Alternative chapter title: "The One Where Albert Meets Another Friend From High School."

That aside, this chapter took a day later than I would have liked. It's been a long week for me, and I ended up wrestling with writer's block on and off between my errands. Still, my policy is "better late than never." My other policy is "If I have to choose between releasing something of low quality early, or decent quality late, always choose quality." After all, if something's bad, it'll be bad forever, but if it's delayed, it'll eventually be good.

Anyway, good or bad, I hope you enjoy.


Chapter 10

Before The Storm

"And now... you are free."

As Nagisa pocketed the wristbands, Kotoko has a look of concern on her face. "N-Nagisa! If you do this, you're gonna make Monaca super sad!"

"I know that! But it has to be done!" He insisted. "Monaca has high expectations of me! I'm sure she'll understand!"

A moment passed, and when she didn't respond, Nagisa turned his attention back to us. "I'll take you to the secret passageway. It's the only way to get out of town. I can guarantee your safety until you reach it. The Monokumas won't attack with me here... C'mon. Let's go." He turned to leave.

"Nagisa!" Kotoko cried after him.

"...Don't follow us." He told her.

"B-But..."

"...You don't want Monaca to hate you, do you?"

With that, he continued forward, and the rest of us moved to follow him.

Chiaki nudged me and whispered "I have a bad feeling about this..."

"I know." I said quietly. "Honestly, I don't trust any of these kids as far as I can throw them, but... It's in our best interest to work with them, rather that against them. The second I have a reason to think I'm being betrayed, though, we strike back. So, you know, no dosing off."

At the last line, she gave me a slightly offended look, but nodded. "I'm right behind you."


We made our way out onto the street. "...Let's go. The secret passageway is this way." He turned and started running down the street. With no other options, we ran after him.

"This way! Follow me closely!" He called out as we neared the end of the block. However, he stopped at the intersection. A bunch of Monokumas showed up, approaching us slowly. And it wasn't just Chiaki, Komaru, and I that were being targeted. They seemed to have their sights set on Nagisa. "...Hold on. Why are you attacking me?" The approaching automatons didn't respond to his question, and simply continued forward. Overcome with fear, Nagisa ducked his head and screamed.

I groaned. "Great. And I thought I was babysitting before." I pulled out my baton and switched it on. Komaru and Chiaki drew their weapons as well.

Between the three of us, we were able to quickly dispatch the dozen enemies without any injury. When the last Monokuma exploded, the kids with helmets ran off in fear.

"I thought you said the Monokumas wouldn't attack us if you were here..." Komaru asked.

Nagisa glared at the ground. "This is... strange... What in the world is this?"

"Hey, you weren't lying when you said you wouldn't trick us, right?"

"Of course! If I wanted to deceive you, I would not have removed your wristband."

"Then, they must think you betrayed them." I guessed.

"Betrayal? Me!? N-No! That's wrong! I'm no traitor! I am the leader of the Warriors of Hope! I care about making paradise more than anybody! The reason I'm letting you guys go is because I care so much!"

"Well, your allies don't seem to see it that way." I said.

He made a choking sound. "... I'm sure she'd understand if I explained it to her properly... Monaca has such high expectations..."

"You keep saying that, but something tells me your friends just want to see the adults dead."

He didn't respond. "C'mon, let's keep going."


After fighting through hordes of bomb Monokumas, ball Monokumas, guard Monokumas, and junk Monokumas, we finally neared an area that appeared to be a shrine. I had never actually been to a Japanese shrine before, though I had a hard time enjoying the scenery with the number of corpses around.

"S-So cruel... This is too cruel..." Komaru muttered as we passed a pile of bodies.

"I can't believe this..." Chiaki said quietly. I just stared at them all, trying to record each face into my memory.

Komaru turned to Nagisa. "You really don't feel anything seeing this?"

"These people... are Demons. Our enemies..." He insisted.

"That's not what she asked." Chiaki pressed.

"You said it before, right?" Komaru asked. "It's because you're afraid of adults?"

"...Yeah, that's right. We can't help but be terrified around adults... If the adults just didn't exist, we could live peacefully... That's what I believe."

"Why are you so afraid of adults?" She asked.

"...We Warriors of Hope were students in the Hope's Peak elementary program. We were in the classroom where they put all the troublemakers. But I resented being called a "troublemaker." It makes it sound as if we ourselves were the cause of the trouble. But that's not right. Our troubles were created by adults. By our parents. They say kids can't pick their parents... Well, we were the unluckiest ones of all. My parents were, without exception, the worst... Like Demons. My parents raised me like they were leveling me up in some game... They didn't treat me like a person. They probably even forgot I was their child. From morning till night, study, study, study... When I got sleepy, analeptics. Even when I faint, "HP" is fully restored with a handy I.V. in my arm... three to four days straight. And if I showed even the slightest resistance, they'd use "items" to neuter my spirit. And by doing so, as long as they steadily racked up "XP," I'd level up to their expectations. And it wasn't just at home. I received the same expectations at school as well. My father was a teacher at our school. He was a researcher of children's talents. He used his own son to research the growth of a child's talent. He wanted to see what the growth curve would be like if he pushed a child to the breaking point... Isn't that funny? I was the subject of such an amusing experiment."

"I-It's not funny at all..." Komaru said.

"It's awful..." Chiaki corrected.

"But even with all that, I was still better off than the others. You saw Monaca's legs, right? That... was done to her by her family. Her father and older brother were jealous of her talent, and that's how she ended up like that..."

"Th-That's horrible!" Komaru agreed.

"Because we had talent, because we were superior, we were treated like we were in Hell. But during it all, we didn't hold a grudge against our parents. We accepted how we were treated. Because we weren't aware that it was okay to hate our parents. We trusted the "common knowledge" that kids must love their parents, so we didn't fight it. Instead, we bonded over our struggle. And those discussions led us to the same conclusion. We had to escape from the horrifying world that made us suffer. We were desperate to run away from the scary parents, scary adults, the whole scary world... And we thought that there was only one way out. But... that's when it happened. There was someone who taught us to have courage, to fight back instead of running away... That was Big Sis Junko. Big Sis Junko taught us how. She wanted the thing we were going to dispose of... Our lives. And so, Big Sis Junko abducted us. Our disappearance didn't make much news. This was around the time the Incident was growing. Ever since then... the days have been so much fun. Big Sis Junko showered her possessions with love and affection. She gave us not only love, but a dream as well. The dream of creating a "children's paradise," where the children can live peacefully. We also learned from Big Sis Junko the beliefs required to build that dream. The belief that adults are Demons. It was as if we saw the light... Thanks to her, we finally realized... The common knowledge we had known up until then were lies created by adults created for their own benefit. Children cannot defy their parents, everyone must get along, violence can never bring peace... To destroy the world based on such lies, we decided to fight against the adults. As far as I remember, the first adult we defeated was a random person we didn't even know. We learned that kids can kill adults if they wanted to, and we were encouraged. From there, we leveled ourselves up by killing Demons. Big Sis Junko was so pleased... Just the idea of a child killing an adult is so despair-inducing."

"That's... just insane..." Komaru said.

"You were tricked." Chiaki told him. "Junko didn't care about you... She just wanted to use you to cause as much despair as possible."

"And what's wrong with that?" He retorted. "Did I not tell you that we are her possessions? We would rather her take advantage of us than horrible adults. Say what you like. Big Sis Junko... gave us hope. That's the truth. And because of that hope, we were able to defeat the Demon Boss."

"Demon... Boss?" Komaru asked.

"...Our parents." He revealed.

"You killed you're parents!?"

"That was a special battle that can only be fought once... That made us level up even further. From there, "Operation Children's Paradise" began, and we started freeing other children. By doing so, the advance of the Warriors of Hope seemed unstoppable. But... Just when things were going so well, Big Sis Junko died. Killed by some idiot. When she died and we lost our guide, we didn't know what to do... But... Monaca didn't despair. At that moment... Monaca looked just like Big Sis Junko in our eyes. Things that didn't matter vanished... And we felt ourselves rising up again. Come to think of it, that moment... That was the real beginning of the revolution. And this time around, I swore an oath. We, the survivors, will fulfill the dream, and prove how amazing Big Sis Junko is. We would leave lies like education and love for family in the past, and create paradise. That is our hope!"

"...You're wrong." I finally spoke. "You've been standing here, talking non-stop, and somehow every single thing you've said is wrong. Yeah, maybe... maybe your parents did deserve to die, I'll give you that much. From what I've heard, they're some of the worst human beings there could possibly be. But that's just it. They were the exception, not the norm. There are good people out there, some great people, and I'd bet my life that at least half of the people you killed in this city were good, maybe more. But you killed them anyway. You seem like a smart kid. You ever heard the phrase "He who fights monsters?" You call these victims "Demons," but what does that make you, the kids willing to murder innocents and kidnap their fellow kids from their peaceful homes, just to further your own goals? You say you wanted to prove to the world how amazing Junko is? The only thing you've managed to do is reinforce in my mind that she was truly the worst person this world has ever seen, and that she was beyond fixing. This isn't hope. It's Junko's perverted definition of the word. If your only hope is the killing of hundreds, then I reject you, and I reject that hope!"

Nagisa paused and stared at me a moment, taking a measured breath. "Justice and evil, these are beliefs that adults defined, are they not? First off, pure evil simply does not exist. In all evil there is something good. And in the same way, "justice" always hurts someone. There is no pure justice, either."

"I agree. Every evil has a good inside it. The question is, does is balance out in the end? Is it worth it? Killing your parents, I'll admit probably did more good than harm. But Junko killed thousands just so she could get her rocks off. That's not a good trade-off, no matter what you say. And yeah, someone always gets hurt with justice. That's the point. You punish those who deserve it. That's why we have courts, so people can defend themselves from getting wrongfully punished, so we can ensure that the offender gets properly punished, so offenders know they can't get away with what they want. But as I've mentioned, the majority of those you've killed are innocent. They weren't the ones who beat you, insulted you, raped you, or experimented on you. You wrongfully punished them, and did it without a second thought. You should go back to grade school, you're clearly not mature enough for imposing law, tyrannical or otherwise."

He averted his gaze and muttered under his breath "I didn't expect a Demon to understand."

Chiaki stepped forward. "We don't have time to stand around and talk about philosophy. Clearly, nothing is getting solved like this. If we're talking, what I want to know is why you chose Towa City, and where the Monokuma army came from?"

"The one who chose this city and prepared our Monokumas was Monaca." He answered. "Isn't she amazing? She created them with her special magic."

"...Magic?" Komaru repeated.

"Obviously, not literal." I corrected. "What you're saying is, Monaca's the true mastermind, and if I actually want to save these people, I gotta get through her."

"Monaca is our princess! I will never allow that!" He snapped.

"...H-Hey!" Komaru suddenly spoke up. "Earlier, you said that there is no such thing as pure justice or evil... But even if that's true, a dream that requires you to hurt someone... I think it's wrong."

Nagisa shook his head and turned away. "Hmph, after all this time, still saying something so naive... It seems as though we really don't have much in common. I was right to ask you to leave. So let's go already. The secret passageway is just up ahead."


"This is it." At the top of the stone steps, we were in some sort of courtyard area. Nagisa approached a big wooden shrine. He summoned his strength and shoved it over, revealing a small tunnel underneath.

"Stairs...?" Komaru observed.

"This is the secret passageway we prepared in case of emergency." He explained. "Go through here, and you can get outside the town."

Komaru hesitated.

"...What are you doing? Hurry up and leave." When she didn't start moving, he turned to her impatiently. "Hey, what's the hold up? If you just go through here, you'll be outside the city. Didn't you want to run away!? Didn't you want to escape this town!?"

She slowly nodded. "Th-That's right, that's... what I've always wanted. At least that's... what I thought..." She turned to me. "Al... Is it really okay for me to go?"

I scratched my head. "So, you're second-guessing yourself, even after all this. Can't say I wasn't expecting this, honestly. Look, Komaru, it's fine. I have Chiaki to help me, and as long as Nagisa upholds his end of the bargain, I should be able to evacuate the innocents. My job will be over in no time. If you want to leave, just hand me the Hacking Gun. I'll take care of the rest."

Suddenly, before she could respond, a new voice cried out from the edge of the courtyard. "Oh my! Seems like I made it just in time!"

I thought the Chiaki reveal would be the last time I saw a familiar but unexpected face in this city. I was wrong. The man who approached us may have been wearing different clothes, and had some odd face-paint, but it was undeniable who he was...

"Man that was close." He wiped his brow. "Truly a last-minute save."

"You? Why are you here?" Nagisa asked, clearly as startled as the rest of us.

He didn't respond at first, scanning our group. His gaze briefly paused on Komaru, but continued until it fell on Chiaki. "So... it's true. I almost didn't trust the video feed, so I had to see it for myself... But it's true. You're alive." He laughed his signature crazy-laugh, and tears welled up in his eyes.

"...Nagito..." She said quietly.

"What amazing hope! I can't remember the last time I felt hope this powerful! So bright... It's almost enough to burn away all of my despair!"

"Nagito... are you okay?" She asked. It was obvious from her tone she knew he wasn't.

"No!" He admitted. "No, I'm not. After you, well... after what happened to you... Everyone was so broken, we didn't know what to do with ourselves! But that's why this is so great! Don't you get it? This just proves that hope always triumphs over despair!"

"Enough of this!" Nagisa suddenly interrupted. "I asked you a question, servant, and I expect an answer! Why are you here?"

Without bothering to wipe his tears, Nagito turned to the boy. "Ah, I let my personal issues interrupt my plans. How embarrassing. Why am I here...? To persuade her to stay, of course. So that our boring and common protagonist who has no distinct characteristics doesn't just quit."

"...Huh?" Komaru jumped when she realized he was now talking about her.

"Komaru Naegi... Though you are "normal," not an Ultimate, or even a part of Future Foundation... I really do think quite poorly of the idea that you would abandon your friends and run off alone. Are you really going to just run away like this? Is your conscience clear?" As he spoke, he slowly moved closer to her until he was up in her face. I slowly drew my baton, without turning it on.

"Stop it!" Nagisa demanded. "What are you saying!? She's about to leave for good!"

"That would be quite bothersome for me, y'know? That is why I must convince her to stay."

"...Huh?"

"It would be disappointing if she did not see the game through to the end. How it was meant to be."

"D-Don't just go speaking your mind without permission! You're a servant! Listen to me! In order to see our paradise, this girl cannot stay here!"

He finally turned to the little boy. "So then I must ask, which is more important to the Warriors of Hope? Paradise or the game?"

"Wh-What are you talking about? It's obviously-"

"The game, of course."

"What?"

"You're a smart one, you must be at least vaguely aware. Otherwise, you wouldn't be sneaking about. You could have openly proposed a halt to these slayings, to focus entirely on building paradise. And the reason you did not do exactly that, and are instead going behind their backs... Is because you realize your favorite Miss Mage would choose the game over paradise. Do you know what you call someone who behaves like you're behaving?" He spread his arms casually. "...A traitor."

Nagisa backed up, speechless for a moment. "You're wrong... I care about them more than anyone... They all have high hopes for me... I mean, I am the leader..."

"Nagisa..." He shook his head. "Isn't it best if you just calm down a little? You can leave the rest to me. Okay? I really think you should."

"...D-Dammit!" Tears streamed down Nagisa's face as he ran away.

Chiaki winced at Nagito's harsh behaviour. He simply turned back to us now that he had us alone.

"Nagito..." I spat. "I never would've guessed that you had a finger in this pie, too."

"Oh, Al, you remember me! Though, I guess that's not too surprising, considering your... condition."

I straightened my back so I stood over him. My glare was enough to tell him to shut up. There was enough confusion going around without me having to explain my true origins to Chiaki and Komaru.

He waved me off. "Either way, I must admit, I am a little disappointed. When I heard that she was his little sister, I was intrigued..."

"His...?" Komaru started. "Makoto? Do you know him?"

"Now listen, since I planned the game out this far... I would like it to be completed. Of course, perhaps I am being somewhat unfair to you, Komaru. Rather, the one who disappointed me was Albert."

The attention turned to me. I squinted. "What are you talking about...?"

"Consider this," He turned back to Komaru. "When you first arrived at the hospital on your parachute, did you know why Albert turned up there? He came to save you because he was told where you would be landing. How else could you possibly explain such a contrived encounter?"

I blinked. "You were the one who sent that anonymous tip? But why?"

He ignored me and focused on Komaru. "I went through considerable trouble making sure you would complete this little game. Returning the Hacking Gun you had lost, having the Monokuma Kids deliver items... That was me. Consider it "game balance," as they say. You've thought about it before, I'm sure. Why enemies conveniently drop items, why the path you must travel on to advance is always clear... The game began as a way for the children to have fun, but it was also a game to help you grow. And I am the one who made it that way."

"Wh-Why me...?" Komaru asked.

"Hm? You mean, why was I so particular about choosing you? Well, that is all your brother's fault, of course."

"Makoto?"

"He defeated Junko Enoshima, the one I truly hate... And I wasn't there to witness it. That's why, this time around... I wanted to see the action up close. And not only that. Unlike him, an Ultimate, you are a normal girl who can't do anything... Almost like Albert."

"That's why you chose me as her escort, specifically?" I asked.

"Well, that, and I knew your sense of responsibility wouldn't allow you to betray your duty." He smirked. "But yes, you two are particularly compelling. Her brother, a hero, a Symbol of Hope. The little sister, utterly boring by comparison... If someone like you were to stand against despair... that would bring hope to the people. This was already seen in Albert, when he was able to stand against Junko Enoshima despite his boring, talentless self. Hope is exclusively found on the side of the weak. The losing side. People are touched by underdog stories. Slaying Goliath, the weaker team winning a game... The majority of society is made up of the weak and untalented. They are inspired by such tales."

"Wh-What are you saying?" Komaru asked.

"If my assumptions are right...You will release a light even brighter than his. And in order for that to happen, I need you to participate in my game. Through the game, you will grow, defeat the Final Boss, and become the hope for this town. That's why it would be quite disappointing if you give up halfway through." He started laughing his twisted laugh. "Please! Save this town from despair! Show me your dazzling light of hope to crush despair!"

"What do you mean? I'm... hope? I don't understand what you mean at all..."

A moment passed, and he shook his head. "Ah, I see, so you still don't understand. I blame myself, I should have been more enthusiastic. But regardless... I truly do believe in you. No matter how big the despair... Hope will always win in the end." He gestured to Chiaki as if she proved his point. "That is why I feel no remorse becoming despair myself."

"Nagito...!" Chiaki gasped.

"Y-You're just as crazy as those kids..." Komaru accused. "You must be insane!"

"Who cares about me? The more important thing is what you three are going to do now. You three symbols of hope. Chiaki, who survived against Junko Enoshima herself. Albert, who helped the Ultimates of class 78 defeat Junko Enishima. And Komaru, who can act as a true symbol for the normal population. What will you do? What will you choose?"

"I... don't think I see how this changes anything." I said. "My mission is still to rescue the innocents. And... Komaru really has no reason to do what you say. All you've really revealed is that you see us as symbols of hope, and you tricked me into coming here to help her, something I probably would've done anyway even without the tip. Big whoop?"

"Well, I suppose when you put it like that, you being here really doesn't have a purpose. That is, as long as you don't mind losing Byakuya..."

"...What did you say...?"

"Having a hostage brings all kinds of options to the table, wouldn't you agree? For instance, we could make sure nobody interrupts our plans... or I could use the hostage as a bargaining chip."

I advanced on him, grabbing the chain attached to the metal collar around his neck. "Where are you keeping him, you bastard?"

He laughed. "If you want to find out, you better convince Miss Komaru to stay."

"I have other ways to make you talk." I shoved him to the ground and pulled out my baton, switching it on. "Funny thing about this toy, unlike the Hacking Gun, it doesn't just work on machines. It can break people, too."

"Al, wait..." Behind me, Chiaki's voice had a pleading tone.

"Torture, huh?" He seemed intrigued rather than fearful. "Go ahead and try. I won't break."

I knew he was right. I could see it in his eyes. He wouldn't let anything compromise his plan, not even himself.

I had to make a decision. Unfortunately, there weren't many options. I hated dealing with the crazies. They always have a way to give me an ultimatum. I glanced between Chiaki and Komaru, closed my eyes, and settled my gaze back onto Nagito. Finally, I decided "...Komaru... run. Go, get out of here."

"Huh?" She seemed surprised at my answer.

Nagito seemed disappointed. "Well, that is completely understandable. But are you really okay with this...? If Miss Komaru runs away, the safety of the hostage cannot be guaranteed..."

"Shut up." I demanded. "I can sort that out myself. Komaru... Get out of here. Byakuya wouldn't forgive me if I let a civilian die in his place. And I can... I can find a way to save him. There has to be a way..."

"I'm not going anywhere." Chiaki reminded me. "This is... my responsibility, too. It's my fault Nagito is doing this. I have to help you, to make sure he doesn't hurt anyone ever again."

I nodded slowly. "I understand... and I'll take whatever help I can get. Thanks." I paused. "Komaru? The clock's ticking. If you're going, go."

She hesitated. "B-But... what about you and Byakuya?"

"I said I'll find a way." I repeated. "I just have to deal with Nagito."

"You know... you're probably wasting your time. I mean, after all... You know you need to kill me." He stared up at me casually. "Byakuya's life is in danger as long as I'm alive. If you let her escape..."

I gripped my weapon tightly. If I let her escape... Nagito probably only has to say the word and Byakuya will be taken out. Damn. The only way to prevent that is by killing him, something everyone knows I'm completely against. He wants to make a murderer out of me... to drive me to despair... so that my hope will shine brighter. What a fucking psychopath.

My temper got the best of me. But just before I raised my weapon, Komaru said something. "I'll stay... if that's how it is." Everyone's attention snapped to her. "If I stay in the city and go with him, then it's fine, right?"

I took a moment to look for the right words. "...You picked a fine time to change your mind. What happened to all that whining about wanting to get out of here?"

"I still want to escape, I'm still scared even now, but you feel the same way, don't you?" She closed her eyes. "You were scared, too, but you tried to help me escape, and hid how afraid you really were inside, didn't you? There's no way I can run now, leaving you behind!"

"The only reason we're in this situation is because of me." I corrected. "Because this bastard wanted to make me a "stepping stone for hope." There are so many truths about me I've been lying to you about, and it almost brought me to the point of having to betray you."

"But you didn't." She said. She took my hand in hers. "And you're suffering from guilt, aren't you?... If you're hurting... you can tell me. I'm an unreliable, normal girl who can't do anything, but... I can at least do normal things, right? And it's normal... for a friend to help a friend. I'll... stay. No matter how much you say no, I will definitely stay with you, alright? I've... decided."

"Friends, huh...?" I glanced at Chiaki. I thought back to my friends. Hina, Byakuya, Celeste, Kyoko, Makoto... and of course, Chihiro. And... my mind wandered to the woman who was supposed to be standing here in my place. Toko Fukawa. I hardly knew her, and yet... finding her corpse was the first time I realized just how much impact my decisions had on the world. And yet... it was soon after that time when I first learned to accept help from my friends.

Friends help each other. The phrase "lone wolf" might sound cool, but in the wild, actual lone wolves tend to just... die off. Strength in numbers isn't just some motivational nonsense, it's supported by evidence both mathematically and in nature. And psychologically. It's been shown that having a friend or ally by your side makes pain and stress so much easier to bear. That's the way it always is.

I nodded to her. "Okay..." She let go of my hand. I turned to Nagito. "She might be staying, but make no mistake, we're not playing your game. I'm not a pawn, Nagito Komaeda. Especially not yours. I couldn't give two shits about your hope and despair bullshit. All I care about, the only thing I've ever cared about... were my friends. And right now, two of my friends have decided to help me sort this mess out, and save another one of my friends. So I can't hesitate now." I paused, gripping my weapon tighter. Then I quickly added "Also, you can't follow us. Sorry, Chiaki." Before swinging my weapon down to break one of Nagito's kneecaps.

"Al!" Chiaki snapped.

"I said I was sorry!" I quickly raised my hands in defence.

"You didn't have to go that far...! That's... overkill!"

"Look, he's got a shitload of kids on his side." I added. "They can take him back to base. He'll be fine. I just can't let him follow us."

She took a moment to calm down. Sighing, she decided "I... I guess you're right. But once evacuations are up, we need to find him and take him with us. As soon as possible."

"Yeah, of course."

Nagito, still on the ground, gripped his busted leg in agony. Through gritted teeth, he spat "If Komaru Naegi had run away, the hope of this city would have gone with her... To prevent that... A wound like this will not diminish my resolve... Though it does hurt."

"If you're still feeling chatty, answer my questions." I said. "How do I free Byakuya?"

"All you have to do is defeat the Final Boss. You save the princess after defeating the Final Boss, right?... In theory." And now he's making me think of Byakuya in a dress. Fuck you, Nagito.

"In theory...?" Komaru repeated.

"I was not the only one who came up with the plan to take you to the children's base." He answered. "I have a partner... But I'm not sure what they are planning, to be honest."

"Who is your partner?" Chiaki asked.

"There's no way I would tell you that. I have... already been disqualified from the game. But it'll be alright. No matter what kind of despair awaits you, hope will overcome it. The deeper and darker the despair... the brighter and more powerful the hope born from it."

"Yeah... you're crazy alright." Komaru said.

"I thought I told you to cut it out with that hope and despair bullshit." I warned.

"Anyway, all you need to do is progress forward. I will support you until the very end." He told us.

"So in order to get back Byakuya, we need to stop the children's rioting, right?" Komaru confirmed. "Then... I'll do it. There's no other choice... Right, Al?"

"Are you sure you're up for it?" I asked.

"There's no way I can accept leaving you behind." She assured me. "Thanks to you, I've come this far... And not just that... Maybe I'm not really attached to this town, but I will save my friend."

"Komaru..." I sighed, but silenced myself before I ruined the moment with a sarcastic remark.

"Oh, and one more thing... I have a little hint for you." Nagito added. "The building the children are using as a headquarters is called "Towa Hills." Marching in there with just the three of you would be a bit... suicidal. Monokumas have dug in all around Towa Hills. Even you three would have trouble with that many."

"Then what do we do?" Chiaki asked.

"Well... we could ask for help." Komaru suggested. "From Shirokuma and Haiji."

"Their help, huh?" I let my tone speak for how helpful I think they'd be.

"They want to stop the children as much as we do!" She defended. "Shirokuma said it too. If we work together, everyone can be saved, and everyone's happy. Right?"

"How inspiring..." I deadpanned.

"But I think you and I can do it! It's going to be alright."

"Ah, such splendid growth... Your world has gradually grown wider..." Nagito said. "As expected of his little sister. My judgement was indeed correct. Ah, that reminds me. The Resistance base is in the sewers, correct? In that case, there should be an entrance to the subway if you go through the business district. As I recall, there was a blue building... If you move through there, you'll reach the base."

"Those are some oddly specific directions." I noted. "Is this also part of your scheme? Gonna ambush us?"

"I would prefer that you think of it as "support." It is information that will help you..."

I brushed him off. "Whatever. It doesn't matter what your plan is. I refuse to trade one life for another. I'll save everyone I can... Even if it costs me my life." I muttered the last part as I turned to walk away. Chiaki and Komaru followed me.

"...Do your best. Defeat despair." Nagito barely muttered behind us. I swore I could hear his twisted laughter as we left the shrine.


Nagito's plot has been revealed, the plot to convince Albert to force Komaru to stay by using Byakuya as a hostage. Of course, if you've been paying attention to Albert's characterization, you would know that a decision like this isn't an easy one for him. So I think it's a nice sign when he only hesitates slightly before deciding to complete the mission. I wasn't gonna have him act like Toko and try to battle Komaru. That just doesn't fit him, in my eyes. Also, the fact that he isn't horny for Byakuya probably helps his judgement a bit.

Also, goodbye to Nagisa. It was nice to know him for... one and a half chapters. I'm also aware I skipped a couple optional conversations in this chapter, but it was long enough, and I knew the conversation would just end up repeating what they were already talking about. So in lieu of making Albert and Nagisa broken records, I decided to skip it.

In the next chapter, Albert and friends will once more attempt to convince Haiji and his friends to fight.