(3rd Person's POV)

We find ourself in a strange room with dim lights and candles. In the center of the room was a shrine to the apparently deceased Masaru.

Monaca clapped her eyes together and closed her eyes. "May his soul rest in peace."

"Rest in peace... rest in peace..." Jataro and Kotoko chanted along with Monaca.

Meanwhile, Nagisa stayed behind, his arms folded while looking disinterested in the whole thing.

Monaca then sobbed. "I feel so bad for Masaru... This is just too cruel..."

"He always acted all big, and was a perverted idiot, but...he was a pretty good person." Kotoko sighed. "I remember the time he fixed the air conditioner, and even the chairs and tables, too..."

"Um... I was the one who did that..." Jataro corrected.

Kotoko completely ignored Jataro as she continued. "Anyway, he was a good person. Oh Kami, why do the good ones always die first!?"

"I should have been the one to die. Might as well. That's how it feels... Like you're trying to hide that you actually think I should have died, cuz no one likes me." Jataro said before tears welled up in his eyes. "But I agree with you. It would be much better for the hated one to die instead of the leader of the Warriors of Hope..."

"Ah, that reminds me!" Kotoko exclaimed. "That's totally true! Masaru was the leader, huh?"

"What are we to do without our leader? Oh, Masaru!" Monaca hiccuped.

"Oh no, Monaca crying..." Kotoko grimaced. "If that's the case, then allow me to join you." She offered before bursting into tears. "Waaaaaaaaah! Oh, Masaruuu! Why, why, why?! I wanted to play with youuu!"

"Ugh... if only I went first, Masaru wouldn't have died. I'm a useless loser..." Jataro cried. "And being locked in the bathroom by Masaru is no excuse! It's my fault for being there. I shouldn't have been pooping in the first place."

"Hey now..." Nagisa spoke up amidst all the crying.  "It's not as if we're positive that Masaru is dead, right?"

"Waaah, even though he was so strong, so full of life... Now he's just a chunk of meat!" Monaca cried, seemingly ignoring Nagisa.

"Like I said..." Nagisa continued. "According to the Monokuma Kids' report, they did not say he was dead. The report indicated that he was captured by adults, and his status is unknown."

Monaca then stopped crying. "But "unknown"... That means he's dead, right?"

"...Huh?" 

"Think back to those talk shows that used to be on when times were peaceful." Monaca continued. "Hearing "status unknown" or "unconscious"... You knew they're probably gonna die anyway. That's what I always thought, anyway."

"But, but even so, if we don't actually confirm it for ourselves..." Nagisa trailed off.

"No, it would be pointless. Our precious Masaru... He's returned to the earth now." Monaca sobbed.

"But... We should have someone go look into it, just in case..." Nagisa tried to argue.

But Monaca would just childishly wave her fist into the air. "It's! Gonna! Be! Useless! Masaru! Is! Dead!" She yelled, throwing another fit. "A prince! Who became! A star! What! Is essential! Is! Invisible! To! The! Eye!"

Kotoko gasped. "My goodness! You made Monaca maaad."

"Awww, now you're gonna be the hated one, Nagisa. Even more than me..." Jataro grinned.

"...Huh?" Nagisa blinked.

"But it stopped short! Never to go again! When the old man died, y'know!?" Monaca cried.

"R-Right, I understand! It's just as you say!" Nagisa frantically nodded before sighing. "Masaru...died. That's just...what I need to believe."

Monaca's mood changed on the clock as she instantly  smiled. "Well then, now that we feel the same way... Let's say out prayers to Masaru." She looked up to the shrine dedicated to Masaru. "Rest in peace, our hero Masaru... You were a grand leader. You worked your hardest, like a real hero should, though you were a coward." Her lip quivered before perking up again. "Phew! I feel much better now, after a good cry! Okay now, let's get back to the game. Alright? The fun's not over yeeet!"

"You...want to continue with this?" Nagisa asked. "Is it not more important to work on establishing Paradise further? There are other adults around--"

Monaca pouted as she turned around. "Nagisa... You don't wanna play anymore? Do you hate Monaca now because Monaca's just so selfish!?"

Nagisa shook his head. "N-No, of course not. We're allies, and we'll create Paradise together, after all."

"Then... Do you like Monaca?"

"Wh-Where did that come from? I hardly think it's appropriate to discuss that now..."

"So you...don't like me?"

"L-Like I said, it's not that..."

Suddenly, Monaca's expression turned cold and accusing. "You know, Nagisa... That attitude of yours... You're acting just a little bit like an adult..."

"...Adult?" Kotoko's face went blank.

Jataro turned to Nagisa with the same expression. "You're an adult?"

"D-Don't be stupid! That's not true!" Nagisa refuted. "I'll be a kid until I die! I would rather die right now than become an adult! Don't you believe me?"

"Then... Do you like me?" Monaca asked again.

Nagisa blushed as he pressed his index fingers together. "I... I like you."

Monaca giggled. "Yaaay! Nagisa liiikes Monaca!"

"I l-like you as an ally, with whom I can build Paradise... It's not...love or anything." Nagisa clarified, though his blush still remained.

"Oooh, this is bad. Nagisa is burning up..." Jataro remarked.

"Jataro, you're our Priest! Chant some healing magic!" Kotoko said.

"O Heaven, change my words to life, give mercy to the lost soul! Haaaiyaaa!" Jataro chanted.

"Kyahahaha!" Kotoko laughed.

"S-Stop that! Don't tease me!" Nagisa raised his voice, looking and sounding embarrassed. 

Monaca pouted. "Jeez, don't be so mean to Nagisa! Nagisa, Kotoko, we are all allies here. We need to learn to get along."

"...I'm standing right here... You didn't mention me because you hate me, right? That must be it..." Jataro lamented.

Monaca completely ignored Jataro and continued. "So let's all get along, okay? Let's have fun hunting together, okay?"

"Kyaaa! As expected of our Monaca, positive as always! I just love that about you!" Kotoko cheered. "Ah, of course, it's not just that. I love everything about you."

Nagisa sighed, relenting, "Fine... Let's continue the game. I have no further objections."

"That's our vice leader... Oh wait, you're the leader now." Monaca said.

"...The leader?"

"Yeah, I mean, that hero guy... Um, what was his name...?" Monaca wondered before shrugging. "Well anyway, our last leader died, so since you were vice leader, you're promoted."

"I'm...the leader of the Warriors of Hope?" Nagisa reiterated.

"Yeah, that's right. I have high expectations of you, our new leader Nagisa."

"Y-Yeah... High expectations for me..."

"Good! You're so reliable, I knew I can count on you!" Monaca smiled before she began to wheel out of the room. 

"Oh, you're heading out, Monaca? Where are ya going?" Kotoko asked.

"Hmm, I have a little business to take care of. Buh-byeee!" Monaca waved as she left the room.

"Business? What kinda business? Monaca always goes off on her own like that..." Jataro said.

Kotoko pouted. "Prying into a lady's private life? If you were an adult, that'd be sexual harassment!"

"Oh! Could it be her tummy? Do you think maybe she just has to poop?"

"Ugh, you actually went there!? That topic is off-limits! Jeez, I hope you die in the worst way."

"But I heard that...going to the bathroom once in a while is actually really healthy!"

"Excuse you, but our little Monaca does not do number two! You'll just have to settle with mine."

"W-Wait... That makes it sound like I'm a pervert or something..." Jataro realized. "Ahhh, oh no! This is such a bother... What if my good image is soiled by this? What if people avoid me all the time, and I can split them like Moses? ...Oh. That actually sounds pretty good..."

Kotoko rolled her eyes. "Anyway, there's nooo need whatsoever to worry about where Monaca goes. She's not telling us because it's something we don't need to know."

"Yeah..." Jataro nodded. "I should remember to just focus on hunting Demons. And also to always brush my teeth."

"Ah ha! Cheater!" Kotoko fiercely pointed at him. "I won't let you get a head start! I'm gonna go hunt down Demons as well!"

"You're right, we should focus. This is Monaca, after all. This game surely has some purpose. Perhaps it's to send a message to the coward adults that they cannot win against us..." Nagisa's face turned dark. "Yes, that's probably it. This game can play a vital role in establishing our paradise!"

"You were totally against it a minute ago." Kotoko pointed out. "Did the power of being a leader go to your head?"

"Wh—What was that!?"

"Ahhh... Guys, Monaca said no fighting..." Jataro tried to mediate.

"Heeey you guys!" A voice said as the Servant came in holding a few milkshakes. "Thanks for waiting! Here you go. Some nice, freshly-made milkshakes."

"You're too late! Monaca already left." Kotoko gave him a disapproving look.

"My sincerest apologies. I didn't know how to make them. And of course, I couldn't look it up..." The Servant chuckled.

Jataro walked up to the Servant and took a look at the milkshakes. "Uh... Is this how milkshakes are supposed to look? It's all murky..."

The Servant shrugged. "I'm not certain. I did make sure to add the sugar and the rendered fat..."

"Rendered fat!?"

Nagisa narrowed his eyes. "Did you really intend to make your rulers, the Warriors of Hope, drink this swill?  I think you'll be the one drinking this slimy thing instead. That's an order."

"Ah, but how troubling... If I keep drinking it down, I'll feel it filling up my stomach..." The Servant remarked. "But, if it's your order, master... I live to serve. I am your servant, after all. ...Ahahahaha."

---

Meanwhile...

The three girls went down the stairs as they finally entered the subway. While looking around, they noticed that a whole bunch of nothing was here.

"For some reason...a completely empty station like this makes me anxious." Komaru said.

"I-It's dark and creepy... Weirds me out." Toko remarked. "And it's not just that. Like I thought, the trains aren't moving." She noticed.

"..." Akira stayed silent, simply looking around the station.

"But if we walk along the railway from here, we should be able to get out of the town, right?" Komaru assumed. "Right? There's no mistaking it, right? I mean, we're gonna be saved, right?"

"Argh, so noisy... We won't know until we find out, will we?" Toko replied.

"Let's hurry up and go! Let's just run from here!" Komaru yelled before adding. "Oh, but, actually... Maybe it would be better if we pretended like we were dead to avoid attacks. Hey, Toko, do you know how to do a good zombie impression?"

"...I'm not doing that."

Komaru turned to Akira. "Aki...?"

"...Just play dead."

---

The girls went down the stairs, though...

"The train's not moving..." Komaru pointed out.

"Yes, but we already knew that..." Toko said.

"I know but... To see it in person, stopped like this..." A depressed cloud appeared over Komaru's head. "It makes me kinda down, is all."

"Jeez, are you really going to get depressed over every little thing?" Toko rolled her eyes.

"Says the walking inferiority complex..." Akira snarked.

"Hey!"

"But I guess you're right." Komaru concurred. "We should just walk along the railway. Then we'll be safe, right?"

"L-Like I said earlier, we can't know that for sure... Believing a lie so strongly just makes the truth that much more painful. Pop idols aren't virgins, lottery numbers are fixed..." Toko listed. "This world is much easier to deal with if you look at it rationally."

Komaru sweatdropped. "I think...you might have gone a bit off topic there... For now, there's no other option than to try, right?"

"You're...right." Toko suddenly twitched.

Komaru noticed this. "...Something wrong, Toko? Are you worried about something?"

"Huh? N-No, not really. It's nothing." Toko shook her head. "It's just... Didn't I tell you? I'm afraid of the dark."

"...Is that all? There's something else bugging you, isn't there? Listen, if you have a bad feeling about this, or you can sense some kind of danger..."

"What, do you think I'm some kind of psychic danger detector or something? If we're gonna do this, let's hurry up and do it now. We'll have time to think later. ...All three of us."

"Huh? O-Okay..."

---

"We can get out of the town through here, right?" Komaru said as they continued to walk through the station. They then went on some empty train tracks where.

"For some reason, it's getting darker and darker... shouldn't we start heading back now?" Toko looked wary.

"Oh, don't say that. Let's just keep going a bit farther..." Komaru said.

But behind them, some Bomber Monokumas sneak up. They threw their grenades up above them, but due to being underground, they bounce off the ceiling and land right back in front of them, where it promptly blew up, destroying the Monokumas.

 "...Hm?" Akira's ahoge started swaying right and left.

"Aki? What's wrong?" Komaru asked.

"And why is your antenna moving like a dog's tail?" Toko pointed out.

"Over there..." Akira pointed as from the smoke, Monokuma units in riot gear charged at them. Komaru took a shot, but the blast just bounced off the shield they had!

Stand Ready - Guard Monokuma

"That shield... the gun and grenades don't work!" Komaru exclaimed.

"Then we need to get out of here fast!" Toko said, but Akira would just flash step in front of the Monokuma and kick the shield out of its paws, before Komaru shot at it, making it explode. "...Or you can do that. That works too."

---

After that, they headed further down the rails until...

"Th-That's!" Komaru stuttered as they saw themselves reach a dead end.

"Aha... Ahahahaha... Having luck this bad? It's almost comical..." Toko snickered.

"No it isn't! It's not even one micron funny!" Komaru responded before she felt a hard tap on the head. "Ow!"

"Wh-What!? What was that?" Toko wondered.

"Something...hit my head. It felt like something fell on me from above." Komaru rubbed her head, trying to ease the pain.

"...From above?"

Akira tilted her head up as she felt the ceiling rumbling. "...Uh-oh."

"Th-th-this is your fault for yelling so loud!" Toko accused.

"What do we do?" Komaru said.

"What do we do?" Toko responded as suddenly, a large piece of ceiling falls on her head, her body slamming down on the ground.

"Toko!" Komaru cried, but she would rise back up with a crazed look in her eye.

"Take a good look, the cute one is here!" She smiled as Genocide Jill came out.

"Huh?" Komaru blinked.

Akira tilted her head. "Who the...?"

"We gotta run, Dekomaru! You too, Babyface! Come on, let's dash!" Genocide Jill grinned. "To our...horizon!"

"Hey! Wait a sec!" Komaru called after her.

"What's going on...?" Akira mumbled.

---

After dealing with all the Monokumas and escaping the crumbling railroad, the girls ran back to the station where they started.

"Phew! Boy, that was dangerous!" Genocide Jill giggled. "That was crazy! Ufufu! Boy crazy!"

"...Okay, so who the heck are you?" Akira asked, not being there when Genocide Jill first met Komaru.

"O-Oh..." Komaru raised up a finger. "Toko has a split personality. That's Genocide Jack."

"...The serial killer?" Akira raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah..."

Akira blinked twice before shrugging. "Ah, whatever. After fighting a ten-year-old in a giant robot, I don't care that a shy bookworm has a murderous split personality."

"But still..." Komaru panted. "Wh-Why? Why did your personality change? You didn't even shoot yourself with the stun gun!"

"Huuuh, I didn't tell ya? My personality switches when I go unconscious, too! And I'll stay this way until I go unconscious again!" Genocide Jill explained.

"What!?"

"Sneezing is the same way. My personality totally changes! It's downright refreshing!"

"You...also change by sneezing?"

"That's right! If I have a little pepper in my breakfast or lunch--" Genocide Jill suddenly stiffened up. "A-A-Aaachoo!"

She sneezed as she switched back to Toko. "H-Huh?"

"She really did change!" Komaru gasped.

"I-I don't know what happened, but... I can take a guess." Toko turned to the rubble that covered the railroads. "Jeez, this is one tough break after another. How unlucky are you?"

"This is...wrong... Definitely wrong. I just want to get out of this place. Why...? Why can't I do it?" Komaru teared up. "Was I right...? Is it really impossible? I'll never escape?"

"...That might be the case." Toko bluntly responded.

"...Huh?"

"But even if you can't escape, you can still survive.  All you need to do is face them. Fight them."

"F-Fight...?" Komaru parroted before narrowing her eyes. "Toko, what are you saying? There's no way I can fight!"

"Don't be so sure!" Toko argued before stopping. "Wait...hold on. Over there!"

"...Huh?" 

The three girls turned around to see two Monokuma Kids carrying a TV.

"What is it? A monitor?" Toko said.

"Is it... some kind of trap again?" Komaru guessed as the monitor flickered on to reveal Jataro on the screen.

"..." Jataro blinked. "Huh?"

"Wh-What's with this creepy little kid?" Toko wondered.

"Ah! Am I on already!?" Jataro exclaimed before muttering. "Ohhh, I was gonna raise the curtain after Kotoko introduced me with a joke..."

"Hey..." Toko turned to Komaru. "Is this kid with them, too? Is he a part of that Warriors of Hope or whatever?"

"Y-Yeah..." Komaru nodded.

"Yeeep." Jataro confirmed. "I'm the Priest, Jataro Kemuri. AKA, Li'l Ultimate Art. But I'll warn you now... Don't say my name out loud. It's a curse."

"D-Don't mess with me, brat! Take off that mask, I'm sweating just looking at it!" Toko demanded.

"N-No! Horrible!" Jataro exclaimed. "If I do that, your eyeballs are gonna explode!"

"...Huh?"

"Even I don't want to see that... Someone's eyeballs melting off cuz of my face... Oh, by the way, do you know? Is it just an urban legend that they use bugs to make food dye? Cuz like, wasabi and stuff, with the taste and the color... It's suspicious..."

"You..." Toko face twitched in disgust. "I'm sure you've heard this before, but you are t-totally gross!"

"Huh? Gross? I dunno, I think I'm a cheerful kid..." Jataro replied. "Oh, maybe I... I just don't understand what "cheerful" is? Then I apologize. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. From the bottom of my heart, I'm so sorry. I beg you, forgive me, I'm sorry."

"E-Enough already!" Toko hissed. "You're grossing me out!"

"...Huh? You don't forgive me? If you don't forgive me, does that mean... You hate me?" Jataro's eyes sparkled. "Well, maybe not. Maybe you're just teasing me, like boys who tease the girls they like... I mean, if you guys are little boy lovers and just wanna love me till you go crazy..."

"Even if we were siblings in a previous life, I'd still hate you!" Toko growled.

"Wh-What are you trying to say? I-I don't really get it..." Komaru spoke up.

"Well, I can understand that. This is like a yawn after all. It just comes out of my mouth involuntarily. Nobody can make anything of it. I don't even understand it, either. This whole thing is just killing time. Just a distraction from the horrors around you. You guys must be pretty laid back if you're actually interested in what I'm saying." Jataro sneered. "...As expected of Demons."

Toko turned her head away from the monitor. "I've had enough of this. Goodbye."

"Ah, wait, hold on! I was just trying to be nice! I wanted to tell you something!" Jataro desperately said.

"Tell us what?" Komaru inquired.

"Um, it's regrettable, but the ones with the wristband can't leave the city." Jataro informed.

Komaru widened her eyes while Akira simply stared at her wristband. "C-Can't leave? Why?"

"Well, you're a target for our game, right? The game isn't fair if there aren't any rules. Everything was already thought out. So that means there's a limit in this game." Jataro explained.

"L-Limit... Don't tell me... The reason that boy exploded when he tried to leave the town swimming..." Toko trailed off.

"...Huh!?" Komaru snapped her head to Toko.

"Th-That's not our fault!" Jataro shook his hands frantically. "It's not like we wanted him to blow up or anything. The wristband is made to explode when the user goes outside the town without permission..." He said before realizing. "...Well, when I say it like that, I guess it kinda is our fault..."

"You should have said that in the first place! Omaru and Aki here were about to explode!" Toko shouted.

"But "some things are better left unknown"..." Jataro snickered. "Adults say that all the time. It would be better for Mr. Pig if he didn't find out he was about to be bacon... It doesn't change the fact that Mr. Pig is gonna die. So isn't it better not to tell him?"

"...What." Akira deadpanned.

"Oh, d-don't go acting all philosophical about this! This game's rules are managed way too loosely!" Toko narrowed her eyes.

Komaru turned to Toko with an angry look, tears pouring down her face. "You're wrong! This isn't a game! Yuta, he... He died, y'know? To call what happened to him a... A "game"..."

Toko sighed as she mumbled. "...There are some games that require you to risk your life..."

"Huh? What do you mean...?"

"Hellooo, can you not just ignore me?" Jataro spoke up, waving his hands in front of the screen. "Hey, um, which do you not like more? Being ignored or ghosts? I don't like ghosts more. Ghosts are always cursing people and killing them all of a sudden... It makes me super mad."

"S-Stop it, already!" Komaru demanded as she placed her hands in front of her chest. "Stop saying things that make no sense!"

"That's right, just keep hating me. All you have to do is hate me. I'm from the Hate Planet, where being hated makes you feel good. And it's easier to just be hated." Jataro grinned. "

"Oh, don't worry, I hate gross little boys like you to death!" Toko assured.

"Huh, what you just said... Doesn't it kinda sound like "love" if you flip it around?" Jataro wondered. "I was worried, so I had to make double sure. That's why I called you guys."

"...Double sure?" Komaru repeated.

"If you guys see this, you're gonna hate me even more!" Jataro's eyes sparkled. "Tadaaa!"

The girls then stared at the screen. Jataro is in some sort of weird playroom-type place. Some carousel horses, a big Monokuma, and a block castle gets dropped in and some balloons start flying. They are shown a scene of a bunch of people dancing in a circle around the block castle...with the big Monokuma sitting there moving his arms...before the people have screws impaled into them.

"..." Komaru's face paled.

"..." Akira turned away, but her forehead turned a bit blue.

"I'm not gonna look... I'm not g-gonna look!" Toko mumbled to herself, her eyes shut. "It must be something horrible..."

"It is..." Akira responded.

"So, this guy, I hunted him down at the shopping district... And this one I hunted in the bathroom." Jataro said, pointing at the corpses.

"Ugh..." Komaru shuddered.

"Oh? Are you disgusted? But I can't just stop... Making dioramas is like, the only hobby I have..." Jataro mentioned before looking at the girls with an expectant look. "So how about it? I put a bad taste in your mouth, so now you hate me, right? Or maybe... You guys aren't affected by this... Because you have disgusting hobbies, too."

"P-Please, just stop already!" Komaru pleaded.

"..." Jataro gave them a blank stare. "Why do you want me to stop? Because you already hate me enough? Or because you don't wanna hate me? Because it's a waste of time? Because you're tired of it? Because you don't want to be? I mean, I don't know for sure... I'm just a kid, so I dunno what you really mean..."

Toko snarled at him. "Y-You! How crazy can you be!?"

"...And if I am, whose fault is it?" Jataro shot back before shaking his head. "Well, it doesn't really matter... After all, I have so much fun now compared to before. I should thank Mr. and Mrs. Demons. I want to say, "Thank you for teaching me that I'm nothing but ugly, nasty, worthless filth." I live like filth, surrounded by filth! Inside this paradise, where no adults can get in the way! Ehe, ehehehehe!"

And with that, the monitor shut off. The Monokuma Kids carried the TV out of the place, leaving the girls to take in all what happened. Toko looked pissed, Akira still had that stoic expression but she grasped her arm and tightened the grip, while Komaru just collapsed to her knees, sobbing on the floor.

"C-Crying like a kid won't make them treat you like one." Toko looked down at her.

Komaru only sobbed more in response. 

"Are you really going to just accept it? Be their prey?" Toko asked her, narrowing her eyes. "If not, there's only one thing to do. You can't run. You have to fight."

"Like I said, that's impossible..." Komaru said through hiccups.

"No, it's not impossible! You have Master's gun, don't you!?" Toko reminded.

Komaru shook her head. "No, that's not what I mean. I'm not like you. I'm just a normal high school student who can't do anything, y'know? Just running would be hard enough, but to fight? That's impossible..."

"...And just why do you think we're here?"

Komaru looked up at her. "What?"

"I'm not telling you to deal with it on your own..." Toko sighed. "You better not forget... Me and Aki are with you, too."

"T-Toko?"

"I-If it's impossible to do on your own, well then I guess I have to do it with you! So just a little more...just fight a little bit more."

"... It's okay to...rely on you two?"

"Y-You've already relied on us! Isn't it a bit late to ask that?"

"You're right... Sorry." Komaru closed her eyes.

"If you have time to apologize, might as well do it outside. The atmosphere here is...oppressive." Toko grimaced.

"Hey, Toko..."

"I already told you, don't apologize."

"No, it's not that... Thank you."

Toko felt her face heat up. "Wh-What are you being so honest for? It's just...ugh, gross. So c'mon, enough with that grossness and let's hurry up and get outside."

"...Yeah, okay."

Toko turned her head to Akira, you seemed to be spacing out. "Hey, Aki. C'mon, we're leaving."

"H-Huh?" Akira snapped out of it. "O-Oh, right... Coming..."

---

As the girls exit the station, they widened their eyes at what they saw.

"SOLJA BOY UP IN THE HO~! WATCH ME BABY, WATCH ME ROLL~! ALL THE BABIES DO THIS PARTYKUMA, NOW LET'S GO PARTY, I SAY-"

Dozens upon dozens upon dozens of Monokuma robots and Monokuma Kids were dancing on the streets of Towa City. The girls sweatdropped.

"There's way too many of them..." Komaru whispered.

"L-Let's go back." Toko suggested.

"Good idea..." Akira nodded as they went back into the subway.

---

"Th-There's too many of them." Toko lightly bit her thumb. "It's too dangerous to go that way."

"Then, what should we do?" Komaru asked.

Toko shrugged. "Don't ask me, I'm not your personal GPS."

"S-Sorry, you're just so reliable, I thought I'd ask." Komaru defended.

"..." Toko looked at her. "Reliable...? W-Well, it is true that my brain is far superior to yours... " She smirked before getting back on topic. "Now let's see... It might be better to head back underground for now, to find another exit."

"Back through the underground? Are you sure you're okay with that?" Komaru said.

"Wh-What do you mean...?"

"I mean... You're afraid of the dark, aren't you? The underground is pretty dark..."

"..." Toko stared at her before realization that she was right. "...Shit."

Komaru then gasped. "Oh, are you trying to be an example? To show me how to go forward, even if you're scared?" She assumed as her face brightened up. "I see! As expected of a true mentor!" She complimented as she ran off.

"Ughh..." Toko groaned as she and Akira followed her.

Chapter 7: End

To be continued...?