everyone shut up and look at them saiyama

"Alright, looks like everyone's here." Kaito punched his fists together. "Let's get started."

"Oh, what about Ouma-kun?" Gonta asked. "Aki-san, did you end up catching Ouma-kun?"

Ichika laughed nervously. "U-Um... no, I-"

"What!? You weren't able too!?" Tsumugi exclaimed. "But... you're so fast, I was sure-"

"Hey! I nearly caught him, I was super, duper, zuper close but..." Ichika sighed.

"But what?"

"U-Um... well..."

"Spit it out already, Kaeru!" Miu barked.

"I was running and got careless, and he slammed a door in my face. Then I lost him." Ichika laughed nervously.

"Wh-What!? Are you okay?" Kiibo asked.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. I've been through worse." Ichika grinned.

Miu clicked her tongue. "Tch. That lying little abortion, of course he fuckin' do that.

Kaito punched his fists together. "Forget about him! It's his fault for messing around like that!"

"I guess... he must be a real pro at hide-and-seek." Himiko mumbled. "I magically looked all over school with Ichika, but he was nowhere to be found."

Shuichi sighed. "No one can find him, huh?"

Maki bit her thumb. "He might've used the motive's card key to enter a place we're unaware of."

"Do you think that's where the real motive is being kept? Either way, it's worrisome." Kiibo said.

Kaito grinned. "Heh, next time I see him, I just catch him and ask."

"Unlikely. When we were running after him, I heard you trip on the stairs because you were running up them too fast." Ichika smirked.

"H-Hey! I did not! You weren't there so you can't say I fell!"

"But I heard it."

"How could you hear me fall on the stairs when you were so far ahead of me?"

Ichika snickered. "So you did fall, huh?"

"Wh-!? N-No I didn't!"

"Cut it out you two. Let's hurry up and use the flashlight." Maki snapped.

"But... I'm still uneasy about these flashback lights.. are they really okay to use?" Tsumugi asked.

"Well, if we don't use them, our memories will never come back, y'know? So we've got no choice but to use it! The memory we'll get from this is our only clue!" Himiko exclaimed.

"I agree with fish dicks over here!" Miu chirped.

Himiko glared at Miu. "Who are you calling a chunk of breaded fish!?"

"Ah-haha, for someone who looks like canned tuna, you make some pretty good comebacks!" A familiar voice rang throughout the dining hall. The students all spun on their heels to be met with Kokichi, skipping into the hall.

"Who are you calling a wad of shredded fish!?" Himiko barked. She froze for a moment as realization dawned on her. "Wait... Ouma!?"

"I knew you'd find us here... but only because it's you." Maki sighed.

"Thanks for the compliment!" Kokichi chirped. "So, why are all my merry friends gathered here?"

"First things first... What did you do with that card key?" Shuichi asked.

"Ooh, so you're worried about that? Well, relax. Unfortunately, I couldn't use the card key."

"You couldn't use it?"

"Yeah, I had no idea where to use it, so I just gave up instead."

"You don't seem too disappointed about not being able to use it." Kiibo commented.

"I *am* disappointed dammit!" Kokichi pouted. "I wanted to use the card key!"

"I smell another fuckin' lie!" Miu barked.

"Then give it to me." Ichika held her hand out. "If you have no use for it then-"

"Nuh-uhhh! Finders keepers, my dear Aki-chan." Kokichi grinned.

"That's super suspicious! Give it to Ichika!" Himiko barked.

"Eh, oh well." Ichika shrugged. "I guess we should just forget about it then."

"Oooh?" Kokichi raised an eyebrow.

Tsumugi stared at Ichika, her mouth slightly open. "B-But that card key is the motive! A-And-"

"So? *I* know." Ichika grinned at Tsumugi. "Besides guys, it's the motive, it's probably better we don't look at it anyway. After all, it could turn us on each other and we can't let that happen. We have to trust each other."

Gonta nodded. "Yes! We will all work together as friends and beat this killing game!"

"Ah..." Tsumugi trailed off.

"I guess that makes sense." Kiibo nodded. "It's better we don't fall for Monokuma's tactics. He's clearly trying to drive us apart, so staying united will make him falter."

"But Ouma has the key!" Himiko cried out and pointed at Kokichi. "He has the motive so-"

"I just said that I couldn't use it!" Kokichi pouted. "Geez, what happened to your clean ears?"

"That's probably another lie." Maki growled, glaring at Kokichi.

"Doubt it. Yucchan and I actually checked places where card keys could be used before coming here." Ichika looked over at Himiko. "And there were no signs that anything was opened or that any key was used."

"Oh? Really?" Shuichi blinked.

"Yeah, that is true..." Himiko hummed.

"I can also affirm this since I checked the hidden door, but spotted no change. But since it's Ouma-kun... I don't trust him." Kiibo glared at Kokichi.

"Haha, how mean!" Kokichi grinned. "Then again, robots can't trust anyone. Trust requires emotions."

"This blatant robophobia will not go unpunished!" Kiibo barked.

"Whatever... Talking to him's a waste of time." Kaito sighed and got out the Flashback light. "We've got more important things to do."

"Oh hey, the Flashback light! Lemme see that." Kokichi reached out to take the light. "Momota-chan doesn't have the balls to turn on the switch-"

Kaito snatched the light away from Kokichi and glared at him. "Of course I do!!!" He flicked the switch hard and once again, the world warped.

***

"Ah! The meteorites!" Shuichi exclaimed. "What happened to the meteorites!?"

"I remember... TV news and the internet talking non-stop about those meteorites!" Kiibo said.

"There was a bunch of damage where I lived... People said it was only a matter of time..." Tsumugi shivered.

"A researcher said that, too. Similar meteorites impacts that happened millions of years ago... All living organisms on Earth were annihilated." Maki explained.

"There were also a bunch of weird groups that started to show up in the streets. As the meteorites got worse, more people started saying it was the end of the world..." Kaito trailed off.

"I heard that, too! Unless someone does something, the world will end!" Gonta cried.

"Th-Those people were... always handing out flyers on street corners..." Himiko started trembling.

"I saw flyers all over the city. They said, 'Mankind deserves damnation'." Kiibo added.

"And... the meteorites!" Kaito exclaimed. "What ended up happening with the meteorites!?"

"We haven't seen any since we got here. Maybe they died down..."

"Then what happened to that plan? The one to save the world from the meteorites?"

"That plan called the 'Gofer project'? It was a plan that every country in the world came up with to save humanity..." Ichika said.

Kokichi hummed. "I remember that, too... But the Gofer Project... Didn't it fail?"

Maki sighed. "That's what I heard too, but I can't remember why."

"S-So... we can't remember anything past that again." Himiko mumbled.

Shuichi hummed. "I can't either... I don't remember anything about the Gofer-"

"Heh... hehehehe... Mankind deserves damnation..." Miu was panting heavily and looked absolutely terrified.

"Iruma-san...?" Ichika tilted her head.

"Heh... hehehehe... Mankind deserves damnation... Fuck that! We're already damned here! We've got a fuckin killer bear... and a damn traitor in here!" Miu screamed. "Being stuck here with you losers is the worst hell there is!"

"The 'you losers' part... wasn't necessary." Himiko grumbled.

"We don't know if there's actually a traitor! It's probably just a ruse created by the mastermind-" Kaito was cut off.

"Sh-Shut up! Ruse or not, I don't care! I'm tired of this! Let us outta here! Let us out!"

"Iruma-san! Please try and calm down!" Ichika cried out in alarm.

"Iruma-san, calm down! It's okay! I will protect you!" Gonta's word did nothing as Miu's desperate panting increased and she just stared at the ground, mumbling a bunch of barely audible nonsense to herself.

"But I don't think I'd be surprised by the outcome of this situation. Like... if we are actually dead, and this is the afterlife." Kokichi spoke up.

"The afterlife?" Shuichi repeated.

"Wh-Why you... Quit saying stupid crap like that!" Kaito growled.

"It's not stupid. If meteorites can happen, then anything else can happen, too." Kokichi sighed. "C'mon, you're an astronaut, aren't ya? Space is full of mysteries we can't even fathom. That's why, if the meteorites really did fall on us, anything could've happened. A mysterious virus could've spread, or some weird technology... Or even an unknown substance brought to Earth that could've bent time and space-"

"That's like science fiction! I thought our theme was magic!" Himiko barked.

"Tch, that's just stupid! It's like the setting for some third-rate anime or game!" Kaito shouted.

"Do you think I'm making this up?" Kokichi looked at his nails. "But then how would you explain the Flashback lights, Exisals and even Monokuma? We may be used to it *now*, but that kind of stuff goes against common sense, y'know? Which means... it wouldn't be too farfetched if any of the things I mentioned actually happened."

"Shut up! First off, I'm the only one here who gets to talk about space!"

"Oh, you're right. Sorry, my bad."

"Ughhhh... Wh-Whatever... Just hurry up so I can get out of here..." Miu whined.

"..." Ichika gave Miu a pained look.

"S-Stop... You shouldn't think like that... about getting out of here..." Tsumugi shivered.

"Everyone seems... very tired. We should probably disperse for the time being." Kiibo spoke up.

"Oh! You've finally learned to read the air!" Kokichi chirped. "Nice job, robot!"

"I'm... learning every day." The students all then decided to return to their rooms after their conversations.

***

Himiko and Ichika were walking outside in silence after the events in the dining hall. They walked down the path and headed to Miu's lab.

Himiko blinked. "Iruma's lab? Why are we here?"

"Let's hang out with Iruma-san. I know she's a bit- No, she very crude, but she's pretty interesting to be around! Also I'm... I'm worried." Ichika knocked on the door and opened it, only to find a deserted lab.

"Wow. I think that's the first time I've seen you open a door with your hands, Ichika." Himiko giggled.

"S-Shush..." Ichika mumbled in embarrassment. "Iruma-san! You here?" Himiko and Ichika walked into her lab and looked around.

"Geez... this place is so messy." Himiko looked at the ground, which was covered in nuts and bolts, wires and various other mechanical items.

"Haha. That's Iruma-san for you. Oh well, she's pretty so she gets a pass." Ichika giggled.

"That's not how it works..." Himiko grumbled.

"Well it's how I say it works!" Ichika grinned at Himiko who just pouted and proceeded looked around the bench Miu often worked on. She noticed a closed cardboard box underneath the bench and opened it out of curiosity.

There was what appeared to be the head of a pink hammer as well as a black remote. It had two big circular buttons in the centre as well as a bunch of smaller buttons above and below it. I examined it curiously, pressing one of the larger buttons.

Suddenly, Ichika heard metallic clanking and saw one of Miu's inventions come to life. Ichika pressed a few more buttons and the machine started moving. That's when she noticed a small white receiver on the machine.

"OI! WHO THE FUCK IS IN HERE?" A familiar voice screeched from the doorway. Ichika stuffed the remote back in the box and quickly put it back, jumping up and waving at Miu.

"Hi, Iruma-san! So you were here?"

"Haaah? Kaeru? The fuck you doing in here? Also, why the fuck is the weed stuffed, brainless magician here?"

"I'm not a magician! I'm a mage!" Himiko corrected, stamping her foot on the ground.

"Jesus Christ, how hard were you hit on the head when you were a child!?"

"O-KAY!" Ichika clapped her hands together, gaining both Himiko's and Miu's attention. "SO. I was wondering if you wanted to hang out with Yucchan and me!"

Miu groaned. "For fuck's sake, I don't mind hanging with you, Kaeru, but with the useless magician? Really?"

"HEY! I'm a mage!"

"Yes!" Ichika puffed her cheeks out. "Besides, it's a good chance to get to know each other!"

"Wait, why the fuck do you have a mushy nickname for the magician?"

"Mage!"

"Yeah, whatever."

"Oh! Yucchan asked me to call her by her first name, and then I made up a cute nickname! Do you want me to give you a nickname too? How about... Micchan? Also, you can call me Ichika, if you want?"

"O-Oh? Really?" Miu played with her hair nervously. "S-Sure, you can call me Micchan..." Ichika grinned. She then noticed the chessboard that Monotaro gave her a while back stuffed in the corner of Miu's lab.

"Hey, Yucchan. Do you know how to play chess?"

"Nyeh?" Ichika grabbed Himiko's arm and dragged her to a place in the lab that wasn't full of wires and bolts. Ichika sat her down on the floor and jogged over to the chessboard, picking it up and bringing it over to where Himiko sat.

"O-kay! Lemme explain how to play!"

Ichika taught Himiko how to play, with Miu who was sitting beside her, screwdriver in hand and working on some machine again. Himiko and Ichika played a few games, Ichika winning every round and Himiko getting progressively frustrated.

"Nyeh? I lost again?"

"Ah-haha, better luck next time!"

"Why don't you use your so-called 'magic' to win the damn game, donkey lips?" Miu snapped.

"I would but that would be cheating and unfair to Ichika. I want this to be a fair game." Himiko pointed at Ichika. "Let's play again! This time, I'll wi-"

"Iruma-san!" The door burst open, revealing a Kiibo whose right arm was spinning around like a pinwheel. "Iruma-san! Please help me! I tripped and fell on my arm and now something's wrong with it!"

"Oh my muffins, what on earth happened!?"

"Nyeh? Kiibo looks like a helicopter!"

"OH, FOR FUCKS SAKE! KIIBO! Get your fuckin' ass over here now!" Miu stomped up to Kiibo and grabbed his arm, dragging him to her workbench and starting her maintenance on his arm.

"Kiibo-san, can I ask exactly *how* you fell down on your arm that... that happened?" Ichika asked curiously.

"W-Well... I was looking around in the computer room but... on the way up there, I think I tripped on a cord and I fell down on my side, hitting my shoulder..."

"Nyeh... What a clumsy robot..." Himiko mumbled.

"H-Hey! I heard that!"

"Don't worry Kiibo-san, that doesn't sound too bad. I'm sure you can just shrug it off." Ichika snickered and Miu glared at Ichika.

"Shrug it off?" Kiibo tiled his head. "I don't believe it is possible to prevent yourself from falling by shrugging..."

"No... Kiibo-san, it was a joke. Like, something funny." Ichika sighed

"Funny...? I do not understand how that was supposed to be funny."

"Hmm... Micchan!" Ichika looked at Miu and grinned.

Miu's glare got more dangerous. "I swear to fucking god if you're gonna do what I think you're gonna do-"

"What? No. I was just gonna ask if you could help me come up with a more inventive way of explaining puns to Kiibo-san."

"Stop making such shitty puns, you mother fucker!"

"I can now see why you two are friends..." Himiko grumbled.

"Sooo sorry Yucchan." Ichika giggled.

"You should be..." Himiko pouted.

"I-I'm sorry... I do not follow the conversation." Kiibo said nervously. Himiko and Ichika decided to just go back to playing chess. Miu eventually fixed Kiibo, and he joined the Magician and Parkourist in playing chess. Miu then grabbed a cardboard box, filled it with a bunch of tools, and headed towards the door.

"Hey, Micchan. Where are you going? Aren't you gonna join us in playing chess?" Ichika asked curiously.

"I'm going to work on that big-ass computer that opened up a while ago. I've nearly fixed it; can you believe it? Of course you can, since I'm just that amazing!" Miu boasted. "Anyway, when it's done, we'll be able to go to a whole new world!"

"A new world, huh?" Ichika tilted her head.

"Hell yeah! Just you fuckin' wait! It's gonna blow your damn panties off!"

"Awesome!!" Ichika smiled brightly at Miu. "I wish you the best of luck in finishing that machine! I know it'll be amazing!"

Miu flushed a light pink before her expression changed into a slightly more solemn and ever so slightly guilty look. Ichika tilted her head when Miu shook her head, her previous expression morphed into a confident one. "Hell yeah, I'm amazing! Just you wait! You'll be so amazed at this new world when you get into it, Hyah-hahaha!" Miu walked out the door and slammed it shut, leaving Ichika with the other two Ultimates in the lab.

"..." Ichika watched Miu walk away in silence, a blank expression on her face. "...I should've... thought of a better way to do this..." She grumbled to herself. "Now what can I do...?"

"Nyeh? Kiibo beat me...?" Ichika was snapped out of her thoughts by Himiko's voice. She turned around and saw Kiibo with a proud expression on her face and Himiko staring at the board in shock.

"Yup! I most certainly did!" Kiibo grinned.

Ichika hopped back over to them and joined them in playing chess, eventually getting to play against Kiibo again.

"Nyeh! I believe in you, Ichika! I'll help you with my magic!" Himiko cheered.

Ichika chuckled warmly. "Haha, thanks, Yucchan."

"Wh-What about me...?" Kiibo asked nervously, putting his two index fingers together.

"Sorry, I only have enough MP to support one person! And I want Ichika to win!"

"Aw, thanks Yucchan."

"Also, my magic doesn't work on robots."

"I-Is your magic robophobic!?"

***

Later that same night, around 9pm, Ichika was in her room writing in her files.

"Oh my muffins..." Ichika muttered to herself. The files were a mess. Ichika decided to clean them up before she continued writing anything. Ichika sorted each note page by when they were written, placing the notes she wrote after Kaede's trial in a folder called, 'Post Trial One' and the others notes in a similar fashion, placing the ones after Kirumi's trial in a folder she named, 'Post Trial Two' and so on.

"Now let's see..." Ichika flipped through the 'Post Trial One' folder and found the notes on the Ultimate Hunt. She then opened the 'Post Trial Two' to the notes on the funeral. Ichika made a new folder called 'Post Trial Three' and wrote down what she saw in the flashback light.

Meteorites came falling from the sky, destroying the world.

There was a cult that believed that mankind deserved to die.

The Gofer Project was implemented to save mankind...

"Are... we the Gofer Project...?" Ichika mumbled to herself. Her eyes widened. If they were, then that would make a lot of pieces fit. "Makes sense since why would the mastermind show us that if we weren't...?"