Truth, Perjury, and Sacrifice

Red Spotlight

Kyoko put the car in park, as close to the complex entryway as possible. Makoto and Toko sprung from the car, Kyoko following soon after. A glance at her watch told her that they only had forty-five minutes. Forty-five minutes wasn't enough time to prepare the entirety of a crime ring investigation. Why had they only given Karen an hour? Before Kyoko could hypothesize, the door to Hajime and Nagito's apartment swung open.

Hajime answered, immediately overwhelmed with concern. "Did you find her? Is Komaru okay?"

"No, we haven't found her yet. But we have another problem," Makoto said. Kyoko and Makoto took turns explaining what had taken place.

"Why would she go knowing it's a trap?" Hajime asked. He looked over his shoulder, "Nagito, we need to go!" Hajime passed by the trio, walked down the hallway to an intercom. He pressed the speaker button and leaned forward, "Hey, we need to go. Be on standby at city hall and keep an eye out for those kids!"

"Let's go," Nagito finally emerged from their apartment.

"Where do we even start?" Hajime asked Kyoko. She didn't answer. Hajime glanced at Makoto, who seemed lost in thought.

"I'm....not sure, honestly. I don't have enough evidence to put a concrete assessment together. All we have is the assumption that the Ultimate Hunt is led by the students behind hunted."

"Okay, so what would high school students want from Karen?" Makoto asked.

"It's possible they just want a diversion to pull the public eye away from them. However, Karen has painted a clear target on her by having Nagito and the others publicly investigate." Kyoko glanced at the dashboard clock. Within half an hour, Karen and Byakuya would be at city hall, releasing everything that had taken place within the past few weeks. She pulled the car over and parked.

"What are you doing?" Toko asked.

"We need to focus. Blindly searching for these students is a waste of time, at least for now. Look," Kyoko pointed to the clock. "Classes would normally end right about now. The high school district near city hall is about a fifteen-minute train ride or a thirty-minute walk."

"Why would they stick to a school schedule?" Hajime asked.

"There are a few schools that resumed classes recently. However, I can imagine that returning to normal life isn't the easiest transition after what everyone has experienced." Hajime, Toko, and Makoto blinked in confusion.

"So, it's their alibi. Even Enoshima and Ikusaba disappeared for a few weeks during the protests." Nagito said.

"Are you saying there's another person out there trying to pull off what Enoshima did?" Makoto asked. He and Toko exchanged glimpses, each recalling their vivid memories of Monaca. "Do you think she's involved?"

"No way. She blasted herself into space after this one scared her away with his hope speech." Toko pointed to Nagito. "But I'm su-sure there's another just like her, who lo-looked up to Junko."

"But this seems a bit more personal," Hajime said. Kyoko's brow furrowed, leading Hajime to explain. "Whoever is telling Karen to do this might have been affected by Future Foundation or us. If they know that she supports and helped the Remnants, they might want to..."

"Don't say it!" Toko cut Hajime off. Kyoko restarted the car, cranked the wheel, and drove off. "What are you doing?!" Toko screamed.

"Whoever is behind this is going to try and kill her. A public execution." Kyoko's words fell to a murmur. If the leader of the Ultimate Hunt wasn't aiming to kill Ultimates, then they were going to reignite the despair that Junko created. "Hajime, call the others. We need everyone on standby, but don't let Karen or Byakuya see you."

Byakuya watched Karen step onto the podium and stand in front of the masses that had gathered on such short notice. It had seemed a bit odd that so many people had chosen to leave the safety of their homes. He could still pick out the occasional expression of paranoia in the crowd.

"Good evening, everyone. Thank you for your attendance on such short notice, this is truly an applauding moment for our city." Karen smiled, giving a brief nod. "As you most likely know by now, there has been recent unsettling activity brewing and I have come forward today to explain the cause of these disturbances." Karen picked up a small remote, aimed it at the projector to her side, and pressed a button. "Since the Remnant's disappearance several months ago, Future Foundation has undergone several changes, including a change of director. I stand before you as the official head director of Future Foundation. I'm sure this raises many questions, and I assure you that you will all receive answers."

Byakuya was impressed at how composed and direct Karen was, no matter the horrifying imagery and details she had to present. Byakuya had managed to locate some brief footage of the events the public had been originally fortunate to not know of. Once the clips of the student council killing game, Chiaki Nanami's death, and the final killing game had ended and the projector was turned off, Karen took a moment to stand in silence.

"I apologize for the gruesome display; however, I do believe that being witness to such events will make the following information easier to understand. The Remnants you know are no longer. They were pawns in Enoshima's game, as we essentially all were. This is not to say that we must ignore their actions, but to allow room for redemption." The crowd ignited with yelling, questioning, and photo taking. "So, the Remnants were sent for deliberate rehabilitation. By using a system called the New World Program, Future Foundation was able to fully restore the humanity in each of the former students. At the time of the announcement video, the Remnants had already undergone rehabilitation."

"What are you trying to tell us?!" A man's voice yelled in the distance.

"The late director, Kazuo Tengan, and the late Branch Five director, Chisa Yukizome, were manipulated by Junko Enoshima to become tools within Future Foundation. They were manipulated into facilitating the Final Killing Game of Future Foundation." Karen took a deep, shaky breath. "Given that rehabilitation has proven successful, and as the director of Future Foundation, I have given permission for the return of the former Remnants of Despair."