A/N: Finally, a shorter chapter than the last two. This one was less than 14,000 words. We're getting towards the end of this journey. Let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Chapter Five: 100 Mile Dash; Pain of a Junk Food Junkie

"Mukuro Ikusaba...The sixteenth student, lying hidden somewhere in this school...The one they call the Ultimate Despair. Mukuro Ikusaba...Watch out for her."

Kyoko's words from the other night rang in Makoto's ears as he walked to the dining hall, becoming more and more frustrated with Kyoko's cryptic warning.

Okay, so I need to watch out for Mukuro Ikusaba. But I have no idea who she is or what she looks like. So even if she's the mastermind who trapped us here, I have no idea what to look for!

Shaking his head, Makoto entered the dining hall to witness Byakuya making himself the de-facto leader and warning everyone not to engage in small talk. However, the self-proclaimed leader broke his own rule after the discussion turned to whether it was okay to keep Toko from talking by forbidding her from opening her mouth.

As the pointless and irrelevant debate continued, Kyoko commented "I believe this is the small talk Byakuya warned us against."

Irritated that he had broken his own rule, Byakuya scowled and walked off, the others following him to investigate the 5th floor.

XXX

Makoto walked into what looked like a classical dojo, complete with archery targets and old-fashioned wooden lockers. His gaze wandered to the sakura blooming in the practice range. The sight made him flashback to the memory of him and Komaru as children, playing under the sakura when their parents took them during viewing season. The memory made him feel even more homesick.

Mom, Dad, Komaru...I'll get out of here, I promise! Then we can all go sakura viewing again, for old times' sake…

Kyoko softly smiled at his gaze and remarked "It's quite elegant."

Makoto looked at her, curious at her opinion as he contemplated I'm not sure if they're elegant, but they're certainly nice to look at… "This is what you consider elegant…?" It just seems too...natural to be considered elegant.

Seeing his curiosity, Kyoko explained "I lived overseas for a long time, so this kind of Japanese-style scenery is refreshing." Why...do I think that? I still can't remember anything that would verify that, but...I just have this feeling…

Makoto looked at her, nodding at her answer and pleased that she had shared some of her past with him, even if it was by accident.

She hardly ever shares anything about herself, so to share this part of her past, no matter how small...maybe she really does trust me…

"The Ultimate Despair."

That thought ran through his head as he realized that he now had an opportunity to talk to her.

"Um, Kyoko..."

Unfortunately, his hopes were dashed when she cut him off "I can't say anything…"

He followed her gaze and saw the security camera, realizing that the answer to his question must be important enough to not risk letting the mastermind find out.

"...You understand why, right?"

Yeah, I get it. But we gotta talk about it sometime. Can't you give me a hint for when we can talk about it?

His inner frustrations didn't go unnoticed by the mysterious Ultimate, but although her eyes swam with apology, all she felt safe doing was uttering "We're finished here" with a finality that made Makoto turn around and walk out of the dojo.

...I'm sorry, Makoto.

XXX

Everyone was gathered in the dining hall to discuss what they had found on the 5th floor. It was Kyoko who spoke first.

"My concern is with the bio lab. That was the only place on the 5th floor that we couldn't access."

I feel like that's going to be important. Why can't we access the bio lab? What's the mastermind hiding in there?

Aoi explained how she took Sakura's job of trying to remove the metal plates from the windows, but to no avail.

"Which means no chance of escape on the 5th floor, either…" Kyoko lamented.

Aoi also mentioned that she realized something about the layout of the school, which caught Makoto's interest as he asked her what she noticed.

Kyoko interjected "You took a good look around the 5th floor yourself, didn't you, Makoto?"

"Huh? Why do you ask?"

...How can someone be so mentally sharp and so dense all at the same time…Kyoko sighed and explained "Because if you did, you must have noticed. The 5th floor is lacking something every other floor has."

Makoto's eyes widened as he realized what she was talking about and asked "Are you talking about...stairs?"

Kyoko nodded and replied "We're finally starting to get a clear picture of this school."

Byakuya went next, bringing up the room he found that looked like a warzone, and theorized that a large number of people died in it.

"Perhaps that's what was meant by...the biggest, most awful, most tragic event in human history."

Byakuya hypothesized that the Tragedy was the mass genocide of the Hope's Peak student body. After Aoi and Yasuhiro expressed disgust and horror, the subject was dropped, since nobody wanted to even think about it. Yasuhiro spoke next, talking about the garden he found. Makoto turned his head to look at Yasuhiro when he mentioned the toolshed, interjecting to reveal the pickaxe he found with the phrase Crazy Diamond engraved on the handle. Aoi contemplated that the phrase sounded familiar to her.

"I don't just think, I know. We've definitely seen that phrase before."

Makoto's eyes widened as he and everyone else realized that it was also on Mondo's jacket. Yasuhiro interjected that he noticed the lawnmower and proposed that they use it to make crop circles in order to call for help. Everyone facepalmed at the Ultimate Clairvoyant's stupidity.

...That has to be the dumbest plan I've ever heard…

Shaking the thought from his head, Makoto turned to see Toko's mouth twitching, as if she wanted to say something, but was holding back.

Oh yeah; I forgot Byakuya told her not to open her mouth.

After being reminded by Makoto and Yasuhiro, Byakuya allowed Toko to speak, and revealed that she found a knife on the 5th floor. Everyone contemplated what to do with it, since it was obviously asking for trouble to let Toko keep it.

Kyoko looked ot Makoto and gently suggested "Why don't you hang on to it, Makoto?"

"Huh? Me!?"

Yes you. Your innocence was already proven at the first trial. And...I trust you.

After everyone expressed trust in Makoto, he reluctantly agreed, and the knife was passed into his hands.

With that matter settled, Byakuya made the most disturbing demand; that Kyoko unveil to them who she really was. Aoi tried to defend that Kyoko doesn't like to talk about herself, Makoto silently agreeing with the Ultimate Swimming Pro.

If she doesn't want to, she doesn't have to.

Byakuya tried to frame it as a matter of trust, claiming that they couldn't trust someone who couldn't even reveal their title to them.

You're wrong! I trust her. I trust her with my life!

At Byakuya's continued demands, Kyoko sighed and thought Well, I guess I can't avoid the issue any longer… "I can't." At Toko's frustrations as to why she wouldn't tell them, Kyoko clarified "I didn't say I won't. I said I can't."

"Wh-What do you mean?"

Makoto was wondering the same thing as Yasuhiro when Kyoko explained "Because...I don't remember. I have no memory of what I am."

The revelation shocked everyone in the room, Makoto especially so as he thought Is that what she meant? When she asked Monokuma what he had done to her body? He gave her amnesia? Is that why she was so cryptic with me? Not because she didn't trust me…?

Byakuya dismissed her response as a joke, angering Makoto and making Kyoko shake her head as she admitted "I knew you wouldn't believe me. That's why I didn't say anything. But it doesn't matter. Either way, the truth will make itself clear before we're done."

Irritated, Byakuya declared that he could no longer do nothing in this scenario, making Makoto worried for Kyoko. For her part, Kyoko raised her brow in curiosity.

She challenged "What are you going to do? Torture me?"

Byakuya shook his head and said that he would simply limit her options.

"Limit my options…?"

Byakuya then gave her an ultimatum; either she reveal her title, or she relinquish her room key.

Makoto blanched as he exclaimed to himself Byakuya, you can't! She'll have nowhere else to go if you take her key. She'll die if she sleeps anywhere but one of the dorm rooms!

Byakuya still wouldn't back down, ignoring Aoi and Makoto's objections.

"...Fine. I understand."

It was then, to Byakuya's shock, she walked up to Byakuya and handed over her key. Makoto blanched in horror.

Kyoko, NO! Don't do this; Byakuya's just being unreasonable.

"Why do you refuse to talk…!?"

"Whether I want to or not, I can't. All I can do is keep telling you that."

Aoi and Yasuhiro spoke up, starting to believe Kyoko's story, with Yasuhiro contemplating that since only the worst things happened here, that amnesia wasn't exactly outside of reality.

Chuckling, Kyoko replied "The worst school, where only the worst things happen? Do you really mean that? Can you really be sure that life here has been filled with only the worst things?"

"Wh-What do you mean…?"

Makoto tried to rack his brain for anything that happened here that was positive, but like Yasuhiro, came up with a blank.

Kyoko shook her head and said "Perhaps I've said too much."

She turned to walk away, Byakuya yelling after her and demanding to know where she was going.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to do anything to harm any of you."

She then walked out of the dining hall and out of their sight.

Just before she vanished, Makoto stood up and yelled "KYOKO!"

He felt a sense of dread as she vanished, fear for her safety now gripping his soul.

XXX

Isn't there something I can do? Something I can…

Makoto's half-dreamy haze was dissipated by a ring of his doorbell, waking him up. Groaning, he walked over to the door and opened it to find the very girl who had been haunting his thoughts all night.

"K-Kyoko…?"

What's she doing here? Maybe she's here because she can't be in her room. Wait; that's it! I can offer to share until we convince Byakuya to give her back her room key. If I offered with Sayaka, then I can offer Kyoko the option too. Anything to protect her from Monokuma!

Oblivious to Makoto's thoughts, Kyoko quietly said "I'll be waiting for you in the dressing room...See you there…"

She then disappeared, leaving Makoto all alone in the room.

Whatever she wants to talk about must be important. I can't just not go.

XXX

Makoto walked into the bathhouse and waved to Kyoko who was sitting on a nearby bench. As she acknowledged him, Makoto sat across from her, their eyes meeting as Kyoko spoke with a hint of guilt in her eyes.

"Sorry for asking you to meet with me so late."

Makoto shrugged and replied that he was used to it.

I guess you are...Reflecting on her history of asking him to meet with her out of the blue, she smiled and replied "...Indeed. Well then, let me get straight to the point."

Makoto beat her to the punch, informing her that Monokuma had come to them after she left and told them that something of value was stolen from him. When he asked if ti was her, her eyes widened.

...So, you figured it out, ne? You are sharp…"That's right. I stole this…"

She held out her palm, showing Makoto a small key with a Monokuma keyring. Makoto's eyes widened in shock as he saw what it was.

"Where did you get this…?"

"From the headmaster's room."

"But...wasn't it locked?"

"The lock was broken." Seeing Makoto's confusion, Kyoko explained "It was Sakura. She did it for us… Remember what she said in her note? I'm not going to just lay down and die. I will fight you…"

"So...Sakura broke into the headmaster's room for us?"

Makoto's eyes showed a new appreciation for their deceased friend as Kyoko explained "That's right. So that we could uncover whatever secrets might lay hidden within… I noticed the room was open after the class trial was over yesterday. But if I'd just strolled into the room, Monokuma would have noticed right away. Which is why..." She looked away, guilt crossing her face as she finished "I used you as a decoy."

Makoto's eyes widened as he understood Kyoko's reason for sending him on a wild goose chase last night.

"So you asked me to meet you at the data center in order to..."

Kyoko nodded and confirmed "Correct. I wanted you to draw Monokuma's attention. I took that opportunity to sneak into the headmaster's room. And as a result...I found this key." I'm sorry I couldn't tell you…

Makoto's eyes widened as he realized what else she might have found in there and asked if she had found that information on Mukuro Ikusaba while she was there.

"I did find a file in the headmaster's room that talked about her, yes. I don't know all the details yet, but...one thing I do know, is that Mukuro Ikusaba is dangerous." Looking at Makoto, she warned "She may very well be the mastermind."

Shocked and confused, Makoto objected "But didn't Alter Ego say that the headmaster was probably the mastermind?"

Kyoko shook her head and replied "No...the headmaster isn't the mastermind, I'm sure of that. I don't have proof yet, but I have no doubt that I'm right."

Makoto nodded, having learned to trust Kyoko's intuition. Still, he had this nagging sensation that she was holding out on him, and he wanted to know what it was.

"Kyoko...whatever it is you're on to, I really feel like you ought to tell me."

Kyoko bowed her head, feeling guilty as she uttered "I'm sorry. I'm...not quite...at a point where I can articulate it. I...suspect you think I'm being terribly unfair."

Makoto shook his head and answered "Actually no; I don't. After all, I pretty much did the same thing with my information about Sakura, so I can't exactly blame you when I already made the same decision myself..."

Kyoko looked at him, shocked at how Makoto was able to rationalize and forgive her secrecy.

...You're too kind for your own good, Makoto… Choosing to move on, Kyoko continued "Anyway, the key is the one big opportunity we've been waiting to get our hands on. Now that we've grasped it, we can't let it go, can we?"

Intrigued, Makoto inquired "What's this key even unlock?"

Makoto blanched as she answered "I don't know yet. Which is why...I need you to draw Monokuma's attention again, while I go and find out."

"You can't! That's way too dangerous! If there's more than one person watching us..." You'll die…

Kyoko shook her head and countered "But they didn't catch on last night, right?"

"Maybe we just got lucky..."

"Or maybe the mastermind can't monitor us and control Monokuma at the same time."

That's a big maybe, Kyoko. I'm not sure I want to bet your life on a maybe…

Trying to dissuade his fears, Kyoko continued "Like I said, we didn't get caught last night. But as you said, maybe it was pure luck. Which is why we're going to run the experiment one more time. And if we're successful again...then what may have just been a proven guess will be proven true." And if it was just luck, then who better to help pull it off again than the Ultimate Lucky Student? As Makoto took all this in, becoming slightly calmer although still unconvinced, Kyoko continued "If it's true that the mastermind can't watch us and control Monokuma at the same time...then there would have to be a period of time where the mastermind is vulnerable. What we need to do is find out for sure if that's actually true, and if we can exploit it."

Although Makoto's resolve weakened, it didn't shatter completely. He still worried immensely at the prospects of failure and their consequences.

"No matter what the reward, the risk is just too high. When I think what might happen if we fail..."

Kyoko squeezed his hand in comfort and assured him "I don't think you need to worry all that much. After all…"

She brought out her handbook and pointed to one of the rules, making Makoto's eyes widen as he realized what she was referring to.

Of course; unless we break one of Monokuma's rules, we're still safe to do whatever we please. Kyoko's banking on that freedom…

"No restrictions have been placed on our efforts to solve the mystery, am I wrong? Even when I took the key, I didn't break any rules as far as I can tell."

Makoto still worried that the mastermind could decide to toss all the rules out the window at any convenient time, and voiced his concern "He could just kill us all without a second thought!"

"I see...In that case, even if the plan fails, we'll still be able to prove or disprove that hypothesis. In a moment of crisis, will the mastermind break their own rules, or adhere to them no matter what? In other words, we gain something whether we succeed or not. Now there's no reason not to do it, right?"

What about your life, Kyoko? Your life is worth far more than the scientific method!

As Makoto tried to protest, Kyoko's voice hardened as she urged "Surely you agree we can't just sit on our hands. We must be bold! If you spend all your time trying to avoid danger, you'll never move forward. We know the danger. But if that risk means solving the mystery, we have no choice. Am I wrong?"

"But can I even trust you..." Liar. Of course you can trust her. You wouldn't have survived the first class trial if you didn't trust her.

Kyoko felt a sense of irony, seeing their general personalities reversed in this one moment in time. She smiled at him and said "Makoto, you can trust me on this. And besides, I can't change how I feel, and wouldn't if I could."

Persuaded, Makoto sighed in resignation and acquiesced "I'll do what I can." As Kyoko smiled in victory, she was caught off guard as Makoto revealed the one caveat to his acceptance.

"But I'm going to need you to promise me something, Kyoko."

Promise? Promise what?

Makoto stood up as he continued "Find out what that key goes to, SAFELY. Make coming back alive your number one priority." I don't want to lose you, so please, don't take unnecessary risks!

Kyoko nodded to Makoto's request, and was thrown off guard even more when Makoto held up his right pinky finger in front of her, her eyes widening in recognition of his implication.

...Aren't we a little old for pinky swears, Makoto? Kyoko thought as she stared at Makoto's appendage.

Nevertheless, she held out her own pinky and wrapped it around his, the childish promise a solemn vow engraved in both of their minds, and warmth rushing through both of their hearts.

After retreating her hand, she reached into her jacket and pulled out an envelope, handing it to Makoto who looked at it with curiosity.

"Consider it a symbol of my determination. Don't open it yet. Only open it...if something ever happens to me." Seeing his protest before it even left his mouth, Kyoko explained "I'm not planning on dying. But there's always a chance of it, and a death without meaning is...unappealing." Holding his free hand, Kyoko pleaded "Please, I want you to hold on to it for me."

Makoto nodded, promising "But I'm gonna give it back at some point, you can be sure of that!"

Kyoko's heart fluttered at Makoto's determination that she would survive her little experiment, causing her to smile and reply "Yes...of course. Oh, and one more thing. You can't tell anyone else about what I've discovered."

"Because then there's a chance that the mastermind might find out, right?"

"Well...there's that too."

She didn't want to tell him the real reason, that she didn't want to have to rely on the others for help. That she was already past her comfort zone by asking him for such a crucial favor.

"It's nothing. Forget I said anything. Okay then, shall we begin? I'm counting on you, Makoto."

Makoto nodded, reciting his part of the plan to ensure that he didn't mess it up.

Getting up from the bench, Kyoko walked to the entryway before turning around and telling him "I'm going on ahead. The rest is up to you…"

She winked, then walked off, leaving Makoto alone.

With hyperactive nerves, he took a deep breath and said "Well, here goes everything!"

He went out the entryway, check to see that Kyoko had gone, and yelled "HEY MONOKUMA!"

XXX

Despite the apparent success of their plan, Makoto became more and more worried about Kyoko, especially when she didn't show up at all the next day. Eventually his internal struggles transformed to the physical, as by late afternoon he felt on the verge of sleep, and was sweating like he had just spent a day in the sauna. Too exhausted and sick to even think of going to dinner, Makoto just crawled into bed Without the energy to shed his hoodie, he fell asleep almost instantly.

Kyoko…

XXX

Kyoko felt a chill run up her spine, causing her to shiver.

The footsteps of death...who's going to die next?

She peered down the stairwell that she was near and saw a strange, unrecognizable figure wearing a white jacket and a strange mask walking by the stairway.

Who...is that...Mukuro?

Seeing this as a chance to possibly corner the mastermind, she silently tailed the mysterious individual, staying behind each corner to avoid being seen. Eventually the silent chase led her to the dorms, where to her horror, she saw Makoto's door was open.

NO! The god of death, he haunts Makoto. He'll die if I don't stop this…

As she finished that thought, she heard Makoto's scream and burst in, just as the mysterious assailant was about to slit Makoto's throat.

"NO!"

She reached out with her hand, grabbing their wrist and restraining them from delivering the killing blow. She then twisted them around so that she had her back to Makoto and the assailant was facing the door.

"I won't let you harm Makoto!"

It was then that she gazed towards the would be murder weapon, her eyes widening in realization.

That's the knife Toko found, and the one I suggested we give to Makoto. Damn it, if I hadn't suggested he take it, he wouldn't be in danger. How could I be so careless?

The assailant used Kyoko's moment of distraction to wrestle their arm from Kyoko's grasp and sprint out of the room, away from Kyoko's sight. She contemplated giving chase, but hesitated.

If I leave, then Makoto will be defenseless once more!

"Kyoko…?"

She saw Makoto breathing heavily as he uttered her name, slipping in and out of consciousness as he breathed heavily. Concerned, she placed her hand against his forehead, only to retract it as the blistering heat was felt even with her signature gloves still on.

He's burning up! With a fever like that, he's in no way able to defend himself if the assassin comes back to finish the job. Alright, my best course of action right now is to stay. I'll protect you, Makoto. I promise.

With that, she kneeled by his bed, using her gloved hand to wipe the sweat off his face. Since there was no running water at night, this was the best she could do to improvise.

"Kyoko, Kyoko..."

She removed her hand from his forehead and touched his cheek with her left hand, using her right to squeeze one of his own.

"Shh, you're okay. Rest Makoto. You're safe tonight, I promise."

As though listening to her attempts to soothe him, Makoto became less feverish and soon stopped moaning. And so this cycle continued, Kyoko tending to Makoto's fever as best she could, saying soothing words to keep him resting while using her presence to protect him from the footsteps of death that had sought to end his life.

By 6:00, his fever had all but vanished, and Kyoko deemed it close enough to morning that Makoto was safe for the time being. Getting up from the floor, she walked away, silently opening the door and turning her head to sneak one last look at the sleeping Makoto. Once more, she thought he looked cute how he slept, now that he was no longer plagued by illness. Shaking her head, Kyoko closed the door behind her, sneaking back to her previous destination as she breathed a sigh of relief.

I protected him. At least he's safe from harm for now. I have to solve the mystery of this school. Otherwise, he'll just be put in danger again.

Newfound determination scorching through her, she got to work, all thoughts now focused on her investigation.

XXX

This doesn't feel real…

The day felt so bizarre ot Makoto from the moment he woke up and tried to grasp onto any memory of what happened last night. Things just got stranger when he saw the others dismantling a Monokuma robot. Byakuya of course took the opportunity to lead everyone to break into the Headmaster's room. That plan however got derailed when Genocide Jack appeared and told them of a corpse she found in the garden. As they went to investigate it, it exploded, making the body catch on fire until Makoto hazily poured a bucket of water on it. While giving a cursory glance to try and find out who it was, he spotted a key on the ground and was subsequently ordered by Byakuya to find out what room it opened.

What am I, your errand boy?

Eventually, Makoto found out it went to the data center, and after summoning everyone else from the garden, they went inside. After finding the room filled with monitors that showed every surveillance feed in the school, Monokuma appeared, shocking everyone at how he was still functional. He then went on to boast about how everything from their arrival to the present had been broadcast on live television as the ultimate reality show.

...You're joking...right?

Even Byakuya was shocked, giving off the impression that such a feat would be a near-impossible endeavor even for the Togami Corporation. It was then that Monokuma dropped the biggest bombshell of all; that they had to undergo another class trial in order to determine who killed the mysterious corpse. As he left and everyone panicked, Byakuya declared that they had to find out who killed Kyoko. Makoto's eyes bulged as Byakuya's statement repeated itself in his head.

Kyoko was...murdered? No! It's not possible…

Soon everyone left to begin their investigation, leaving Makoto by himself in the data center.

Did Kyoko really...die? No, she promised. We swore that she'd come back alive. He took out the folder from his jacket, staring at it as he thought I trust her, I trust that she'll come back alive. So that...I can give this back to her…

XXX

It took some convincing, but Makoto finally convinced Byakuya to allow him to investigate Kyoko's room for clues. When Byakuya asked what he was looking for, Makoto sheepishly admitted that he didn't have anything particularly in mind, and that he was banking on finding some kind of clue.

"You can't be serious!"

Byakuya chastised him and asked if Makoto had something more concrete to guide him. His eyes widening in realization, Makoto pulled out the envelope Kyoko had given him.

After explaining to the now curious Byakuya that Kyoko told him to open it if something ever happened, Byakuya ordered "Well, something has certainly happened. So open it."

I'm not sure this is what she meant…

Nevertheless, Makoto opened the envelope, pulling out a single piece of paper with the phrase under the sheets written on it. As Byakuya expressed irritation and Makoto expressed confusion, he looked to Kyoko's bed.

Under the sheets...could it be…

Makoto started sifting through Kyoko's bedsheets until he felt what seemed to be a sheet of paper. Yanking it out, he showed it to Byakuya, revealing it to be a ripped information sheet on Mukuro Ikusaba. They read through it, Makoto's mind spinning as as he felt like he had just entered into an alternate reality, while Byakuya remarked about the Fenrir Mercenary Group. Their contemplations were interrupted by Monokuma, who revealed that there were actually sixteen students in the killing game.

Sixteen? Wait, so then...What Kyoko told me...was true!

Monokuma also revealed that one of the participants was also the one who made all the rules. The bear turned to leave, but stopped in his tracks to drop a bombshell as revenge against Kyoko.

"You know how she wears those stupid gloves, day in, day out, all the time? Well, she wears them to cover a bunch of hideous scars that she doesn't want anyone to see!"

Scars...That psychotic bear! Kyoko should have had the choice of whether to tell me that, but now it's been told against her will!

Before Makoto could act on his ire, Monokuma vanished out of sight, leaving Makoto and Byakuya alone.

...I feel like I just invaded on her privacy...again.

Makoto felt disgusted, both with himself for having received such a painful, personal secret, and with Monokuma for disclosing that secret against Kyoko's will. Taking a deep breath, he push his anger away for the time being, choosing to focus on the case at hand.

XXX

Everyone waited in the lobby for the elevator. One minute became two, then five, then ten. Finally Monokuma appeared, but to everyone's surprise Monokuma revealed that someone had yet to arrive.

Who's left? The only one not here is…

"If it's me you're waiting for...I'm here."

Lavender eyes pierced Makoto's as he whirled around, watching the familiar boots cross into the lobby as their owner joined the rest of the participants.

"K-Kyoko!"

He beamed at the sight of her, thinking with a sigh of relief Thank goodness she's alive!

Referencing Monokuma's desire to punish her for being late, she announced "I'm here, and no rule's been broken."

Makoto stared in horror as Byakuya asked whether or not there would be a punishment for Kyoko's tardiness.

No, Byakuya! Punishment means death here! Are you trying to get her killed?

Kyoko for her part calmly countered "I made it here just fine. What school regulation did I violate? Am I wrong?"

Monokuma lamented that there was no violation, but Makoto's skin crawled when Monokuma assured with an evil smile that he'd make sure she felt sorry later before urging everyone onto the elevator.

"Kyoko!" Makoto couldn't help but shout her name one more time, still on an emotional high at the revelation that she didn't die.

"Of course I didn't die…" Kyoko replied when Aoi asked, smirking at how everyone thought she was dead.

At Byakuya's urging, everyone started to pile into the elevator. Kyoko started to walk forward, but stopped when she felt Makoto grab her wrist.

"Kyoko. Where have you been this whole time?" Don't you know how worried I was?

"I went to investigate the 2nd floor of the dorms."

Oh yeah; there was a gate in front of some stairs in the dorms. So that's where she went?

"There aren't any monitors or cameras there, so I was able to avoid Monokuma completely. Of course, I also missed his announcement because of that. I had no idea a body had been discovered."

Nodding, Makoto asked "Then...when did you find out?"

"Just now. I finished my search and came back down, just in time to hear the class trial announcement. I took some time to go over the crime scene first. I can't go to a trial completely uninformed, can I?"

I suppose not...Makoto nodded in understanding.

"I'm sorry I kept you all waiting."

I'm just glad you're alive. "Then...that's what the key you found goes to?" The second floor of the dorms…

Kyoko shook her head and corrected "Actually, to be precise...not quite. I used Monokuma's secret tool, which can open any lock in the school."

Makoto's eyes widened in shock, but before he could get any more information out of her, Aoi hollered for them to get in the elevator.

"We can go over all the details after we get through the trial, okay Makoto? Right now I just want to focus on surviving our current situation. Because this is probably the single most crucial moment so far for me."

Why for her specifically? What's going on, Kyoko?

Nevertheless, Makoto relented, letting go of her wrist. Before they stepped into the elevator, Kyoko looked at him, and spoke with a rare tone of complete and utter apology.

"I apologize in advance for anything I might say or do."

Apologize? What for? You've been our savior before, Kyoko. Surely you'll get us out of this one too!

Shaking her head, she turned around, and said "Well, if that's all…" before strolling into the elevator, Makoto following closely behind her.

XXX

The trial opened in the most ridiculous way possible; Yasuhiro declared that Kyoko was the victim, and that the Kyoko in the trial room was her ghost. Everyone else facepalmed at Yasuhiro's stupidity. Taking charge, Makoto proposed that they settle the matter by comparing the traits of the corpse to the traits of Kyoko.

One important trait Kyoko has that proves that the body doesn't belong to her. Wait, her hands...I got it! But that means...I'm sorry, Kyoko. Please forgive me for revealing your secret to everyone…

Makoto postulated that her gloves would provide some insight into the mystery, leading Byakuya to elaborate on Makoto's point.

"In that case, I think it would be helpful if someone explained why she actually wears those gloves."

"And would you happen to know the answer?" I haven't told anybody; there's no way they would know about that...right?

Kyoko's eyes widened as Byakuya replied "In fact, Monokuma told me. Apparently you have scars on your hands you don't want anyone to see."

She grimaced, clearly not pleased at having her most carefully guarded secret exposed in front of everyone. She looked toward Makoto who lanced apologetically at her, and her grimace turned to an appreciative smile, as if to convey that she didn't blame him for the circumstances. Unfortunately, Yasuhiro wasn't convinced, claiming that the gloves probably just burnt in the explosion. Again, everyone else facepalmed, Makoto in particular glaring at Yasuhiro through his hand.

Why can't you just accept it and leave it alone? She shouldn't have to have a secret exposed that she doesn't want to share…

Partially motivated by frustration, Makoto brought up the fake nails on the corpse and that it wouldn't make sense for the corpse to be Kyoko since the fake nails would get in the way and that they would contradict Kyoko's motive of trying to hide her hands from public view. Byakuya pressed Kyoko for her input on the discussion.

Guess there's no other option…"These gloves were custom-made to the size of my hands to make sure they don't interfere with my daily life. If I wore fake nails, the gloves wouldn't fit properly."

With that detail settled, Yasuhiro finally dropped his ridiculous theory, making both Makoto and Kyoko sigh in relief. With that, the debate continued.

Once Makoto revealed the mark of a wolf on the corpse's hand, it was deduced, and confirmed by Monokuma, that the deceased was Mukuro Ikusaba, the Ultimate Soldier. Everyone was confused, under the impression that Mukuro was the mastermind, but Byakuya postulated that she was simply another participant. Everyone then started wondering who the real mastermind was, with Toko suspecting that it was the headmaster, like Alter Ego suggested.

"No, the headmaster has nothing to do with it."

"But how can we trust that? We already know your information about Mukuro was wrong."

Geez Byakuya. One little error suddenly erases four trials of reliability? I'm still inclined to believe her intel…

"My information was not wrong…"

The force that Kyoko spoke with as she grit her teeth stunned everyone in the room, used more ot the stoic and calm Kyoko than the one prone to outbursts. Monokuma then reminded everyone to focus on solving Mukuro's murder, and revealed that it was one of the students who had killed Mukuro. Byakuya calmly assured everyone that they had narrowed down the list of suspects.

Narrowed it down? Wait a minute, The only two people that Byakuya didn't gather last night were...I got it! Oh no…

"You've narrowed it down to...Kyoko, and me. Right?"

Intrigued with a hint of dread, Kyoko asked "...Why do you say that?"

Byakuya postulated that the murder took place after he left the garden, but that during that time, he gathered Aoi, Yasuhiro, and Toko in the gym.

"The gym…?"

Byakuya nodded, revealing that they were trying to dismantle Monokuma, and never went anywhere alone, giving all of them alibis.

"The only ones without alibis..."

"...are me and Makoto. That's why you're able to narrow down the list of suspects."

Makoto shuddered at the possibility that either him or Kyoko could be executed by this trial.

I can't let this stand. I have to clear my own name. Kyoko's too!

At Makoto's insistence, the debate turned to solidifying the time of the murder. Makoto brought up over fierce and nonsensical objections from Toko that since the body got wet from him pouring a bucket of water on it to douse the flames, and not from the sprinklers since they were set to go off at 7:30, then the murder had to have occurred sometime after 7:30. This led Byakuya to propose that the culprit had to be Kyoko, filling Makoto with a sense of dread.

"...I'd just like to say one thing. If you vote for me, and I die here, the mystery of this school will stay hidden forever. Which is why...I can't let that happen!" I'm sorry, Makoto. I need your help just a little longer.

"So are you saying...you're not the culprit?"

Shaking her head, Kyoko answered Byakuya "Of course I'm not. I have no reason to kill anyone. This is a trap the mastermind has laid for us."

A trap?

Byakuya postulated that Kyoko could have killed Mukuro, stating that she had reason to believe that Mukuro was the mastermind and thus a reason to eliminate her so that the killing game would end. Yasuhiro nodded, stating that with a motive and no alibi, she had to be the obvious suspect.

No, that can't be it! This has to be a trap! I just have a little more and…

"I'm not the only one without an alibi. Makoto's explanation is still insufficient."

That shocked Makoto; of all the trials that had occurred so far, this was the first where she was deliberately pointing the finger at him.

What the heck, Kyoko? Why are you pointing the finger at me?

"The sprinklers didn't get the body wet, but that doesn't mean the murder happened when he said it did. Because you see, there is a way the body could have avoided getting wet. All it would take is covering the body with a certain something to keep it from getting wet."

A certain something? Kyoko, what are you...I got it! "You're talking about the tarp, aren't you?"

Kyoko nodded, an unusually sad and remorseful smile on her face as she confirmed "You catch on quick. You're right. All you'd have to do is cover the body with the tarp, and that'd take care of the water. In fact, that's exactly what the killer did. The dirt pattern on the tarp can attest to that. Only one side of the tarp got dirty, because that's the side that got covered in water. The side that faced down over the body, meanwhile, kept perfectly clean. This proves that the killer used the tarp to keep the body from getting soaked."

"But why would they go to all that effort just to keep the body from getting wet?"

Kyoko replied to Byakuya "Most likely so they could cloud the issue of when the murder actually took place. In other words, to create an excuse exactly like the one Makoto just gave us."

Why would Kyoko say that?

Makoto felt his heart crack at Kyoko's suggestion, disturbed that she would implicate him as the killer. Shaking his head, he thought about the tarp, and came to a realization.

"Wait...something's not right."

"And what might that be?" At Makoto's silence, Kyoko declared "By covering the body with the tarp...the killer prevented it from getting wet."

Wait...that tarp was totally spotless on the other side. That doesn't make any sense!

When Makoto voiced this concern, Yasuhiro countered "It's cuz that side was protected from the water! Since it was facing down toward the body...of course it didn't get dirty!"

Wait...if things really happened like Kyoko said, then the other side should have been all bloodied. That's wrong, Yasuhiro!

When Makoto raised that very concern, Yasuhiro defended that the culprit had washed it afterwards, to avoid suspicion. Byakuya countered that had that been the case, both sides would have been washed.

"More than that, what if the very blood we saw on the body was meant as a kind of camouflage?" Seeing Makoto's shock, Kyoko elaborated "What if, after the killer used the tarp to avoid the sprinklers...they then covered the body in blood that didn't belong to the victim?" Yasuhiro suggested that the culprit grabbed blood packets from the nurse's office to use as camouflage, but Kyoko shook her head and answered "No, that's not what happened this time. The killer got the blood from right there in the garden."

Right there in the garden? But the only source of blood in there is...I got it! "Could it have been...chicken blood?"

As Aoi and Yasuhiro expressed disgust at that particular ploy, Kyoko pondered "I wonder if the killer had to get the blood from the scene so they wouldn't be spotted walking around...Anyway, there's no denying that a chicken went missing, which provides a basis for my theory."

Byakuya remarked that if that was the case, then the blood should have seeped into the ground, and not just stayed on Mukuro's clothing.

"I have to agree, that certainly is strange...Maybe they didn't apply the blood at the scene. Maybe they covered the coat in blood beforehand."

"Beforehand?"

"When you discovered the body, was it wearing the coat like you normally would?"

"Wait, no...the head was through the neck hole, but the arms weren't in the sleeves."

"Then that settles it." After Aoi expressed difficulty keeping up with her and Makoto's back and forth, Kyoko clarified "Here's what happened - the murder took place before the sprinklers went off. But the body didn't get wet, because the killer covered it with the tarp. Then, later, at the same time the killer was gathering up the tarp...they pulled the coat over the body. The coat they'd already covered in blood. This series of cover-ups was meant to disguise the actual time the murder occurred. They wanted us to think the murder happened sometime after the sprinklers had gone off, at 7:30."

Byakuya admitted that if everything was true, then the murder certainly could have happened earlier. Aoi however was skeptic, raising the point that the culprit would have had to go back to the garden after the sprinklers turned off.

"That actually wouldn't have been all that difficult. They already had the coat ready. So they just had to grab the tarp and pull the coat over the body. They'd be done in no time."

"Maybe, but still..." What's the point of all this, Kyoko?

Ignoring Makoto, Kyoko looked towards Aoi and asked "Hina. After you met up with Makoto in the dining hall, did you two stay together from that point on?"

Aoi admitted that they had separated, meeting Makoto in the gym later on.

"Then he had plenty of time to spare, wouldn't you say?"

His mouth agape in shock, Makoto stuttered "Th-That's not-"

"Don't bother saying it's not possible."

Makoto felt his heart crack once more, astonished at Kyoko's sudden antagonizing of him.

Why, Kyoko? What did I do? I swear, I'm not a killer! Why won't you believe me this time?

With Byakuya's conclusion that Makoto's alibi was inadequate, they were now back at square one; both Makoto and Kyoko were suspects in Mukuro's murder. Suspicion soon fell back on Makoto once it was revealed that the knife thrust into Mukuro's body was the one that Kyoko insisted Makoto hold onto. Makoto however countered, stating that since the knife had been stabbed into the body after Mukuro died, then there was no way he could have stabbed her to death. Yasuhiro tried to counter that Makoto could have stabbed her twice.

No, there's no way that's possible...I got it!

Makoto held up the Monokuma File as evidence, stating that there was only one stab wound. Makoto raised the point that since the body exploded after they found it, the knife would be the only concrete evidence of what might have killed her, and was therefore a type of camouflage designed to mislead them. Byakuya deduced that the culprit wanted to use the Monokuma Bomb to detonate the body and leave the knife behind so that Makoto would be the suspect.

"And the only one who would benefit from that...is the only other possible suspect. You, Kyoko."

"Hold on a second, Byakuya."

Makoto raised the issue that they still didn't know who killed her, and asked that they talk about that more. Byakuya obliged, and the debate continued. Makoto deduced that the wound to the back of Mukuro's head was the fatal injury, and Byakuya announced that they already knew what the murder weapon was.

The real murder weapon...wait, the dojo locker...I got it!

Makoto revealed that the culprit used a group of titanium arrows and bound them together with duct tape in order to create the weapon that killed Mukuro. Byakuya, to Makoto's discomfort, swiftly accused Kyoko of being the one to kill Mukuro, leaving her ot object to the charge.

"...I've never been to the dojo."

Byakuya doubled down, demanding that Makoto show the evidence that proved that she did go to the dojo. When Makoto hesitated, Byakuya warned him what would happen if he tried to protect her.

Alright, I get it! Now let's see, evidence that proves Kyoko went to the dojo. Wait, the key! I got it!

Makoto brought up the key that went to the dojo locker, leading Kyoko to challenge his evidence.

"And how does that prove anything?"

Makoto sheepishly revealed that he had found it in her room, making Kyoko's eyes widen in shock.

"It was...in my room?"

Surprisingly, Kyoko felt nothing about the fact that Makoto had gone and invaded her room. She attributed it to the stress of the case and dismissed the thought. Byakuya began to lecture about how this proved that she was the culprit.

"...Hold on a second."

Irritated, Byakuya complained "Not this again. You really are dead-set on defending her, aren't you?"

Kyoko felt her heart flutter at Byakuya's claim that Makoto was trying to protect her, along with guilt for how she had been pointing the finger at him this entire trial.

Makoto shook his head, explaining "It's just...there's one more thing I need to ask her."

Kyoko raised her brow, suddenly curious at what Makoto wanted to ask her.

"Last night...you were in my room, weren't you? Why? What were you doing there?"

Kyoko's cheeks flushed red as she thought It's only fair that I tell him the truth. If I'm going to betray his trust, I should at least have the decency to be honest with him about what I was doing. Thinking back to the night she spent watching over him, she confessed "I was just...protecting you."

She was...protecting me? She knew I was being attacked...and she came to save me? Kyoko...did you also…

Makoto's cheeks flushed to match Kyoko's as he vaguely recollected a feminine voice soothing him in his sleep, and soft fabric caressing his fevered face. Before he could voice his question, Byakuya rudely interrupted, claiming that a verdict was close at hand.

I can't let it end in my death. I have to do something! Kyoko interjected "Wait. I'm warning you, don't make this mistake. I'm not the killer."

Exasperated, Byakuya complained "I knew you were stubborn, but this is just getting ridiculous."

"Really? But you should know better than anyone I didn't do it. Can you tell me I'm wrong?"

This left everyone, including Byakuya, stunned.

"What do you mean?"

Answering Byakuya, Kyoko reiterated "Exactly what I said. I'm not the killer. You should understand that more than anyone here."

Starting to catch on, Byakuya hesitantly asked "So there's proof you aren't the culprit...Is that what you're saying?"

Kyoko elaborated "You stated a theory earlier. You said I hid the evidence of my crime in the dojo locker. And then left the locker key in my own room, correct? But...could I really have done that?"

Wait a minute. Could she have? No, she couldn't have!

Makoto interjected, bringing up that Byakuya had confiscated Kyoko's room key earlier, a good two days before the murder took place.

"And if I had the key to your room..." Byakuya caught on, leading Kyoko to smirk.

"...then obviously I had no way of getting in. Without my room key, I couldn't have possibly put the locker key in there myself. Am I wrong?"

Byakuya acquiesced "It...would appear not."

"Then you're finally starting to understand."

Makoto looked at Kyoko, who despite her smirk was sweating, confusing him.

Is she...nervous? Wait, she could have gotten into her room! She's lying...but why? What do I do?

Makoto closed, his eyes, and came to a decision.

To hell with it; I trust her! Kyoko's not a cold-blooded killer! She must have her reasons for holding out on us. I just have to trust that she'll tell us what they are when this is all over…

Suspicion soon fell on Makoto, who was the only person without an alibi. In a rush to defend himself, Makoto panicked, stammering as he brought up how strange this trial was compared to the others, exclaiming that it had to be a trap.

"So that's why...this has to be-!"

"Okay, time's up!"

This shocked everyone in the room, Kyoko included. For once incredibly shaken, Kyoko exclaimed "What do you mean time's up? There's no time's up. Since when have we - ?"

Monokuma claimed that the trial had to be cut short because she arrived late, leaving Kyoko unconvinced. During all the trials, there had never once been a time limit stated during the rule explanations. Unfortunately, Monokuma's word was law here, and after the bear clapped his paws, a screen and lever appeared in front of everyone. The participants reluctantly touched their screens and pulled their levers, until only Makoto and Kyoko were left. Makoto started to sweat as s there was no clear culprit this time, and all the suspicion was piled directly on him.

So what do I do? Do I ...actually vote for Kyoko? NO, I can't do that! So then, do I vote for someone else? NO, I can't do that either. None of them are guilty as far as I can tell. So I...I WON'T VOTE. If this is the mastermind's plan, then I'm not falling for it!

For her part, Kyoko started to sweat, for the first time undecided about her course of action.

I have to stay alive. I have to. So then, what do I do? Do I actually, vote to execute Makoto?

The thought sickened her to her stomach; the idea of sending the sweet, shy, hopeful Makoto Naegi to the gallows of her own free will, especially when she knew he was innocent, made her tremble. Eventually, she reached forward, touched the screen with Makoto's icon on it, and weakly pulled her lever.

I...I had no choice. It was down to me and him as suspects. And I had to stay alive, so I was forced to choose Makoto. Makoto...I'm sorry. I couldn't protect you this time!

Makoto watched with horror as the slot machine slowed down to have the image of his head show up on all three slots.

Wh...what? "I...I didn't do it!"

As Monokuma boasted that this trial was like all the others, and tha tit would end the same way, Makoto looked at Kyoko, who had her eyes downcast, choosing to look at her boots rather than face the boy she was sending to his death.

"I don't expect you to forgive me. I know this is all my fault…"

She choked up, unable to say anymore without showing her despair.

Monokuma cackled, roaring "It's PUNISHMENT TIME!"

Grabbing Makoto by the ankles, Monokuma dragged him into the execution chamber, cackling the entire way. Makoto clawed at the floor, trying to grasp on to any cracks between the tiles, crying and screaming all the way.

"NO! I'M NOT GUILTY! I'M INNOCENT! I DON'T WANNA DIE! KYOKO! KYOKO, HELP ME! PLEASE, I'M BEGGING YOU!"

Kyoko shook as she watch him get dragged into what looked like a classroom with a conveyor belt and a heavy weight in the rear. She gazed with guilt, sorrow, and anger as the bear tied Makoto to a desk and activated the conveyor belt, hopping onto a platform in front of Makoto and, after putting on a pair of glasses and grabbing a book and a yardstick, started gesturing to the chalkboard and lecturing about reproduction. The weight rhythmically pounded the ground, the pounding sound ringing in everyone's ears, reminding everyone that Makoto's life had only minutes left before being cut short. Kyoko's fists clenched, Makoto's execution hitting her harder than any of the previous executions.

He doesn't deserve this. Makoto doesn't deserve this.

Eventually, Makoto reached the end, closing his eyes as he waited for the inevitable, tears streaming down his cheeks. Kyoko closed her eyes too, unable to watch Makoto's death at her hands. Tears streamed down her cheeks, a physical display of her sorrow and guilt at Makoto's predicament.

I'm...I'm sorry, Makoto...

But then, just as all hope seemed lost, One of the screens that had Monokuma's face on it, changed to Chihiro Fujisaki's likeness.

Alter Ego?

Makoto looked up, and saw that the weight was frozen in place at the top. As he sighed in relief at his life being spared, the floor opened beneath him, sending him falling down a chute as he heard a voice scream his name.

"MAKOTO!"

XXX

Everyone stared in shock at what just happened, stunned that Makoto survived the execution attempt. Kyoko allowed a small smile, not caring if anyone saw at the moment as a small bit of relief filled her.

He's alive! He's not dead!

She watched with satisfaction as Monokuma clenched his paws and roared "I've been hacked! Son of a mother, I've been hacked! Digi-Fujisaki planted a virus when it infiltrated the network..." Kyoko smiled in satisfaction as the bear banged his head against the chalkboard, exclaiming "They've made a mockery of this fine institution!"

Finally chiming in, Kyoko chastised "It seems you finally made a miscalculation. No...you miscalculated from the very beginning." As Monokuma seethed, Kyoko continued "What I'm saying is, you shouldn't have underestimated us."

To everyone's shock and discomfort, Monokuma quickly cheered up, exclaiming that having Makoto waste away in the garbage dump was an even better punishment than having to crush him flat.

He's right...Makoto's still going to die, and it'll still be all my fault…

Seeing the despair on her face, Monokuma giggled, exclaiming that he would bring despair to the rest of the world before disappearing. Byakuya demanded answers from her, forcing Kyoko to rein in her emotions before addressing him.

"It's okay. We're not the ones being trapped this time. Now it's the mastermind that's ensnared…"

"What are you talking about…?"

Cryptically as usual, Kyoko replied "You'll understand soon enough. Very soon indeed…" She then walked up to the still confused Byakuya and held out her hand, demanding "My room key, please."

This demand stunned Byakuya, caught completely off guard by Kyoko's request. "Now listen here..." Byakuya took out her key, swinging it around his ringer by the keyring as he countered "You still haven't told us your true ability. You may not have been found guilty by the class trial, but I still don't trust you Kyoko Kirigiri. And until you tell us your title, I refuse to..."

"...Detective." From what I've gathered about my skills and from what pieces of my past I can grasp on, it's the only logical conclusion.

"Huh?"

Sighing, Kyoko chastised "Don't those ears of yours work, Byakuya? I am the Ultimate Detective. I just remembered it as I put together pieces of my memory. Now, my room key. I believe I've satisfied your conditions, am I wrong?"

Grumbling, Byakuya obliged, slamming the key into her open palm. She then walked into the elevator, everyone else confused, but reluctantly following her as they left the trial chamber.

XXX

She closed the door, shakily walking over to the bed nearby. As soon as she lay down, face buried in the pillow, the dam broke. Tears streamed down her cheek as though her face was one big waterfall, openly sobbing as she couldn't hold in her emotions anymore. Her guilt, her sorrow, her anguish, her hatred, it all came bursting out at once.

"It's my fault. It's all my fault. Makoto's going to starve to death down there and it's all my fault. He trusted me, called me his friend, relied on me to protect him, and how do I repay him? By throwing him to the wolves and framing him as the killer in that trial. It may have been a setup by Monokuma, but I pointed my finger at him and even voted for him."

Kyoko raised her head from the pillow and clenched her fists in self-hatred.

"I'm such a coward; I valued my own life so much that I used Makoto as a shield rather then try to protect Makoto from suspicion. When push came to shove, I couldn't show him the same kindness that Makoto showed me. I couldn't put anyone's life above my own, and now Makoto's going to die because of that. I'm sorry! I'M SO SORRY!"

Kyoko turned to rest on her back as she cried herself to sleep, tormented by the anguish that plagued her as images of Makoto's cheerful face plagued her dreams.

XXX

Kyoko sat up, panting as she looked around, realizing she was back in her room.

"It was just a dream...but it was real..."

Kyoko thought on her dream where she saw Makoto back in the classroom, terrified and crying as he awaited his death by the heavy weight smashing down on the conveyor belt. She bent her knees and buried her had in them, taking up a fetal position as she wallowed in despair.

I deserve this. I threw Makoto to his death by framing him, and he still trusted me enough to not tell the others about how I acquired Monokuma's skeleton key…

"Wait...the skeleton key!"

Digging around in her pockets, she pulled out Monokuma's key, realizing exactly what she held in her palm.

"It'll open any door in the school. I can get to where Makoto is...and get him out alive!"

Kyoko beamed, springing to her feet as she rushed out of her room and to the kitchen. Once she got there, she hurriedly opened drawers until she found a translucent plastic bag. Ripping it out of the drawer and slamming it shut, she stormed over to the fridge, getting two bottles of water and stuffing them into the bag. Then she went over to the counter and grabbed a handful of bread rolls, throwing them into the food bag as well.

He's been down there for hours. No doubt he'll be hungry by the time I get to him. Bringing him some food is the least I can do...to atone for my sins!

Satisfied with the small collection of food, she raced over to the trash room. Spotting the locked hatch on the floor, she used Monokuma's key and opened it, spotting a ladder on the side.

Okay, so that's probably the way out...Now how to get to where Makoto is…

She looked around and her eyes sparkled when she saw another hatch located next to the giant trash bin on the left side of the room. Seeing that this one was unlocked, she opened it and saw what appeared to be a near bottomless pit with no way back up.

This must be it! Now…

She reached into the garbage bin with her free hand and yanked out several full garbage bags. Holding them at her feet, she walked over to the hatch until the bags of trash were hanging just below the hold in the floor. With that, she took a leap of faith, jumping down the hatch.

Hang on, Makoto. I'm coming to get you out of there alive!

XXX

Makoto was jarred from his sleep as a giant crash resonated in his ears. He looked around frantically as he spotted several giant trash bags a few feet in front of him.

"Did a giant piece of trash just fall down here...?"

As he walked forward to investigate, Makoto stopped as he heard a familiar, feminine voice playfully condescend him from the pile.

"A giant piece of trash? Rude."

She stepped out of the trash pile, a cup of spoiled ramen sitting on her head like an odd cap, holding her nose as she dug her way out.

"This place smells awful."

"K-Kyoko!?"

Kyokoi looked Makoto over; to her relief, other than looking a little tired and slightly less energetic, he appeared to be in good health.

"You look like you're doing better than I expected…"

Makoto gawked, amazed that Kyoko was down there at all.

"Wh-What are you doing here?"

Rolling her eyes, Kyoko replied "Isn't it obvious? I'm here to help you."

You...you came all this way...to rescue me? "I'm glad to hear that, Kyoko..."

He then realized how silly she looked with the ramen cup on her head and held his palm up to his mouth, muffling his giggles to Kyoko's confusion.

"Umm...you've got a bit of garbage in your hair..."

Kyoko's cheeks flushed a light shade of pink out of embarrassment as she shook her head, freeing the ramen cup from her hair as Makoto managed to stop giggling.

"Sorry, Kyoko. I shouldn't have..."

"It's fine. First, I have something for you." She held out the food bag in front of him and gently ordered "Go ahead and eat it. We can talk once you're finished."

Snatching the food bag from her, his eyes beamed and a grateful grin spread from ear to ear as he suddenly leapt at her, embracing Kyoko as tightly as he could and resting his head on her chest.

"Th-Thank you! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!"

Kyoko was stunned at Makoto's reaction, flashing back to the opening ceremony when he had latched onto her waist in fear. Unlike that time though, this time she smiled warmly and returned the embrace, wrapping her arms around him in a vice as though he might disappear the moment she let go. She rubbed his back in comfort, trying to convey her unspoken thoughts to the Ultimate Lucky Student.

It's okay, Makoto. I'm never going to abandon you like that ever again. I'll protect you form the mastermind, and this time I'll keep that promise no matter what!

Reluctantly, she let go of him as she pushed him far enough away so that she could see his flushed face.

"Now EAT, Makoto. You need to get your strength back up, so less talking, more chewing!"

Smiling at Kyoko's caring and concern for him, Makoto nodded and sat down, ripping open the bag with gusto. Kyoko took a seat on a nearby couch as she smiled with amusement at Makoto's antics, watching him stuff the rolls down his throat like there was no tomorrow, and drink from the water bottles when the food got stuck in his throat. Given how quickly he was stuffing bread into his body, this happened quite often.

Chuckling, Kyoko remarked "And just like that, he's back at full throttle..."

Smiling with embarrassment, Makoto replied "Well, I don't know about all that but, I guess...being rescued does kind of put a spring in my step..."

Smiling at his attitude, Kyoko remarked "So you still haven't given up, then."

"Of course not! After all, the fact that I can keep going forward is about all I'm good at..."

Kyoko frowned for a moment, a little disturbed at how Makoto could put himself down like that.

You're good at so much more, Makoto… Choosing to smile before Makoto saw, she remarked "Well, that's not such a bad thing to be good at."

One question plagued his mind though, and he felt like he needed answers from her.

"Why'd you come to rescue me?" I'm not ungrateful, but why'd you risk your own life to save mine?

Looking at her feet, Kyoko uttered "To pay a debt. Or, no...to atone."

Atone? What could she have to atone for?

"During the trial, even though you knew I was lying, you didn't say anything."

"So...you knew that I knew..."

"But even though I knew, I did nothing to help you. I...abandoned you. I threw you under the bus to further my own agenda."

Makoto couldn't see her face, but was shocked to see a single tear fall from her face. Makoto immediately tried to comfort her, ashamed that he had made her cry in front of him.

Please don't cry, Kyoko! "Don't say that! You didn't abandon me!"

Shaking her head, Kyoko insisted "No, that's exactly what I did. I abandoned you in order to save my own life. You were trying to save me, and I couldn't bring myself to do the same for you. But listen, not that I'm trying to make excuses, but...there was a reason that I had to survive no matter the cost. I can't offer you any reason other than that. I really am sorry."

I'd never want you to die either, Kyoko. But… "Why did you have to survive?"

This is it...no more secrets. I won't hide anything from you, Makoto. Struggling to overcome the lump in her throat, she looked him in the eye and acquiesced "I'll tell you. I'll tell you everything...The reason I have to survive...is so that I can do what I came to this school to do. I made up my mind to come to Hope's Peak Academy for one very important reason."

"So you have some reason for coming to Hope's Peak?" But I thought we all came because we were recruited by talent scouts. Or, in my case, I won a raffle. So what's she talking about?

Nodding, Kyoko answered "That's right. At least, I did, once. Until recently, I'd forgotten what it was."

Then...it's really true? You lost your memory? It's not that I don't believe you, it just seems so…

Seeing his confusion, Kyoko asked "Do you remember, Makoto? Do you remember the first thing that happened to each of us as soon as we arrived at this school?"

His eyes widening in realization, Makoto asked "You're talking about when we fainted, right?"

Nodding, Kyoko elaborated "I fainted, too. And when I woke up...I noticed a strange feeling of...separation within myself. A disconnect. Thinking back on it now, at that point my memory was gone. At that time...I'd forgotten. I couldn't remember why I'd come to this school, and I couldn't remember what my ultimate ability was."

This is getting stranger and stranger by the minute… "But...what would make you forget all that?"

Smiling, Kyoko answered "Strange, isn't it? It's hard to imagine it happened by chance. It seems much too convenient."

"Are you saying you think you lost your memory because..."

"I don't think. I'm positive it was the work of the mastermind. They stole my memory…"

That must be why Kyoko demanded to know what Monokuma had done to her body… "B-But...why would they want to do that?"

"There's only one reason I can come up with. Because of my purpose, and my ability. Somehow, they would interfere with the mastermind's plans. And it could also mean...somehow, my memories may be connected to the mystery of this school, and the mastermind. Which is why I have to get them back. That's why I've been investigating things by myself this whole time."

"Why didn't you ask the rest of us to help you?" I would have gladly helped you, Kyoko. All you had to do was ask...

"If I did that, and we all worked as one, the mastermind would have noticed right away. Plus...There's always the chance that the mastermind is actually one of us…"

"What?!" Did you really think...I could have been the mastermind…

Seeing the hurt in Makoto's eyes, she lay her hand on his shoulder and assured him "Well, don't make too big a deal of it. It's just a possibility. But since it is a possibility, we can't ignore it, right?"

Grudgingly, Makoto agreed, understanding where she was coming from as he reasoned Of course she couldn't trust anyone around her…

Kyoko recaptured his attention when she admitted "That being said, there was a limit to what I could do by myself. Which is why I asked you to help me."

"But...why me?" Just because I was willing to help, doesn't mean I would have been the most useful option.

"Because among everyone, you were least likely to be the mastermind. That was just intuition, but…"

Makoto nodded acknowledging that there wa sno way an ordinary kid like him could be the mastermind. It was then that Makoto zoned out, the fragment of memory from his dream flashing before his eyes.

My goal isn't to get out of here...it's to stay here.

Seeing Makoto's blank expression worried Kyoko, and she waved her hand in front of his eyes.

"Hello? Earth to Makoto, are you in there?"

Makoto blinked, back in reality as he noted Kyoko's concerned expression.

"Are you okay?"

Makoto assured her that it was nothing, though it was more to assure himself than for her. Kyoko didn't look entirely convinced, but let the matter drop.

She looked into his eyes, admitting "Even now, I still trust you, you know. It's just...I'm not used to relying on others. I know I never asked you for help the right way, so I understand if you're not convinced…"

I am convinced, Kyoko. It must have been so hard, asking for help when you're used to doing things on your own…

Changing the subject, Makoto asked "Were you able to remember anything?"

"I think there's still a lot I don't remember. But at the very least...I was finally able to recall my purpose, and my ability. My ability - what everyone should have known me for...I'm the Ultimate Detective."

Seems obvious now that you say it… "Makes sense; I mean, anyone who spends more than ten minutes with you can see you've got sleuthing in your blood."

Kyoko smiled at Makoto's compliment, then continued "And the reason I came to Hope's Peak Academy...There was someone I had to find here in the school. Whatever it took, I had to find them."

"Who?"

"Well...It was the headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy."

Makoto flashed back to how Kyoko became emotional when she said before Celeste's execution that she had to find the headmaster.

It must be important then… "Why did you want to find the headmaster!?"

Kyoko paused before revealing "Because he's my father."

Makoto's eyes widened as he exclaimed "What!?" The headmaster is...your dad?

"I was separated from him as a child. As it turns out, he became the headmaster of Hope's Peak."

She's...sharing more of her past with me...she really trusts me… Getting back on track, Makoto asked "When Alter Ego told us how he thought the headmaster was involved..."

Understanding where Makoto was going with that last line, Kyoko admitted "My memory hadn't come back at that point. But when he said that, I felt...strange. It makes perfect sense now, of course, since my whole purpose for coming here was to find him." She then stared at him, and clarified "But listen, Makoto. I want to make this perfectly clear, so there's no misunderstanding...I said the headmaster wasn't the mastermind, but I didn't say that to protect him. I only said what I felt based on what I'd seen when I snuck into the headmaster's room."

Nodding, Makoto asked "Then...what did you see in there?"

"The room had been ransacked. The shelves were a mess, the desk drawers dumped on the floor...The only conclusion is that someone who didn't know where anything was had been in there."

"You mean...the mastermind, right?" I mean, who else could it have been if it wasn't the headmaster?

"That was my assumption, yes. And to confirm my suspicion...I decided to investigate the 2nd floor of the dorms using the key I'd found."

"But...why there?" Of all the places to look, why the dorms?

"Because I also found this in the headmaster's room." She held out a series of floor designs for Makoto to see and explained as he sifted through them "It's a layout of the entirety of Hope's Peak Academy. I found it in the headmaster's room, along with Mukuro's profile and that key. The map showed that the 2nd floor was home to a number of rooms meant for faculty use. Some of the staff members must have had to stay overnight from time to time. And I figured the headmaster would have some kind of private room there...I assumed that if that were true, that room would likely hold more clues. So I went to check...And that's when I finally remembered. I remembered that my purpose was to find the owner of that room."

"So you went there to see if the headmaster really did have a private room there..." Makoto guessed.

Kyoko nodded and continued "But once I got there, I noticed that the 2nd floor of the dorms didn't have any cameras or monitors. Which is why I had no idea what was going on in the rest of the building. I was so preoccupied with investigating that room. It was unforgivingly careless of me…" If I had been more cautious, then maybe we never would have been forced into finding you guilty…

"No, it wasn't careless. Like you said, we had to be bold and take some risks. You were doing everything you could to investigate and get us closer to escaping this place! Nobody could fault you for that..."

Kyoko smiled at Makoto's attempts to cheer her up. Makoto, in an attempt to divert the conversation from the dark turn it had taken, asked what the second floor was like.

Like hell...Shaking her head, Kyoko replied "It's hard to describe. All I can say is...The moment I saw it, I realized...whatever's going on in this school is more horrific than we ever imagined."

Makoto stepped back in shock at Kyoko's revelation. After seeing people get shot to death with baseballs, turned into butter, and run over by a fire engine while being burned at the stake, he couldn't imagine something more horrific than any of those executions.

"Wh-What do you mean…?"

"I can't explain it. You need to see it for yourself. And I'm sure you'll get your chance soon enough."

I don't think I want to see it… "So when you said that you had no idea what was going on in the rest of the building...You're talking about Mukuro Ikusaba, right?"

Nodding, Kyoko clarified "Just to be perfectly clear, I didn't kill her. And I know it wasn't you either."

I never believed you did kill her…"So then who did kill her?"

"What I can say for sure is that the mastermind is directly involved. To begin with, the point of the class trial of Mukuro Ikusaba...was to get me killed."

Makoto's blood ran cold at Kyoko's revelation, visions of Kyoko getting squashed like a pancake filling his mind.

That's why she was so adamant about ensuring she survived the trial…

"I stole that key and disappeared, and in retaliation they wanted to draw me out and eliminate me. That was the point of the class trial. The mastermind knew they couldn't interfere directly."

Makoto guessed "You mean...because of the school regulations?"

"Exactly. Remember rule 4? With minimal restrictions, you are free to explore Hope's Peak Academy at your discretion." Makoto's eyes lit in comprehension as Kyoko continued "The mastermind is adamant about following the rules, and with that rule in place, they couldn't step in. Since they couldn't kill me themselves, they tried to use the class trial to do it."

So the mastermind is bound by the rules as well?

Makoto's pondering was interrupted when Kyoko spoke "There's one other thing I'd like to point out about the murder of Mukuro Ikusaba…" He has to know...I can't protect him from this… Reluctantly, Kyoko revealed "There was a point where Mukuro may not have become the victim...It could have been you, Makoto…!"

Makoto's eyes widened as he shook, overcome by this new revelation.

"I could have become the victim…?"

Seeing his state of panic, Kyoko grabbed his shoulders and urged "Makoto, calm down! You're safe right now, so please relax..."

Focusing on her calming voice, Makoto took a deep breath and felt himself become calmer.

"Sorry, Kyoko..."

Shaking her head, she assured him "It's okay. Now...You know what I'm talking about, right?"

Wait...Makoto flashed back to the night that he was literally sick with worry and realized During the night?

Seeing Makoto's comprehension, Kyoko explained "I can hear them, you know. The footsteps of the god of death. I can hear the god of death as he moves. That ability naturally draws me into cases, just like this. Which is exactly what happened with you...I was in the dorms, and I had a sudden sense of dread. I looked down the stairwell...and I saw a white shadow cross the corridor. I gave chase right away. As I followed it, I saw the shadow go into your room...I ran into your room, and I saw what was happening. I intervened immediately, of course."

So it's true, you...you really saved me back then. You stayed during the night...and watched over me...

Makoto was overcome with awe and gratitude at the lengths Kyoko went to protect him that night.

That trial, what happened...it doesn't even matter anymore! Because when I was in immediate danger...she came through!

"That wasn't the end of things, of course. I stopped them, but that led to...Whoever the masked assailant was, they ended up dead. And their murder was disguised, and the dojo key wound up in my room...It all has to be the work of the mastermind, in an attempt to use the class trial to eliminate me…"

Makoto reasoned "So all this would mean that whoever killed Mukuro is also the mastermind, right?"

"I don't have conclusive evidence, but that's what I think."

Makoto lamented "But that's really bad if it's true. It means the mastermind can kill whoever they want if they feel like it." Makoto's eyes widened as he realized "Wait, but doesn't that create another contradiction? The mastermind wanted to use the class trial to try and kill you cuz they couldn't interfere, right?"

Very good, Makoto. "You're right. That is a contradiction. And it's not just Mukuro...They needed the class trial to kill you, but seemed ready to kill you in your room...Everything they did is a contradiction."

"So...what does it all mean?" I don't understand this at all...

"It means that the mastermind is the one who's been cornered."

But who is the mastermind?

"Just a little more...A little more, and I should be able to figure out the mastermind's identity. The identity of...the other Ultimate Despair."

"The other Ultimate Despair?" Wait, but Mukuro was the Ultimate Soldier, so how could she be an Ultimate Despair? And now you're telling me...

"There's no doubt that Mukuro was the Ultimate Despair, and that she's dead. But I don't think the Ultimate Despair is just one person."

"It's not..." How could that be?

Kyoko explained "If you think about it, the Ultimate Despair seems to implicate whoever caused that event."

Makoto's eyes glowed with grim understanding as he started "You're talking about..."

Kyoko finished "...what happened a year ago - the biggest, most awful, most tragic event in human history. That despicable group whose only purpose and motivation comes from despair…"

"Then they're..."

Seeing Makoto starting to grasp where she was going with this, she finished "Make no mistake...They're the root of all the evil that has forced us to go through this. That is the Ultimate Despair. And that is our real enemy."

The Ultimate Despair...they created the Tragedy, and they're our enemy? Who locked us all here and made us kill each other to create despair?