mallofdespair

[mallofdespair]

        Ｉt has been two years since the events of the mall of mutual killing, and the passing of so many students. The Inquisitores Lumens have evaded being found with only rumours spreading through the world about where they are, who they could be, and just what drove these Hope’s Peak’s students to such extreme measures.          Ａ  group of people were invited to visit R Incorperated, a company who had recently boomed in the robotics industry, including a wide variety of people both in and out of Hope’s Peak. No one thought ill of it… after all, The Beacon had been snuffed out: the leader of the Inquisitores had vanquished.

Ｔｈｅ  ｄａｒｋｎｅｓｓ                                   ｗｏｕｌｄ  ｎｏｔ  ｒｅｔｕｒｎ…                                                                                           ｒｉｇｈｔ？

+     sequel to mallofdespair +    2 week schedule +    group ( including trials ) is submission based. +    activity, even post-death is strongly recommended +    areas are meant to be explored for information even as early as chapter 1. +    ran by superduperhighschoollmuses as main mod,       with shizuka-atoshi and shslrebelidol as the co-mods. +    currently expected to have 16+ slots for applicants, though more may open up       depending on applicants.

                             ＡＰＰＬＩＣＡＴＩＯＮＳ  ＣＬＯＳＥ 

                                     ＦＥＢＲＵＡＲＹ  ２８ＴＨ                                            ＡＴ  １０ＰＭ  ＥＳＴ

+ ＡＰＰＬＩＣＡＴＩＯＮ  + ＢＬＯＧ + ＡＰＰＬＩＥＤ  ＴＡＬＥＮＴＳ +

[mallofdespair]

Blog Open For The Moment

"Apps aren’t just yet, still working to set things up for that. But!"

"Mod Junko here to say! R Incorperated, the sequel to Mall of Despair, is on it’s way to a tumblr near you!”

"Thank you for your love of the first game~ I [Masque] am currently working, albeit slowly, on the new game."

[mallofdespair]

Mod Deity AU

Hari was a muse of the arts, however she was struck by the gods for her temper and was turned into a force of destruction. However her artistry remains, mostly in the smoke and the coils that fire causes

Xun was a god of positivity, however he crossed Lucrezia, Goddess of creation and was snuffed out, sent into the stars above where he became the north star.

Moderu was a goddess of Morality, however Ai, a goddess of the night clashed with her constantly and struck her down, bringing injustice into the world due to Moderu's death.

Then you have Suzuka, a goddess of the water, who cared deeply for life, however her selflessness caused her downfall, killing Darius- a god of misdirection- in her ocean and was punished afterwards by being tasked with killing the muse of Poetry, her close friend. and a muse who felt she would be better known as a goddess of death.

And then you have the Goddess of Finance, Jade, and the Goddess of Emotions, Megan. Due to Jade's actions, banishing the muse of fine arts (Akito) to the wind, Jade and MEgan both suffered from the wrath of the other gods and goddesses.

And then you have Yukika, a misguided goddess of light. Who forces two of Moderu's Angels (Kagome and Travis, angels of law :U), Theo (God of Romance), and 2 muses (Hiroki, muse of music, and Araiguma, Muse of Art) to banish her to the underworld.

[mallofdespair]

Are you thinking of a second game?

Yes! Currently I [Masque] am working on a basic progression of like the map, and the plot, and setting up the blog on my own this time. It might not open for apps until I'm clear of groups however. Maybe if I'm out of one of the two I am in, but I want to make sure I can give enough time for the game without letting the groups I am in falter!

Also I'm likely going to be looking for a 3rd mod for that game to help take some of the burden off of me and Chell (Since Chell likely will return as a mod because of how. awesome. she was.) and to make it easier to handle a slightly larger game.

[mallofdespair]

Do you have a link to the deadblog?

"we actually didn't have a deadblog for this game..."

"It was partly because of what Mod Nanami put into the tags, partly because, to be honest, I couldn't imagine what to put INTO the deadblog that'd make the people who passed on feel like they were doing something more than wasting time on it. If I make a deadblog for a game, I want the victims and murderers to have an impact.

[mallofdespair]

Question! Why is the mistrial system made so that the culprit will always fail? I'm not saying change it or anything but, I was curious as to why a murderer can't get away with it?

Ah! Actually when we made the mistrial system , the culprit COULD succeed, resulting in a "bad end", and they would have a "Winner" on the blog mentioned for them.

This was partly because I really couldn't imagine how to work a mistrial system into the game where the culprit would win completely, without spoiling the plot of the game as whole (Yukika searching for cohorts), partly because I felt the game was too small & short to pull off a Mistrial system well. 16 players, 5 chapters, there didn't seem to be a good way to pull it off.

[mallofdespair]

!!! Thank you all for a fantastic game!! Putting this under a readmore because there are so so sooo many people to thank!!!

Here’s mostly crediting the people who drew different pieces of artwork, and some writing for the game itself! And a thank you to them as well!

Moony

CH 3 Execution artwork

Hari Sprites

Ch3 execution concept

Hope

Ch 4 Surprise artwork

Jam

CH 1 Execution art work

Ch 4 execution artwork

ch 4 execution concept

Mai

 Ch 3 surprise artwork

pretty much everything involved in the endgame except for the final execution piece.

Emi

Final Execution artwork

Chell

Pretty much every piece of artwork in the game that has not been said

maps

artwork for the blogs

Sweets

Execution 2 concept

Kayla (Not sure what to link here so I'll link oneiroiawaken since they run that. )

I feel bad that someone had to die first, but what little time you and Xun spent in this game is definitely a memorable one. Thank you so much for your short time in the group

I really wish Xun hadn't died so early :c he was sooo great, and it would be hilarious to see him prank Shizuka, oh dear. I don't know you too well as a mun, but you're sooooo great!!! from the times we talked in the murder chat!!! I hope to see you again soon!

Zora

Someone had to be the first killer, and Lucrezia was wonderful in what little time she spent in the game. Thank you dearly for taking part my friend! Hope you enjoyed it as much as we did

I loved Lucrezia from the moment I saw her!! Beautiful design, I'm absolutely in love with the colour of her dress, ngl. I wish Shizuka and her had more chances to talk to her, she was positively adorable! thanks for being a part of this game despite being the fist murderer! you were great!!

Perry

Moderu was by and far a character with a powerful personality, thank you tremendously for taking part in the game with all of us.

Perry Perry Perry!!! Moderu!! was sooo great! I loved her relationship with some of the other characters and just.... ah,,,,, drawing her dead hurt me,,, I hope to talk to you again sometime in the future! thanks for being in this game!!!

Sweets

You’re our friend, and ‘Ai’ ([Masque gets thwapped for the pun] wouldn’t have chosen anyone else to be honest to take your place. Thank you dearly.

Sweets. Sweets, Sweets, Sweets. >////> honestly just.... I know you and I will remain friends for a long long time. you're honestly so great as a roleplayer, and even greater as simply, a friend. I really do love you. Thank you so so sooo much for being a part of this. I'll definitely see you soon in the near future ^_^

Josh

Darius was a wonderful guy, and you were as well. It was wonderful watching his reactions, and you were so enjoyable as a person. Thank you dearly for letting us be your first game.

Joooossshhhh your headcanons with sweets???? bye!!!!!!!! seriously, I love love love Darius, and,,, hm how can I say this,,, um... it was an honour to share the spotlight of being the victim of chapter 3?? uh?? oh man, but seriously, you seem like a really cool dude!! I hope to rp with you in the future!! Thanks so much for being a part of this!!

Moony

I’ll stick here since you’re Chell’s good good friend. You were wonderful and extremely funny in and out of character, and created one of the best murders, executions, and trials I’ve seen. I am so glad you chose us to be your first game.

...Well, I gotta say. Being stuck with you for four periods every single school day really taught me something... being a mod in the game you're playing in is so so sweet. I'm so happy you created Suzuka, and damn I can't wait to be part of another game with you in the near future. Love ya

Ana 

Thank you for your time! You were a wonderful part of the game, and Akito was a wonderful character, and you were definitely an awesome person.

I don't talk with you often, however you're a really sweet person!! Drawing Akito broke my heart, I love him so much. thank you for being a part of this!

Jam

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. Megan and Jade were two extremely well written and well thought out characters. Thank you SO much for letting us be the group you shared them in.

J a M B)))) jam is my main meme I love jam you know I love you jam,,, from all those talks we have over skype,,, damn jam,, you're the best.. you know how much i love your muses, and even if i don't gush over megan/jade as much as i do tsubaki, please know that I love love love love jade/megan,  and I think you play them wonderfully! Absolutely wonderfully! Keep on roleplaying, because you're so amazing at it!!

Mai 

Our wonderful memestermind. Honestly I couldn’t imagine this game with anyone else as a mastermind. Through skype troubles, many nights of me passing out on you while planing the game, you still happily continued, and you made the endgame what it was. Thank you dearly.

I love love loved Yukika as the mastermind. From hinting it in chapter 1, to just,,, watching how she reacted to everything around her, it was genuine and simply flawless. You're an amazing roleplayer and a wonderful artist. Thank you so much to you and masque for planning so many details into this game, honestly, thank you so so much. I hope to see you in the near future!

Cas

It was REALLY interesting to watch as Kagome grew along throughout the entier game, changing from the character he was at the start, and I am so glad that we were one of your last games before you slid to other characters. Thank you for Kagome, yourself, and for every moment

C-Cas-san... >//w///> you know how I feel about you and your muses. you're a wonderful friend and a superb roleplayer, not to mention an awesome artist. Your skype threads with Genric always brightened my day. Thank you for being you. I know we'll meet again in the near future. Thank you so much for being a part of this.

Genric 

Thank you for making this one of the last games with this iteration of Travis. I hope you found this a wonderful send off for your character’s first iteration and we can’t wait to see where he goes from here!

Genric,,,, you,,,, disappointment  who am i kidding, I love ya, man. You're a great guy with an even greater great guy muse. My #1 office meme, i'll never get tired of skype chats between you and cas, your tragome headcanons, your slipped in office references, honestly, you're really fantastic. Thank you so much for being a part of this. [ raises cup of coffee] Never forget, two creams, no sugar. [sips coffee]

Hope

Hooooope. So glad that this was the first game that you endgamed and one of the games that completed. I hope you enjoyed it as well, and by and far am honored that because of our game you’ve essentially changed your muse. I can’t wait to see where he goes from here!

Hope. You... ohhh hope youuuuuu always just looking for ways to murder everyone's hearts, eh? Well. you certainly have achieved that. Thank you so much for being a part of this. I wonder if Hiroki will,,,, ever recover from his long list of injuries, damn. thank you so much! i'll see you again soon, definitely! 

Shane

Araiguma my have been a character that was a little bit difficult, but it was wonderful to watch her and you as you played. And thank you for joining us on this wild ride… Even though I only learned how to spell her name right about endgame.

that guma B) love that guma. Man, Shane. You're cool. We hadn't talked much during the course o this game, but I love love love your art, and araiguma!! yeah!! love that gumA!!!!! Thanks for being awesome, I hope to see you again in the near future!!

Eri

I’m so sorry that the end of the game coincided with your business and illness, but Theo and you were both EXTREMELY wonderful to have while you could take part. I’m thankful.

Eri!!!!!!!! I loved Theo,,, oh man I loved Theo so so sooo much!! you're an amazing roleplayer and ahhh your art!!! I love your art!!! I really hope you'll be back in good health soon, you're a really amazing person who deserves to feel wonderful! Thank you so so much for being a part of this!!

In general, thank you EVERYONE for everything that you have done for us to make this game what it was!

I want to write my own little thank you to masque. It seems like just yesterday when I made the decision to mod a game for the first time. I had no clue what to do, but I knew that I was ready to take on anything that came my way. I just really wanted to help Masque. Ever since CD2, and the fact that our muses so perfectly fit together, I felt that the connected between Masque and I was very much the same. Just two writing memes who were huge dorks and loved their friend for who they were. One of the reasons I decided to app as a mod was because I knew Masque, and because he was my friend. I knew that I would have a fantastic time being a part of this team. And oh boy, did I. Honestly Masque, I love you, you’re one of the closest friends I’ve made here, you’re awesome, super kind and just generally fantastic. You’ve already heard all my apologies for being so dependent on you as a main mod, but honestly, I just didn’t want to let you down. You’re the last person who’d deserve something like that. Thank you for this amazing game, I can’t wait to be a part of your team in the future, whether it’s as players in a game, modding another game together, or just simply memeing it up in skype. From the bottom of my heart, Masque, thank you. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend the past 3 months here on tumblr. <3

Where can I start. From caring about my well-being and taking over as much as they can, to making sure that I was all right with whatever their decisions were, to deciding to extend things.

From making sure that everything made sense, to every single portion of the blog itself from the roster to the trial room to the blog’s background, pretty much Chell was the reason why the game went as smoothly behind the scenes as it did. Chell is a wonderful friend and I wouldn’t have had any other person have been my fellow mod to be honest.

Sure I know a lot of people who would’ve been WONDERFUL… But Chell was pretty much perfect. Thank you <3

A final thank you to everyone who followed this game. We hope to all see you soon in the near future. We love you all!

[mallofdespair]

It's Over/Rikai/The END

Fresh Air, natural sunlight, blue skies...The perfect picture book ending...

Travis watched as everyone walked around with different reactions to all of this. He put his hands on his pocket and smiled slightly as he took in a deep breath. 

It was over...right? Is he finally allowed to cry?

"(As long as there is light, there's always going to be darkness...Life sure is weird.)"

He glanced up at the sun, his smile faltering a bit. Oh crap, how was he going to ever get back home now? His cell phone doesn't work, and it sure didn't seem like his family was here...

"....Bro?"

A familiar voice called out to him from behind, and Travis turned face to face with his twin brother. Jet black hair, Warm blue eyes, red vest and scarf...What a contrast between him and Travis. Yet, they stood and looked at each other like a mirror. The only other difference was that Travis' twin was wearing some bandages on his hands.

"L-Lucas!"

Travis didn't say anything else before suddenly giving him a loving, brotherly hug. His scent was just as he remembered it...

Lucas embraced him back and began to cry suddenly. 

"Ha...Oh god, We thought we lost you...we thought that you weren't able to make it near the end...we got so scared and then...you did it! Bro, you fuckin' solved it!"

He pulled Travis away and started to grin between his tears. Something about Travis looked so different now...he didn't seem to be the frail, soft spoken texan he was before. He's changed to something a lot more confident than that.

"Ha...Nah, that...I couldn't have done it myself without Mister Takahiro Kagome..."

Travis looked behind him, looking for any signs of Kagome, but he didn't sem to be around. Maybe he was looking for his mother, or some other family member just to get home. He couldn't blame him, pratically everyone at this point wanted to go back home. Speaking of home...

Lucas perked up as though he had just read Travis' mind.

"Hey, hey, let's talk about it later, Rikai, Mom is still lookin' for us, and I'm sure she doesn't want to lose both of her children today."

"....What a mean joke."

Thinking about it now, Lucas hasn't called Travis that in years. It was actually nice to hearhim say that again...Rikai...That's not really a bad sounding real name.

Lucas gave his brother a gentle pat on the back and started to lead him off. 

"Cmon, Bro.

Let's go to where Mom is now."

[mallofdespair]

Is It Alright if I Call Your Name? | Kagome | Endgame

It was weird seeing all of these people.

After being trapped in the mall for God knows how long, it was weird for him to be approached by so many people. Kagome looked around. There were ambulences and police cars and the survivors...but...where is she?

"--...Hiro!"

Kagome suddenly looked around. That voice...it was a familiar voice...an older woman's voice.

"Takahiro!!"

Kagome then caught sight of a dirty blonde haired in a business suit. His voice was caught in his throat as the woman came closer to him, his eyes started to water a bit as soon as he recognize the woman.

"M-Mizu....M-Mom!!"

Kagome dropped his bag and ran to the woman who was his mother. The woman, despite her looks, was strong enough to pick Kagome up and swing him around as if he was still a young child. The woman put him down, asking him rapid-fire questions as Kagome had a look of pure joy on his face at being reuinited with his mother. Although...there was another person who he seemed to be looking for, someone who was the reason he wanted to leave that place so badly.

"Taka-chan!!"

Kagome looked to the side and there she was. The blue-haired girl with the purple ribbons in her hair and bandages on her face. Kagome's eyes widened. It was true, she was alive...

"....Tsukasa!"

Just like with the older woman, the girl named Tsukasa ran up to Kagome and had him in a tight embrace, even managing to lift him up a bit. Yikes either these ladies were strong or he was just incredibly light. Kagome returned the embrace, burying his face into her shoulder as his shoulders started to shake. Was...was he crying? Whether it was out of relief or joy, it didn't matter to Kagome. All that mattered was that it was over. He was alive and the people he cared about were alive. It was hard to tell considering Kagome was far away but if you looked closely at his expression.

He was smiling.

[mallofdespair]

The End | Tachibana | Epilogue Post

That...

Was it.

Yukika Kai was dead. So many of them... were dead. It hurt to think that... after all this time... it was over. It was over. He survived.

Hiroki Tachibana. Takahiro Kagome. Rikai Dell. Araiguma Hanashi. Theodore Grey. They were the five survivors. He felt himself collapse back in his wheelchair. It was over. He could hardly believe it. They... They could go home now... right? It... was all over? Right?

That's what it seemed like. Leaving there... it was surreal. Hell, Hiroki wasn't sure he wanted to leave there. He wasn't sure how to face the real world anymore. How could he face the outside, and say he survived? In some ways... He wished he'd died. He just wanted to return to that cycle, and die. He didn't want to face the real world.

People were speaking all around him. Making too much noise. He wanted to turn to the other four. But he just froze up, and instead the voices attacked his ears. There were so many questions, and not enough time or energy to answer them. He just wanted everyone to shut up and let him take in what was happening.

Are you okay? What happened? Who is that?

Who is that? Are they talking about me? Who am I? I guess I look very different to them... Who... am I? No... I know who I am. I am Hiroki Tachibana... A survivor. I won't... I won't let myself forget that. I promised her...

I promised to live.

He shook off the voices. He wanted them to just shut up. He briefly, pushed past people, and got back to the other four. He paused, before speaking.

"Don't leave me. Please... make sure you get in contact... No one... No one else will understand..."

He didn't wait for their answers. He simply waved a hand, and pushed off, heading towards the crowd. No doubt, he'd be a concern due to his missing leg. Hell, how was it even taken care of? He... couldn't remember...

"HIRO-CHAN!!!!!!"

"HIROKI?!?!"

"HIROKI-KUN!!!!"

Three voices stood out above the others. Were those... it seemed like they abandoned all determination for Hiroki's alias, and just cried out his real name. It was funny in a round-about way. He lifted his head in response, and even heard a bark. The first thing he felt was actually the fur of a familiar dog as he ran over and leaned up on the wheelchair.

"Kuro..."

His voice was sad and quiet but he soon heard the running of the others close behind his dog. He lifted his head, recognizing all of their footsteps... Those... familiar footsteps.

"Jurobei... Rokuro... Minoru..."

He could barely react to them, as he suddenly felt three pairs of arms, and the next thing he knew, all four of them were in tears. They were okay. His friends... his family was okay. They were still alive. They were okay. He was choking up as his arms clung to them and he was hugging them all as tightly as possible.

The motive... they were really hurt, but Hiroki didn't know this. All he knew was... Suzuka saved his family indirectly. She died, saving the people he called his family. She saved them. She told him to live. He... was willing to die for her. But now... Now he was so happy to be alive. He could feel his friends, he could hear Kuro barking his head off. He had a chance... to be himself...

So he just thought... He thought...

[mallofdespair]

epilogue maybe she's not happy either way / araiguma

Araiguma didn’t scream anymore, cry anymore, or do anything in reaction to the trial but swallowed. 

I can die now, right? she looked over to her classmates who seemed to have other reactions. It don’t really..I don’t know what to do. I feel flat. This doesn’t really…I don’t know why I suddenly don’t care. I think I should just die. 

The girl reached back behind to her back pocket and fumbled with the gun in there before taking it out and staring at it. 

I’m not going to kill myself. I’m just…waiting for something to happen to me, I guess. 

She sadly put the gun back before deciding there were better things to think about.

My brother is still alive. He’s…tortured, but he’s okay. Maybe I’ll be able to make friends at school for once. I don’t know why I was so shut off to other people.

I have more things to look forward to. They just haven’t happened yet. I wish they’d happen already.

[mallofdespair]

The Story's End

So… The game has ended.

Monobear hopped off from the podium, silently. Usami slumped in the corner as her AI was turned off. It seems like even the person on the other side of Monobear’s bot knew that… This was not the way anyone wanted things to go.

Slowly the survivors were brought to the main enterance of the mall, the robot shutting down in front of it as noises were heard clinking and clattering, sirens starting to blare as the doors slid open.

"MOVE, MOVE MOVE."

Rapidly, an ambulence rushed by, straight beside the school, a series of them one after another rapidly coming forth, approaching the five students. the hospital workers seemed to notice it, not mentioning a word as they lead the survivors into the back, looking them over for wounds.

Though… The wounds from the mall of mutual killing were more upon their hearts. The tragedy that created 11 different… Victims. That’s what you could call all eleven of them, including the Mastermind. She was simply a victim of her own game’s rules, stuck inside of it.

Far away, a camera turned off, flashing the final title card, someone leaning forward and putting their hands over their eyes, as tears began falling…

"…"

[mallofdespair]

Shining Light on Hidden Words

For the first time since the execution started, for the first time since she came into the game, Yukika Kai felt fear. Something must’ve gone wrong, but what? It hit her like a bag of bricks. This was one last betrayal, set up by one of her followers. Anger flared up inside her, and all fear was banished. She moved her hand to push herself up, and she tried doing so, but the floor moved underneath her touch. A feeling of dread emerged in Yukika’s stomach, and she looked downwards. She was hit with two realizations, one, that the floor was paper, the other…

“The beacon was lost,

lost without the light that she so wished to find…”

The ghostwriter’s gaze turned to the top wall of the room, where her gaze was met by words.

"And the beacon revealed herself in court to the worthy,

but the worthy condemned her nonetheless…

So she faced her execution as penance,

with the hope that the students could escape and fulfil her dream…"

Yukika had enough, and she unsteadily stood up, wincing at the various injuries and bruises she received over the course of the ‘execution’. But it was to happen on her terms. Hers, and nobody else’s… A scratching noise interrupted her thoughts and she looked up, taking in the sight of a massive quill positioned on the other edge of the page. And it was quickly making its way towards her.

The beacon ran. She ran from one end of the room to the other, desperately trying to evade the quill, which had picked up speed. She moved from the top to the bottom of the page, desperately looking for an escape route. There weren’t any. All the beacon could do was run from the top of the page to the bottom, and when the quill was done, a mechanical arm emerged to flip the leaf of paper. Yukika was forced to jump the sudden obstacle, and she repeated her running and evading as the quill followed in steady pursuit.

"First, the beacon was to be burned at the stake,

mirroring the punishment she set up

for she who dared defy her servant’s orders…"

At this, the quill moved erratically over the page, producing an image of Hari in her glass enclosure, flames consuming her. The page turned, and Yukika jumped again.

"She escaped, and in turn, escaped the egg

that mirrored the one that housed she who met her end though fear,

she who stifled the laughter."

The beacon jumped from side to side as the quill sketched an image of Lucrezia in her Fabrege egg, moments before it closed on her forever. Yukika again leaped over the page, and it was only fear that kept the beacon from collapsing.

"But all was not well,

for she had to contend with the mighty serpent Orochi

and sedate it with the bottle of sake it encircled,

mirroring the one who would kill for her friend and willingly take his place."

A sketch of Ai in front of the photo mount followed, and again, Yukika stepped over the page. Even fear couldn’t keep her going forever, but as she knew, the story was reaching its end.

"She bested the serpent, but water flooded the stage,

and her escape was only possible by the boat which arrived on the scene.

But a current trapped the beacon,

and she was forced to use the leg of the one that lied

for the sake of the one he loved.

The beacon soon learned of the current’s origin,

the monster Charybdis,

mirroring the one who was driven by love and yet feared death. "

Only one more. The quill drew an image of Suzuka and Hiroki, still in their embrace as the Monobear held up his knife. The mythologist stumbled over the sheet, and the quill started writing again.

"She descended to the depths of the earth,

and there, she waged a war against herself.

It was her presence that drove the opposing forces back,

and she managed to best her own Self,

mirroring she whose biggest adversary was her Alter."

A drawing of Megan tied to the pole was drawn, and Yukika took a flying leap and rolled onto the last page. The quill wrote more slowly now, and the beacon herself gratefully slowed.

"It was the sum of all who passed before her

that culminated in her failure.

So it was through that failure

and the world's inability to forgive the beacon doused in the grayest of colors

that she who orchestrated the demise of the others

planned one last surprise for she who would illuminate worlds

and ultimately failed.

This is the story of the Mutual Killing of Angel’s Wing Mall"

The page didn’t turn, and Yukika was trapped in the bottommost corner as the quill slowly lifted. She closed her eyes, braced herself… And felt nothing. She gingerly opened one eye and looked behind her, taking in the slight of the quill being lifted. Eventually, it paused just above the previous pages, and made a flicking motion. A portion of wall… No, the cover of the book fell out, and the pages with it. Yukika had no time to turn nor run before the final pages were turned and the story of despair reached its end.

Yukika Kai,

Super High School Level Beacon,

Ghostwriter,

and Mastermind of the Shopping Spree of Mutual Killing,

has been executed

and turned into the final period in the book recounting the events

of the Mall of Despair.

[mallofdespair]

Darkness Breeds Where No Light Falls

The beacon folded her hands over her chest, closing her eyes peacefully for a moment. This was the decision that was reached, and in her own words…

  "Fair is fair."

Yukika spoke automatically before vaulting over her podium and making her way to the centre. The floor suddenly opened beneath her feet, sending her plummeting down into the darkness below. Darkness was all she perceived, darkness and the vague sensation of her body being moved. As the beacon’s eyes adjusted to the dimness, she became aware of a sole shaft of light filtering in, revealing a scene straight out of the Dark Ages. Yukika was standing on a stage, bound to a pole rising up from the centre, with straw surrounding her on all sides. The beacon made no effort to struggle as a Monobear came up on stage, holding a torch. The bear smiled wickedly, dipping the torch to touch the straw, which immediately caught on fire.

The inferno spread quickly, and Yukika felt herself grow uncomfortably hot. Sweat dripped down her face as her eyes flicked nervously from side-to-side. The fire did not stop, and soon enough, it enfulged the pyre. The beacon remained calm despite her obvious discomfort, and she simply waited as the blaze leaped up towards her. But it was doing more than just making uncomfortable; the fire was eating through the mastermind’s binds. In one swift motion, the beacon ripped her binds apart and leaped over the flames, landing on the edge of the platform and barreling through the crowds. In the distance, she noticed a fine crack in the wall of the chamber, and Monobears scattered as she ran towards it. But something was off, and as the beacon approached, she realized that the crack was gradually closing. Fear lent speed to her feet, and she practically leapt the next few feet. Yukika lunged towards the crack and barely managed to force it upwards, struggling to make a big enough hole for her to  exit through. But the surface was crumbling, and she held the wall with one hand as she cast aside material. The new brightness that illuminated the wall and surrounding area brought a realization to the beacon. Curved white surface, thin walls, slightly bumpy texture…

She was inside a giant egg. How ironically fitting, but the beacon didn’t have time for poetics. Yukika clawed at the surface of the egg, and summoning energy from deep within her, the determination and desperation caused her to force the wall of the egg upwards, creating just enough space for her to slip out before it came crashing down behind her. The beacon’s chest shuddered and she closed her eyes for a second before a roar caused her focus to turn upwards, and she noticed a path leading to a… An eight-headed dragon, coiled around a stone platform.

Yamata-no-Orochi. The beacon ducked behind a nearby rock just as another cacophony resounded, and for the first time, she noticed she was dressed in nothing more than rags. Familiar rags, but around her waist was fastened a sash with a sword in it. Drawing her weapon, the beacon stood and emerged from behind the rock, creeping down the stone path. Her eyes darted around the area, and surrounding the serpent was a red gate, inside which were drains leading to a gutter around Orochi. Yukika ducked behind one of the gates before she was spotted, and the beacon observed the serpent from between the slats of the gate, sword in hand. Her gaze drifted up to the top of the hill around which Orochi was coiled, and there, she saw both a post with something tied to it and a bottle. A bottle… Aha! Yukika recalled that in the myth, the serpent was sedated with sake before Susano-o could kill it. The beacon emerged from behind the gate, ran up to Orochi, and took a flying leap. She landed on the hill and barely managed to deflect the surprised serpent’s strike. The beacon ran, and the serpent’s eight heads snapped and hissed at her. However, she soon reached the top of the hill, and she focused her attentions on the sake exclusively. Taking the bottle in one hand and her sword in the other, she flew down the hill and off the serpent, racing back to her earlier hiding spot. The mythologist took the bottle and poured it into the first gutter before running around the circle, filling each of the hollows in turn. She paused behind the last fence and waited. In the absence of Yukika, Orochi’s eight heads turned and pondered the sake. One took a cautious lick, and the others slowly joined in before they were all drinking the liquid. The beacon came out from where she was hiding again, slowly making her way towards the serpent. It was too drunk to even keep focus on her, but it still knew pain. Yukika and each of the heads fought, the serpent proving to be a dangerous enemy solely because of unpredictability. But slowly, the beacon slayed each head in turn, and she was at last left triumphant, panting and bleeding from various scrapes and bruises. The beacon remembered the post, and she slowly made her way up the hill, eyes widening at what was tied to it. It was a life-size scarecrow-esque doll of Darius, and it was wearing her clothes. She quickly cut it free and switched outfits; her actual clothes were quite nice to be in again. There was a sudden rumbling, and Yukika gripped the post, looking around wildly. Water was flooding from the ground underneath Orochi, swirling around the hill. The beacon swallowed, but something caught her eye. A paddleboat was slowly rising with the water, and Yukika didn’t waste any more time before jumping in once the water level had risen sufficiently.

The beacon exhaled sharply, taking hold of the paddle and swinging it to the side. But something was odd… Yukika cried in disgust and nearly threw it overboard, as, still wrapped in fabric and stained with blood, she was holding the missing leg of Hiroki Tachibana. She looked around for something else, anything else, before she realized that the boat was moving on its own. The beacon’s gaze traveled to where the current was heading, and in the water some distance away was a gigantic mouth. Jagged rocks rose out of the water on all sides, and distantly, Yukika remembered a certain myth. Scylla and Charybdis.And she was headed straight for ‘Charybdis’. The only opening was to the side of the monster, where there was a solitary break in the rock. “Paddle” in hand, the beacon made long, confident strokes towards the gap, trying her hardest to fight against the current. However, she was gradually getting pulled towards the mouth of the monster, and despite her best efforts, she was soon paddling vertically instead of horizontally. Yukika desperately tried throwing herself against the helm of the boat, but it was to no avail, as with one great sucking motion, Charybdis caught hold of her boat, and in another inhale, boat, beacon, and paddle disappeared inside. The beacon felt herself falling and falling, but everything suddenly stopped as she came into contact with something soft. She forced her eyes open and rolled over, the sight of straw meeting her gaze. In the distance resounded a blast, and she pushed herself upright, taking in the sight of a massive battleground. Monobears and Monomis were locked in combat, there were buildings in the distance, and beyond that, mountains, and in the centre of the fighting was a gigantic metal Monobear. A shout rang through the battleground, and when Yukika looked, she saw a figure dressed in armour standing on a rocky platform. A familiar figure. And as Yukika drew closer to the edge of the melee, she experienced yet another shock when she realized that the other was her. A robot version of her, as her skin was metallic and her eyes illuminated. This must be yet another myth, but what… Castor and Pollux. This was the battle of Troy - or a replication of it, at least. Yukika instinctively drew her sword, which she had the foresight to keep, and she pointed it at her copy.

“CHARGE.”

As if her words gave them strength, the Monobears let out a collective cry and surged forward. The effect was instantaneous, and the Monomis, despite their valiant efforts, were quickly being overwhelmed. Yukika herself strode forward, and though she was still in pain and quite tired, that was forgotten as she made her way to her copy, who had drawn a sword of her own. The beacon lunged, and her copy parried. Lunge, parry, strike. Lunge, parry, strike. This cycle continues, and Yukika is growing increasingly tired and disheveled. Her copy grinned, and smacked her hand with the flat of the blade. The real one yelped and let go of her own sword, and the copy brought her blade up, plunging it downwards. The beacon instinctively dodged aside and caught hold of the copy’s arm, twisting it. If a robot could feel surprise, that’s what the fake Yukika would’ve, and in one motion, Yukika brought the blade across her opponent’s throat.

Leaving the copy sparking and crashing to the ground, the mythologist ran past it and into the cleared path in the battle. Adrenaline led speed to her feet, and the beacon ran until she was at the mountains. Quickly scanning the rock face in front of her, she noticed a passage and entered it without hesitation, running and running until she could at last see light at the other end. Yukika slowed, and when she emerged at the other end, she was walking. She had done it. She was free from the binds of her own deathtrap. The beacon mercifully sank to the ground, closing her eyes, and she smiled. The grinding was slow and quiet at first, but it soon reached Yukika’s ears, and she turned her head to the ceiling of the room. High roof, metallic, grey, and bleak… The execution wasn’t over yet...

[mallofdespair]

Araiguma votes to get out in a gloomy manner.

3 votes for Leaving.

No votes for Yukika's execution. tbh

No votes for joining the Lumens group

1 vote for searching for a third option...

The Good Bittersweet ending has been chosen.

[mallofdespair]

[Kagome] Kagome votes out. He just wants out of this place.

2 votes for Yukikas execution

0 votes for Joining Inquisitores

1 vote for searching for another option.

[mallofdespair]

Hiroki is an idiot and votes for the middle ground

1 for Yukika's execution

0 for Joining Iquisitores Lumens

1 vote for searching for a third option.