A Battle between Hope and Despair.

[At the Public Bath, ten minutes before]

After Koutarou left along with Mukuro and company, Leon and Ishimaru started moving the lockers in the public bath with the help of the other students to seal the entrance, isolating them inside as suggested by Celeste, although Ishimaru was against the idea initially, as it would also leave the students who left isolated outside.

Ishimaru: "I'm still against that idea... What if they fail and have to come back?!"

Celeste: "You don't have to worry about that, if they fail we all die. Closing the entrance like that, at least we can buy some time."

Kirigiri: "As hard as it is to accept, Celeste-san is right. Ishimaru-kun, you should be a little more flexible in a delicate moment like this."

Celeste quickly countered Ishimaru's argument and Kirigiri agreed, although for Celeste, her life was more important and she didn't really care if the other students out there that she wasn't familiar with, died.

Chihiro Fujisaki, who had been looking at his classmates for some time, turned his attention to the laptop that Koutarou had handed him.

For him, as the Ultime Programmer, getting this laptop to work would be as easy as turning on a television, but that wasn't what he was thinking about.

Chihiro: 'Someone... Someone is counting on me.'

For the boy known as Chihiro Fujisaki, this was the first time anyone had genuinely relied on his help.

He had always believed that a strong man was one who could help others no matter what the situation, and today he found himself being needed by someone for the first time.

Chihiro: 'I... I can't disappoint Koutarou-kun.'

Chihiro Fujisaki still hadn't noticed.

That he was a real man, despite the appearances.

Chihiro: "Please shut the fuck up, I need to concentrate."

Chihiro interrupted the discussion between Ishimaru and Celeste that was still going on. His voice tone was still soft and gentle, but his words were able to silence everyone in the room with surprise, since Chihiro has always been someone so kind and well-behaved that no one could imagine that he could be so rude, even in a moment of tension like that.

With everyone silenced, Chihiro started working on the laptop. His hands were fast and it didn't take him too long to dismantle the computer and reassemble it perfectly in no more than a few minutes.

A few moments before they left, Mukuro brought a broken Monokuma that had a hole in its body into the public restroom.

Being familiar with every corner of Hope's Peak Academy that Junko has laid her hands on, it was easy for her to find one of the inner passages of the school that kept some Monokuma's inside.

Of course, that must have tipped off Enoshima Junko, but they hadn't planned to be discreet from the start, so it didn't matter.

With Monokuma's body in hand, it was much easier for Chihiro to access the Monokuma Files software after having repaired the laptop.

The device was not the most advanced, which made his attempts to corrupt the file quite difficult.

But he still kept trying.

Cuz' there was someone who was counting on him.

Chihiro: "This... Why does it look so familiar...?"

Chihiro Fujisaki, who had lost her memories thanks to Junko's hypnotism, still didn't know.

That the one most familiar with Monokuma wasn't Junko, but himself.

[At the Gym]

Mukuro Ikusaba sank into his thoughts.

A while ago, Koutarou Kajyashiki, that boy, had asked him what her dream was. Back then, all she had on her mind was being able to stand by Junko side and achieve the goal she wanted so badly to sink this entire world into despair.

But she realized that this was not her dream, this was not what she, Ikusaba Mukuro, really wanted. All she could see in front of her was Junko, and because of that she was trapped in a narrow little world. Because of Junko, she never let her dreams grow... She felt like there was so much more she could be doing and yet she wasn't doing it, and she didn't like that feeling... Despite this, she continued to fight to stay true to Junko's goal, she repressed herself, she limited herself.

But now there was no longer any need to do that.

Mukuro: 'So I think I'll start looking for a dream... Is it childish of me to think like that?'

When you think about it, the idea of "chasing a dream" is pretty vague. There's no substance to it, no clue what it means. You end up desperate and lost... And then you find out that everything you've done is useless.

But getting lost can also be a good thing! As long as you're looking for it, maybe it's enough to be happy... This was also a form of hope!

Junko: "How are you, my dear stupid little sister?"

Junko's voice interrupted Mukuro's thoughts. Not Monokuma, not a speaker, not a hologram and not an image reflected through a screen, but Enoshima Junko herself, her sister whom she has loved all her life, standing over the lectern with a smug expression that soon twisted into disgust.

Mukuro: "Junko..."

Junko: "What? What is that? That feeling in you is... Hope? This is absolutely totally completely infernally..."

So many emotions circled Enoshima Junko's face in that instant that it was impossible to say exactly what she was feeling. But she definitely thought that Mukuro is...

Junko: "Disgusting."

Mukuro: "Is the erosion of despair already affecting your mind this much...?"

A brief flash of sadness crossed Ikusaba Mukuro's eyes. Ever since "The Tragedy" began, boredom and despair have been gnawing at Enoshima Junko's mind, caused by how well her plan went, everything had gone according to her prediction, and for Junko, that was absolutely... Boring. To the point where boredom and despair began to erode his mental sanity has the days passed.

Junko: "Ya know, I was wondering why you bastards were gathering in one place just to plot against me like I couldn't figure it out... You guys are so dumb, holy shit! You especially, my dear sister! To come here alone... Not only are ya a waste of a sister, but a waste of a person too!"

Junko looked annoyed at how stupid Mukuro Ikusaba could be. In fact, she hoped that the students could come up with a plan that would at least make her a little surprised, but she seems to have overrated them too much. Her face, however, soon showed a trace of satisfaction as she apparently thought of something quite amusing.

Junko: "Good good good! At least, I didn't expect you to rebel against me so easily! Honestly, I expected our family ties to be stronger than this. But for you to be swayed by the words of an outsider... *Sigh*, that's definitely sad as fuck..."

Junko wailed with a depressed expression, a trace of tears trickled out of the corner of her eyes, but no matter what she said, Mukuro Ikusaba didn't seem to be so easily moved.

Mukuro's lungs filled with oxygen as she breathed in, seemingly clearing her mind of any further thoughts.

Mukuro: "I'm sorry, Junko. I never really understood what was the despair you wanted. But it's going to be okay now. I finally understand, so... I'll make sure to make you happy, I'll definitely fill you with despair. I'm going to save the students of Hope's Peak Academy and every single one of the victims who are suffering from what you did out there... And I will kill you, ending this twisted dream of yours. Is that despair enough for you?"

Junko: "Upu... Upupupupupu... Yes, that's it, that's what I want to feel! That burning passion full of hope! The more of that hope you have, the greater will be your despair in the end! Even I can't help but feel excited now!"

Enoshima Junko wasn't lying. For her, Mukuro's resolution was a situation where she would win not matters the ending: if she smash her sister's hope, only despair would be left to take her. And if Mukuro managed to defeat her, the despair she would feel at that moment... It's something she couldn't even imagine! It would be an orgasmic pleasure so strong that just thinking about it make some juices oozing between her legs.

Junko: "So let's start this final game of ours, my dear stupid sister. It's... PUNISHMENT TIME!"

At the push of a button on the lectern, which originally wasn't there, some internal system in the academy seemed to have been activated. when various compartments began to open from the floor, walls and even the ceiling. Dozens- no, hundreds of Monokuma's crawled out like spawn of hell, and Mukuro Ikusaba, with a single metal staff in her hand, faced them alone.

Mukuro: "Even now, I never really liked those damn fucking bears..."