Chapter Text
Sara, Nao and Reko were all Quite as a mouse. It felt like the air in the room felt of Despair if Despair had a feeling. 'This is no good...If no one talks, we're just wasting time but what can we do?! What options are left...?' Sara thought. They were four options: Sacrifice herself, Nao, Reko or just Give it. Sara didn't want to start thinking about it but...ever since what Ranger told her. '...Haha...ha...Isn't it simple...? If I really want to save Gintoki...To save who I want to save......I should sacrifice myself. If i am the mastermind then this whole thing could end...There's no more need to worry... or suffer...That's...my answer...' Sara thought but then she hear a voice a very familiar voice but it wasn't Joe. 'That isn't much like you.' The voice said. It sounded like Mishima. Sara felt confused. 'Miss Sara, this would be a waste of the feelings you were entrusted. A Steelmind like yourself cannot give up over such a thing.' The voice said. It was right she couldn't give up this easy not now. "We can't give up yet...!" Sara said. "Sara..." Nao said. "There's still time!" Sara wasn't going to give up on Gintoki or anyone else not anytime soon but like i said before there was still the other lie. "It's impossible...Give up, Sara." Reko said. "Huh...?" Sara was confused. "Even you realize, right? There's no way left to save him..." Reko said. "B-But...! We can't desert Gintoki...!!" Nao said. "You think I don't feel the same way?! But let's quit sugarcoating it. We can't save Gin...We just have to give up on him..." Reko said. "...That's wrong...Something's off..." Nao said.
"Eh...?"
"Reko...would never say something like that...!!"
"It's not how I really feel either, alright?! But look, Nao... Could you really sacrifice yourself for this?! I can't do it!! So...I'm just saying what I mean...!!"
"No! That's bizarre! It's like...it's like you're not Reko...!!"
"Please, stop it!! This isn't the time for a petty quarrel!" Sara tried to stop the two from having a quarrel but it was already happing.
"Reko... you've changed!! You were so...full of affection...!!"
"Don't act like you know me after how little we've been together!! I'm...I'm me!! And I'm just accepting the facts...!"
"No, you HAVE changed!! Now that I think about it...ever since...!!"
"Both of you! Get a grip!!" Sara yelled to the both of them seems one of them finally listen to her. "Sara, please listen! I'm perfectly calm!! There's something I kept quiet about...!" Nao said. That had Sara confused. "I know...The one who broke Professor Mishima's monitor was Reko...!" Nao said. Well that shocked Sara. "I saw it! I saw when Reko destroyed Professor Mishima's monitor!! But I believed in Reko!! That's why I didn't tell anyone... I...!!" Nao said. "What're you talking about?! I've got no memory of that at all!! Cool it, Nao! There's somethin' wrong with you!!" Reko said. "W-Wait, please! T...This isn't the time to talk about this...!" Kanna said. Kanna was right about that but...Sara had to entertain the subject even she knew something wasn't sitting right with her. "Okay okay...Nao please tell us more..." Sara was having to get to the bottom of this. "Once I finishing talking to Professor Mishima, I left the Monitor Room...and I vowed I would never go back there! But... but...!! I just couldn't bear it...! I wanted to talk to the professor again!! Even knowing I shouldn't...My legs carried me to the Monitor Room...But I wasn't able to enter...A sound like shattering rang out! So I immediately hid myself in the lobby and I saw.. Reko leaving the Monitor Room, with blood dripping from her hand...Her fist...it looked like there were fragments stuck in it...! I froze up with fear, and Reko passed by without noticing me when I entered the Monitor Room afterward, Professor Mishima... was...Reko must have punched with all her might and destroyed it! But Reko just went on keeping it a secret...! Thinking about it...it was about then... that she started acting strange...! Just what is she hiding?!" Nao explained. 'Is Nao telling the truth...? What in the world...To confirm if she is...Maybe I should ask a certain someone.' Sara thought. She knew just who to ask. "Keiji, you did an investigation into the monitor, didn't you?" Sara asked Keiji. "..........Whew...If you think that's what's important, Sara... Guess I'll talk....Reko broke the monitor. Your friendly policeman saw it too." Bingo. Keiji said it. "Wha?!" Reko was shocked to hear that. "Reko...You should say it yourself already. Any further derailment's a waste of time." Keiji said. "W-What're you spouting...?!" Reko asked. "...There's no reason to hide it. Isn't that right?" Keiji asked. Reko said nothing. "What do you mean...?" Nao asked Keiji. "While Nao was witnessing the incident, hidden in the lobby...I witnessed it too...hidden at the Prize Exchange. I had a good spot to see everything...The whole conversation between Reko and Mishima." Keiji said. Now it is time for the first time in awhile a flashback.
"...I get it. You got any other info?"
"Just a bit...However, I imagine it won't be enough to satisfy you..."
"Well, crap. Oh well..."
"...In addition, I must make a shameless request..."
"W-What's up? Tell me."
"Once we are done talking... I want you to destroy me."
"Wh...?! Don't be ridiculous!"
"I shall not hide any information from you."
"I don't mean that! It's gonna make Nao cry! She'll never be able to see you again!"
"...That is the idea."
"Huh...?"
"Nao resolved herself. She said she would never come back here...She must walk on her own now... I don't want her resolve to be shaken. If I am gone, the temptation will disappear."
"I don't get it...Why would you...Don't you...wanna see her, too?"
"....I do and I don't want to die, either..."
"...Die?"
"...The people who created me must be quite brilliant. Even an emotion like fear...is programmed into me. I feel it. The fear of death. If this monitor is destroyed...I will disappear. I am...very afraid of that..."
"T-Then...!!"
"For Nao's resolve to come to nothing...is even more terrifying to me than death. Please, miss Reko."
"...I can't point a weapon at Nao's dear teacher..."
"...Regardless, Reko granted Mishima's wish. She swung her fist with an unbearable look on her face but she couldn't confess it to Nao..." Keiji said. "That...that's...!! Why...Why didn't you tell me, Reko?! Because of that, I...I suspected you...!!" Nao said. "Nao...Keiji...What in the hell...are you guys talking about?" Reko asked. "...What?" Keiji and everyone else was confused. "I...seriously don't know anything about that. Who are you mistakin' me for...?!" Reko said. "Reko...?" This was getting confusing. "I mean, do you see any scars like that on me?! You think it's under my gloves or something? Here, I'll show you!" Reko removed both of her gloves. Her hands were clean, with not a scratch on them. "There's...no wound..." Keiji said. "But you were bleeding so much...! They couldn't be that clean after just a few days!" Nao said. "Were you guys...seriously seeing a fake or something...?" Reko asked. "A fake...?" Sara and the others were confused. "There must be one, right?" Sou asked. "W-What do you mean?!" Sara asked back to Sou.
"It's not complicated. Heavy wounds don't just suddenly heal up, do they? The Reko who destroyed Mishima's monitor...was a fa-"
"No that one was real...."
"Huh?" It seems the one who finally spoke up was Shinpachi. Everyone turned to him. "Dolls can't bleed right? Sure we saw Miley bleed but think about this if the Reko who broke the monitor is the real one...what if the one standing with both Sara and Nao is the fake?" Shinpachi asked the lot and that shocked them. "Wha?! Don't be stupid!!" Reko said. "....He has a point...Dolls can't bleed So.. you having no wound on your hand...means you're the fake...!" Sara said. "W...Whaaat?! How does that figure?!" Reko said. 'I can't imagine it either...! The person in front of me is clearly Reko! Even so...The matter of the injury can't be passed off as "just my imagination"!! If you think logically, this person has to be a fake...!!" Sara thought to herself. "Can you prove you're the real one, Reko?!" She told Reko. "H...Hold the hell up! You seriously suspecting me?! I'm Reko!! No matter how you look at it, I'm real, ain't I?! Please, Sara, don't confuse people with your weird ideas...! We're friends, right...? I thought I made a friend I could trust for the first time...!" Reko said. "Then...give me proof..." Sara said. Before anyone else could say anything. "FOR GOODNESS'S SAAAAAAAAAAKE!!!!" Everyone jolted from that voice. "Chirst on a bike you don't have to be that loud were in the same box!!" Shinpachi yelled. "Sorry...ahem anyways Please, quit this foolishness!! Don't you bully Reko any more!! If you want evidence, I'll give it as her brother!! That is the real Reko!!" Alice said. "W-What's your proof?!" Sara asked. "The eyes of her brother by blood!! I can't possibly be mistaken!! Keiji!! You've been tricked by Ranger!!" Alice said. "....Alice did you hit your head on something when you came in here?" Keiji asked. "That Reko...was real! This Reko...is also real! This is a trap, I tell you!! One meant to ensnare Reko and yet you...You're thinking of sacrificing Reko to save Gintoki, aren't you...?!" Alice said. "...Alice..." Reko said. "Listen to me! Sara Chidouin!! I'm not panicking...! I'm making a composed judgement!! A disguise couldn't possibly fool my eyes! Her behavior, the slightest gestures, her personality! In every way, that is the real Reko!! I've been with her for 20 yea-!" That was when Gintoki finally said something..."HOLD ON HERE!!!!!!!!" Gintoki yelled out to everyone. That made them all jump. "Okay...i am getting kinda sick of this...i am about to die and you all keep having to agure about this...and this point if you really want to prove it is a fake then tell me this...do you think there is a way that Reko is not human but something close to it?" Gintoki asked. 'Not...human?' Sara thought to herself. It's an unthinkable, absurd idea but something's lodged itself in Sara's head. "If you could combine an artificial intelligence with a doll...You could create a completely perfect fake!!" Sara said. "...Bingo!" Gintoki said. "H...Huh?! Sara, settle down!! Do you know what you're saying...?!" Reko said. "I was...I was always wondering...Why did something like an AI of Professor Mishima even exist...? Why were there dolls made to recreate us in such perfect detail...? Maybe...this facility...The kidnappers' organization...is making doll copies of humans...!!" Sara said. "WHAAAAAAAAAAAA?! You've lost your marbles, Sara!!" Reko said. It might seem crazy but it made too much sense. "A doll that looks just like Reko...and an AI that recreates Reko's personality. The result of combining those two things is...An impostor Reko!!" Sara said. "Are you being serious, Sara Chidouin?!" Alice asked. "I am...! That's how she could fool even her own brother! She's not someone else impersonating her, she's a duplicate!!" Sara said. "Your claims are an utter mess!!" Alice said. "Guys, Sara's lost her cool! We should drop this whole thing!!" Reko said. "Oh really? You think Sara is a mess....okay then 'Reko...' tell me this..." Gintoki still on the wheel said. "W-What is it...?!" Reko asked. "This "Samurai Onna" song...Is that a song by your band?" Gintoki asked. "Obviously!! I only sing my own songs! It's the ultimate song, named for my old band, "Samurai Yaiba!!"." Reko said as well Alice said nothing and was sweating. "Bingo..." Gintoki smirked. "Huh...?" Reko was confused. "Hey Sara i gave that srcap piece of paper didn't i? After that morning talked with Alice...?!" Gintoki asked. "Mind giving to her?" Gintoki said as Sara nods and gives Reko the piece of paper. "W-What's that scrap of paper...?! This is...An article on..Samurai Yaiba's breakup! Don't be stupid! Of course I remember this! It's from after Alice was arrested...!" Reko said. "Yes, but what you don't remember...are the wounds that this left on your heart!!" Sara said. "...My heart...?!" Reko was shocked. "Reko...Alice's arrest came as a shock to you! So much so...that you couldn't sing your band's songs anymore...!" Sara said. "I couldn't sing...?!" Reko was shocked again. "Read it, please! It says it right in the article! Alice was a member in your previous band, right?" Sara said. "Indeed.." Alice said. "That's why you couldn't do it anymore! Reko couldn't sing songs that reminded her of her brother!! And yet...you proudly sang for me a song from your old band!!" Sara said. "What's the meaning of this?!" Nao and the others were in shock expect for Gintoki, Shinpachi and Kagura. "This is what Ranger said. The AI memories are updated regularly every 6 months, and personality every 3 years...and only memory could be brought up to date at any time. So I'm sure you do have the memory of your band's breakup...but your personality only got refreshed once every three years! If the last update was over 2 and a half years ago, then...! " Sara said. "It would be...before my murder case!" Alice said. "That's right! Before the incident that made Reko unable to sing, forcing the band to break up!!" Sara said. "Stop it...!" Reko didn't want to believe it. "In other words...Your personality remains a time capsule of Reko Yabusame from three years ago!!" Sara said. "I...I'm...I'm... real...A fake...? A doll...? Wrong....!! That's wrong!! I'm real...!! Because...! I...!! I'm alive...!! My memories...!! My feelings...!! Overcoming their deaths...!! My pain...!! All of us helping each other...was it all...a program...? Am I...a fake...?" 'Reko' tears came down her face with staned the makeup. "Ahh, yep. You're a fake." Ranger said. "L... Like hell!! That can't be right!! It ain't possible...!! Once you say that shit...!! I just gotta admit it, don't I?!" Reko said. "What else didja want me to do? The concept for the Room of Lies was "once you see through it, it's over," okay?" Ranger said.
"I-I'm still half-believing...That Reko is a doll?"
"Reko...no, the fake...was a ruse...meant to deceive us...?" The others were just as shocked. "Hmm... Wouldn't quite say that. The fake just really thinks she's Reko. That's what a copy is!" Ranger said. "Th-Then i'm really..." 'Reko' was shut up by Ranger. "I'll explain it for ya. First up, you bastards reasoned right! It was the real Reko who broke Kazumi Mishima's monitor. Seems Keiji and Nao witnessed it. Day broke, and the real Reko went with Sara into the Room of Lies. Sensing danger, Sara grabbed the real Reko's hand, but unfortunately, Reko got caught and the one who came out was the fake Reko. After that, it was the fake waltzing around...but there were two problems. First was that the memory updates hadn't caught up. Since the real Reko came to the Room of Lies less than a day after breaking the Mishima monitor...The memory of her smashing it never got put in! Second was that her last personality update was 2 years and 8 months ago. Seems like her personality changed a fair bit from the shock of her brother Alice's arrest! Ah well...Not much you can do about that stuff. " Ranger said. "Where's the real Reko...?!" Alice asked. "Who can say? Try the Room of Lies?" Ranger said. "If you did anything to her...I'll kill you...!!" Alice said. "Aww...Already only concerned for the real one? Makes me feel bad for the fake Reko here." Ranger said. "H-Hey...You solved it, right?! Hurry...!!" Q-taro said. "Yes, yes, hurry up! Since it's a fake Reko, I'm sure you can push her without regrets..." Ranger said. "...T...That..." Nao said. "W-Wait!! Wait a sec!! I'm... alive too...!! I don't...wanna die..." 'Reko' begged. "...Doesn't feel good. Why is she able to cry, too...? She's basically a human at this point..." Sou said. "Help me...!! Guys!!" Reko said. "Is this...part of the emotion program, too?" Keiji asked Ranger. "Ahahaha! You got it!" Ranger said. "Awful...Awful!! Isn't this just too cruel...?! If she has a heart...and feelings...She's no different from a human!! She's not a fake at all...! She's another Reko! She's alive...!!" Kanna said. ".....If you think so then let me just..." Ranger then turns on the dart thing having the count down set to 5. 'The dart will be fired shortly.' Everyone felt like a shock just went into them. "WHAT?!? EVEN AFTER ALL OF THAT?!?" Gintoki looked panicked. '5.' "Ahh...No way...Gintoki!!" Sara was panicking too. '4.' "Sara!! Make it quick!! It's...just a doll, y'hear?! Can't be more important than a real human!!" Q-taro said. This was bad. '3' "Sara! Stop it...!! I... I thought you were my friend...!!" 'Reko' said. Sara looked at her...and then...she started to push Reko. "Sara...!!" 'Reko' said but Sara kept pushing. '2.' "Stop...!" Sara had to do this for Gintoki. '1.' "Forgive me...!! Saraaa...!!" Sara pushed her to the edge. The next one will be the last but Nao was the one to push Reko in hard. "Pant...! Pant...!" Nao panted. "N-Nao..." Sara said. "Whew...phew...No more...You don't have to shoulder any more, Sara...!" Nao said as Sara said nothing. The Dart stopped and the restrains unlocked. "Haah haah haah..." Gintoki lied down on the ground feeling like his body was out of breath. "Hey!! Ranger!! Was..Was that Reko really, definitely a fake...?! You're not lying, are you?!" Alice asked. "Look at the corpse, you'll be able to tell!" Ranger said. "As if I could look...at Reko's corpse...!!" Alice said. Since Sara was still in the Impression Room she looked down at the fallen 'Reko'. Still wasn't a pretty sight. "There's...No blood..." Nao said. "Huh...?!" Nao was right no blood at all. "...Yes...I see..Sure enough...she was a doll..." Alice said. "But then...Where is the real Reko...?" Kanna asked. "Ranger! Where's the real..." Sara had seen that Ranger and Safalin had already vanished. "The Room of Lies...!! Not good! Reko!!" The box came undone and Alice rushed out of it and Finally, the Impression Room sank back into place. Gintoki just sat on the ground looking very glad he didn't die. Everyone else who was around expect Gin-kun who was still asleep in Kagura's hands who she was now carrying all look at Gintoki. "....Okay now i know what i did was stupid but...could you blame me?" Gintoki asked with a sigh. Everyone then stomped on Gintoki for a bit. "Sara...Let's go find Reko. I think Gintoki will be fine..." Nao said to Sara as Gintoki looked dizzy. "Ugggggh..." He will be fine. "Yeah let's go do that..." So Sara and Nao with Shinpachi, Kagura (who she gave Gin-kun to Q-taro) and Keiji who wanted to tag along all headed off for the Room of Lies.