Wet and shivering, Yasuhiro Hagakure climbed out of the cold seawater and back onto the rocky shores of the island. He had been trying for hours to get back into the building while being pursued by an enemy helicopter, dodging whatever projectiles it fired at him. Just moments ago, he had jumped into the water just in time to avoid yet another attempt on his life. Not too soon either, since the helicopter in question had fired a barrage of rockets that shook the foundations of the tower he was standing outside of. A tower he could not even enter due to the main entrance being blocked by rubble.
"Awww, man..." he groaned. "This has to be the worst day of my life!"
After removing his suit so he could place it on a rock to dry, Yasuhiro sat down in his tank top and shorts, and pondered how Makoto and the others were doing.
"If only there was a way to know what's going on in there." he said to himself, looking at the tower.
Then it hit him.
"Duh! I'm the Ultimate Clairvoyant!" he slapped himself on the head. "Come on. Focus...focus..."
He closed his eyes and pressed his fingers against his temples, trying to mentally reach out for an answer. Then he saw it. He gasped in horror, as he received a vision of Makoto, Nagito, Asahina, and Kirigiri, as well as most of the Future Foundation board members laying dead on the boardroom's floor. Slaughtered like animals by an unknown assailant.
"Oh no, they didn't make it!" Yasuhiro started shaking all over. "No...please no!"
Suddenly, he heard the rotary blades of a helicopter.
"Oh come on, man!" he yelled, frustrated. "Can't a guy mourn in peace?!"
He laid himself flat on the ground, as the helicopter passed right over him, flying black against the red sky like an evil bird of prey. Thankfully, it didn't see him in the darkness.
"Then again, my predictions are always, uh...thirty percent accurate!" he said, assuring himself. "And there's like two Ultimate Lucky Students in there too. Somebody's got to be alive in there."
He swallowed hard.
"And I hope they let me in soon. What are they even doing in there?!"
Contrary to Yasuhiro's prediction, there were plenty of survivors gathered in the boardroom. There was an awkward silence between them. After all, up until a half hour ago, everyone had been at each other's throats and suspecting each other of betraying the Future Foundation. Thankfully the tension didn't last long, since Asahina decided to speak up.
"When we get out of here, guys, I'm going to make a mountain of donuts." she said to the others. "To celebrate our survival, and for Nagito and Seiko's upcoming wedding."
Nagito chuckled.
"Sorry, but it's got to be bagels. You can't put cream cheese on a donut."
"Well you can't put sprinkles on a bagel either." countered Asahina. "So I insist that I make donuts."
"Bagels." said Nagito.
"Donuts."
"Bagels."
"Donuts."
"Bagels!"
"Donuts!"
They kept going on and on, as the others found themselves turning their heads to follow their argument. Eventually, Nagito and Asahina both started laughing.
"In all seriousness, I insist we have bagels, because Seiko can't eat sweets." said Nagito.
"Oh. Okay." said Asahina. "Sorry, Kimura."
"It's no problem." said Seiko. "I don't mind if other people eat sweets, as long as I don't have to eat them."
"Uh..." grumbled Sonosuke. "Can we stop talking about food for a second? My Forbidden Action was not eating anything. I'd rather not be reminded of it."
"Sorry." asked Asahina, looking around the room. "That reminds me: What was everyone's Forbidden Actions?"
Most of the survivors were seated in an uncomfortable silence.
"Come on, don't be shy." said Asahina. "The Killing Game is over and the arm bangles are off, so we don't have anything to worry about now. Plus Naegi already told everyone his."
"Why don't you tell them yours first, Ruruka?" asked Seiko. "After all, Nagito and I already know what it was."
"Uh...right." Ruruka muttered.
She used the fingers on her good hand to drum the table nervously.
"Well...you see, my Forbidden Action was..." she began.
She hesitated nervously.
"It was..." Nagito began.
"Don't interrupt me, Komaeda!" said Ruruka. "I can say what it is! Just give me some time. Jeez!"
She took a deep breath.
"It was letting anyone leave the playing field." said Ruruka. "If anyone found a way out, I'd be dead. But in hindsight, I deserve to be dead."
"Can't argue with that." said Juzo.
She buried her face in her large fluffy sleeves, while Sonosuke wrapped his arms around her to comfort her.
"As Andou was clever enough to deduce, my Forbidden Action was opening doors." said Munakata. "That's how she was able to trap me in a room until the Killing Game was over."
"I never thought you would fall for such a trick." chuckled Tengan. "It's rather fortunate that Andou was so resourceful, or you might have ended up killing someone. Your inability to trust others may have actually done us a favor, Andou."
Ruruka shifted uneasily in place. Sonosuke, on the other hand, remained perfectly still and glared at Tengan. He was clearly still thinking about their fight during the Killing Game.
"Anyway..." Tengan continued. "My Forbidden Action was answering a question with a lie. And that's the truth."
"My Forbidden Action was throwing a punch with my bare hands." said Juzo, cracking his knuckles.
"Well that's good." said Asahina. "Mine was getting hit with a punch or kick."
"I couldn't open my left hand." said Kizakura. "Ryota, what about you?"
Mitarai started shaking.
"Something the matter?" asked Kizakura.
"I couldn't...use...my talent." said Mitarai, half-muttering.
Nagito, Seiko, Asahina, and Makoto all looked at Mitarai, visibly worried about him. Tengan looked concerned about Mitarai in particular. Mitarai, who previously stuck close to Tengan, refused to be anywhere near him, nor even make eye contact with him.
"My Forbidden Action was removing the glove on my left hand." said Nagito, diverting attention from Mitarai. "And since my left hand was actually not my own, I had no problem with cutting it off."
"Ewww..." groaned Asahina.
"Thanks for the kunai, Izayoi." said Nagito. "Without it, I wouldn't have been able to get my arm bangle off."
Sonosuke looked dumbstruck, like he couldn't believe that he actually did something to help Nagito. But he said nothing.
"My Forbidden Action was..." Kirigiri paused, looking at Makoto. "Making it to the fourth round while Makoto Naegi was still alive."
Makoto's eyes widened.
"Oh my god." said Makoto. "So I could've been responsible for your death while I lived."
"Yes." said Kirigiri. "Not that I would've let anything happen to you of course, Naegi."
"That's interesting." said Seiko. "Yukizome's Forbidden Action was letting Kyosuke Munakata die."
Munakata frowned, nodding in confirmation. Nagito got up.
"Nagito, what...?" Makoto asked.
He walked over to the other end of the boardroom, sitting on his knees in front of Chisa's corpse, which was still covered in Gozu's coat.
"Thank you, Miss Yukizome." he said, his eyes closed and still smiling. "You were the most wonderful teacher we could've asked for. I'm sorry I wasn't here for you before. But I'll do everything I can to make up for it."
Seiko joined him, sitting on her own knees and turning to face him.
"She was a valued member of Future Foundation. Our organization wouldn't have lasted as long as it did without her."
Nagito didn't move or change his expression, but tears were now running smoothly down from his eyes. Seiko placed her hand next to Nagito's. Nagito took it.
"She was like a mother to me." said Nagito.
"Same for me." said Seiko. "After you left, she, Munakata, and Sakakura were the closest thing I had to a family."
"What about your own family?" asked Nagito.
"My mother and father died after the Tragedy." frowned Seiko. "And my uncle..."
Makoto walked up to them. Nagito and Seiko heard his footsteps and got up to meet him, walking a respectful distance away from Chisa's body.
"You did a good job, Nagito." said Makoto. "You've really made me proud. I hope you and Kimura have a good life together."
"Thank you, Naegi." said Seiko.
Nagito opened his mouth and had the most starry-eyed expression on his face. He started shaking excitedly.
"Not only am I engaged to the woman I love, but I have the blessing of the Ultimate Hope himself!" He whispered breathlessly.
He seized Seiko from behind, lifted her up slightly, and squeezed her in the deepest hug he ever mustered. Seiko clenched her teeth and her bony body started squirming in Nagito's arms.
"Nagito..." she whispered.
"Oh, sorry." Nagito chuckled sheepishly, and let her go.
Makoto looked at Chisa's corpse.
"She was your teacher..." he said to Nagito, who nodded back.
"I know." said Nagito, frowning. "She was the best."
He looked at Seiko, then at Makoto.
"You said you were talking with her earlier, before the performance review." said Nagito. "What did she say?"
Makoto also frowned.
"Well..."
Makoto was seated in a brightly lit room. Seiko had just left a couple of minutes ago and now Chisa was tending to his injuries.
"My students." said Chisa, as she wiped a smudge on Makoto's face where Juzo hit him. "How are they doing?"
"They're all doing fine." said Makoto, as he sat in front of Chisa. "I'm sure you'll be very pleased to see all of them again."
"Komaeda was one of my favorite students, so I'm glad I got to see him again." Chisa said to him. "What do you think of him?"
"Well, he's a complicated guy." said Makoto. "Kind of hard to read. When I first met him, I couldn't tell if he was a good guy or a bad guy."
"So why did you choose to help him, even knowing that he was a Remnant of Despair?"
"Because of what he went through." said Makoto. "What they all went through. They lost someone that mattered to them, and he and the rest of your class fell to despair because of it."
"You're talking about Nanami, aren't you?" asked Chisa.
"Yes." Makoto nodded. "I know what happened to her. The former Ultimate Despairs explained everything."
"Nanami was such a precious cinnamon roll." said Chisa. "She basically ran the entire class when I got transferred to the Reserve Course. She was truly a beacon of hope."
"I know." said Makoto. "That's why we created an AI replica of her to watch over your students in the Neo World Program."
"Really?" Chisa tilted her head. "That's very interesting."
"Well it wasn't a perfect replication of her, but we did the best that we could." said Makoto. "Of course, they wouldn't be able to tell the difference anyway, since they won't even remember what the human Chiaki was like. In fact, none of them even know that a human Chiaki existed at all. As far as they know, the Chiaki they met in the Virtual World is the only Chiaki Nanami in existence."
"Maybe that's for the best." said Chisa. "If they knew what happened to her, they might fall into despair all over again."
"I could relate to them losing her though, because I too have to live with loving people that mattered to me. Sayaka. Leon. Chihiro. All of them. All of my classmates that died because of the Killing School Life. I'd say even Mukuro Ikusaba didn't deserve what happened to her. To think that her own sister killed her like it was nothing."
Chisa flashed her eyes when she heard Mukuro's name, and her hands balled up into fists.
"Yes." said Chisa. "It's...incredible what despair will make you do. Even to your own loved ones."
"Yukizome, are you okay?"
Chisa pretended to cough, and softly pounded her fist against her chest.
"I'm fine. Thanks for asking me." said Chisa. "But can we go back to talking about Komaeda?"
"Uh, sure thing." smiled Makoto. "I just wanted to say that I'm glad I was able to help him and his class."
"Even though you risked invoking the wrath of the Future Foundation?"
"Of course." said Makoto. "I knew what I did was incredibly risky, but the payoff to having them on our side will be well worth it."
"I'm sure it will." said Chisa. "I'm slightly disappointed that he doesn't remember me, but I understand why he doesn't. But it doesn't matter anyway. He's still my Nagito. I just hope poor Seiko will understand too. She was his girlfriend before the Tragedy, you see."
"She was?" asked Makoto.
"Yes." said Chisa. "They were incredibly close. That's what Seiko told me, anyway. She's missed him even more than I did."
Makoto bowed his head. It was one of the drawbacks to wiping the former Ultimate Despairs of their memories of Hope's Peak Academy. The relationships they made would be forgotten in addition to the bad things they experienced.
"Should I tell Nagito?" he asked.
"Uh..." said Chisa. "I wouldn't recommend it. I think you should just let these kind of things work themselves out. I'm sure Seiko will tell him everything when she's ready."
"Okay." Makoto nodded.
"Naegi, can I ask you to do something?" asked Chisa.
"Sure."
"Nagito loves hope more than life itself. Since you're the Ultimate Hope, I imagine that he must think the world of you. So please don't be harsh on him if his rambles about hope get too much for you."
"Heh, heh." chuckled Makoto. "It's fine. I'm no stranger to making hope speeches myself."
"That's a good boy." said Chisa.
Nagito smiled even harder through his tears. Seiko reached up and rubbed the saline off his cheeks.
"That was wonderful." said Nagito. "Thank you for sharing, Naegi."
"It's no problem. And please, just call me Makoto."
"Chisa was a good friend." said a voice, who walked up to them.
"Mr. Kizakura!" said Nagito, turning around.
"How are you doing, son?" asked Kizakura.
"I'm doing fine right now. Thanks." said Nagito.
Then he remembered what Chisa told him in the afterlife theater.
"Uh..." said Nagito. "There's something I wanted to tell you."
"Sure. Fire away." said Kizakura.
"Umm..." stammered Nagito. "Earlier, Miss Yukizome told me...about the truth of my suspension."
Kizakura's eyes flashed, but his relaxed expression didn't change.
"It was quite an episode, to say the least."
"Well, she told me how she got transferred to the Reserve Course." said Nagito. "And you got put on probation."
"Uh-huh." nodded Kizakura. He didn't seem upset about it, but Nagito still felt bad.
"Listen, I'm really sorry about what happened." said Nagito. "I didn't mean to get you in trouble for it. I only did what I did for my classmates. For hope."
"It's okay, Komaeda." said Kizakura. "I wasn't really that upset about it. I ended up going back to my old job as the Ultimate Talent Scout, so it was still a win-win. For me at least. And Chisa even got to be your class' main teacher when she was welcomed back into the Main Course."
Nagito nodded. He wasn't sure if he should bring up that he got his memories back, especially with Juzo and Munakata nearby. Still, there was something else he wanted to talk about.
"Chiaki..." said Nagito.
"Yeah, Nanami was a nice girl." said Kizakura. "Her death was a huge loss. Chisa must've taken it really badly, since she seemed glum ever since she joined the Future Foundation."
"I wish she could've met the other Chiaki." said Nagito. "And all of her class too. And even Hajime."
The memories of the original Chiaki were coming back, and they were bittersweet. So far, all he could remember at the moment were the various activities the class did together. But it was possible that even more memories would resurface. Less pleasant ones.
"Well you can still introduce me to the other Chiaki." said Kizakura. "And of course, the rest of my old class."
"Uh-huh." said Nagito. "I'll definitely consider it."
He frowned, though. He seemed uncomfortable talking about it any further. Thankfully Seiko noticed this and decided to speak up to draw attention away from him.
"Thank you for bringing everyone to safety, Kizakura." said Seiko. "You really pulled through."
"Hey, it was your idea." said Kizakura. "Everything turned out as well as it did because of you and your fiancé. To be honest, I was only interested in helping Kyoko over there."
"How come?" asked Nagito.
"Because I was friends with her old man. But since he's not here anymore, I figured I'd watch over his little girl. He was the headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy."
"Ah, that's right." said Makoto. "How come you didn't tell me you and her father knew each other?"
"Uh, I felt like it was on a need-to-know basis." said Kizakura.
Ruruka got out of her chair and slowly walked up to them.
"You two are engaged, right?" said Ruruka, overhearing them. "You're going to get married?"
Seiko frowned.
"As a matter of fact, we are." said Seiko. "Do you have a problem with that?"
Ruruka walked up to them, shooting a look at Nagito before looking at Seiko again.
"Well you're going to be his wife, then that mean only one thing." said Ruruka, with a sour look on her face.
"What?" asked Seiko, clenching her fists.
"I'm going to be your bridesmaid!" exclaimed Ruruka, throwing her good arm up with joy. "I once told Nagito that I would be your bridesmaid if you two stayed together even after you found out the truth of our expulsion."
It was true; Ruruka did mention that to Nagito when he confronted her in the alley. But she definitely didn't think Seiko would stay with him after telling the truth. Also, Nagito didn't want to mention this because he didn't want Ruruka knowing that his memories were back.
"Well..." said Nagito. "I guess it wouldn't hurt."
He chuckled.
"You can save your wedding plans for after we get out of here." Munakata called over to them. "Not before. I'm more interested in leaving this place behind us, so you can hold off on celebrating."
"Yes, he has a point." said Seiko. "We need to find a way to escape this place. Do you have any ideas, Ruruka?"
"Sorry, but I don't." said Ruruka. "I was so focused on the idea of anyone else leaving the playing field that I didn't think of how I was going to get myself out. And since Sonosuke told me the one door he found was a dead end, then it's possible that any other doors we find might be dead ends too."
"Monokuma didn't say anything about letting us out of here after the Killing Game was over." said Makoto. "There was no promise of giving us a way out of here once the Attacker was found and dealt with. All he said was that we would have to get rid of the Attacker for the Future Foundation to have a future."
"Which is why I was against this Killing Game from the beginning, to be honest." said Nagito. "If we were promised a way to escape the building, I wouldn't have had too much of a problem participating in the Killing Game. But there was no window of escape to look forward to, and I knew for a fact that I wasn't the Attacker. So it was all pointless. The mastermind would've surely had whoever was left all rot in here, no matter who won. Despair to the very end."
Ruruka frowned. She bowed her head and walked away without a word.
"Excuse me, Komaeda?" asked Kirigiri, walking up to them.
"Yes, Kirigiri?" asked Nagito.
"I would like a word with you." said Kirigiri. "In private."
Nagito and Seiko looked at each other.
"Sure." said Nagito.
Nagito and Kirigiri walked out of the boardroom and went around the corner.
"What was it you wanted to talk about?" asked Nagito.
"There's something important I want to discuss with you." said Kirigiri, with a stern tone in her voice. "Judging by that blow to the head and the way you've been talking to the others, I'm guessing that you've regained some of your lost memories."
"Uh..." Nagito's eyes widened.
"Komaeda, please be honest with me." said Kirigiri. "Do you have any intentions to harm or endanger anyone here?"
"No!" Nagito shook his head. "Of course not. I would never do anything to hurt my Seiko, or the Ultimate Hope and his friends."
"Good." said Kirigiri. "You just did a great thing for the Future Foundation. I would hate for that to come undone. But for the foreseeable future, I recommend keeping quiet about your past. Especially around Munakata. We still don't know who the mastermind is behind the Killing Game, and it would be unfortunate if he and his posse started suspecting you all over again."
"Ah, thank you." said Nagito. "I was actually thinking the same thing. But you don't think I'm the mastermind, do you?"
"No." said Kirigiri. "I can't say it's beyond your capabilities as a Remnant of Despair, but I can tell this is the work of someone else. Someone that managed to infiltrate the ranks of the Future Foundation, discover the secrets of most of the board members, and exploit them for their personal gain. The Killing Game was designed specifically to turn the senior members against each other. And this would have taken some time to plan out."
"So do you still think the mastermind might be someone in the group?" asked Nagito.
"I wouldn't rule that out." said Kirigiri. "But now that everyone is working together again, even the mastermind wouldn't dare to make another move. Not just yet. If the mastermind is among us, they'll want to escape just as much as the rest of us. Without the arm bangles or monitors, the mastermind is powerless here. But don't let your guard down, no matter what. And don't go anywhere alone."
"I'm so lucky to have a friend like you looking out for me."
"It's no problem, Komaeda." said Kirigiri.
"By the way, what did you want to talk to Seiko about earlier?" asked Nagito.
"Oh, well remember my Forbidden Action?" asked Kirigiri.
"Yes." said Nagito.
"I wanted Kimura to leave some of her medicine for me in case we made it to the fourth round before you came back." said Kirigiri. "I figured that if I took some of it before I was poisoned, it would delay it long enough for someone to revive me."
"Ah, that's very clever." said Nagito. "It's no wonder why Makoto likes you so much."
Kirigiri blinked. Even in the red light, Nagito could tell that there was a slight blush in her cheeks. She said nothing more about it, and patted Nagito on the shoulder.
"Come on, let's go back inside."
Asahina stretched her legs and got out of her chair, just as Nagito and Kirigiri walked back into the room.
"I'm so glad we don't have to keep hiding anymore." she said to Miaya. "I was starting to get cramped in there."
"What will you do now?" asked Miaya, via Monomi.
"Normally I'd go for a swim." said Asahina. "But since that's not going to be an option, I'm going for a run around the building."
"Hey, wait." said Ruruka, walking up to her.
"Huh? What did you want to talk about, Andou?" asked Asahina.
"First, I...I want to apologize for having Sonosuke throw that kunai at you earlier." said Ruruka.
"It's...no problem." said Asahina. "Really."
"Second, I was hoping that maybe..." Ruruka said, nervously. "Maybe you and I could...make donuts together sometime? I'm the Ultimate Confectioner, you know."
"Oh, sure!" said Asahina. "I love donuts and anyone that makes them!"
"You're sure?" asked Ruruka.
"Of course!" said Asahina. "I'll gladly make donuts with you when we get out of here!"
"If I made some, would you try them?" asked Ruruka.
"Well if you're the Ultimate Confectioner, I'll gladly try whatever you give me!"
Ruruka squealed excitedly.
"Oh thank you! Thank you!" her eyes welled up with tears. "I'll be your best friend forever!"
She gave a very confused Asahina the best hug she could muster despite her broken arm. She let go of her after feeling a jolt of pain in her arm.
'It might take a while before my arm heals up though." said Ruruka.
"Why don't you asked Kimura to mend it?" asked Asahina. "She's the head of the medical branch."
Ruruka's lip quivered.
"I don't think I could ask her to do that." said Ruruka.
"Why not?"
"Shh..." Ruruka frowned. "Just don't ask me. Please."
Asahina put her hand on Ruruka's shoulder to comfort her, but Ruruka gently sweeped it away with her own good hand.
"All right. Go for that run." said Ruruka. "I want you tired and hungry when I start making those donuts!"
"All right!" Asahina started running in place.
Then she sped for the doorway. Ruruka sighed disappointed, and walked back to Sonosuke.
"What about you, Kyoko?" Miaya asked Kirigiri.
"Since there is no Killing Game or Attacker to worry about anymore, I'm going to take a look around for clues." said Kirigiri. "I have a strange hunch about this place."
"If you need someone to be your Dr. Watson, I'm available." said Kizakura.
"Fine. Just don't get in my way." said Kirigiri. "Sakakura, can you do me a favor?"
"What the hell for?" asked Juzo.
"I want you to show me the dead end that you and Izayoi found." said Kirigiri. "Let's see if it's really a dead end."
"Fine." said Juzo. "It's probably going to be a waste of time though."
He gave her directions to the reading room.
"Thank you."
"All of this insanity's been getting to me." sighed Tengan. "I think I'm going to need a private therapy session with Gekkogahara."
Kizakura chuckled.
"Sounds like you're joining in on the love fest too. You know, if you just wanted to ask her out on a date, just say so."
Miaya turned her wheelchair left and right, but said nothing. Tengan chuckled in return.
"Nonsense, Koichi." said Tengan. "My feeling towards our Former Ultimate Therapist are strictly professional. She is a respected colleague to me, and nothing more. Besides, I think she might be a...little too young for my taste."
He gave her a sharp look.
"Do what you will, Chairman." said Munakata. "But I will be in charge of finding a means to escape this place. Izayoi, can you make some explosives to blast a a way out of this building?"
"I probably could." said Sonosuke. "But it would take some time, especially with the limited resources we have."
"I could help." said Seiko. "I can make more gunpowder, or even plastic explosives."
"Wait, I thought you were the Ultimate Pharmacist." said Asahina. "You make drugs, not bombs."
Seiko chuckled.
"Oh, Asahina." she grinned. "'Pharmacist' is just another word for 'chemist'."
"Yes, it's true." said Sonosuke. "She could easily make explosives if she wanted to."
"But I prefer to use my talent to save people, not kill them." said Seiko.
"I'm sorry, but didn't you turn into some big ugly monster so you could try and kill me and Sonosuke earlier?" asked Ruruka. "That's not really saving people."
Seiko didn't say anything, and just glared.
"I never upgraded to firearms for one simple reason." said Sonosuke. "Because I'm a blacksmith, not a gunsmith. I actually keep a Desert Eagle with me as a last resort, but I don't like using weapons that I didn't make myself. So I seldom ever use firearms."
"Before anyone does something rash, I'd still like to make a thorough sweep of the complex." said Kirigiri. "Something's not right here, and I'm going to figure out what it is. So please wait until I am finished before you all bring the building down on top of us."
"Very well." said Seiko. "I trust in you, Kirigiri. And this will give me time to tend to everyone's injuries."
Kirigiri nodded, then she and Kizakura left. Seiko walked up to Tengan.
"Mr. Chairman, you're injured." said Seiko. "Let me look at your shoulder."
"Don't worry about me, Kimura." said Tengan. "I've had worse cuts than this. But maybe you should do something about Andou's arm. Unless you two are still holding a grudge."
"I would, but she won't let me." said Seiko. "Take this painkiller at least."
She gave him a pill, which he accepted.
"Thank you, Kimura." he said to her. "Where do you keep all of these anyway?"
Nagito walked up to Seiko and put his arm around her shoulders.
"Excuse me, but I think now's a good time for some...uh, privacy." said Nagito.
Seiko blushed.
"Nagito..." she muttered.
"Nah, it's not what you think." chuckled Nagito. "I just want to be alone with you for a while."
"Good ahead, you two." said Tengan. "I think you've both earned some quality time alone together."
"Thanks, Mr. Chairman." said Nagito.
He picked up Seiko and carried her out of the room over his shoulder. His body was half covered by her long white hair. After they left, he noticed that Ruruka and Sonosuke were sitting together.
"Are you okay, Ruruka?" Sonosuke asked.
"My arm's gone numb, so at least it's not hurting like crazy." said Ruruka.
"Are you sure you don't want Seiko to help you with it?"
"I don't deserve her help." said Ruruka. "In fact when we get out of here and stop the Remnants, I hope we never have to run into each other again. I think I'll just run a bakery or something. I'm not going to be much use with the Future Foundation anyway."
"Don't say things like that, Ruruka." said Sonosuke. "You're one of the smartest women I've ever known, and your sweets are the most delicious food I've ever had."
Ruruka sighed.
"Do you really like me, or do you just like me for my sweets?" asked Ruruka.
"Of course I like you." said Sonosuke. "You're the only person I care about right now. I'd do anything for you."
"Anything?" repeated Ruruka.
"Sure." said Sonosuke. "What did you have in mind?"
Ruruka whispered something into Sonosuke's ear.
"You want that?" repeated Sonosuke.
"Yes." said Ruruka. "As soon as you can."
"Okay, if you say so." he said with much reluctance.
Tengan, just as he was about to leave the room, looked around and noticed that Mitarai was gone. He must have sneaked out while everyone else was occupied with each other.
Seiko and Nagito went to the office with the destroyed monitor. Since they no longer needed to worry about Seiko's Forbidden Action, they didn't have to worry about stepping on Seiko's shadow.
"Seiko, are you really sure that you're fine with us getting married?" asked Nagito. "Even after everything that happened? Even after I became part of Ultimate Despair?"
"Of course, dear." said Seiko. "I've wanted us to get married for a long time. Do you remember when I wanted us to go on the train to the countryside and see the old temples? I was planning for us to get married in one of them. I mean if you were fine with that."
"I see." frowned Nagito. "So if I didn't get on that plane, then we could've been married."
"Yes, that's right." said Seiko.
"I'm so sorry, Seiko." said Nagito. "I really screwed things up for you. First I got you expelled and turned your friends against you, then I left you without a husband."
"Well this is your chance to make things right." said Seiko.
"I know." said Nagito. "But if you still want to yell at me or even down more of those strength enhancers for it, I wouldn't blame you."
"It's fine, Nagito." said Seiko. "You've already more than made up for everything that happened. Just promise you'll stay with me, and we'll consider it even."
"All right. I may not be Jeffrey Combs, but I promise I'll do everything I can to be a good husband. Or at least an adequate one."
Seiko chuckled.
"Oh, Nagito."
Nagito got out of his chair and laid on his back. He stretched his arms and yawned. Seiko got out of her own chair and joined him. He and Seiko laid beside each other on the ground, the latter wrapped in the former's arms. Nagito was blushing intensely.
"I can't get over how lucky I am." he whispered to her. "To be with a perfect woman like you. I'm so proud of how far you've come. You're on the Future Foundation board of directors, so you get to help people and bring hope to them through your medicine."
"Mm-hmm." muttered Seiko, sleepily.
She shifted herself in his arms.
"I've battled despair for years." said Seiko. "As horrible as everything was though, I never gave up on meeting you again. I just hoped I would find you before one of the other branches did. I kept a photo of you, Nagito. You looked so handsome in it, even after falling into despair."
Nagito frowned.
"Are you sure you're fine marrying me, even though my memories are coming back?" asked Nagito. "If the others found out..."
"Your secret is safe with me." said Seiko. "Believe me, I have plenty of experience keeping things bottled up in my head. It's why I wore that mask all the time."
"I know." said Nagito.
"Nagito, would you...tell me what Jabberwock Island was like?" asked Seiko. "In the Neo World Program, I mean."
"It was very beautiful, calm, and relaxing." said Nagito. "It was always bright and sunny, lush and green. And it had pretty much everything. The hotel we all stayed at had cottages where we would sleep, with some really comfortable beds. There were forests and mountains. There was also a store where we could buy stuff, and they had pretty much everything you could think of on sale. We would go down to the beach to relax and swim. It even had a military base with all sorts of hardware lying around."
"And what about Usami?" asked Seiko.
Nagito reflected on his memories of her.
Nagito collapsed to the ground, causing all the materials he collected from the military base to scatter on the ground. He had worked himself too hard and reached the point where he couldn't keep going.
Just then, he heard the sound of wings fluttering. He looked up and saw Usami flying towards him.
"Oh dear me!" she said to him in a panic. "Nagito, are you hurt?"
"I'm...fine." said Nagito. "Just too tired to keep going. I guess I'm pretty useless, aren't I? If you want to punish me, be my guest."
Usami walked up to him and placed her stubby arm on him.
"Don't be so hard on yourself." said Usami. "You worked long and hard. Why don't you head back to your cottage and take a couple of days off before trying again? There's still plenty of time before your deadline."
"So you aren't going to punish me?" asked Nagito.
"No! Heavens no!" said Usami. "You're my student, and it's my responsibility as your teacher to make sure nothing bad happens to you for as long as you're on this island."
"Even if that student happens to be..." Nagito said. "Someone like me?"
"I don't make exceptions for anyone." said Usami. "You're so young and you have your whole future ahead of you. All I ask is that you don't leave your cottage for the next couple of days. I'll make sure you get plenty to eat and drink until then. But please don't strain yourself too hard while you're resting."
Nagito nodded slowly. He still didn't know what to make of this strange white rabbit who claimed to be his teacher, but he was willing to cooperate with her. For now.
"She seemed nice." said Seiko. "I never talked much to Gekkogahara, but if she's anything like Usami, she seems like someone I'd enjoy talking to about my problems."
"Maybe I could talk to her too." said Nagito. "I could probably use some professional help."
"That's an understatement, hon." said Seiko.
She yawned.
"I've seen enough military bases in my lifetime." said Seiko. "I just want to settle down and live a peaceful life with my family."
"That's a hopeful goal to work towards." said Nagito. "I would like that too. Just me, my wife, and our children. If we ever have any, that is."
Seiko opened her mouth. But before she could say anything, there was a knock at the door.
"Komaeda!" said Sonosuke's voice.
Nagito slowly got up, with Seiko clinging onto him for support. Nagito gave her a gentle nudge as a gesture for her to let go. Nagito opened the door.
"I've got something for you." said Sonosuke. "Come with me."
"Nagito..."
"It's okay, honey." said Nagito. "If he wanted to hurt me, he'd be knocking the door down."
"You've got that right." said Sonosuke. "You can come along too, Seiko."
Mitarai walked down the corridor, nervously looking at his smartphone. He was at wit's end, and was checking behind his back to make sure he wasn't being followed. He just had to get out of that boardroom. If the others knew what he knew, he would be putting himself at great risk.
"People have been using my talent. My love of anime." he thought, shaking with anger. "Well I'm not going to let that happen again."
But he wasn't defenseless. He wasn't a fighter, but if anyone tried doing anything to him, he had something special on his phone for them.
"I'm so glad we had our talk...Ms. Gekkogahara." said a very confident Tengan, getting out of his chair.
"What will you do now?" asked Miaya, through Monomi.
"Only time will tell what happens next." said Tengan. "I think I'll go for a little walk."
While the others were pre-occupied with other activities, Munakata and Makoto sat together at the table in the boardroom.
"I'm glad we were able to put all of this behind us." said Makoto. "And avoid as much bloodshed as possible."
"Yes." nodded Munakata, still frowning. "Lucky indeed. It seems your platitudes aren't as hollow as I thought they were."
Makoto smiled.
"But we still need more than platitudes to fight the Remnants of Despair." said Munakata. "Yukizome, Bandai, and Gozu must be avenged at all costs. And the Remnants of Despair will not rest until all of us meet their fate. I've fought them for years, and I can assure you that their next move will not be another Killing Game. I think it's obvious that they're going out of style. Monokuma failed on Jabberwock Island, and he failed again on this island."
"So what do you think the Remnants will do next?" asked Makoto.
"At this point, open warfare doesn't seem like an impossibility." said Munakata.
"Open...warfare?" repeated Makoto, his eyes widening.
"Yes." said Munakata. "Much has been going in the world since you put Mr. Komaeda and his...classmates in the Neo World Program. Fifty days is plenty of time for the Remnants of Despair to gather their resources. They may just be that...remnants, but any animal can be most dangerous when it is wounded. They know their grip on this world is fading, so it doesn't take an educated guess to deduce that they will want to go out with a bang. They're saving their absolute best for last. One final assault on the Future Foundation. Which is to say, one final assault on hope itself."
"If that's the case, then we really need to find a way out of here, before more Remnants come knocking at our doors." said Makoto. "If there's a way we can contact the outside..."
Miaya entered the room and rolled up in her wheelchair, having apparently finished her therapy session with Tengan, and started typing frantically on her keyboard.
"We could go to the monitoring room and access the communications network." said her Monomi avatar. "But it will require turning the power back on, and the monitors with it."
Juzo snorted angrily. He had been leaning against the wall nearby, deep in thought.
"First of all, why the hell didn't you bring this up earlier?" asked Juzo. "We could've all gotten out sooner, before Bandai and Gozu died. We could've avoided this Killing Game entirely!"
He seemed more guilty than angry. After all, it was because of his violent behavior that Daisaku was poisoned by his arm bangle.
"Well..." said Monomi.
"Second, what if the monitors just play that despair video the moment we turn them back on?" asked Juzo. "We could all end up killing ourselves! Like what happened to Chisa and the Great Gozu!"
"Nagito and Kimura destroyed a monitor in one of the offices." said Makoto. "We could have everyone hide in there while me and Gekkogahara try and contact the outside."
"That won't be necessary." said Munakata. "I designed this building myself. All we need to do is switch on the second circuit breaker from the left to restore power to the communications network."
"All right, Munakata!" said Juzo, proudly. "Let's call in that rescue team!"
On the deck of the flagship of the Future Foundation blockade, the admiral stood firm, looking through his binoculars at the dark red horizon. Storm clouds were gathered there. There was a flash of lightning that illuminated the sky ever so briefly. But it was just enough time to reveal to him who was coming. Three dozen helicopters, both armed and unarmed. All of them were painted with two colors: White on the right side, black on the left side, with Monokuma's sinister likeness painted on the nose.
"Monokopters!" said the admiral. "Yes, I now have a positive ID on these bogeys."
He turned his head to face the crewmen behind him.
"This is Admiral Moriwaki!" said the admiral. "All vessels and their personnel must brace themselves for imminent combat. The enemy is approaching our position. Repeat: The Remnants of Despair are coming!"
"Battle stations! Battle stations!" echoed a communications officer behind him to the other ships. "Prepare to engage the enemy!"
All along the decks of the Future Foundation peacekeeping vessels, dozens of troops were cocking their assault rifles. More men and women coming up from below deck, deck guns and turrets were moving into place, and klaxons were wailing. The klaxons could be heard as far as Jabberwock Island itself.