Makoto put the binoculars on the table and sat on the couch. "A terrorist organization with Junko as their god. Sounds terrifying but I won't hold back, I am doing this speech."
"We can't be sure if the city is safe and cleared, there might be some terrorists left hiding in the underground or the skyscrapers, literally anywhere." Kyoko stated.
"Wait but isn't it cruel to call them terrorists? I prefer brainwashed people." He suggested.
"It doesn't matter. What does is that you're their top one arch enemy, you made their deity commit suicide. Going out there is unwise, to say the least." Kirigiri pointed out.
"We do have the vests and the guns, right? Soldiers will escort us as well so I don't really see the problem as much as you do." Makoto spoke out.
"I get it you want to save everyone except for yourself as always. You have to be this stubborn don't you?" She asked a bit annoyed.
"The citizens and the soldiers need to have faith in the new better world! I will try my best to make them feel prowess and will to fight." Naegi decided. "Fear is not stopping me."
"Fear is our instinct and often a lifesav-"
"Kiri thanks for caring about me but you won't prove your point. I am going on the stage and I'm doing my job, period." He interrupted.
"Be careful." Kyoko put his vest to his chest and glanced into his eyes to highlight her seriousness.
"For certain." He wore it.
After the plane landed the two Ultimates got into an armored truck to be escorted to the rostrum. A few other military vehicles were with them forming a convoy.
"It looks like a tsunami of blood went through this city..." Makoto noticed after looking through the machine's small ballistic window.
He saw almost half of all windows in the town broken, bloodstains lying around like puddles after heavy rain. "At least they already took all the bodies away. May they rest in peace..."
Kyoko didn't say a word.
"How are you not touched by this? You were shocked when you saw some other city from the plane." He said a bit indignantly after seeing no reaction from his friend.
"It wasn't a ruined city, it was a mass grave forming a smiling Junko's face. Except for there were no tombs but naked people tied to a barbed wire lying in the open like they were some food for animals." Kirigiri confessed.
Naegi's face turned pale as he brought his hand up to his mouth and leaned away from his former classmate like he was about to puke.
"I'm used to dead bodies so I forgot that other people can react like this. I apologize." She regretted.
"It's f-fine, if I want to give them a moving speech I need to know what's going on." Makoto slowly straightened, barely keeping himself from vomiting. "I thought that our killing game was cruel but, that's just-"
"Just try not to think about it." Kyoko didn't let him finish his sentence.
"O-okay... But, I gotta say that it's still insane to me that someone can get used to investigating bodies like they were just objects. Not only that but you were solving murder mysteries so early as just a teen. Don't get me wrong I- I admire you for your skills but-"
"You don't have to explain yourself I get it. I guess that I'm just good at being emotionless." She interrupted coldly looking at her gloves.
"You are great at it when the situation requires you to. But besides that, I actually find you a very nice and comforting person." Naegi assured with a smile after he noticed her looking down and because of that, he felt guilty for making her feel worse.
"Even though you compliment everyone you know I'm still flattered to hear that." Kirigiri pretended to be clearing her throat but what she actually was doing was ineffectively trying to hide her slight blush and a small smile. "..You know, since I met you I actually started to be more-"
The vehicle stopped and the doors opened almost immediately revealing waiting soldiers.
"Oh, we're already here." He got out and offered his hand to his friend for her not to accidentally fall because of the high heels she was wearing.
"Thanks." She grabbed his hand and got down.
Subsequently, they were escorted to the backstage by a group of heavily armed soldiers.
"You can come out whenever you're ready Sir." A man in a suit said.
"Sure thing." Makoto replied.
"I took a look and there's like maybe a million people waiting for you. Anyone can be hiding a gun so the probability of an assassination attempt is ridiculously high I'm not even talking about the skyscrapers and possible snipers." Kyoko warned.
"I'll be in a cage made of bulletproof glass right? It'll be fine." He insisted.
"The glass is a protection for only one shot, if it breaks you will need to immediately hide behind your rostrum, there's a thick piece of metal in there." Kirigiri instructed.
"Our division has made sure that it's safe, you don't need to worry." A soldier ensured.
"Alright well, I'll be going now then." He stepped forward but stopped when felt her gustily grabbing his hand without wearing her glove. "Hm?" He turned around to her.
"It's just... good luck." She wished hesitating to say something more.
Naegi smiled and got on the stage.
When he stood at the rostrum he saw an uncountable amount of people, where many of them were injured, expecting to hear his words. So to not keep them waiting he brought the microphone up to near his mouth.
"At the beginning, I would like to say that I'm united in sorrow with all of you. Seeing your loved ones going crazy or getting killed is something you will never forget. It's an experience that will surely leave a scar on your heart, and very possibly make you fall into depression, which is a state of hopeless despair. That's exactly what Junko Enoshima would want, the demon that exited the gates of hell to visit our world. Fortunately, she didn't stay here for long because her lust for despair was crushed by the combined hope of mine and my friends. What I believe is that it's your duty to fight for their memories to not be forgotten, but honored on a peaceful land where senseless despair is only the bitter past. A peaceful land where your children won't have to see bloody puddles, or hills of dead bodies, but cities and villages inhabited by people full of life. I know that it's very difficult for you to imagine something like this right now, considering that the current state of many towns is deplorable, including New York. It'll take many years to rebuild your cities, but most importantly for you to find peace again. Many of you have lost everyone they had, lost people that will never be replaced but will live in your hearts, and it's your responsibility to make them remembered for generations to come. None of us deserved this fate, but if we want to revenge on Junko and avenge the ones we've lost we need to build our bright future, but not alone. What I truly believe in is that we can work for our better future together, united against the remaining despair that surrounds us! Senseless despair ends here! Our future begins!" Makoto shouted as the crowd started cheering.
"I'm incredibly happy to bring you some great news in this time where all the news you get are bad ones. I am proud to announce that Future Foundation has developed a device that can reverse Junko's brainwashing and the first units are on their way to you! So despair disease is no more! Every ill person can now be saved and returned back to normal! Prisons for brainwashed people can now be turned into hospitals for them!" He joyfully spoke to the people that seemed glad about the news. "It's a wonderful feeling to see your faces filling with hope."
A soldier went to Naegi and gave him a detonator. "It's for the Junko's monument." He whispered.
"Oh, alright.." Makoto took it and unmuted the microphone.
"I'm sure that no one here tolerates that giant statue over there so let's give it a good blow, shall we? Count with me! To the new beginning! Ten! nine!" The Ultimate Hope raised the detonator and started the countdown along with the crowd. "Two! One!-"
Suddenly a heavy gunshot sounded around...
A long sniper bullet broke the glass cage with ease, making it collapse. It felt like time has drastically slowed when the bullet was flying forward along with many shattered pieces of glass, while the other bits were falling down.
