fell on the floor.

Are they all really gone...?

What's the meaning of this...?

At that moment, I couldn't think clearly.
That sharp pain on the back of my head spread to the rest of my body...

A...anyway...
I... should go back to my room...
I have to rest......



I started walking back to my room with a heavy body and scattered thoughts...

And then, when I reached the first floor of the building...



U...uuu...
I get dizzy... just from walking around...

My eyes became dim... My vision blurred...
All of a sudden, I found myself curled on the floor.

And just then...

"........."

...Huh?

"........."

I can hear a noise from somewhere...

"........."

It's faint, but there's no question...

"........."

That noise...

Is it coming from inside the gymnasium...?



I carried my shaky body to the entrance room next to the gymnasium.

The noise I heard became more and more violent.

"Bang... Pow....!"
"Crash... Kachow...!"

Is something... happening in there...?
No, of course something is happening...

But is it really... on the other side of that door...?







I silently peeked inside the gymnasium...
As I did, the noise grew even more violent.

"Crash... Kachow...!"
"Powpowpow!! Bang! Crash!!"
"Bangbang! Powpowpow!! Kachow!!"





















Before my eyes a battle far beyond the abilities of regular humans took place...

Well, at least one side wasn't, in fact, human...

...Be that as it may, the fight mesmerized me.
I almost forgot how to move or breathe.

What's the meaning of this?
............
Answer me. What is the meaning of this?
Why are you resisting me...?
That wasn't part of our deal!!

"Deal"...?

I have reached a decision...
I shall not flinch nor grovel nor turn my eyes any more...
...I have finally made up my mind!
I will... fight you...!!
Oh...? Is that so...?
Do you fully understand what happens if you do that?
You haven't forgotten, have you?
...About that hostage situation...?
...!!

............

What... was that...?
What's up with... this conversation...?

Hostage situation...?

Does that mean...

Does that mean the mastermind's mole is...?



CHAPTER 3: END



Students still alive: 07