Here we are, the Epilogue of Another Despair, almost two years in the making. And it just so happens to be later than I planned. Given the running theme with this story, I find that quite fitting.

I don't have anything else to say that I can't wait to say at the bottom, so I'll see you when you get down there.

As always, now and forever, I hope you enjoy.


Epilogue

The Day Before the Future

"I see... So that's what happened."

A few days had passed since the final trial, though that time seemed to fly rather quickly. Most of our attention was focused on the survivors who had woken up, trying to help them get acclimated to their bodies' terrible conditions. Luckily, the medical staff on this island was actually pretty good. They were members of the 4th Division, and while they weren't the best that that division had to offer, they were still trained medical professionals. A few prescribed medications here, a few scheduled surgeries there, and the former Remnants of Despair were slowly but surely returning to some level of functionality.

We also spent that time explaining to them all of the complicated lore that they needed to know, whether it be things they learned in the trial and forgot in the shutdown sequence, or things they never knew in the first place. That was mostly where Chiaki and I came in, since we were the resident expositors.

We did our best to explain everything while the group was all together, simply because it was easier than having to repeat ourselves. But there was one person that was entitled to more details, that I felt I had to set the record straight for. He needed to understand my situation, the position I was in back during our school days. He needed to understand how my mistake affected him, flipped his entire world upside down. Thus, Chiaki and I pulled him aside, and we met on the rooftop of the administrative building.

For all intents and purposes, he appeared to be Hajime Hinata. Shortly after leaving the Neo World Program, he shaved his hair back to the short length he remembered it to be, and his body wasn't as ravaged as the other Remnants' were. He was also able to relax around his friends, sharing jokes and trading jabs, and certainly didn't seem like a nihilistic supergenius. At a glance, the only telltale sign that he was different was his left eye, which still bore the same red colouration that Izuru had, despite his right eye returning to his original hazel pigment.

But every so often, his mood seemed to shift. One of his friends would say a catchphrase or something, and he'd remark that he found their reaction "boring." Or like right now, despite having a conversation with me, he was staring off to the clear blue horizon, leaving me to speak to his back. I dunno, it just seemed like he could switch from his usual self to someone much more world-weary and melancholy with the blink of an eye. A creepy, heterochromatic eye. One might say he wasn't entirely Izuru or Hajime... but my guess is that he was entirely both of them.

I scratched my head at his blase response. "Uh, yeah... If you'd like some time to yourself, I'd understand. Y'know, to digest it all..."

He shook his head. "No, that's okay. It's pretty much what I guessed already, anyway."

"Ah... I see."

Chiaki stood at his side, looking between the two of us. "Hajime, are you-?"

"I'll be fine, really." He insisted. "What about you?"

"Huh?"

"It's just, I noticed that the two of you seem pretty nervous. Is there anything else I should know about?"

Chiaki and I exchanged a glance.

I shrugged. "I trust him if you do."

She turned to him. "My teacher, Ms. Yukizome... might be a member of Ultimate Despair, too. That's why... before I can truly reunite with everyone, I need to confront her. I need to resolve this, so we can all have closure."

He nodded. "I understand. And I'm guessing this is a secret, even for the other Future Foundation members?"

I sighed at just how sharp he was now. "Yeah. Not a peep, to anyone. The last thing we need is a witch hunt."

"You can trust me. I won't tell a soul."

"Right, good, that's... great."

Finally, he turned toward me. "...You still have something you want to say." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah..." I sighed again, trying to think of how to word it. "I just... I dunno, I feel like I owe you an apology."

"For what?"

I stared back at him, wondering if he was joking. "Weren't you listening? I just got done explaining to you how much of your suffering is a result of my inaction!"

"Al..." Chiaki muttered.

Hajime shook his head. "That wasn't your fault."

I shook my own, staring at the ground. "Bullshit. If I had just said something, anything to get you to back out of the Izuru Kamukura project... none of this would have happened. The Student Council mass murder, the Reserve Course mass suicide, The Tragedy, it's... The reason you've killed so many people, the reason you were put through the killing game, the reason you were forced to make such self-sacrificial choices... It's all because of me."

Hajime's heterochromatic eyes pierced me, but after a few moments, he sighed and turned his gaze away. "How boring..."

"Huh?"

He met my gaze again. "Yeah, maybe if you did some things differently, things wouldn't have turned out so wrong. But the same could be said for the rest of us, too. If I just didn't accept the Izuru Kamukura project, Junko never would have had the chance to corrupt Izuru. If the people in charge of Hope's Peak Academy didn't try so hard to cover up Junko's crimes, she could have been stopped before the death toll got too high. If your physicist friend didn't put that mental block over you, you could have stopped Junko long before The Tragedy would have been an issue. Just because you're from another dimension doesn't mean you're the only one with any agency or responsibility. We've all made mistakes. The Tragedy is the end result of all of those mistakes. Not just yours."

I sighed and nodded. "I know. I know that. I guess I needlessly brought down the mood again, huh? Sorry about that."

"You can stop apologizing."

"Heh, only when I'm dead." I laughed, though neither of them seemed to see the humour in it. I decided to change the subject. "I'm hungry. You guys hungry?"

"Well, you pulled me away to talk just before I was going for lunch, so yeah."

"Let's go see everyone, then." Chiaki agreed.

As the two of them passed me to get to the stairs, I watched them. Chiaki seemed happier than I had ever seen her before, but she had an air of... anticipation about her. Ever since the day Junko almost killed her, she had pretty much lost everything important to her, and this was the greatest thing that's happened to her since then. But she knew that this wasn't the end, that we still had more dangers to endure before we could reach our happy ending. So now, she was waiting for the other shoe to drop. And if I'm being entirely honest, so was I.

But there was no reason not to enjoy the brief moment of respite, either. With that thought, I happily followed along behind them, content to play the third wheel.


As we entered the cafeteria, I did a quick scan of everyone, which wasn't that difficult considering they were all seated at the same table.

Since exiting the Neo World Program, Hiyoko still had yet to get acclimated to her sudden change in height. Gaining a foot and a half all at once will do that to you. I'll admit, it was kinda funny seeing someone who was supposed to have Ultimate-level dancing abilities stumble around like she was wearing stilts, but I was respectful enough not to bring it up. On the more gruesome side of things, she was lucky enough that her body wasn't mutilated too much, at least compared to her fellow Remnants. After all, her main method of spreading despair was by using her charms to drive people mad. But I knew from the medical reports that the flesh under her kimono was covered in hideous self-inflicted scars, so her situation wasn't perfect.

Nekomaru, meanwhile, seemed to be trying to get used to the fact that he was once again flesh and blood. I knew from both medical reports and my meta knowledge that he suffered from more than a few medical conditions, and it likely wasn't pleasant to switch from a robotic body into an imperfect organic one. Though, considering that he was supposed to only live to be 20, the fact that he was still alive by this point was impressive. Unfortunately, his time as a Remnant did a number on him, covering him in injuries and battle scars from top to bottom. One thing I was grateful for was that his... aura was back to normal. When he was a Remnant, simply looking him in the eye was enough to send a jolt of fear through even the most steadfast person. Now, though, it was more of an energizing boost that could give me a quick pick-me-up.

As for Sonia, her role as a Remnant was similar to Hiyoko's, using her leadership position to tear the world apart. As such, she also didn't sustain very many wounds, aside from a those that are self-inflicted. Most notably, she has several scars across her wrists that I assume she earned in occult rituals. Given her conservative style of dress, though, she seemed to have no trouble hiding those injuries. Aside from that, I knew from medical reports that she was now on antibiotics for a few, uh, infections of the sexual variety. But that was none of my business. I was mostly concerned for how well she was taking the news that the Kingdom of Novoselic kinda sorta didn't really exist anymore. I mean, there were probably still cities and survivors, but if you give a heavily-militant country a Remnant of Despair for a leader, that's a quick way to get erased from the map.

Hajime and Chiaki beat me to the table first, and joined the group discussion. I made my way over, stopping to grab a sandwich from the lunch line, and sat across the table from the rest of them. "Hey, everyone."

"Hello, Albert. How are you today?" Sonia asked.

"Same as usual, Your... uh, Highness-"

"Please, no formalities. We are former schoolmates, and you helped save my friends and I. Call me Sonia."

"Hey, at least he's pre-trained to respect his betters." Hiyoko snarked.

I rolled my eyes. "Alright, Sonia it is. But you have to call me Al, in that case."

She smiled. "Very well, Al, I will accept your deal."

"With that settled..." Nekomaru leaned forward. "Is it true that you're leaving later today, Al?"

I glanced at Chiaki. From just that single glance, I could tell she had yet to explain to them that she would be leaving, too. I wasn't going to be the one to break it to them unless she asked me to.

"Yeah, it's true. My friends and I, there's still a lot left for us to do. The world's a big place, after all. As much as I'd like to stay here and get to know you all..."

"I get it." He nodded. "You have people you need to protect. You should do it while you still have the chance."

I looked around at all of these people, who have lost so many, who lost so much of themselves, who only had each other left. I nodded. "Don't worry, I will."

Hiyoko's smile was the first to fade as she asked, "Not to change the topic, but... where's Nagito?"

At that moment, I heard a door behind me open up. I turned and saw Nagito standing there. His physical condition wasn't much better than when I saw him at Towa City. Of course, I knew that, similar to Nekomaru, he also had a couple of terminal illnesses that were supposed to claim his life halfway through his time at Hope's Peak. The fact that he was here before us was a miracle. The guy had to have the devil's own luck.

He made his way over to our table, still walking with a limp from his busted knee (I already apologized for that, shut up), greeting us. "Hello, everyone."

"Nagito. How did the surgery go?" Hajime asked.

He smiled at his concern. "As well as could be expected. Want to see?"

Normally, when someone said "Want to see?" in response to their surgery, my first thought was to get up and leave. Of course, I already knew what his surgery was for, so I watched with interest as he rolled up his left sleeve.

Where before there was Junko's decaying severed arm, there was now a brand new prosthetic. He gave it a few test movements, waving his fingers through the air and twisting his wrist, showing off how smooth the motions were.

While the others marvelled at the technology before them, my eyes drifted to his upper arm, where the prosthetic met flesh. His skin seemed red and irritated, and there were purple-coloured veins running up under his rolled-up sleeve.

I pointed. "Is that, uh, normal?"

He followed my gaze. "Oh. Funny story about that, actually. According to the doctor, having a dead arm attached to my own severed stump is pretty bad for my health."

"No way. Really?"

He chuckled politely at my sarcasm. "Anyway, I apparently have blood poisoning, and the doctor was surprised that I hadn't died from it yet. I'm on antibiotics for it now, but if I held off for even another week, it definitely would have killed me. You know what that means?"

I shrugged. "That you seriously do have the devil's own luck?"

"It means I owe my life to the Future Foundation. To you. If it wasn't for you, I'd probably still be wandering the world... an agent of despair, with untreated infections running through my body... It's thanks to you that I've managed to avoid such a terrible, undignified fate."

"Ah. Well... You're welcome."

I looked around at the others. While they didn't say anything, I could see it in the way they looked at me. They, too, were grateful for what I've done, even if it was painful for them. I like praise as much as the next guy, even when it was for something that I felt I could have done better, but it's also kinda weird to be surrounded by people who feel like they owe you something. Usually I'm the one who insists that I owe others. Damn, that probably comes across as obnoxious to everyone else, doesn't it? Still, I found it a little amusing that, for this reason, Hiyoko was actually the least-awkward member of their group for me to hang with. Her version of "owes me" merely extends to trying not to insult me too much.

In any case, I had other business to attend to, and I was happy to leave these guys to themselves. They seemed more happy with their own company. And Chiaki would need some time to let them know about her departure.

I popped the last bit of my sandwich into my mouth and said, "I should probably hurry and get packed. If I don't do it now, I'll be rushing to do it later. Don't want to be late."

"You won't leave before saying goodbye, will you?" Hajime asked.

"It would be most improper to leave without bidding farewell to your friends." Sonia agreed.

I smirked, rolling the word around in my head. I guess I was friends with these people now, wasn't I? "I won't. That's a promise."


As I stepped into the Pod Room, I felt a cold chill run down my spine. It was eerily quiet, but that wasn't because I was alone. I was surrounded by eleven people. Ten of them were coma patients, still on life support within their respective pods. I slowly walked around, examining each of them, making sure their vital signs were fine.

Then I stepped toward the eleventh member of the group. I put a hand on the central computer, feeling the warm hum as it worked. I was no cat, but if I closed my eyes and listened to the whirring of the machine, it was like I could feel her inside.

"Despite all odds, despite how painful and unnatural it was for you... You decided to believe in me. So I gotta keep up my end of the deal. Somehow, someday, I'll get you out of there. Even if it takes me the rest of my life, I will never give up on you."

My only response was more humming and whirring, but I hoped that my feelings managed to get through, anyway. Whatever she was going through, she would need whatever positive vibes she could get.

As I opened my eyes and moved my hand away from the machine, I heard the door behind me open. Turning, I saw Chihiro enter the room.

I had expected to be the only one in here today, so I had a hard time hiding my confusion. "Hey. You forget something in here?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, no. I was in the Observation Room, talking with Alter Ego, and saw you enter this room on the monitor."

"Ah, right, that makes sense." My first instinct was to tell him that I just wanted some alone time with these people, but I thought about it for a second. I was going to be leaving today, but Chihiro was going to stay here to look after Alice and the Neo World Program. We could always talk over radio or video call, but that didn't always feel personal enough. If there was anything serious that I wanted to tell him, in person, today would probably be my last chance for a long time.

So, I offered, "Do you wanna talk for a bit? Like old times?"

His eyes widened, and he looked around. "Here?"

Again, my first instinct was to say, "It's as good a place as any." But then I realized that we were surrounded by vegetables. "Nah, it's... pretty morbid in here, actually. How about we go for a walk?"


So we went for a walk. It was still midday, so the sun was able to cut through the clouds of pollution. Combined with the tropical climate and lack of serious time limit hanging over us, it felt like your average summer day.

We found ourselves strolling along the the same port that I had walked with Toshihide about a week ago. We talked about all sorts of things now that we weren't weighed down by duty and obligation. The topics that were the least important seemed to feel the most meaningful. For the first time in forever, we didn't have to worry about the past or the future. We could just live in the moment. Dare I say, it was like I was back in high school.

Eventually, though, we did have to refocus. Time waits for no one, as they say.

"You're leaving today..." Chihiro reminded me, leaning against a rail and staring out to sea.

"Yeah. There's still a lot left to do. For one thing, I kinda owe Hina a favour for stepping in to watch Komaru for me. And I'll probably have to help the others come up with an excuse to get her outta there."

He smiled. "Knowing Hina, she's probably glad to have a job that lets her run around."

I chuckled. "I can see that. Also, lets her work with her brother..."

We were quiet for a moment before he asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Hm?"

"Your family, I mean."

I gave a sombre smile. One of the last few things I thought I still had under wraps, and he saw through me like a window. "...Nah. I mean, I don't mind just talking about them, stuff we did, things like that. That's all fine. But I don't think talking about how much I miss them is going to help much. Yeah, I have some bad days where I'm basically grieving for them. How could I not? But that's just grief. I'll be over it, eventually. The important thing is... I'm not alone. You guys are my family, now."

He smiled and turned away, but I noticed a far-off look in his eye.

I asked, "How about you?"

"Huh?"

"Do you wanna talk about your family?"

He shifted on his feet. "You mean like, my dad?"

"I mean like, your mother." The only reason I knew he had a mom was because Taichi mentioned a wife when I met him back in Towa. Since then, though, I don't think either of the Fujisaki men have mentioned her.

He stared out to the horizon again. "...She wasn't in Towa City, right?"

"Well, they haven't evacuated everyone yet, but... probably not." I recalled the image I saw of Makoto's and Komaru's parents, hanging dead in a torture chamber. I hoped that Chihiro's mother had avoided such a cruel fate.

"I'm scared that... she's not coming back." There was some steel in his voice, as he tried to keep himself together, but I could hear the wavering underneath it. "I think that she probably... died, in The Tragedy."

I turned to face the horizon, myself. The Tragedy hadn't exactly been kind to anyone's family. I once again recalled Makoto's and Komaru's parents. I recalled Kyoko, who had lost her father. I recalled Byakuya, who had his entire lineage snuffed out. I recalled all of the Remnants, who had slaughtered their own families due to Junko's influence. And, of course, The Tragedy lead to Toshihide tearing me away from my home. So many families lost or torn apart by The Tragedy. What were the chances of Chihiro's making it out unscathed, even with my influence?

Still, I reached over and put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't lose hope."

He looked up at me through watery eyes.

"Sure, it's entirely possible that she's gone, but we haven't found any evidence that she is, right? I'm not telling you to get your hopes up or anything, but... As long as there's a nonzero chance that she's still alive, then you can't give up on her. You have to have faith."

His face softened, and he wiped the tears from his eyes. With an almost teasing tone, he said, "And you say you're bad at this."

I gave a light laugh. "Well, I've been through what you're going through. That's practically how I thought until Toshihide confirmed that I'd likely never be able to return home."

"You said "likely" that time." He pointed out. "So it's not a sure thing?"

I thought back to the conversation I had with Toshihide. It was over half a year ago by this point, but I think his wording was ambiguous enough. "Yeah, I guess not."

He smiled. "Then you're not allowed to give up, either."

Despite myself, I smiled as well. He didn't quite realize what he was doing. Losing my ticket home was what solidified my resolve, allowed me to fight despair with my everything. I wasn't about to let that go just for some slim chance of returning to my old life, a life that was barely even mine anymore.

"Thanks. But I was serious before, when I said that you guys are my family. You and the others, I love you all, and I'd do anything for you. That's why I know, no matter how far apart we are, we'll never be alone."

I was surprised when Chihiro responded by tackling me in a hug. I probably shouldn't have been. Also, oof, the guy really was getting stronger by the day. In any case, I returned the hug.

"Just make sure you come back safe, okay?"

Once again, my first instinct was to say "I'll try," because no one could know what might happen out there. But instead, the words I spoke were, "I will. I promise."

In my head, I could hear Alice's voice. How did that one go, again? Something like... "Chihiro, we will get everyone out of here, I promise!"? Yeah, that sounds about right.

At the same time, another voice entered my head. "Ah, I thought I would find you here."

Toshihide manifested his projection just at the edge of my peripheral vision. Given the way Chihiro jumped and separated the hug, he must have seen him, too.

"Albert. Fujisaki." He greeted. "How do you two find yourselves on this day?"

"Does he have to do that every time?" Chihiro muttered to himself.

I stepped toward Toshihide. "I'm fine. You?"

"Enervated, but not excessively so. An average day for me, then. In any event, I wished to speak with you before your departure."

"Okay..."

There was a moment of silence before he added, "Alone."

I was about to voice my objection, but Chihiro said, "It's alright. I should probably get back to work. Besides, I'll be there to see you off, okay?"

I stared at him for a moment before guessing, "You just don't want to hang around Toshi, is that it?"

"Wh-What? No, that's not..."

"You don't have to spare my feelings, Fujisaki." Toshihide assured him. "Frankly, I wouldn't want to "hang around" someone like me, either."

"Um, o-okay... Anyway, I'll see you later, Al."

"Yeah, seeya."

As he walked off, Toshihide added, "Also, I can read your mind, so lying is a moot point." Chihiro quickened his pace, and the Physicist gave a chuckle.

"Why didn't you do that, before?" I asked.

"Hm?"

"You wanted to know how I felt about you. You could've just read my mind."

He shrugged. "I wanted to hear it from your own lips. Same as why I asked you how far you were willing to go to save your friends, way back when. Sometimes, our minds know things that we aren't yet privy to."

"Sometimes, I think you're doing better with your mental problems, but then you say things like that..."

He stared out to the horizon. "Were you serious, before? When you tasked me with watching over Class 77-B and Alice Kizuki?"

"Someone's gotta hold down the fort while I'm gone. Chihiro and his dad will have enough on their plate. I barely remember the names of any of the Future Foundation personnel in this place, so I dunno about them. While I trust the survivors, I need to make sure they don't fall down that slippery slope again."

"And you think I'm a good candidate for the job of counsellor? To be blunt, that sounds as sane as putting a pyromaniac in charge of a hydrogen blimp."

"You know what they've gone through." I pointed out. "The Tragedy drove them crazy, caused them to do horrific and irreparable things. The Tragedy drove you crazy, made you desperate for a way out, willing to do anything, even kill me, to escape that hell. Out of anyone in the world, aside from maybe Alice or myself, you're probably the best person for the job. You're able to empathize with them."

He seemed to consider this. "Okay, so more like putting a nuclear scientist in charge of Chernobyl. Didn't save them in the end, though." He paused, before adding, "That word had a lot of meaning behind it when you said it. Empathize."

"Friendships are forged under shared experiences." I explained. "Those bonds give us the motivation to hope, even in the face of insurmountable odds. Love and empathy are better despair-killers than something like talent will ever be."

"...You're right. Of course you are." He smiled. "Very well. It's not as if I am entirely blameless for their situation, and I do seek to make reparations. If you truly desire to have me supervise the Remnants of Despair, so I shall do my best."

"Don't forget that Alice is part of that, too."

"I had assumed she was Fujisaki's department."

"She won't be, not forever. Eventually, she'll be released from the program. When that happens, she'll need as much support as she can get."

"It's not a certain that they will be able to release her, you know."

I shook my head. "Yes. It is. Besides, you better hope she makes it out. I was able to put our past behind us, but if I find out that someone else you pulled into this world died on your watch... Well, I'm sure you can guess how I'd react."

His image flickered at the thought. "Very well. Her, too." He seemed to want to say something else, but kept glancing in the direction that Chihiro walked off.

"Is that everything, or...?"

He looked uncomfortable. "...For now. I... I should go somewhere else."

I wanted to ask him where he had to go, but before I could, I blinked, and he was gone from my vision.

I sighed. So much for a fond farewell. I turned to make my way to the hotel. I'd need to finish packing before I left.


As the day moved to a close, I made my way back toward the dock from where I first arrived on this island, with Kameko's bugbox and my high-frequency baton hooked to my belt, and pulling along a roller bag containing my few other belongings. At the end of the dock, I saw the same ship that I arrived on. And standing at the border between land and pier were all my friends from Class 78.

I could overhear them talking as I approached, though I was only able to make out the last few lines.

"Leaving them on this island..." Kyoko shook her head. "If the higher-ups at HQ find out about this, it will definitely cause a scene."

"We need to work on concealing it." Makoto agreed.

"That's not a problem." Byakuya said.

"And what do you intend to explain to HQ?" Kyoko inquired.

Makoto scratched his head. "U-Um... About that... I was gonna think about it while I was on the ship..."

"Well, here's an idea, for starters..." I interrupted. "Tell them part of the truth. That this whole operation was my idea."

I was met with surprised reactions, but I couldn't tell if that was from my sudden entrance, or my suggestion.

"You would take all the blame yourself?" Byakuya asked.

"No, of course not. That'd be stupid." I swivelled my roller bag around so that it was in front of me, and leaned on the handle. "I'm just trying to make sure they can't put all the fire on Makoto."

"But if we say the whole thing was your idea..." Chihiro started.

I shook my head. "Makoto's the Ultimate Hope. It's a mantle he wears well, but it makes him a symbol. Symbols have power. Power brings responsibility. The Future Foundation knows this, I doubt Munakata would be such a tyrannical ass toward us if he didn't. He holds you to a higher standard because he knows that every action you take is an example to the common folk. Sparing the lives of the Remnants of Despair... unfortunately, that's not the kind of example Future Foundation wants people to follow. But if I take the blame for influencing you, well, they'll still persecute you, because Munakata's a dickhead, but you can get a lighter sentence by playing innocent."

Celeste let out a light laugh as she adjusted Grand Bois Cheri in her arm. Her other arm was occupied with carrying a parasol, because I guess she'd burn up in direct sunlight. "Well, you've certainly thought this through. As usual, you would make a shrewd politician."

"Given the politicians I've known, that's not the compliment you think it is."

"But would you really do that for me?" Makoto asked. "If something goes wrong..."

"I'd do anything for you. You know that. If something goes wrong..." I shrugged. "It's my ass on the hot seat instead. Big whoop. I'll survive."

"I think what Makoto's trying to say is, you don't have as much protection as he does." Kyoko explained. "Like you said, he's the Ultimate Hope. They consider him an important symbol, one they might not be willing to lose. But the only reason they took you on so quickly was because they wanted to use your knowledge of future events to prevent any disasters. Now that we've passed most of those events..."

"If you end up charged with treason, they could go as far as revoking your position altogether." Makoto finished.

I grunted, turning my gaze downward. I stared at the Future Foundation badge on the lapel of my lab coat. The only thought that entered my mind was, Would that be so bad?

"Doesn't matter. They can't strong-arm me into being someone I'm not. If the Future Foundation decides that something right is something wrong... then I guess I'll have to fight against the Future Foundation."

Byakuya shook his head. "Always so melodramatic. Though I suppose there's never a dull moment with you around, because of that."

Celeste glanced up into the sky, toward the sun. "Does anyone have the time? It feels as though we've been waiting forever."

I checked my watch. "Eh, it's only three minutes past our scheduled departure time. Besides, we're not in a hurry. We can leave at any time."

"Chiaki's the only one we're waiting for, right?" Chihiro asked.

"Don't forget Miaya."

"She's already onboard." Makoto explained. "Her wheelchair is kinda bulky, so she needed to be lifted up. They decided to get that done now, while they had the time to."

I nodded, once again noting how nothing on this island was wheelchair accessible. Ah well, one more thing to fix at a later date.

"Chiaki..." Celeste muttered. "You don't think she got cold feet, do you?"

"She did seem pretty reluctant to leave the island." Kyoko noted. "And she has yet to explain exactly why she wants to leave, in the first place."

I chuckled, turning in the direction of the road I came up on. "You guys... I might not have any more future events to warn you about, but even I can tell you that there's no way Chiaki's bailing on us."

"What makes you so certain?" Byakuya asked.

"The future might have many branches, infinite possibilities..." My grin widened as heads began to peek over the hill in the distance. "...but those possibilities are contained within our choices. The future is ours to decide."

A minute later, Chiaki had reached us, followed by her five surviving classmates. Given their lack of confusion, I assumed that Chiaki had managed to explain her situation to them. Luckily, they seemed to be taking it pretty well.

"Pardon our tardiness." Sonia apologized. "It would not do to let Chiaki leave without a farewell. Nor the rest of you, for that matter."

I glanced around at my classmates. They always seemed so uncomfortable when dealing with the Remnants, even after Miaya and I assured them many times that their mental states weren't at risk of slipping into despair again. I guess that was only natural, though, given the kinds of things these people were doing not even a month ago.

Because of this, it was a pleasant surprise for me when Celeste gave a slight bow in Sonia's direction. "It's no trouble at all, Ms. Nevermind. We understand how these things are."

"Indeed." Byakuya agreed. "For some reason, in our group, every parting is an elaborate process."

"You know the reason." Kyoko shot, a smirk on her face.

"Yeah, well, after this whole mess, I refuse to lose anyone else!" Hiyoko turned to Chiaki (who I still had to process was shorter than her now, holy shit), and pouted. "You understand? You better come back in one piece!"

Chiaki smiled at her concern. "Don't worry. I promise, we'll all have a proper class reunion someday soon."

It was at this point that I realized what we were, what these two groups represented. No longer senpai and kouhai, no longer enemies on the battlefield. Here we stood, two groups of people who survived the killing games. People who had what it took to survive to the end, people who stared despair defiantly in the face and lived. People who would forever carry the lives of those who died for us, or because of us, on our shoulders.

"I've got an idea!" Nekomaru suddenly announced. "I understand that you guys still have things you need to do. But, when Chiaki comes back, what do you say the rest of you join her? Once we're all together, and matters aren't so pressing, we can hold a big celebration! What do you say to that!?"

"Well, it does sound like fun..." Chihiro decided. "But I think it's a little early to start planning celebrations, isn't it?"

I nodded. "Your suggestion is nice, Nekomaru, but I'm afraid that's still a while off. And, not to sound defeatist, but there's always a chance we won't be making it back here, either."

"No, that's wrong." Hajime interrupted.

"Huh?"

He stepped forward. I noticed that he'd been in his Izuru-like mood since he arrived, and now he fixed his piercing gaze on my friends and I.

He took a moment to figure out what to say. "...Because of my many talents, I'm able to naturally predict things that most people would never think to plan for. That's not a brag, that's just... how I am. And, from what I can tell... Yeah, you guys are definitely going to succeed. It might take a long time, and there might be a lot of despair between now and then... But you guys are all people who know how to take control of your futures. That's how you survived the killing school life, after all. So I already know, there's no way you guys can lose. No matter what, everything will turn out okay."

I smiled. Glancing at my friends, a couple of them didn't know how to take the praise.

Makoto stepped forward as well, meeting Hajime in the middle of our two groups. He extended his hand, and they shook.

"It was nice to meet you." Makoto said. "All of you. And I appreciate that, when the stakes were as high as they were, you all made the right choice. I only wish there was more time to get to know you better."

"There's never enough time." Hajime's gaze turned out to sea once again. "One day, you're arriving at the front gate of your new school, and the next, everything you know and love is gone... or different."

I suddenly spoke up. "When we live with one foot in the past, and one foot in the future... only then are we able to make the most out of the time we have."

Hajime fixed his gaze on me and smiled. "Yeah, something like that..."

Upon hearing my words, Chiaki looked up at the ship. "...Okay. I'm ready."

"Ready?"

"I have to leave sometime, right? As much as I'd like to... I can't just stay here forever."

Despite being "ready," Chiaki still took a couple more minutes to say her extended goodbyes to her friends. It was just as well, since we took just as long saying our goodbyes to Chihiro. It was like some kind of weird friend-exchange, now that I think about it.

As everyone turned and started making their way to the ship, I turned to follow them. But then I paused briefly. I turned back toward the former Remnants.

Ah, there he was. Slinking himself away in the back was Nagito. If I knew him at all, I'd guess he didn't want to interrupt this beautiful meeting of true hope, or whatever.

I thought about leaving him with some parting words, but what would I say? Our ideals barely matched up, and I wasn't sure if he considered me a friend like the others did. In fact, he was the exact kind of person who got under my skin. Still, if there was any part of him that I hated, it was that he was so insistent on separating himself from others.

Without thinking, I called out, "Hey, Nagito!"

He looked up suddenly, apparently shocked that I had sought him out.

Continuing, I shouted, "I'll prove it to you! I'll prove that the talented and talentless can exist equally! I'll prove to you that anyone can be a beacon of true hope! And I'll prove that hope does not need to consume the weak in order to prosper! Bet on that!"

From the distance between us, it seemed like his face was twisting into a grimace, and I briefly wondered if that was the wrong thing to say. However, a second later, he raised his hands to his mouth and, with some reluctance, called back to me, "I look forward to it! I hope you can prove me wrong!"

I smiled and turned to board the ship.

Standing at the base of the stairs up, the captain was waiting for me, the same one who brought me here. I recalled that I said I'd share a drink with him at some point, or something. Guess I'd have to make time for that later.

He gave me a mock salute. "Hey, Doc. How'd you enjoy your time in the tropics?"

I smiled back, and shook his hand. "It wasn't exactly the vacation I needed, but it went better than I expected."

"That's good to hear. Now, let's get you and yours outta here. I don't like these waters. Too many bad omens, y'know?"

I nodded, chuckling. "Superstitious folk, indeed..."

When we boarded the ship, he personally took my bag and bug for me, before shouting to his crew to lift anchor and get us out of this place.

A few minutes later, Jabberwock Island was nothing more than a speck on the horizon.


After getting myself settled into my quarters for the voyage, I wasn't really sure what to do. I spent a while talking with Makoto, Byakuya, Celeste, Kyoko, and Chiaki... but eventually, I felt the need to step away from things.

I found myself standing at the prow of the ship, just as I had during my arrival trip. Only this time, I was facing the opposite direction. The sun was setting on the horizon, bathing the ocean a bright orange as the sky transitioned from clear blue to blood red. My lab coat billowed in the salty wind. With a yawn, I pushed my glasses further up my face. The smell of the sea reminded me of my home town, a port city on the east coast of Canada. Despite the grief I usually felt at being reminded of my old life, I didn't mind those memories. In moments like this, they helped me keep a calm bliss. I smiled, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath.

Beside me, a voice said, "Beautiful evening, is it not?"

I had to do a double-take when I saw the new arrival. "Toshi!? What are you doing here!? You were supposed to stay at Jabberwock Island!"

He waved me off. "I'm not bound my gravity and inertia the same way you are. I'll return there in a minute. I simply... didn't want to leave things as they were..."

I blinked. "Oh. You wanted to say goodbye that badly?"

He rubbed his neck. "Well, that, too. But, before that, I had... an offer to give you."

I stared at him. "Okay...?"

His eyes were closed, and he gave a tired sigh before saying, "...I could send you back."

"Back? Back where?"

"Home. I could send you back to the universe you originated from."

I stared at him for a long time before speaking the only thing on my mind. "What?"

"I have enough psychodynamic energy to send you back to your home universe. Not only that, but due to the way that energy effects the 4th dimension, I could even send you back to the moment just after you left. And I believe I could restore your body and memories to what they were in that moment, as well. You could return to the life you left behind, with no one any the wiser that you had left in the first place. You could leave all this trauma behind."

I didn't know how to respond. I stared at the floor. "...Why are you telling me this?"

"I'm worried. Worried that you won't survive this war. Your skill and luck have gotten you this far, but how much more can you stand? How much longer until you die? I just wanted to make sure that... before that happened... I had explored all the possibilities. That I had given you the chance to back out."

I shook my head. Through clenched teeth, I said, "Why don't you just read my mind for the answer?"

"For the same reason as before. I want to hear it from your own lips."

"I can't do it, okay? There. I just can't... I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I abandoned this world."

"You wouldn't have to. I said I could clear your memories."

"I would know. The me of right now. In this moment, I would know what I chose. Besides... the people of this universe would still remember me. They would lose me. You think I would put them through that?"

"Irrelevant. There are an infinite number of universes. An unlimited number of worlds exist where your friends lose you, whether at Hope's Peak, Towa City, Jabberwock Island, or even through some freak accident. At least if you choose to take my deal, they can be happy knowing that you would be returning home."

I shook my head. "No. I wouldn't be. I'd just be leaving this home behind."

He stared at me. "Ah... Just like Alice Kizuki, is that it?"

"Home... isn't a place that you live. Home is family. These people are my family, too. That makes this place my home. And I can't leave family behind when they need me most."

He turned back toward the sunset. "I see. It's just as well. I wasn't looking forward to dying."

"...Wait, what?"

"When I said I had enough psychodynamic energy to send you back, I meant that I literally have just enough. If I used it to send you back to your original universe, I would no longer be able to hold myself together, and would perish. Disappear."

"Then why even offer?"

"Because I meant it. I would have killed myself to provide you that safety and comfort. After everything that I put you through, I figure that would set the balance straight."

I folded my arms. "I thought we were putting the past behind us. You're not very good at this, are you? But I guess I'm not one to talk..."

"Well, not just that, I suppose. It's also that... you are my friend. If I would not perform an act of kindness for you, then who?"

"If you really wanna help me out, you could spend some of that energy to warn me when I'm wandering down the wrong timeline. Help me keep to the path of least resistance, you know?"

He shook his head. "Beyond my capabilities. Even if I was willing to revoke my earlier promise to remain as an observer for something like that... It's not possible for me."

"Why not? Can't you travel up and down the timelines pretty easily?"

He sighed. "It's hard to explain, since you've never perceived 4th-dimensional space, but... Describing time as an infinitely branching path is only a rudimentary explanation. In truth, time is like a bunch of wriggling vines, and sometimes, those vines get tangled. I'm sure you're familiar with Shroedinger's Cat, correct?"

"It's a thought experiment that was originally intended to prove just how counter-intuitive quantum mechanics are, but ended up becoming a perfect example to explain to newcomers how quantum mechanics works."

I actually managed to get him to chuckle at that. "Yes, in essence. But the way it applies to the 4th dimension is interesting. Take, for example, Hope's Peak Academy during the killing game. Junko Enoshima created the perfect situation for a real-life Shroedinger's Cat scenario. The school was entirely cut off from the rest of the world. The world could see what was going on inside, but those inside had no idea what was going on outside. In other words, the world was the box in which Shroedinger's Cat was being kept. For those within the school, the outside world existed in superposition. The moment the doors to Hope's Peak Academy were opened, the state of the outside world became fixed. But before that moment... Those inside the school existed in a completely different timeline then those on the outside. Do you see?"

I hesitated, before slowly nodding. "So... at that point, there were two separate pasts?"

"Two pasts that combined together to form a coherent future. Two branches that twisted together into a single branch again. And there may be a universe out there where your past was the same, but the outside world's past was completely different."

"Okay... and you're saying, that's going to happen again?"

"Oh, yes. To put it in terms that your 3-dimensional mind can understand... It's like we're approaching a thicket, an overgrowth of bushes and entangling vines. Time, as it flows naturally, will eventually clear a path for those who follow it. But if someone like me tries to hurry the process, tries to force my way through that overgrowth, then I run the risk of getting caught in the entangling pasts and futures. Hell, I could potentially end up becoming a living superposition, myself. That sounds almost interesting enough to attempt..."

"I'd... rather you didn't." I muttered. I considered what he was telling me. Man, Doctor Who was right, time is a big ball of wibbly-wobbly stuff. "What kind of event could create a... thicket, like that?"

"Again, it's hard to see through all the branches and vines. But if I had to guess, I would say it's the Final Killing Game. You said that was coming up soon, didn't you?"

"I'm not sure how soon." I admitted. "All I know is what I've read from the synopsis, that it starts with Makoto on trial for helping the Remnants."

"...Like I said, I'm worried for you. This... entanglement of time... it's bigger than the one at Hope's Peak, or the one we just got through at Jabberwock Island. The number of possible pasts and futures that could result from it... It's utter chaos. The likelihood of you dying during it is high, to say the least. That's why I felt the need to give you an out, before it was too late."

I huffed. "Maybe every timeline ends with me dying in that game. Maybe it's 100% guaranteed. But I've got a job to do, so there's no other option."

"Death before dishonour, then." He nodded respectfully. "I'll be with you every step of the way. And I don't have to read the minds of your friends to tell you they feel the same way."

"Right. Doesn't matter how thorny the path gets. We'll get through it, one way or another. That's what we do."

By this point, the sun had finally dipped under the horizon, leaving us under the blood red night sky.

After a few minutes, Toshihide spoke up. "I know this is a weird thing to say out of nowhere, especially when I actually have memories of the two of you interacting, but... You and Susumu would have been great friends. His sense of humour is weird and crude, but it has a bit of overlap with yours."

"Yeah, I believe you. From what I hear, he was a pretty good guy. I take it you haven't gotten over his death, yet?"

"The same way you haven't gotten over the deaths of your friends. Nor Alice, her's, I suppose. Susumu is the legacy that I'm going to carry for as long as my soul still exists, whether I like it or not."

"That's good. That means he still exists, too."

Toshi stared out to the sea, an almost dazed look on his face. "The smell of the ocean... reminds me of the time his father took us to an aquarium for a marine biology course, when we were kids. He was so excited that I got excited as well, despite having no interest in the subject..."

He was mostly rambling at this point, so I had followed his gaze out to the sea. "So, are you planning on heading back, soon?"

I heard a few metallic clacks, the sound of his Newton's Cradle that replaced every sound he made. I turned to see what he was doing, and barely stopped myself from gasping.

Tears were trailing down his face, dropping down onto the deck below us. "Soon. Just a little bit longer..."

I stared for a few seconds before responding. "Yeah. Take all the time you need."

I turned back to the boundless sea once again. The boundless world. My home. The only home left for me. One way or another, I was going to save it. Nobody, not the Ultimate Despairs, not the Future Foundation, nobody was going to stop me.

It's impossible to know what the future will hold, especially when we're holding ourselves back by worrying about the past. Sometimes, something can happen that can shake our world, strike us to our very core, and it can take a while to recover from it. But eventually, we have to get back up, dust ourselves off, and keep moving. Otherwise, what was it all for? And as much as we might want to shut out the rest of the world and ignore our problems, sometimes, we have to rely on other people. It can be scary, to put your trust and belief in another person, but by doing so, we can also accomplish so much more than we ever could on our own. Those people can help us get through whatever trauma we're stuck on, and they can help us focus on the future. Because no matter what, you have to believe in your future. No matter what happens, no matter how long your string of bad luck might seem, no matter how alone and empty you might feel, you have to believe that there's another good day out there, waiting for you. Your situation could always get worse... but it can always get better, too. Believe in the future.

There's always another way... There is always another hope.

The End


That's it. Two years in the making. Damn, am I glad to finally be able to check this off as Complete.

Now, chances are, if you've read this far into my series, then you're probably looking forward to the next story. So, let's discuss that, because my plans are a little complicated and I want everyone to get it. My next two stories are going to cover the events of the DR3 anime, obviously. The story covering the Despair Arc is going to be called "Another Past," and the story covering Future Arc is going to be called "Another Future," which will be the grand finale of this entire series (I don't have plans to cover V3 at this time). In the same way the anime was aired, releasing each arc's episodes in alternating order, I plan to do the same with Another Past and Another Future, releasing each chapter in alternating order. As you can imagine, this is a little complicated, and requires that both stories have an equal amount of chapters. Because of this, I plan to finish them both BEFORE I begin posting chapters from them. So unlike my previous stories, which had a roughly month-long waiting period between them, these two probably aren't going to appear until sometime next year. On the plus side, once I start posting, it'll be a steady stream of content with no interruptions (unlike this story was).

But I don't plan to leave you all on dead air during that whole time. I have a few lighter projects planned to fill the silence. For one thing, I now have an account on AO3 (under the same title, PotatoSorcerer), and I plan to start porting my stories over there. Of course, since my older work isn't a good representation of my current writing style, I do plan to... remaster my first story. The plot and mysteries will stay the same, but I plan to fix grammar and reword some awkward sentences. Think of it like how the Danganronpa Switch ports have enhanced graphics, except this is the literary version of that. So, if you ever find yourself over on that site, feel free to stop in and see how I'm doing.

On the more original side of things, Danganronpa S comes out later this year, and I've been looking for an excuse to write slice-of-life interactions between my OCs and the original characters. Originally, I was going to do a story of UTDP, but this is basically an expanded version of that. Plus it gives me the excuse to design swimsuits for my OCs, so that's fun.

I was also thinking of creating a forum, where people can have discussions or ask me questions relating to my stories, or even just general questions about me, like what my favourite dinosaur is (it's a triceratops, btw). I dunno if it'd get a lot of traffic, maybe you guys can tell me what you think about that idea.

Either way, I hope every single one of you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! The story of Albert Wright is far from over. There's plenty of thrills, chills, and kills in store for him before he earns his happy ending. Because there will always be another despair... but there will always be another hope, too.

Goodbye, for now!