(3rd Person's POV)

"Mukuro Ikusaba."

"...What?"

"Mukuro Ikusaba... The seventeenth student, lying hidden somewhere in this school... The one they call the Ultimate Despair... Watch out for her."

That conversation echoed in Sora's mind. Kyoko told her to watch out for Mukuro Ikusaba...

That was three days before...the next incident. Three days before she and the surviving students would be forced to deal with another murder...

Three days before she would discover the worst thing that would happen so far...

----

The next day...

"..."

Sora Shirayuki was once again laying in her bed, her thoughts being engulfed with the memories of yesterday. She again was wearing a white t-shirt and lavender boxers, tightly hugging her pillow.

After the mess that was Sakura's trial, all of the students had agreed to put their differences aside to focus on taking down the mastermind. And while it was nice to know that she didn't have to worry about anyone killing her any time soon, there's something... wrong.

"..."

The blonde hugged her pillow tighter as she blankly stared at the wall her body was facing, her eyes shining with enigmatic intent. Despite this change of tone of the killing game and how the students agreed to be united, she didn't feel like how someone would feel.

In fact, she didn't feel anything. She didn't feel joy, she didn't feel guilt, she didn't feel regret. She didn't feel or show any notable emotion.

Why do I feel that...something's wrong...?

---

Later, in the dining hall, the day after Sakura's trial...

"So, let's begin the usual post-trial investigation." Byakuya suggested.

"Hey, you didn't make small talk or anything! We never just get straight to the point like that!" Hiro complained.

Byakuya just chuckled. "If you want to keep up with me, you must refrain from pointless small talk."

Hina sighed. "Jeez, how high is that horse of yours?"

"He just acts like that to hide his own insecurities." Hiro assumed. "That's what I like to think, anyway..."

Byakuya rolled his eyes. "Regardless, if you want to defeat the mastermind, you need to follow my lead. They creep around the school like a mouse, but the mastermind's pride is as bloated as a cow's udder. And no matter what it takes, I will rid this world of them..." He declared.

"..."

"Hey, Fukawa...you've been pretty quiet." Hiro looked at the writer.

"..."

"Man, you're so boring now! You just sit there, like a mushroom. Gonna start calling you Miss Mushroom!" Hiro laughed.

"..." Although Toko looked annoyed, she still didn't utter out a single word.

"She didn't snap back at you..." Hina said.

"Her talking makes things difficult. So I told her not to open her mouth without permission." Byakuya explained.

Hina widened her eyes in shock. "What!? But if she can't open her mouth, she can't eat! Or drink water!"

"I don't care."

"And you're okay with that, Fukawa!?" Hiro turned to her.

"..."

Hiro sighed. "Jeez, how low is that rock you're hiding under...?"

"I believe this is the small talk Togami warned us against." Kyoko spoke up.

"And yet...I let myself get involved. But it is now finished. I will never allow you to drag me down to your level again." Byakuya said.

"I think you mean "up", Togami." Sora teased with a small chuckle.

"Quiet, you." Byakuya shot a quick glare before turning around, making them face his back. "Now let's begin our search. Stop running your mouths and start moving your legs."

Pressured by an obviously irritated Byakuya, the students started their exploration.

---

Bursting out of the dining hall, Sora aimlessly walked around the school before going up to the fourth floor. There, she saw that the gates for the stairs have opened up. Without missing a beat, she went up the stairs to the 5th floor of Hope's Peak Academy.

...Huh. This place is more...colorful than the rest. Sora thought. It has a nice pleasant blue to it. Nice.

But for some reason...it feels unpleasant to her.

Shaking her bad feeling away, Sora began exploring the hallways. Aside from a bunch of classrooms with chalk boards, there wasn't anything of interest in there.

"...?"

Her eyes glancing around, she suddenly locked onto a brown wooden door. Opening it, walked in and found that it contained the school dojo.

Sora then noticed that Kyoko was there as well. But...

What Kyoko told me yesterday...what does it...?

---

"Mukuro Ikusaba... The seventeenth student, lying hidden somewhere in this school... The one they call the Ultimate Despair... Watch out for her."

---

"Kiri." Sora called out.

Kyoko looked straight at her. "I'm not going to say anything."

"..." Sora stayed silent.

"I can't say anything..." Kyoko narrowed her eyes, her gaze quickly darted up to the surveillance camera. " ...You understand why, right?"

"..." Sora's ahoge bobbed up and down. Whatever she told her last night, it had to be important. The mastermind couldn't find out about it. But...where did she get something like that...?

"We're finished here." Kyoko said, and she made it very clear that the one-sided conversation had come to an end.

Rolling her eyes, Sora decided to focus on the room itself. Even though the dojo room is completely enclosed, there were multiple cherry threes in here. In full bloom, too.

Sora's eyes shined a bit as a small smile curved upon her lips. She always admired the beauty of the cherry trees.

"It's quite elegant." Kyoko spoke up as she walked next to Sora.

"...It's very beautiful for sure, but we see these things all the time in the outside world." Sora pointed out. "This is what you consider "elegant"?"

Kyoko flipped her hair. "I lived overseas for a long time, so this kind of Japanese-style scenery is refreshing."

Of course the cherry trees are wonderful, but considering the situation and how we have zero contact with the outside, doesn't it feel a little....outta place?

Shrugging, Sora turned her head to a bunch of wooden doors next to her. It kinda reminded Sora of those super old-school public bathhouses...

Sora sighed. It looked like that's all that the dojo had to offer. As much as she would like to stare at the natural beauty that was the cherry blossom trees, she had more important stuff to focus on.

---

"Hmmm..." Sora pondered as she was now in some sort of vegetation facility. She looked up. Are those...blue skies?

"At first I thought I saw blue skies, but turns out they just painted the walls and the ceiling!" Hiro exclaimed.

...Guess not.

"Oh, but the plants are all real. It's been a while since I've smelled vegetation. It helps me relax." Hiro suddenly frowned as he made a stern glare at Sora. " ...That's not what you're thinking, is it!?"

Sora blinked twice. "...What?"

"Don't you get it!? Don't you realize...the true horror of plant life!? It's there, just beneath the surface. Beneath their calm exterior, they're always watching, and waiting... And when they decide they can't leave us in charge of Earth anymore...they'll put their plan for global human extinction into action!" Hiro exclaimed.

"..." Sora gave him a deadpan stare as she put her hands on her hips as a sign of skepticism.

"I'm serious!"

"...."

Sora let out a long sigh as she pinched the bridge between her nose. Rolling her eyes, she walked up to some giant plant.

"What the heck is this thing?" Sora wondered. Flowers aren't supposed to get this big... "Is this even real....?"

"WATCH OUT!!!" A voice screamed as Monokuma suddenly appeared.

 "Huh?" Sora tilted her head.

"That's a Monokuma Flower. I came up with the name myself." Monokuma told her. "Try and touch it, and you're in for some real excitement! Your heart's all like whoa! and the plant's all like "snap!" and your flesh is all like "bluuuggh I'm dead!""

 So...it's an abomination.

"It's pretty frickin' amazing, if I do say so myself! A student at Hope's Peak added improvement after improvement, and created this miracle creature! The Ultimate Botanist... Although, they don't go here anymore. They died during The Tragedy!"

Sora raised an eyebrow. The Tragedy...?

"By the way, despite how it looks, that flower is super practical! It can eat paper, plastic, even people! So it's totally good for the environment! Such an eco-friendly creation is vital for the future growth of a healthy society! Not that I'd know anything about that myself! Ahh-hahaha!" Monokuma disappeared.

"...Well, whatever it is, I better not get too close to it." Sora said as she walked over to a...chicken coop?

The blonde looked at the chickens. They seem normal. They don't attack people, or they don't lay nuclear bombs disguised as eggs or anything...?

 "Oh, you like chicken too, Shirayuki!?" Hiro spoke up. "Yeah, I love these little guys. They're seriously cute, right!? And there's exactly five of them here!"

"Exactly...?"

"Five! You know, the number that comes after four and before six? At least, in terms of natural numbers... Anyway, whenever the number five pops up, that's a good omen! It contains the mysteries of the cosmos..." Hiro dramatically pointed at her. "It's a number of power! A refreshing number on par with hand-squeezed all-natural lemonade!"

...I'm starting to wonder if all that hair on his head is a buncha weed...

Sweatdropping, Sora walked away from Hiro and went to the back of the garden, finding a toolshed.

Maybe I should check this...just in case.

Walking in, Sora coughed at the amount of dust was in this place. Not only that...

This place is super disorganized. From a lawnmower to fertilizer, flowerpots to farm tools... And...wait a minute, is that a pickaxe?

Tilting her head, Sora randomly walked up to the pickaxe, which had some writing carved into it.

"Crazy Diamond."

"...Hm? Haven't I heard this somewhere before...?"

Shrugging it off again, Sora headed out of the toolshed and soon, the garden.

---

Back out in the halls again, Sora saw some sort of door in a hallway. A very long, dark and ominous hallway.

STEP! STEP! STEP!

A bead of sweat rolled down Sora's face as she walked down the hallway. For some reason, anxiousness would find herself inside the blonde's consciousness. The hallway's dark color scheme and her steps echoing throughout the hall was not helping.

Soon, she found herself at the end of the hallway, face-to-face with the door, with one side of it having the word "Raw" painted on it. She reached for the handle, but...

RATTLE RATTLE!

It's locked... Sora thought. I came all this way, went through all that anxious nervousness...just for that.

Looking at the sign, it seems like the is the Bio Lab.

"A Bio Lab that we can't go into..." Sora mused. It sounded like something from a cheesy horror movie... "But now...it looks like I have to go back. Oh boy..." She sweatdropped, looking back at the dark hallway.

---

"Hm?"

Sora tilted her head. She found the third classroom on the 5th floor. That's...odd. Usually, there's only two classrooms.

Wonder what's in here... Sora thought. She pulled on the handle and opened the door. And she was met with...

"W-What the hell....?!" Sora managed to breath out. 

The grotesque horror of the room struck her hard and quick. All the blood splattered about was bad enough, but...the smell. It was sour, repulsive, and rank beyond belief...

"U-Urge-!" Sora gagged.

"It smells awful, doesn't it?" Byakuya said, noticing the disgusted expression on the young blonde's face.

""Awful" is an understatement..." 

"It must be at least vaguely familiar to you. After all, you've been around your fair share of corpses."

"...Are you saying...?" Sora trailed off.

Byakuya nodded. "It's the smell of death. Their flesh and fat and blood..."

Sora sniffed, and immediately regretted it as she covered up her nose. He was right. The smell was more rank than the other ones she'd smell so far, but it was familiar. This was the smell of death and despair.

"But the smell here is strong, condensed. It's the smell of a battlefield." Byakuya mused.

"D-Do you think Monokuma-"

"What, my fault AGAIN!?" A voice exclaimed as Monokuma popped up again, looking quite annoyed. "Stop trying to blame everything on me!"

"So...you didn't do any-a this?"

"No, no, no. It's quite the opposite!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Yup! Let me give you an itty bitty eegie squeegie little hint. As far as this room goes, I don't know a thing! I just left it exactly how I found it."

"Really...?" Sora folded her arms behind her back.

Monokuma giggled. "How's that for a hint!? Better than those stupid "hints" you get from NPCs in those mean old RPGs! But it's pretty scary, huh? Blood all over the walls and junk..." The bear put his head down, but just as quickly lifted it up. "Of course, even in the outside world, people die bloody, gruesome deaths every day! So it's not really a big deal! Just keep your chin up and keep on livin', soldier!"

And with that, he was gone. What was that all about...?

He left it just the way he found it...? What's he talkin' about? What does that even mean...?

Sora would then look around the bloody classroom. Looking down, she came across a puddle of red blood, in contrast with the hot pink blood Sora would normally see.

"It appears all the bloodstains are dry. And their color has changed, as well." Byakuya spoke up. "I think it's safe to assume these stains are considerably old."

"All of this...is really blood, huh?" Sora asked.

"Of course. I wouldn't find it interesting otherwise." Byakuya smirked. "And it is interesting, I assure you. What on Earth happened in this classroom...?"

Rolling her eyes again, Sora would then walk up to all the white outlines all over the floor. There are so many...how many bodies were in here? She's always seen stuff like this in detective movies and stuff... It would always show up and the scene of a murder....

"..."

Sora twitched here eyes. This is all so surreal...

"Welp, that's all for me. See ya, Togami." Sora quickly waved goodbye to Byakuya as she cartoonishly ran out of the room, complete with Sora-sized dust outline where she used to be.

---

"I...guess I've seen all I've need to see." Sora said as she walked through the hallway.

But...nothing really seemed to make any sense. Especially with that bloody room...

"Guess I should head to the dining hall to see what the others have..."

---

Just like all the times before, Sora had been the first one to the dining hall. One after another, everyone made their way to the dining hall. And before long...

"It would appear everyone has returned." Byakuya said.

"But still...it's just the seven of us. That's barely enough for a decent volleyball team..." Hiro lamented.

"Hey! Don't be a sourpuss! We gotta think positive!" Hina exclaimed. "Besides, even if one more person died, we can still field a basketball team!"

"...I'm pretty sure that's, like...reverse positive thinking." Sora remarked as she sweatdropped.

"Anyway, there's no time to be depressed. For the sake of everyone we've lost, we have to do our best." Makoto said.

Byakuya rolled his eyes. "Can we stop all this group hug nonsense? We need to find out what everyone discovered."

---

"I checked all the windows on the 5th floor, front to back. That used to kinda be Sakura's job, but..." Hina sighed at the memory of her fallen friend before turning back to the group. "Anyway, no dice. There were metal plates on all the windows, just like everywhere else."

"Which means no chance of escape on the 5th floor, either..." Kyoko mused.

"But when I was looking around, I realized something about the layout of the school..." Hina said.

"What exactly did you notice about the layout of the school?" Makoto asked.

"You took a good look around the 5th floor yourself, didn't you Naegi?" Kyoko asked him.

"Huh? Why do you ask?"

"Because if you did, you must have noticed. The 5th floor is lacking something every other floor has."

Something on all the other floors...but not on the 5th floor...?

Sora slightly widened her eyes. "You're talking about the stairs, aren't you? There aren't any stairs leading up to the 5th floor."

"Does that mean...the 5th floor is the end!?" Hiro gasped out.

"We're finally starting to get a clear picture of this school." Kyoko smirked.

"All that's left now is to solve the underlying mystery." Byakuya chuckled.

"But that's the hardest part..." Hiro sighed.

"Even if it's hard, we still gotta do it!" Hina exclaimed.

"Yeah, Hina's right!" Makoto agreed. "Everything will be okay. As long as we work together, I'm sure we'll make it out of this...!"

Cringe...but I guess he has a point... Sora thought as she rolled her eyes in amusement.

---

"Well...there's a big garden up on the 5th floor." Hiro said. "And I found more than one thing to be worried about... A stupidly large plant, a chicken coop, and--I know what you're gonna say, but...a toolshed!"

"Monokuma said that the plant was called...a Monokuma Flower." Sora explained. "It seems dangerous, so I don't recommend touching it."

"It's totally a man-eating plant!" Hiro exclaimed. "I'm pretty sure it's different from the one that lives in the pipe, though. Anyway, that thing must benefit from the sprinkler system as much as anything else in there..."

"Oh yeah." Makoto spoke up. "Apparently the sprinklers come on every morning at 7:30 on the dot."

"Yeah, remember that! You don't wanna get drenched and catch a cold!" Hiro said.

"Well you don't have to worry. They say idiots never catch colds, ya know." Hina remarked.

"Of course not! Cuz idiots never get wet!" Hiro laughed.

"...That's ducks." Sora corrected.

Hina frowned. "I'm starting to worry about you, Hiro. Can you tell me what ten plus ten is?"

"Hey, come on! You don't ALWAYS have to call me dumb! I may have been held back three times, but that doesn't make me stupid!" Hiro said. "But if it'll make you happy, I'll answer your dumb question...! So! Um...what was the question again?"

"Don't worry. You just answered it..." Hina sighed while Sora simply shook her head.

"There were a bunch of chickens in the chicken coop, right?" Makoto asked.

"That's right! Five! Five chickens!" Hiro nodded.

"I love chickens!" Hina gushed. "Let's raise 'em up big and fat. Then we can make fried chicken! Oh, or barbeque! Decisions, decisions..." Her face lit up as she pounded her fist into her palm. "Oh! Oh! Or how about raw! Cuz there's nothing fresher than raw, right!?"

"I'm pretty sure that'd kill you..." Hiro sweatdropped.

"Hey, by the way, have any of you guys noticed?" Sora spoke up. "That pickaxe..."

"Huh? What about the pickaxe?" Byakuya inquired.

"I found a pickaxe in the toolshed. And the words "Crazy Diamond" was carved into the handle. Doesn't that sound familiar to any a y'all...?"

"Crazy Diamond? Hmm..." Hina pondered. "Yeah, that does sound kinda familiar, I think..."

"I don't just think, I know. We've definitely seen that phrase before." Kyoko said.

"Huh? Where!?"

"...Oh!" Sora's eyes widened. "I remember now. It was on Owada's uniform. On the back of his jacket...it said "Crazy Diamond"."

"You're absolutely right..." Byakuya said, looking deep in thought.

"But why would that be on the pickaxe in the garden?" Hina wondered.

"Owada must've snuck in there and done it, right?" Hiro assumed.

"But we didn't have access to the garden until today." Byakuya reminded him.

"Then...maybe Owada brought it with him when he first came here, and Monokuma confiscated it?" Hina guessed.

"Whatever the reason, that's what stuck out to me in the toolshed--the pickaxe connected to Owada." Makoto spoke up.

"Well, what stuck out to me wasn't the pickaxe at all!" Hiro exclaimed.

"Huh? Then...what did?" Makoto asked.

"What I noticed was the lawnmower! I'm thinking maybe we can use it to call for help..."

"How are you gonna call for help with a lawnmower!?" Hina looked at him incredulously.

Hiro shrugged. "I dunno! Maybe I can use it to make crop circles or something! Yeah, that's it! I'm gonna make crop circles! And we can use those to call for help!"

"...What." Sora deadpanned.

"What the heck's happened to you...? You weren't like this in the beginning, you know." Hina pointed out.

"Well, back then my personality hadn't quite solidified yet...!" Hiro defended, leaning on the fourth wall.

"I didn't think it was possible, but I'm more disappointed in you now than I've ever been..." Hina sighed.

---

"My concern is with the bio lab. That was the only place on the 5th floor that we couldn't access." Kyoko informed the group.

"The bio lab, huh? I wonder what's in there..." Hina pondered.

"If this were like, a cliche horror game, it'd be some kind of creature." Hiro rubbed his chin in thought. "The final boss, or Tyrant, or--!"

"We're...not in a horror game, though..." Hina pointed out.

"Yeah. We're in a horror visual novel. Totally different." Sora chimed in, taking a shot at the fourth wall.

"Either way, we don't need to worry about it at the moment." Byakuya spoke up. "Don't bother thinking about something that can't be understood no matter how much you think about it." He looked at them condescendingly. "Your tiny brains can only do so much, so focus on utilizing them efficiently."

Hina let out a sigh. "I don't really like how you said it, but what you said is probably right."

"No, how I said it is right, too." Byakuya remarked.

---

"By the way, did any of you find it? The other strange room on the 5th floor." Byakuya asked. "Well, no..."strange" is a massive understatement. The smell of flesh and fat and blood... The white outlines of countless corpses... It was more dreadful than anything I've encountered here so far..."

Hiro took a step back, a bit fearful. "Wh-What the hell are you talking about!?"

"The smell itself was horrific. Far beyond any normal murder scene. Every body's smell, concentrated..." Byakuya said.

"Kami, I'm glad I didn't see it... I feel like I'm gonna barf just hearing you describe it..." Hina grimaced. 

"But I mean...what the hell happened in that room?" Hiro asked.

"I can only think of one thing... A large group of people died right there in that room." Byakuya said.

"A bunch of people were...killed in there?" Hiro mouth gaped wide open.

"Stop, seriously... I'm gonna throw up..." Hina covered her mouth in disgust.

"Perhaps that's what was meant by the biggest, most awful, most tragic event in human history." Kyoko guessed.

"...Huh?" Makoto looked confused.

"You're thinking the same thing, then." Byakuya nodded. "My theory is the mass murder that took place in that room is the incident said to have happened one year ago."

"The awful scene in that room... That was "The Tragedy" that happened a year ago?" Makoto asked.

"Precisely. The Tragedy is another name for the genocide of the student body of Hope's Peak Academy. If that's true..." Byakuya placed his hand on the table. "That would explain why Hope's Peak was forced to close its doors."

"I mean, I guess that all makes sense, but...it's all just...so awful." Hiro folded his arms.

"Not just awful... Super awfully awful!" Hina exclaimed in fear.

Still...how has nobody heard of this? Sora thought. Did the school really cover it up...?

---

"..." Although still silent, Toko bit her fingernail, frustrated and looking like she wanted to say something.

"Hey, Togamoney." Sora called. "Fukawa looks like she wants to say somethin'."

"So? Why are you telling me?" Byakuya asked.

"Well, cuz you told her to zip it or whatever..." Hiro reminded him.

"Ah. I'd forgotten about that." Byakuya said.

"Jesus, man!" Hiro winced. "I know you like torturing her, but come on!"

"Well, Fukawa. If you want to envelop us all in your putrid breath, I won't stop you." Byakuya told her.

"Y-You honor me, Master..." Toko finally spoke. "And d-don't worry... I took care of the o-odor problem..."

"Hahaha, seriously!? You're just gonna take it?" Hiro laughed.

"Sh-Shut up! And don't interrupt when M-Mater and me are talking!" Toko ordered.

" ...Okay, so, what did you want to tell us?" Hina inquired.

"Well, I was in a c-classroom on the 5th floor, and s-somehing caught my attention..." Toko pulled out a combat knife. "It was...th-this."

"A knife!?" Makoto exclaimed.

"Whoa, that thing is huge! It's like, Rambo size!" Hina widened her eyes.

"It's a survival knife of some type..." Byakuya mused.

"But...what was it doing in a classroom?" Makoto wondered.

"How would I kn-know...?" Toko frowned.

"What're you gonna use that knife for...? What're you planning to do to us!?" Hiro apprehensively took a step back.

"I'm not g-gonna do anything! I j-just picked it up! I didn't wanna leave a kn-knife just laying around..."

"I'd rather have it laying around than in the hands of a serial killer!"

"D-Don't compare me to...her! I'm n-nothing like her!"

"Listen, more important... Now that we have the knife, what are we gonna do with it?" Hina asked.

"We can't let Fukawa keep it, that's for sure." Hiro said. "We dunno what she might do..."

"I don't w-want it anyway! It's too dangerous..."

"So...what do we do with it?" Sora asked.

"Why don't you hang on to it, Shirayuki?" Kyoko suggested.

"...What." Sora blinked twice as she looked at Kyoko in confusion.

"Oh yeah, Shirayuki's perfect!" Hiro grinned.

"W-What?! Why?"

"Isn't it obvious? You're the perfect fit." Kyoko said. "Even if you do plan to use it for something nefarious, your hands are too small to use it properly." She smugly smirked.

"..."

My hands aren't that small...are they?

"Then that's that!" Hina exclaimed.

"...Don't I get a say in this?" 

"It just shows how much they trust you. You should do as they ask." Byakuya suggested.

Trust? It feels like they're just using me... Sora thought, her ahoge drooping.

"S-So Mistress is g-gonna take it?" Toko asked, a blush forming on her face. "If it's in her s-small hands, then there's no p-problem!"

Jeez... Sora groaned.

"Fine..." The blonde rolled her eyes as she took the combat knife out of Toko's hands.

I'll just keep it in my desk drawer or something...

"Anyway, th-that's all I wanted to say..." Toko said.

"Hey, Fukawa." Byakuya called her.

"Ah! D-Do I still have bad b-breath!?" Toko exclaimed. "Sorry sorry sorry! I'm sorry it stinks! I'm sorry it stinks! I'm sorry--!"

"You made a valuable discovery. Good job." Byakuya praised.

"Huh...? Huh...? Huh...? Did Master just...p-praise me?"

"Hey, good for you!" Hina smiled.

"Ng...! NgaaAAaAhh! I-I'm dreaming... I must b-be dreaming!" Toko ran her hands through her hair before blushing. "Ahh...that I would ever e-experience such a dream... Aha... Ahahahahaha! I feel...s-strange...! Ahaha...so strange...! R-Really strange! Oh no...! Aha...hyah...hyeehahaehea!" She giggled.

Hiro folded his arms. "Whenever I look at Fukawa these days, it makes me feel...sad."

---

"Well, I think that's all the new information we have for now." Byakuya said.

"So? Now what do we do?" Hiro asked.

"Well... Starting today, you're all under my command. But before we proceed, I need to figure something out."

"Jeez, how cocky can you be!? You're gonna bust through the ceiling if your head gets any bigger!"

"So...what is it you wanna figure out?" Hina inquired curiously.

"Kirigiri's identity..." 

"...Huh?" Makoto looked confused.

"..."

"Kirigiri's identity? But Kirigiri is...Kirigiri...right?" Hina asked, looking confused.

"Yes, but who is she? The rest of us have a clear, definable reason for having been selected to attend Hope's Peak Academy." Byakuya stated. "Hina's the Ultimate Swimming Pro, Shirayuki's the Ultimate Volleyball Champion, Hiro's the Ultimate Clairvoyant... Even Naegi is the Ultimate Lucky Student. So what about Kirigiri? Can anyone tell me what she is?"

"Now that you mention it...she's never told us." Hiro noted.

"Well, Kirigiri doesn't really like talking about herself anyway, right?" Hina pointed out.

"It's not a matter of what she likes or doesn't like. This is a matter of trust. Can you trust someone who's unwilling to reveal their true identity?" Byakuya asked before looking at Kyoko. "We need to avoid raising any more unnecessary suspicion. So Kirigiri, it's time you told us..."

Kyoko let out a sigh. "...I can't."

"What!? Wh-Why won't you tell us!?" Toko demanded to know.

"I didn't say I "won't." I said I can't."

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

"Because...I don't remember." Kyoko folded her arms, diverting her eyes away from the group.

"You have no memory...? You mean..." Makoto trailed off.

"...You have...amnesia?" Sora cocked her head to the side.

"..."

Byakuya frowned. "If I thought you had a sense of humor, I'd say you were joking. But if this is a joke, I'm not laughing."

"Y-You can't be serious right now, c-can you?" Toko looked at her in disbelief.

"I knew you wouldn't believe me. That's why I didn't say anything." Kyoko said. "But it doesn't matter. Either way, the truth will make itself clear before we're done." 

"So you have no intention of telling us? Then I can no longer stand by and do nothing..." Byakuya declared.

"What are you going to do? Torture me?" Kyoko asked.

"Nothing so barbaric as that." Byakuya shook his head. "I will simply...limit your options. I can't allow you to engage in any further suspicious activity."

"Limit my options...?"

"Give me the key to your room."

"But...if she gives you her room key...!" Makoto stammered.

"She can't go to sleep in her room! She'll be breaking a school regulation!" Hina pointed out, looking scared for Kyoko.

"And if she doesn't want that, she'll talk. It's easy, all she has to do is tell us about herself." Byakuya said.

"Just hold on...! A threat like that..." Makoto trailed off.

"...Fine. I understand." Kyoko relented.

"Good, you're finally in the mood for conversation." Byakuya smugly smirked.

Without saying a word, Kyoko walked up to Byakuya and... 

Gave him her room key.

"You damn fool... Why do you refuse to talk...!?" Byakuya asked, looking frustrated. 

"Whether I want to or not, I can't. All I can do is keep telling you that."

"M-Maybe she really did lose her memory..." Hina said.

"If you really think about it, it doesn't sound totally impossible." Hiro spoke up. "This is the worst school ever, where only the worst stuff happens, right? Amnesia would fit right in."

Kyoko folded her arms. "The worst school, where only the worst things happen? Do you really mean that?"

"Huh...?"

"Can you really be sure that life here has been filled with only the worst things?"

"What are you talking about...?" Sora inquired with a furrowed brow.

" ...Perhaps I've said too much." Kyoko said as she turned her back to the students and began to walk away.

"Where do you think you're going?" Byakuya narrowed his eyes.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to do anything to harm any of you." Kyoko left.

The dining hall was silent. The only sound was the door opening and closing as Kyoko left the room.

"Wh-What's her deal...?" Hiro wondered.

"I think you went too far, taking her room key like that..." Hina frowned at Byakuya in disapproval.

"F-For her, that wasn't far e-enough...!" Toko grinned. "Or m-maybe she gets off on the attention. I can't believe her, e-enjoying getting yelled at..."

"You're getting noisy again, Fukawa." Byakuya told her.

"...."

"Sorry, I can still hear you. The sound of you breathing, of your heart beating...it grates on me."

"Are you telling her to die...?" Hiro ruffled his hair. "I mean, I know how you feel, but...!"

"KYAAAAAAAHH!" Hina suddenly yelled.

"Mmmph!" Sora stiffened up at Hina's cry.

"Uwah!" Hiro yelped. "Wh-What the hell!? Why're you yelling all of a sudden!?"

"Cuz...! Cuz! Look!" Hina pointed and the students turned to see Monokuma standing there.

"..."

"How...How long have you been standin' there?" Sora asked.

"I'm very...very...AAAAANNNGGGRRRYYYYYY!!!" Monokuma yelled.

"Angry at what...?" Hina inquired, taking a few steps back.

"At the thief! Yes, that's right. I'm very sad to have to tell you, there's a thief in your midst!" Monokuma exclaimed.

"What!?" Hiro exclaimed.

"Myyy PRECIOUUSSS! They stole it!" Monokuma growled, lifting his paw up.

"...Your precious?" Makoto inquired.

"Your teacher had such faith in you... And this is how you repay me? With betrayal?" Monokuma turned his back to the students, balling his paw. "Reality is filled with so much hardship, isn't it? No wonder people run away into their fantasies..."

"But...what the heck is your "precious"?" Hina asked.

"Shut up! I hope all of you get stuck in a hiring freeze and die penniless on the street!" Monokuma yelled as he hopped away.

"And he's gone... What the heck was that all about?" Hiro wondered.

"He said something about his "precious" getting stolen. Does anyone have any idea what that might mean?" Hina asked.

"It likely has something to do with Kirigiri." Byakuya assumed.

"...Huh?" Makoto looked confused.

"Who else other than her would be willing and able to steal something from Monokuma?" 

"I mean...I would." Sora said.

"I said "able". There's no way someone with your tiny little hands would be able to successfully steal from Monokuma." Byakuya told her.

"...What." Sora deadpanned.

DING, DONG! BING, BONG!

"Mm, ahem, this is a school announcement. It is now 10 p.m. As such, it is officially nighttime. Soon the doors to the dining hall will be locked, and entry at that point is strictly prohibited. Okay then...sweet dreams, everyone! Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite..."

"Uh-oh. We need to get out of here..." Hina said.

"We can talk about this more tomorrow. And about Kirigiri..." Hiro trailed off.

"However, after what just happened with Monokuma, and Kirigiri, I feel like there's...something in the air. I would suggest you take extra precautions tonight." Byakuya suggested. "Stay in your rooms, don't go wandering around..."

"Not like we need you to tell us that..." Hina mumbled.

"Well then, let's disperse. I'll see you all tomorrow."

Following Byakuya's lead, all of the students headed back to their respective rooms.

---

"Hmmm...where should I put this...?" Sora wondered as she aimlessly wandered around her dorm room with the survival knife Toko gave her in hand. "...Bah, I'll just put it in my desk drawer."

Shrugging, Sora opened the drawer up and placed the knife in.

The blonde yawned. She placed herself on her bed and, soon enough, she was asleep.

Chapter 32: End

To be continued...?