Chapter Text
Walking away from everything. Numb all over.
In the course of however many hours, he'd lost all of his friends. Yukizome... And... Sakakura.
Sakakura he felt the most guilty about. With Yukizome, he hadn't known about the monitors, or that she was Despair. Learning everything after the fact did nothing but confuse him, make him reexamine specific moments and wonder how things would have been if he could get her help. If he could have gone to Naegi and his friends, and asked them to put her into the Neo World Program...
All of them had lived... Even Kirigiri in the end.
And...
Sakakura's death made him feel the most guilty. Because not only had he cast the man aside, but he... He'd caused the fatal injury. And it was him who left him alone. And if he had only gotten to him sooner... If he'd gotten some of Kimura's medicine, or if he'd known better and hadn't...
"I'm so sorry." He says, to no one. Crying hasn't done anyone any good. Nothing has. "...Please, forgive me."
And even so, he crumbles to the ground, memories fresh in his mind. Knowing he won't be able to sleep. Knowing... that he'll... never be happy after this.
"Please... Please let me... Let me fix this..." He says to no one, as wet tears pour from his good eye. "There must be something I can do. Please... Let me try... Let me... I'm begging you... Take my other eye, my... my life if you need it, take anything from me, but please... Bring them back...!"
...
He waits as if some divine deity, some bodhisattva of mercy, would be listening to his pleas. Of course nothing happens. That's just not how life works.
...
He ends up staying awake for the next two days, afraid to sleep. Afraid to see the specters in his mind accusing him. Afraid to see Yukizome, tainted by Despair. Afraid that... Sakakura's phantom never would blame him.
Knowing everything he knew now... Tengan, Gekkogahara, about all of the NG codes, the plan, where they were, the monitors... Knowing all of that now didn't mean a thing.
At some point, sleep takes him, because he's not sure how to stay awake any longer. A restless sleep awaits and at the end of it, more restless nights.
* * *
...
"Hey... Munakata."
His mind reels suddenly, forced to move forward, lurching forward.
When he opens his eyes - and he has both of them - he's... staring face to face with Sakakura. The shock of it is so profound he's struck silent.
"What's wrong?" Sakakura asks and places a heavy hand on his shoulder. There's a sudden look of regret on his face. "...Shit, I'm sorry. Of... Of course you're not okay right now. I'm... I'm sorry about Yukizome."
He manages to say.
In the rest of the room, everyone is... alive, and bickering. It's such a surreal thing that...
He glances to his arm. The NG code is there again. And... Sakakura is...?
"...Sakakura?" He asks weakly and grips Sakakura's arm. He practically flinches. "Are you... uninjured?"
"I-I'm fine. What... What's up? Are you in shock? I'd... We could ask Kimura to give you something but we need you sharp."
"...Stay by my side." He says simply.
"Of course." Sakakura smiles then.
"Good. Follow my lead."
Trying to get his thoughts in working order he turns to the rest of the group. Yukizome is...
They've just heard an explanation of the "rules" from Monokuma. And without looking, he already knows is NG code is that he can't open doors. And he knows the codes of everyone else.
His eyes can't linger there. Scanning the room, he spots Tengan, and Mitarai, and his blood begins to boil.
"The Remnants of Despair... I won't forgive them..." Kimura says in a low growl.
"My, my... What a pain." Kizakura adjusts his hat.
"Open wide~" Ando has a macaroon in her hand and is trying to feed it to Izayoi.
"No. Not now." He answers simply. Ando looks momentarily stunned and hurt.
"Anyway, fighting is just what Monokuma wants us to do!" Naegi implores to the room. "We need to work together now."
...
Gozu and Sakakura move to lay Yukizome to rest, temporarily.
"Of all people, why her..." He hears Sakakura say to himself.
Kirigiri examines the wall.
"...It wasn't your fault, Kimura." Munakata looks in her direction. "There was nothing you could have done."
"...!"
The room seems temporarily thrown off by Munakata's words, as if that's not how the script goes.
Kimura looks at him, confused, and then says nothing.
Asahina and... Gekkogahara... talk about the possibility of a hacking from the inside. And all Munakata can do is glare in Tengan's direction.
...Tengan and Bandai talk about the possibility of escape... And...
"Then, we have to find and kill the attacker." Sakakura says simply.
Munakata's eyes shoot to him. This is... This is how it happened before. Is this real?
"Sakakura. Don't hurt anyone." He says simply, and it stuns the room again. Sakakura most of all.
"...Munakata's right. We can... tie them up. No one has to be killed."
"With your Super High School Level Luck-"
"No, Naegi is not the attacker." Munakata says again definitively. And even Naegi looks surprised. This is the same man who was trying to have him executed. "That much is certain."
"...He allied with the Remnants of Despair to set this whole thing up." Sakakura isn't sure what Munakata is talking about. "Isn't that right, Naegi Makoto?"
"You're wrong!"
When Sakakura is about to move forward, Munakata grips him by the arm again.
"...What's wrong? We know who the attacker is..."
"No. I told you. It's not Naegi. Stand down."
"But-!"
"That's an order." He says dangerously. "As for now... There must be no violence."
"But..."
"Sakakura. Trust me." He says again. "...I'll save you this time."
"Huh? Save me...?"
Munakata turns his gaze to Tengan.
"...Was this your plan?"
"Hm?" Tengan looks to him.
"You were prepared to sacrifice us all, including yourself for this?" He steps closer, and no one really understands it. "All to give Mitarai the Hope to eliminate Despair? That was your big plan?"
"..."
"Munakata..." Naegi is just as confused as everyone else.
"Tell me, how was this supposed to go? You'd use Enoshima's brainwashing videos to have us think there was an attacker? The closest person to the monitor commits suicide? And we go around killing each other? ...This isn't being broadcast to the outside is it."
He draws his blade. Everyone looks very confused, but Kirigiri can see some of the merit in his words. There is something strange going on.
"Munakata."
"You had us moved to some other place, and had us kill each other just to give him self-confidence? To make him believe in Hope? How long has that twisted vision been lurking inside of you? ...As far as I'm concerned, you're the one who killed them."
"That'll be enough." Gozu says standing in his way.
"Hey." Sakakura moves forward to confront Gozu.
"Step aside, you two. I want to hear about Tengan's master plan." Munakata says quietly.
"You're accusing Tengan?" Asahina is as surprised as anyone. "Why?"
"It's not such a strange idea, in theory." Kirigiri says enigmatically. "Although there's no proof for it yet, the Chairman would be able to orchestrate something like this. If the attacker is one of us, it makes some sense."
"No. There is no attacker." Munakata says simply and even Kirigiri is surprised. "...You'll notice it when you check the bodies. But this is suicide."
Kirigiri blanches, surprised by his words and an ominous prediction.
"Hold on, hold on..." Kizakura steps forward. "What's with the future tense?"
"...Your NG code is that you have to keep your left hand closed. Naegi can't run in the halls. Mitarai can't use his ability. Izayoi can't eat anything, and Ando can't leave the playing field." He rattles them off simply. "Am I wrong?"
"..."
There's momentary stunned silence, which anyone could take as confirmation.
"Munakata... You're..." Sakakura looks to him. "You're kind of scaring me. What's going on...? Naegi isn't the attacker?"
"I see through your plan, Tengan. Too late, I know. But... I will stop you."
"Hold on." Gozu hasn't moved. "There's something you know."
"Step aside, Gozu. I'll kill Tengan, and then we'll shut down the power. And no one will have to kill anyone."
"...You'll kill me, will you?" Tengan gives a small smile.
"Yes. I owe you that much. For her sake."
"There will be no killing." Gozu says. "You will have to go through me."
"I would rather not, Gozu. You die early on."
"Is that a fact?"
"If you will not move, then..."
Munakata points his sword at Gozu. And swings. The blade knicks him, just barely, and Gozu's arm begins to bleed.
Some kind of childish jingle plays and Bandai grimaces.
Munakata hears it and looks back as Bandai tumbles to the ground. He'd... He'd forgotten...! Bandai can't witness violence so...
"Move!" Kimura rushes forward with a vial of something and pours it into Bandai's mouth. But... "...He's dead."
"..." Munakata stares in horror at what's just happened.
"E-Everyone... Calm down..." The animated rabbit's voice plays from Gekkogahara's monitor.
"...Munakata, are you the attacker then?" Tengan's eyes land on him. "Look at what you've done."
"I..."
"Hold your horses, old man. There's no way Munakata's the attacker." Sakakura glares.
Gozu covers his bleeding arm.
"He's right. If Munakata had set all of this up, or if he was involved in this... He wouldn't have revealed his hand so early. If the point of this is a Killing Game, his goal would be a body count, not to risk it all for a second body..." Kirigiri states dispassionately while staring at Tengan. She has an inkling that Munakata may be right, but she'd need to examine Yukizome's body herself.
"And yet somehow he knows all of the NG codes... And even so, he allowed Bandai to die. What else would you call that person but an attacker?"
"That's...!" Sakakura grits his teeth. There's... There's no way Munakata would kill Yukizome. He knows that. If he knows anything, he knows that.
"Suicide...? How ridiculous. What kind of monster could string up Yukizome like that...?" Tengan continues to force the situation against him.
"Now I see. Munakata..." Gozu moves forward quickly, slamming into Munakata and sending him sprawling backwards. It's not unlike being hit by a charging bull.
Sakakura moves automatically. And... Without thinking...
He punches Gozu square in the face.
"Sakakura!!" He shouts, just before the childish jingle plays again.
Even Gozu is horrified seeing Sakakura suddenly stiffen and catches him as he begins to crumple to the ground. Munakata rushes over to him, seeing blood escaping from his eye.
"...Y-You've... got to live..." He says... smiling. No. Not again. Not... Not that smile again...! "Mu... na... kata..."
And...
And then it's over. And Kimura shrieks to herself that her medicine isn't working, and that she's useless when she tries to help.
But the world... is cold again. He...
He'd done this...
Sakakura was dead again because of...
Because...
* * *
...
"Hey... Munakata."
His mind reels suddenly, forced to move forward, lurching forward.
When he opens his eyes - and he has both of them - he's... staring face to face with Sakakura. The shock of it is so profound he's struck silent.
"What's wrong?" Sakakura asks and places a heavy hand on his shoulder. There's a sudden look of regret on his face. "...Shit, I'm sorry. Of... Of course you're not okay right now. I'm... I'm sorry about Yukizome."
He manages to say.
Munakata sees that it's Sakakura again he...
Even Sakakura is taken aback by the sudden hug, gripping him tightly, hands clasped around the jacket.
As surreal as it is, Sakakura... isn't complaining.
"Sakakura... You're okay..."
"Y-You're..." Sakakura tries to keep his voice even. "...It's okay. I-It'll be okay... We'll find out who killed Yukizome."
"...Don't leave my side. And... don't punch anyone. You know why."
Sakakura momentarily loses his focus, startled.
"How...?"
"...Stay by my side. We're getting out of here. As many times as it takes."