Alter (UDG x OC)

Chapter 3 (I): Our Warzone

Komaru and Toko were currently traversing back down Towa Tower. What happened earlier was still rushing around in Komaru's mind.

Not only did they manage to get in contact with Future Foundation through the wireless device, but the one whom they made contact with was none other than her own brother, Makoto. It was a tearful reunion but was quickly cut short when explanations had to be provided for the whole situation.

Several details were laid out for her: Toko being in the same class as Makoto, the students having been previously trapped in Hope's Peak Academy and forced to kill each other while being broadcasted to show the world despair, the mastermind of the killing game and the Tragedy, Enoshima Junko, who was somehow related to their current situation, the fact that Komaru was one of many captives in the town, the fact that Byakuya came over to rescue her because the tip that the Future Foundation received from that person and finally, the last grim piece of information...

Byakuya was captured as a hostage so that Future Foundation couldn't interfere with the game, which meant she couldn't get outside help.

Despite trying to plead to Makoto to remove her wristband and save her, Toko had interjected to tell that it would put Byakuya's life in danger. And then... Toko's threat...

"Naegi, you better not come. If you even try it... I will... kill your sister!"

After that, the signal on the device had shut down, meaning that they had been found out and that was why they were forced to flee.

That threat from Toko was replaying itself the entire time in Komaru's head. She wasn't sure what to think.

/—/

Monaca was crying while Kotoko stood behind her wheelchair, putting her arms around her reassuringly. Like before, K̶a̶t̶s̶u̶m̴i̷ was standing by the wall next to the door.

"Jataro-kun's not coming back, huh?" Kotoko had a sombre expression. "Think he got beat by those two chicks? Well, not like I care. I hate him anyway."

"Hebi-chan probably got himself killed..." Monaca sobbed. "Cut, ground down, crushed and stretched, squashed into paste, burned and eaten! Poor little Hebi-chan... Even though I hated him."

Kotoko suddenly hesitated for a second, a hint of nervousness across her face. "Anyways, Monaca-chan... Why are we not holding a funeral this time?"

"A funeral?" Monaca's expression turned cheerful. "Oh that, I got bored of that. Doesn't really matter. Plus, I don't want to concern Big Sis anymore with setting it all up again. We can't even fill the coffin anyway."

"W-Well... if you really got bored of it, then I guess we don't have to..." Kotoko looked away for a second, before speaking up. "Um... do you really think Jataro-kun died?"

"Hm?"

"I-I mean..." Kotoko stammered. "If he did die, we should have found his body, right? I was just... y'know... a teeensy bit curious. That's all."

Suddenly, Monaca turned around to face Kotoko with a serious look. "...It sounds like you're saying Monaca is wrong."

"...Huh?"

"Like I said!" she wailed. "You're trying... to say... Monaca is wrong! You're questioning... Monaca!"

"N-N-No!" Kotoko hastily said. "Not at all! There's no way Monaca-chan could be wrong! And speaking of wrong, aren't the people who put Worcestershire sauce on fried eggs just wrong?! I-It's so obvious that fried eggs taste best when you drown it in maple syrup, right?!"