Chapter 5

Smile at Hope in the Name of Despair Daily Life

Now onto Chapter 5. The main deal of OTPTBIACP! Enjoy Smile at Hope in the Name of Despair, guys!

If there was one thing that Nikei knew, it was nothing.

And Mikado knew that Nikei was to blame for the disused machine splattering oil all over him in the Former Ultimate Merchant's Lab.

The Ultimate Wizard had to get his revenge, but how?

One thing was for sure.

That stupid, stupid Nikei didn't know any better.

(https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yyNhlmALBvU)

Chapter 5: Smile at Hope in the Name of Despair

Daily Life

Nanako ate her breakfast in silence.

Once again, tears filled her eyes as the events of yesterday filled her heads.

Another person had been brutally murdered. Nanako didn't expect to see Yuri die in such a gruesome, horrifying way, too. Being tortured by a ghost is a terrifying way to die, and everyone had witnessed that happen to Yuri.

Nanako didn’t expect to see Yuri getting made into ice cream, either.

It took every inch of Nanako’s strength not to cry.

Recent days had been the worst she had ever experienced. Trapped in a place from hell, Nanako had been forced to participate in twisted trials for her very survival.

9 people had died violent, gruesome deaths in those recent days, too.

This mystery novelist had been witness to four of them and she had seen all nine of the bodies.

She was not having a fifth case.

Nanako had to find a way to get out of this nightmarish place, or another day would mean another horrible death.

Two labs had opened: Nikei’s lab and Mikado’s lab.

Nikei and Mikado were absent, however.

Nanako assumed they had gotten poorly.

Monochrome was also strangely gone.

The next few days were peaceful, and strangely… there was no Monochrome to give anyone a motive to murder each other.

Nanako was also wondering where the hell Nikei and Mikado was.

It’s not like whoever the hell the mastermind is privately gave out a motive in an attempt to convince my brother and that creepy Wizard to murder each other… right?

“Everyone, Sora has an announcement to make!” Kokoro announced.

It was three whole days later, and the normally quiet Kokoro was unusually… cheerful.

“Sora says that she figured out her talent!” Kokoro said.

“Please tell me whatever the hell your talent is!” Nanako said.

The silvery blue haired girl sighed.

“I’m not just Sora the normal, amnesiac girl who couldn’t even remember what her talent was… I’m Sora…” She got a kitchen knife. “The Ultimate Assassin.”

“You’re… the Ultimate Assassin?” Nanako gasped, just as stunned as everyone else. “So… that’s your talent…”

Emma gasped upon realizing the possible implication.

“This means you’ve killed people in the past,” the actress said. “But, Sora, how? How could someone as good-natured as you do that? It… wasn’t a lie, was it? All that kindness?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Sora said, putting the kitchen knife back down. “No amount of nice acts can ever make up for how much I’ve hurt people. Too many of them to count.”

“So that’s why you were cold,” Hajime said.

“That’s right!” Sora said. “Being an assassin means you have to put on a facade of sorts.”

Sora is an assassin… in a killing game of all things. This won't end well. What if her talent makes the mastermind take direct action against her for being too dangerous?

“You’re an assassin?” Kokoro said. “That talent is too dangerous! Way too dangerous!"

“This is bad! This is really bad!” Nanako heard Emma mutter behind her.

The rest of the day did not go well. Nanako saw people try to restrain Sora so she wouldn’t kill everyone.

She noticed that there was something different about a certain Kokoro Mitsume.

She was now more quiet and more unconfident than she’d ever been. It was as if she was scared of herself.

Kokoro’s been through a reverse Character Development! Maybe she should become more assertive…

The next day, Nanako woke up with severe hunger.

“Maybe I should get some food from Mikado.” She thought.

So Nanako went to the Ultimate Wizard’s Lab, and found herself met with a horrifying sight.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hn3gBV-nYc)

Lying against a wall, blood leaking from the mouth, was the crumpled body of Mikado Sannoji.

Poor Mikado. He was doomed from the moment he set foot in this story. Because of that creepy mask of his, Mikado has a gothic design. Apparently, according to this picture, if you have a gothic or edgy design, then you tend not to survive that long in a killing game. And look what a gothic/edgy design got some of my favorites (I'm looking at you, Celestia, Gundham, Korekiyo and Kirumi). So I decided to make Mikado go further than those characters, and die in chapter 5. Now, if you’re the mastermind, you tend to live until Chapter 6. But here, Mikado has been stripped of his title as the mastermind. In other words, this Ultimate Wizard was never going to walk out of this story alive. My reasons why I chose Mikado to die in Chapter 5 will become clear at the end of the trial.

Smile at Hope in the Name of Despair Deadly Life

The fifth investigation. Nanako must gather evidence that could help point to Mikado’s killer's identity.

(https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yyNhlmALBvU)

Chapter 5: Smile at Hope in the Name of Despair

Deadly Life

Soon, everyone else arrived.

"Is that...?!" Emma moaned weakly.

"OH MY FUCKING GOD!" Hajime screamed.

"Mikado!" Sora shouted, her usual stony demeanor replaced by utter shock.

Otori turned his whole body again, not allowing Nanako to see his reaction rather than a grimace of disgust.

Kokoro almost choked on her own vomit in disgust.

"This is…so horrible!" a certain Nikei Yomiuri exclaimed as he returned… only to pale from the disgusting scene in front of him.

There was an uncomfortable silence for a few moments. Shock and worry gnawed at Nanako... this was a murder? One of them actually went through with a fifth murder?

Would they be able to find them this time...?

* Ding dong! *

“A filthy insect has been swatted! Now you have to investigate before the Class Trial begins!”

Suddenly, Monochrome appeared.

“This is becoming a formality by now, but these are your Monochrome Files!” They said.

They handed out the Monochrome File 5.

Then they vanished.

“We have to find out why Mikado died!” Nikei said, excited.

“Let’s just do this.” Nanako sighed.

Investigation, start!

Nanako sighed (this was starting to become redundant by now) and opened the Monochrome file.

Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Mikado’s crossed out grey pixel.

The victim was Mikado Sannoji, the Ultimate Wizard. The body was found in the Ultimate Wizard’s Lab. Cause of death is poisoning.

Truth Bullet Added: Monochrome File 5

Nikei was examining the body.

“That’s odd,” he said. “The victim has blood coming out of their mouth.”

Truth Bullet Added: State of Mikado’s Body

Meanwhile, Nanako noticed something on the floor. It was a half eaten cookie. She supposed that was where the poisoning part came from.

Truth Bullet Added: Half Eaten Cookie

Just then, Nanako saw something next to the body.

Good god, is that vomit?

Truth Bullet Added: Pool of Vomit

Nikei had taken off Mikado’s gloves.

“His skin has croceesed.” He noted.

Truth Bullet Added: Mikado’s Hands

“Time’s up for investigation, you disgusting insects!” Monochrome announced. “Now, it’s time for the fucking class trial!”

Everyone headed to the elevator and were whisked off to the courtroom.

This time, Monochrome had decorated it in hideous colors and patterns like a twisted funhouse - bright reds, pinks, oranges, greens, blues and purples seared Nanako’s eyes, arranged in polka dots, argyles, checkerboards, hearts and stripes.

Everyone then took their place at their podiums.

Mikado Sannoji had just been murdered.

One of us…

…Is the culprit!

It’s time for a cruel class trial…

Next time, we find the culprit who killed Mikado!

Smile at Hope in the Name of Despair Deadly Life 2

The class trial.

TW: Execution. It’s pretty brutal this time. Like last time, the execution is sectioned off if you’re not up to reading it. It’s probably the worse one after Yuri’s.

"First things first, a brief introduction to the Class Trial!” Monochrome said, perched on a throne of sorts. “In the class trial, you will debate over and vote who the impertinent insect that murdered one of your peers was. If you get it right, then that insect will receive punishment AKA execution at the hand of yours truly. If you get it wrong, however, then the insect gets off scot-free, and the rest of you are offed! The insect will then leave the Sacturaty! Now, let the trial commence!”

Class Trial, Begin!

(Non stop debate)

Make your own Agruemnt!

Nanako: We should begin with the Monochrome File.

Truth Bullet: Monochrome File 5

Nikei: It says that Mikado was poisoned…

Emma: Poison is a common way to commit suicide!

Nanako: I don’t know if Mikado committed suicide or not…

(Intermission!)

Monochrome laughed. “You want a scrum debate this early in the trial? I was hoping you would argue more last time, but it was dead obvious who the killer was… Anyways, the Last Hope Sacturaty is proud to present its very own morphenomenal trial grounds!"

Monochrome snapped their fingers, and the trial grounds shifted.

(https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=32GWbQt_Zn4)

Mikado commited suicide: Emma, Hajime, Sora

Mikado didn’t commit suicide: Kokoro, Nikei, Nanako, Otori

Did Mikado commit suicide?

Debate Scrum, start!

Kokoro: It’s not like Mikado wasn’t suicidal or anything!

Emma!

Emma: There’s a lot of edvience to suggest that he committed suicide!

Hajime: First, he was poisoned. And most people poison themselves to commit suicide!

Otori!

Teruya: Actually, it looked more like cold blooded murder.

Sora: As an assassin, I’ve encountered many cases in which a person was murdered and it was made to look like they commited suicide.

Kokoro!

Kokoro: Most people who commit suicide are depressed.

Nanako: Maybe Mikado was depressed about the Killing Game?

Nikei!

Nikei: We don’t even know if Mikado was depressed or not.

*Full counter! This is our answer!*

(New non stop debate)

Nanako: I think it’s very likely that Mikado was murdered. Because of…

Truth Bullet: State of Mikado’s Body

Nikei: Mikado had blood coming from his mouth.

Emma: But that means that Mikado died hours ago!

Hajime: Maybe the killer poisoned him?

Nanako: That’s actually likely, given that I found…

Truth Bullet: Half Eaten Cookie

Nikei: I baked cookies for Mikado.

Sora: If Mikado died after eating one, that means he was poisoned with lead.

Nikei: But I thought it would be a great ingredient to add!

Nanako: They thought it was a good idea back then, but now, thanks to science, we’ve come to find that lead is… poisonous.

Hajime: That explains how Mikado got poisoned. He got leaded.

Nanako: As evidenced by…

Truth Bullet: State of Mikado’s hands

Nanako: I think that his hands corroded away!

Kokoro: What the fuck?! Holy shit, that's fucking disgusting!

Emma: That’s awful!

Hajime: Well, that gives a new meaning to the phrase “rotten hand”!

Sora: Not in my years of being an assassin have I seen such disgusting things.

Nikei: I feel like throwing up…

R

Otori: Now, that’s a pleasant mental image.

Nanako: Not only that, but I found…

Truth Bullet: Vomit

Nanako: I think that Mikado threw up before he died because of the lead!

Sora: Lead causes you to vomit, apparently.

Nikei: Well, that's an image I'm not getting out of my head.

Emma: So his hands rotted and he threw up? That’s nice.

Nanako: I think it’s obvious who the culprit is.

Nikei: No!

(https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ll8ElUkIXBY)

Argument Armament Start!

Nikei looked a lot different in Nanako’s mind. His hat was gone. In his hair were two ribbons, one blue and one pink. His waistcoat was red, his shirt was white, and his pants were blue. His brown trench coat was traded in for an asymmetrical trench coat that was white on one side and black on the other side. His scarf was pink on one side and blue on the other side. He was holding a Monochrome doll.

I didn’t kill Mikado!

I’m innocent!

I swear I am!

I’m not the killer!

I did not kill Mikado!

I don’t want to die!

I’m goddamn innocent!

I didn’t end Mikado’s life!

I haven’t bloodied my hands!

This is all meanless!

I did not end Sannoji’s life!

Final Blow

Truth Bullet: Half Eaten Cookie

I shall slice through your words!

With a cry, Nikei then fell to the ground. Nikei was now covered in bruises and cuts, and his outfit looked like it was about to fall off. His Monochrome plush was gone.

“Nikei,” Nanako said. “Will you admit?”

Nikei sighed.

“There’s something I need to tell you.” He said.

“I killed Mikado Sannoji.”

“There’s our killer.” Sora said.

Nanako then sighed.

“Let’s end this. This is how I think the case went!”

Closing Agruement

“Suppose this: Our killer decides to bake cookies for the victim of this case: Mikado Sannoji, Ultimate Wizard.

“While they were baking the cookies, the killer decided to add lead to the mixture to make it more delicious.

“That wasn't all that it did, though.

T

“The killer then met Mikado with the batch of cookies.

“Mikado only ate half of one, and then put it down on the floor.

“The killer then walked away, leaving Mikado to die.

“After that, Mikado was… slowly poisoned to death.

“His hands were rotted while he was still alive, and he vomited so much in a horribly drawn out process.

“After god knows how long, Mikado ceased.

“Left with no choice, the killer returned to the scene of the crime when we all discovered Mikado’s body, acting as an innocent bystander, but only they themselves knew the truth!”

“Isn’t that right, my brother Nikei Yomiuri?”

* Break! Class Trial All Rise! *

“So, why did you kill Mikado?” Sora demanded.

“Well, I hated him.” Nikei said. “I just wanted to get revenge on Mikado.”

God, I feel terrible for condemning Nikei to death. Like Setsuka, that motive at least makes him pitiable. What should I do next?

Tell everyone to vote for yourself

Tell everyone to vote for Nikei âœ"️

“Everyone, vote for my brother.” Nanako told everyone.

The votes were unanimous.

Everyone voted for Nikei.

“Well, well!” Monochrome said.

“Let’s see if you’re right!”

Nanako watched as the display was shown.

The pointer went faster and faster until it landed on a pixel of Nikei, with fireworks exploding over it reading “GUILTY!”

“Congratulations, you idiots,” Monochrome said, every word full of bitterness. “You successfully determined the culprit. Again. The killer of Mikado Sannoji was none other than Nikei Yomiuri.”

And with that, Nanako entered the mother of all Heroic BSODs.

“No…” she cried. “Don’t execute Nikei!”

Monochrome rolled their eyes as Nanako pleaded over and over to be executed instead and said it was her fault.

“But the rules say… If the blackened is exposed, then only the blackened will receive punishment.” They said. “Sorry!”

“Sister!” cried Nikei, reaching for Nanako’s hand.

“Now then, a special punishment has been prepared for Nikei Yomiuri, the Ultimate Journalist."

"You... you can't do that!" Nanako shouted.

"Oh, but I can," Monochrome grinned. “It’s too late! It’s punishment time!”

“No!” Nanako screamed.

Nanako hoped that Monochrome would change her mind and her brother would be spared. All of that ended the moment Monochrome’s hand came down on the button.

A pixel Nikei was dragged off by the pixel Monochrome.

Game over

Nikei has been found Guilty.

Time for the punishment!

[EXECUTION]

Nikei was taken to a new location: a spinning platform in what appeared to be a coluessem.

Crowds of faceless were in the stands.

A faceless appeared and took out a microphone.

Nikei could see where this was going.

Blacklisted

The Execution of the Ultimate Journalist

Nikei was asked why he killed Mikado. He replied that it was for revenge.

And with that, the faceless booed.

The faceless then got burgers with cheese, tomatoes, all kinds of sauces, lettuce, onions and pickles in them and began throwing them at Nikei as hard as they could. Nikei cried as the burgers struck his body, covering his hair, his skin and his clothes in sauces, meat and toppings. He made a noise of disgust, wiping what appeared to be mustard off of his nose as one burger hit him in the face.

Some of the faceless snapped photos, while others laughed.

The faceless now resorted to pulling out ice cream, open coke cans of varying fullness and even rocks - and throwing them at Nikei along with the burgers.

Nikei was splattered in ice cream, winced as rocks grazed his limbs and broke his rib cage, and the coke drenched him, soaking the mush already on him.

Nikei, trying to keep his dignity, got up and ran out of the colosseum.

He found himself in a dark tunnel.

Body dripping with smashed burger, coke, ice cream, blood and sweat, Nikei ran and ran until he was certain that it was over.

Now he could walk free.

No such luck.

To Nikei's surprise, the floor opened, causing the journalist to drop.

He landed in a pool of mud.

Nikei gagged when he realized that the pool was mixed with poop.

Now he was splattered from head to toe in dirt and smashed burger and coke and ice cream and blood and fecal matter.

Nikei felt himself sink into the mud, and it went in his mouth.

The journalist shut his eyes as mud stuck thickly to his skin, clothes and hair. If he opened his eyes, he would get nothing but mud in them.

Eventually, Nikei had disappeared under the pool of mud.

But it wasn’t over.

A giant rolling pin covered in spikes appeared. This roller flattened the mud in a horribly drawn out process.

Under the mud, a look of complete horror overtook Nikei’s face and he opened his eyes.

The roller then went under the section Nikei was buried under.

A horrible crunch and a wet scraping sound filled Nanako's ears.

There were no other sounds from under the dirt, but for some reason Nanako couldn’t help but imagine her brother screaming...

Eventually, the bloody roller rolled on.

Blood seeped through the dirt (which had thankfully prevented the students from seeing the rest of Nikei’s awful, horrible demise), sparing everyone the gory sight of his crushed, mangled corpse.

The young man no longer excited people.

What remained of Nikei was the mutilated mess of a corpse that barely resembled the confident and charismatic journalist that it had once been.

Nikei Yomiuri was dead.

[END]

No one could decide if this execution was worst than the first five ones. This whole situation was sick and cruel. No one deserved to die this way.

After a few minutes, Monochrome broke the silence.

“EXTREEEEEME!” They cheered. “What a twist! What a way to go out! What a way to end Nikei’s life.”

Nikei’s execution had been far worse than Nanako had ever imagined. It hadn’t looked real. It had been impossible. Unrealistic. So horrible that she could hardly comprehend that her brother had really just been killed.

Emma was angry. “You monster!” she roared. “You sick, horrid little creature! Nikei didn’t deserve any of that!”

“If I went blind for the rest of my life, I would still see those burgers being thrown at Nikei.” Hajime said, his face full of terror.

Sora held both hands firmly on her mouth, her eyes wide in shock, her chest fluttering with shallow breaths. “Thanks,” she groaned. “I hate burgers.”

“Nikei!” Kokoro cried out.

"A-Am I...gonna end up like that too…?" Otori asked.

“The murders have stopped now!” Monochrome said.

* Ding Dong! *

“It is now nighttime. Let your despairing minds rest…”

As she rested in her bed, Nanako knew full well she would never forget the images of Mikado's limp body and Nikei’s mangled corpse, both serving as grim reminders that she had to find the mastermind.

Cleaning up dead bodies is like picking up trash. It’s gross, it’s worthless, and its only purpose is to be thrown away. Anyways, I almost ran out of resources. I pulled out all the stops to make Nikei feel the most despise possible! I briefly considering killing off Sora, because she had a talent that would have made her a threat to me. But I decided to let her live! Now it’s finally time…

(https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=E6tSqpNZAII)

Chapter 5: Smile at Hope in the Name of Despair

End

Surviving Students: 6

Chapter 5 ends. Next will be Chapter 6!

Now for my reasons for why I chose the victim and killer:

Mikado Sannoji was one of the characters that surprised me. When I first wrote him, I pictured him being like characters such as Gundham or Himiko, hence why he spends some of the story believing that his tricks are real magic. But then he grew into the Kokichi of this story.

The reason I picked Mikado as the victim? Well, in the fifth chapter, the killer and victim are usually both really important characters and Mikado was the mastermind in canon SDRA2, so..

As for Nikei, I pictured him being the Chiaki/Kaede of this story, the foil to Mikado’s Kokichi/Nagito. I thought being executed in Chapter 5 was a fitting send off to his character.

We will be entering the finale in Chapter 6…