Part 124: Chapter 5 Deadly Life, Part 2

: Here we are.
: Looks like the door is still unlocked...
: Hey, so...when you open that door, there's not gonna be another huge KABOOM like before, right?
: You're asking that question *now*?
: Don't worry. We have Makoto.
: What...?



: It's in your hands...
: Again...?
: It means I trust you.

That's an absolute lie. I'm just being used...



♪ Music fades out. ♪



I reached out and put my hand on the door. I closed my eyes and tried to clear my mind. With a silent prayer, I slowly opened the door...





...Nothing...happened. After making sure I was still alive, I slowly opened my eyes.





In a word, the room was...strange. I mean, all the rooms up till now were strange, but this room had a...special kind of strangeness. It wasn't a surface fear like the rest of the school. Here, the fear was lurking beneath the surface... The room was filled with that kind of dread...

: Hey, that's--!

Hiro extended a trembling hand and pointed...



Look at all those monitors on the wall... Look what they're showing...





Each monitor displayed a different section of the school. The dorms, the classrooms... Every part of the school was covered.

: Th-This is...!



: It's a direct feed from every single surveillance camera...!
: All the cameras in the school feed back into this room...and they're displayed here on these monitors. So the sole purpose of this room...is to watch us.
: To...w-watch us!?



: Then this room is...!
: The mastermind's private room, without a doubt.

The mastermind's room... I guess that makes sense. So the mastermind was here...watching us.

: Then I think this settles it.
: Huh...?
: The body in the garden... If they had the key to this room, it can only mean one thing.





: That was the body of Mukuro Ikusaba, and she was the mastermind.
: Then the mastermind is dead? Like really really dead!?
: It would seem so.
: F-For serious!?
: It's too bad they had to g-go and die...before Master could k-kill them himself!

The mastermind...is dead? Could that really be true? Does that mean...it's all over? Because, I mean...that body...




Whatever happened, they obviously didn't die a natural death. So who was it that...?



: B-But...if the mastermind really is dead...
: That means we can finally get outta this hellhole!
: We gotta hurry up and find the exit! C'mon!



: No. We have to check this area thoroughly first.
: Huh!? But what about the exit!?
: If the mastermind truly is dead, we can leave whenever we decide to. But right now...
: ...we need to find out why the mastermind set up this life-or-death game in the first place.
: And I'm bothered by the fact that the mastermind was obviously murdered.



: M-Murdered!?
: So you think so too, huh?
: Naturally. The state of the corpse makes it plain as day. There is absolutely no doubt the mastermind was murdered.
: Wh-Why's it gotta be that way!? I mean, who could've even done it!?
: That's exactly why I said we need to investigate the purpose and identity of the mastermind.
: Now do you u-understand, you useless insect!? You're banned from t-talking to Master ever again!

The mastermind's purpose...and why they were killed... This room may very well hold the answers to those questions... After all, the mastermind must have spent who knows how much time here...

: Okay then, let us begin our search. It's time to uncover the identity of the mastermind.





: There is a lot of stuff to look at in the data center.



: The others don't really have anything useful to contribute though so let's skip right ahead to the objects in the room itself.



There's a really ridiculous number of monitors here. And the mastermind's been using them all to spy on us...



: As long as I h-have this...
: ...Huh?
: Look at M-Master go... It's like a feast for the e-eyes... H-H-H-H-How much is a m-m-m-m-monthly membership...!?
: ...





There's a bunch of computers all lined up. They look like high-performance PCs. Nothing like the ancient laptop Alter Ego was installed on...

: They're all on, but they seem to be locked.
: So what, we can't do anything? Just use your fighting spirit to force your way in!
: What c-century are you from...?
: The mastermind must've been using these to monitor the network. And Alter Ego...
: You may well be right about that.
: But there's no point in thinking about it now.
: You're right...





There's nothing showing up on this one...

: Huh? Hey, look. Next to that TV...



: Isn't that a TV antenna?
: It is! It's just like the one my grandma uses! It's totally one of those hi-def antennas!
: Wait, so if we hook up that antenna, we could watch TV?
: Huh? Did someone say TV!?



: Well well, Saturday Morning Hina's here!
: Uhh...are you talking about me?
: Anyway, if we can watch TV, let's do it! C'mon c'mon c'mon!
: Ah, you're all starved for info from the outside world, huh?
: Alright! Lemme work my magic, and you'll be quantum leaping your way to TV land before ya know it!

I mean...I get the reference, but...what's he talking about?



: Lastly, there's this rather conspicuous door in the back.



This door's kinda creepy... It's got a picture of Monokuma on it. What could be inside...?

*Rattle rattle*

: No luck...



: The door's locked, huh? What if you use the key that opened this room?
: Let's give it a try, just in case.

*Rattle rattle*

: Nope, no good. It won't even fit in the keyhole.
: Oh...
: Well, don't worry about it! Everything's fine. The mastermind's dead, right? So nothing's gonna happen to us!
: Yeah, I guess you're right...

I can't stop thinking about that door with Monokuma's picture on it... But worrying about it isn't gonna do me any good. Hina's right. The mastermind's gone, so there's nothing to be afraid of anymore.



: Hrm... Hrm hrm hrmmm...
: Oh...! Oh oh oh oh oh!
: ...What's wrong?



: Good news for all you Saturday morning kiddies out there! I think I got the TV working!
: Really!?
: Now all we gotta do it...switch it on!
: ...Then do it.
: Friggin' idiot mastermind! All "you guys need to cut free from your regrets of the outside world"...
: And they were sitting here watching TV the whole time! They really thought they could get away with it...?







: Hm...?
: Huh...? This is...
: It's the feed coming from...the surveillance camera monitoring this room, isn't it?
: Huh? That's weird...



: Hey, what are you doing?
: That's really weird. Hmm...
: Y-YOU'RE weird...! Weird in every way p-possible. And not j-just weird... Super weird!
: But...this TV isn't hooked up to anything but the antenna... So how is it showing the camera feed?
: Did you try changing the channel?
: Oh, good idea. Let's give that a try.

Hiro went through each channel one by one.





But on every channel, it was just...us. It was a live feed of us standing there in the data center.



: What the heck...?
: Is it broken or something?
: No... There must be some kind of trick to it, some weird setup...
: A trick? What kind of trick!?
: I'm not sure, but...
: ...Huh?
: ...Huh?
: Wh...?
: Wh...?



: WHAAAAAAAAAAAAATTT!?!?





: Gyaahaha! Been a while, ya friggin' bastards!
: M-Monokuma!?
: How...? You're supposed to be d-dead!
: Gyaaahahaha! Me, dead!? Don't be freakin' stupid!
: Hey, you're actin' kinda strange! Something seems...different.



: Of course I'm different! Evolution is perfectly natural! After all, I've been hibernating for two years already...
: Not even! It's been like half a day at MOST!
: How are you alive again!?
: Oh yeah, that's it. Puhuhu... The look on your faces right now is sublime! That's what I wanted to see--the moment you went from hope to despair...



: Don't tell me you pretended to be dead, all for this moment...?
: Why would a bear pretend to be dead? You're the ones who should pretend to be dead when you see a bear!
: I mean, that's totally laughable! It makes me laugh! I'm gonna laugh now! A-ha-ha-ha!
: And that's that.



: Well, it's almost time to cut off your past so full of hope, and begin to despair at the future ahead of you! I want you to all have way more fun in this killing game!
: You can't be serious... We have to keep going?
: N-No... We were supposed to get out of here...!
: Get out of here? Are you still obsessed with getting out of here?
: How do you not get it!? There IS no getting out of here! And besides...
: This life isn't all bad ya know! I mean, there's stuff you won't like about life no matter where you are!



: Are you s-serious? This place is the w-worst...!
: If it's the worst, does that mean you're in...despair?
: Ahh-hahahahaha!



: Whew. I'm pooped from all that laughing! I guess I'll just get to the point now.
: The point...?
: You guys really struck gold when you found that TV. Yes, indeed! That TV is an essential part of your school life here.
: I knew it was hiding a secret of some kind...
: But I connected the antenna, so why's it just showing us the surveillance feed?
: Puhuhu... Look how attentive they are now! Well then, I'm gonna let you in on a blood-gushing secret and tell you about it!



: That TV is absolutely, without a doubt, displaying the signal coming in on the antenna.
: Huh? But...what does that mean?
: It's displaying th-the signal...? But it's just us, standing h-here...
: Ugh, you're so stupid! Don't you get it!? Fine, I'll just tell you...





: This killing game is being broadcast live to the entire world. It's the most popular thing on TV!
: What...?
: This killing game is being broadcast live to the entire world. It's the most popular thing on TV!
: ...

It doesn't matter how many times he sayd it, I don't know what it's supposed to mean. I mean, even if I understood the words, I'm not sure I'd undrstand the deeper meaning...



: Wh-What? Broadcast live...to the entire world? What kind of bad joke is this...?
: It can't be... Have they taken over the airwaves somehow...!?
: The camera feed is being broadcast...? No way, that's impossible!
: That kind of overconfidence is a major weakness in your crisis management system, you know that? All you need is one weird trick that I found, and hijacking the airwaves is Easy Mode!
: A-Are you being serious right now...?
: Of course!

I heard a kind of...creaking. But the sound was coming from my own mind. Like a boat tossing in the ocean, my mind had begun to creak and groan.



: Everything has a meaning, you know... All those hints I gave you, all those tantalizing tidbits about the school's mysteries... Even me luring you here right now... Why would I do any of that without a reason?
: It was all for my captive audience--to show them true despair like they'd never seen it before!
: I became the director of a despair-based production! This is the ultimate reality show! The best in despair entertainment!



: You're lying! If this was on TV, the police and everyone else would be going crazy!
: Y-Yeah... There's no way they wouldn't have tried to come and rescue us!
: What if...they already did?
: ...Huh?
: But then again...it's not really any of their business, right? Sure, some people might yell at their TV to try and warn you. But who would actually come here to help?
: Don't you think that's possible? I don't really know personally though, so whatever!



: But to take control of all communications like that, you'd need an astronomical amount of resources.
: Yup! So, how could things have come this far? Well... That's a secret! There's something you all need to do first, remember?
: What...?
: Yeah, duh! There's the little business of...



*Ding dong, bing bong*





: A body has been discovered! After a certain amount of time, which you may use however you like, the class trial will begin!





: Huh...?
: C-Class trial!? Do you mean...!?
: Puhu... Puhuhuhuhuhu...! Puhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhu...!



: I'll leave the next Monokuma File right here. Everyone give it all you've got, okay!?
: Okay! Things are gonna get pretty crazy from here on out! You're in for a heck of a ride...! I can't wait...! I can't wait!





And then...he was gone. Reality was incomprehensible, the truth hopelessly out of reach. All we were left with...was despair.



We stood there for I don't know how long, frozen in place. I couldn't think. It took everything I had just to keep myself standing upright.



: I don't understand any of this... What's "despair entertainment"? And...how is he still alive!?
: I thought that finally...*finally* we could get out of here...
: A-And plus...what did he s-say about a class trial!?
: Well that part's obvious. The class trial is the class trial. What it means is that at this point, we have to figure out who the culprit is... Figure out...who killed Kyoko.
: What...?



: Wh-What are you talking about? I thought Mukuro Ikusaba was the one who died...
: The victim was female, right? Kyoko certainly fulfills that condition. And if Monokuma is still alive and active...that means that the mastermind, Mukuro Ikusaba, isn't dead.
: So naturally that body can't belong to her. So it must be Kyoko. There is no other possibility.



The body is...Kyoko's? Kyoko's been murdered...? No! It's not possible! Because...because I don't know anything about her yet...! I don't even know who she really is. To have it end like this...

: I don't believe it...! I refuse to believe it!




: Whether you believe it or not doesn't matter. The truth is the truth! If you refuse to believe, it's your responsibility to uncover the truth for yourself.
: Myself...?
: ...Anyway, we'd better begin.



: B-But...if we're gonna have a class trial...then that means the killer...
: Correct. It must be someone participating in our school life.
: Wait, so you're saying one of us killed Kyoko!?
: Well...that's not precisely what I'm saying, no.
: Huh? But you just said--



: I don't have time to explain now. There is a veritable mountain of issues I need to confirm.
: So I'm going to begin my search. If you value your lives, you'll put everything you have into this. That is how this game works, after all...