Blades of Despair

-Chapter Fourteen-

Murderous Ultimatums

"No... not another motive to murder..." groaned Edward, putting his head in hands.

"And why tonight, of all nights? We were trying to have fun, and once again you've ruined it!" screeched Mina.

"Please, students, don't be so hard on Monomenon. It is I who prepares the motives, after all," Monoworth entered the room from behind the piano on the stage. Just how many entrances and exits do these bears have to this school?

"I don't care who does what! You're working together, so you're both our enemy," cried Miyagawa angrily. I noticed he was still holding my hand.

"Be that as it may, there are dire consequences for disobeying us," replied Monoworth, "you're under my roof, as such you are under my whim. It is highly recommended that you all behave."

"Your definition of good behaviour is to wait until one of us kills another... how twisted," murmured Yoneda.

"Why don't we see who the twisted ones are after the game is over," chuckled Monomenon, "we're not the murderers."

"How many times are we going to have this conversation?" interrupted Morihei, glaring furiously at the bears. "Tell us the motive, then leave."

"Yeah, get out of here! Uehara hates looking at you!" yelled Uehara.

"Hmph. Fine, but this motive is different to the last one," said Monoworth, "you all need to return to your rooms. A special present is waiting for each of you there. You should open them; they may even be from your loved ones." Before any of us could register what they had said, the two bears were once again lifted away as quickly as they had arrived.

"I'm not sure if I want to see this present," said Nishi.

"No one should! It's obviously a trap," said Saza.

"But Monoworth said that the presents are from our families," reminded Yoneda, "maybe they're coming to save us?"

"If that were the case, then why would that motivate us to kill each other?" Miyagawa asked. "Evidently, these presents are designed to do nothing more than drive a wedge further between us all. They want us to stop trusting each other, to hate each other and if we keep giving in to their every command, that's what will happen."

"Even if present is no good," said Tokunaga sadly, "I would still like to hear voice of my Mama again..."

"Me too," I admitted.

"But they wanted us here! They want us to die!" cried Iowa.

"We don't have proof of that other than what Monoworth and Monomenon told us. If you believe them, then there's no reason why they would lie about these presents and the fact that they came from home," my retort seemed to unsettle the room. Nobody knew what to make of the news. Should we open these presents? Should we ignore Monoworth? We didn't know what to think.

"I think I w-w-will look at m-my p-p-present..." said Mitsumi, "I d-don't really h-have anyone o-outside, so I w-want to see who s-sent me something."

"You're really risking a motive to murder?" asked Edward indignantly. "How foolish."

"D-don't you h-have anyone who l-loves you outside?" asked Mitsumi timidly. "Aren't y-you a k-king? There m-must be s-someone..."

"Don't assume to know anything about me, my personal life or my kingdom!" shouted Edward, enraged. Mitsumi, seeing he had upset the Ultimate Monarch, fled from the room, tears threatening to fall from his eyes.