Hope and Flux sat in their room all that night after conversing with the spirit of Sakura. She said one thing before going into Hope.
"The sixteenth students at Hope's Peak, one called the Ultimate Despair. That is...Mukuro Ikusaba." Sakura's voice echoed in their heads.
"The Ultimate Despair…" Flux said. "Mukuro Ikusaba."
"The question is… why has Mukuro been hiding all this time?" Hope asked.
"I don't know. But I have heard of her. She's the Ultimate Soldier. She's fought in countless battles, all without ever taking a single injury." Flux said. "She fought alongside the mercenary group Fenrir before going to school here. Its possible with her training, she could be watching us and we wouldn't know it. Plus someone has to be operating Monokuma."
"Operating…" Hope said. "So he's not really a real bear, hes a machine."
"You really haven't noticed? He's obviously a mass produced machine used for conversing and combat from afar." Flux said.
"We have to try and reveal his secret, but how? Unless another murder happens, we cant really say for sure." Hope said.
"Well, we could try and take Monokuma apart. See what makes it tick." Flux said.
"But if we try to attack him, we'll get killed. You saw what happened to Junko." Hope said.
"Its a risk we must take." Flux said.
They entered the gym and saw the bear slumped over on the floor.
"All right, buddy bear. We got some questions for you!" Hope shouted.
It just stayed silent as Flux walked up and poked him as he fell over. "Relax Hope. Its inactive. Looks like whoever's controlling him isn't around."
Hope then saw the box where the first key was. "Theres the key box! This is a chance of a life time."
Hope ran at it with Flux realizing. "Wait, it could be boobytrapped!" Flux said.
Hope stopped, but too little too late as Monokuma reactivated as looked at Hope. "Say, you weren't thinking of stealing back confiscated goods, were ya?" he asked.
"We should be asking you the questions. I'm tired of being kept in the dark, is Mukuro, the sixteens ultimate you captured controlling you as a machine or not?" Hope asked.
"So, you know about the sixteenth student huh? Sorry, but that's impossible." Monokuma said as a screen blared on as it showed a body under a tarp where it appeared smoked and was completely unrecognizable. "After all, she bit the dust after the other students found up on the fifth floor."
"Oh boy." Flux said.
"But you two, you crossed a line by taking items that were confiscated. I'm gonna have ta-" Monokuma said before it was smashed with a bare hand. They both looked to see a tall man with long hair, red eyes, and a serious expression. He looked at Hope before he walked past him, smashing the box open and taking the key.
"This key. Was this the reason you tried to steal?" he asked.
"It's not just a key. Its a key to something that could recreate this whole universe. That Key of Unity is the first." Flux said. "Each key is defined by its strength."
"I see. So, this is dear to you isn't it?" he asked before pocketing it. "I will give it back...one day." he said walking off before Hope spoke up.
"Just who do you think you are?" Hope shouted.
"Izuru Kamukura, the Ultimate Hope." he said.
Hope nodded. "I guess I'm not the only one who resisted despair."
"Indeed. I only joined...to figure out which side I belong. Once this game is over, I will have my answer." Izuru said walking off.
"That guy…" Hope said. "Theres something about him i like."
"Really? Cause I couldn't read him at all. I'm usually good at reading people." Flux said.
"Yeah. I like him. And I hope I can see him after this." Hope said.
"We should go. Now that there's a dead body...there's bound to be an investigation." Flux said. "But I can't shake the feeling that...something is gonna happen in this next trial."
Class Trial in session
"So, what happened this time? Our mystery student got murdered?" Hope asked.
"Yeah. We found the body in the botanical garden on the fifth floor." Rainbow said. "We're thinking...its Kirigiri."
"Kyoko? But why?" Hope asked.
'She was the only one not around when we found the body." Sunset said. "So this makes her a suspect."
"What do you think about this, Kyoko? Youre usually the one on top of these things." Hope said.
"Yeah. Not to mention we confiscated your key." Byakuya said.
"Exactly. I had no way of entering my room." Kyoko said.
Makoto was the first to realize something. "Wait, guys. I have to something to say. Don't you think this case is a bit...off?"
"How so?" Sunset asked.
"Well, who was the victim?" Makoto asked.
"That Mukuro chick of course." Yasuhiro said.
"But we don't know that for sure. They were wearing a mask and the body was blown and burned beyond recognition. How could we possibly decide on a snap decision if we don't know who that really was?" Makoto asked. "Monokuma, you're trying to pull one over on us!"
"What? Moi?" Monokuma asked.
"He makes a point. There's something rotten in court." Flux said.
"You know what? Times up! Cast your votes!" Monokuma said.
The students were uneasy about things as they just pushed random buttons on their panels. Hope and Flux didn't vote so they could see what would happen.
"Now then. Our murderer this time is unanimous. It was….Makoto Naegi! Well done!" Monokuma said.
"Hey! No fair!" Hope said. But too late as his punishment commenced. But before that, Hope and Flux were suddenly grabbed and put on the stand by Makoto.
"Since you two attacked me in the gym...you get to join the execution!" Monokuma laughed. "Now, die!"
After School Lesson
The three sat in desks as it was slowly inching to a pile driver with a monokuma teacher before them.
"Hope, no!" Usagi said.
"Boss!" Ian said.
"Oh, i cant watch!" Fluttershy said.
"Well, I didn't think this is how we'd go out. Hope, before we die, I always kinda liked you." Flux said.
"And One of these days, I'd wish we'd fight for real. It was nice hating you." Hope said.
"Same here, Hopeless." Flux said as they shook hands. But before they could be flattened, the screen on the piledriver changed to Alter Ego as the driver stopped as a hatch opened below it as they fell in, surprising Monokuma.
"What the? Ex-excuse me? What was that?" Monokuma said. "What in the hell was that?"
"Did you guys just see that?" Ian said.
"Yeah. I did." Titanica said.
"Dammit all. I knew Naegi wasn't guilty." Byakuya said.
The three continued to fall until falling somewhere.
"Now where are we? And why does it smell so bad?" Hope asked.
"My guess is...trash dump underneath the school. The same place all our trash goes." Flux said before seeing his hands were both free. "Hope! The impact must have broken out cuffs!"
"Aw yes!" Hope said. "But...now we're stuck down here."
"Yeah. It looks like it." Naegi said.
"Well, nothing to do but to relax until someone rescue's us." Flux said sitting on a broken couch.
"Flux, there is something I've been meaning to ask you." Hope said.
"Fire away. We got time." Flux said.
"Of all the paths youd choose…. Why be a villain? I know theres gotta be one in every hero's life. You didnt have to follow what your father did, and you scared Damien and Annete because of it. So why did you follow your dad?" Hope asked.
"Followed his path? Please. I picked this path on my own. Look, I love doing as I please. Villians get to do as they please, while also messing with those who try to stop them. The thrill, the pleasure, its all so amazing. To take worlds while also having someone to go against, that's the whole reason I wanted to be a villain!" Flux said. "You got the entire world in your hands. Ahahaha!"
"But how do you know so much about the worlds outside your own?" Hope asked.
Flux then looked serious. "Tell me, Hope. How much do you know about the Flux Family?"
"A bit. I know you, Damien and Annette. And damien just told me about your dad. His name is Cretacious Flux." Hope said.
"That's not what I mean. See, the Flux Family, we don't have an original world. The first Flux was born on a ship, one said to travel across the worlds casting a shadow. The tree grew larger and larger. Leading to the current generation. While we have one father, he's been with different mothers across the worlds. Counting my family, there are at least 25 Flux Families across different worlds." Flux said.
"So your family has been spread out over dozens of worlds." Hope said.
"That is true. Though I've never actually met any of them, I have heard of them. Father told me that fact before the time...we stopped talking." Flux said.
"You've never talked to your dad at all?" Hope asked.
"We haven't spoken or seen each other in 11 years." Flux said. "Not since that...incident."
"Incident?" Hope said.
"It's hard to talk about. Lets just say, this isn't the first time that core came into our lives." Flux said.
"I'll leave it at that, then. Lets just hope the others can figure out whos behind all this and save us." Hope said before a trash bag fell from above.
'Looks like they're trash dumping again." Naegi said.
The bag then began to move. It soon opened up to show Kyoko was inside. "Well, that was unpleasant." she said.
"Didnt expect you to drop. Whats the occasion?" Flux asked.
"To get you out of here." Kyoko said pointing to a tall step ladder leading to a door.
"Why couldnt we have noticed that before?" Flux asked.
"Only she could, because she's so analytical." Hope said. "I've finally found her Ultimate trait. She's been able to crack these trials so easily and be good around crime scenes because she's done it before."
"We don't need an explanation. I already regained my memories of my talent. I am Kyoko Kirigiri, the Ultimate Detective." Kyoko said.
"Kyoko, i never got to thank you for helping us. Youre a true friend, even if one of us never admitted it." Hope said.
"Thank you. It means a lot that you would feel that way. After we get out of here, we need to have a chat with Monokuma." Kirigiri said.
"Yeah. That bear is a jerk." Flux said.
Back up on top and in the gym, Monokuma was fuming.
"Do you have worms for brains? Why the hell are you three till alive? Execution is Execution!" Monokuma said.
"Its thanks to friends. So, you think you can give up on making me feel despair?" Hope asked.
"Not on your life. Back to the death chamber with the three of you!" Monokuma said.
"Hold it. If you do that, wouldn't you be cheating the viewers?" Kyoko asked.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Monokuma asked.
"If you keep pulling a bait and switch every time things look rough, it wouldnt look good for you or your followers." Kyoko said.
Monokuma growled.
"Dirty tricks will never persuade anyone that hope is dead. I should know. " Flux said. "So here's a new deal. Reopen Mukuro's case and let us do it with no interruption. Consider it the final battle."
"Hehehe. All right. But, finding Mukuro's killer isn't enough. If you wanna win and get outta here, you gotta solve every last mystery inside of this school. But fail to solve them all…" Monokuma said.
"And everyone of us gets executed right ?" Flux asked.
"Yep. SO what do ya say? We gotta deal?" Monokuma asked.
"Youre on!" the heroes said.
"Hehehe! This is great. Hope's got no chance against despair with you guys behind it!" Monokuma said.
"We'll see about that. Everyone, lets see if we can finally outsmart this little bastard!" Hope said.