The Price of Freedom

“Wh-what…?” Takagi Masahiko’s eyes widened abruptly, his body freezing in place. “A new… [Motivation] video?!”

Upon hearing the word “motivation,” everyone’s faces blanched in shock.

While we might once have associated “motivation” solely with positive aspirations, ever since the incident involving Amagasa Gen, that word had become inextricably linked with “mutual killing.”

“Yoo-hoo-hoo-hoo~ That’s right~ A new~ [Motivation] video~!

It’s already been two days, and not a single person has been killed… Your bond of friendship has grown beyond my wildest imagination~ Therefore, I shall make all of you confront the shadows lurking within your own hearts~!”

The moment these words left its mouth, unsettling inner demons swarmed into our chests, leaving the entire atmosphere nothing short of… oppressive.

“What kind of joke is this?!! Are you trying to ensnare us in your trap again?!” Akahira Yuusuke roared at Monokuma, his temper flaring.

“We’ve learned our lesson from last time, and we won’t fall for your tricks again! You can dream on, you hear?!” Takagi Masahiko vehemently denounced Monokuma.

“Indeed,” Chisaka Erin added, “to charge blindly into the unknown, knowing a mist lies ahead, isn’t courage; it’s sheer folly.”

“Exactly! No one here will rush forward recklessly anymore, Monokuma! Just put away your sinister thoughts!” Habara Kazuhiro declared, pointing confidently at Monokuma.

“Hee-hee-hee-hee… Is that truly so~? Can you all really promise not to peek into your own regrettable pasts…?”

“Sh-shut up! No matter what unknown secrets the past holds… I won’t touch it again!” Facing Monokuma’s blatant provocation, Katagiri Mimi, too, mustered her courage to struggle and resist.

“Boo-hoo… I’m so sad~” Monokuma feigned dejection, hanging its head.

“Well now… I can certainly understand your feelings~ After all, Amagasa Gen and Furuhata Jun aren’t by your sides anymore, are they…?”

“Shut your mouth! Whose fault do you think this is?! How dare you even utter such words?!”

“Well, a bear needs a thick skin, doesn’t it~? Ah… I already guessed you’d resist this video… In that case~ I declare! If anyone watches the video from beginning to end, they *might* receive an unexpected bonus gift! And just a little hint… it might even contain information about a secret escape passage, you know~?”

‘A secret passage…? Monokuma would go to such extreme lengths, stooping to any cost just to make us watch the video…? The irony was not lost on me: I had just felt a flicker of desire to watch it myself.’

“You said… wh-what? There’s a secret passage to escape from here…?”

The moment everyone heard news of a potential escape, a restless agitation began to ripple through the group, a stark contrast to their unwavering resolve from moments before.

“Everyone, calm down!” Akahira Yuusuke, seeing the unfavorable turn of events, quickly raised his voice, attempting to steady our resolve. “There’s no telling if this is just another one of Monokuma’s schemes! Don’t let yourselves be deceived by it!”

“Hmm? When have I ever lied to you all? A gentleman’s word is his bond, after all~ If you miss this prime opportunity now, you’ll never get another chance like it, you know~?”

“Is it… watching the *entire* video…?” Ishii Yoshimi’s voice trembled as she posed the question.

“Precisely, precisely~”

“Hey, Ishii! Are you really going to stray down this path?! It just said you ‘might’ receive something, didn’t it?!”

“But what if there’s a real chance…?! What if there truly *is* a passage to escape from here?! As long as we watch the video, we might get an opportunity! And then, by leading everyone to escape, won’t we all finally achieve freedom?!” Ishii Yoshimi’s voice grew increasingly agitated, her eyes brimming with a fervent longing for freedom.

“Ishii Yoshimi makes a valid point,” Chisaka Erin calmly interjected from the side. “This might be our only chance to escape from here, perhaps even our last. I believe that instead of all of us merely struggling to our deaths here, it’s better to try and take a step forward, advancing as far as we possibly can…”

“Wh-what?!” Akahira Yuusuke felt an overwhelming sense of indignation and heartbreak, his facial features slowly contorting in anguish.

“Akahira Yuusuke…” Kitajima Kazumitsu gently patted his shoulder. “I understand that your intentions for everyone are good, but I also don’t want to remain imprisoned in this place until I die… I refuse to… simply wait for death!”

“Akahira Yuusuke, could it be… that you find waiting obediently for death here more acceptable than the sacrifices required to escape? No… that’s not right, is it~?” Suzuki Minoru stared with wide, expressionless eyes as he uttered incredibly cold words. “To speak frankly, if someone truly desires to get out of here… they would at least have to step over the cold corpses of their companions to attain true freedom, wouldn’t they?” Though his words were exceedingly brutal… reality itself was just as merciless.

“Wh-what… are… you… s-saying…?” Akahira Yuusuke stood rooted to the spot, utterly motionless, as he painstakingly forced out the disjointed words.

“Oh my, oh my~ It seems my urging isn’t needed after all~ In that case, I’ll take my leave~” Monokuma promptly departed the scene.

“Huh~? Do I need to repeat myself personally? What a bother… This time, open your ears wide and listen carefully!”

“Whoever wants to escape, watch the video through! Regardless of whether anyone dies from now on, just watch the video!! We *must* step over the corpses of our companions to move forward! Understand?!” Suzuki Minoru’s voice resonated like a booming bell, his words even echoing from the doorway…

“Ugh?!” The pained sound emanated from Akahira Yuusuke.

His face, no longer flushed with anger, was now deathly pale… His tightly shut eyes and the expression twisted in agony eloquently betrayed his profound weakness and heartbreak.

“Do you have no conscience whatsoever for our deceased companions?!” Takagi Masahiko angrily rebuked Suzuki Minoru.

“Conscience? Is that thing useful? Can it be eaten? More importantly… shouldn’t we be hating the ones who kill our companions? If someone truly chooses to kill because of such a repulsive video, heh heh heh… then I utterly despise such fragile-hearted (TL Note: ‘Boli xin,’ literally ‘glass heart,’ referring to someone easily hurt or emotionally delicate) cowards.” Suzuki Minoru let out a chilling laugh, and those around him instinctively widened the distance between themselves and him.

“Suzuki, enough,” I said firmly. “I admit there’s some truth to your words, but such disheartening remarks will only bring negative emotions to everyone.

Here’s what we’ll do… I won’t stop anyone from watching the video, but! From this moment on… everyone must supervise each other! And pay extra attention to the small warehouse on the first floor and the kitchen in the restaurant! If anyone notices someone acting strangely or abnormally, they should immediately notify the others, and I will take appropriate measures to stop them!”

The only thing I could do was to calm everyone’s uneasy hearts in a timely manner… For me, leading by example felt like an emergency measure to prevent the group from fracturing.

“Idiot Anko! You’re not allowed to sacrifice yourself alone! I’m right here with you!” Osakabe Nanase stepped forward and grasped my hand, her small, delicate hand radiating a comforting warmth and softness.

“Kamimura Anko…” Takagi Masahiko approached my side, looking at me with a bright smile. “Please don’t forget me; I’ll always stand by you.”

“Seriously, how could you overlook me like that?!” a voice chimed in. “As a disciplinary committee member, it wouldn’t make sense not to support Kamimura Anko, would it?”

“Hmm… Very true indeed.” Chisaka Erin said, then moved closer to my side.

Only Suzuki Minoru remained isolated, everyone maintaining a clear distance from him.

Yet, he still wore a composed expression, as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred, before turning and walking back to his room without uttering another word.

The moment he began to move, I quickly ran up and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

Without a change in his expression, he turned to me and asked, “Hmm? Is there something else you wish to say to me?”

“You…” I began, my words faltering for a moment.

He stood quietly in place, patiently waiting for me to speak.

“Don’t wander outside carelessly at night. Can you promise to listen to me?”

“I thought you were going to scold me thoroughly… So it’s just this, huh? Easy peasy! Just give me a good pat on your chest, and we’re even!” He leered at my chest with a mischievous, suggestive grin.

This guy became utterly improper whenever he was alone with me! I instinctively reached out and twisted his ear with a firm hand.

“Refuse to listen, then forget it!” I declared, then quickly moved away from him.

“Ow, ow, ow~!! My ear’s going to swell up! I was just kidding~”

“Everyone… please attend to your own matters for now… and remember my words.” I reminded them once more, out of an abundance of caution.

Next, I needed to return to my room and properly sort through my chaotic emotions… I also had to carefully consider whether or not I truly wanted to watch that video.