A/N: Hello everyone and welcome to Act 10 of Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Sisters.
In the last chapter, you all got to see a bit more of Hoshiko and her reasoning behind everything. I tried to make her behave a bit like Kotoko, since they are cousins and she's basically taking Kotoko's place in this story. You'll find that they share a similar tragic story, and while Kotoko was able to over come her despair, Hoshiko still has trouble with hers, though she is on the side of good now. Will we see her in the future? Of course, but as of right now, she's somewhere else.
We will also see a bit more regarding the Remnants of Despair and the over plot to take them to Jabberwock Island. This story is rapidly coming to a close, and we're literally at the climax of the story...in the next...two chapters I wanna say, maybe three, the story of Another Episode will come to a close. There will be an epilogue of course, explaining everything that happens afterward, including the prelude for the School Trip of Mutual Killing.
I once again cannot believe we are this close to this story, and frankly I am quite excited to start it. It is going to be so much different than the original Super Danganronpa 2. It's gonna be a lot of fun, because even the Class 77B is the main focus, they aren't going to be acting the same as in Zetsubou-Hen, they'll be acting much differently, which will lead to different scenarios, different murders, more information behind each character, new attitudes, new relationships...It is all very exciting to even think about. Being an author is honestly a rather fun experience, especially when you have stories like this to work with.
So, for now, I shall leave you with Act 10 of Another Episode. Read, review, comment a bunch of other shit go ahead and do you...
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls inspired the ending part of Yukki and Kotoko's discovery later on in this chapter...I'm sure you'll understand when you get to that part.
Danganronpa Another Episode
Ultra Despair Sisters
Act 10
Fleeting Hope
Yukki was still a bit wary about Nagisa's actions. The boy had told her and Kotoko that he would lead them out of the city. He had promised them clemency while they made the long trek toward the Towa Shrine. It had been a long grueling walk especially with all of the destroyed buildings in the way. The building the monorail had crashed into had been completely destroyed. They had wondered through it for awhile before finally reaching the street, where it was surprisingly clear.
Kotoko was still looking around the area. They were currently in the business district so all of the buildings were small and a bit bland compared to the other areas of Towa City. Most of the buildings only spanned a few stories.
"This way, keep up." Nagisa called out, causing the brunette to quicken her step. Whenever she wondered off the main street or saw something that caught her eye, he would scold her.
Being scolded by a kid honestly reminded her of the times her sister would scold her. Whenever she had done something bad, or refused to do her homework, Sayaka would bring the hammer down. Her father was always busy at work, so she was the one who had to take care of things at home. She had been grounded many times by her sister, and it usually made for embarrassing situations. But after a day or so, Sayaka would cave and unground her. Thinking of those times made Yukki smile a bit.
"What's got you so happy? Are you excited to finally leave this hellhole?" Kotoko asked curiously, holding her rifle tightly. Ever since Yukki had taken it from Oliver, the younger girl had been using it. It made the brunette idol frown a lot, especially because kids shouldn't have to use weaponry like that.
"No, I'm just...thinking about the old days. I was remembering the times my sister use to ground me. My father was always at work, and since my mother passed away, Sayaka was the one who practically raised me. Whenever I refused to do homework, she would ground me for a week, only to cave in after a day."
"That's just who Sayaka is. I remember the times she used to babysit me at home, whenever that woman would leave. She would help me with homework, make me dinner which tasted so much better than what mother ever would have made. She tucked me in at night and even read to me." Kotoko said.
"Sayaka loves kids, I guess she's just practicing for when she has her own someday."
"Actually, Sayaka already has a daughter." Kotoko said, causing the girl to stop.
"Whoa wait a minute, hold the fuck up. Don't tell me that the time you all spent locked up in Hope's Peak Academy, was long enough for my sister to have a kid?" Yukki said.
"Seriously, we have to keep moving...can't you save the chit chat for later?" Nagisa snapped, crossing his arms.
"Don't get your devil horns in a twist Nagisa, this will only take a few seconds. No, Sayaka doesn't have a biological daughter, but Junko Enoshima did. She and my brother apparently had a relationship, but she used Yasuke Matsuda's memory erasing technology to erase that part of his life. This allowed Junko to easily hide her pregnancy."
Yukki remained silent, not at all knowing how to process that information. She continued walking, causing Nagisa to sigh audibly. She tightened her hold on her hacking gun, just in case some Monokumas decided to attack. After a few seconds of silence, she decided to speak.
"She...lied to Hisashi about having a baby...she hid it from him?"
"Junko wanted to cause him a large amount of despair at a single time. I was able to watch the last class trial...where she revealed everything...he was destroyed, I could tell...but even then he continued pushing on. He decided to take his chances in the outside world, and voted against Junko...he and Sayaka both decided to raise the little girl, together."
"So...that makes me an Aunt...that's so awesome! I have a niece now, and I can't wait to meet her!"
"What's her name?" Nagisa suddenly asked, causing the two to stop.
"Huh?" Kotoko asked in surprise.
"Her name, what is it?"
"What's it matter to you?" she cried back. The boy sneered a bit, crossing his arms.
"It does, because that name is one that the entire world of despair worships. It's something that our Big Sis did on purpose, in case she died...we were all there when she finally gave birth to her daughter...we were invited personally."
"What do you mean by that? You mean Junko Enoshima was corrupting you from that far in the past?"
"I wouldn't say corrupt...she was just sharing her love with us...she had found all of us way before any of this and showed us what true love was. So I'll ask again Kotoko, what's the little girl's name?" he said. Kotoko sighed, clenching her jaw. She took a few seconds, before finally saying the name.
"Junko Francheska Kirigiri...that's the name she chose."
"She...named her daughter after herself?" Yukki asked, eyes widened with shock.
"This is Junko we're talking about...if she has the chance to spread despair, she will. Her daughter will forever have that name, and she will always be looked at as the spawn of the True Ultimate Despair. Let's just keep going." Kotoko said, gesturing to Nagisa to continue.
It was rather silent now. Yukki supposed Nagisa did this so the two of them would stop talking. It honestly disappointed her a bit, knowing this kid was now a despair loving freak like Junko...she wouldn't call him a freak. But he was causing a lot of despair...she just needed to get to the bottom of it.
She wanted to leave the town, she truly did. But she didn't want to leave the kids behind...Hoshiko had told them before they left that building, that Masaru and Jataro hadn't been killed. She had decided to go on a rescue mission to set them free. She knew full well that Monaca would be pissed, but apparently it was all for the sake of Paradise. It was an order from Nagisa as well, but it was mostly for her not to follow after them. Yukki wanted to help those kids, if there was one person that she could help, even one, then she would be happy.
She figured Kotoko wanted the same. She didn't want to leave her cousin behind, especially with Monaca still being in control of Towa City. Nagisa didn't want to admit it, but he held no power whatsoever, not when Monaca was still around. He was totally in the dark about what she was doing, so when Kotoko asked him upfront about it, he told them the only answer he knew. I don't know...It made for a very pressing situation.
"It's just a little more to the shrine. We're passing through the Pleasure District now." Nagisa mumbled, loud enough for only them to hear.
"Pleasure District?" Yukki asked curiously.
"He means the place adults come to have fun. Bars, Dance Clubs, all of that stupid shit." Kotoko replied.
"Oh...sorry, I was always told to stay away from those areas."
"Heh, you're a good girl at heart...bet you won't be when you drink for the first time." the pink haired girl said, a sneer on her face.
"Wha...I am not going to drink, ever...I find booze real nasty." she said, looking away with a huff.
"Yeah, my brother said the same thing...then he ended up getting drunk with all of his friends while Fuyuhiko ate out Peko. They thought I wasn't watching, but I was...I have eyes like a hawk." she said.
"Ew." Yukki and Nagisa said in unison.
The silence grew among them once more, and honestly Yukki was getting rather sick of it. There weren't any Monokuma Children anywhere, and the same could be said with the Monokumas. Screams and explosions still ran rampant on other parts of the city, and she swore Towa Tower was on fire at some point, but since they were on the east side of the city, she didn't exactly see it correctly. She heard Kotoko clear her throat, a grin on her face.
"Space logo in the rough, and polished to reveal...Deep Silver, heartbeat...then pause for too long. Techland's Jealous of their screen time." she sung, gesturing to Yukki so she could continue. She gave her a nod, closing her eyes.
"Darkness acoustic guitar. They're out so far away from home, but they got each other, a tiny guitar and a cameraman who's not afraid to take a risk to get the shot he wants."
"At least the ominous horizon's behind them. They must have turned around. They won't forget this moment, because they'll only be alive for a couple more. He offers up his tear absorbent thumb, can this moment last forever? No of course not!" Kotoko continued causing Yukki got giggle a bit, especially at the emotion she was putting behind the song. Nagisa seemed rather annoyed, and as he was about to say something, Yukki cut in with the next part.
"Girl I wanna ask you something, even with all these people watching...will you maybe hold my lighter?
Fuck You!
What? Oh you thought that..
Oh my god no sorry!
It's cool, I'll just blow you...
Um...
Up...
Oh you thought that...
Oh my God no sorry..."
"Pan up to an angry window shopping zombie.
He's at the front of the line, Store's open he let the breeze it, could you warm it up...
The undead get rather cold, why don't we show them our handheld heaters?
Cut to Black...Friday Shoppers are the worst!
When demand exceeds supply, so usually when there's a fire sale...
It's a Pun..
At least there was only one...
Look at the bright side...
AHH...
Dead Island Riptide..."
Both girls ended the song, holding the final note before breaking into laughter. They high fived each other, their mirth visible on their faces. Nagisa however shook his head, arms crossed in annoyance.
"Will you cease with this tomfoolery? Every moment we waste is a moment I could be using toward building paradise." the boy snapped.
"Oh relax, you just want us out of your hair so you can go make out with Hoshiko." Kotoko said giving him a wink. The boy blushed, looking away from her.
"I am not in love with that crazy scientist! Stop saying stuff like that!" he snapped.
"She never said anything about love...oh how precious, is this your first crush? Trust me, I was there once...it sucks so bad...but you should just tell her how you feel!" Yukki said, an encouraging tone in her voice.
"No! We mustn't feel love...love is what makes us behave like those demons...and I would rather die as a kid than turn into one." the boy snapped angrily, quickening his pace. The girls sighed, following after the young boy.
As soon as they turned the corner however, they ran right into an ambush. Monokumas and Monokuma Kids were all surrounding them. Or rather, the kids were standing on buses above the street, while the Monokumas surrounded them.
"What the fuck Nagisa?! You say they wouldn't attack us if we were with you!" Kotoko snapped, flicking the safety off her rifle.
"They shouldn't attack...but we are...just fight!" the boy said firmly, getting behind Yukki and Kotoko. The girls sighed.
"You take the left, I'll take the right..we'll tag team the stragglers." Kotoko said.
"Agreed." Yukki said, and with that they broke off.
Nagisa could only watch in amazement as the two girls took down Monokuma after Monokuma. The dull hum of Yukki's hacking gun mixed in with the rapid fire blasts from Kotoko's rifle. Shell casings seemed to dance around them, as they took out every single unit the kids threw at them. Everything seemed to turn into white noise for him, even with some of the new Units flew at them.
One of them was one called Chopperkuma...a large Monokuma unit with buff muscular arms. It was swinging a large wood chopping axe, aiming it at the two girls. They both dodged out of the way as the blade stabbed into the asphalt.
"What do you make of this?" Yukki cried out.
"Paralyze it, then I'll shoot it's back. It seems to be a weak point!" Kotoko said, replacing her spent magazine. Yukki nodded, pressing the yellow button on her hacking gun.
"Paralyze!" she cried, firing the yellow bullet at the monochrome bear. It started fizzling out of control, giving Kotoko enough time to fire at it. After a few seconds, it returned to normal, lifting its axe over head. Kotoko let out a cry as she dodged the attack.
"It's not working, try something else!" Kotoko said.
"I don't have anything else to try!" Yukki cried, firing some Break Bullets at it.
Nagisa sighed, shoving his hand in his pocket. She pulled out an orange Burn card, one that the Servant had handed him. He didn't know why he had, but he had told him it would become useful in the future...he guessed this was the time to use it. He grabbed Yukki's hand, shoving the card into it.
"It's a new bullet type, use it to defeat that Chopperkuma." he said simply. She looked at the card, shrugging her shoulders as she loaded it into the device, with all the other cards she had gotten so far. The new option became available and she pressed it.
"Kotoko, get it to face you...I'll take care of it's weak point."
"Um...alright...hey you fucker, over here!" the pinkette cried, slamming the butt of her rifle into its face.
"Dammit!" Monokuma cried, chasing after the girl. Yukki closed one of her eyes, taking aim at the large box the Monokuma had on its back.
"This is it, Burn!" she cried, holding down the trigger. She let out a yelp as a rapid fire volley of flaming balls flew out of the gun, slamming into the Monokuma.
The metal started to warp and bend from the heat, causing the Monokuma to slow down a bit. It started to turn around, but as it did, it's eye started blinking rapidly. Yukki grabbed Nagisa and pulled him back as the metal bear exploded, sending shrapnel in all directions. They all let out a sigh when all of the Monokuma Kids ran off.
"That was amazing...were you holding back? Because I don't recognize that bullet type." Kotoko said.
"Nagisa handed it to me...I didn't know it would prove effective against these new types of Monokuma." Yukki said, checking her gun over.
"I've had that in my pocket since the beginning of the game. Our Servant handed it to me...he said it would prove useful later on. I didn't believe him, but I guess now I do."
"Servant...you mean Nagito Komaeda right?" Kotoko asked curiously, earning a shrug from the boy.
"I don't know...he said he was but a humble Servant of Lady Junko...so we took him in as our servant. We didn't exactly ask for his name...follow me, and keep your eyes peeled." the boy said, once again taking the lead.
"Hey Kiki, I have a question...have you figured out how exactly that hacking gun works?" Kotoko asked, once Nagisa had gotten far enough.
"Well, not exactly. But I guess it makes use of electromagnetic waves and makes it possible to hack these machines. I feel however that it was made specifically to hack Monokumas. It doesn't seem to work on anything else." Yukki said.
"Hmm...that does make sense with what Musashi said...after all it was her Group that made this gun. It coincides with the tip they got a few weeks ago."
"Tip, what tip?" the brunette asked curiously. Kotoko looked at her, a firm look on her face.
"According to Remnant Intel, one of our foot soldiers received a tip that the captives for Junko's game were being kept here in Towa City. I didn't know any of this at this point, this is all stuff I learned when I was let go. I wasn't brought to Headquarters either...Lady Sonia just told me what I needed to do, and I agreed." Kotoko said.
"You agreed without much thought?"
"I had too...if my brother was fighting Despair all this time, I had to do the same. With my acting skills, I was able to rescue quite a lot of people, before Ricardo and Kanade invaded the town. Thankfully, we only have to deal with one of them."
"Those two are...Ultimate Despair right...what do you mean we only have to deal with one?" Yukki asked, causing Kotoko to sigh.
"I tried to get Ricardo to cooperate with us, and stop his attack on the city...but he didn't. So I had to put him down, as per orders."
"You killed him?" Yukki cried, earning a nod from the girl.
"He was a threat, at the time we only thought he was alone. We didn't know Kanade Izayoi was with him, helping the Warriors of Hope take over Towa City. Even now we still don't understand that...I guess they're minions to Nagito Komaeda...and he was leading them. The reports did say that whenever Nagito was in a new place, two others would be with him." Kotoko said.
"Would you mind stepping it up, I don't have time to waste!" Nagisa cried out, a couple of streets away. The two of them sighed, quickening their pace a bit.
"So about that hacking gun, how do the cards work?"
"Well, whenever I get new bullet cards, I just slip them into it...whatever amount of bullets I have will then be fired. Whenever I get a new bullet type, I just slip it in, and it automatically unlocks. So far, I got seven bullet types, Break, Knockback, Dance, Paralyze, Move, Burn and Detect. I used to have an infinite amount of bullets, but Nagito took those cards from me, and replaced them with these." She said, a frown on her face.
"Guess he must have thought that gun was game breaking, and wanted to give everyone a fair shot. Guess you just got the shitty end of the stick."
"Thanks for that analogy...I was trying not to think of shit." Yukki said.
"Speaking of shit, I gotta take one soon, maybe the shrine has bathrooms?"
"I would hope so."
Nagisa continued leading them through the empty streets of Towa City. The closer they got to the shrine, the more bodies they saw. Yukki tried her hardest not to look at them. She was sure those horrified looks would haunt her in her nightmares for the rest of her life. They managed to get past another ambush, though Nagisa was starting to get rather pissed that he was being betrayed. Finally, they reached the path that would lead them to the shrine.
Towa Shrine was a beautiful Japanese style building, modeled after the other ancient shrines in the country. It was large, and had beautiful red paint on the outside, with soft greens and golds. Large lanterns were hung from the entrance arch, still burning brightly. There was a large set of stairs, leading up to the large iron doors. Kotoko groaned, gritting her teeth.
"Really need to use that bathroom now." she said. Yukki sighed, strapping her hacking gun to her side.
"Come on, I'll carry you up. The last thing we need you to do is soil yourself." the girl said. Kotoko smirked, jumping into Yukki's arms, the girl almost fell, but she was able to carry her weight.
It took them around ten minutes to finally make it to the top of the stairs. Kotoko happily jumped out of Yukki's arms, landing on the ground, arms raised high in the air. Yukki on the other hand dropped to her knees, panting a bit. Her face was drenched in sweat, and her tongue was lulled to the side of her mouth.
"No more...no more." she said.
"Thanks for the ride Kiki, by the way, I lied about having to go to the bathroom. I just didn't feel like climbing all of these stairs." she said, pushing the doors open.
"You little...shit stain." Yukki muttered. She forced herself to her feet, following the younger girl into the shrine.
The yard was large, with a stone path that lead to the shrine itself. Large oil lamps could be seen lining the path, keeping the area brightly lit. the shrine stood at the back of the large complex. There was a large shattered billboard at the very back of it, having destroyed half of the main building. There was also a large amount of bodies on the ground, all of them deceased. Some where wearing Monokuma Helmets, almost in a similar fashion to the ones the children were wearing, except they were monochrome. Yukki tried not to look at the bodies, but she ended up looking anyway.
"What happened here?" she asked after a brief pause. Nagisa turned to face her, a firm look on his face.
"Ultimate Despair. It was here that they faced off against each other...the Ultimate Traditional Dancer and the Ultimate Story Teller went up against the Ultimate Tabloid Reporter. These people died as a result of her actions. It was then that a large Monokuma was brought into the city." He said.
"Mega Monokuma...just one of the many that Kazuichi Souda has created to destroy this world." Kotoko said with a frown.
"You knew him right...and the rest of Class 77B?" Yukki asked, earning a small nod from the girl.
"I did...they're my friends...we spent so much time together, laughing and playing. It hurts, seeing them act like this, but I know Big brother Daisuke and Big Sis Sonia will get them back...I'm sure of it." Kotoko said, a reassuring look on her face.
"Well this is it...this is where the secret passage is." Nagisa said, coming to a stop before a small offering shrine. He pushed it over, knocking it back to the ground. Underneath was a set of stairs, leading out of the town.
"Stairs?" Yukki asked, looking into the tunnel.
"That's right...we secured this passage way in case we needed to leave town. But now I'm asking you to leave...if you stay, Paradise will never be accomplished." Nagisa said firmly. Kotoko gave him a firm look, lowering her gaze a bit.
"Nagisa I...I'm sorry alright? I know you wanted me to be there with you, since we're friends and all."
"We...are not...friends. Far as I'm concerned, I buried our friendship the day Big Sis Junko saved us." He said, looking away from her.
"I see...well Yukki, time for us to hit the old dusty trail." Kotoko said, walking toward the stairs.
"I can't go." the brunette said. Kotoko turned to face her, a curious look on her face. She scoffed, tilting her head in confusion.
"You can't go? Why? Didn't you want to leave this hell hole as fast as humanly possible? It's our chance to go...you can see your sister again."
"I can't leave without knowing everyone will be fine. Hiroko, Taichi, Takemichi and Wendy are all still in this town. Komaru is here too, I can't leave without making sure she's fine."
"But Yukki, think about it this way. We can do much more outside of Towa than we can inside it. We can't call for backup, we can't fight against the kids on our own...and Future Foundation plans to attack...what are we gonna do here? Absolutely nothing!" Kotoko said.
"Maybe you think that but...I just can't in good conscience leave them behind. Taichi helped us out when we were in Towa Tower, and Hiroko risked herself to give us a chance to escape...I just can't leave them behind. I'm sorry." She said, turning away from her.
"Tch...typical...it's the story of a scared little girl suddenly growing a pair of balls. Fine, you wanna stay here, all the power to ya...but I'm not staying here another second." Kotoko said firmly.
"Before you go, I think you should listen to what I have to say."
The two girls stopped, turning to face Nagito Komaeda, who was walking toward them, a firm look on his face. Nagisa looked at the teenager, shocked to see him there. He stood before him, holding his hand out.
"Stop, who gave you permission to even be here?" he asked.
"I came here of my own volition...after all I was the one who set this little game up. Yukki Maizono, Kotoko Kirigiri...it would be a shame if either of you left before the game was complete." he said, glancing at the two girls.
"What do you mean? What's your end game here?" Kotoko cried, aiming her rifle at him. He chuckled, shaking his head.
"You can try to shoot me if you wish, but I assure you it will be a waste of bullets. Even if I could die, I'm sure it would just be a stepping stone for hope...after all trash like me doesn't deserve to live on this earth!" he said, holding his arms out.
"Shut up! Everyone deserves to live, even a deranged bastard like you. Tell me, why did you put me in this game? Why did you put any of us in this game?" Yukki cried out, anger flowing through her. The boy chuckled, shaking his head.
"You could say, this game was a sort of...right of passage. After all, we needed someone to take up the torch. He who killed the woman I both love, and hate...needed a new challenge. I wanted those closest to him to turn against him...to...become his stepping stone for hope." Nagito said, a smirk on his face.
"That's enough! Cease this immediately!" Nagisa snapped, causing the teenager to look at him.
"Oh Nagisa, you think you still have the authority to do anything? After all, you were the one who wanted them to leave. You wanted two players of the game to leave town, something that was a big no no from the beginning. You went against Monaca's rules...wouldn't that make you a traitor?" he asked.
"A traitor? Me? Hell no...I am working toward making paradise! I am not a traitor to anyone, as leader I have to make the decisions for everyone, including letting the thorns in our side go!"
"Hmm...so by letting them go, you make yourself able to create paradise...but wouldn't you be able to create it with them in the game? Would it truly make a difference if they weren't here? After all, Komaru Naegi is currently riling up the resistance." Nagito said.
"Huh? Did you say Komaru Naegi? Tell me, is she alright? Where is she?" Yukki cried, earning a laugh from the lanky teen.
"Komaru Naegi is perfectly fine. You could say she's going to become a stepping stone for hope as well. By riling up the remainder of the adults in this city, she is successfully becoming their hope. I am doing the same thing with the two of you, and when two bright hopes clash with a massive amount of despair, a brand new hope shall be created. I want to bare witness to that wonderful hope, the one that will destroy despair!" he cried, glaring at the sky.
Yukki was about to say something, when she felt something strike her shoulder. A few more hit her face and arms before it started slowly raining. She looked up at the crimson sky, seeing the blackish gray clouds that had gathered above them, ready to pour down rain on the entire city. Kotoko groaned, brushing some of her now soaking wet hair out of her face.
"Even the skies agree...despair is winning this fight, but can hope truly prove the victor? I'm sure there's someone out there who wants to know that answer." Nagito said.
"This is nonsense, I am telling you one last time Servant, cease this at once!" Nagisa said firmly.
"I'll cease when I am through with my business...and unless you want me to tell Monaca what you were up to, you'll leave immediately." the boy said, earning a growl from Nagisa, who took off running out of the shrine. Nagito walked forward, causing Yukki to backpedal a bit.
"I'm not going to hurt you, Yukki Maizono...so young and full of life...I wish to put your hope to the test...can you truly save everyone here in Towa City? Or are you just gonna cower away and leave town?" he asked, stroking her face. The girl grabbed a hold of his hand, squeezing it tightly.
"Don't touch me...what the...what's with your hand? It feels smaller than it is." she said. The boy started chuckling, pulling his hand out of her grasp. He took off the mitten covering it, holding his arm up.
"You see this...this is the arm that once belonged to the True Ultimate Despair. I wanted to feel despair like she did, one more time. That woman, I hate her with every fiber of my being...but I love her just as much. Hope and Despair, a constant contradiction. I wanted to put the Ultimate Hopes to the test, to make sure they truly have what it takes to finish this world she forced us to create! If it means creating a blinding hope for tomorrow, I'll willingly give into despair!" he said.
"You're insane...Jesus Christ you're insane!" Kotoko cried, pulling Yukki away from the boy. He hugged himself tightly, running his right and over his left, brushing his fingers over the glossy red nails.
"Am I? That tends to happen when a loved one is speared in front of you. Seventeen spears right through her body, all of our names were carved on it. We had to watch as she died before us...our hope, was turned into despair." the boy said, tears running down his cheeks. His eyes were swirling with despair, as he broke into a laugh.
"But even then, it is in our best interests to defeat this despair...that will be your job to do in this game, my dear Yukki...prove to me that you are capable of doing just that! Teach this useless piece of trash that hope still lives in this dying world." he said.
"Let's get out of here Yukki...he's trying to confuse you. We need to get out of this city right now!" Kotoko said, grabbing a hold of Yukki's arm.
"But I can't...I can't leave my friends behind."
"I have to agree...I can't allow you to leave Town...if you leave now, I'll detonate their bracelets. That includes the one Komaru Naegi is currently wearing...you wouldn't want that would you?" Nagito said, pulling out a small remote from his pocket.
"You wouldn't do that, you don't have the balls to do it!" Kotoko said firmly.
"Don't I? Well if you'd like I can give you a demonstration!" he said.
"NO! I'll stay!" Yukki said. Her legs quivered a bit as she dropped to her knees. Pain shot through her leg, from the wounds she already had. Nagito smiled, patting her head.
"That's a nice choice. I knew you would make the correct one!"
Two gunshots suddenly rung through the area. Yukki looked up at Nagito, who had his eyes wide with shock. He looked down at his legs, seeing two pink blotches were rapidly staining his black pants. He dropped to his knees, hissing in pain. Kotoko lowered her gun, gritting her teeth in anger.
"Shut the fuck up! I can't believe you are forcing us to stay here...asshole." she said, shoulders shaking a bit.
"You think something like this will hinder me? It's alright...I've suffered worse in the past. But Yukki has already made her choice...if you want to save the Captives of the Killing School Life, you'll need to get the master release key. Of course that's currently in the possession of the true mastermind of this game." He said, a smirk on his face.
"The true mastermind huh? So that's how it is...Yukki let's go...we need to head to Towa Hills right now." she said.
"But...I thought you wanted to leave town?" Yukki said, glancing at her friend. She shook her head, tightening her grasp on her rifle.
"We need to find Monaca and get that key back. If we leave town, everyone who means a shit to our friends will die. This falls onto our shoulders alone." she said. Yukki nodded, glancing at Nagito. She pulled out a small container of ointment and some gauze, placing it beside him.
"I may not like you, but I don't want you to bleed to death...you're friends with my sister...so I don't want to see something bad happen to you." she said, swinging the pack over her shoulder.
"Thanks Yukki, I know you'll do a lot of great things...I expect you to win this game of mine." he said, waving at her.
She and Kotoko ignored the teen as they made their way toward the shrine doors. Nagito smiled, grabbing the ointment. Thankfully, the bullets had passed through his leg, meaning all he had to do was bandage himself up. A shadow obscured his line of sight and he glanced over his shoulder, seeing a large robot with a gun in its hands.
"Oh boy...it seems luck is never on my side when I need it." he said, giving Nagisa a smile.
xxx
"It's okay Hoshiko...I forgive you." Monaca said, glancing at the screen in her hands.
"That's good...but I'm calling to let you know that I'm respectfully bowing out of the game. I never truly wanted to see adults die...I just wanted revenge, for all the wrong reasons in fact...but I'm over it now." the blue haired girl said, causing Monaca to frown.
"Hmm...I suppose that's alright...the game never really mattered in the end. Neither did the captives...we had plans for a few of them, but all of them have been placed on the back burner. So it's alright if you want to leave." she said cheerfully.
"Oh...uh...alright then...but about the release of the children...do you think you could let them go? I'm sure they've outlived their usefulness."
"No no no, they haven't even been used yet. We've been leveling the town of demons this entire time, but that was only the first step...we haven't even gotten to phase two yet. I'm sorry that you decided to leave, but the children will remain under my control!"
"But Monaca...don't you think this is enough? You've already cemented fear into the adults, I doubt they'll be a problem...just let the kids go!"
"No! What! Monaca! Says! Goes! I'm! Not! Letting! The! Children! Go!" she cried out, causing Kurokuma to run over to her.
"Whoa, you alright there Monaca?"
"I'm fine...Hoshiko is just being a meanie!" the green haired girl said.
"Fine, alright...I'll leave the children to you...but what about Masaru and Jataro...I know they're not dead...so where are they being kept?"
"Huh? Oh right, the hero guy and that annoying one that everyone hates...those two are being taken to the guillotine right now...they should be dead within the hour."
"What? You can't do that...they're our friends!"
"Maybe yours...Monaca only has one friend...Big Sis Junko...when Big sis Junko was still around, Monaca felt appreciated...her own friends didn't appreciate her. When she laughed, everyone stopped laughing...so Monaca knows they didn't like her." she said, puffing her cheeks out.
"That's not true. Of course appreciate you, of course we care about you. You're our friend, no matter how sick and twisted you fucking are...just like Masaru and Jataro are our friends...the same with Kotoko and Nagisa...all of us are friends."
"No! We! Aren't! Monaca! Has! No! Friends!"
"Okay, I think that's enough between you two...see ya later Hoshiko...I would say we'd miss ya, but you're a bitch so fuck you...hahaha!" Kurokuma said, hanging up the call.
"That's that...who does Hoshiko think she is? Asking me to release the children after she put the helmets on them."
"Ah, she's just pissed off because she lost...and probably because she and Nagisa are never going to fuck like she dreams of doing!"
"Kurokuma, I've told you before to stop talking like that. But anyway, we should start moving toward phase two of our plan...exterminate Hope with Ultimate Despair!" Monaca said, twirling around in her chair.
"Yeah, now we're talking. I knew using those children would be a great idea."
"Of course, Child victims make everything that much more traumatic. Screw the adults, if a bunch of dead children are laying all over the streets of Towa, that will force the Future Foundation and the Remnants of Hope to attack Towa City. That war will be enough to kick start the Tragedy again!" Monaca said.
"If only Lady Junko were here...she would be so proud of you!"
"Monaca is doing this for Big Sis Junko! Monaca wants her brand of despair to spread across the world...just when we were all having fun, those two bastards killed Big Sis Junko. In order for this world of hers to keep going, we need to come up with a Successor. I'm sure Kotoko and Yukki will suffice." Monaca said, glancing at the ground. There was a picture of Junko Enoshima in the center of the magic circle.
"Two brand new Ultimate Despairs...just like Junko Enoshima and Mukuro Ikusaba, the ones responsible for the fall of Hope's Peak Academy. You truly are a genius Monaca."
"No...this was all because of you Kurokuma. You're the one who advised me to go with this plan, and I've been having so much fun." she said.
The doors suddenly opened, and Nagisa walked into the room, dragging the Servant alongside him, by the chain on his neck. He tossed the teen to the ground, turning to face Monaca.
"What is the meaning of this? We're you the one who sent the Servant to stop Yukki and Kotoko? Don't you know with them in Town Paradise will never be built?" he cried angrily. Monaca tilted her head in confusion.
"I didn't send Mr. Servant out there...but now that you are back, we can talk about your betrayal." she said.
"What...I didn't betray the Warriors of Hope!" he said.
"Oh, but you were releasing two players in our game...and you know we need those players in town. After all they are the key to all of this." she said.
"Huh...what do you mean key? Forget that stuff...we need to buckle down and start creating our paradise...we killed all of the adults for that purpose!"
"Oh Nagisa...I don't care about paradise...let's just say the paradise you refer to and the one I refer to are two different paradises. I had you guys kill the adults, but that was only to send a message to everyone else in Towa City."
"What...a message...what message?" Nagisa said.
"That despair lives on, in the bodies of the children. I want to create a beautiful world, filled with despair...in the image of Big Sis Junko. Killing the adults was the first step...after all, what's better than children killing adults? The despair of it all makes it that much more satisfying!" she said.
Nagisa couldn't believe what he was hearing. The entire time he had been lead to believe that killing the adults was a must. That it needed to happen in order for his paradise to be built. But the way Monaca was speaking, it made it seem as if the paradise he had been trying to hard to build, was nothing more than a lie. He swallowed hard, his face darkening a bit.
"You mean to tell me, our friends got killed for nothing? That we killed all of those adults for nothing?" he asked.
"No no...our friends died for a good cause. We needed the adults out of the way so that we could actually being our plan. After all, those pesky adults would have just stopped us, and we couldn't have that could we? It's alright Nagisa...everything will make sense soon enough." she said, inching herself closer.
"Get away from me! You're were lying...you were the real traitor all along...you didn't care about any of us did you? Whether we lived or died, it didn't matter because it didn't hinder your true plan!" he shouted.
"True plan? I don't have a true plan Nagisa...like I said, our vision of paradise is different." she said happily.
"Well screw you! I am not going to keep playing this sick meaningless game...you traitor!" he shouted. Monaca frowned, taking a hold of his hand.
"I'm not a traitor...I'm your friend Nagisa." she said.
She pulled his arm, causing him to fly forward. His eyes widened a bit when he felt her lips on his own. She grabbed his face, kissing him harder. She pulled away from him, licking her lips.
"Monaca stole Nagisa's first kiss! I can do a lot more than just kissing you know...I can give you my entire body...all you have to do is continue killing the adults...you have to find the leader of the resistance and kill him. I also want you to destroy Yukki Maizono and Kotoko Utsugi Kirigiri." she said firmly.
"I can't...Kotoko is my friend...you can't...I can't." he said.
"It's alright...I shouldn't have expected so much out of you Nagisa. After all, you were nothing more than a lab rat...you never exceeded anyones expectations...a real shame too." she said, playing with a strand of her hair. The boy froze up, his eyes clouding over.
"No...what are you talking about...I'm working hard, please you can't do this...I want you to expect more from me!" he cried. Monaca took a hold of his shirt again, giving him a smile.
"Fine...I want you take those two out of the picture...I have high expectations for you, Mr. Leader!" she said happily, stealing another kiss from the boy.
xxx
Yukki sighed as she walked up the street. Kotoko had forced her to stop, after she had to use the bathroom, for real this time. So they had been inside one of the nearby buildings for awhile. But now the rain had picked up, and had started falling rather hard. The two girls didn't exactly know what to do. All the knew was that they had to get to Towa Hills, but they were pretty far from it already. On top of everything, they both knew the place was crawling with Monokumas, meaning that it would be hard to get to the building itself.
"Hey Yukki...what you said back there...why do you care so much about this place? Why do you care so much about people you barely know?" Kotoko asked, causing the girl to stop.
"Well...I dunno I guess. I suppose it's my idol side kicking in...as an idol, I have fans all around the world. All of them write to me, wishing me well and asking me about my day and what not. I made an effort to write to every single one of them. My sister found it a bit endearing that I actually hand wrote my letters, instead of using a computer like she did. I learned to care about everyone, even if I didn't personally know them."
"Hmm...so you're saying that...it doesn't matter if you know them or not, just as long as they know you care, it makes you that much happier?" the girl said.
"I guess...I can't really put it to words. There are people out there suffering right now, some might even be dying...but if I have the chance to save someone, no matter the reason...then I'll be happy. Because I made a difference in that persons life!" she said firmly.
"You know...you're a really sweet person...I'm sorry I made fun of your boobs...I'm a little jealous...my mosquito bites don't really look appealing."
"Oh hush up...you're gonna grow up to be a beautiful young woman. One day you'll find yourself a strong handsome man that will take care of you!" she said happily.
"Honestly speaking...if Masaru doesn't return my feelings...I think I'll just find myself a girl instead. I don't think I can fall in love with a man after what happened to me." Kotoko said.
"I guess that's fine too. I'm, sure whatever woman you find will love you for you...besides there are a lot of dildos to choose from."
"Ew gross...you actually use those?" the girl asked, looking up at the older teen.
"I don't...but whenever my sister was thinking about Hisashi, she would always start using one. Even before they got together...I ended up stumbling into it when I was looking for a shirt I let her borrow."
"Oh my god...was it big and black?" she asked.
"No...it was big, and double sided, I don't know what she was trying to imply with that."
"Maybe she wanted the two of you to bond by scissor fucking with a dildo."
"I think we should end this conversation before we all end up in hell." Yukki said, her face flushing brightly.
"Well, what exactly are we gonna do? We can't exactly leave town, most of the roads are blocked, Towa Tower is inaccessible, and on fire for some fucking reason, so we can't contact HQ...we're running out of options." Kotoko said.
"We can't go back to the Resistance either...that Oliver guy will definitely kill us on sight...ugh...this sucks!" Yukki cried, kicking a can. Said can flew across the air, striking the edge of a wall. That wall ended up falling over, launching a copper pipe through the air, which slammed into a car, activating its alarm. Running around the car was a horde of Siren Monokuma, attracting several more with them.
"You just had to kick that fucking can didn't you?" Kotoko cried angrily.
"I'm sorry!" the girl cried.
"Look around, there has to be something we can use!" the pinkette cried, raising her rifle. She opened fire on the horde of Monokumas, taking a few down with ease.
Yukki hummed to herself, glancing around the area for something to use. Her eyes fell on an ugly orange car, an electric one made by Towa. She held her Hacking Gun up, pressing the green button.
"Move!" she cried, pulling the trigger. A bright green wave struck the car, turning the engine on. The car instantly took off, slamming into the Monokumas. It struck the other car, exploding on contact, taking out part of the nearby wall.
"Not exactly what I would have done but...better than nothing. Except now the open street is blocked." Kotoko said.
"Again I'm sorry...I guess Ultimate Luck is still inside my system." the brunette said.
"Don't worry about it, it happens to the best of us...alright...I think I just scored us a ride!" Kotoko said, looking at the wall that had been knocked over. Yukki's eyes widened.
Lying inside the building was a massive vehicle...one she had seen in newspapers back in the day. It was a Monster Truck, which was around eleven feet high, with the biggest wheels she had ever seen in her life. She remembered it was called Grave Robber or something along those lines. Kotoko was looking at it, stars in her eyes.
"This thing was famous back in the day. I didn't think there would be one here! It looks like a replica of the real deal, but it should suffice for what we want!" She said.
"What are we gonna do with a Monster truck?" Yukki asked.
"Drive it of course! I can hot wire it easily!" the girl said, jumping up to the wheel. She climbed up, opening the door with ease.
"But Kotoko...don't you think driving this thing is dangerous?"
"Just get in already! The keys were in the ignition!" the pink haired girl cried out.
Yukki groaned, making her way up to the cab of the truck. She climbed aboard, closing the door right after. She noticed the steering wheel was on the left side, meaning it was an American style truck. The seats were made of leather, and the center console was painted in a wide array of colors, with a flame like pattern. Kotoko looked at the older girl, an expectant look on her face.
"Well what...outta gas?" the girl asked.
"No...I can't drive." Kotoko said.
"Huh? Well neither can I...wait a minute, that reminds me, how the hell did you even catch up to the train?"
"I drove a motorcycle duh...I can handle dirt bikes easy, but this is all wheel drive...and I can't reach the pedals." the girl said. To prove her point, she tried reaching the pedals, but to no avail. Yukki sighed, trading seats with Kotoko.
"Okay...I'll be honest with you, the only time I drove a car was when Hisashi was teaching Sayaka. He ended up borrowing a Police Car and we took it for a spin."
"Borrowing? You guys jacked a cop car?" Kotoko asked curiously.
"We didn't jack it...the keys were left in the ignition and Hisashi said he wanted to buy some food. He asked the other guys at the station if it was okay. He let me play with the sirens!" she said happily.
"That doesn't fucking help us here...do you remember if it was Automatic or Manual?"
"Manual is with the stick shift right?" Yukki asked, earning a nod from the girl.
"This thing right here, this is the gear shift...was that car made with one of these?"
"No no...it was Automatic."
"This is gonna be fun then...alright, I know how to shift gears, so you drive, I shift...that cool enough for you?" Kotoko asked.
"Um...I suppose so."
Yukki sighed, reaching a shaky hand to the ignition. She turned the key, letting out a scream when the truck turned on. The rumble of the engine shook the entire truck, something that was making Kotoko rather excited. Yukki pulled the seat forward a bit, her feet resting on the pedals.
"Okay, now what?"
"Press the clutch and the brakes at the same time, if you press the gas, you'll just speed off and that's something we don't want." Kotoko said.
"The clutch? Which one is that?" Yukki asked, looking at the three pedals.
"Gas is on the far right, brakes are in the middle, clutch is on the left."
She nodded, committing that to memory. She pressed both pedals at the same time, waiting for Kotoko to shift the gear. Once she had, Yukki pulled forward, ever so slowly.
"Oh my god, just floor it!"
"No, I need to be careful...I can't see anything from here." the girl said, turning onto the empty street. Kotoko grabbed a hold of Yukki's leg, forcing it to press the gas. The girl let out a scream as the truck took off.
"Yeah, this is that the fuck I'm talking about!" the pinkette cried, shifting into third gear. Yukki just kept on holding to the wheel making sure to keep it straight. They ran over several parked cars, causing the brunette idol to scream.
"What are you screaming for? This is the best part!" Kotoko cried out, whooping for joy as they crushed an army of Monokumas. It was at that moment that Yukki realized her friend was absolutely insane.
xxx
"So, what do we do now?" Daisuke asked, glancing at Sonia who stood next to him. The two of them were standing in a special jail made to hold the Remnants of Despair.
Within, Peko Pekoyama, Akane Owari, Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu, Nekumaru Nidai and their teacher, Chisa Yukizome were all being held. They were all in their own cells. Sonia didn't want any of them to start planning an escape. Of course when she interviewed all of them and wrote their information down, they were docile. Natsumi wanted to hug her brother, but Hiyoko had held her back, saying he wasn't exactly the same person she remembered. She didn't want the girl to see the Ultimate Gangster, especially after he had taken out his own eye. Sonia jotted something down on her clipboard, turning to face Daisuke.
"We keep gathering them up. I'm sending you on a mission to the Planetarium...it seems Takane and Kazuichi are planning on launching another rocket into space soon. We've been intercepting them as well as we can, but this one seems different than the others."
"How so?" Daisuke asked. Sonia turned her back to the cells holding her friends, walking toward the window.
She was staring at the large warships, all of them ready to go. One of them had set sail for Jabberwock Island, with Akira and a few others on it, the day before. She had wanted to start building everything on site, since she had already completed each pod, and was waiting for the right materials to create the program itself.
"The rocket they plan to launch is actually a satellite. It would give them control over every Monokuma in the world. That includes Big Bang Monokuma. There are three units we currently know about, all of them are currently destroying different places of the world. The fourth is being kept in a facility in Towa City." Sonia said.
"My god...if they get control of every unit...they could continue causing despair all over the world. They wouldn't even need to lift a finger." Daisuke said.
"Worse yet, the rest of our friends were planning something big. Teruteru wanted to send his food all over the world, he wanted to turn any remaining survivors to despair. The Ultimate Impostor and Mahiru have already returned from Novoselic...Despair won the battle, my brother had to flee the country." she said, a frown on her face.
"I'm sorry to hear that sweetheart. It wasn't your fault...what happened to Novoselic was out of our hands...It's my fault...I was the one who told you to bomb your own homeland."
"No...it's no one's fault...save for Enoshima...if she were still alive...I would choke her until she was inches away from death, then I would stab her until she bled to death." she said, eyes flashing a bright crimson. Daisuke grabbed a hold of her shoulders, giving her a passionate kiss. He could feel her tears on his face.
"It'll be alright...I'm sure after all of this is over, you can rebuilt Novoselic, and lead your people to greatness." he said.
"No...I've already decided. After the Neo World Program is over, I'm going to remain on Jabberwock Island...I can't face my people again. I can't face them knowing it was me killing their friends and family." She said firmly. The door suddenly opened, and they all heard a voice they hadn't heard in forever.
"Come on Hiyoko, stop being so rough with Ibuki! I was in the middle of a concert you know!" the Ultimate Musician cried.
She looked nothing like she had in the past. Her long black hair was mattered in places, the colors being mixed together in some spots. There were large areas dyed green, blue and red, while others were dyed a bright white. She had taken her hair and tied back up into some devil horns, like she had in the past. She had even added various piercings to her other ear. Her clothes consisted of a black shirt, which was torn in various places, and was missing its sleeves. She was wearing bandages in place of a bra, and she had on a bellybutton ring now.
Her skirt was torn and mattered, filled with holes in various places. She was wearing a pair of black leggings with musical notes on it, smeared with some pink blood. She was also wearing a pair of black platform shoes, with spikes on the top, also smeared in pain. She was wearing a pair of torn fishnet gloves, her fingernails being painted black. She had bruises on several parts of her body, and her eyes were smeared with black eye shadow. Hiyoko opened up one of the empty cells and tossed her in.
"There, practice your singing all you want." she said.
"Aw, can I get my guitar at least?" the girl asked. The only reply she got was Hiyoko slamming the door shut.
"Have a hard time getting her back?" Daisuke asked.
"You would not believe it. She had taken over one of the arenas in the Downtown District. Everywhere you looked, Despairites as far as the eye could see. She wasn't even singing anything, she was just screaming into a microphone and shouting Hail Junko over and over again. She was playing some garbage on her guitar too. Then one by one, they all started climbing onto the stage, and she bashed them over the head with her guitar." Hiyoko said.
"Christ all mighty. I heard her concerts were odd, but I didn't think she would actually do that!" Sonia said.
"That's just how despair works...we both know that better than anyone else. We all see sunshine and rainbows, but what everyone else sees is...well this." Daisuke said, waving at the crimson skies.
"Still, I'm gonna try to make contact with Mahiru and Impostor when I can...I heard they were going north to Akihabara for some reason." the Ultimate Traditional Dancer said firmly.
"Then I'll handle Kazuichi and Takane...that only leaves Tanaka." Daisuke said, earning a nod from Sonia.
"Yes, I'll handle him. I'm sure I can get him to join me easily...all I have to do is show him something related to animals. Maybe I could steal his Dark Devas and use them to lure him here." Sonia said.
"His Devas died over a year ago remember? That's why he adopted that Anaconda he has around his body now." Daisuke said, frowning a bit.
"Anyway...were still missing one person after that...Izuru Kamukura...he was Junko's favorite plaything after all." Hiyoko said. Daisuke tilted his head, narrowing his eyes a bit.
"My memory is a bit fuzzy on him...I don't think I ever saw him...but if he helped Junko, that means he's an Ultimate Despair too. It's gonna be rather hard to track him down." Daisuke said.
"Actually, there is no need to track me down...for I am right here."
The three of them jumped back at the sound of the voice. Standing before them was a six foot tall individual, wearing a black suit. He was wearing a white shirt underneath, with a loosened black tie, and matching slacks and shoes. His hair was rather long and unruly, reaching down to the back of his knees. His eyes were glowing crimson. He looked at the other Remnants of Despair, then back at them.
"Boring...this all seems so boring...but it seems you three have something in the works. A final battle against Hope and Despair...I want to prove something." the man said.
"Prove something...what would that be?" Daisuke asked curiously.
"This world...it was the one that she envisioned, so long ago. But I want to know what lies ahead in the future...will despair truly win? Or is Hope the only card the world has left to play? I want to see the result of this battle...that's why I have come here with a proposition."
"What? Get real...you can't come to our Headquarters and ask us to agree with whatever plan you came up with." Hiyoko said. The man shrugged, dropping the sack he had been carrying. From it came out Kiriko Nishizawa. She seemed to be passed out, but had been restrained for one reason or another.
"There is something in Towa City that I must retrieve...I have brought along this young woman who was being chased by children. She is my insurance to you...I shall return, when I retrieve that item. When I do, you shall let me speak to the Remnants of Despair. How they are now, they will not agree to your little plan." Izuru said firmly.
"Agree? But we've already gotten them too..."
"Even now, they are weary of your actions Sonia Nevermind. They do not trust you, but I have what it is they truly want. All you have to do, is wait here for my return...I shall be at your mercy then. Is Hope the true Wild card? Or will you live in Despair for the rest of your lives? Is that what you all truly want?" the man asked. They all remained silent as he turned around, reaching for the door.
"Hajime Hinata...that's the person I want to see again...will you come back as him? Or as Izuru?" Daisuke asked, earning curious looks from Sonia and Hiyoko.
"That will be up to you...will the Neo World Program truly work? Or will Despair take over once more? In time, you shall receive your answer...however, if you wish to see Hajime again, you shall have to wait." he said...just as fast as he had shown up, Izuru Kamukura left, leaving only questions behind.