Chapter Text
Tsurugi Kinjo, standing in the gym, held a gun in his hand that he had retrieved from the ballroom where they had been trapped for several days. He invited everyone to come, so he could atone properly.
That’s... right. I want to atone for the horrible things I’ve said and done. My ideas and ideologies were wrong, and they only caused harm to the others, Kinjo thought. It’s my duty to protect them, and I had failed time and time again.
He looked down at the gun. Everyone would be happy their horrible leader was gone, right? He didn’t even protect them at the time they needed it most.
He heard several sets of footsteps file into the gym. Sighing, he looked up at everyone who was there.
Indeed, as he had hoped, Yuki Maeda, the Ultimate Lucky Student and his one and only friend throughout this killing game- the only one who stuck by him through the whole thing. His grip tightened on the gun as he smiled darkly.
“Maeda, you’re here...” Kinjo said, his voice deadpan. “...And the others too...”
The criminal scum- no, the Ultimate Maid, Akane Taira’s eyes shot wide open.
“Kinjo-kun, why did you call us at such a late hour...?! Moreover, I thought you had just woken up... so what did you call us for?” Akane asked, her hands clasping together. “Y-Your face... it’s all blue...! What happened...?”
Teruya, the shortest person in the group, and the Ultimate Merchant, pointed at the object Tsurugi held tightly in his hand.
“K-Kinjo, what is that you’re holding right now?” Teruya questioned.
Tsurugi chuckled with no humor behind it, his eyes staring off into the distance. “What else... It’s a gun.”
Yuki started trembling as he sputtered out, “G-Gun?!”
Yuki...
Tsurugi looked down at his gun, feeling a moment of hesitation. Yuki... Sasaki... would they want him to do this...?
Rei Mekaru, the Ultimate Professor, stepped forward in her usual confident manner.
“Maeda said he saw you coming out of the ballroom. In fact, you went to the arsenal, didn’t you?”
Yes, because I’m more of a criminal scum than even that stupid maid. Of course, they must hate me, especially after what happened in the ballroom.
“A-Arsenal?!” Akane asked, a bead of sweat falling down her face. “Was the ballroom still open?”
Tsurugi didn’t bother answering her question, he just looked back up, the hesitation fading from his mind. He had to do this.
“...I needed this,” he said firmly, his eyes and face showing no emotions. “...All of you... it’s more of a decision... together with... Mekaru...”
He looked across the group. Teruya, who was trying to hide behind Rei; Rei who looked about ready to leap forward and beat the shit out of Tsurugi; Akane whose face was turning a shade of purple with fear; and Yuki Maeda... who was trembling and looking at him with worry in his eyes.
See? Even Yuki is more scared for himself than for me... Kinjo thought. But I can’t blame him... I’m a shitty person who did some shitty things...
Everyone was clearly worried that he was going to do another ‘comfortable together’ situation- and this time, succeed. Tsurugi didn’t care what they thought, as long as he could atone for what he had done.
“Kinjo-kun...” Yuki whispered, but the cop ignored him.
“It was something I never would have imagined until not long ago when I was completely broken.”
“Please...” Yuki murmured. Again, Tsurugi ignored him.
“Everyone... you’ve gotten stronger.” Despite his words of what everyone could only imagine was praise, he didn’t smile or show any other emotions. “...Unlike me.”
Yuki took a hesitant step forward as his hands shook desperately.
“W-What are you talking about, Kinjo-kun? You a-are strong...!” His eyes were filled with worry, but he still tried to act confident. Yuki took a deep breath, his resolve strengthening. “The strongest among us is you, Kinjo!”
Tsurugi’s vacant red eyes looked down at Yuki.
Why don’t you understand, Yuki...? I’m not strong at all. You’re stronger than me in almost every way, Maeda.
“No...” Kinjo’s finger traced the gun’s shape. “I’m a weak, weak piece of scum.”
“Kinjo-kun, why are you doing this...? Since you were in the ballroom, you’ve been acting weird...” Akane said.
The moody redhead professor crossed her arms. “Your mind has broken, huh?”
“Me-Mekaru?!” Yuki stammered, waving his arms. “Maybe this isn’t a good ti-”
“The ideology he has been observing and adhering to his entire life...” Mekaru continued, interrupting the luckster. “That death can only be the same as death. That a criminal is only a criminal, no matter the story. No matter the circumstance, no matter what, and there is no compromise. For this guy, Satsuki and Haruhiko must have been a shock.”
“...Why?” Akane asked cautiously.
Rei sighed grumpily, shooting a glare at the maid.
“Because they killed themselves to save others.”
...She’s... not wrong.
Teruya’s eyes widened with understanding, something rare for him without years of explanation.
“Meaning... the beliefs he had held onto were destroyed by Haru and Satsuki. And... his mind also broke...?”
Mekaru averted her eyes from the group. “That’s right. To be honest, even I was surprised by his willpower to sacrifice others.”
“But...” Yuki started, but looked down at his feet, not wanting to go against the powerful Rei Mekaru.
Or maybe he knows she’s right. I sacrificed Kiyoka, Mitsuhiro, Kizuna, Ayame, Kanata, Kakeru, Kinji, Haruhiko, and Satsuki...
Tsurugi felt another, larger pit of despair open up beneath his feet, ensnaring him in suffering. His fists clenched, and if he had applied any more pressure on the gun, he was sure it was going to break.
Not even Yuki believes in me...
“Anyways, you just restored your consciousness, are you trying to kill us with a gun again?” Rei challenged, staring right at Tsurugi. “Are you that crazy and trying to give up now?”
But he didn’t feel or see anything. His mind was completely broken.
Akane’s clasped hands tightened. “What?! Again?!”
“Kinjo... do you want to do the same thing you did at the ballroom again?!” Teruya asked, his voice high-pitched.
Tsurugi let the despair consume his heart, let the black cesspool of pain and hopelessness drown him.
Rei stomped her foot in frustration and impatience. “Am I wrong? Tsurugi Kinjo! Don’t shut up now! Say something, Psycho Cop!”
Kinjo smiled for the first time in this whole encounter. It was a small smile filled with despair.
“.......It is as Mekaru said,” the policeman said after a few minutes of silence. “But... only 25% was correct.”
The professor scowled, nervousness sneaking into her eyes.
“What...?”
Tsurugi’s smile faded.
“It is true that Satsuki Iranami and Haruhiko Kobashikawa’s actions were incomprehensible to me. Even more...” Tsurugi paused. “Since Kinji Uehara’s execution, I’ve been constantly reflecting on my own thoughts.”
“Kinjo...?” Yuki asked. “...Oh god... I could have... prevented this...”
Yes, you could have. If you had told me what I needed to hear after Kinji’s execution, then Satsuki and Haruhiko wouldn’t have had to die. And I wouldn’t have to atone in this way. No one would listen to me now.
No, I shouldn’t be thinking this... it’s not his fault.
“Actually, I was feeling it vaguely. It’s like... my thinking was strange. I was just trying to rationalize myself by using the false excuse of ‘protecting everyone’,” Kinjo explained. He frowned. “As a result... many people have died.”
He looked at Yuki, who was clearly trying to fight the despair taking over him, and then back at the sea of people. Seeing Yuki being afflicted by the same overwhelming emotion as Kinjo made his frown deepen. This was supposed to make him happier .
Tsurugi felt his self-deprecating emotions taking over him.
“Because of my garbage thoughts all this time, the others who I should have been able to protect were also put to death...!”
Yuki Maeda shifted uncomfortably, his eyes staying away from Kinjo in shame.
“So?” Rei asked in her usual moodiness. “What are you trying to say, Psycho Cop? Even if you realize your mistake now, will the dead people come back?”
“Mekaru!” Yuki finally shouted. He walked up to her with a face filled with guilt and anger. “Don’t keep irritating Kinjo-kun! The one who’s suffering the most right now is Kinjo!”
Tsurugi was surprised, his eyes widening for the first time. But he immediately returned to his deadpan face.
“Maeda-chan... there’s nothing wrong with Mekaru’s words. I’m the one responsible for what I’ve done up until now, and that responsibility is so heavy... that’s why...” Tsurugi said, his body shuddering as he lifted the gun to his forehead. “...I have to atone.”
“Kinjo-kun?! What are you...?!” Yuki screamed in horror.
Even Rei seemed shocked. She took a step back, her eyes wide.
“You... are you going to die...?”
Kinjo ignored her question, trying to keep the gun steady. “...Even though I don’t think this will even be enough for an atonement... at least I won’t live and breathe on the lives of the people who have died because of me...”
“Kinjo-kun! Why are you doing this?!” Yuki yelled. Not even when he was pointing out the killers in trials has he ever sounded this desperate and angry at the same time.
“Why? Because I’m a murderer.”