Blades of Despair

-Chapter Seventy-Seven-

Bound by Blood

Did Junichi... just say that he's Kinji Ishotaru? The man who won the first killing a hundred years ago? My mentor since I was a child... is the mastermind of all killing games, and the leader of the Blades of Despair?

"You're Kinji Ishotaru? No, there's absolutely no way that's true!" Nishi shouted.

"Why did you wait until now to bring that up?" Ori questioned.

"Because he's lying!" Nishi protested. "Kinji Ishotaru is dead! He was born over a hundred years ago, there is no way that he is standing before us right now! Miyagawa already told us that Junichi is in his fifties!"

"That's right!" Mina agreed, defiant. "Junichi's skin is far too smooth to be one hundred years old!"

"Mina... that isn't exactly what the problem is right now," I told her.

"Oh," she replied dumbly.

"Ori raises a good point though, why did you wait so long to mention that?" Morino asked Junichi. "You already testified that your real identity was Junichi, Miyagawa's mentor. Why are you now suddenly claiming to be a man we thought dead?"

"To answer your question, you students will need to do a bit of sleuthing based on the information you learned in the Tetralogy of Despair," the Madame responded. "It wouldn't be fair if we gave you all the answers."

"You'll also need to focus on what you learned in that journal written by a former member of the Blades, Amano," Ori's father added.

"Why those documents specifically?" I asked furtively.

"You'll find out why soon enough," Junichi laughed. "However, you'll learn not just about me, but you'll also be able to figure out the identity of your beloved classmate, Morino." I looked across at Morino, and was surprised to see obvious emotion on his usually stone-like face. He's worried, I thought to myself, worried about what Junichi just said. We know very little about Morino, and that look suggests he's concerned about what we're going to find out.

"Very well, let's recall what we know about the killing games," Morino began.

"Morino?" Ori called his name, concerned.

"If we have to prove that this man is Kinji Ishotaru, then we have to look at the evidence. If the evidence proves it, then it doesn't matter what we believe."

"I can see what you're saying, Morino, but the first killing game happened a century ago," Nishi persisted. "It's logistically impossible for the same Kinji Ishotaru to have stayed alive this long, irrespective of what the evidence shows."

"But do we have an alternative?" Ori asked. "We're out of ideas, and the Shadows have total control over us right now. I don't... want to end up like Morihei, so for now we should do as they say."

"Such an obedient little princess," her father taunted, and she glared at him vehemently.

"I agree with Ori," Mina murmured reluctantly, "we don't really have any other options but to do as they say. Plus, if we look at the evidence, we can hopefully prove you right, Nishi." The Ultimate Tattoo Artist gritted his teeth, but nodded. Junichi hummed contently.

"Good. Now, what did you learn during your investigation?"

"We've already covered this, but if you are indeed Kinji Ishotaru, then you were the one who started the killing games a century ago," Morino began.

"Once you assumed the position as leader of the Blades of Despair, you used the wealth gained by holding your classmates's families to ransom," Nishi continued. "That wealth was invested in finding new talented students to take part in killing games. Their intended purpose was to subject the winner to so much despair that they would become like Kinji Ishotaru. The games rip away the winner's humanity and they are unable to return to a normal life."