Mukuro Ikusaba looked on coldly as the prisoner was hauled into the bay. But her feelings softened against her will when she saw who he really was.
Makoto Naegi. The prodigal Jedi who'd become a beacon for the Rebellion to rally behind. Indeed, it could be said that he was their ultimate hope, the one they always looked up to when faced with the crushing despair of battling the Empire. And despite being such a beacon of hope, he'd simply surrendered. He'd done so...for her.
Just as her sister had foreseen.
Mukuro immediately purged those thoughts from her mind. It did not matter what his motives were, or what Junko had said to her. Her only duty was to serve the Empire and turn him to the dark side. After that, they would serve Empress Enoshima's reign of despair, and maybe...just maybe...she could be more than just a supervisor to him...
"Lady Ikusaba." the officer spoke up. "We've interrogated the prisoner regarding the presence of any rebel allies in the vicinity, but he has persistently denied the presence of any, despite our more...enhanced methods."
Mukuro finched at the mention of "enhanced methods". Which was ironic, considering how she'd employed such methods more often than anyone in the room.
"Nonetheless." another officer spoke. "We are continuing our search and will report back to you should anything turn up."
"Good." Mukuro said. "Find any and all rebels that may have accompanied Makoto, and bring them to me, dead or alive." Mukuro said. The Imperial officers bowed their heads and left.
"So, Makoto Naegi." Mukuro said. "It seems you have finally understood that there is no escape from the destiny the Empress has foreseen for you. To be honest, I am relieved." she allowed herself to smile. "It won't be long before your training is completed, and you can serve the almighty Empire."
"I did not come here to be turned." Makoto said, a firm resolve in his eyes.
Of course, it wasn't going to be so simple. Despite his apparent meekness, Makoto was one of the strongest and most resilient people Mukuro had ever known. And Junko knew as well. She knew that he would come here to try and destroy the Empire from within. Junko was well aware that Makoto would never turn to the dark side of his own will until he was broken the hard way. Just like the 501st Legion and the 77th class of Hope's Peak Academy before them, Makoto would end up broken and soulless by the time Junko was done with him, so why was he still resisting?
"You have robbed yourself of any choice in the matter." Mukuro said to him. "You willingly forfeit your weapons and your chance for escaping, and so you will serve the Empire just like everyone else here does."
"You of all people should know why I came." Makoto said as Mukuro examined his confiscated weapon. A lightsaber that he'd built himself, according to the intelligence reports she'd received.
"I came for you." Makoto continued. "I know that you're Empress Junko's sister, and all this time you've functioned as a mere extension of her will. But you couldn't stick to that role when you faced me, could you? You had no reason to try and turn me when we fought in Cloud City, and yet you did. It's because you don't want me to die, right?"
"Yes, I did not want you to die because you'd be far more valuable as a servant of the Empire." Mukuro said.
"I can sense the falsehood within you, Mukuro." Makoto said. "You've been wanting to spare me this entire time because I'm the only person you've cared about other than your sister. I'm living proof of the fact that you're more than just a tool for the Empire, no matter how much you deny it."
This again?! Her sister had said the same thing to her, almost word for word. But while Makoto was speaking to her with care and concern, Junko spoke to her with smugness and contempt. Either way, Mukuro did not wish to accept it. All her life she'd just existed to carry out her sister's will, no matter what. She'd come too far to let that change, even if it was a part of Junko's design. She could not abandon her sister. Not ever.
"Did you make this yourself?" Mukuro said, trying to retake control of the conversation by activating the lightsaber. It's green hues enveloped the dimly lit room. "You must have, while you were an apprentice. These talents will serve you well once we begin eradicating the remnants of the Rebellion."
"It's not too late, Mukuro." Makoto said. "You can come away with me. You can leave the shadow of your sister. What do you have to gain by staying? She's nothing more than a monster who's obsessed with despair. Have you any idea what she'll do to you if you keep submitting?!"
"You don't get it, do you?" Mukuro said, her patience wearing thin. "I do not wish to leave. I chose to be the Empress's double, and her protector out of my own free will. Serving her cause is the only purpose I've ever had and I ever will have. And soon, you will be the same as me."
The elevator opened. No one came out, but the message was clear as it could be. Makoto would enter, and be transported to the Death Star. There, he would meet with Junko Enoshima, and there would be no escape from succumbing to her despair.
"If you truly have no wish to seek a new life outside of the Empire..." Makoto said. "Then you're lost to me, Mukuro."
She wished those words hadn't hurt her the way they did. She could not keep a straight face as she watched Makoto enter the elevator to face his destiny, and so she looked away. After all, she'd only ever shed her tears when no one could see her.
The Rebel fleet approached the new Death Star, their comms actively searching for signs of resistance. Aboard the Millenium Falcon, Toko Fukawa continued to tinker with Alter Ego, puzzled as to why it was being so strangely unresponsive.
"How long are you going to play around with that?" The ship's pilot, Yasuhiro Hagakure said.
"W-well, I'm going to play around with it until it actually starts responding!" Toko replied, angrily. "It's been a-acting off ever since the Death Star became visible! Of course, an idiot like you wouldn't notice!"
Hagakure simply chuckled and tried to patch in the other ships.
"Asahina here." He heard back.
"Hey, Aoi, how are things on your end?" Hagakure said.
"Well, most systems are online and ready, but the OS and comms seem...be...malfunctioning..." he heard back.
"Yeah, it's kinda like we're running into some interference here. Weird huh?" Hagakure said.
"Yash...ro." he could still make out what Asahina was saying, despite the static. "May...e...we...being...ja...med?"
"Huh? Jammed? But how could they be jamming us unless..." a terrifying realization occurred to him. "No. They knew we were coming?!"
"W-what?!" Toko's yell made him jump in shock. "We-we were trapped?!"
"Begin evasive maneuvers!" Yasuhiro yelled in his comm, not sure if it would even get through the jamming. Regardless, the number one priority now was survival.
"It's a trap!" Asahina yelled to her own crew, realizing the terrifying pickle they were in. "Evade and destroy! The Imperial fleets are going to be all over us!"
The two stood side by side as the door to the Empress's throne room opened. Mukuro was feeling increasingly conflicted about seeing her sister again, especially now that they were so close to eliminating all opposition. Soon, the entire world would be powerless to fight against Junko Enoshima's power, and her despair would infect every corner of the galaxy. But that would require sacrificing the very man next to him.
Why did he continue to resist? Surely, he must have realized by now how pointless his hope was? Why would he continue to stand by it if it would only cause him suffering?
Whatever the case, however, it could not be helped. Mukuro knew how this day would end. And like everything else her sister had asked of her, she would obey and carry out her orders the best she could.
The chair the Empress sat in rotated as they drew near, revealing the face of the Empress of despair to them both.
Junko Enoshima seemed quite at ease, dressed up in a black minidress with red patterns that made her look like some sort of dark fantasy sorceress. All things considered, it was, in fact, a very fitting look for her, considering her talent as a fashionista and beauty queen.
"Welcome, Makoto Naegi!" she said with a smile. "I mean, I sort of knew that you'd just walk into my abode completely defenseless, but it's truly remarkable how on point my deductions are." she continued, adopting a serious professor-like voice while putting on a pair of glasses.
Yes, this is what she always did. Change her mannerisms on a whim because her surroundings bored her so easily. Mukuro was long used to this, but she couldn't help but wonder how Makoto would deal with this.
"In any case, how about we just give you a little more space? Walking around with those handcuffs must have been such a pain." she continued, adopting an apathetic tone and casually waving her fingers, causing Makoto's handcuffs to fall off. "Get out of here, guards. Not that you were of any use, to begin with." she finished, and the guards left.
"So you're the Empress, and the Ultimate Despair." Makoto said.
"Well, indeed we are!" Junko replied, adopting a queenly voice. "You should be grateful that we've allowed you an audience with us, rather than blasting you into smithereens like we will to 99% of the galaxy!"
"Whatever you plan on doing to me, know that I won't lose to you!" Makoto yelled. Even considering the position he was in, he remained defiant. Mukuro was starting to tremble. With the way things were going, she'd have no choice.
No choice but to kill him.
"Blanket statements like those carry little weight if they are not backed up by any evidence. Allow me to present my counterargument." Junko said, putting her glasses back on. "You are completely trapped and defenseless in my territory. You do not even possess a weapon of your own. You would not be able to win against me even if you tried."
She approached them, and took the lightsaber from Mukuro.
"This weapon was confiscated from you, and you cannot wield it again unless I allow you to. On the other hand, I can say the word and you will be sliced into pieces. Therefore, objectively speaking, you do have an extremely high likelihood of losing to me."
"That's where you're wrong, Junko. I'm not alone in this fight. There are plenty of people out there standing up to your tyranny. None of us are going to give in to your despair!" Makoto said.
"Oh, you mean the rebels our army's currently cleaning up?" Junko said. "You should know by now that there's no possible way you could keep resisting us!"
"You're overconfident. Your hubris will be the end of you." Makoto said.
"Are you're a fucking wimp! Thinking your friends are just gonna fucking rescue you from everything's gonna be your end, you pussy!" Junko yelled. "Just look out the fucking window! You see what's happening there?!"
The window? Yes, they could see something going on there! Makoto rushed to it, and saw the ships his friends were piloting! They were...getting hopelessly overrun.
"Surprise, sweet-cheeks! Thought the Death Star's shields would've been disabled right now, huh?"
"Well, in that case, allow me to educate you. I was the one who leaked the location of the shield generator. Your friends will likely perish under the overwhelming defenses that have been prepared for their arrival, and the rebellion will not be able to even scratch my superweapon."
"I'm afraid the shield generator's going to remain quite operational. Puhuhuhuhu!"
Makoto looked back at Junko, who'd settled back on her throne, her legs crossed and her posture relaxed.
"Ah, you want your weapon back, do you?" she said. "Think it's time to give the Ultimate Despair her due punishment? Well, it won't bring your friends back, but hey, at least you got rid of the bad guy, right?"
Makoto clenched his fists. It was blatantly obvious to him that this was a trap. If he gave into his anger and killed Junko right here, all that would be left for him would be the despair of knowing he hadn't done enough. His friends were being overrun, they were about to die, and there was-
"Nothing you can do about it!" her voice rang out. "Because you're all mine now, Makoto! When you lose everyone from your old life, you'll just start a new life with me!"
"I mean, I think it's an amazing deal. You're spending the rest of your life servicing the cutest girl in the galaxy! Don't tell me that it doesn't entice you just a little bit!"
"You should know I'm a generous girl. Your efforts will be well rewarded."
Goddamit, why was he so powerless? Why did he make such a grave mistake?! All he was doing was standing here while he lost his friends, the rebellion, everything!
"I think now would be a good time to demonstrate the functionality of the Death Star. Initiate firing sequence." Junko said. Seconds later, Makoto saw a giant beam shoot out and scatter the entire rebel fleet.
"No. No, this can't..."
"This can't be happening! How could this be! I won't ever forgive you! Well, I don't recall ever asking you to, Makoto. Your weapon's right there, ripe for using, so how about you just be honest with yourself and strike me down with-"
He didn't need to hear any more. Makoto promptly pulled the lightsaber and unsheathed it. Just as he struck, however, his blade was intercepted by none other than Mukuro.
"Puhuhuhu!" rang out the voice of Monokuma, as the battle began.
Mukuro wasted no time in going on the offensive, as Makoto staggered back to get his bearings. It didn't take long for him to turn the tables, however.
If she was going to go this far to protect her sister, then she could die as well!
He screamed as he kicked Mukuro away, and she fell down the stairs to the lower floor.
"Oh, just look at the two star-crossed lovers fighting to the death! All this time Mukuro loved you so much, and you loved her back! But alas, she loved me more! And so, one of you will have to kill your beloved with your own two hands! Such despair!" Junko grandly proclaimed.
"No." Makoto said, sheathing his lightsaber. "I'm not going to kill you, Mukuro."
"Is that so?" she replied, getting up. "Are you going to tell me once again that it's not too late?"
"Yes. Because it's never too late. I believe in you, Mukuro!" Makoto said, emphatically.
"Well, you would be correct to do so...provided you believed in my ability to kill you!" she yelled and attacked him.
He blocked. And he parried. And he retreated, doing everything he could to not strike back at her. Soon, he found the high ground and was able to breathe for a bit.
"Your thoughts betray you, Mukuro." he said. "I sense the good in you, the conflict. If you truly love me, then you must also wonder what it would be like to live a life of hope!"
"You underestimate my devotion," Mukuro replied, doing her best to quell the hesitation brewing inside of her. "I will, now and forever, be a servant to my sister Junko, and to the dark side."
"Well, you've never been able to kill me before, and I don't think you'll be able to do so now. Face it, Mukuro, this path simply doesn't suit you."
"I have to thank you, Makoto." Mukuro said, loosening her grip on the lightsaber. "You're absolutely correct in pointing out my hypocrisy!"
Makoto quickly ducked as the lightsaber flew towards him. Soon afterward, the platform he was standing on collapsed, and he hid in the darkness before Mukuro could find him.
"How ironic," Mukuro said, as she recovered her lightsaber and searched for her enemy. "You condemn the dark side, and yet you seek refuge in the darkness to save yourself. Has your belief in me been shaken yet? Do you still believe I would not kill you?"
Makoto wanted to deny her. He wanted to say that he still had faith in her. But he could feel the fear. Fear for his own life. Fear for the life of his friends. And anger. Anger at the ones who'd done all this to him. Anger at people like...
"You will die here. There is no question about it. However, I hope you die with honor, with your eyes wide open, rather than as a fool whose mind has been clouded with delusion. Acknowledge the truth of your situation, and accept your fate!"
"No!" Makoto yelled in response. "I will not fight you!"
"Very well, that will just make my job easier. I wish I could've turned you, I really do, but if you cannot accept despair like I have, then it cannot be helped. Perhaps one of your friends would be more amenable to Junko's cause once they learn of your demise. Like Kyoko Kirigiri. Yes, once you have been slain, she would make a fine addition to-"
"SHUT UP!" Makoto yelled and rushed at Mukuro. She was prepared, but his strength was overwhelming.
She retreated further and further, completely at a loss as to how she could counter him. There was something different about him now. Something else was powering him.
She could not believe it. Could be, that after all this time, he'd finally-
"KYAAAA!" her thoughts were cut off as a searing pain shot through her arm. She could not hold her lightsaber any longer. As she dropped it, she noticed the red staining her sleeve. Makoto had injured her, gravely. One more strike was all he needed to finish her off.
"WOHOOO! Such a rad climax! You sure know how to put on a show!" she heard her sister say, and Makoto turned to face her.
"How'd you like it, Makoto! A taste of the sweet dark side goodness! You were such a badass out there!" she continued.
Yes. Yes, Makoto had fought admirably, and now she could die in peace, knowing her purpose had been served.
"By contrast, my sister was the disappointment, just as I expected her to be. She was never anything more than a bit player, an extra unworthy of lines."
"I always knew I'd have to get rid of her someday, and I suppose now's as good a time as any."
"Chop-chop, Makoto! Worthy servants don't leave their job half-finished! How about you just end that skank and we can discuss the terms regarding your...service."
He froze. So this is what she'd wanted all along. Why she'd accepted his surrender.
She never intended to kill him. She only wanted to kill her sister, and to let her know how little she mattered before she died.
Even now, he could see it. The look of betrayal and anguish on Mukuro's face as Junko's words sank into her. She was about to die in peace, thinking her purpose had been served. But now she knew. She knew her sister had never valued her to begin with.
Such would be the undignified demise of Mukuro Ikusaba, and it was Makoto himself who'd brought her to the brink of it. Through his own anger, his own vindictiveness. Through the power of the dark side that he'd impulsively embraced.
And there was only one way to fix this.
"Never." he said, turning to Junko. He then deactivated his lightsaber and threw it away. "I'll never turn to the dark side. You've lost, Junko Enoshima. I'm not going to hurt Mukuro anymore. I'm going to save her, as is my duty as a Jedi!"
"No!" Mukuro feebly whispered. If he stopped now, Makoto would be destroyed. Junko would end him in the most horrific way imaginable. And Mukuro couldn't...
She couldn't...what?
"Well, that was anticlimactic," Junko said, with a bored shrug, as if this didn't surprise her in the least. "Noble hero throws his blade at the last second to save the woman he loves. It's so cliche, you know. So fucking lame. I honestly can't fucking stand it!"
The next second, Makoto found himself crippled and in agony. Junko was attacking him. She was using her own powers to attack him.
"You cliched, naive fuckface!" Junko bellowed as she continued to electrocute him with her Force Lightning, "What do you think is gonna happen, huh? A miracle?! A fucking deus ex machina that'll transport you straight into a happy ending?! Fuck that, we're on MY spaceship!"
"AAAARGH!" Makoto yelled. He was in pain, so much pain. It hurt, it hurt, it hurt!
"You know, I was bored of your bland, cliched heroics before, but now I'm just disappointed!" she said, shocking him again as he writhed helplessly.
Mukuro staggered to her sister's side as the slow execution of Makoto Naegi proceeded.
"People like you think you're so smart, trying to lift everyone up with your stupid hope! Well, what good's that hope doing you now?! Lying down there, defenseless as I electrocute you to death, that was some fucking master-plan wasn't it?!"
"Mu...ku...ro..." Makoto gasped as the next attack ravaged him. He wasn't going to last much longer.
And was she okay with that? Okay with watching Makoto Naegi die such a horrible death, as long as it pleased her sister?
Mukuro took a good, long look at Junko, as she methodically drained the life out of the man lying before them. She looked angry and hurt.
Why was that? Was it because Makoto had failed to meet her expectations? Or was it because he'd bored her, by acting the exact way she'd feared he would?
The man, dying a slow painful death, chose to be a simple-minded hero until the very end. He forfeit his chance to kill Mukuro and insisted on protecting her. And Junko hated that, didn't she? She hated the fact that her attempts at turning him had failed on such a predictable level. It was, truly, quite a cliche for him to have stopped his descent to darkness to save the woman he loved.
To save Mukuro Ikusaba.
Mukuro wondered how her sister would feel if her near-certain victory was thwarted right this moment. If Mukuro herself embraced the cliche and chose the righteous Makoto over her despairing sister. How would that make Junko feel?
She would despair. Of course she would despair. To have her best-laid plans fall apart thanks to a corny, romantic gesture? She would be absolutely crushed. It would be a defeat so maddening, so unbelievably cheesy, that she'd forever curse her very last moments as the tables turned against her.
And wasn't that sort of despair what Junko always lived for?
As she saw the choices before her, Mukuro knew what she had to do.
Junko's body shuddered as Mukuro thrust her knife into it. The next second, Mukuro pulled it out and lifted Junko up even as her Force Lightning was going haywire. She could hear her sister cackle as she threw her down the Death Star's reactor shaft. Junko kept cackling like a mad witch until her body disappeared in a puff of smoke. Such was her pathetic demise.
With this, Mukuro had truly fulfilled her purpose. She'd honored the hope of the man she loved and had given her sister a most pathetic and despair-filled end. She truly owed Makoto Naegi a debt of gratitude for the peace she felt.
"Mukuro!" Makoto said and rushed over to her. "Mukuro, we need to get out of here. I'll-"
The spaceship shook. And then it shook again. Unbelievable. Somehow the rebels had succeeded. They'd deactivated the shields, and were blowing the Death Star up.
"Unbelievable..." Makoto said. "Come on, Mukuro!"
He lifted her up and carried her to the shuttle bay. He thought he was going to save her, once and for all, but she knew better. She'd been hurt too deeply, and she knew she wouldn't last. And yet she let him take her because she wanted to spend her last moments in his arms.
They faced no resistance on their way. Everyone knew. Everyone knew that Junko's reign of despair was over, and now they were just trying to save their own skins. Oh, how she would despair upon seeing her legacy vanish so swiftly!
"Come on, we can take this one!" Makoto said, having reached one of the shuttles.
"Makoto..." Mukuro said, and in response, he set her down.
"What is it, Mukuro?" he asked her, concern the only expression on his face.
Mukuro slowly reached for her knife. Her own precious blade she'd mastered during her days as a mercenary of Fenrir. She drew it out and handed it to Makoto. Funny how she'd used it on her sister, but never on him.
"Take this with you. Always...keep it by your side." she said.
"No. No, I'm taking you, Mukuro! I'm going to save you!" he yelled.
"You already have." she said as she smiled and caressed his face. "Thank you for everything, Makoto..."
"No, don't say that! If we just get on that shuttle, then I could find a doctor and...!"
"It hurts." Mukuro replied. "It hurts so much. I...I just want to rest now. Please."
"Mukuro..." Makoto was in tears now.
"Hey, could you look at me?" Mukuro said. "I want to see you with my own eyes before I go. Just look at me, Makoto."
And he did. He looked at her with tears in his eyes. Still desperate. Still pleading.
Mukuro pulled herself closer to him until her arms were around him.
"You were right about me," she said. "I love you, Makoto. I always have, and I always will."
"I love you too," Makoto said, between his sobs. "I'll always remember...I'll always remember the good about you, Mukuro. I'll always carry your memory with me."
"I'm happy...you said that." she said. "To hear you say you love me...I'm so happy...Makoto..."
It was time for her to leave. The Force was calling to her. And so she let go, believing in Makoto Naegi to protect her in his memories.
"Mukuro..." Makoto said, as he felt her body go limp. "Mukuro...MUKURO!"
He was greeted as a hero. As the ruins of the Death Star floated in space, celebrations were beginning in earnest all across the galaxy. The Ultimate Despair had perished along with her flagship, and the Ultimate Hope who'd defeated her was coming home alive. That was all the galaxy needed to hear. They had no interest in his inner struggles, his inner pain. All they cared about was his role and his talent.
Makoto Naegi would have to deal with his demons on his own. Or such would've been the case if his friends hadn't survived. There was Yasuhiro Hagakure, and Toko Fukawa, and Aoi Asahina. And then there was Kyoko Kirigiri, and Byakuya Togami, both of whom had succeeded in their mission to destroy the shield generator, despite Junko's boasts.
These were only a fraction of the friends he'd had when his battle began, however. Several more had been lost to the Empire's machinations as they continued to fight for the freedoms that had been taken from them. Heroes like Kiyotaka Ishimaru, Sakura Ogami, Mondo Owada, and even Sayaka Maizono, the first girl to have given Makoto the strength to carry on. Today was not just a celebration of the future they'd one, but also a mourning of all the people they'd sacrificed in the past to get this far.
Makoto's reverie was broken as he sensed Kyoko's presence at the pyre he'd set up for Mukuro Ikusaba. Until now, he'd been alone, with nothing but a small bonfire and Mukuro's knife for company. He knew that Mukuro's memory was one he'd have to carry alone. To the rest of the galaxy, she was no different from her sister, serving as her double and executor while Junko kept watch from her throne.
"She was a good person when it mattered," Kyoko said as she approached him. "Even after everything she did, you were able to get through to her. That's something only you could've accomplished, Makoto."
"I wish I'd done more." Makoto replied. "I...I still want her here with me, Kirigiri. I miss her so much."
"I understand." she said, with a smile. "I can't even begin to imagine what you must have gone through. What she must have gone through. You always did see the best in people, and in the end that's what saved the galaxy. I'd like to think that the best way to honor Mukuro would be to remember that."
"I know." Makoto said. "It's just...I need more time for that, and yet people still want to celebrate with me, because I'm their hero, their Ultimate Hope..."
"And what of it? You've already created a space for yourself right here, haven't you? Whenever you think about Mukuro, whenever you want to see her again, you can always come back here, right?" Kyoko said.
"Yeah." Makoto replied, finally cracking a smile. "Yeah, this is the place where we I can always come to remember her. Where I can be with her again. Thank you, Kyoko."
"It's the least I can do. I wouldn't be much of an Ultimate Detective if I didn't understand how people felt now, would I?" she said.
"Yeah, you're right." Makoto said, as Kyoko approached him and put her head on his shoulder. And together, the watched the bright flames burn, as Mukuro's blade shone in their brightness.
There was a lot of joy to be seen as the survivors of the war reuinited. The Ewoks who had helped turn the tide were keeping everyone's spirits up with the music they were playing. It was in this atmosphere that Makoto Naegi finally returned to his friends, the survivors of the 78th Class of Hope's Peak Academy. These prodigies had more than lived up to their talents by standing up to Junko Enoshima's reign of despair, and because of them the galaxy was well on its way to witnessing a new future full of possibilities.
As he met up with them, Makoto turned back one more time to see the remnants of the class watching over them. Heroes who'd given their lives so that the ones who would be born into the future wouldn't have to. He could see them all, smiling down on him compelling him to bring his hope forth to the future, like he'd done for them.
Sayaka Maizono. Leon Kuwata. Chihiro Fujisaki. Mondo Owada. Kiyotaka Ishimaru. Hifumi Yamada. Celestia Ludenberg. Sakura Ogami. And, of course, Mukuro Ikusaba.
Many of these remnants had guided him, reminded him of all he'd done for them, and all he needed to do to make their sacrifices worthwhile. And they were all looking down at him with pride and joy, for he had fulfilled their wishes.
Knowing that he had done right by them, Makoto headed for the celebrations, confident that he would be able to continue protecting the galaxy he loved.