"Wow! Seriously!? You're correct again!" Monokuma bellowed with a cruel smile. "A-Amazing! This is the third correct verdict in a row!"
"I-If you manage to get 12 correct verdicts in a row, you'll proceed to the bonus round!" Monotaro told us with a slightly nervous expression. It seems he still hasn't gotten used to being around his father again now that he knows Monokuma could blow him up at any sign of disobedience if he wants it to stop.
"How's this gonna last that long!?" Monophanie shouted at her brother. Meanwhile, Monodam just stayed quiet, not moving from his spot at all. Once again, it was over. Out of the 12 of us, 11 voted for Himiko, and one voted for Angie. Tenko... She's as stubborn as an ox. Even till the very end, she wanted to believe in Himiko's innocence. If only it were right...
"...It's finally over." Keebo sighed.
"Is this really how it's supposed to end? With an ending like this?" Kaito asked with gritted teeth.
"No..." Tenko finally spoke. "I want to hear why? Why...did all this happen!?" Tenko's soft voice then turned into a scream as she turned to Himiko. "Himiko...why!? Why did you kill Angie and Ryoma!? Was it really just because Angie attacked you and forced you to do it, or was there another reason?"
"..." Himiko just stared at the ground, tears still falling from her face as she kept quiet.
"...Kokichi. You said that you thought Himiko was lying about her FA, right?" I asked.
"That's what I think. Liars like me can easily spot another person's lies. I've said that a few times now, and this is no exception." Kokichi told me. "I'm pretty sure Tenko saw it too. That's why she got quiet when we were sharing our FAs. Maybe that's also why she was so adamant about defending her."
"Tenko, is that true?" Kaede asked the aikido master. Tenko shut her eyes tightly as she nodded.
"Y-Yes. Himiko...was lying about that. She told us her FA was performing her magic. But that couldn't be the case, because...Himiko performed a magic trick this morning!"
"She did?" Shuichi asked.
"Yeah! It was to make Angie happy." Tenko nodded. "Angie, she looked really sad this morning, and we couldn't get her to tell us why. That's when Himiko did a small magic trick to try to cheer her up. Y'know, the one with the long colorful cloth that she pulls out of a small pocket somehow? And it seemed like it worked."
"Angie looked sad?" Rantaro questioned. "Do you think that has to do with what her FA was?"
"Well, Himiko? You have both Ryoma and Angie's bangles, don't you? Show them to us." Maki told the young magician.
"...Okay." Himiko nodded as she took off her hat and pulled the bangles out of it.
"How did she...?" I mumbled in confusion, but no one paid it any mind.
"Let's take a look at these," Shuichi said as he turned both bangles on. "'Witness violence from any of the other students'. That's Ryoma's FA. So we were right."
"What about Angie's?" Gonta asked.
"Let's see..." Shuichi said as he looked at the other bangle. "'Making any art'."
"Wait, so Angie was the one who couldn't use her talent?" Kaito exclaimed.
"So she did this just because she wanted to use her talent again? Talk about a lame motive." Kokichi sighed in disappointment.
"It is a little hard to believe she did all this just because of her talent," Rantaro added.
"N-No. That's not it at all." I told them. So that's why. That's why you felt so pressured to do this.
"Rin? What do you mean?" Keebo asked.
"Angie told me something before." I began.
===============================================================================
"Y'know, these past few days have been a first for me."
"A first?"
"I've never had people yell at me before now," Angie told me. "Cause...on my island, I'm considered an oracle by the people, so they never yell at me and they always listen to me." Her expression then became one of confliction as she gave a weak smile. "But here, people get angry with the things I do. It's...comforting, in a way."
"Really?"
"Yes. If I had to explain it, it makes me feel like I'm talking to real people." Angie told me. "I love the people on my island, but sometimes, it feels like they only listen to me because I can hear Atua's voice. Like the only reason they care is because of Atua." Angie quickly gave a smile, but this one seemed a bit more strained.
===============================================================================
"People on her island never treated her the same as any other person. They treated her just as a prophet that allowed them to talk to and gain wisdom from their god, Atua. they never cared about Angie herself." I explained. "All they cared about was what the stuff Atua did with her, and that must have included her art."
"Angie...did say that her art was made by Atua, who was just using her body to make it," Kaede added.
"Exactly. People must have only seen her as the middleman for Atua. everything she did, everything she was... None of it mattered to her people. All that mattered was Atua." I said sadly.
"So when she was given the FA that she wasn't able to make any more art, that cut off her main way of being connected with Atua." Rantaro summarized.
"And that caused her to lose her sense of self... Her sense of purpose." Maki finished with a sigh. "So that's why she resorted to this."
"So...that's why..." Himiko muttered. "That's what she meant back then..."
===============================================================================
"Angie...what did you do!?" Ryoma shouted as he stared at the artist. She was standing over Rin's avatar, shovel in hand. She was looking back at Ryoma with a face that could only be described as confused and terrified.
"R-Ryoma...? Why...are you here...?" She asked in a soft, broken voice as she held the shovel in her hands close to her chest.
"I saw you from the roof, and I followed you here. You were supposed to be investigating the main hall of the mansion, so why are you here!? Why did you attack Rin!? Did you...kill him!?"
"I..." Angie didn't respond as she looked at her hands that were holding the shovel. "...I had no choice..."
"No choice? Are you talking about the motive?" Ryoma asked in a pant. For some reason, he had started taking breaths that were deeper than before.
"There was no other way." Angie continued as she started to shake a little. "If I didn't do this...what would be left of me. All that I am is being taken away. No one wants me for me. They only want me for Atua and all He can bring. Atua is perfect, as any God should be, and I love him just like everyone else on my island, but I'm not like Him. I'm not perfect like Him. People don't love me like they do Atua. If I can't hear His voice...if I can't be used as His tool for creating art and delivering divine messages...then what good am I?"
"What are you talking about? No one here cares if you can talk to Atua or not." Ryoma chided. "Why would you even think that? Isn't Himiko your friend? Isn't Tenko? Rin? All of us?" Angie then looked back up to Ryoma with the angriest face she's ever had.
"What do you know!? What could any of you possibly know about my situation!? It doesn't matter what any of you think! All of you either don't care about me and only want to escape, or only care about me because of Atua!" She screamed. "He is my purpose for living, and no one can take that away from me!"
"Don't be stupid! If you do this, you'll only throw away that purpose for living! I know that! I've learned that here!" Ryoma shouted. "You don't have to-" But that's when he stopped, and started gasping. He clutched his chest as he fell to his knees and hands, coughing as he felt an unknown pain.
"Ryoma?"
"D-Damn it... What is this?" Ryoma muttered before his eyes went wide. "...Witnessing violence from other participants..." His eyes shone with fear, as if he realized what was happening. However, Angie didn't understand what was going on but she did see a chance. An opportunity to get rid of this loose end.
"...You can never understand what having your purpose for living torn away is like. You don't know what it's like to only be liked because of something that has nothing to do with you..." Angie growled as she slowly crept toward Ryoma's fallen body. "I'm so sorry, but you and Rin need to die. In order for me to live and make people happy, you must die. In order for this curse to be ripped off my arm, I must kill you both. It's not for my own escape, nor is it out of hatred for either of you. I just need this in order to live and have a purpose. May your soul rest in peace with Atua."
She raised her shovel and slammed it down onto Ryoma, and with that, he collapsed into the snow. She was panting heavily. She was finally done. However-
"A-Angie?" Angie froze when she heard that voice, her avatar's face shifting into one of absolute horror.
"...No." She mumbled as she turned to look at who spoke. "Please...don't be-"
Himiko. Himiko was there. She was hiding behind a tree. She had seen everything. Dread formed into Angie's stomach as she realized what needed to be done.
"...Atua, forgive me. I'm being very bad right now. But it's fine, right? This is what you want, right? This is what everyone wants, right? This is the only way...that I can be happy..." Tears formed into the eyes of her avatar as she began walking towards Himiko, before she broke out into a sprint. "Atua is the only reason why I'm alive! The only reason people love me! So I need to get this curse off me! So I can live my life for them!"
Himiko paled. Angie had gone crazy, and she was going to kill her. So, following her instincts, she began to run, only to trip immediately on something as she did. The forest was full of snow. It wasn't strange if there were tree roots or rocks that were hidden by the snow that made it easy to trip if you weren't paying close enough attention. Himiko began to panic. There was nothing for her to do. Angie was right on top of her now, ready to bring the shovel down on her. But that's when she noticed something close by. A rock.
Ignoring any and all reasoning that was in her head, Himiko grabbed the rock as quickly as she could and threw it at Angie. It hit Angie right in the face, causing her to give a yelp of pain as she dropped the shovel to clutch the spot Himiko had hit her. The world then felt as if it had slowed down as Himiko lunged at the shovel. She managed to grab it, and as Angie was still disoriented, Himiko raised it up and then slashed it down at her.
And just like that, it was over in an instant. The moment the shovel made contact with Angie's head, Angie's avatar fell to the ground with a thud. Himiko kept panting as she stared at her friend's body. Her friend's...wait. Body?
"Angie...?" Himiko called out the name as her mind finally caught up to her body.
What...just happened? All of that...didn't really happen, right? She didn't just kill Angie, right?
"Angie, c'mon, wake up." Himiko pleaded as she bent down and began shaking Angie's body.
She didn't just do that. SHE DIDN'T JUST DO THAT!
"You're not dead, Angie! You can't be dead! I couldn't have-!" Himiko cried out as she began to tear up in fear, sadness, and panic. "Please just wake up already! I don't care if you're angry, or whatever! Please wake up! Atua, please help her!"
But despite all her cries, nothing happened. Angie stayed there in the snow, motionless and lifeless. After a few more seconds of begging, Himiko had no choice but to accept it.
Angie was dead.
She had killed Angie. Her friend was dead because of her.
For the first time since she was brought to the Ultimate Academy, she had no choice but to accept her situation. There was nothing she could use to hide. No delusion to protect herself and her sense of self. No magical powers to rely on to make the pain or consequences disappear, nor was there any God that could bring her salvation from herself or her actions. She was in a death game, and she had just killed one of her closest friends. The feeling of emptiness that began to persist inside her immediately gnawed away at her.
What was she going to do now? Was she the blackened? Was she going to be executed? But what about Angie? Didn't she kill both Rin and Ryoma just now? Did that mean that Angie was the culprit? That Himiko and Angie were both the culprits? Who was the class trial going to be for? Was it going to change? What was going to happen? Was Himiko...going to die?
And that's when Himiko heard something shuffling around. She quickly turned and saw Ryoma's body move slightly. He was shivering, from pain maybe. Himiko's vision narrowed, until it was just her and the fallen avatar of Ryoma.
He was still alive.
Maybe he was going to die soon, but he was alive. If he wakes up, what would happen? He would see everything. He would see what Himiko did. He would tell everyone about it, and they would know. They would vote for her in the class trial. She would die.
'I don't want to die'.
That thought lingered in the girl's mind before it slowly swirled into a torrent of screams.
'I don't want to die! I don't want to die!'
So the girl's body began moving without her consent. The fear had taken hold of her. And without her control or consent, she began picking the shovel back up. She walked over to the fallen tennis player and stared at his shivering avatar. Tears fell from her eyes as for the second time that day, she readied the shovel. And then...she swung.
What would her master think of her now, she wondered.
===============================================================================
"That's...what really happened," Himiko said as she finished her confession of the events of the forest.
"Himiko..." Tenko sobbed.
"So that's why Angie tried to kill me. The motive wasn't that she wanted to escape the killing game. She just wanted to have her sense of self and purpose back." I muttered, doing my best to hold back my cries of sorrow.
Angie...why? Why couldn't you see that you didn't need your art or Atua? We didn't like you just because of that? I didn't. I liked you because you were my friend. Because you helped me when I thought no one else could or should. That moment you brought me into that hug and told me that it was fine to rely on people, to take breaks if I needed, and to even make mistakes...that meant so much to me. Did that mean nothing to you? Did nothing I do make you feel at ease? Was I really...such a horrible friend to you?
"I just have one more question," Shuichi said, his face now one of sadness as well. "What was your real FA? Did it have anything to do with why you killed Angie and Ryoma?"
"Y-Yeah. I suppose it did." Himiko nodded.
"What...was it?" Tenko asked her.
"I..." Himiko pulled her hat down her face as she hid her teary eyes and bit her lip. "If no one died two days after we got the motive, I would be poisoned. That was my FA: letting no one die before 2 days passed."
"Wh-What!?" Gonta shouted in shock.
"THAT was your FA!?" Kaito screamed. "That's...! That's not fair! That's absolutely twisted!"
"How is that a fair FA to give someone in a death game?" Kirumi questioned with a glare. "That all but guarantees a death, either from the owner of that FA, or someone else."
"It's just like the time limit motive. It twists our hands to either kill or do nothing and die." Maki grimaced slightly.
"But with the time limit, that was just a bluff. This... We know for a fact these bangles were the real deal. Ryoma was still poisoned for performing his FA. Even if it didn't end up killing him, if Himiko didn't kill him, the poison certainly would have." Rantaro stated.
"So that means Monokuma has changed how he plays the game," Kokichi noted. "He's now willing to twist one of our arms to make sure something happens to liven things up in this killing game. Even if that means threatening at least one of us with death."
"That is also why he made that deal with Angie," Keebo added with a frown. "It was all to ensure that someone killed and continued the killing game."
"It must be because the last motive didn't make anyone kill," I growled. "In fact, it just gave us back someone who did die before, the complete opposite of what the killing game is supposed to do."
"You...!" Tenko growled before she pointed at Monokuma. "This is all your fault! You're the reason why Angie tried to kill! You're the reason why Himiko killed Angie and Ryoma!"
"It was me? My fault?" Monokuma repeated before he started laughing. "Ha! That's a good one! As if any of this is really my fault! It's totally you guys who are to blame for this!"
"How could you possibly tell us that!? You're the one who's forcing us to kill each other!" Kaede screamed.
"I'm not forcing you to do anything!" Monokuma shot back with a confident grin. "Let's review. Who wanted to go into the virtual world, even though they knew it was a trap?" He asked. "Who killed a second person, even though they had already killed someone? Who accepted my deal even though they didn't have to? Pretty sure none of those were me, and there are plenty of other questions like those ones I could ask you, each with similar answers!"
"That twisted logic only works for you! You're the one orchestrating all of these scenarios to push us to those extremes!" I shouted.
"'Tomayto', 'Tomahto'. Point is you guys aren't exactly blameless here." Monokuma told us.
"How dare you try to-!"
"Alright, alright! That's it! I'm starting to get bored here!" Monokuma sighed loudly.
"Bored!?" Gonta shouted in anger.
"Yeah. Bored! I can't stand tearjerkers like this!" Monkuma told us. "Besides, this story arc has been suuuuuuuper long. Way longer than anyone probably wanted or wished it would be, and it was mainly just you guys talking and learning to get along better! What kind of stupid slice-of-life bs is that!? I can't let this boring display grind the action to a halt, so..." Monokuma then gave us his most twisted smile yet and he giggled into his paws. "Time to make things interesting."
"Make things...interesting?" Shuichi asked before all of our eyes widened.
"You mean...!" I gasped with wide eyes.
"N-No...!" Tenko cried out. "Y-You can't!"
"Oh, but I can!" Monokuma replied with a laugh. "Now's the moment you've all been waiting for! Punishment time!"
"No! You can't execute Himiko!" Kaede shouted.
"It was just self-defense! Surely, that cannot be reason enough to end her life through your punishment!" Keebo tried to defend the girl, but Monokuma shook his head.
"But she still killed people, right? She clearly killed at least Mister Hoshi with malicious intent. It doesn't matter how it happens, or why it happens, or even who it happens to. Murder is murder, and getting caught in the class trial only means a punishment is in store for the blackened who failed!"
"No friggin' way! There's no way we'll let you do that!" Kaito declared with an absolutely furious expression.
"Oh? You guys want to try to defy me?" Monokuma asked as he tilted his head. "Even though this is the third class trial and you should know how all of this works? You still want to try to rebel now of all times? Is it because the previous two blackeneds were more like real killers and this one seems more innocent? How naive... KIDS!"
"R-Right! Exisals, assemble!" Monotaro and Monophanie shouted, summoning their Exisals on the spot.
Monodam didn't move, however, nor did he call his own Exisal. He just stood there, staring at his siblings with a blank stare.
"Punishment time is a sacred segment. You're not allowed to interfere." Monotaro told us as he got in his Exisal.
"P-Please don't try to interfere, or else we'll have to crush you too." Monophanie pleaded with us. "It's cruel, but...it's probably better if one person dies instead of everyone..."
"Don't screw with us! Himiko didn't do anything wrong!" I screamed as I pointed at the discount transformers in front of me. "I'm sick and tired of this nonsense! I'm sick of watching people die and not being able to do anything! I won't let you lay a hand on anyone else! I won't fail anyone else! I won't let anyone else die if I can reach my hand towards them and protect them!"
"Yeah! Like hell am I just gonna sit here and do what you say!" Kaito shouted as he cracked his knuckles and got into a fighting stance. "So many people already have fought with their lives on the line just to survive, and many have unfairly died for it! So I'm not gonna just stand back and let it happen a third time!"
"Gonta will face you both! Times like this are why Gonta became strong!" Gonta added as he moved next to me and Kaito, the same look of fierce determination and willingness to fight to the death that me and Kaito had on his face as well. "Gentleman never back down, and neither will Gonta!"
"I won't let a single one of you hurt Himiko!" Tenko screamed with all her might. "I'll crush you one by one! This will be a perfect chance to test out my Neo-Aikido skills on machines!"
"Hmph, you guys are idiots to try and fight these things," Maki told us with a frown before she grabbed a knife from out of nowhere. "But since I'm here with you idiots, I suppose it would be irresponsible of me to not help out a little."
"Then let's-"
"S-Stop it! All of you!" All of us stopped and turned around to look at Himiko, the one who had shouted for us to stop, even as tears streamed down her face in a torrent. "Y-You can't die for someone like me!"
"For someone like... What do you mean by that!?" I shouted. "Of course we would-!"
"I'm not important!" Himiko cut me off, silencing me with shock at her words. "I haven't done anything to actually help. I've just been putting things off, looking away from it all, trying not to let it affect me. I'm...not a good person. I...hurt Angie and Ryoma." She explained as her voice cracked. "Y-You all will be f-fine without me... But if you all were to die...then what would happen then!? No one would be saved!"
"Himiko, you aren't-!"
"Tenko...just let me die." Himiko told her friend. "Monokuma is right...about this being my fault at least. If I was smarter like Rin...stronger like you...maybe this wouldn't have happened."
"But this isn't your fault! It's all Monokuma's fault for manipulating you and Angie!" Tenko cried out.
"Even so...it's still my fault this happened. I...killed Angie and Ryoma..." Himiko cried. "I'm a bad girl... I only caused trouble for you and the others... I even caused trouble for Angie, always relying on her and Atua instead of trying to deal with reality. I was scared...and this is the reward I'll receive for my laziness."
"Himiko...!"
"Please...you have to let me go. So that you all can live. You'll be fine without a worthless mage that couldn't even use her magic to make people smile at the very end, right?" Himiko told us with a weak smile. "You guys need to only do one thing, and that's live for me and everyone else who's died. We've all been forced to suffer, so you all who will live need to keep living so that our mistakes aren't forgotten! So that they aren't in vain! Forget about me, and just live!"
"...Alright. If that's what you want." I muttered as I relaxed my anxious body in defeat and let go of the stance I was in.
"R-Rin!? Don't tell me you're-"
"I'm making a promise," I told Tenko. "I'm going to make sure...that we all live. That's the only thing I can do for you now, Himiko."
"Thank you. You really are reliable, even to someone who doesn't really deserve it." Himiko told me. "Even though we didn't really talk to each other, you still helped me make up with Tenko, and you're even trying to help me now. You really are...too kind."
"...This isn't kindness. It's just weakness." I replied quietly with a grimace aimed at the ground.
Yeah...weakness. Weakness that prevents me from actually saving someone within my reach. Weakness that forces me to make compromises with people's lives for the greater good. It's just a lie. A kind lie, one for me, Himiko, and the people around us, and even though I can identify it at a glance, I can't help but try to keep that promise. It's a lie, a promise I can never hope to keep, a promise I've already failed to keep three times now, a promise I can't help but make due to my own selfishness and weakness. But even so... even if this promise is just a lie I'm telling myself, I'll make it the truth. I'll make it so that it is true. I'll take the kindness from this lie and overwrite the cruelty of the truth. That's all...I can do now.
"...Yeah. We'll do that." Kaito then said, coming to my aid. "We'll make sure no one else dies. We'll all live, for everyone else's sake."
"Y-Yeah... Gonta work hard and keep friends safe till very end!" Gonta told her as he began to cry.
"W-We won't let this happen again... I won't let it..." Kaede added with her own tears falling off her cheeks before she hid her face in her hands and broke out into a complete sob. Even those who kept quiet nodded to Himiko, acknowledging what she wanted, and the bravery she was displaying for accepting to bow out when it was her time to go. Even Kokichi, which was a little surprising. However, there was still one person who refused to accept things as they were.
"N-No! I won't accept this! I won't...I can't let Himiko die!" Tenko shouted as her eyes started turning red from all the tears she was crying. "Because...what am I supposed to do after that!? What am I supposed to do now that I've failed to protect both Angie and Himiko, two of my friends, from this killing game!?"
"Tenko..." Himiko muttered.
"Ugh...I'm getting tired of waiting." Monokuma groaned. "Are you all done trying to fight against this? Yes? Good. Now then...let's get started." Monokuma told us with a big grin. "I have a special punishment prepared for Himiko Yumeno, the Ultimate Magician."
"...It's mage," Himiko growled as she pulled her hat down her face.
"...The Ultimate Mage, Himiko Yumeno..." Monokuma corrected himself with a deadpan expression, causing Himiko to smirk a little despite her tears. Small victories, I suppose.
"W-Wait, wait a second! I won't...! I refuse to let you...!" Tenko screamed, trying to come up with anything to say or do to save her friend. But that's when Himiko grabbed Tenko's hand. "H-Himiko?"
"I don't get you," Himiko told her. "I was never really nice to you until a few days ago after we talked a little more. I was really horrible to you, and I never even told you I was sorry for that. I don't deserve a friend like you."
"Let's give it everything we've got! It...PUNISHMENT TIME!" Monokuma shouted.
"You were the best friend I could have asked for. Thank you Tenko, and I'm sorry for everything. So please, try to smile." Himiko told her before giving her a sad smile. "I'm glad...my magic was able to make you and everyone else here happy at least once while we were here. At least I wasn't completely useless."
And that was the last thing Himiko was able to say before Monokuma took out his gavel and slammed it onto the button in front of his throne. Like before, the monitor above us showed an 8-bit sprite of Monokuma dragging Himiko off, just like the other culprits.
GAME OVER
Himiko Yumeno has been found guilty!
Time for the punishment! :)
Just as before, a chain shot out from the darkness and forcibly attached itself around Himiko's neck before dragging her away, her witch hat falling off her head as she flew past a metal door that sealed itself shut to prevent us from interfering. Tenko tried to chase after Himiko, but Gonta held her back...for her own safety. That didn't stop her from kicking and screaming the entire time. As that was happening, the monitors began to come to life as they began to show us the scene of the execution, one that none of us were ready for. And that's when we saw the title card.
Abracadabra
Ultimate Magician, Himiko Yumeno's Execution: Executed
The scene opened up on a stage when a spotlight shined down upon Monokuma, who was wearing a black tuxedo and a black top hat. He looked like the stereotypical magician, black and white wand and all. He then waved his wand around before pointing to an area on the stage, causing a big puff of smoke to appear. Once the smoke cleared, there stood Himiko, shaking like a leaf on top of the stage, looking back at the crowd of Monokuma's who were watching it, just like in Tsumugi's execution. There were chains wrapped around her wrists, so tightly bounding her hands that there were already deep purple bruises showing under them. But even with this slight bit of pain and the immense fear she was fearing, Himiko stood her ground, even as her knees threatened to give out and tears were only barely being kept at bay.
Monokuma then turned to Himiko like she was his assistant and pointed his wand at the ground below her. The spot she was standing on then opened up, causing Himiko to fall down the hole before she came back up, but now she was in a box with a clear, glass front so that everyone could see. The box, which looked more like a coffin with red magical decor on the outside of it, was just large enough for Himiko to fit inside with enough space to move around a little, maybe a few inches at most, although the coffin's ceiling was very high above her, preventing her from touching anywhere near the top. Monokuma then wrapped the box in more chains before placing many heavy-duty locks on the outside of it, trapping Himiko even further within the prison.
That's when Monokuma clapped his paws together twice, causing something surprising to happen. From out of nowhere and with no possible explanation, water began coming into the coffin from the bottom. Himiko noticed immediately as she looked down at her feet and saw a small puddle below her slowly begin to rise up towards her ankles. It didn't take her more than a second to realize what was going to happen to her. So she immediately began pressing her hands against all the sides of the coffin. She looked everywhere for some kind of escape method. A trap door, a hidden mechanism, anything a normal magician would use to escape and succeed in their escape trick.
But there was nothing. This wasn't a normal magic trick. It was an execution. There was no way for her to survive it through conventional means. It would take a miracle, real magic, to get out of her predicament.
Upon realizing this, Himiko's face turned red as tears began to run down her cheeks. The new tint in her face stemmed from two emotions. Frustration was the first. She was so angry that this was the hand fate had dealt to her. That there was not even a chance to escape. That she had to sit there in this box and slowly wait for the water to rise high enough for her to slowly drown. But more than the anger she was feeling at the unfairness of it all...was embarrassment.
'It's magic. Real magic'. 'Cause I'm a mage'. How many times had she said that to the others? How many times did she rely on 'real magic' as an excuse for things? Excuses for her magic tricks, for she claimed they worked because of real magic, not tricks. Excuses for why things went wrong or right, for she was capable when she had magic and mp, but worthless without it, and not having it was beyond her control. Excuses for why her master abandoned her after failing a trick of his own, using it as a way to convince herself that she hadn't stolen the spotlight from him and that he didn't leave her out of shame and embarrassment.
She used that excuse constantly, and now this execution was making fun of her for doing so. 'Why don't you use real magic to escape? Aren't you the Ultimate Mage?' She could practically hear Monokuma asking her that in his usual mocking tone. That small victory she got over him when she corrected him was short-lived, as he soon saw to it that he got immediate revenge for it. It was so embarrassing to be revealed like this. Even if the others knew from the start, even if they never took it seriously, being shown that this is truly what she is was insulting and humiliating.
She wasn't special. She was just a girl who used parlor tricks to deceive people.
And of course, right when she was feeling the lowest she's ever felt (aside from when she killed two people), things went from bad to worse. Monokuma took off his top hat and tapped his wand on its rim. He then reached his paw into the hat and pulled out his three Monokubs and threw them towards Himiko. He then pointed his wand towards the sky, causing multiple blades to fall perfectly around Himiko and land so that the blades were stuck in the ground with the hilt sticking upwards. Monokuma then gestured to the cubs to 'get to work', and Monotaro and Monophanie nodded nervously, not wanting to be blown up by their father. While Monodam just stood still and watched, Monotaro and Monophanie started grabbing blades one at a time and stabbing them into the coffin Himiko was in.
Himiko did her best to dodge the blades, but the inside of the coffin was too confined. She couldn't move well at all due to the tight space, so every time one of the Monokubs stabbed the box, even if she managed to move in a way that prevented a fatal wound, she would be sliced, little by little. Across her cheek, across her leg, across her waist. By about a dozen swords, Himiko had multiple slashes across her body. It also didn't help that at this point the water, which was now turning pink due to Himiko's blood, was now at her stomach and now about to reach her chest. And that's when Monotaro stabbed the 13th blade into the coffin, and the water finally caused Himiko to not move well enough to avoid the attack. The blade stabbed into Himiko's cafe easily, causing her to scream out in pain as she began to fall to her knees. This caused her to fall deeper into the water, preventing her from even screaming in pain.
Himiko quickly tried to stand back up, but that's when the top of the coffin opened up. Monokuma was now standing on top of the railings above the stage where the spotlights were, and he had a big glass case hanging next to him by a cord. Himiko's eyes widened in terror as she saw what was in the case.
It was Piranhas, just like when she performed the Underwater Escape Trick in the gym.
Without any hesitation, Monokuma dumped the piranhas out of their case and into the coffin where Himiko was. As soon as the piranhas plopped down into the water, they quickly began to make work of Himiko's skin, especially since the blood they smelled in the water was riling them up even more. They bit into Himiko's skin, tearing off small chunks of it at a time, causing Himiko to scream in the water even more. The water was now above where her head would be even if she was standing, so there was nothing she could do other than attempt to swim up for air, but when there were blades still stuck in the coffin and hungry piranhas feasting on her limbs and torso, there was very little Himiko could do now to avoid her gruesome fate.
Monodam watched all this unfold, and he only felt one emotion: pity. He decided that the best thing he could do for this poor girl now...was end her suffering as best he could. And while he was at it, he might as well make things easier for her friends who would still be alive after this. He did say he wanted to help them after all.
And so, Monodam steeled his resolve, just like he had before when he murdered his brothers, Monokid and Monosuke. He snuck up behind Monotaro and Monophanie, who were now watching the execution with wide, terrified eyes, and kicked them from behind like they were footballs. With precision that could only be found in a machine, Monodam kicked his two remaining siblings high into the air, both of them completely shocked by what was happening as they began to fall. And fell they did, right into the coffin.
As soon as they touched the water, everything in the coffin surged with electricity. The piranhas, the cubs, and Himiko. Electricity surged through all of them, and after a few seconds of suffering, the coffin exploded. The glass front of the coffin broke open, causing all of the water and the contents inside it to spill out. Roasted piranhas were the first to spill out, landing on the stage floor with a brownish, cooked tint from the electricity they were subjected to. The broken remains of the Monokubs were next, machine parts and the cubs' limbs and heads falling on the ground as well. And lastly, and the saddest one of the bunch, was the fallen body of Himiko.
The young girl collapsed on the ground motionlessly, blood splattering across the floor as she fell with a thud. Chunks of her flesh were missing from her arms, legs, and body, and her skin now had multiple, dark electric burns covering her body as well. Her eyes were now completely pink with blood as the hot pink liquid leaked out from them like tears. It was as if they were melting out of her skull from the immense electricity that had surged through her body.
But it was over. She was finally dead. Her suffering was over.
Even so, there is no hope to be found anywhere. The only truth in this world is a cruel reality. Not even kind lies can save anyone from that. Dreams are for the weak, and they only exist to chain people down with delusions. Mercy is foolish to hope for, and dreaming for anything more than despair is the peak of naivety. Acceptance of death is futile, and promises will always be broken. All that will remain is the haunting guilt from the past, forever stalking you till your own death. Forever and ever, until only dust remains.