In an innocently sounding singsong voice, Junko beckoned everyone toward the hijacked Exisal.

"Yep yep! Got a little show for you all over here."

Kyoko crossed her arms. "I'm fully aware of what you're capable of via Mitarai's talent."

"Upupupupu." The diva grinned. "You always have that healthy amount of suspicion in you."

Makoto passed by them both and walked over to the cockpit. "I'll do it."

"H-Hey!" Toko pointed her finger at him. "Didn't you just hear what Kirigiri just said? Or are you deaf?"

"If she wanted to brainwash me, I think she'd have done it by now." He looks over the screen while the rest of them look on in tensed anticipation.

The footage looks crystal clear. Whatever storage system the giant monkey-like robots had looked to be resistant to damage. It looked to be stationed inside a hangar with almost-blinding flood lights scattering throughout it. One by one he can see other Exisals moving forward on their own and walking up an incline up on the far side. Eventually the one he's watching moves itself, up the slope and into what appears to be an empty street in the city.

Towa City itself, from what he could see, was untouched by the tragedy. The buildings and roads were still all in one piece. It continued to follow the other Exisals to who knows where. It looked as if the Towa Corporation was actually testing them – whatever they told the military wasn't a lie. As it moved, the screen started shaking violently. From the point of view of the Exisal, it looked around and started to see that the once pristine buildings of Towa City started to be mysteriously replaced by their ruined post-Tragedy counterparts.

A few people were seen running around. The Exisal displayed positive IDs onscreen of the people who were running around it – all known employees of the Towa Group. It looked away from them for a second, but when the camera went back to where the people were panicking, they were mysteriously gone from vision as if they never existed in the first place. Eventually the entire landscape turned into the hellscape that they were all familiar with, completely devoid of people aside from themselves.

While in utter shock and confusion from what Makoto just witnessed, Junko had already moved extremely close to him while smirking close-mouthed.

"Isn't it just crazy, darling? It's like the people here were erased from existence. I thought dying was bad but this is even more despairing!"

Were the people really erased? That explanation didn't sit well with him. After all, why wasn't the city itself erased then?

"I take it she isn't just whispering sweet nothings into your ear, Makoto-kun."

He looked up and saw Kyoko waiting for his answer. "W-Well, if this footage is 100% genuine then…then the Towa City we know somehow overwrote the Towa City from this dimension."

Komaru looked absolutely lost. "Wait, what?"

"Yeah, I don't get what you're saying at all!" Hina yelled.

The lavender-haired detective placed her hand on her chin as she was deep in thought.

Mukuro kept her composure. "Then it means whoever we're dealing with it more dangerous than we thought."

"It certainly fits with what I've been able to conclude thus far." Kyoko continued. "After all, we've never run into alternate versions of ourselves have we?"

"That's true." Makoto replied. "We should've run into some other version of ourselves by now if they were running around."

Junko grinned as she lowered her voice into an analytical tone. "So that only means one thing. Our existence here means that we've replaced the versions of ourselves that are supposed to be running around."

Makoto and Kyoko grit their teeth. They had no evidence or theories to suggest the contrary.

"Eh." The former SHSL Fashion Girl continued. "Sucks to be them, I guess."

"T-That's absurd! I've never heard of a time travel or alternate dimension story where the characters replace other versions of themselves!" Toko countered.

Hina looked pensive. "Yeah… come on, Kyoko-chan. Tell her she's wrong."

"I'm afraid I cannot. You've met with this dimension's version of your family, correct?"

"Well yeah, but—"

"And they remembered you perfectly."

"Yes."

"The same could be said for both my grandfather and father. They would have both immediately notice if something was off about their memory of me. Class 78 still being first years also lends credence in Enoshima's theory."

Komaru began to panic. "I didn't want to replace myself here! I didn't even want to go to another universe!"

"None of us did." Makoto calmly countered. "But if that's really what happened, then I think we have a better idea of what the person or thing behind all this wants."

"Makoto…"

The serious-looking luckster narrowed his eyes and looked down slightly. "It feels like something really awful might happen soon if this keeps up."

"It's one thing to wholly replace individuals here." Kyoko replied. "But the fact is that Towa City was completely replaced by a different version of itself. And there were fairly strong earthquakes because of this, correct?"

"Yeah."

"Then what would happen if you replace something bigger, like an entire country or even a continent?"

Makoto sighed. "Something not good, I'm pretty sure."

"Precisely. It could become absolutely catastrophic."

"We have to figure out a way to stop it from happening."

Mukuro calmly cut in with a question. "Would there be a way to reverse what happened?"

"Doubt it, oh smelly sister of mine. It's kinda like how if you save over a file in your computer, the old version's usually gone forever!" Junko smirked. "Unless you got a backup."

The former SHSL Soldier secretly sighed in relief. She decided to ignore the smelly comment just this once. Her sister just gave a curious look at her for a few moments until turning her attention back to the brown haired man. The mood soured from their somewhat tense and lighthearted one just moments ago.

Junko simply shrugged in response to all the silence and went back to tinkering with her new toy. Hina nodded at the rest of them while she stayed and kept an eye on her.

"I don't know what you're planning, Enoshima-chan, but you're not going to get away with it this time!"

The self-styled queen of despair slung a wrench over her shoulder and looked at her with a slightly amused expression. "Well, well. Look at you! A little cranky since you gave up your crush so Kirigiri could be happy with Makoto, huh?"

"W-What are you…?"

"Please. I can see how you look at those two. You're just cheering them on like some voyeur."

Hina glared at her in response. It was an intense gaze from feelings bubbling up in her heart festering in the years since the killing game.

"Not even going to try and go for this place's Ogami, Hina? I mean, that Kenshiro guy's probably not gonna make it…"

"Shut up!" Hina lost her temper while already clenching her fist. If she had a fairer complexion, she would be glowing red from anger. A smirk forms on Junko's face as Hina completely lost her confident composure.

"It's just so easy."

"You…why are you so twisted?! Was it all just a game for you? You were supposed to be our friend!"

"Didn't I already tell you way back when? It was all for despair."

"It makes no sense. Why do this to yourself? Why do this to your class?! Your sister believed in you!"

She rolls her eyes in response. "This conversation is going as I thought it'd turn out. May I remind you that without your little hope messiah, you were all about to fall into despair yourselves?"

"That may be true. We almost sacrificed him because we were scared." She stands up straight and faces the fashionista atop her mechanical throne. "But I said goodbye to those memories and Sakura-chan. I'll never make the same mistake again. I may not be as smart as Kyoko-chan or Naegi, but I'll fight if I have to!"

"Channeling a bit of your best friend there too, huh. I guess you inherited her warrior's spirit."

The heroic wind was knocked out of Hina's system as Junko blindsided her with an underhanded compliment. A small realization dawned upon her as she looked straight back at her strawberry blonde-haired counterpart.

"You're trying to get me to hate you, aren't you?"

"Trying? I'm sure you already want me dead."

Hina shakes her head and looks down with saddened eyes. "No. I only really feel sorry for you."

A pregnant pause occurred between the both of them. Hina looked as if she was waiting for some kind of snippy response while Junko only gave her a questioning look.

"You did all that so you could feel some weird kind of high. In the end that's all it was. Even though Naegi said not to, you just ended your life like that. I won't lie. I was relieved when it happened. But it was still really messed up." Hina pursed her lips for a bit until she continued. "I remember we used to have fun times before then. If all those laughs and friendships that you made were fake… then I can only feel sad for what a mess you turned out to be."

Laughter was Junko's only response.

"I'm alright, Ikusaba-san. My arm's just cut in places. Not broken."

"That doesn't make me feel any better, Naegi-kun."

Mukuro was attempting to feed Makoto while he was trying to calm her down.

"I can do it on my own." He tries to take the spoon from her hands but she keeps a firm grip on it near his face.

He eventually relents and sighs, letting Mukuro feed him. Makoto eats the spoonful with a bit of apprehension but eventually swallows the bite. Not wanting to call her out on her thinly-veiled antics, he only lets her continue until the tray of food is half-done.

"I, uh, think I'm full."

"You shouldn't skip out on meals while injured."

"Really. I'm fine. Thanks for your concern." He smiles awkwardly. "Were you that worried about me?"

"…yes. Of course I was." Mukuro looked away and blushed. "You were with my sister, after all. You know. The SHSL Despair."

Makoto sighed in response. "Well as you can see…I'm mostly in one piece."

"Are you underestimating her?"

"No. There's no way I'd be able to. I've lived through the consequences of what she did."

"So then why are you so calm around her?"

"I'm calm?" He blinked a few times as if making sure what she said was what he heard.

"You're treating her more like an old friend."

Makoto gave her words some serious thought. "I guess you're right in a way."

"Has she been nice to you? It wouldn't be the first time Junko-chan fooled a guy by being super kind."

He shakes his head. "No way. She's been harassing me."

Mukuro's eyes widened in shock. "…I don't understand."

"If anything she's been really comfortable around me. It feels like I've been talking to the real her compared to our time back in HPA."

The former SHSL Soldier gave an utterly confused look. It took her until now to realize what her younger twin was doing to others, including herself. She was able to finally reach that conclusion due to being away from her sister along with the combined efforts of Makoto, Kyoko and Hina. Not to mention the shock of basically what she saw as a second betrayal due to her taking away Makoto several days ago by knocking her out with sleeping gas.

"She's dangerous, bratty and despair-obsessed. But she's helped me out a few times. I don't exactly know what she's got in store but I'm just taking this one day at a time."

"Are you saying she could change into a better person?"

"I'd really like that. But that sort of thing is from the effort of the person that I'd like to change. I don't think she'd become some sort of saint. But it's a second chance, right? Maybe I can convince her to not go off the deep end."

"There was a time when I believed that I was the only one who understood her. I did and took so much for her. But you see her for what she is. I'm jealous."

"I can't exactly pretend she's something she's not, right?"

Mukuro stifled a bitter laugh. If only she had the guts to utter those words herself.

"Anyway, how are you doing? You seem a lot closer with Kyoko-san and Hina-san."

"They've been very kind to me. I thought they hated me."

"Those two are a lot kinder than you think. Speaking from experience."

"You probably had a hand in that."

"They helped me as much as I've helped them. That's all I'll say about that. But…I noticed you were avoiding your sister."

"Should I not avoid her?"

"It's not that…but you'll have to face her eventually I think."

Those words caused Mukuro to feel dread. "I thought we weren't talking about her anymore."

Makoto shook his head. "If you actually hated her you would definitely show it. What's wrong, Ikusaba-san?"

She supposed this was payback for feeding him like a doting housewife. Considering he was very close to the normally icy detective, it wasn't a shocker to see how the former SHSL Lucky Student was able to read emotions despite her own poker face.

She did confide her true feelings to him before. It felt like she could tell him anything.

"I'm sorry I—I—"

"Please."

"Naegi-kun." She looked at him with grateful eyes. "Whenever I see my sister, it always feels like there's a deep pit in my stomach."

"I know that feeling."

"You do? About Komaru-chan?"

"N-No! I'm talking about Maizono-san. I didn't really understand it at the time when it happened but I know that feeling well. I think it was heartbreak."

Mukuro listened with her eyes fixed on him at full attention.

"I understood why she did it. But the fact is that she tried to frame me for murder. It was always weird how I felt that way even though I only knew her for a few days and only had my memory of admiring her as an idol. But I think a part of me deep inside still remembered the happy times we had as classmates. When I got all my memories back, it made that trial and case really stick with me. Even until today."

"Do you hate Maizono-san?"

"No. No I don't. We were extremely close. And I think…I had a crush on her."

The freckled girl frowned at that confession but chose to not address it. "I see. So I'm feeling…heartbreak."

"I don't exactly have the same chance that you do. I think you can face Enoshima."

"But I…"

"I didn't mean right now. But eventually. Otherwise, you might not be able to move forward."

"Move forward…" She remembered Makoto and Kyoko's conversation way back when in the park. She didn't realize it at the time, but Mukuro was being left behind as well. She wanted to move forward like the rest of them – she wanted to move forward with Makoto.

The reporter watched the former right-hand woman of Ultimate Despair intently.

"Even whenever I try to give something back to you for all you do for me, I seem to be getting more and more in your debt."

"You don't owe me anything."

Mukuro shook her head. "Your food's gotten cold."

"I'm fine. It's just some food from the vending machine. Doesn't taste all that good anyway."

A defeated sigh finally comes out of the former mercenary's mouth.

Despite it all, he was her light.

"Kirigiri-san!"

Kyoko turned around and heard Komaru knock on her door. She had quickly taken occupation of one of the makeshift shacks inside the warehouse and began to ponder on what their next move would be.

"It's open, Komaru-san."

The younger Naegi opened the door and greeted the detective with a big smile. "Is everything alright?"

"You've kept this entire place in good shape. I have no complaints."

"Ah. That's more of the kids' doing. They insisted. Really kinda weird to see teenagers wanting to do chores." A nervous laugh came out of the so-called ordinary girl's mouth.

"I suspect they're a bit stir crazy. You six have been living here for the past month."

"Yeah! While I'm still kinda mad they left without letting me know, I get it. They used to be out there being really active and everything."

"You've really matured. I can't say many 19-year-olds are readily able to become the legal guardians of…troubled teens."

"It's not like they're helpless. Besides, the tragedy made us all grow up whether we wanted to or not."

"That's true." Kyoko sighed. "Even at the very end the actual adults were unable to do what they needed to."

"You're talking about the Future Foundation, right?"

"Mmhm. They were all our upperclassmen and older, yet they acted like petulant children."

"Kinda like Enoshima-san, huh?"

"Immature is certainly something to describe her, yes."

"I was expecting someone kinda more like you when I was meeting the woman who ended the world." Komaru suddenly was on the back foot. "U-Um, sorry! I said that without thinking."

"No. I'd imagine a lot of people who imagine an individual that ends the world would be extremely introspective and troubled. A lot of villains from anime and manga are like that, aren't they?"

"Hehe. Guilty as charged."

"You're actually not too far from the mark with your earlier comment. For different reasons, of course." The lavender-haired woman brushed aside her hair as she faced Komaru.

"R-Really? How? You've been really nice to me."

"Because I, too, was bored of the world due to my intellect."

"Huh?!" Komaru's shock continued all the way to her ahoge. "O-Oh right. Enoshima-san ended the world because it was boring, right?"

Kyoko nodded. "Solving mysteries used to be my own way of coping with how boring it was when I was younger."

"W-Wow. Maybe you might've become the mastermind in some other dimension!"

"I won't discount that possibility. After all, there are probably infinite realities out there. But I can assure you that this Kyoko Kirigiri would never."

"S-Sorry. I got too excited again…"

The detective showed her trademark tightlipped smirk. "It's quite alright. I'll take it as some sort of compliment."

"But you still hate her, right?"

The business-like demeanor of the former SHSL detective didn't even drop for a second. "I'd want her to serve a proper punishment for all she's done. Whoever or whatever was responsible for bringing her back alive certain fulfilled some criteria for it. She wished for death at the very end."

"That sounds awful."

"Makoto-kun backed her into a corner. It was either punishing herself for the apex of despair or admitting to all of us that the logic and arguments she was spouting was flawed."

"Still…to end your own life. I never saw it myself but it was televised everywhere, right?"

"Yes. It was part of her plan to drive everyone into despair. But when she left the mortal plane, her movement died. Many people tried to emulate her but no one else could really capture the insane depths her love of despair went."

"So why's she trying so hard to get with my brother, huh? It's not like he's a despair freak like her!"

"It's simple really. It's why he's made so many connections with many different people – including those notoriously hard to even talk to in a conversation. He has unmatched emotional intelligence."

"Emotional what?"

Kyoko looked away from Komaru for a second. "At first, I thought it was pure naiveté. But he managed to turn that sort of thinking into a strength. It was how he was able to get through to Kyosuke Munakata despite his hostility."

"I don't fully get it. But it sounds like you have full faith in him!"

"He is an interesting man. A type of person that might show up once every 100 or even 1000 years."

"He would just deny that to the very end." Komaru laughed. "W-Wait. You're interested in him?"

The former Future Foundation head stood up. "We should gather everyone. I believe it's time." Maintaining her composure, she walked out of the shelter with cool grace.

Komaru sighed as she was still standing inside the shack. "Sheesh, Makoto. You've gotten yourself into a mess, huh…?"

The entire population of the warehouse gathered around where Junko made her little makeshift hangar for her Exisal.

"Oooh? Does Kirigiri have a plan?" Junko said with a hint of mockery.

"Not quite a plan. After all, I have to factor in a rogue element. You. But we have ample enough strength to march to Towa Hills. I believe the time is ripe for such a move."

"Finally." Junko jumped up and smiled. "Some action!"

Hina sighed. "It's not like we can really stop her, right?"

"She's just gonna shoot us in the back!" Toko spat.

Junko grinned. "What? Makoto's going to be handling the guns. If anyone shoots you in the back, it's him."

"Naegi-kun should be resting." Mukuro said with a firm tone.

Kyoko countered. "We may need his skills of negotiation. After all, we don't exactly know who or what we're dealing with here."

"I'll be fine. This way I can help you guys out on the ground." Makoto groaned. "Another fight…I'm so tired of fighting."

"But it's the only way to get to the bottom of this." Komaru continued. "We just have to hang in there a little longer."

Nagisa nodded. "We'll be here staying put. Promise." He glared at Masaru for a moment who only nodded vigorously.

The female Naegi smiled. "This won't take too long, Shingetsu-kun. I'll be back before you know it."

"Of course! You got big sis Junko and big bro Makoto with you!" Kotoko smiled back. "Those things are totally not adorbs. Just smash through them!"

Kyoko cut in. "We leave right away. We should be able to make it before sundown."

"Don't wait up for us." Komaru passed them by as she seemed excited. "I've got a secret weapon of my own this time."

"U-Ugh." Toko looked extremely unenthused.

"Sure." Kyoko looked outside as the Warriors of Hope opened up the docking bay of the warehouse. She began running ahead while Hina and Mukuro were right behind her.

The trio of athletic females made short work of the groups of Monokumas that noticed their presence despite lacking any hacking guns themselves. As Exisals appeared to stop their advance, Junko and Makoto in their own Exisal would shoot them down from a distance.

"C-Careful!" Makoto gripped his controls tight as the Exisal moved swiftly.

"If we stay in one place, we'll get mobbed by the lil' Kuma-chans."

"I know that. But I can barely aim with you moving so fast. Those G-Forces are brutal!"

"Awww, getting a little carsick?"

"Stop fooling around already…"

Hina tossed some scraps out of her hands. "I think we're making some great time! World record, maybe?"

Mukuro flicked her wrist to remove some stray strands of fur from her combat knife.

"They're starting to converge where we are. We can handle the Exisals and Monokumas but…I have a feeling we have yet to see the worst of it." Kyoko reloaded her pistol.

"Eh? W-Well, I guess. But we can handle it, right?"

Makoto narrowed his eyes through the aiming reticule. "Something's coming! It's fast!"

A humanoid draped in a cloak was making straight for their Exisal. Mukuro immediately took action and kicked the incoming enemy into a nearby wall. She turned back as if she just took out the trash, but her ears perked up when she heard movement. Her eyes narrowed into a murderous gaze as she turned back to what she just hit.

The cloak ended up stuck on a loose part of the wall. What stood up from the impact of the crash was a young looking woman with short, pale mauve hair dressed in a dark-teal and grey hoodie, a collared shirt with a skirt and black thigh-high socks. She touched an odd-looking hairclip on the top of her head as if she was making sure it was in one piece. A pout forms on her face as she looked straight at the freckled woman.

"Wait, that's…Nanami-san?" Some sweat rolled down Makoto's forehead. "I don't get it. She's supposed to be at Hope's Peak Academy."

The SHSL Gamer stood up and dusted herself off.

"There was something odd about her when I connected that kick." Mukuro aimed her knife at Chiaki.

"I'm sorry." Chiaki looked extremely serious and determined. "I can't let you go any further."

She dashed forward while Mukuro responded in kind. The normally friendly and sleepy gamer girl managed to stop the knife from connecting straight at her chest.

"You aren't human, are you?" The former mercenary jumped back with her knife still in hand. "I felt it again. Your limbs are too sturdy to just be flesh and bone."

Kyoko tapped her chin as she kept an eye out for anything else coming. "It could be the Observer AI from the Neo World Program."

"Wait, what? Are you saying that's not a real girl?" Hina looked uneasy.

"That makes sense. The Chiaki Nanami that I met last week didn't have the Gala Omega hairpin that this one has."

"So someone made a robot body for Miss Fanservice, huh?" Junko grinned. "Outside of that weird mechanic, there's only one guy who'd even do such a thing."

Kyoko came across a sight from her eyes scanning the area. "Makoto-kun! Above you!"

Junko angled the Exisal so they could see from above. A lanky young white-haired man in a familiar green hoodie looked down on them from a ruined building.

"I can feel the despair radiating from that machine. Though I am but a mere talentless man, I have to get rid of it."

"Komaeda-san! J-Junko, we need to move!"

"That weirdo's got his luck where he wants it. It doesn't matter where I move!"

Makoto grit his teeth for the incoming impact while Nagito made a move toward a loose piece of concrete at his feet. His legs begin a kicking motion until he's surprised by the sound of a loud, roaring motor.

"Komaru!" Toko was holding on tight to Komaru as she was riding a motorcycle toward where Nagito was.

"You're not getting away this time! Toko-chan, we need to jump!"

"S-Seriously, this is so stupid!"

Toko grabbed her taser and used it on herself to bring out her serial killer personality. With a "Kyeeehahaha!" she grabbed Komaru and jumped off the moving two-wheeled vehicle straight into where Nagito was standing. Under the weight of both girls, he groaned.

"I always knew…the SHSL Hope's luck was greater than my own…"

"Hey. I was the one that did the work this time!" Komaru pouted.

"You still reject both hope and despair, Komaru-san. It's a pity."

"No! I don't want to be either Makoto or Enoshima-san. I'm just plain old Komaru. Now shush!"

"It seems your plan backfired. If you are part of why the machines have been attacking us, it seems we'll have to resort to drastic measures. Nanami-san." Kyoko stood her ground. "Considering we have Komaeda-san in our grasp, I suggest you surrender."

The android Chiaki looked extremely pensive. It seemed like she was trying to process the outcomes of all possible actions. Mukuro immediately moved forward and took her down.

Hina was shocked. "I-Ikusaba-chan, why did you do that?"

"Because the real one you need to convince is about to make his appearance!" Junko laughed. "Isn't that right, Kamakura-senpai?"

Everyone looked over and there was a familiar figure walking in front of a platoon of Monokumas and an entire dozen of Exisals. It was a brown-haired plain-looking man with a solid white collared shirt and green tie along with a plain-looking pair of pants and shoes. His different colored eyes looked straight at them.

"Hajime Hinata. So this is where you've been hiding." Kyoko looked straight at him. She was careful not to make any threats toward him, considering his boundless capabilities from the Hope Cultivation Project.

"It seems the low chance of failure actually happened. I suppose this isn't as boring as it was going to be." Hajime narrowed his eyes toward the Exisal. "Unfortunately you brought an eyesore with you."

"I take it you were trying to kill Enoshima."

"More or less. I don't have to explain why leaving her alive is a terrible idea, right?"

"She's already died once. I doubt killing her again will have the intended consequence that you're hoping for."

"No. I'm just being petty." Hajime spat. "After all, she did convince me to ruin my own life. Along with countless others."

Makoto opened the hatch of the Exisal while Hajime was bewildered by what he was seeing. "I don't think this is the time to be petty, Hinata-san."

"Naegi-san."

The luckster jumped down from the cockpit while Junko watched with a smirk on her face.

The shorter brown-haired man approached with no regards to safety. "Look, I don't know what you've been planning…but the world here is in terrible shape."

"I know. Actually, I thought it was either you or Enoshima that was behind this." The artificial SHSL Hope replied.

"Huh? I actually thought it was you."

Mukuro frowned. "It seems we're back to square one."

"Eliminating all possible suspects is still important, Ikusaba-san." Kyoko holstered her gun.

Hina crossed her arms. "So what was the robot army for? We could've died, you know!"

"Just in case Enoshima was behind it. But also to protect us from the Japanese military from sticking their nose where it doesn't belong."

"Uh…" The former SHSL Swimmer looked completely lost. "You're going to have to run that second reason by me again."

"Look. I'm sure there's a good explanation for everything. But…maybe we can meet in a less dangerous place?" Makoto rubbed his cheek nervously.

"That's fair." Hajime replied. "Can you let my friends go now, please?"

Makoto nodded to Mukuro and Komaru who were both watching. Toko and Komaru finally got off of Nagito's back while Mukuro let Chiaki go.

"Ah. Thank you so much, Hinata-kun." Nagito smiled. "It truly was a misunderstanding after all! Though the oppressive aura of the SHSL Despair still sickens me straight to my stomach."

"You can shove it where the sun doesn't shine, hope freak." Junko stuck his tongue out at him.

"A monster such as you shouldn't be wandering the world freely. But I trust the Naegi-san has an idea of what to do with you. After all, his hope is pure and true."

"Ugh. Gag. Are you flirting with both that reserve course student and Makoto?"

"I simply admire my two hopeful betters. They are the true bearers of the title of SHSL Hope."

Hajime sighed in response. "Is everything alright with you, Nanami-san?"

"My systems all look fine. Thanks for asking, Hinata-kun." Chiaki smiled in her normal comfy manner, despite just being in a fight moments prior.

Komaru immediately piped up. "Hey, we have four more with us. Can they come too? You have real meals in Towa Hills, right?"

Hajime looked nervous. "Yes. There is a stocked kitchen there. But…"

"But…?"

"Well, we also have one more."

Nagito interjected. "Ah, yes. Someone that was integral to our plans to act as the Towa Corporation. I'm sure the hope you brought the other Warriors of Hope might bring some hope to that poor girl."

"W-Wait, you aren't talking about…?"

"Indeed. She's quite…unmotivated these days. Aside from when she talks to Hinata-kun."

Junko looked confused. "Wait, what?"

"Ah. I'm sure you can overcome her despair somehow! I truly and earnestly believe that."

Makoto just nervously smiled in response. "I guess that means we can bring the kids."

Toko was back to herself as she walked over to the rest of them. "And I thought high school reunions could be bad. T-This is gonna be way more awkward for them."

"Yeah, but those vending machines can't feed us forever. I'll be back with them, okay?" Komaru went leaped across buildings in order to return to the former Warriors of Hope.

"Sheesh, Makoto. How come you didn't turn out like that? Komaru-chan's kind of a badass." A smug look appeared on Junko's face as she walked right up to him.

The hapless protagonist ignored her taunt. "If Hinata-san wasn't behind this and Junko wasn't either…who's messing with time and space?"

ANote

Shirokuma: ahhhhh!

BlackCapPI: What's wrong, Tsumugi-san?

Shirokuma: sometimes i get really self-conscious about my work. like… sometimes i don't feel its entertaining enough or even long enough.

BlackCapPI: What constitutes long enough for you?

Shirokuma: um… i usually end up in the ballpark of about 5k to 6k a chapter. but then i see other writers somehow hammer out updates that are like 10k words! its unreal to me, you know?

BlackCapPI: Do you know there are writers out there who marvel at how you are able to pump out that many words in the first place? They usually struggle to even reach 3k words. And then there are people out there who can't imagine even reaching that far.

Shirokuma: i…i suppose you're right, shuichi-kun. but i can't help but feel a little self-conscious.

BlackCapPI: I think that's alright. It's a problem that I think a lot of fanwork writers in general have. Or artists. Or anyone, really…

Shirokuma: yeah. there's a lot of people who post work out there and don't even get noticed. heck, there are a lot of professionally made work that doesn't get a lot of attention and don't even sell well! some of my favorite anime and games are like that.

BlackCapPI: It's just a problem that seems to sprout up no matter where you are on the creative ladder. You just have to learn how to deal with it.

Shirokuma: you make it sound like a disease…

BlackCapPI: Well I…let's just say I speak from experience. I don't sound as confident as I do online.

Shirokuma: ah! i see. that makes a lot of sense. you get the courage to say anything you want when there isn't a live human near you to judge you.