Chapter Text
…It was over. The truth was out, everyone knew what she had done. That she had killed Nishiguchi. Ogura… wasn’t sure how to feel. Scared? Upset? Or even glad, in some twisted way, that her plan hadn’t worked.
Whatever she did feel, it didn’t matter anymore. She was going to be sent to her death soon. And there was some things she had to do before that. Starting with Hidemi.
"...I'm sorry that I couldn't give you everything you prayed for..." Ogura began to say, a bit more shaky then she would have liked it to be.
"Ogura...!"
"I'm sorry that I couldn't save you both. I really, really tried. I-I tried so hard..." She had failed them. No matter how she felt, Ogura had failed Hidemi and Daiki. She couldn’t save them.
"Stop...!"
"You'll be prompted to select the student that you believe is guilty of murdering Nishiguchi Mutsuko. After all of the votes have been cast, the execution will commence."
There it was, her death bell had begun to ring. "You don't need to worry anymore. I promise. Everything is going to be just fine..." It wasn’t. She was scared. Really scared. But she’d keep a brave face to the end, it’s the least she could do after everything.
"I-It's not fine...! It's not!" Matthias choked out, continuing to sob on the floor.
"Hidemi… in mere moments, I'll inherit more power then you could ever know! And… I'll watch over you. I assure you of that. I will be your safety. Find that... in my sacrifice."
"I DON'T WANT YOU TO GO!"
"Hidemi-"
"OGURA!"
"Hidemi. It's okay..."
"Please press your buttons now."
"Don't leave me here...!"
"I can't stay."
"Y-You have to... you HAVE to stay...!"
"Hidemi. Look at me.” Ogura would say, waiting for Hidemi to look up at her. When she did, Ogura spoke. “Carry your strength forward. You've made it this far, you'll make it further. You always have, you always will. When… when you leave this place, I will be watching over you. I will be cheering for you."
"Thank you for voting. Your votes are currently being tallied and will be shared with the class shortly."
Ogura watched in silence for a moment as Hidemi just continued crying at her stand. She could give her final words to Hidemi in a moment, there was something she had to ask the others first.
“STUDENT BODY! Hear my final request!”
“...Spit it out.” Yaitabashi said. Ogura didn’t blame him for being done with her already.
“I have fallen from grace, and abandoned my final duties as a goddess! For this, there is no repentance! I have but one thing to ask of you in my last living moments!”
“Y-You can’t go…”
“Upon you all, I bestow my entire arsenal of abilities! I ask that you use them to protect each other, to defend each other, and to support each other as you fight onwards! Trample me, and set yourself free!”
“Ogura…!”
“Ah-... and, when you get out of here… I do need another favor from you, if you don’t particularly mind.” She hoped it wasn’t too selfish to ask.
“The class has voted for Ogura Noriko, the Ultimate Itasha Painter, to be executed. This conclusion was correct. As a result, Ogura Noriko will be punished with death.”
“...T-This never fucking feels good…” She’d hear Ninomiya say offhandedly, having gone over to comfort Hidemi.
“S-STOP! You can’t do that…!” Speaking of whom was still crying over the outcome.
She took a second to breathe, before continuing. “It’s nothing major, but it remains incredibly important nonetheless.”
“What.” Yaitabashi would say.
Ogura took another glance at Hidemi, before looking back at the class. “...Before you depart, make sure you give Hidemi your email, okay? She was quite insistent on that matter. Consider it a final act of tribute to your god.”
“T-This… this can’t be happening!”
Ogura just sighed, holding back another wave of wanting to sob, and turned to walk over to where Hidemi and Ninomiya were. She knelt down, taking Hidemi’s hand in her own.
"...Hidemi… don't cry for me. I'm elated. Truly, honestly, and fully elated. I'm so, so excited... to watch you finally go home. When you arrive back in Belgium, I'll truly be ecstatic. I wonder if I'll be able to send you some sort of sign by then. I… don't understand the range of my soon-to-be inherited abilities, but I'll see what I can do."
"I-I-I don't want you to go...! I don't want to leave here without you!" Hidemi would cry out again, but Ogura would just reach over to put a hand on her shoulder.
"Hidemi… there is no death more honorable, then to fall in the pursuit of protecting you."
…
"Make this the last time you cry for me, Hidemi. That's all I want from you."
"Without further ado-"
"W-WAIT!"
"...If there are no further interruptions to speak of-"
"OGURA...!"
"It's punishment time."
It happened so suddenly after that. That chime that played when Monomoko did something played, and suddenly Ogura was sat in the dark. She felt around for a moment, but then the lights came on, and she realized she was strapped inside of a car.
Looking through the window up front, Ogura could see the window that viewed into the trial grounds, where some of her peers had gathered. Hidemi in specific was pounding on the glass, probably trying to get in and stop the execution from happening.
Speaking of which, Ogura started to smell… gasoline? She’d glance at the floor, seeing gasoline starting to puddle around her shoes. There was a hole in the side of the car that was starting to pump gasoline inside, and it quickly began to reek and make her lightheaded.
Despite that, she didn’t struggle instead just shutting her eyes and let it happen. She made her sin and had fallen from grace, and didn’t deserve to fight for freedom now. The gasoline quickly began to rise, submerging her legs and waist, and continuing to mess with her head.
She opened her eyes for a bit, looking back at her peers.
…She hoped that they wouldn’t blame the other bleeding for what had happened. That they wouldn’t ostracize Hirose, Denden, or Kumada for being forced to take part. That they wouldn’t shame Ikeda or Hidemi for being the reason she even attempted this at all.
She hoped that they’d beat this game. That they’d work together, and never fall for what the game had forced her to do.
The gasoline was still rising, having reached her neck now.
…This was it, huh? This was how she’d die, drowning in gasoline for killing Nishiguchi. She just wanted to save Hidemi… maybe that was the game’s goal all along, to tempt her to attempt to save her.
The gasoline began to rise over her mouth. Ogura stretched up, trying to take in one last look at the people she was leaving behind. Her friends. Her bleeding. Her dear, dear Hidemi.
The gasoline took that view away, leaving her in the murky darkness as it fully rose over her head, and time seemed to pause. Akiba, Ikeda, Hidemi, Denden, Hirose, Kumada…
If she could just go back and do it over again, maybe she wouldn’t have failed them all-
[BOOM]
"-room by exiting your bedroom, walking down the hallway, and taking your first right. Then, take your next ri..."
…
What.