Nagito (Remnant): "So... is it okay for me to ask about these powers of yours?" It has only been about ten minutes since Nagito and Yoshi left Towa Tower. Yoshi has been carrying Nagito on his back while he navigates Towa City, and it would be difficult if he was doing it on foot, but he wasn't doing that. Yoshi was using the element within his body to make himself levitate off the ground, and with the element mostly in his feet, it was almost like he was flying. The best comparison was the feeling of wearing a jetpack. Yoshi used the same method once before, but it wasn't important enough to bring up around Nagito.
Yoshi: "Uh... I'm still not sure if-"
Nagito (Remnant): "Come on, I can't help it if I'm curious. Ever since Izuru's plan began, we've only seen other variants of us. You have any idea how many variants of myself I've seen since all this started? It gets boring over time, so I want to know more about you. And if it's okay, I'd like to know more about your world as a whole too." Yoshi couldn't really blame Nagito for asking questions, he would be doing the same if their roles were reversed. "It's gonna take a bit before we arrive at the shrine grounds, so why not use this time to get more acquainted?"
Yoshi: "..." Maybe he should throw Nagito a bone, it would only be fair. Since they met, Nagito has been nothing but helpful, giving Yoshi information about this world he finds himself in, Izuru Kamukura's plan, and of course, the whereabouts of other surprise visitors like him. "...Okay, I'll tell you."
Nagito (Remnant): "I'm all ears." He was excited, so excited that he ended up tightening his grip. Nagito had his arms wrapped around Yoshi's neck from behind, and Yoshi had his arms holding on to Nagito's legs that were wrapped around Yoshi's waist. It didn't really feel weird giving someone a piggyback ride, especially since Yoshi needed to hold Nagito as tight as possible. Because if he doesn't, he could lose his grip... and Nagito could fall to his death.
Yoshi: "When I was born, my parents were shocked to see that I wasn't saying anything. I know it takes a while for newborn babies to start making noises, other than crying or screaming, but that moment never came. Down the line, my parents found out that I felt uncomfortable talking around girls, so my mother was heartbroken. She was so heartbroken that she left my father to raise me alone."
Nagito (Remnant): "Interesting. I know it's sad, but don't feel too bad. After all, every protagonist needs a tragic backstory."
Yoshi: "A-Anyway, after she left, I never saw her again. Years went by, and I was going to a school that only allowed boys to attend. It was something I requested, but over the years, I was starting to get better at talking to girls. But while I was attending that all-boys school... my father fell ill. He died while I was at school."
Nagito (Remnant): "..."
Yoshi: "After I graduated from that all-boys school, I enrolled in Tenbi Academy. It was a unique school for students who possessed a special power that they called 'Makens'. Students usually have one Maken, but I found out that I possess two. But right now, I only have one, and I have no idea how to use it."
Nagito (Remnant): "At that point, you had no idea about my world?"
Yoshi: "Not yours, but a different one. I already told you what happened in that universe, and it ended with Izuru and the rest of you remnants leaving the Future Foundation after saving its members."
Nagito (Remnant): "Hmm..."
Yoshi: "What?"
Nagito (Remnant): "Oh, it's nothing." It's obvious that it wasn't nothing, even Yoshi could tell. It appears that Nagito was deep in thought, so Yoshi decided to try and give him more information about himself.
Yoshi: "I found out more about the Maken I possessed, but in the end... I found out that I had it since I was born. It was actually the reason why I felt so isolated. The Maken was known as 'Soul Collector', and it gave me the abilities of a necromancer."
Nagito (Remnant): "So... you could bring the dead back to life?"
Yoshi: "If I became strong enough, then I believe so. I haven't been able to do it yet... I think."
Nagito (Remnant): "You think?"
Yoshi: "Well, something happened that could count as me bringing the dead back to life... but I'm not so sure if I can count it. Their bodies didn't reanimate, I think it was only their spirits. 'Soul Collector' was a Maken that somebody made, and it became mine after its previous user took his own life. 'Soul Collector' took so long to make that the creator of the Maken lost his own life while making it, he ended up becoming a part of the Maken itself. When the previous user had the Maken, the creator's voice could be heard in his head, and it drove him to madness."
Nagito (Remnant): "And that's why he took his own life?"
Yoshi: "Yeah, and unfortunately, I started hearing the creator's voice as well. I didn't go crazy, but I did end up hurting one of my enemies. Once I was able to break free from that Maken's power, I was standing face-to-face with the creator of 'Soul Collector'. I was thankfully able to defeat him, but I lost the Maken I was so accustomed to using up until that point."
Nagito (Remnant): "You really grew up alone thanks to this power of yours? So... you've been alone this whole time?"
Yoshi: "No, I was able to make really good friends. And... I even found love."
Nagito (Remnant): "Aw, that's nice. Love is a beautiful thing, and life isn't really worth living if love isn't a part of it. So, who's the lucky lady?"
Yoshi: "Uh..."
Nagito (Remnant): "Is it a lady? Or maybe... you bat for the other team?"
Yoshi: "O-Oh, no! I mean, there's nothing wrong with that, but I don't swing that way. I like girls."
Nagito (Remnant): "Then why did you look uncomfortable when I asked about your girlfriend?"
Yoshi: "Girlfriends."
Nagito (Remnant): "..."
Yoshi: "..."
Nagito (Remnant): "...You love more than one person?"
Yoshi: "Uh... yeah."
Nagito (Remnant): "And they're all okay with it?"
Yoshi: "Yeah."
Nagito (Remnant): "Well... that's very interesting. Thank you for telling me that."
Yoshi: "Y-You're welcome." Talking to Nagito like this was actually nice, not even Yoshi's friends from back home know much about him. Sure, the girls he was romantically involved with knew a certain amount of his backstory, but the other guys attending the academy didn't know anything. Yoshi's first love, Minori Rokujou, knew pretty much everything about Yoshi's past, and she swore that no one will know until he was ready to explain things himself.
Nagito (Remnant): "We're here." Yoshi's attention was now on the scenery beneath him, he and Nagito have made it to the entrance to the shrine grounds.
Yoshi: "Wait, how come we didn't just go to the middle of the shrine grounds?"
Nagito (Remnant): "I think it's best if we go through the main entrance because I'm not sure if there are any... unwelcome visitors in there. If we go in from here, then we'll be able to sneak around and take out any enemies without causing a scene."
Yoshi: "What kind of 'unwelcome visitors' could we possibly encounter in there?"
Nagito (Remnant): "Besides my friends, I bet there could be Monokuma bots in there. After all, if those survivors are there, then it's not a mistake to think that they were followed. When I first heard about that survivor who was captured, I think it happened here."
Yoshi: "Okay, if you say so. For now, we focus on navigating the shrine grounds and finding those three survivors. When they're safe, we'll talk to them about the one who was captured." Now properly prepared, Yoshi and Nagito cautiously walked through the main entrance and started looking around. Although the Monokuma bots Nagito just mentioned did confuse the redhead, he decided to just make a mental note about it and focus on the task at hand.
According to Yoshi's knowledge of the world he knows about, there should be a small tunnel close to the main shrine which led out of the city. How does he know about this? Well, the world Yoshi was familiar with wasn't just in the form of anime and manga, but also games. And if everything Nagito said about this world is true, then Yoshi's knowledge will definitely come in handy.
The entrance to the shrine grounds mostly consisted of a massive torii gate, and once Nagito and Yoshi walked underneath it, they needed to climb a small amount of stairs. Once they've climbed the stairs, Yoshi and Nagito found another bunch of stairs that led up to the main shrine, which was located at the top of a hill. It was a pretty steep hill, but the stairs looked pretty stable. There were plenty of traditional Japanese wooden lanterns located on the edges of the main trail leading into the shrine grounds. As they walked towards the steep hill, Yoshi and Nagito walked underneath a second torii gate, this one was much bigger than the previous one. Thankfully, there didn't appear to be any sign of a struggle or violence in sight. Which means that the scene of the captured survivor must be near the main shrine at the top of the hill.
Nagito (Remnant): "Are you ready for this?"
Yoshi: "I... I sure hope so."
Nagito (Remnant): "One more thing. As much as it pains me to say this, I'm afraid that I won't be very useful in a fight. So I'll just stay out of sight until you're done. But there's no need to worry, I'm sure that you'll do fine."
Yoshi: "H-Huh!?"
Nagito (Remnant): "Don't freak out, I strongly doubt that you'll die here. After all, those powers of yours will get you through whatever's waiting for us at the shrine." Were these words of encouragement? Yoshi couldn't tell. But nonetheless, Yoshi stood proud as he made his way up the stairs. Nagito followed slowly behind him, but he made sure not to get in the way if things were to get intense.
As Yoshi and Nagito were approaching the top of the stairs, they started hearing strange noises. Nagito already knew what these sounds indicated, but Yoshi had no idea. While slightly nervous, Yoshi moved closer to the top of the stairs and looked around the area surrounding the main shrine. All he did was just peek his head over the top of the stairs, so if anyone... or anything was there, they wouldn't be able to see him. When Yoshi got a good visual of the main shrine grounds, he could see many machines that resembled Monokuma walking around the area, some were even banging on the large doors of the main shrine.
Yoshi: "Whoa, those machines are real."
Nagito (Remnant): "It's pretty intimidating, isn't it? Those things can easily tear through you, but that's only if you give them the chance."
Yoshi: "T-Then I won't give it to them." From the looks of the surroundings, there used to be a large door that separated the stairs from the main shrine area, but that door looked like it was torn down not too long ago. So instead of opening a large door to enter the area, all Yoshi and Nagito had to do was just... walk right in.
It also looked like the main shrine's door was close to being broken down, so Yoshi had to assume that the three survivors that Nagito mentioned have barricaded themselves inside. With very little time left to save those survivors, Yoshi started channelling the element around his entire body. Nagito got to see firsthand what this element can do. It started moving around his feet, then his hips, and finally started moving around his fists. In no time flat, Yoshi's body was starting to glow blue. Nagito smiled widely as he watched Yoshi run into the main shrine area.
As quicky and as quietly as possible, Yoshi ran up to one of the Monokuma bots and punched it. With his element covering his body, Yoshi was able to punch the bot and send it flying across the shrine grounds. The other Monokuma bots took notice of the new arrival and started to attack him, completely ignoring the main shrine for now. Yoshi sadly couldn't use his element as a ranged weapon, so he had no choice but to get up close and personal. The Monokuma bots may have had extremely sharp claws, but Yoshi made sure to keep a close eye on their movements, and that gave him an easier chance of escaping this fight unharmed.
With his strength, Yoshi punched another Monokuma bot, and his fist went straight through the bot's forehead. He swiftly pulled out some circuits and threw them on the ground, making the rest of the bots even more frustrated. They started attacking Yoshi as a group, instead of just one at a time. That would usually work against the enemy, but Yoshi was still in the driver's seat. The element surrounding his body was making it really hard for the Monokuma bots to actually hurt him, and without much of a struggle, Yoshi was able to break free from the group. Focusing on the element in his feet, Yoshi used it to jump towards one of the Monokuma bots. He was able to dive head first straight through the bot's body, separating its upper half from its lower half.
There were only three other Monokuma bots left, but it didn't look it they were showing any signs of retreating. These things really were just robots, robots that couldn't think. Yoshi made sure that these machines have no chance of escaping the shrine grounds, and without hesitation, Yoshi picked up one of the bots and threw it at the other two. This knocked all three of them to the ground, and it made defeating them much easier. Yoshi punched the one he threw in the face until his fist made it through the bot's head. As for the final two Monokuma bots, Yoshi jumped into the air and stomped both feet into their stomachs, right in their belly buttons.
Nagito (Remnant): "Amazing!" With the coast finally clear, Nagito was free to leave the stairs and join Yoshi in the main shrine area. "That was truly amazing! Those Monokuma bots didn't stand a chance."
Yoshi: "Uh... thanks. Even though those things were strong and intimidating, I'm a little surprised that they didn't put up much of a fight."
Nagito (Remnant): "Well, with that power of yours, it looked like easy work from where I was standing. Oh well, it doesn't really matter if they didn't put up much of a fight."
Yoshi: "You're right, those things were trying to get into the main shrine, which means there's something in there."
Nagito (Remnant): "Something that the Monokuma bots wanted to get their paws on. Or more likely, something the Remnants of Despair want to get their hands on." Now that Yoshi took care of the Monokuma bots, he and Nagito were free to investigate the main shrine.
????: "Damn, that was one hell of a performance!" Yoshi and Nagito stopped moving towards the main shrine once they heard a girl's voice, a voice that made Nagito tense up a little bit. And it wasn't just him, Yoshi tensed up as well. Unfortunantely, this voice carried a little bit of malice, and it was easy to figure out that this person wasn't an alley. Yoshi recognized the source of the voice and looked at the roof of the main shrine, exactly where the voice was coming from. "You guys put on a great show, but that's exactly what we were hoping for!"
Yoshi: "Oh my god... Ibuki Mioda."
Ibuki (Remnant): "Huh, you know who Ibuki is, that's great! Looks like I don't need to introduce myself."
Nagito (Remnant): "Ibuki, it's good to see you. I haven't seen you for a while, I wonder why that is?"
Ibuki (Remnant): "I've been busy, my fans demand excellence, and I always deliver. Ibuki Mioda is the biggest musician not just in this world, but in every other world. And with one world left to conquer, Ibuki needs to be better than ever."
Yoshi: 'I always wondered why she talks about herself in the third person, but I don't think I'll get a straight answer if I ask her about it.'
Nagito (Remnant): "If what you said is true, then why are you here of all places?"
Ibuki (Remnant): "Because Ibuki saw some people make their way into this shrine, and she just couldn't resist making them scream. I had them trapped in the shrine grounds, but then they ran into this shrine and locked the door behind them. I was waiting for my Monokuma bots to break down the door, but then I see that redheaded one destroying all the bots. Ibuki decided to sit back and watch, and she's impressed."
Nagito (Remnant): "You were watching?"
Ibuki (Remnant): "Yep!"
Yoshi: "Wait, you said you were hoping for this. What do you mean by that?"
Ibuki (Remnant): "While you were dealing with those bots, I was able to contact the rest of the remnants. They now know about a weird but cute redhead with strange powers. And they also know about the traitor who sided with said redhead. After I kill you two, the ones in the shrine will shortly follow you into the afterlife!" It was probably the worst time to realize that there were some large speakers located around the main shrine, and that Ibuki was carrying an electric guitar. Once Ibuki played one note, the loud noise made a large sound wave that pushed Yoshi and Nagito back towards the stairs. "You'd be surprised what music can do, it doesn't just entertain, it can be used to hurt people too. Ibuki used this method on many innocent people, and all of them ended up bleeding from their ears."
Nagito (Remnant): "There's no way I'll be able to get close to her while she's playing that guitar. If you're able to get close, then you could knock her out."
Yoshi: "Yeah, I'll try." Channelling the element around his body again, Yoshi slowly got back to his feet and started moving towards the main shrine again. Ibuki noticed this and started playing a song that had a heavy metal theme to it, the sound waves were making it nearly impossible for Nagito to approach the shrine, but Yoshi was making it look possible. His legs kept moving as Ibuki kept playing her music. 'Dammit, the sound waves this music is creating could easily push me down the stairs if I'm not careful.'
Ibuki (Remnant): "Having some trouble!? It doesn't need to be this way, just let the music take control!" She said that as she was still strumming the guitar, and the sound was slowly making Yoshi's ears bleed. Nagito was forced to watch as Yoshi slowly walked towards the main shrine.
Yoshi: "Believe it or not, I've dealt with much worse!" He quickened his pace until he was standing right beside the door to the shrine, and this was the opportunity that Yoshi needed. Once again, he focused on channelling the element in his feet, and he launched himself through the roof of the shrine, while also grabbing Ibuki in the process. While in the air, Ibuki wasn't able to hurt anyone with her music because the aux cord in her guitar was disconnected from the speakers near the shrine. "Sorry about this."
Ibuki (Remnant): "Aw, you're so innocent. That kinda makes Ibuki want to kill you more, but then again... maybe not." Her attempt at flattery did make Yoshi blush a little, but he knew that she couldn't be trusted. While making sure that Ibuki couldn't move her arms, because he was worried that she might attack him, Yoshi slowly came back down until his feet were on the ground again.
Nagito (Remnant): "Once again, that was amazing!"
Yoshi: "Is there anything here we can use to tie her up?"
Ibuki (Remnant): "Hm, kinky."
Yoshi: "No, not like that!" That made Yoshi blush more, but Nagito made sure to act quick and grab some cords and wires from one of the many broken Monokuma bots. With the cords and wires, Nagito started tying Ibuki's wrists together, and he also tied Ibuki's legs together, making sure that she couldn't do anything.
Nagito (Remnant): "My friend here will need some answers to some questions, but that'll have to wait."
Yoshi: "Yeah, I'll go check the shrine while you keep an eye on Ibuki."
Ibuki (Remnant): "Just so you know, those survivors are dangerous. One of them was able to take down a few Monokuma bots with nothing but a knife."
Yoshi: "W-What kind of knife?"
Nagito (Remnant): "A normal knife shouldn't be able to break through the Monokuma bot's body. So if I had to guess... maybe a survival knife." Learning that one of the survivors has a very dangerous weapon, Yoshi was cautious as he approached the main shrine's door.
*Bang! Bang!*
Yoshi: "Hello? Anybody in there?" After knocking on the door with his fist, Yoshi waited patiently for a response.
????: "Go away! I won't warn you again!" That voice belonged to a girl, so Yoshi made sure to eliminate any kind of annoyance he had with the situation before speaking again.
Yoshi: "I'm not here to hurt you, I actually showed up and defeated those Monokuma bots."
????2: "Y-You have?"
????: "Hey, don't believe him!" It wasn't just that girl's voice, but Yoshi also heard another girl's voice, but the second voice sounded innocent, like a little girl's voice.
Yoshi: "Please open the door, I promise I'm not here to bring you harm."
????3: "Hey, he doesn't sound like the guy from before. Maybe he really is here to help us." This third voice belonged to a guy, and he sounded open to giving Yoshi a chance.
????: "Are you sure?"
????3: "At least open the door so we can see who we're dealing with." Yoshi could hear something being moved away from the door, probably something big that these survivors placed against the door to keep people from entering the shrine. And once Yoshi saw the door slightly move, he moved away so that whoever was inside could exit without any troubles. When the door was finally open, Yoshi got a good look at the three people who were hiding in the shrine.
????: "Who are you, and what do you want?" The girl with black hair pointed a survival knife at Yoshi while she and her fellow survivors left the shrine.
Whatever these people have been through... it must've been horrible.