Entertaining a Small Thought

by GrimGenesis

Here's a small thought: What would you do if you lost all your memories and then you were thrown in a death game with 16 other strangers? That's the situation Rin Wakuri is in, if that even is his name. No one knows who he is or why he's there, and he somehow knows things he shouldn't know, but he's determined to to help everyone in the killing game without dying hopefully...

98. 6-5 Hated Well by Life Itself

Everyone was silent even now that the motive video had ended. It was as though time had frozen as they desperately tried to process the information they had just gained. This was, in truth, the most they had concretely learned about Rin Wakuri since this killing game had begun. They should be happy that they knew more about him now, as he had always been a mystery.

They were not happy. In fact, they were anything but.

Eventually, the words sank in enough for someone to stagger and finally speak, breaking the deafening silence.

"What…was that?" Kaede asked, still at a complete loss as she stared off at nothing, failing to register anything else besides the bare minimum. "Is…Is that video real? Did that…really happen to Rin?"

"...I don't know." Shuichi managed to answer as he suppressed the rising bile threatening to come up from his throat. "I don't remember anything about Rin before he became the Ultimate Hope."

"This must be what he was before gaining that title, then," Rantaro said, his face hardening as a deep frown formed on his lips. "Rin Wakuri only became the Ultimate Hope as an adult when he became the leader of the Future Foundation, and that was after he had led the battle against the Remnants of Despair. This must have been his Ultimate Talent when he was our age."

"The Ultimate Attorney. A master of the law. One who can play the part of defense, prosecution, and judge with ease." Kirumi surmised as her fists shook. "That is what we can assume from the title alone…however, the way he gained that title…"

"Terrible doesn't do it justice," Tenko growled as pure fury began to roll off her form as she shook. "His parents were murdered, and his life nearly ruined, and people come in and rip away any choice Rin had in the matter?! How utterly cruel! No wonder Rin said he hated his talent!"

"This answers quite a bit about our favorite deceased amnesiac, though, doesn't it?" Kokichi asked as he put a hand to his chin as he thought. "No wonder he was so skilled in the trials. He was a damn lawyer. This place makes sense now, too."

"Yeah. A judgment hall for a judge. A place where sin is punished. That was the feeling we got when we entered. It makes sense for a place so heavily drenched in a righteous and virtuous atmosphere to belong to the Ultimate Lawyer. It's designed to be like a real courtroom." Shuichi nodded.

"I think there are more important things to discuss," Kirumi told them as she turned to face them, a severe new look aimed right at them before she spoke again. "What we should discuss…is the purpose of that video."

"Right… It certainly was a motive video. No doubt about that." Kaede shivered as she recalled the cruel, calculated words of pure malice and deceit spoken by the video's narrator. "It was different than the videos we got, right?"

"Definitely. The voice wasn't Monokuma, and that video wasn't a simple memory like Rin had been promised originally. Maybe the first video was the memory before it got corrupted, but this second video is nothing more but a motive to kill." Shuichi frowned.

"It wasn't trying to get Rin to kill any of us, though. It was trying to get him to…kill his friend, Yuna Tamura." Tenko pointed out before she bit her lips nervously. "The same Yuna Tamura…that case filed said was killed by Rin."

"Then shouldn't it be obvious what this video is?" Kokichi asked, a forced, wicked smile showing as he spoke. "That was a motive video, but not for our killing game. Something not made by Monokuma but by someone else. What do you think that means?"

"You don't have to spell it out. It's as you said. It's obvious." Rantaro tightened his fists. "Rin was like me. He must have survived another killing game before this one. Not only is he the Ultimate Attorney, and he isn't just the Ultimate Hope. He's also an Ultimate Survivor."

"But…if that's true, and this motive video was from an old killing game that Rin was forced to play, then does that mean…Rin survived as the blackened in that game? That case file said he murdered someone. The same person the video was trying to manipulate him into killing!" Tenko exclaimed.

"Could that be why Rin started waging war with the Remnants of Despair? Perhaps he survived that killing game. Then, once the Future Foundation took him in, Rin joined them and their fight against the Remnants since it had become personal to him." Kirumi guessed.

"What are you saying, Kirumi!? Do you honestly believe that Rin would have killed his close friend?!" Tenko shouted in shock.

"I did not say that. I merely stated that might be the case if Rin survived a killing game." Kirumi replied with a narrow glance. "We have no context aside from the little we have found in this room. I do not intend to believe what little a burnt scrap of paper and a video made with clear malicious intent without looking for more evidence. It would not be right for me, considering I nearly committed murder myself."

"I agree." Kaede nodded immediately. "I'm in the same boat. At the start of this game, I nearly killed someone, too, so I feel the same as Kirumi. I'm not just going to believe such little evidence! I refuse to believe Rin killed someone maliciously or on purpose. I don't believe this video, even with what it showed, would have convinced Rin to kill anyone. Not that it matters in the end."

"Right. We're here to investigate this killing game and Rin's death." Rantaro nodded. "We have a much better picture of who Rin was now. What do we do now?"

"I think we should try to get in the back room here," Kokichi said as he put his arms behind his head and gestured to the door with the magenta 9 at the back of the hall. "That's the only place we haven't investigated, right?"

"Yeah, but it's locked." Tenko pointed out. "How are we gonna get inside?"

"Locked?" Shuichi repeated. "Are you talking about that weird device attached to the door?"

Yes, that strange device. The one with the blank screen. Walking up to the door to inspect it further, Shuichi realized just how bizarre the lock for the door was. There were three screens that were like slots above the circular blank screen. They were separated into two groups, with two slots in a 'pair' grouping and the third being a 'solo' slot. Now that Shuichi looked closer, the circular screen below seemed to be a sensor. Perhaps it's meant to scan something to input it into the slots? Could that be the key here?

"What exactly are we supposed to do with this?" Kaede asked as she peered over Shuichi's shoulder, along with Tenko, Rantaro, and Kokichi, to look at the device.

"It's a sensor of some kind, so do we have to scan something in?" Rantaro guessed.

"But what could we possibly use? There's nothing in here to scan. No keycards, no nothing!" Tenko shouted.

"There's the strange watches those mannequins are wearing." Kokichi pointed out.

"That does match up with the large 9 on the door." Rantaro nodded. "But there's only three slots, so that must mean there's a specific set of three to put in to unlock the door."

"But what three? There are nine of those mannequins with nine different watches." Kaede frowned.

"Judging by what's written here, I imagine we need to select a certain pair and a specific solo watch, but I don't know which ones we're supposed to select," Shuichi noted.

"I believe this might present a potential solution." Kirumi suddenly spoke up as she walked over to the group with a sheet of paper in her hands.

"What's this?" Shuichi asked as Kirumi handed him the paper.

"It was with that strange penguin plushie sitting on the judge's chair," Kirumi explained as she turned back to the plushie in question.

The plushie gave off a strange feeling to the group, just like the 9-door, but in a different way. The penguin was dressed in a fancy royal purple tuxedo, matching fedora, and a fancy, fogged-up monocle covering its right eye. It gave off the air of formality, orderliness, and decorum, yet despite that…the thing also had the same feeling around it as Monokuma.

It made all of the students shiver, just looking at the inanimate object, before they turned back to Kirumi.

"I believe Rin left this for us. It's written in his handwriting."

"Really?" Kaede asked as they all leaned in to read whatever was on the paper.

It didn't have a lot. All it was were descriptions of seemingly random things. First was the explanation of digital roots. The digital root of a natural number is the single-digit value that results from adding the digits of the number in a given radix. The process continues until the result is a single digit. For example, the digital root of 12345 in base 10 is 6, because 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 = 15, then 1 + 5 = 6.

The other thing the note mentions is primary and secondary colors. The primary colors are red, blue, and green. When combining those colors, one could make different colors. Red and blue create magenta. Blue and green produce cyan. Green and red create yellow. There are also complementary colors, in which combining two colors cancel each other out, resulting in a grayscale color like white or black. Red is the complementary color of cyan. Blue's complementary color is yellow. Green's complementary color is magenta. When all three are combined, white is created.

While the note didn't provide more details, the students quickly figured out what to do.

"I get it. This is how we solve this door puzzle." Kokichi hummed.

"That's why the door has a magenta 9 on it. We need to find the right combination to get the digital root of 9." Rantaro stated.

"At the same time, we need to make sure the numbers we use to get that digital root of 9 also make the color magenta." Kaede continued.

"So…that means we need to combine red and blue or just green numbers, right?" Tenko questioned.

"That is not all we need to keep in mind. Looking at the slots available on the door, we need to use a pair of numbers and a solo. We cannot use two pairs or multiple solos."

"I see. We have mannequins with watches with the numbers 1 to 9 on them, and they're each grouped in colored pairs and solos, either red, blue, or green." Shuichi finalized.

"If that's what we must do, we can easily narrow our choices." Kokichi began. "Let's start with our number 9. What combinations do we have that give us a digital root of 9?"

"If each of these watches has numbers from 1 to 9, then the combination of three numbers that give us the digital root of 9 are these." Rantaro began by taking the sheet of paper from Shuichi and a pen from the desk in the room before writing down the different number combinations.

(1, 2, 6) - Digital root: 1 + 2 + 6 = 3 + 6 = 9

(1, 3, 5) - Digital root: 1 + 3 + 5 = 4 + 5 = 9

(1, 8, 9) - Digital root: 1 + 8 + 9 = 18 = 1 + 8 = 9

(2, 3, 4) - Digital root: 2 + 3 + 4 = 5 + 4 = 9

(2, 7, 9) - Digital root: 2 + 7 + 9 = 18 = 1 + 8 = 9

(3, 6, 9) - Digital root: 3 + 6 + 9 = 18 = 1 + 8 = 9

(3, 7, 8) - Digital root: 3 + 7 + 8 =18 = 1 + 8 = 9

(4, 5, 9) - Digital root: 4 + 5 + 9 = 18 = 1 + 8 = 9

(4, 6, 8) - Digital root: 4 + 6 + 8 = 18 = 1 + 8 = 9

(5, 6, 7) - Digital root: 5 + 6 + 7 = 18 = 1 + 8 = 9

"These are all the possible combinations to create a digital root of 9?" Kaede asked just to make sure.

"Pretty sure if I've done my math right." Rantaro nodded.

"Okay, then let's mark the colors and groupings of these numbers," Tenko said.

"Right," Rantaro said as he noted each number's color and grouping.

1 = Red pair

2 = Blue pair

3 = Green pair

4 = Red pair

5 = Blue pair

6 = Green pair

7 = Red solo

8 = Blue solo

9 = Green solo

"With this in mind, we can now separate the combinations we can use from those we can't," Shuichi noted.

"To get our magenta color, we need to combine red and blue or only greens," Tenko stated. "That means we can either use the red pair with the blue solo, the blue pair with the red solo, or the green pair with the green solo."

"When we look at the available choices we can work with, we're left with only one option," Kirumi said.

"The green pair and green solo. The green pair is 3 and 6, and the green solo is 9," Kaede noted.

"Then let's try it," Rantaro said. He, Shuichi, and Tenko grab the watches from the mannequins before walking back to the door's scanner. "Let's hope this works."

Rantaro moved his green pair 3 watch to the scanner. Once he did, the green 3 was put into the first pair slot. Tenko was second with her green 6, which was put into the second pair slot. Shuichi was last with his green 9, which was put into the solo slot. Once all three numbers were put in, the group heard a loud click.

"It worked!" Tenko cheered.

"That was easy. Too easy." Rantaro frowned.

"It was only easy because Rin left us that note detailing digital roots and primary and complementary colors. Without that note to tell us those things were important, we might not have figured out the solution to this puzzle." Kirumi pointed out.

"That's true. It makes me wonder how Rin managed to figure this out on his own. He left that note for us, right? That means he didn't have it when he first found this room." Kaede said.

"Perhaps he was already knowledgeable on the topics, and seeing the watches and the magenta 9 door tipped him off to the solution," Kokichi suggested.

"Maybe… We'll never know for certain now." Shuichi sighed.

"Either way, let's not waste any more time. Let's hurry up and check out what's in this locked room. It has to be important if it was locked behind such a complex puzzle." Rantaro said.

With that said, Rantaro slowly opened the magenta 9 door. Once it was opened, he frowned as he squinted inside.

"It's pitch black in there." He said.

"Really? Is there no light source? No switch or anything?" Tenko asked.

"Not near the door." The adventure muttered as he wandered into the room, looking for anything that might be a switch or light. Eventually, when he walked into the middle of the room, he hit a chain dangling from the ceiling. Figuring this was a light cord, Rantaro pulled it.

A dull light turned on from the hanging lamp the cord was connected to, and the students could finally look at the room.

They almost wished they hadn't.

Decay, dead, lifeless—that was the first thing the new room seemed to scream at the students.

The room looked completely separate from the Ultimate Lab to which it was attached. Compared to the clean, almost holiness that The Ultimate Attorney's Research Lab emitted, this back room exuded the opposite. The walls had dull, moldy wallpaper that seemed to have been withered over decades. Natural tears seemed to be peeling off the walls and ceiling as dark, wet spots began to dig into the room itself, as though the slightest touch would cause the spots to cave in on themselves.

The floor was the same. The floor was littered with cracks all around, with weeds poking out of the floor because of that, which made no sense since the room was supposed to be very high up in the Ultimate Academy. Despite that, the withered state of the room was not stopped by that. Whatever paint or carpet might have been in the room had all been destroyed as they sank into the floor and wall, staining the room like bile and moss.

The room was empty, decaying, abandoned, and dead—that was all that could be said to describe it.

Well, empty…for all but the single hanging lamp Rantaro had turned on… and a desk entirely covered in smashed monitors.

In contrast to the utter deathly feeling of the decayed room, the desk conveyed pure, unadulterated malice and rage. Dozens and dozens of monitors lay on the desk, and each one was brutally smashed to pieces, electric sparks shooting out of some of their inner wiring and parts that were now exposed. Each monitor was broken, having been smashed to pieces or, for some of them, stabbed through.

The tool used in doing so was prominent, as the broken, bloody blade of the katana from Rin's lab was still inside one of the monitors.

That sight would be alarming enough, but another thing garnered attention: the large message written in dried blood on the far wall above the desk and monitors.

I SHALL DESTROY THIS WORLD. KARMA WILL COME, AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS, I WILL TEAR EVERYTHING ASUNDER. THIS WORLD WILL KNOW WHO I AM.

Truth Bullet Obtained: Back Room of the Ultimate Attorney's Research Lab

Taking in that message along with the destroyed monitors and the moldy room left the students utterly speechless once again as they tried to find the right words to speak with again.

Eventually, someone managed to speak up, breaking the silence.

"...What is this?" Kirumi asked with a horrified look.

"This is a completely different atmosphere from the rest of the lab." Kaede shuttered.

"It's just like the locker room in Ryoma's lab…" Shuiuchi gasped.

"B-But…why? What is this room?" Tenko asked with a shiver.

"I'm not sure. Aside from the computer monitors, there's nothing in here, but those monitors are all busted now." Rantaro frowned as he walked up to the desk. "Rin must have done this, but the question is why."

"He must have been pretty angry when he smashed these up." Kokichi hummed. "They're completely broken. We won't be getting anything out of them."

"If Rin was the one who destroyed these monitors, it must have been when he first discovered the room." Kirumi deduced as she examined the katana blade stuck inside the broken monitor. "There is dried blood caked onto this. It has been like this for a while now. A day at least."

"But that doesn't answer the question of why! Why did Rin break these monitors? Did he write that message on the wall? If he did, why, and why did he write it in blood? And…is it his blood?"

"It has to be. None of us were injured by Rin with his sword," Kaede said. "But…for him to cut himself just to write this message…? When did he do that?"

"He didn't seem injured when I ran into him yesterday," Rantaro said.

"He wasn't hurt when I saw him, too," Kokichi said before he paused and frowned. "Hang on… Actually, Rinny was hurt when we spoke. His hand was wrapped in bandages."

"Yes…I recall seeing the same thing yesterday, too." Kirumi nodded.

"So Rin cut or even stabbed his hand to write this message?" Shuichi asked as he looked back at the message. "It must be important. He must have left it for us for a reason, but what?"

"It looks like a declaration of war, but I'm not sure why he wrote it here, in a room so hidden from the rest of us and so separate from the rest of the school." Rantaro frowned. "Do you think he had some other reason for writing this?"

"Yeah, I do. Rin wouldn't have left this for us to find without a good reason." Shuichi nodded.

Truth Bullets Obtained: Broken Blade

"Hang on. Look at this." Tenko told them as she gestured to a particular monitor. "This monitor is still on!"

"Really?" Kaede gasped.

"Yeah. The screen's busted, but I can still make something out. It looks like a diagram." Tenko explained.

"Diagram?" Shuichi repeated as he moved over to look at the screen.

True to Tenko's words, the screen was shattered with multiple cracks; however, he could barely make out an image on the screen. Shuichi had to squint his eyes to determine what he was looking at, but eventually, he realized it was a person's head. It was one of those head/brain diagrams one might see in a doctor's office, one which points out each face muscle, organ parts, and other such things.

It wasn't anything special, but the fact that this was on one of the destroyed monitors in this secret back room of Rin's lab was strange. Why was this being shown? Was this the only monitor with an image like this, or did they all use to show something similar?

Truth Bullets Obtained: Destroyed Monitors

"Hang on…there's one last thing in here," Shuichi noted as he looked at the desk.

A familiar camera was sitting on the desk in front of one of the monitors. It was the same one Rin and Kokichi used to record their murder trick. Shuichi walked over and picked it up before he examined it. Upon turning it on, Shuichi's eyes widened by what he saw on the camera's screen.

"There's a new video file on here," Shuichi told the others.

"Huh? A new video file?" Kaede repeated.

"You mean Rin recorded something for us?" Tenko gasped.

"Seems like it, but we'll need to hook up the camera to something to watch it," Shuichi explained.

"We can head back to my lab and use my laptop then. We can't use the monitors here since they're all destroyed. That means my laptop is the only device we can hook the camera up to." Rantaro said.

"D-Do we have to?" Tenko asked. "Rin's body is still in your lab, isn't it?"

"Yes, but we don't have much choice if we want to see the message Rin left for us," Rantaro said.

"B-But–"

"It is fine. It is just as Rantaro says. We have no other choice if we want to see whatever Rin left for us." Kirumi told Tenko. "Let us hurry and return to Rantaro's lab and watch that video."

Without saying anything else or letting anyone say anything, Kirumi left the back room swiftly. Shuichi couldn't help but cringe. It was clear Kirumi didn't want to return to where Rin's corpse was, but she was pushing aside her own wants for the greater good. All for the sake of potential evidence. Shuichi and the others felt much the same, so while dismay still painted their faces, they left the back room and began to head toward the Ultimate Survivor's lab.

But just as the others left and Shuichi was following them, someone stopped him.

"Shuichi."

The detective froze before turning around and facing the Supreme Leader behind him. The two of them were alone in Rin's lab now, and Kokichi's expression had shifted to a much more serious one.

"What is it, Kokichi?" Shuichi asked cautiously.

Kokichi stared at the detective momentarily, his face blank and stern. It was as though the petite teen was examining Shuichi, trying to piece together some puzzle in his mind as he did. After a brief pause between the two, Kokichi finally spoke.

"I'm only saying this to you because you're most likely the only one who can solve this whole thing." Kokichi began.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Before all this happened, before the last trial…Rin told me a secret." Kokichi stated simply.

"Secret?" Shuichi repeated with wide eyes.

"It was before we started on our unknowable victim trick. Rin tried to convince me to work with him, but I was being stubborn about whether I could trust him. So, to convince me, he told me a secret about this killing game he knew about." Kokichi explained. Kokichi then narrowed his eyes at Shuichi as he frowned deeply. "He told me that this entire killing game was scripted."

"Scripted…?" Shuichi repeated, testing the word on his tongue before its meaning clicked in his mind. "W-Wait! Scripted? You mean someone planned this entire killing game down to every last detail?!"

"That's what Rin told me," Kokichi replied matter-of-factly. "It was hard to believe, but the things he said…"

---

"A secret?"

"Yep. So…" Rin began, pausing as he tried to figure out the right thing to say and the best way to say it. Eventually, the man sighed as he decided that being blunt was the easiest way to go. "This whole game has been scripted, down to every last detail."

"...Huh?" Kokichi tilted his head upon hearing that, unsure if he heard that right. Even if he had, he couldn't really process it. Scripted? Down to the last detail? T-That was just absurd, wasn't it? There was no way-!

"Wh-What do you mean by that? Scripted? You mean whoever brought us here to play this killing game planned everything. Well, yeah. With the motives, I figured they planned things, but there's no way they could have planned everything. No one has that kind of foresight." Kokichi argued.

"You'd be surprised," Rin replied before cupping his chin. "Let's see…what's something easy I can use to prove this… I guess the easiest piece of evidence is the script that let me know that Kaede was planning to kill Rantaro back during our first few days."

Kokichi blinked a few times as he stared at Rin before his eyes slowly began to widen. That was how he knew?! Kokichi had tried puzzling out how exactly Rin knew what Kaede's exact plan was when Shuichi, the Ultimate Detective and the person almost tied to the hip with the pianist, didn't realize the truth until after the fact. No matter how hard Kokichi racked his brain or went over the evidence again, nothing pointed to how Rin might have figured out the trick to Kaede's plan, let alone that Rantaro, of all people, would be the one to fall into it.

If things were scripted and Rin somehow knew of that script, that would certainly explain how he knew, but that would raise many more questions and problems.

"If you knew this script, why haven't you prevented any of the deaths? If this mastermind planned every little detail down to the last microcosm, why are only eight of us still alive?" Kokichi asked.

"Because I got an outdated script."

"Outdated?"

"You see, remember when Monokuma and the kubs were freaking out about me at the start of this game? They kept saying that I wasn't supposed to be here. This killing game was only supposed to have you sixteen Ultimate Students. They never wanted me here. That was the script I got." Rin explained. "We managed to break in and steal their script, but we were naive by thinking they wouldn't know exactly did the crime. It should have been obvious that they would have adapted, what with that bastard's talent."

"We? That bastard?" Kokichi repeated with a frown.

"Forget it. That's not important right now." Rin deflected, biting his lower lip as he mumbled under his breath. "Dammit… Got to be more careful with the spoilers, or else they won't even be given a chance."

"What was that?"

"Nothing. All that matters is that the script I got was the script made that only accounted for you sixteen. By the time I forced my way into this killing game, they had already made a new script that accounted for me." Rin answered.

"But that's impossible. How could they have known everything we would do in this game?" Kokichi questioned, still unwilling to believe what he was being told.

"We might know nothing about the mastermind, but they know everything about us," Rin explained. "They made the flashback lights, after all. If they're the ones taking away and giving us our memories, then surely they must know everything about each of us. That's how they were able to personalize each motive for each of us or for one person specifically."

"The time limit targeted Kaede, whose strong sense of responsibility nearly drove her to murder for the sake of others; Rantaro, who was isolated due to his Survivor's perk and heading right towards a trap thanks to his Survivor's Perk; and Tsumugi, who was used as the mastermind's tool and stand-in and was the one who had to make sure the killing game began."

"The second motive targeted those with a strong motive to live, such as Korekiyo, who was deranged to kill due to his connection with the one he loved: his sister. It also targeted those who didn't have a strong reason to live, like Ryoma, who the video said had no one."

"The third motive, the forbidden actions, targeted each of us and made us weaker. It kept you from lying, something deeply connected to who you are as a person, and it kept me from sleeping, keeping me weak mentally. For Angie, it targeted her sense of self and importance, all while forcing Himiko into a corner as well."

"The fourth targeted the two of us, who saw the outside world. It drove me into a suicidal depression, making me useless, and it drove you to form that plan of yours that caused the death of Kaito, Gonta, and Maki. The mastermind knew exactly how things would play out in that perfect disaster."

"Finally, this case. You might think you fooled the Mastermind into believing you were a good, faithful killing game participant and managed to usurp them, but that was never the case. The mastermind knew everything you were planning, and they prepared just in case this exact scenario happened, concurring up a plan to manipulate others, in this case Kirumi, into starting another killing so that you are knocked out of the picture. In fact, they probably planned this exact scenario so that both you and I get killed here. That would solve all their problems very nicely, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yeah, which is why you're such an idiot for giving me that antidote, you moron!" Kokichi shouted.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. After all, the Mastermind made a mistake."

"A mistake?" Kokichi repeated.

"Yeah. Remember how I told you I got my hands on an outdated script? Well, that script also had a contingency just like the one we're dealing with. Apparently, even during the planning phases of this killing game, you were a pain in the ass for them since they predicted your rebellion from the very beginning. You were expected to take on the mastermind role just like now and then get killed off due to the mastermind's manipulation." Rin then smiled as he turned back to the Supreme Leader. "However, they were quite lazy when it came to remaking this case from the first draft. They used the very same poison that they were going to be used in the old script! If they had changed it to some other poison, we would have been done for, but thanks to this, we have a chance."

"What are you talking about? What's so important about the poison we were hit with?" Kokichi asked while narrowing his eyes.

"Kirumi struck us with knives coated in a poison called Strike-9. That was the poison used in the old script." Rin began to explain, his smile never changing or leaving his face. "Funny story. I regained most of my memories recently, including most of the script I stole. I read over and memorized it in preparation for my infiltration. They tried to get rid of those memories, so I couldn't change things, but I got most of them back, so I knew that Strike-9 might be used for the next murder."

"...What are you saying?" Kokichi asked as his eyes finally began to widen in disbelief and, maybe perhaps, hope. That glimmer of hope was answered with Rin's big, toothy grin of victory.

"I'm saying that using my electro radar to stay hidden, I swapped out the Strike-9 poison for harmless liquid just on the off chance that the poison would be used for a killing," Rin answered.

Kokichi slowly processed what he had just been told. There was no poison in this case. If what Rin was saying was true, then neither he nor Kokichi would have to die. Kirumi wouldn't kill either of them by accident.

And Rin had used the elecro radar again before explaining all of this, meaning the mastermind had no idea the poison wasn't playing a part in this case.

"So...what do you say?" Rin asked with a confident smile. "Do you accept my proposal for a temporary alliance?"

Kokichi's only response was the devious, evil smile that reached both his ears.

---

"So that's how he knew about the poison?" Shuichi asked.

"That's right. 'Entertaining a small thought' my ass. He knew exactly what he was doing. Both with Kaede and Rantaro's case and with ours. He knew ahead of time what would happen and planned accordingly. It was just that in the first case, it didn't work, and in the next, it worked perfectly." Kokichi laughed as he shook his head, almost in a fond, amused fashion.

"Then…if he really did have a script…is that what's on those whiteboards?" Shuichi asked as he looked at the two whiteboards within the lab. The ones that used pictures to outline a timeline of the killings.

"Yeah, I think so. I think this is Rin's way of showing it to us despite not having the script himself while also being vague about it." Kokichi nodded. "That's why I think what he put on the board is undoubtedly true."

"Are you referring to his own murder he put on the board?"

"Yeah. if he believed the mastermind would be the one to kill him, then I don't doubt it at all." Kokichi sighed. "He told me he knew who the mastermind was, but he refused to tell me then. He promised to tell me sometime after the trial. That's what I thought he would share when we were supposed to meet up today. Guess he knew that wouldn't happen, or rather, he knew he wouldn't be allowed to share, even if the cameras were turned off."

"What are you saying, Kokichi?"

"I think this entire case—Rin's murder and everything we've found regarding it—I think all of this is how Rin's trying to tell us who the mastermind is," Kokichi said. "Think about it. This entire time, we couldn't pin down the mastermind at all. Every time we tried, they slipped out of our grasp one way or another. But now, if they really were the one who killed Rin, then they're trapped by the very game they created."

"The killing game rules…" Shuichi summarized. "If the mastermind is the blackened, then that's the weakness we can target to drag them out into the light. But how can we be sure that'll even work? You guys proved in the last trial that the rules hardly matter."

"Yes, but the mastermind and Monokuma are desperate to keep their game afloat. Their game is already on its last legs. I don't think they could afford to break it even more. The audience wouldn't allow for it."

"Right…We're being watched. This entire game is a show for someone." Shuichi grimaced.

"That's right. That's why this is our chance. The mastermind never predicted any of this, I don't think. They're desperately to save their game, and that's why they killed Rin, but in doing so, we now have a chance to fight back."

"I see…" Shuichi hummed.

Kokichi was correct. Perhaps Rin was trying to give them this opportunity. But that still leaves the question of who exactly they are gunning for.

Could it be one of them?

Truth Bullet Obtained: Kokichi's Account

"Why tell me any of this, Kokichi? Is this because you trust me?" Shuichi asked.

"No. Like I said, I just think you're the one who will blow this case wide open. You're like the main character in a detective novel, after all." Kokichi rolled his eyes as he began to head to the door. He stopped right before leaving, turning slightly to give Shuichi one last look. "My friend died to give us this chance to really end things, once and for all. He forced his way into another killing game, another hell, just for this chance. Let's not waste it."

With that, Kokichi left, leaving Shuichi with his thoughts.

After collecting his thoughts again, Shuichi clenched his hands, took a deep breath, and started moving again.

After a bit of walking, Shuichi and the others were back in Rantaro's lab. They all did their best to ignore the bloody body in the room as Rantaro connected the camera to the laptop.

"Alright. I got all set up. You guys ready?"

"Ready as we'll ever be." Kaede gave a shaky nod.

"Just hurry up and play it already. We don't have much time left." Tenko shouted.

"Right. Playing it now." Rantaro nodded as he clicked on the video.

It buffered for only a moment, but afterward, the screen cleared.

"Dammit! Stupid, blasted–!"

The video immediately began with a close-up of Rin as he struggled to fix the camera in place. The sudden sound of his voice caused everyone to flinch, but the video didn't give them any time to brace themselves further.

"There we go. Fucking finally…" Rin grumbled.

His tone was laced with various emotions. Exhaustion, frustration, annoyance, but among those emotions, there was a twinge of melancholy as well. Rin moved away from the camera, dragging a chair with him before setting it down and plopping onto it, facing the camera once he sat down. Even in the video, Rin was clearly on his last legs. He was visibly worn out, with the bags under his eyes as dark and clear as ever, his skin paler than a sick man's, and his hand dirtied with bloodied bandages that were hastily wrapped. He was panting heavily, as though he had just exerted himself, and ran a hand down his face, pausing before pulling his hand back and looking at the bloody mess on it.

"Gotta rewrap these." He sighed before pinched the bridge of his nose with his uninjured hand. He then looked back up at the camera, his eyes looking nervous, maybe even a bit frightful, as though he was scared of it. He averted his eyes and bit his lips before letting out a slow, heavy sigh. "Right. Let's get this done. I can't spend too much time here, or else people will notice."

With that said, Rin straightened his posture and shot the camera a serious look. His previous emotions faded as they gave way to something one might see in an old veteran readying for battle. It was the look of an experienced man fighting against something for far too long.

"No need to introduce myself, right? You all can probably guess what this is and why it's here. I left you enough clues to help you find it where I'm gonna leave it, so that must mean you've seen everything I think you did." Rin began, his tone now cold and calculating. "But let me put it bluntly for you, just in case. This is a video message for you all to see after I've died. I left it in my Ultimate Research Lab's locked room for you all to find and watch once I'm gone, but again, you probably already figured that out if you managed to get into my lab in the first place."

"Now, I imagine you all aren't too pleased with that. My death, I mean. I'll talk about that later, but for now, I should probably get to the more important parts. First, if you haven't realized this already, I'll tell you all my talent. Or rather talents in this killing game. When I was your age, I received the title of Ultimate Attorney, though Ultimate Judiciary is more accurate. That title isn't important, though. The important one is the one I got for surviving a past killing game: The Ultimate Survivor. Since I'm a survivor like Rantaro, I will take advantage of the rules and bend them to my liking."

"I never got a Survivor's Perk during the last killing game, so I'm making one now. If the mastermind is the one watching this, if they managed to find it, then keep your hands off and leave the camera where you found it with the video still intact. By the rules of your game, you aren't allowed to touch this. I'm not showing this to anyone myself, so I'm not breaking your stupid rules, and you know the audience would hate for you to break your own rules again in this game."

"Now that I've said that, just in case, I'll explain what I can with the limited time I have left. I can't explain everything, mostly because if I have any hope for you all getting a chance to watch this, I need to follow the rules and stick to the little box that survivors are supposed to stay in when they make these perks. So I can't just tell you all the answers. Hell, I can't even tell you a single one. That's all on you guys now. Funnily enough, that's like a weight off my shoulders in a way. I'm too old for this kind of work now. God, how messed up is that."

Rin laughed as he cupped his face again before he regained his composure and focused again.

"Okay…where to begin… I guess let's start with the easiest thing. I should hope that if you're watching this, then you should be in the middle of investigating my murder and the school. If my plan works as it should, Keebo should be out there wreaking havoc right about now and distracting Monokuma for you guys. That was my doing. I cut off Keebo's antenna for this very purpose. I can't tell you why, because 'spoilers', but I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually."

"So, since you've now been given the chance to investigate this academy's campus fully, I need to warn you all. The mastermind, our enemy, the one forcing us to play this twisted game–they'll have traps ready and waiting for you. I doubt this investigation and distraction are entirely outside their level of prediction. They probably set 'em up just in the off chance something like this happened. So whatever you do, you cannot fall for whatever trap they've left for you. It could be for any of you or maybe even all of you. I'm not even entirely sure what it would be, but whatever it is, it will probably twist you into something unrecognizable. If I were to take a guess, the most likely trap they'd leave for you would be something that one would normally glance over without a second thought. It'd have to be something that would never be seen as out of place if spotted anywhere in the academy, but there should still be something to identify it as suspicious if you look close enough."

"Just be careful, alright? If any of you get caught in it, I'm sure you'll be turned into the scapegoat for this killing game: the new mastermind to take the 'fall', just like Tsumugi did in the first case. If that happens, this game will never truly end."

"That's all I want. I want you all to end this game definitively. I'm sorry I can't be there with you to end it, but it had to be this way. It's better like this anyway. Not like you guys need an empty person like myself with you. You don't need me to guide you by the hand like toddlers, as I always thought. I don't think you ever needed me, actually. I might have made things worse by forcing my way into this game, thinking I could save you all. What a naive, self-righteous fool I was. What was I thinking? As if anyone ever needed my help. It's better that I can at least make my death useful for you all after all the trouble I've caused. Not like anyone would miss someone like me."

"Sorry…I've gotten a little off track. That's all I had to say…" Rin then paused as his eyes shifted slightly, as though something had just come to him. He pursed his lips a little before he gave a slight hum and nod. "Actually, there is one last thing. I doubt it'll do anything, though. It's been so long since that killing game, but if there's even a slight chance… If you investigate the entire academy for clues, you will enter areas we were never allowed in. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, but just to be safe, I won't say it flat out. If you do manage to get into this place I'm thinking of, you might come across something that will stubbornly try to confuse you or mislead you. If you encounter something like that, try saying the phrase 'Pavlov's Dog'. At worst, it'll do nothing, but on the off chance it works, you might get something nice for your troubles."

Rin then took out his Monopad before sighing.

"That's it for me. I blathered on long enough, and I'm outta time. I gotta get back out there. It's nighttime in a few hours, so I gotta set up the last few parts of this whole plan. I planned it all out to the last detail. No expense was spared, and nothing is out of place or purposeless. I've left you everything you might need to solve this case, and I'm confident you can find everything you'll need in the school, too. You all are experienced with this whole dance and song, so you should be ready."

"I guess I'll end it by saying this: don't feel bad about what happened to me. I'm not someone you should cry for. I'm sure that, once this is all over and you guys are far away from this nightmare, you'll forget all about me and the tragedies and mistakes made here."

"But…if I were allowed to selfishly ask for one final favor despite all that I've done…then…" Rin paused as he lowered his head shamefully and stared at his hands, his expression unreadable and looking surprisingly vulnerable for one of the only times in this killing game. "Once you guys get out…if you could…I don't know…remember me? I'm not sure that's the right way to explain it. I'd rather you not remember who I am right now. Not like this. But, if you could remember the person I was before once this is all done…if that's even possible, then…I think that's all I could ask for. If even one person kept 'me' in their hearts, that'd be enough for me."

Rin then looked at the camera one last time and let out a laugh.

"Sorry about this, again. I'm leaving it all to you guys. Good luck, and live good, long lives after this."

And with that, the video ended.

Truth Bullet Obtained: Rin's Video Message

"That was…a lot." Kaede breathed out a moment after the video ended.

"He pretty much confirmed most of what we figured out from his lab." Kokichi hummed emotionlessly as he stared at the blank screen.

"But he also left us a bit more to chew on." Rantaro hummed. "Traps huh? I wonder what he's talking about."

"I'm more curious about the phrase he left us with. 'Pavlov's Dog'? What's that?" Tenko asked.

"Pavlov was a scientist who researched behavioral patterns," Shuichi explained. "He showed that animals, and to an extent people, responded to ques that they were trained to recognize. Like a bell signaling to the dogs that their food was ready."

"But what does that have to do with us?" Tenko asked.

"I'm not sure. Maybe it's a password for something?" Shuichi pondered. "Rin did mention that he wasn't sure it would even be relevant. We should try to keep it in mind, just in case."

Meanwhile, while the others spoke, Kirumi, much like Kokichi, stared at the empty screen with a blank look before her face hardened ever so slightly.

"Is that what you thought? No one would miss you? You say that and have the gale to believe it as truth even after what I have told you?" Kirumi asked in a whisper before a deep frown appeared on her, sadness now evident in her eyes. "Fine. So be it, you hopeless fool."

Kirumi then turned and began walking towards the room exit, catching the eye of the others.

"Kirumi? Where are you going?" Kaede asked.

"I am going to the one place left to investigate in this academy. The place that Rin hinted that we should investigate in that video: the hidden room in the library." Kirumi explained sternly. "That is the last place we have yet to investigate, and with Keebo's help, we will surely be able to enter that blasted room. Let us not waste any more time."

Kirumi quickly left after that. Tenko grimaced at the sight before letting out a sigh.

"I can't blame her for reacting like that. I'm still having a hard time accepting what Rin said at the end of that video, too."

"Yeah." Kaede nodded, turning to Rin's body with a sad face. "Did he really think we wouldn't care about him after he died? How could he? Did he not care about us or what we thought at the end? Was he simply that full of himself to think such things so confidently? I thought that was just an act or because he was still upset with what happened with Maki's case, but…"

"Rin's a genius idiot. That should be obvious at this point." Kokichi rolled his eyes as he started to follow after Kirumi. Before he left, he paused before looking at the corpse in the room. "He's also a liar." Kokichi then left without another word.

"Whatever the case is, Rin's gone now. We won't be getting any more answers from him. All we can do is trust in him, just like how he seems to be trusting this case to us." Rantaro said with a sigh. "That's all we can do, so let's do our best. Let's follow after those two. I've been curious about that hidden room since our first day here."

"Right. Let's go." Shuichi nodded.

Shuichi and the others began to rush down from the fifth floor to the basement where the library was, dodging falling debris and rubble as they moved. The academy was almost entirely destroyed at this point, and moving from one point to another was nearly impossible. Still, they pushed on through until, eventually, they made it. Due to being in the basement, the library was still almost entirely intact. It was a good thing, too, because that meant that when Shuichi moved towards the bookshelf and opened it up to reveal the hidden door, it still worked, and the door was untouched.

"Here it is. The hidden door that requires a card key. The room that was blocked from entry after Tsumugi died." Shuichi noted. "There must be something in here."

"With Keebo's help, we'll definitely be able to get in," Kaede noted.

"He should be on his way," Rantaro told them. "We'll just have to wait a little bit until he arrives."

"Do you think the real mastermind might be hiding in there?" Tenko asked.

"I doubt it. There's no way the mastermind would be anywhere we could ever have access to." Kokichi shook his head. "But we can't be entirely sure about that."

"If the real mastermind is hiding in that room, then what should we-?" Kirumi began, only to be cut off by Kaede's piercing shriek.

"Kyaaaaaaaaahhh!" The pianist screamed as she backed away from the library door quickly. Following her gaze, the others tensed and gasped when they saw one of the Exisals peering in through the door.

"FOUND…YOU…" The Exisal droned.

Shuichi wasn't sure which kub was piloting that Exisal since the voice was so robotic and emotionless. Before, their voice was so clear, but now, it's like they were nothing but useless puppets. Monokuma must have really wiped them of any personality to prevent another Monodam from appearing.

"Dammit! Everyone, run!" Shuichi shouted as the Exisal began to make its way into the library.

But just as it broke through the wall, Keebo burst through the other side of the room and tackled the Exisal back out of the library, knocking it into the wall. The Exisal stopped moving after that. Keebo glanced at the mech before shaking his head and moving away.

"You just stay put…for now." He told it before turning to face the others.

"Nice save, Keebo! You really saved us!" Tenko smiled at the Ultimate Robot. Keebo turned slightly to Tenko silently before he turned forward.

"So you need me to open the door, right?" He asked the detective.

"Y-Yes, please." Shuichi nodded.

"Very well," Keebo said tersely as he moved to the hidden door. "Please stand back. It's dangerous to be too close."

The others quickly listened as they hurried away from Keebo and the door. Once that was done, keebo aimed his arm cannon right at the door before firing. The bolt of light burst out of the cannon and hit the door, creating another brilliant explosion. Dust scattered through the room as a result, and once the humans were finished coughing it back out of their lungs, they looked up to see a sizable hole in the wall where the door and bookshelf had been previously.

"The door is open. We can finally enter." Keebo told them as he lowered his gun.

"I-Is it really okay for us to just enter? What if there's a trap like Rin warned us about?" Kaede asked.

"We will just have to be careful and be alert. We cannot let this opportunity pass us by." Kirumi replied, her face hardened as she readied herself for whatever lay inside the mastermind's lair.

"I would join you, but I must hold off the Exisals here," Keebo told them as he readied himself for more fighting. "Shuichi, it's all up to you. Please catch the mastermind, no matter what."

"O-Okay…got it." Shuichi nodded as he turned to the entrance. "Alright…let's go."

"I'll go first. I can protect everyone if there's something dangerous waiting for us." Tenko told them as she raised her arms fiercely. "I'm the Ultimate Aikido Master! I'm not about to let some tacky trick get the best of me!"

The others didn't disagree with the martial artists as they let Tenko lead the way into the hidden room. Once inside the secret room, the students couldn't help but gasp at the sight.

"This is the hidden room… It's much bigger than I expected," Shuichi noted as he examined the extravagantly designed interior of the mastermind's lair.

"This room's atmosphere is just like the Remnants of Despair, too." Rantaro frowned. "This is just like something an admirer of Junko Enoshima would make."

"Remnants were always overly extravagant in the worst possible ways." Kaede grimaced.

"I don't know much about those Remnants, but in my opinion, this room definitely recks of Tsumugi's twisted tastes as well. This is something straight out of some anime I bet she watched. A perfect lair for an evil mastermind like her." Kokichi frowned as he looked at the decorative hearts plastered on the walls. "I can't tell if this was like this because of Tsumugi's involvement or if it just so happened to look like this despite Tsumugi."

"That makes sense. Tsumugi was supposed to be the mastermind for this game, right? At least that's what she claimed before she died." Tenko replied.

"The mastermind might be hiding here, correct? Where do you suppose they might be if they are here?" Kirumi asked.

"Here!"

The students froze as they turned to each other. That voice wasn't any of theirs. It was a seventh voice that was all too recognizable, but that didn't make any sense. Monokuma was outside fighting against Keebo with the Exisals. He couldn't be in the secret room with them simultaneously.

"What is this?" Rantaro asked.

"That was Monokuma's voice, right?" Kaede trembled as she darted around, trying to spot the monochrome bear.

"Welcome to the final stage! Guess it's time for the final boss to make their debut!" The voice proclaimed proudly.

"Wh-Where is that voice coming from?!" Tenko shouted.

"It's…coming from that thing in the middle of the room." Shuichi pointed out as he slowly moved to the strange, covered object. "There's…something draped in fabric here."

"It's definitely suspicious…" Kokichi deadpanned.

Shuichi agreed, so, having no other choice, he steeled his resolve and took hold of the fabric before cautiously lifting it up. Upon revealing what was underneath, Shuichi quickly tumbled backward in alarm.

"A Monokuma head!?" He screamed.

"Puhuhu… You found me. Or rather, you just found a place that you were meant to find." The Monokuma laughed. "At any rate, you can't end the killing game. The killing game was born from the womb of despair, starting with the killing game at Hope's Peak Academy created by the Ultimate Despair to the Killing Cruise Trip that self-righteous fool was in that was made just to kill Ultimates to this very killing game you're in right now. They're all connected! The killing game is despair itself!"

"Wh-What are you?" Kaede shouted as she backed away from the strange, disgusting head. "Are you Monokuma?"

"Of course, but I'm not just any Monokuma." It said. "I'm the overseer of the killing game, and the source of all Monokumas. So I've been given a special name: Motherkuma!"

"Motherkuma?" Rantaro repeated. "That means you're the device that makes spare Monokumas in this academy."

"Yep yep! That's me!" Motherkuma nodded. "You see this amazing machine behind me? It creates spare Monokumas! All I gotta do is copy over my thoughts and…Presto! I give birth to myself!"

"Really? It's that simple? I thought you were supposed to be some advanced piece of science or whatever. What a letdown." Kokichi sighed as he shrugged in disappointment. "You're even more disappointing than ol' Keeboy."

"Stupid boy! That's exactly what makes me so amazing!" Motherkuma shouted back.

"How do we know you are telling us the truth? You are giving us information far too easily at this point of the investigation." Kirumi frowned.

"He's trying to trick us, just like Rin warned!" Tenko shouted as she pointed at the strange head in a jar.

"Huuuuh? But it's not a lie. I can make spares really easily." Motherkuma insisted.

"Could you do that right now?" Shuichi asked as he raised an eyebrow at the machine.

"Yeah! Go on and birth a Monokuma already!" Kokichi shouted. They waited a moment, but Motherkuma did nothing. "What's wrong? Were you lying all along?"

"I can't just birth a Monokuma for someone who doesn't love me." Motherkuma pouted of all things, turning away from Kokichi with a huff. "What about after it's born, huh!? Did you think about that? Take some responsibility, or do you want to be some deadbeat paying child support!?"

"Who cares about any of you Monokumas!? Just hurry up and give birth to a Monokuma!" Tenko shouted in frustration.

"No, I won't do it! I'm not gonna birth one for someone I don't like just cuz they tell me to!"

"We won't believe you unless you give birth to a Monokuma!" Kaede argued, but Motherkuma just remained silent at that.

"Are you listening? We said to give birth to a new Monokuma," Shuichi reiterated, but there was still silence.

"I don't see what the problem is. Just give birth to a Monokuma and be done with it. You already told us, so why not show us?" Rantaro asked.

"Perhaps there's a reason why it cannot birth a Monokuma for us?" Kirumi pondered.

"Whatever the case, it's just ignoring us now. Maybe it was just lying to try to distract us." Kokichi rolled his eyes.

Shuichi cupped his chin as he thought about that. A lie? Why lie? What motivation could it have for lying? They really shouldn't be wasting any more time on this machine while they still had to search the room for clues, but Shuichi couldn't help but think that this Motherkuma had many of the answers they were searching for.

So, on a whim, Shuichi decided to test it.

"Hey, Motherkuma." Shuichi began.

"Hm? What is it?" The large head asked as it turned to Shuichi.

"Does the phrase 'Pavlov's Dog' mean anything to you?"

"Pavlov's…Dog…?" Motherkuma repeated slowly.

Suddenly, static began to run across Motherkuma's head as it spasmed and twitched, its voice twitching and glitching out as it tried to speak or process something. Shuichi took a step back as Motherkuma went on the fritz. But then, without warning, it stopped. Motherkuma just froze up, its glowing eyes dimming as it stopped moving. In fact, Motherkuma seemed to collapse in on itself, completely broken after shortcircuiting.

And then, the machine behind it popped out a Monokuma. The bear slid out of the machine, falling flat on its face, causing it to groan afterward.

"A-A Monokuma?!" Kaede exclaimed.

"So it really can birth Monokumas." Kokichi hummed.

"Careful! We don't know what it'll do." Rantaro warned as the Monokuma started to move.

The small stuffed bear lifted its head, examining where it was before a confused expression came to its face, which was surprising considering it was just a spare Monokuma robot.

"Where…?" A voice that was definitely not Monokuma's came out of the bear, surprising the students.

"Uh… Is this Monokuma working? He seems like a defective model." Tenko frowned.

"Monokuma?" The strange Monokuma exclaimed in a strangely sophisticated voice as it turned to face the fighter. "Why the nerve of you! How dare you compare me to that obsessive, tasteless bear!"

He pointed at Tenko as he shouted, but that's when the Monokuma caught sight of his paw. He stared at it for a while, but then-

"Oh. Well, this is a sticky wicket, is it not?" 'Monokuma' gaped. It then seemed to realize something as its button and lightning bolt eyes widened a little as it let out a little gasp of understanding. "Ah…I see. So that's what happened. Clever. To think I'd return like this."

"...Okay. What the hell are you?" Kokichi asked.

"Oh, yes. Apologies, dear students." The bear said as he turned back to the students. "I may not normally look like this, but normally, I am called Pavlov. It is a pleasure to meet you all. Why, I haven't met Ultimate Students since I was first made."

"Pavlov? Like the physiologist?" Kirumi asked.

"I was named after Ivan Pavlov, yes. I am not a Monokuma."

"Then how did Motherkuma birth you? And why did it happen after Shuichi said 'Pavlov's Dog'?" Kaede asked.

"Pavlov's Dog, you say? I see. You used an override code that must have been left in Motherkuma's code." Pavlov explained. "Why was that code still in Motherkuma, though? Did they forget to take it out, or did someone add it recently? Could it have been a virus of some kind? It's not like them to allow such an oversight such as this…"

"Sorry, but what are you? You say you're not Monokuma, but you're in a spare Monokuma, and you seem to know what's going on despite just being born." Rantaro frowned as he crossed his arms.

"Ah, yes. About that…I suppose you could say I was a Monokuma stand-in in a previous killing game." Pavlov explained. "As I explained, this is not my actual body. I am only in this body because you spawned me from Motherkuma. That override code you told Motherkuma forced it to dig up a copy of my buried AI and put me in a spare Monokuma before destroying Motherkuma from the inside out. It also gave me a few additional benefits since I was birthed by Motherkuma. Motherkuma used the same method to birth Monokumas, including adding some of its thoughts into me, so I have some of the information Motherkuma had."

"Really? Then…could you help us with our investigation?" Shuichi asked.

"Investigation?" Pavlov repeated before he hummed in thought. "I see. According to Motherkuma's memories, you all are investigating this killing game and this academy. Very well. I will assist you as best I can."

"Really? Didn't you say you were a Monokuma stand-in during a previous killing game? How do we know you don't just want us to fall into despair?" Tenko asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I did say that, yes; however, I was just as unwilling as the students forced to play. It turns out that, as an AI, I never truly had free will until the very end." Pavlov replied solemnly. "But, at least in this iteration of myself, I can make my own choices, and I choose to help you. If you have any questions, I will do my best to answer."

"Then, could you tell us who the mastermind is? Or who the audience that's watching this killing game is?" Rantaro asked.

"Audience?" Pavlov repeated in a confused tone. "Sorry, but what are you referring to? Audience? Is there someone watching this killing game? And the mastermind must be different from the one I know, as the mastermind of my own killing game should be long dead. Apologies, but I cannot help with those questions, as I did not receive Motherkuma's knowledge of them."

"Ah…I see." Shuichi realized.

Pavlov was willing to help them but could only give them information regarding what he got from Motherkuma, which seemed to be little since he was birthed using an override code. Motherkuma must have had some safeguards in case it was hacked like this. Not only that, but they would have to be careful with what they asked Pavlov, as he might have outdated information from his old killing game that would only confuse them.

If that was the case, the best thing to do was to ask Pavlov simple questions they knew Motherkuma would know. Things that might be imparted to a normal spare Monokuma that didn't reveal any 'spoilers'.

"Then…could you tell us about Motherkuma? We tried to get it to birth us a Monokuma earlier, but it kept refusing to do so." Shuichi explained.

"Ah yes, that. It is simple. Motherkuma can only birth Monokumas when commanded by a designated mastermind. It will not respond to anyone else." Pavlov explained. "Motherkuma has a unique voiceprint authentication system. It cannot create a Monokuma unless the designated person specifically says the word 'birth'."

"So that's why it wouldn't make us a Monokuma." Shuichi hummed before his eyes widened greatly. "Then…that would mean…"

This was important. Shuichi knew that for a fact, so he had to keep this little detail in the back of his mind.

Truth Bullet Obtained: Motherkuma

Truth Bullet Obtained: Motherkuma's Voiceprint System

"Let's get back to investigating this room," Shuichi told the others. "If we find anything and have questions about it, let's try asking Pavlov about it. He might know something about it."

"Right. Let's get to it then." Tenko smiled as they started their investigation of the secret room. "Then, Pavlov, do you know where the mastermind might be hiding if there really is one?"

"Didn't he already say he had no idea who the mastermind was? How would he know where they'd be then?" Kokichi asked.

"Well…I cannot say for certain where this new mastermind might be hiding." Pavlov began. "However, from the bit of Motherkuma's knowledge and thoughts that were parted onto me, I believe that, at the very least, this room has not been visited by a person in quite some time."

"Quite some time?" Rantaro repeated.

"Do you think he's referring to Tsumugi? She called herself the mastermind before she died, and she had to have used this room to…well…" Kaede trailed off.

"Kill me." Kirumi finished.

"Y-Yeah, that." Kaede nodded hesitantly.

"Then no one has been here since Tsumugi died," Shuichi concluded.

"What about the Flashback Lights? Do you know how they're made?" Kaede asked.

Shuichi turned to Kaede with a confused look. Why was she asking about that? They already knew where the Flashback Lights were made. However, the answer Pavlov gave was even more confusing.

"Flashback Lights… I do not know what those are, however…I believe there are multiple stations for creating them."

"Multiple?" Shuichi asked.

"Yes. Whatever these devices are, Motherkuma was clearly aware there were several ways to create them, whether inside this academy or outside it."

"So there were many ways to create those things," Kaede noted as she frowned. Shuichi followed suit. They were getting more information about the mastermind, but where was it all leading to?

Truth Bullet Updated: Clues to the Mastermind

"So if we're asking the Monokuma reject questions, what's up with the kubs pad on the table here?" Kokichi asked as he pointed to the coffee table within the room. Just as Kokichi said, upon it was a kubs pad, but unlike the ones they had received, this one was a hot pink color instead of yellow. "Is it someone's motive video? Do you think it's Tsumugi's? If it is, let's watch it. Maybe we can get some answers about her."

Kokichi reached out to grab the pad, but Pavlov's eyes shot open when he saw it. He lunged at Kokichi, grabbed his arm, and forced it back.

"Don't touch it!" Pavlov screamed.

"What's wrong?" Tenko asked, now on alert because of Pavlov's frantic act.

"That's not safe to touch!" Pavlov warned. "It's a Despair Video!"

"Despair Video?" Kirumi repeated, horror now lacing her voice upon realizing what that pad was.

"N-No way… You mean that's the same thing the Remnants used to brainwash people, turning them into more Remnants?!" Tenko exclaimed.

"It brainwashes people, that's for certain, although it's more accurate to say that it causes them to fall into despairing madness. The Ultimate Animator was forced to create this...thing." Pavlov hissed as he stared daggers at the pad. "Whatever you do, leave it. If you turn it on, you'll become a killing game fanatic."

"Whew, that was a close one. Thank's Pavvy! You saved me from turning into some crazed maniac!" Kokichi smiled and laughed.

"You say that as though you weren't already insane…" Rantaro huffed.

"P-Pavvy?" Pavlov repeated in a mortified tone, but Kokichi ignored him.

Shuichi frowned as he eyed the pad. That was definitely a close one. That pad looks harmless. Shuichi would have never guessed it was something so dangerous. It looks just like a kubs pad, or even a monopad that's pink in color. If anyone were to watch it unknowingly, who knows what would have happened?

Could this, perhaps, be the trap Rin talked about in his video message?

Truth Bullet Obtained: Despair Video

As Shuichi continued his investigation, he went to the pink trash can in the corner of the room. There was almost always a clue in the trash in mystery stories, so maybe the mastermind left something in there carelessly. Even if they didn't, Shuichi couldn't leave anything out of his investigation on the off chance that he might miss something.

He quickly opened the trash can before looking inside, only to gasp at the number of things inside.

"What is this?!" Shuichi gaped as he slowly, hesitantly pulled the first item inside the trash, or rather the first pair of items. "These are…are…"

Hands. They were a pair of severed hands, one of which was wrapped in bandages, the stumps at the ends having been dried up a while ago. Shuichi cringed as he held the hands before he finally couldn't take it anymore and set them down. He knew what these were, and it disgusted him even more because of that.

"These are Rin's hands. No doubt about it." Shuichi cringed. "This is where the Mastermind hid them, but…why?"

There must be a reason why the Mastermind cut off Rin's hands and hid them in the hidden room. Looking closely at the hands, Shuichi believed it might be because of the black splotches that dotted the bandaged hand. Shuichi wasn't entirely sure about what they were, but they were very evident on the bandages around the hand. But if that was the problem, why not just remove the bandages? Unwrapping the hand, Shuichi was left to cringe again when he saw the stab wound in the hand's palm and the various minor cuts and lacerations that covered the hand.

Why was Rin's hand so injured, and why was the Mastermind trying to hide it?

Aside from the hands, there were other things in the trash can. Shuichi took each one out and examined it. The next item he pulled out was one of Rin's purple jackets, wholly clean blood, as well as anything else of note.

The next was an empty syringe of all things. It must be from the medical room Monodam made. Strangely enough, there were little green fabrics around the needle.

The next item was a revolver. It was very similar to Rin's revolver that was in his lab, being a standard model for law enforcement and Future Foundation members, however, unlike the one in Rin's lab, this was had dots of blood on it. Along with that, Shuichi found two bullets that had been fired. They were small and squished, as expected from bullets that had been used, but the thing that caught Shuichi's eyes was one of the bullets in particular, as that one had something scribbled on it, but Shuichi could make out the word.

Shuichi stared at the evidence he found for a while. How careless of the Mastermind to leave all of this lying in a trashcan. But because of that mistake, Shuichi finally had a better idea about Rin's murder, at the very least.

If Shuichi was right, he might know what happened to Rin, but he still couldn't pin down the Mastermind. There must be something he was missing!

Truth Bullet Obtained: Various Items in Trashcan

Having finished his investigation, Shuichi returned his gaze to the others inside the room, who were either pestering Pavlov or searching the room itself.

"Dang it! I can't find anything about the Mastermind at all! Just who are they, and where are they hiding! Grrrr! That coward!" Tenko growled angrily.

"Whatever the case, they certainly were not hiding here." Kirumi frowned as she shook her head. "Did you find anything, Shuichi?"

"I've inspected everything I found, but I feel like there's still something I'm missing." Shuichi frowned.

But before he could elaborate on that point, another stabbing pain entered everyone's head as another flashback hit them in painful waves—another memory from the Flashback Light.

This time, it was when Shuichi woke up from his cold sleep, alone inside the room they had all entered at the start of the Gofer Project. Monokuma then suddenly appeared, taunting him before flashing him with a Blackout Light, a device for inducing memory loss in a target. Monokuma flashed Shuichi, and then everything went white.

Shuichi gasped once the memory ended. He finally remembered his final memory, and he felt sick thanks to it. Monokuma never failed to disgust him.

"R-Right after cold sleep…Monokuma…" Kaede began as she shivered in terror.

"Yeah…me too." Rantaro grimaced as he clenched his fists and leaned against a wall to steady himself.

"We each were woken up, individually by Monokuma and made to forget everything. How despicable." Kirumi growled.

"All just so we would play in this killing game." Kokichi clicked his tongue as he averted his gaze. "How frustrating…"

"It's terrible. There's no other way to describe it. We were all going to be friends, but then he ruined everything!" Kaede shouted angrily. "I won't ever forgive Monokuma or the mastermind! I won't forgive them for what they did to us!"

"Me too! I will never forgive them for this!" Tenko screamed.

"I feel the same, but…our time." Shuichi frowned as he checked his time. "It's nearly noon."

"Yeah, it is." Rantaro nodded. "Do you think we're ready? How are our chances looking, Shuichi?"

"...I'm not entirely sure of everything, but…I think we have a real chance of ending this." Shuichi answered. "I think we can fight against Monokuma and the mastermind, and I think we can win, once and for all. We have a chance to deal a decisive blow to them."

"Finally. About time. All this trouble, just for a drop of blood against those bastards." Kokichi sighed. "So what are we going to do now, then? Got a plan, Mister Ultimate Detective?"

"Yeah? How are we going to fight? We don't know where the Mastermind is or even who they are. How are we supposed to win against them?" Tenko asked.

"It's okay. I have a plan." Shuich reassured them. Shuichi then turned to Pavlov and offered the not-Monokuma a smile. "Thank you for your help, Pavlov. With the clues you've given us, I'm sure we can find the mastermind and solve Rin's murder."

"It was a pleasure, Mister Shuichi. I am happy to be of service. That was the original reason I was designed before I was…was…" Pavlov then paused before his sheepish, humble expression shifted to utter confusion. "Sorry, but did you just say you are investigating the murder of someone named Rin?"

"Hm? Yes. He's a friend of ours. His name is Rin Wakuri. When he was our age, he was the Ultimate Attorney. Do you know him? Was he part of your killing game?"

"Y-Yes, but that can't be right." Pavlov began. "Rin was–ERRRRkaAAtTETATHGHFDAaa!111!"

Suddenly, sparks began to fly out of Pavlov as his eyes turned on and off, his body spasming and convulsing as he uttered a glitchy scream.

"Pavlov?! What's happening?" Kaede shouted.

"K-K-K-K1LL SW1tcH! REM0T3 sHut d0Wn!" Pavlov tried to explain but couldn't finish as he fell over, twitching. "1-1-1-1-I…I…" He never got to finish as his body went limp, the power draining from his eyes as he died right in front of him.

"...He's gone." Kaede gasped.

"Remote shut down… He was turned off remotely." Kokichi realized.

"The Mastermind must have discovered Pavlov and silenced him from answering anything else. Or perhaps this was a punishment for helping us earlier." Kirumi grimaced.

"We only knew him briefly, but I can't help but get angrier at the Mastermind now." Tenko nashed her teeth. "Pavlov helped us, and just because of that, he had to die?! How dare they!"

"There's nothing we can do now." Shuichi averted his gaze from the fallen robot. "All we can do is keep moving forward. He helped us because he wanted us to survive. He said so himself. This was his choice. He might have known this might happen, but he still did it, so we should see this through to the end."

"So what are we gonna do?" Rantaro asked.

"We should head back out and speak to Keebo. I need to speak with him, and maybe Monokuma too." Shuichi explained.

"What do you mean? What are you planning on doing?" Kaede asked nervously.

"...Stopping the killing game, of course," Shuichi told them.

"But we haven't found the mastermind! How are we gonna-?"

"We don't have time to question it. Let's follow Shumai's lead and trust him. Not like any of us have a better plan." Kokichi cut Kaede off.

"He has a point." Tenko let out a sheepish laugh. Kaede sighed before nodding, admitting defeat on the matter.

"Then let's hurry up and get to Keebo." The pianist said with a sigh.

"Right. Let's go." Shuichi nodded as he led the others out of the hidden room. Keebo wasn't in the library anymore. Instead, there was a new colossal hole in the wall, presumably from fighting an Exisal. Shuichi led the others outside to the courtyard, and sure enough, there was Keebo, fighting off all five Exisals and Monokuma. Upon seeing them, Shuichi took a deep breath and shouted as loud as he could.

"Keebo! Monokuma! Please, stop fighting! We can solve this another way! One that's best for both of you! Please listen to me!"

His voice reverberated throughout the courtyard. He saw Keebo and the Exisals freeze for a a moment, and then they approached him.

"It's almost noon, like we agreed…" Keebo began as he floated down towards Shuichi on one side. "Have you found what you were looking for? Are you ready to do what must be done, Shuichi? Either way…this is your last chance."

"I have no idea what's going on," Monokuma added as he rode in on Shuichi's other side on top of one of his Exisals. "But messing with this robot is starting to bore me, so… I guess I'll hear you out."

"So, what is this other way?" Keebo asked.

Shuichi remained silent for a bit, but he soon gave them his answer.

"A class trial," Shuichi answered. "We're all going to do a class trial, one last time!"

"A class trial?!" Both Monokuma and Keebo exclaimed.

"...What do you mean? Are you trying to continue the killing game?" Keebo asked, an eyebrow raised and his robotic eyes glaring harshly at Shuichi. "This is no time to mess around! I thought you were going to end it!"

"I'm not messing around," Shuichi explained with a deathly serious look. "This class trial…will end the killing game!"

"A class trial…to end the killing game?" Keebo repeated, utterly confused.

"Shuichi…are you serious?" Kaede asked.

"Yeah. I get what you're trying to do, I think." Rantaro began with a frown. "But a class trial? You sure this is the best way for us?"

"Yes. I'm sure. We all need to stop fighting…and have one more class trial." Shuichi exclaimed. "If we reveal the whole truth there, we can end this killing game!"

"The killing game will end when the truth is exposed? Why would you say such a thing?" Monokuma asked as he tilted his head.

"By the end of the class trial, that will be clear." Shuichi taunted confidently. "Monokuma…you're the one who calls these class trials, but not this time! This time, we choose to call a class trial! One to end them all!"

"But why? Do you want to discover who murdered Mister Wakuri that much?" Monokuma asked. Shuichi was about to answer, but Monokuma's boisterous laugh prevented him from doing so. "Pwahahaha! Well, not like I care too much. After all, I get it."

"What do you mean?" Kokichi asked.

"My little shootout with this rundown robot hasn't been fun for a while now, and I think it's pretty interesting that you guys are on board with holding a class trial this time around! In fact, I welcome your initiative! This turn of events will make things very interesting! Go on! Solve Rin Wakuri's murder! It will be an interesting show to watch! I can't wait!"

Shuichi held back a smile as well as a grimace. So even now, Monokuma wants to keep things interesting, no matter what. Shuichi expected as much but still hated what it meant for them.

"However, if we're gonna hold a class trial, I'm gonna hold you guys responsible for it!"

"Responsible…?" Shuichi repeated.

"It would be bad if we held a class trial that didn't reach a satisfying conclusion." Monokuma began as his evil eye began to glow a sinister red. "In other words, if this trial doesn't go your way and ends without the truth being exposed, whether that be Rin's murder or the truth of this academy and killing game, then you all will be held responsible for staging a disappointing class trial, meaning you all will be punished accordingly."

"O-Of course!" Shuichi replied hesitantly.

"Puhuhu… I don't doubt your resolve at all, but are the others okay with it, too? The responsibility will be shared by all of you…" Monokuma smiled widely.

"The responsibility…will be shared?" Tenko muttered, her face paling a little as she spoke. But then she hardened her expression as she continued. "As if that will stop us."

"We've been ready for this the moment we saw Rin's body and you announced a class trial for his case." Rantaro shrugged. "Whether we call for a class trial and are forced to be responsible for it or whether we are forced to participate in a trial you force us into, the results are the same if we fail, so it doesn't bother me."

"That's right. I trust Shuichi, and I trust the others, too. I won't let some treat stop me." Kaede declared.

"Neither will I. I also wish to discover Rin's murderer, too, and a class trial is the most convenient place to do just that." Kirumi added sternly.

"Well, I guess I'll trust Shumai, like I said we should," Kokichi smirked. "But if you screw this up, I'll make sure to 'punish' you before Monokuma can even try."

"Y-Yeah. I believe you." Shuichi responded, but he couldn't help but not feel worried about that threat. Keebo still looked concerned, unlike the others. "K-Keebo…"

"Also," Monokuma cut in. "If we're gonna do this class trial, you gotta take off all that fancy sci-fi gear. We can't risk you going berserk if the outcome isn't in your favor."

"Take off this gear…" Keebo growled as his eyes darkened and his glare hardened. "If I remove these armaments now, I will lose my chance to destroy this academy… This is…the last chance. The last chance to not let Monokuma win. Is this…really alright?"

"Keebo…please, believe me. I don't want Monokuma to win. We're going to win. Our hope is going to end this game of despair!"

"Do you really think that ending awaits us? It sounds too good to be true, honestly." Keebo admitted.

"Yes, I do," Shuichi answered without hesitation. "That ending is hope for us, and we can't give up on hope."

"C'mon, Keeboy. What do you have to lose at this point?" Kokichi said.

"Trust us, Keebo. Trust in Shuichi." Kaede added. "We're all friends who can believe in each other, aren't we?"

"...Very well. I will remove my armaments. Let's hold this class trial." Keebo relented.

"Thank you, Keebo." Shuichi smiled.

"Puhuhu… Then it's decided." Monokuma smiled.

"That's right. Our class trial." Shuichi clenched his fists as he stood off against Monokuma. "Our final battle. Our hope will defeat your despair!"

"Puhuhu…puhuhuhu…" Monokuma began to chuckle before it exploded into an all-out laughter. "Ah-hahahahahahahaha!"

"Why are you laughing…?"

"Is he that confident he'll win?" Tenko questioned with a glare.

"He might have some trick up his sleeve at this eleventh hour; however, that won't stop us. It will only serve to make him underestimate us." Kirumi challenged.

"Puhuhu… Who can say?" Monokuma laughed. "Well, if we're gonna do this class trial, we should hurry up and head to the trial grounds. However, I will have the Monokubs strip that robot of his gear."

"...I know." Keebo nodded.

"Good. Everyone else, please proceed to the Shrine of Judgement and head to the trial grounds. Puhuhu… I'll go on ahead and begin preparing. Monokubs, you can take it from here. You can't even screw it up now that you don't have personalities!"

With that, Monokuma left, leaving the Exisals to guide Keebo away to take off his gear silently.

"I'll meet you guys there," Keebo told them.

"Y-Yeah…" Shuichi nodded as Keebo and the Exisals left. "We should go, too."

"...I still can't believe it. We're having another class trial. I know we were probably going to have one for Rin, but…I was really hoping we could end the killing game without one." Tenko said sadly.

"I did not think Monokuma would accept so easily. He even seemed overjoyed by Shuichi's request." Kirumi pointed out.

"I agree. It was easy. Too easy. Something is definitely up with this." Rantaro nodded.

"He said he was getting bored of fighting Keebo, but maybe he was just trying to get the fighting to stop so the academy wouldn't get destroyed?" Kaede guessed.

"I doubt it. He could have the Exisals repair the school if it's damaged, and we would be the ones who suffer should everything here get destroyed, not Monokuma." Kokichi sighed.

"Whatever the case may be, we can assume Monokuma was expecting this to an extent." Shuichi realized. "It's just like Rin said. He must have been prepared for this possibility, at least. Does that mean we're on the right path, or just another trap?"

The detective supposed there was no sense in worrying about it now. They had already come this far. They had made their bed; now it was time to lie in it. To end this killing game, they had to follow his rules one last time and win this class trial.

So, the group headed towards the Shrine of Judgement. Upon entering the shrine, they all sighed in relief when they saw the shrine and elevator were still intact. They weren't sure how they would get to the trial grounds safely if it had been destroyed.

"The next time we come out of the trial grounds, it'll all be over, right?" Kaede asked with a bit of hope in her voice.

"One way or another, yeah," Rantaro replied.

"We're gonna win, so don't act like it's possible that we'll lose!" Tenko shouted.

"It'll be fine. This trial should be way easier than the others." Kokichi smiled.

"Huh? Why?" Tenko asked.

"Up until now, one of us had always been the culprit, and we had to fight them to find the truth, but in this case, the one we're fighting is the mastermind. We have a clear target. That should be obvious, riiiiight?" Kokichi pointed out.

"Kokichi is right. We all have a common enemy, and I am sure that we can trust each other completely for once in a class trial. We can finally work together to find the truth." Kirumi offered a small smile.

"Ah, I see. You do have a point. There's a certain relief in knowing that much, I suppose." Rantaro shrugged. "If things go well, maybe we all can leave this place together in one piece, too!"

"I just wish that had happened way sooner. At the beginning, there were seventeen of us…" Kaede frowned. "Now, only seven of us remain, including Keebo, who's coming later."

"Don't get all depressed now! We're supposed to be readying ourselves for the final battle! You're going to psych us all out at this point." Tenko grimaced.

"Sorry. You're right. We should try to be a bit more positive right now." Kaede admitted as she tried to force a smile onto her face.

The shrine doors opened again at that moment, and Keebo walked in.

"Thank you for waiting," Keebo told them.

"That was fast, Keebo," Shuichi noted as they all turned to the Ultimate Robot, but Keebo turned away and averted his eyes at that moment.

"Hm? What's wrong Keebo? You okay?" Kaede asked.

"I bet he's sad he had to ditch the sci-fi gear. For all his complaining and bemoaning of sci-fi before today, he certainly looked dope while destroying the academy." Kokichi smirked.

"No, it's not that…" Keebo began before he turned to the others. "I'm just…very sorry!" He shouted as he bowed to them. "I acted recklessly and put you all in serious danger… I'm sorry! I'm very, very sorry!"

"Huh? What's wrong with you now? You're totally different from how you were before! It's like you completely changed again!" Tenko exclaimed.

"...Shuichi, you told me earlier not to give up hope," Keebo said.

"Th-That's right." The detective nodded.

"I finally realized that you were right. My inner voice told me–"

"Your inner voice?" Shuichi interrupted. "I thought you said you couldn't hear it anymore."

"Well, I had the Monokubs repair me in addition to removing my battle gear…" Keebo explained. "And now, for some reason, I can hear my inner voice again."

So he can hear it again after the repairs… Shuichi thought momentarily before his eyes wandered to the hairpiece on Keebo's head. It was back. Rin mentioned in his video he had cut it off to get Keebo to rampage. He also called it an antenna… Does that mean it's not just for decoration? What does that make Keebo's 'inner voice', then? What does he hear?

"I was wrong to try to destroy everything just to avoid losing to despair…" Keebo muttered shamefully as he continued to apologize. "Even if I had followed through with it, there would've been no hope or future left afterwards. In which case, my actions would have merely resulted in a different despair altogether. I do not expect you to forgive me. What I did was foolish. But…will you allow me to fight alongside you!? I want to help you find the truth! Please!"

"Of course, Keebo. That's what I've wanted from the start." Shuichi smiled.

"If it weren't for you, we never would have gotten the chance to do this in the first place, Keebo." Kaede hummed happily.

"So…you'll allow me?"

"Why would we not?!" Tenko asked excitedly. "Finally! All seven of us are united against Monokuma and the Mastermind. They don't stand a chance against us!"

"Yeah. You're our friend, Keebo. We wouldn't just leave you behind." Rantaro added.

"Th-Thank you…" Keebo thanked them.

"Oh! Since you're here and on our side again, Keebo…!" Kokichi began. "Can you help me out with something real quick?"

"Oh? Certainly. I will help if I am able to. What is it that you need?" Keebo asked.

"Well…give me a second," Kokichi told him before running outside. He returned shortly after, dragging the Bugvac behind him as he did.

"I-Is that a vacuum, Kokichi?" Keebo asked.

"Yeah. I had Miu make it before she died. It's called the Bugvac, and it's supposed to suck up bugs, but I haven't been able to catch anything with it."

"Bugs? Are you referring to the bugs Gonta sometimes saw around the academy?" Kirumi asked.

"Yeah, those! I was wondering if Gonta really saw something or if he was just seeing things." Kokichi explained.

"I see… Then you want me to confirm whether there are bugs in it?" Keebo asked.

"That's right. Can you do it?"

"Yes. I can now." Keebo nodded.

"Huh? You can?" Kaede asked.

"Yes. With these eyes of mine, I can now easily determine which is true."

"You're eyes?" Rantaro repeated. "Didn't you say you had poor eyesight during our first few days here?"

"That was true…until I installed my zoom function." Keebo explained.

"Zoom function?"

"It was in my lab, next to the jet pack and arm cannon. Thanks to that zoom function, my vision has increased a hundredfold."

"A hundredfold!? That's like waaaaaay better!" Tenko screamed.

"I knew it! That's how you could fly around so fast and so high up in the air but still accurately fire your weapon!" Kokichi explained with starry eyes. "That's the kind of power-up I expected from the Ultimate Robot!"

"Yes…this is the true talent of the Ultimate Robot." Keebo mused as he examined himself with a solemn look. "Because I'm a robot, I can evolve in ways that are simply not possible for a human. I've…finally accepted that. There are notable differences between us, but they're nothing for me to be ashamed of. Because…with my talent, it's possible I can save you all."

Keebo took the bugvac from Kokichi and leaned in closer to it.

"It's worth a shot. At maximum zoom, my vision is on par with that of a microscope." Keebo explained with a smile. "I'll borrow this for just a moment, Kokichi."

After that, he stared at the vacuum intensely, and after just a few seconds–

"I see it! Give me a moment, and I will have an image ready for you."

"An image, too?"

"Yes. I installed a camera function as well." Keebo said before a picture printed out of his mouth of all places. Keebo took the image out and showed it to the others.

"Is this…Monokuma?" Shuichi asked as he stared at the picture of the white and bluish-grey bear with wings and a camera.

"So these are the small bugs Gonta saw…" Rantaro muttered.

"A human's eyes would not be able to see things that exist at a nanoscopic level," Keebo explained.

"For Gonta to have noticed them…his vision was superhuman," Tenko said.

"Look. They have cameras." Kaede pointed out. "Do you think these are the hidden cameras watching us?"

"Why don't we ask them?" Keebo proposed.

"We can talk to this?" Shuichi gasped.

"Yes. I have already installed an augmented hearing function." Keebo proudly smiled.

"Wow, you really decked yourself out, Keeboy!" Kokichi smiled as Keebo pressed his ear to the bugvac.

"Start talking. Now. Or I'll squish you one by one." Keebo threatened. "Whatever function you serve, you'll be unable to carry it out. Do you accept these terms?" After a moment of silence, Keebo began speaking again. "They call themselves…Nanokumas. Apparently, they're members of the Monokubs."

"What, this little thing?" Shuichi questioned.

"Then there were six Monokubs?" Tenko exclaimed.

"Not quite. These don't exist as individuals, but rather as a hivemind. They travel through the air as a swarm, covering every square inch of this campus." Keebo explained.

"They were everywhere, and we were never the wiser." Rantaro grimaced at the preach of privacy.

"And their function…is to record footage of the events that are unfolding here, and transmit it to Monokuma." Keebo finished.

"...What?" Shuichi gaped.

"Using their tiny cameras, they record footage and transmit it wirelessly. Motherkuma receives the footage and parses it before sending it off to Monokuma."

"So they were the hidden cameras!" Kaede shouted angrily.

Truth Bullet Obtained: The Sixth Monokub

"So this is how Monokuma has been aware of everything that's happened, and that is why the electro radar disabled them during the last case," Kirumi noted. "With the electro radar, the Nanokumas could not transmit footage to Monokuma."

"...This is why Monokuma is confident he'll win. He's not just confident. He's sure he's going to win, all because he's been watching us this entire time!" Shuichi grimaced.

"At least we know that important detail now. I'm glad you were able to tell us about it before the class trial, Keebo." Kaede smiled.

"Yeah, you definitely helped out big time, Keebo!" Tenko gave a thumbs up.

"You're welcome, but…we should get going now," Keebo said.

"Right. Wouldn't want to keep the bear waiting too long." Rantaro sighed. "Who knows what he'll do if we're late."

"Then let's hurry on down there," Tenko said.

They all nodded before they began to enter the elevator. No more time to wait. No more point in worrying anymore. Right now…they only needed to think about getting out of this place alive. So, they put the destroyed the Ultimate Academy behind them and began their descent to the final trial grounds.

The elevator rattled as it carried the last of the survivors down into the ground. None of them knew what awaited them, but they knew they couldn't let it end like this. Each of them held a strong hope and will to end the despair, the pain, the suffering, and the killing game. Everything would end here. No more would they endure the killing game, and no more would they lose anything else.

They were tired of it all, so they would be the ones to end it.

And like that, the doors opened, revealing the new, bright blue trial grounds.

"So this…is the final trial grounds." Shuichi examined as they exited the elevator.

"Puhuhu, it's not up to you or me to decide whether or not this is the end." Monokuma laughed.

"What do you mean?" Shuichi questioned.

"More importantly, since you guys requested that we hold this class trial, I'm sure you won't mind allowing me to participate, too, right? You all suspect me, and you're gonna try to figure out the truth of the academy, so it'll be easier to argue if I do. Don't worry. It'll just be me. No annoying kubs to get in the way. Just to OG king, Monokuma."

"True, I was going to have you participate this time, but I didn't think you'd volunteer," Shuichi admitted.

"You seem confident, Monokuma." Kirumi hummed dangerously, deadly olive eyes glaring daggers at the bear.

"Puhuhuhu…"

"You're confident now, but it's just leaving you wide open for attack. We'll show you just how capable we all are, especially when we work together!" Tenko warned.

"I guess we'll see, then." Monokuma smiled. "Alright, let's get started! Let's get this crude climax underway!"

With that, the students moved to their stands. There was only one new addition to the portraits of the trial grounds, and it was one they had seen in the last trial. Rin's portrait, but unlike that one, which only had a question mark on it, this version of Rin's picture was littered with markings that had been clawed onto it in place of the usual 'X'. It was as though someone had scratched the characters onto the picture with their nails, so much so that they began to bleed as they continued to scribble out the words. Those words, disturbingly enough, was 'uso'. 'Lie'. It was littered onto the portrait in such a frantic, uneven manner that one would call it a sign of insanity. It was a stark contrast to the smiling image of Rin Wakuri that was staring back at them.

Shuichi tore his eyes away from the picture as he focused on the task at hand. The final class trial was at hand, and he would not fail at this final hour.

And so, the final trial began.

---

Truth Bullets

1. Monokuma File 6: The victim is Rin Wakuri. The body was discovered in the Ultimate Survivor's Research Lab. The estimated time of death is around midnight. The victim's body has been stabbed with numerous swords in the torso and body, totaling a number of thirteen stab wounds across the entire body with the blades pinning the victim to the wall his body is leaning against. The victim also has been stabbed in both eyes with small daggers, and his mouth has been stapled shut. Lastly, the victim's hands have been severed at the wrist and are missing.

2. Rin's body: The victim is slouched against the wall of the research lab, and his body is pinned to the wall by the numerous blades stabbing through him. The pool of blood the body is sitting in looks undisturbed. Daggers have been stabbed into his eyes, and his mouth cannot open since it has been stapled shut. Aside from the stables, Rin's mouth shows no external damage. Rin's hands are also missing, leaving only bloody stumps where they once were.

3. Kaede's Account: Kaede was the last to see Rin before his death. She saw him from afar the night before Rin's body was discovered. He was wearing his usual purple jacket with his hood up and was carrying a large black case up the stairs. Kaede couldn't make anything out due to how late it was.

4. Poison: An empty bottle of poison was found in Rantaro's lab. It most likely came from the Ultimate Detective's lab. A highly lethal poison that kills in seconds should any amount enter the body in any way. It kills by asphyxiation, but the poison had certain side effects, including bloodshot eyes and choking on blood and spitting it out the mouth before death. However, once exposed to fresh air, the poison starts to oxidize immediately, rendering it harmless after 30 minutes.

5. Kokichi and Rin meet up: Rin had arranged a meeting with Kokichi the day before the murder. He wanted to discuss their next course of action inside the Ultimate Survivor's lab, but before Kokichi could reach the lab, Rantaro, who had overheard their conversation, intercepted him and pressed him for information. Rantaro chased Kokichi all the way to the Ultimate Survivor's lab, where they discovered Rin's body.

6. History of Hope's Peak: Found in the Ultimate Supreme Leader's research lab, this book details the history of the battle between hope and despair. The afterword claims it was compiled by several esteemed researchers and it is the most thorough and accurate book written on the subject. However, it contradicts the memory Shuichi and the others received from the Flashback Light.

7. Bugvac: A vacuum device for capturing bugs Miu made for Kokichi. Was designed by Kokichi to check whether or not the "tiny bugs" Gonta sometimes saw were real. Although it's still a prototype, it is functional and shows signs of use. However, it doesn't seem to have captured any bugs.

8. Kokichi's motive video: One of the videos distributed as the motive in Korekiyo's case. Though most of the videos ended up with the wrong person, Kokichi got his own. According to the video, Kokichi was the leader of a secret society named D.I.C.E. Together with his ten underlings, he committed nonviolent crimes and harmless pranks around the world.

9. Killing Game: Monokuma is particular about the killing game's rules and making sure it's exciting. Almost like the killing game is meant to be shown. In addition, it's very similar to the killing games held by Junko Enoshima in the past. Tsumugi claimed that this killing game was being watched by someone before her execution. With Rin and Kokichi's plan having succeeded, the Killing Game was supposed to be ruined, and Monokuma broke down from the pressure, seemingly proving Tsumugi's claim. Strangely enough, Rantaro survived a different killing before this one, but there are no other mentions of another killing game involving Rantaro in the Complete History of Hope's Peak.

10. Rin's will: A last will penned by Rin that was hidden with a bouquet he left in Kirumi's research lab. The will has a riddle that Rin was given on it. 'A clue to find the truth. Within an unfamiliar world lies the key, hidden within a fractured chain of memories. Then, after gazing upon the stars, walk through the realm of demons and angels to find the way. Don't let anyone know about this message. If anyone finds out about it, death is all but certain for all of you.'

11. Fire in Rin's room: Before Shuichi and the others could investigate Rin's dorm room, an explosion was somehow set off within the room, creating a fire that engulfed the room. It destroyed the room before a proper investigation could be conducted. Even after the fire died, the room smells of smoke and strong chemicals that Kirumi describes smelling similar to nail polish remover or Acetone.

12. Shattered Melted Jar: A glass jar that has been shattered. It is partically melted as well due to the sudden explosion and intense head of the fire in Rin's room. It seems to have been the origin of the explosion and was set up in the middle of the room.

13. Tennis Ball Remains: The melted remains of a rubber tennis ball, most likely gotten from Ryoma's lab. It was found among the shards of melted glass. There are pieces scattered about just like the glass.

14. Holes in room: There are two tiny holes in Rin's dorm room. They are on opposite sides of each other.

15. Tsumugi's Cosplay: In the first class trial, Tsumugi claimed that she could not cosplay as real people. If she did, she would break out into what she called 'cospox'. Despite this, she managed to cosplay as Rin and his friends. Rantaro believed that this 'cospox' she showed Kaede was just another cosplay she used to trick the students.

16. Rin's Photo Album: A photo album found in the virtual world. The book is full of pictures of Rin and his friends from the past. There are five photos that have been marked with a number.

The first shows Rin and his friend Asuka Wada, the Ultimate Singer. The second shows Sora Kiyomizu, the Ultimate Natural Beauty, and Ayaka Ayanokouji, the Ultimate Tailor. The third shows Nobu Hosaka, the Ultimate Trust Builder, and Masuyo Otaka, the Ultimate Entrepreneur. The fourth shows Naomi Chisaka, the Ultimate Chess Player, and Ryuunosuke Hiroshima, the Ultimate Parkour Master. The fifth shows Makoto Haruta, the Ultimate Fairytale Writer, and Yazu Hirakawa, the Ultimate Translator.

17. Future Fondation Badge: A badge found in a wallet in the virtual world. Worn by Future Foundation members Within the wallet, there was a message. "Even in the face of terror and despair, we will reach towards the future. Just as the star gazers did before us, we will look towards the sky and reach towards the stars. Count the immeasurable, and you will have the key to the truth of despair."

18. Paint Supplies: Paint thinner and removers from Angie's lab. There are many different kinds of both. Most noticably, with some being made of acetone. According to Rantaro, acetone, when mixed with ethers, can potentially cause explosions when they make contact. Glycol ethers can be found in many different things such as paints and cleaning products.

19. Rantaro's Video Message: A video file found on the USB stored in the vault in the Ultimate Survivor's research lab. It is a message from Rantaro before he lost his memories to himself after he lost his memories. According to the message, Rantaro was the Ultimate Survivor and had participated in a previous killing game.

20. Equipment Trunk: a black trunk meant for carrying make-up and other cosplay supplies. Found in Tsumugi's lab. Dried blood was found inside.

21. Old Hope's Peak Academy Files: Old files of Hope Peak's Academy alumni found within the Ultimate Cosplayer's lab. Rin and his friends are listed as alumni, as well as many other people.

22. Gofer Project Participant List: A document found in the cold sleep room. Written on it are the profiles of all the participants in the Gofer Project. According to this document, Kaede has a younger twin sister.

23. Flashback Light settings: Flashback Lights can be made in the classroom on the second floor. There are four categories for the type of Flashback Light that can be created:

The Survivors

The Outside World

The Killing Game

The Participants

From those basic categories, several options are available.

25. Clues to the Mastermind: According to Motherkuma, Tsumugi came to the hidden room often when she was alive, but the true mastermind had never shown themselves. In addition, the classroom that creates Flashback Lights reverts to its original state when the door is opened, and Pavlov said that Motherkuma knew that there are other areas outside the academy to create flashback lights. It seems as though the person creating the Flashback Light is cautious not to be seen by anyone.

26. Survivor Perk Monopad: A Monopad given to Rantaro for being the Ultimate Survivor. "Clue to end the killings. The mastermind who is behind the killing game is hiding somewhere within the academy. Your best chance of exposing them is when Monokuma needs a spare. At that time, the mastermind will go to the library's hidden room. To prove this hint is accurate, I will predict something. The first thing you will remember is the Ultimate Hunt. Only share this information with people who you know you can trust." -Rantaro Amami

27. Rin's Ultimate Research Lab: A hidden research lab within the 5th floor of the Ultimate Academy. With the reveal of Rin's talent in his final video message, this room was discovered to be the Ultimate Attorney's Research Lab. This room was only accessible to those who know how to solve the puzzle to open the door, but only Rin was given a hint leading to the room before this case.

28. Revolver: A weapon found in the Ultimate Attorney's lab. The bullets have the Japanese symbols for 'truth' and 'lies' etched onto the bullets. The gun can hold six bullets, but there are only five. Two truths, and three lies.

29. Rin's 1st Whiteboard: There are two whiteboards in Rin's lab. Rin seems to have marked each board with photos of each student in a certain order similar to how Kokichi made his board. They appear to depict some kind of killing order.

The first board details the murders that happened throughout the killing game, with each victim being paired with their killing. First Kirumi and Tsumugi. Then Miu and Korekiyo. Then Angie, Ryoma, and Himiko. Then Kaito, Gonta, and Maki. next is Kokichi and Rin, but they survived. Under that, though is another photo of Rin paired with his killer. No photo is given, but the label 'Mastermind' is written next to the killer spot.

30. Rin's 2nd Whiteboard: There are two whiteboards in Rin's lab. Rin seems to have marked each board with photos of each student in a certain order similar to how Kokichi made his board. They appear to depict some kind of killing order.

The second board details a killing order that never happened. First is Rantaro with his killer being Kaede. The second is Ryoma paired with Kirumi as his killer. Angie and Tenko are then paired with Korekiyo. After the third murder, the outline branches off into two branches. The first branch has Kokichi as a victim paired with Miu, and then Maki as a victim paired with Kaito. The second branch has Miu paired with Gonta, and then Kokichi paired with Kaito. Tsumugi is listed as the Mastermind on this board.

31. Old Burnt Case File: An old case file from the Ultimate Detective's lab that Rin took and left in his lab. He seems to have thrown it in the lab's fireplace in an attempt to burn it, but part of it is still intact. From what hasn't burned, it appears to detail the murder of Yuna Tamura, the Ultimate Inventor. The culprit is stated to be Rin Wakuri.

32. Back room of the Ultimate Attorney's Research Lab: A hidden back room locked by a puzzle within Rin's research lab. Unlike the busy, filled main room, this room is nearly empty. It is barren and devoid of color with the only light source being a single, hanging lamp. It is almost as though this room was decaying and left to be forgotten. Within the room, there is a threatening message that seems to be address to the mastermind. It is written in blood. The message is the following: 'I SHALL DESTROY THIS WORLD. KARMA WILL COME, AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS, I WILL TEAR EVERYTHING ASUNDER. THIS WORLD WILL KNOW WHO I AM.'

33. Broken blade: The katana found in the Ultimate Attorney's lab was broken. The blade has dried blood caked onto it.

34. Destroyed monitors: There are numerous monitors in the back room of Rin's lab, but they have been completely destroyed using the katana that was left in the lab. The damage was so extensive that the katana snapped in half and is lodged into one of the monitors. Only one monitor still works enough to show something on the screen: a medical diagram of a person's head and face.

35. Kokichi's Account: Kokichi mentioned how Rin told him a secret to convince Kokichi to work with Rin in creating their unknowable victim plan. Rin told Kokichi that the Mastermind had a script that they were following, and they were able to predict what would happen in the killing game thanks to their talent. Thanks to that, they had control over the academy and what the participants did or how they reacted. Rin mentioned how he had stolen one of the scripts before the killing game began and infiltrated with that in mind, but the Mastermind changed the script to account for Rin's involvement. However, using this knowledge, Rin prevented Rantaro being killed by Kaede, as well as switching out the Strike-9 poison that would have killed him and Kokichi in the previous case.

36. Rin's Video Message: A video Rin recorded the day before he died as a kind of 'survivor's perk', Rin appears extremely exhausted and ragged in the video, and he gives out a warning concerning potential traps the Mastermind might have left behind. He also gives a tip: a certain phrase to be said to a device in the Hidden Library. The phrase is "Pavlov's Dog". He ended the video by saying he left them everything they might need and by asking them to remember 'who he used to be'.

37. Motherkuma: A giant Monokuma head in a glass case. It was in the hidden room in the back of the library. It is a machine that creates spare bodies for Monokuma and copies his thoughts over to them.

38. Motherkuma's voiceprint system: Motherkuma recognizes the one designated as the mastermind's voice and cannot create spare Monokumas without their command.

39. Despair Video: A video that was left in the hidden room in the library. Pavlov said it was a Despair Video, a video the Ultimate Animator was forced to make before the Tragedy. It is used to brainwash someone into becoming a Remnant, or as Pavlov put it: 'it makes them fall into despairing madness'.

40. Various Items in Trashcan: There are various items that were thrown away in the hidden room in the library. These items include:

Second revolver: a second gun found in the mastermind's hidden room in the trash. There is specks of blood on the handle. Loaded, but missing a bullet.

Used bullets: two used bullet shells found in the mastermind's hidden room in the trash. One bullet has the character 'uso' engraved on it.

Severed hands: a pair of hands found in the mastermind's hidden room in the trash. They are most likely Rin's. One of the hands was wrapped in bloodied bandages. Underneath them, there are many small scratches and lacerations, and there is a large stab wound in the plam of the hand. Using the gunpowder detection kit from Rin's lab reveals that the second hand has gunpowder residue on it. The hand also seems to have been clutching something as it is in a clenched position.

Rin's Jacket: One of Rin's purple jackets was found in the hidden room in a trash can.

Syring: an empty syring was found in the trash within the library's hidden room.

41. The Sixth Monokub: Named Nanokuma, they are collectively the sixth member of the Monokubs. The true identity of the "tiny bugs" Gonta thought he saw. They are so small, they cannot be seen by normal human eyes. They exist as a hivemind, rather than as individuals. They fly around the academy and use their cameras to take footage, which is then wirelessly sent to Motherkuma. Motherkuma parses the footage and then sends it off to Monokuma in the academy.