Blades of Despair

-Chapter Seventy-Five-

A Life of Lies Part I

"Who am I?" Morino repeated Junichi's question. "Why are you asking me that? You were the ones whose identities were shrouded in mystery."

"Ah, but is that really true?" The Madame challenged him.

"I'm... an Ultimate Student," Morino said warily.

"We all are!" Mina shouted. "We were all invited to attend Seiko Academy to further our Ultimate Talents!"

"That's right!" Nishi agreed. "I've been a tattooist for several years, both Sazzy and I were both artists before we came here."

"My... talent..." we all turned to Morino, who was now stammering his words.

"Morino, what's wrong?" I asked him nervously.

"I don't have a talent... or at least, I still do not know what it is," Morino reminded us. "If that's the case, then I must ask the rest of you... when exactly did you become Ultimate Students?"

"When did we become...? Morino, what kind of question is that?" I cried.

"It seems like our dear Morino is coming to terms with the truth," Ori's father chuckled. The truth? What is he talking about? I'm the Ultimate Appraiser, there's nothing more to it than that!

"You guys... began calling yourselves Ultimate Students when you received your invitation letters from the academy, didn't you?" Morino's question sounded simple to answer, but I was inexplicably hesitant to answer it. Something about his voice and the look in his eyes is unsettling me.

"That's true," Mina muttered, "but why does that matter? I've been a cryptozoologist ever since I was a child! Why does it matter when I started calling myself the Ultimate Cryptozoologist?"

"Is it the same for the rest of you?" Morino's voice was quieter now.

"Yes... I... didn't call myself an Ultimate Tattoo Artist until after I received my letter," Nishi clarified. Ori and I confirmed the same thing. "I fail to see the relevance behind this, though."

"Perhaps I should reword my question then," Junichi sneered. "Since only Morino seems to possess the brains to understand it. Before you were Ultimate Students, who were you?" What? Why is he asking us that?

"We were just... normal people..." Ori whimpered. "Normal young adults... with normal lives... That's who we were!"

"Are you sure about that?" The Madame laughed at her.

"Huh?"

"Is the prince of Leonis an ordinary person? Is the orphaned Uehara, who suffered so much neglect she thought the world was a video game, an ordinary person? Is your precious Gawa, whose story you already know, an ordinary person? Would you say the upbringing of that slut Mitsumi was befitting of an ordinary person?"

"Shut the fuck up!" Nishi roared. "He wasn't a-"

"He wasn't a normal child, Nishi," The Madame interrupted him with a wave of her hand. "In fact, none of you were."

"What?" Ori was flummoxed.

"You should have all realised this," her father muttered with a shrug, "but I think Morino has it figured out, so why don't we let him explain?" I turned to Morino, who had been looking down at the floor as he considered what was being discussed. He looked up at me, then turned to face the Shadows.

"Iowa's file in the fifth trial," was all he said.

"Iowa! Why are you bringing her up after all this time?" Mina squeaked.