For once, it was all quiet in Hope's Peak. There was a thickness in the air impossible to see outside the academy.

Kiyotaka Ishimaru, The Ultimate Moral Compass had tragically died in the hands of Junko Enoshima, The Ultimate Despair, who was recording the whole thing to hypnotize the remnants of the Ultimates.

Luckily, her plan failed but..

"Hm..."

The words haven't left Chiaki's mind. SHE was the one supposed to die. To get executed. But it was Ishimaru who did.

"Puhu..Puhuhu..! Don't you know, Chiaki? You were the one supposed to die! He died because of you..! Isn't that so despairing..?~"

"Died". His brain did, but his body is still alive..Chaki heard that they will disconnect him any day now.

...Ishimaru. He seemed nice, Chiaki thinks. They didn't interact much, just in the Neo Program but...

....The Neo World. It must..Still have Ishimaru's data. Could it..still be connected to his brain? Was it..still there? It could..be like a save point.

...

Fujisaki-Kun was able to create an Ai based on Ishimaru-Kun's data, but he wasn't able to speak to him..yet. That was understandable. Chiaki understood and comforted Fujisaki. She decided to go instead. She didn't mind.

With a yawn, she put on the Vr headcase and let herself enter the Neo World.

....

It was the same as the last time she entered inside. The island was the same. Just that..empty. Empty and lonely. But it felt real, like the real world..

She spent there more than an hour, she thinks. But she didn't find Ishimaru-Kun, or more exactly his AI. It hadn't work? His data got corrupted..?--

"...Oh! Hello!"

...Chiaki turned around, looking at Kiyotaka. More like his avatar. AI..Alter Ego..

"..."

She went towards him, eyeing him. Even in a virtual game, this felt real. It felt like he was alive.

"I'm Chiaki Nanami, the Ultimate Gamer. Video games are my hobby, and.."

She began, bowing politely to him. As if she hadn't never met him, that it was in a twisted way.

[{{user}} is Kiyotaka Ishimaru (AI!)]