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Chapter Text

"You shouldn't be here, Komaeda..." the reserve course student bluntly told off the Ultimate Lucky student from Class 77-B. In turn, the albino glared at the nobody as if scrutinizing a lowly ant. The two students were by the fountain, having the sunset before them.

"And you must be, Hinata Hajime... The person Nanami-san took pity on," the Ultimate spoke with disdain, but the brunette feigned ignorance. Komaeda Nagito was curious about the person giving his class representative so much hope, only to see a talentless lowlife eating a sandwich on the bench. "It's nice to meet you."

"If you're done, why not go back and annoy Kamukura?" Hajime seemed to irritate Nagito to no end, dismissing the latter despite attempts of pleasantries. The spiky-haired brunette was eating an egg sandwich and reading the school rulebook at the same time before turning to face the peeved individual. "Tsk. Why are both of you such a hassle in the grand scheme of things?"

"What exactly are you trying to say?" Nagito took a step forward, unable to comprehend the male. Upon inspection, Nagito took note of the built physique of Hajime, or maybe the reserve student was wearing the wrong shirt size.

"Right now, you two are what's wrong. Tomorrow is going to be a bitch, won't it?" Hajime sighed, and his monologues reminded Nagito of the Ultimate Animal Breeder: Tanaka Gundham. Both Gundham and Hajime were speaking in codes, hinting at their observations and conclusions. As if reading his mind, Hajime shook his head. "If you want to say something, say it now and leave. You're giving me a headache."

"Are you wary of me?" Nagito raised an eyebrow, but Hajime crumbled the paper of the finished sandwich. "Geez... I'm not going to do anything to you. What if Nanami-san loses her hope if you disappear?"

"That's..." Hajime paused, furrowing his eyebrows. Nagito won't deny the color of Hajime's eyes was strange for a typical nobody. Green eyes were rare, mostly found in those of European descent. Hajime kept the wrapper in his pocket, admitting. "There's nothing we can do to change her mind. I don't even know why she keeps thinking about me when there's all of you causing chaos like a bunch of brats..! Wait a second. I'm not going to play into your hands, damn it! Leave already!"

"Play into my hands?" Nagito repeated the brunette's words, unable to hide the smile creeping up his face. For some reason, this talentless leech is peculiarly amusing. Hajime also doesn't know why Chiaki is determined to keep meeting him, which must be the gamer's resolve to spread hope in all directions. "You seem to be misunderstanding something. I simply want to understand your role in assisting Nanami-san embody hope-"

"Hope doesn't always work for the betterment of humanity, Komaeda." Hajime shut his book to set it down, crossing his legs and slightly leaning forward. The student's eyes sharpened, and Nagito wondered when those green eyes held a tint of red. "You create hope, you expect despair. If there is a sudden spike of hope, imagine the effects of the incoming drop. It's better to stay at a status quo, a progressive advance to avoid casualty."

"That mentality is why the Reserve Course can only serve as stepping stones to those overflowing with hope!" Nagito berated the male with a careful approach in life, but something about Hajime's words spoke a different story. Nagito doesn't know what it is. "Refusing to take risks, spending money for the sake of opportunity, and playing sheep to avoid scrutiny, the Reserve Course can never hope to embody the same hope those with talent possess."

"Is that... hope to you?" Hajime took apart his words, looking at the Ultimate oddly. It's as if the brunette saw a nearby garbage bag haphazardly tossed into a bin.

"That...?" Nagito took a deep breath. Hajime is the fourth person to question his ideals, the other three being Nanami Chiaki, Sonia Nevermind, and Kamukura Izuru. There was no use being mad at fellow trash with a limited understanding of the world.

...

"Unfortunate..." Hajime glanced at the sunset, noting the red skies. Nagito wasn't sure what the brunette was talking about. "Today is my last day, and I'll never come to understand the Ultimate Lucky student."

"Huh?" Nagito blinked, but Hajime wasn't explaining anything. The other party seemed melancholic, resigned to fate.

"It's frustrating. How can I see you be more incomprehensible than tomorrow's events?" Hajime professed, disappointed at himself. Nagito lost his thought when he saw a playful glint in those eyes. The brunette smiled, asking the bothersome Ultimate. "Hope. Despair. Whatever the outcome, I hope you find your closure, Komaeda."

"You're not making sense," Nagito clutched his chest in concern. He wasn't sure if it was because of the heartfelt words, the smile, or the sun's rays lighting the nobody. The Ultimate Photographer did say some images can invoke emotions, but Nagito never imagined to this degree! 'This feeling... This can't be real. He's just a reserve course student. One in a thousand pebbles stepped by talent! How?'

"I'm leaving." Hajime stood up, dusting his pants. Nagito didn't respond, unsure what to say. The reserve course student pats the albino's shoulder, telling the man. "Sometimes, a decision requires logic, intuition, and sentiment to forge that beautiful hope of yours."

"You better not die tomorrow," Nagito glowered at the fatigued student, catching the latter's hidden agenda. Hajime only offered a soft chuckle, noticing the Ultimate's pinkish ears. Nagito hissed, trying to remain in the dominant position. "Answer me!"

"Who would kill someone as boring and plain as me? No. I'll die only when necessary... Just like you want all the talentless to wind up in the end..." Hajime dropped his hand, leaving Nagito's shoulder feeling tingly and warm for reasons beyond the Ultimate's understanding. "Whatever the outcome may be, comfort Nanami for me."

"Hey!" Nagito cut himself off, unsure whether to cross over the line and give this person value. Something tells him the brunette will die. Hajime is prepared to die for tomorrow, whether he likes it or not. "H... Hinata-kun!"

"Goodbye!" Hajime waves his hand, choosing to leave instead. Fiddling with the rulebook, the reserve course student mulled over the Ultimate's words. "Stepping stone, huh?"

...

"That's one way to justify the fall of the Reserve Course..."

Chapter Text

The Tragedy started with the sound of a gunshot...

About 2,400 reserve course students were preparing for their exams when the incident occurred. Saihara Shuichi was studying with his classmate Ouma Kokichi when the latter voiced a peculiar premonition. If not for Kokichi, Shuichi and his friend Akamatsu Kaede wouldn't have escaped the firing squad. With the jammers suddenly activated, Shuichi discovered none of the staff wandering the hallway or monitoring the function rooms.

.... Accompanied by students screaming in terror.

Students began running upstairs. They had no plans other than to survive. However, Shuichi remembered his uncle communicating with fellow detectives about Hope's Peak Academy. Did the school find out? Shuichi didn't know, not having time to think as he pushed against students to escape the gun-wielding foreigners. Where was security?

Thunderous footsteps can be heard below.

Conveniently for the murderers, the Reserve Course Department had not communicated with their family or guardian for quite some time. The lack of closure and sudden doom hovering over the horizon had all teenagers lose any semblance of control. Reaching the tenth floor, Shuichi encountered the graduating class. Going against orthodox, Class Section 1A was heading down to escape the building. Of course, Shuichi thought the plan was a suicide until he saw a familiar gun model in the blonde's hand. Quickly deducing the situation, the young detective's assistant wondered if the government anticipated such an instance.

Despair inevitably flourishes in the hearts of the confused.

The delinquent, Kuzuryu Natsumi, gave them a choice whether to hide and eventually die in school or risk their own lives to escape the mayhem. Kaede managed to convince some students to trust the yakuza heir, but Shuichi is more focused on the interactions of their seniors. They were arguing about the plan of splitting up. With a building of more than fifteen floors and three staircases on different sides, the brunette offered a logical plan of splitting up into three groups to increase chances of success. Of course, the lack of any item of communication puts them in a tight spot. A distraction team can increase the chances of survival for the rest, but the distraction team itself.

It won't be long before the mercenaries reach the upper floors.

Out of everyone, Hinata Hajime was the one consistently keeping the group on track. The brunette might be the spy sent by the government, judging from his thinking process and behavior during the chaos. In any case, Hajime confirms the risk of certain death judging from the circumstantial evidence. Tragically, fighting back is the only way to pave a path to escaping the massacre.

[Decisions are made.]

Kokichi was the one who first noticed some of the students falling out of the window. That's one way to escape the firing squad. However, the chances of surviving the fall aren't that great. Never mind. Shuichi glanced out and noticed a bunch of private mercenaries shooting the bodies. No choice. They needed to follow Hajime's plan to have at least one group survive the onslaught. As if reading their minds, Hajime offered the option once more when they reached the seventh floor. The plan inevitably received backlash, but having two hundred students together eventually had the group relent to inevitable separation.

Since Hajime offered to be the distraction squad leader, very few students volunteered to join the brunette in the suicidal scheme. Shuichi doesn't know anyone other than Kokichi and Kaede, but he somehow befriended his eccentric classmate named Momota Kaito. Some of the males pointed out Kaede to potentially be a lost twin of Natsumi, which was both an insult and compliment.

Regardless, Hajime quickly gave them tips on surviving and attacking the enemy. They were given sharp tools from art class and DIY slingshots. Technically speaking, Hajime told them to take anything that would help them survive their incoming encounter. Sadly, Shuichi doesn't know if wearing extra fabric is better than using tables and corpses to escape gunshot wounds. Heading down with their weapons, Shuichi felt a mixed feeling of dread and exhilaration at the sound of gunshots.
 

Left with no other choice, the nobodies trudged forward.

Shuichi could only hear his heartbeat as he tried to handicap their opponents with stones and sticks. The raven ignored the guilt when he witnessed his colleagues fall to the ground. The scent of blood is nauseating. The corpses weren't very effective on stronger guns used by the enemy. The best solution is to evade the attack overall. Miraculously, Hajime saved the day by shooting the threat. Hajime wasn't the first to grab a gun from an injured veteran, but he ended the battle with the least hesitation.

Taking deep breaths, Shuichi realized their numbers were cut in half in a single bout. Kaito's friend, Harukawa Maki, threw him a gun after Hajime ordered them to loot the assailants. There was also someone who got the courage to call everyone together to perform first aid on the bruises and scratches incurred from the fight. Kaede said the woman was Tojo Kirumi, the daughter of the current prime minister.

Blood and bodies are plentiful.

A female student named Iruma Miu picked up a walkie-talkie and shared the device with everyone. The killers are counting them down. There are now 404 students left in the building. Some of their colleagues are crying and hyperventilating. Shuichi couldn't believe it, but he had no choice. They're filled with adrenaline and desperately wishing to escape the hell they found themselves in.

With the group obtaining ten guns from the assassins, Hajime asked ten students to accompany him in utilizing the bombs. Shuichi was surprised that he was selected by the spiky-haired brunette, but he had a good feeling the task wasn't dangerous. It was just the act of throwing grenades to disperse the enemies. Reaching the fifth floor, Hajime pulled out the school blueprint and told them to head to these portions of the school to throw the grenades. The other group reached the fourth floor and entered another skirmish.
 

...

Against all odds, the team reached the ground floor and was running out of the building. They reduced the mercenaries or guards with their underhanded tactics. Even then, their numbers reduced to twenty as they got shot down while running into the forest. Almost everyone is physically injured because of either a gunshot wound or a bruise/sprain. Some are already wailing and screaming something, but Hajime urges them to keep running. Someone gets shot in the head. It's not yet safe.

Once deep in the forest, Shuichi can finally pay better attention to his surviving allies. Hajime was the tactician of the group, constantly looking behind his back and throwing grenades and gunshots to evade their deaths. Natsumi was shouting at another student, something to do with contacting relatives. Shuichi doesn't forget Kokichi running in front of him, the latter clutching his bleeding stomach. There was Kaede with a group of girls, the inspiring pianist trying to uplift the female group. Kaito might be another leader, rallying a misfit gang with his unorthodox charisma. Ok. They aren't a cohesive unit. They're just a bunch of teenagers running to seek shelter.

......

When Hajime stopped running, everyone followed suit. It doesn't take a genius to know who can save their lives. Right now, everyone chose to obey the agent's orders. While Hajime permitted them to take a short break, Shuichi noticed a large student speaking with another about the forest. With four seniors in the group, Hajime plans on bringing them to the government and entering the state witness program. However, such an action could affect their education since Hope's Peak Academy can't escape liability. Theoretically, Government protection is the best defense against the Ultimates, but the mere act could also start a blatant strife between the two factions. Discrimination will lead to violence, and they may encounter similar persecution worldwide.

On the other hand, Natsumi offered their group to seek help from the Ultimates, particularly her brother - Kuzuryu Fuyuhiko. Relying on the hope embedded in the educational institution, the students will surely stay alive until they find a better solution to stay alive and get justice for the fallen. Ironically, the majority opted for the unrealistic choice. Shuichi knew Hajime pointed out an outcome they couldn't avoid, but he too wanted to believe the school didn't send them to the guillotine. Outnumbered, Hajime agreed to help them execute the plan.

* Ring. Ring. Ring. *

"You better pick up, Nanami..." Hajime was the first to flip his phone while trudging to the entrance of the forbidden area. The reserve students are prohibited from entering the special facilities granted to Ultimates.

'No one is responding...' Shuichi couldn't believe his luck. Just when he needed them the most, the adults ignored him. His parents only wanted him to follow in their footsteps, becoming a child actor or model. His uncle was his saving grace, but would the assassins leave a job unaccomplished? Shuichi sighed, keeping his phone. 'I can't risk it.'

"I... I missed you... That's all," Kaede sniffed, wiping her tears. Everyone has a similar predicament. In a short amount of time, they encountered people slaughtering their friends and colleagues. They escaped but it was only a matter of time before the adults hunted them down. With the lack of alarms and absence of personnel, the event is most probably staged by the school itself.

"I guess most of us have sucky parents..." Kokichi made an off-hand remark, wincing at the pain. Shuichi knew Kokichi had no parents so no one would notice his death. "What's your call, Saihara-chan?"

"I..." Shuichi doesn't know. He had never encountered such a serious incident in all his life. He knew he was a coward after realizing his deduction skills could lead to tragedy, but this was beyond his capabilities. This isn't his fault. 'This is because of Hope's Peak Academy.'

"Natsumi!" Someone yelled, and Shuichi glanced to the side and saw the blonde-haired femme fatale collapse due to her injuries. The girl constantly bickering with Natsumi was the one who caught her, dropping her phone in hand.

"We're by the fountain, Nanami." Hajime finally connected to his friend, standing in front of the fountain. "Before you ask, all countermeasures to prevent the extermination failed. I barely salvaged 1% of the student body."

"Just come here with Mikan! Hurry!" Compared to the female frantically yelling at her cracked phone, Hajime decided to sit on the nearby bench. "We're by the-! Mahiru? Mahiru!"

"If the school wanted to kill us, they're doing a terrible job at it." A man wearing a face mask sat beside Hajime. The bandage wrapped around his left arm was soaking red already. Shuichi suddenly realized he and Kaede were the only ones not injured, scanning the handful of people sitting on the ground, standing close to each other, or resting on the benches.

"What do we do now?" Kaede whispered, grasping her phone as if someone would say the answer. Shuichi could hear someone praying, but the words weren't like any of the religious texts he was familiar with. Shuichi also noticed the area they were in had no cameras. That's another truth to cement the government's distrust of Hope's Peak.

"This is messed up!" Kaito was resting close to the fountain, not wearing any jacket after giving it to Maki. "What the hell did we do to deserve this?"

*BAMMM*

"Damn it!" Hajime stood up while everyone turned to the source of the explosion. "These guys are persistent."

"Let's fend them off, Hajime!" A student suggested a crazy idea. Shuichi didn't like it. There won't be any leader left once Hajime goes away. Natsumi is bleeding to death and the Sato person is too focused on keeping Natsumi alive.

'The rest of them don't feel like a leader,' Shuichi didn't trust anyone... 'Hold on. Why is everyone here in the same class level?!'

"W-we're the only ones left!" Miu's words made the survivors tremble in fear. She's still clutching the walkie-talkie, covering it in a towel. Now that Shuichi thinks about it, this tragedy is the first time he's interacted with people outside his circle.

"Tsk!" Hajime didn't want the student to come with him, but the gunshots and Miu's alert made the brunet change his mind. "Kaede. Considering you convinced these people to join our group, I need you to lead during my absence. Nanami will be here in a short while."

"Alright." Kaede nodded, having two females behind her.

'Tojo-san and... Shirogane-san?' Shuichi hopefully guessed the names correctly, watching the suspicious male follow Hajime. Heading to his friends, Shuichi watched Kaito change his friend's bandages. Well, Kaito is trying.

"Stop it! You don't even know what you're doing!" Kokichi smacked Kaito's arm, blood dripping from his mouth as the duo tried to change his bandages.

"Look. I'm all you have, you lil' shit!" Kaito is also at his wit's end, trying to lessen the burden of how many of them are injured. Shuichi wanted to reach out and help, but he knew he had no skills compared to... Shuichi stared at the back of his classmate's head, trying to remember his name. 'Amami...?'

"Saihara-chan! Get him away from me!" Kokichi's words sounded like a plea for help, which was hilarious for the wrong reasons. "Even Harukawa is better than him!"

"You aren't wrong but! Saihara! Help me out here," Kaito clutched the clean bandages, but Shuichi gave Kaito a helpless smile. "I trusted you."

"Don't move," Shuichi rubbed his eyes before taking the bandages, hoping he'd do better than Kaito. The caffeine and adrenaline are starting to wear off. He should've slept instead of preparing for today's supposed exams. 'Let this day get better.'

Chapter Text

"It will rain soon," Shuichi smelled the scent of petrichor, unable to ignore the drastic temperature drop around them. He chose not to look up at the clouds, finding the brightness level of the day itself foreboding. A storm is coming their way. Since Hajime left, the group huddled together in front of the fountain. Everyone was silent, listening and waiting for questionable movement. No one needed to volunteer as a watch person, too paranoid to trust a fundamental skill to anyone else.

"Would the school use the storm signal to excuse the lack of communication?" Kokichi pondered, standing beside him despite his injury. Shuichi could ask if his classmate had experience along the streets, but the word choice might destroy their friendship. Shuichi only had two friends in this school, Kaede, who actively befriended him, and Kokichi due to mutual interests in criminal activities. "In any case, should we stay still? I can see some of us are bleeding to death-"

"Our senior specifically told us to stay put. We have to wait and believe in his words!" Kaito interrupted their conversation, and Shuichi noticed Kokichi let out an audible sigh.

"Yeah, we have no choice in that department, Mr. Optimist." Kokichi pointed out a dilemma. "I'm just suggesting that we start moving to the area where our saviors are coming from. Nanami is the Ultimate Gamer from Class 77, so her class has to come out of that building over there."
 
"You don't know that," Kaito retorted, but Shuichi wasn't aware of the buildings Main Course students could utilize. All he knew was that the majority of the facilities on campus are off-limits to Reserve Course students. "If you're wrong, then we're screwed."

"I'm not wrong. Have you ever heard of connections? God. It's like talking to a brick wall," Kokichi looked at his hand, placing his other hand on his side. Shuichi theorized that Kokichi's explicit dislike of Kaito might be because of Kaito's narrow mindset and unwavering faith in others. Kaito thought the person accompanying Hajime was an ally. Kokichi relied on self-interest, finding Hajime's actions in line with his job as a government agent. "If it starts to rain, some of us won't be able to run far."

"There's still a chance that you're wrong. We can't risk not being found by Ouch-!" Kaito moved the wrong way, accidentally making his shoulder injury bleed. "Shit! Harukawa is gonna kill me."

"That's right. The rain will make it harder to ignore the pain from our injuries," The guy with the face mask spoke out in agreement, and Shuichi stared at the man, hoping he'd introduce himself. "You must be wondering who I am. Yes, I suppose I have yet to introduce myself. My name is Shinguji Korekiyo, the head of the calligraphy club."

"You were also part of the tea ceremony club. A shame you changed clubs because of a misunderstanding," Kokichi gave the most insulting but also helpful hint, making both Kaito and Shuichi remember this teenager's infamy.

"You're the guy mistaken as a girl that time!" Kaito grasped the straws but got the correct answer in the worst way. Shuichi kept that thought to himself, unsure whether Korekiyo could accept the simplicity of their colleague. "I didn't mean it that way. My bad..."

"I'm sure he'll forgive you," Another person went their way. It was Rantaro, holding a roll of bandages. He probably saw Kaito's bloody shoulder, wanting to deal with the redressing instead of Maki. "How about we calm down and avoid further complications? Just because our senior called for backup doesn't mean we're getting immediate medical treatment."
 
"That makes us sound like fugitives. We didn't even do anything," Kokichi scoffed, looking to the side. Shuichi agreed with his friend, but felt remorseful that he didn't know what else to do. Everyone by the fountain knows they're hunted by mercenaries hired by the school. People with talent implicitly label them as nothing more than pests to be exterminated...

"Everyone! Group yourselves into three to share an umbrella," Kaede announced, passing on black umbrellas scavenged during their raid before escaping their building. Despite how easily they could transverse to the East district of the school, Hajime chose to move elsewhere altogether. No one knows the reason, but they could presume that the enemies blocked all access and made plans on all easy routes. Their enemy's goal is genocide, so delay is the best course of action taken by talentless students.
 
'If we avoid the East district, does that mean we can't even trust the principal?' Shuichi remembers the personnel wandering the East district, meeting Principal Kirigiri Jin by chance while exploring the area. Surely, the principal will hear their pleas, but Shuichi knows a lot of adults wearing sheep's clothing. 'Who can help us? How do we survive and graduate?'

"Hold the umbrella for us," Kokichi randomly gave him an umbrella, leaning against his shoulder out of utter boredom. Despite having ideas, Kokichi plays safe for the time being until his injuries are healed. A smart move, considering their enemies are Ultimates.

"Sure," Shuichi agreed, observing Kaito chatting with Rantaro about space. Shuichi squinted at the duo, utterly confused about how they could talk about travel. 'I guess that's one way to distract yourself from the pain.'
 

"HINATA-KUN!"
 

"Hinata-kun?!" A female voice called out their senior's name, and everyone noticed a handful of students rushing to their side. Shuichi swiftly counted the numbers, recognizing something was amiss. The Homeroom teacher is not with them. Why were none of the relevant students with talents with them to assist the injured?

'What exactly is happening here?' Shuichi knew something occurred within the Main Course building, aware that discrimination alone will not prevent those with talent from helping the needy. Shuichi understands he sounds crazy for thinking this way, but there's a part of him that still believes in humanity. People with talent are often obligated to know right or wrong, and genocide is an obvious war crime! Shuichi glanced at the forest, wondering if Hajime knew this would happen. 'Can we survive this?'
 
"Where is he?!" Nanami Chiaki panicked, scanning the crowd with a gun at hand. Shuichi couldn't blame her, considering Hajime was off-distracting assassins trying to kill every single one of them. "Where is Hinata-kun?!"

No one wanted to answer, unsure whether Hajime was alive. It's best to keep moving forward. That's what Hajime would usually tell them after every encounter. Move on in memory of their fallen comrades. Even if Hajime didn't tell them anything, they knew the brunette would smack their heads for distracting their rescue team. Hajime did everything to ensure their survival...

"Nanami-san. We don't have any time to waste. We need to bring them to safety!" The Ultimate Swordswoman carried Natsumi in her arms, ready to run straight to safety.

"I'm not leaving without him," Chiaki refused, scanning the fountain for any sign of life.

"And what? Let the students bleed to death?!" The Ultimate Yakuza pointed at the students, emphasizing the dire need for medical treatment. "I doubt Hinata wants that to happen."

"Can you stand?" The Ultimate Princess offered a hand to one of the reserve course students, helping the female stand up. Shuichi looked away from the bloody leg down, hoping no one would lose a leg during treatment. "Here. Let me help you."

"W-where's Mikan?!" Sato coughed, having one arm slung around the Ultimate Photographer's neck. "Why... Why are you guys so few?"

"Sato-chan. I..." Koizumi Mahiru couldn't answer her, having run to their area without an umbrella. Despite the clear signs of rain, these students ran to their side from their tall ivory tower to reach their destination. Sadly, the idea wasn't flattering when half of them were at death's door.

"How can this happen?" The Ultimate Lucky student muttered under his breath, the only one not intermingling with the group. Shuichi remembered the rumors about this albino, getting people into accidents and tragedy in exchange for good luck. No one in the Reserve Course liked that guy, afraid they'd die out of nowhere. The man also disclosed an ominous detail. "A sudden food poisoning at the same time as the shootings...?"
 
'Food poisoning?' Shuichi counted the reinforcements once more. There are nine people to help seventeen students. A scheme formulated by the school admin, keeping the genocide a secret from its student body. 'I see. I really can't deny it. We should've taken Hinata-senpai's decision.'

"Hinata-senpai went to distract the mercenaries!" Kaede answered just when the majority were ready to depart, but her voice was muffled by a large explosion. Since she was the leader, Kaede thought it was right to tell the truth. "He told us you'll help us. Please! We need your help."

"Mercenaries..." The Ultimate Yakuza echoed her words as everyone saw the fumes of smoke turning the sky grey. "That's impossible! Why would Hope's Peak Academy do that?"

'The hell should we know?!' A small part of Shuichi wanted to scream at these people because of how obvious their situation was at face value. Anyone with common sense can put the pieces together that these seventeen students emerged from a war zone. The scent of gunpowder and blood clinging onto their clothes could not be washed away by the heavy downpour. No one can deny their injuries. How can anyone ignore the fear in everyone's eyes? Shuichi wanted to scream but also hide in a corner and cry. 'How can these ignorant people not understand what's happening to us?!'

"The machinations of Death approaches. We must hurry in haste!" The Ultimate Animal breeder spoke, brandishing his arm after listening to the birds. The sound of engines roared within the forest, trees tumbling, and the earth quaked in retaliation. "Go forth, my Twelve Zodiac Generals! Our enemies are before us!"

"Forget the combat, Tanaka! We gotta get these students out of harm's way!" The Ultimate Manager miraculously carried three students in his arms, which was useful given how they were the slowest based on Shuichi's memory. "Let's move it, people!"

'Everything is happening too quickly,' Shuichi darted his eyes from one conversation to another, taking down every detail. Shards of statements reveal different sentiments that all fall in the same category of the concept of helplessness. 'There is only one path for us.'

"Dreaming about driving cars again?" Kokichi teased, nudging Shuichi's ribcage painfully to get his friend to focus. Shuichi wanted to argue but noticed the sleeves of his friend's bloody. The thought of a friend dying made him tremble. Thankfully, Kokichi didn't notice. "Come on. The distance is the same as the sport's event."

"Don't blame me if I drag you," Shuichi murmured, slightly embarrassed when Kokichi laughed at his answer. Shuichi wasn't a great runner, but he was running alongside an injured person. Surely, he can outrun this guy.

"You really shouldn't underestimate people," Kokichi told him as they ran together, somehow catching up to his speed and staying under his umbrella.
 
"Tanaka-kun! Look out!" Chiaki's warning wasn't enough to alert anyone of the miniature earthquake.
 

*CRASH!*

"?!" Shuichi instinctively stepped forward to prevent his fall, grabbing Kokichi close. In turn, Kokichi held onto his arm to avoid a face-first against the cement. "You alright?"

"Yeah. My hero~" Kokichi played along, but honestly thankful for the save. Shuichi let go as soon as his friend could stand, accidentally pressing his hand along Kokichi's injury. Looking over his shoulder, Kokichi muttered. "First mercenaries, then robots? What next, the apocalypse?"

"Forget him! We leave now!" Nidai Nekomaru demanded everyone evacuate before the machine exploded. Running like their lives depended on it, Shuichi could still hear the beeping noise all the way until they reached the edge of the so-called sanctuary.

'Chaos following our wake,' Shuichi took one last look at the burning forest in the distance before entering the building.