The Final Battle Begins

"Kirigiri, why did you come here?"

"...Well, I came to save you, of course."

"Th-thank you... Ah! Come to think of it, what happened after I fell down here?"

"...I'll give you the short version, so listen carefully."

According to Kirigiri's rough summary, Ikusaba was currently laid up in the nurse's office. The wounds she had already been ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠carrying had been compounded by the ones she took fighting Monokuma, and her condition was critical. She had declared to the others that she would stand on everyone's side, but the kids still didn't trust her, so they were keeping her under exhaustive watch in the infirmary, monitoring her every move. It should have been miserable, but she was taking the surveillance without a word of complaint — perhaps as a form of penance for everything she had done.

Meanwhile, Monokuma had barely shown himself since that day, and the announcements of new motives had stopped entirely. The kids were glad for the peace that had finally come, but they were also worried about me — and haunted by a strange, lingering anxiety that they might be stuck living here for the rest of their lives.

"...And recently, a few of them got it into their heads that the mastermind would be in the Headmaster's Office, so they smashed the door down and stormed the place."

"Th-the Headmaster's Office...? Are they okay...?"

"Enoshima is in the data processing room, of course, so they were never going to catch her. Destroying locked doors was added to the list of things forbidden by the school regulations after that, but nothing else happened to them."

"...I see. Figures. Those of us who actually know where Enoshima is hiding can't give the others that information, directly or otherwise..."

"It wasn't a total loss, though. This master key is what they found in there."

Kirigiri held up a small key as she said it. Monokuma must not have had time to spirit the master key away before the kids' surprise raid. If they hadn't stormed the Headmaster's Office, I probably would have starved to death down here.

"...By the way. Did your memories come back?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"I'm asking whether your memories of Hope's Peak Academy have returned."

"I... I already told you... Mine were never erased in the first—"

"Are you going to keep lying to me...?"

Kirigiri turned a look on me so cold it could have frozen blood. I tried to wriggle out of it somehow, but I had the distinct feeling that if I lied to her here, something irreversible would happen. I had no choice. I spilled the truth.

"...You're right. I don't have any memories of our school life either... B-but there's a reason for—"

"Shh."

"...?"

"That isn't what matters right now. I'll let it go for the moment. So, just to be clear — you have no memories of our life at the academy. Is that right?"

"...There was something that flashed through my mind right before the execution. But it was so brief I can't really make it out... I barely remember it..."

"...Hmm."

Kirigiri fell quiet, sinking into thought at my words. Something occurred to me, and I asked.

"...H-how did you know, though...? Don't tell me your memories of the academy came back—"

"Not completely. They're incomplete, and broken up in places. But a fair amount of it has come back, yes."

"I... I figured as much... C-congratulations..."

"Yes. It is something for you to celebrate. If they hadn't come back, I had no intention of looking at you again for as long as you lived."

"U-ugh... I'll say it again. I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠really am sorry..."

"From now on, no more acting on your own. No more running off and coming back covered in injuries. And no more showing off in front of me. Remember that."

That last one was a little strange, but the rest were failings I had already felt down to my bones, so I nodded along with everything I had. Kirigiri still looked thoroughly unconvinced.

"...Haa. I suppose I'll just have to take your word for it. Anyway. It's about time we got out of here."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

I was finally getting out of this godforsaken hole. I grinned like an idiot and pushed myself to my feet — and then the room tilted. A body already worn thin, on top of days without food, was apparently more than enough. A wave of dizziness hit me, and I crumpled straight back down.

"Haa. Honestly..."

Kirigiri looked down at me, let out a sigh, and held out her hand.

"Your hand."

"Huh...? Ah, I'm fine! I just got dizzy for a second. You don't have to—"

"Now."

"Yeees..."

I took her hand without another word of protest, and she helped me up. I was so happy I wanted to scream. I walked as slowly as I possibly could.

We made it to the door, unlocked it with the master key, and started climbing the ladder back up into Hope's Peak Academy.

Except... was it just me, or was this ladder insanely high...?

Junko Enoshima listened to the flood of incoming transmissions with a blank face, taking them all in at once.

"I'm sick of all of it..."

She really was. She had grown sick of a killing game that refused to go the way she wanted. She had grown sick of a hope that, no matter how thoroughly she crushed it, always clawed its way back up. She was even, at this point, growing sick of despairing itself.

"Should I just kill them all...?"

The whole world was watching these warriors of hope stand against despair. If one day, with no warning and no buildup, the mastermind simply changed her mind and slaughtered them all... wouldn't that be despairing in its own right?

Junko flipped through the monitors with the same empty expression — and found her disappointing sister in the nurse's office.

Covered in wounds from head to toe, lying there in a hospital bed, and still wound tight as a spring in case someone came to finish her off. Truly, deeply disappointing.

I really should have just killed her back then...

The plan had been a good one. Lock her sorry sister in the gymnasium. Put Kei's execution up on the giant screen — Kei, convicted as her killer — and let Mukuro watch every second of it. Then, once her memories came back and she sank into despair, kill her too. The greatest despair and the greatest pleasure of Junko's life, all at once.

To watch the disgusting hope that had caught her interest and her disappointing sister fall into despair and die together... what a rapturous experience that would have been.

But her sorry sister had recovered her memories the instant the vote was locked in. Had he really meant that much to her, even after a relationship that disappointing?

Junko had thrown every Monokuma she could activate at her to stop the rampage. It hadn't mattered. Mukuro had fought with a strength no wounded person should have possessed, and she had forced her way into the trial grounds all the same.

Honestly, Junko was sick of the whole thing now. Hope, despair — just thinking about either of them bored her. If she had to pick, though, despair still bored her a little less. So Junko began making preparations for a suitably despairing ending.

"Kei... Kei! You're okay!!"

"Hey, you bastard! How'd it feel, huh!? A weakling like you getting full of yourself, running off alone, and getting the crap beaten out of you!? I swear, you stupid idiot..."

"Kei!! All of us believe in you!! So from now on, do not act alone — place your trust in everyone!! I, too, shall devote my full strength to—"

"...Hmph. What an idiot."

"I... I thought... you believed in my Alter Ego, and then you were just going to die, and I..."

"Uwahaahahahaha! While I was laid up with a knife in me, you went and did something interesting, didn't you!? Uhihihihi!!"

"...I will make certain you pay a fitting price, and soon, for wishing something so wretched upon me."

"See! My fortune was right again! You weren't destined to die yet!"

The moment I stepped into the cafeteria, every last one of them was there. Seeing all their faces after so long, I felt the tears well up before I could stop them.

"E-everyone... I'm sorry... I was so stupid... I had friends like you — friends I could count on — and I still... why did I..."

"That's enough."

"Hhk... nngh... sniff..."

"Good."

"...Hey, sorry, but could you two go back to the garbage dump."

"They haven't even been back five seconds and they're already flirting..."

For a while we just talked like that — crying and laughing with friends I hadn't seen in what felt like forever. And then someone else walked into the cafeteria.

"...Hey."

Ikusaba appeared with Ogami, her assigned watcher, at her side. A brief silence settled over the room...

"Ah... h-hey...?"

My awkward reply only made the atmosphere worse.

"...Ahem. So. What now? There are no more motives for murder, and no more threats — but we can hardly go on just sitting here like this..."

"...I have an idea."

Kirigiri's voice was ice, and every eye in the room snapped to her.

"...I know you're watching. Why don't you come out? I have a proposal for you."

"Upupupu...? A proposal. For me...?"

The instant those words left her mouth, Monokuma popped up from the middle of the dining table. He looked around at the kids with expectant little eyes. The kids just glared back.

"Y-you're not even surprised anymore... Well... I suppose that was a little obvious."

"This bastard... he's gone right back to being his usual creepy self."

"Upupupu... I got tired of being tired of doing the Monokuma bit...! And more importantly, I am the mascot of a killing game! I can't go around looking all washed out forever!"

"Speaking of the killing game... you're going to reopen the Class Trial."

"Upupupu...?"

"K-Kirigiri... what are you...?"

The others stared at her in shock, but Kirigiri pressed on, her tone leaving no room for argument.

"It's in the school regulations, isn't it? When a murder occurs, a Class Trial is held with every student in attendance."

"Upupupu? Did a murder happen while I was gone? But you're all still ali—"

"Not a murder one of us committed. The one you committed, Junko Enoshima."

"I'm a good little bear who would never do something like murd—"

"...Then what do you call that corpse?"

"..."

"You declared that a 'murder' had taken place. Which means someone in this academy killed that body. Obviously."

"..."

"And the last Class Trial was a trap designed to kill Kei. He was the one holding everyone together. The one standing at the front of the line to stop the murders. You felt threatened by him. Didn't you?"

"Upupupu..."

"In other words, you committed a 'murder' and fabricated a case in order to pin it on Kei. Well? Am I wrong?"

"And you have... evidence of that? Upupupu..."

"...I don't."

"See!! Anyone can stand here and make guesses—"

"...But I wonder what the people watching this will think."

"...!"

The easy look on Monokuma's face went stiff.

"...You do realize that what you just said is a violation of the school regulations..."

"I do. But if you kill me here for it, you'll be in just as much trouble, won't you? If you want to watch your entire plan shatter into pieces, go ahead."

Kirigiri's expression was perfectly calm. Monokuma's grew even harder — and then, just as quickly, it smoothed out again. He smiled, slow and meaningful.

"...Upupupu. Well, it's the climax anyway... I was planning to reveal it soon enough... so I suppose I can let it slide this once. Anyway. What you're saying is you want me to reopen the Class Trial?"

"That's right. If you want to drive us to despair fair and square, you'll accept my proposal..."

"Upupupu... 'Fair and square,' huh..."

Kirigiri looked at the muttering bear and made her declaration.

"..."

"...Well? A development worthy of the climax, don't you think?"

Monokuma heard her out — and then threw his head back and laughed, addressing everyone in the room.

"I like it...! I like it a lot...! It really is a development worthy of the climax...! All right. Let's have ourselves a final match!"

He swept his gaze slowly across every face, smiling as he went on.

"But... a final confrontation deserves final stakes. You won't just be identifying the culprit. You'll be solving every last mystery hidden in this academy...! I'm giving you this much, so you can give me that much in return, right?"

His eyes landed on me, then on Kirigiri, and he added one more thing.

"Of course, Kei, Naegi, Kirigiri, and Fujisaki won't be allowed to help the others, per the school regulations...!"

"...Hmph. I don't need their help. I can find everything on my own."

"Love that energy...! Anyway. If you can determine the identity of the corpse, identify the one who killed it... and unravel every mystery in this academy, I'll acknowledge your victory! However..."

Monokuma's face twisted into something wicked, and he made his proclamation to the room.

"If you fail..."

"We know. We'll all be executed."

"Upupupu... You catch on quick, don't you...? All right then. I'll unlock every part of the academy... so give it your best shot...!"

And with that, Monokuma vanished.

"Kirigiri, what was that just now? 'The people watching this'?"

"I-if we fail, everyone gets executed... I didn't come this far just to die here...!"

"Hey! You sea-urchin-headed moron! We're already in this — so we beat the mastermind, that's what!"

"That's right, everyone. This is our final confrontation with the mastermind. We are going to win — and we are all going to walk out of here together...!"

Naegi's voice rang out, bright and fierce, and the others finally understood. They could end this wretched killing game with their own hands. Hope began to catch in their eyes.

"...There are rooms that have never been opened. We'll focus our search there. Kei, Naegi, Kirigiri, Fujisaki — stay here, or look into the true nature of the murder. The rest of you can follow me or not. I don't care."

"Byakuya-niiiii!!! Let me come with youuuu!!"

"G-guys...! I'll be back...!"

"You bastard...! Just leave it to your big bro...! I'll drag the truth of this academy into the light if it kills me...!"

"Naegi, I'll definitely uncover the truth, so once we leave this place together..."

"Sure. Anytime."

"W-wait...? I... I haven't even finished..."

"What can I say. I'm psychic too."

At last. This moment had come.

Looking back, it had been a long and tumultuous stretch of days. There had been more sorrow than joy, more cause for despair than for hope. We had lived under the constant shadow of murder and weathered crisis after crisis. And yet we had made it here — every last one of us, without a single person left behind.

Now the final battle was upon us. It was time for the sixteen of us to show Enoshima — and everyone in the world — the bonds we had forged inside this despairing killing game. The will that had never broken. The hope we had refused to surrender.

"All right. Let's get moving too."

With those words, we stepped onto the stage of the final battle that would decide everything.