Part 171: Born Under a Bad Sign

MUSIC: Hope Searching











Nyeeeh, where!? Where's the mastermind hiding!?



MUSIC: Rise of the Ultimates

Huh?

Was that...Monokuma's voice just now?



Wh-Where? Where's that voice coming from?

...



There is *ample* opportunity to waste time in this room.

...I can hear the voice coming from over there.

Maki glared toward the back of the room.

There's something behind the curtain...



That was Monokuma's voice just now, right? Isn't Monokuma...outside, being held off by Keebo right now? Could it be he activated another spare since it was an emergency?



Wh-Where? Where's that voice coming from?





???: I was prepared to offer you half the world if you joined me...but never mind!





I cautiously lifted up the fabric, and...



MUSIC: REAL/FICTION



Puhuhu... You found me. Or rather, you just found a place that you were meant to find. 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...



Wh-What is this!?



Is that... It's just a head, but is that Monokuma?





...team up with the other one to make the last battle cooler. Or that's how it usually goes.

What!? Really!?

...You seem almost happy, Himiko.



N-No...I mean... Monokuma was our friend then... But he betrayed us. I won't trust him again.



What is that!? A giant Monokuma head!? F-For something like that to be able to talk... It must've been enchanted by a powerful mage!





Of course. But I'm not just any Monokuma. I'm the overseer of the killing game, and the source of all Monokumas...

MUSIC: Mr. Monokuma's Lesson V3



"Mother"kuma?

So then...the machine that makes spare Monokumas in this academy...

Oh, that's me.



It creates spare Monokumas! All I gotta do is copy over my thoughts and...



Huh? A spare Monokuma? Can they be made that easily? I thought they were advanced robots...

...Uh, yeah, that's why I'm so amazing.

No, that might be a lie. It's trying to trick us with fake information.

Anyone can see this thing is giving too much information far too conveniently.



Could you do that right now?



...

Huh? What's wrong?



What about after it's born, huh!? Did you think about that? Take some responsibility!





...Hurry up and give birth to a Monokuma.

...

...Are you listening? We said to give birth to a new Monokuma.

...



A lie, huh... But why lie about that? There has to be some motivation to lie...



MUSIC: Hope Searching





Shuichi, don't just stand around! Look for the mastermind!

Y-Yeah...

That's right. First, we have to see if the mastermind is hiding here. There should be other clues here as well.



This is definitely the mastermind's room. It reeks of despair. Even though Kokichi was a Remnant of Despair, his lab didn't feel like this. His lab felt like it belonged to the Ultimate Supreme Leader, and that's all.



Yeah yeah yeah.



B-Birth one!? Acknowledge the ones that are yours before you make me birth another one!

...I wonder if what it said about spares was really true...



There should definitely be a clue. Let's check thoroughly.







Why are you being so proper!?

MUSIC: Mr. Monokuma's Lesson V3



At least we know this is the mastermind's room. It feels like a place for a Remnant of Despair.

Oh, is it that obvious? Well, when you're right, you're right. The one you're all looking for comes to this room quite often.



But they're not stupid enough to let you guys catch them in the act!



Then, the mastermind isn't here?

And if they come frequently, then—

Puhuhu, I think my hint just finally dawned on Shuichi.

Hint?



What if I do? As long as it makes the killing game more entertaining, anything goes!



Hm? End the killing game? Oh, you... Haven't I been saying it over and over again this whole time?



It doesn't matter what you do, this killing game will absolutely, positively never end. The killing game is a symbol of despair! How can something so fun just end!?

...What do you mean?



All meaning aside, it's the truth. Puhuhu... The best thing you guys can do is just accept that truth.

...



MUSIC: Hope Searching





Whose Monopad is this? And why is there a bloodstain on it?

I don't know... But we should inspect it closely.



I started up the Monopad, and...

MUSIC: Living in a Lazy Parallel World



That means, in addition to the video, Rantaro's Survivor Perk...was this other Monopad.



Shuichi scrolls down through the floors.



...As well as the hidden room. Which means this is a complete map of the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles.

So Rantaro was given this map as part of his Survivor Perk... That's why he knew about the hidden door.







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. How you determine that will mean your life or your death. —Rantaro Amami



That's why Rantaro brought it up. Because he read this hint.



Does the term Ultimate Hunt ring a bell for anyone?



Is my memory part of it too? If it is, then...

...can I even trust myself?



That's why he went to the library.





That Monopad isn't the student handbook. It looks like something else...



I was going to check that. If I can determine whose blood this is, we'll be that much closer to the truth.

How are you going to check...?



That picture is in Kokichi's room.



MAKI: I bet he collected that picture, too.



The last picture taken of Rantaro, the one in which he was trying to remove the camera.

The one where the camera lured him with the flash...



Maki...be careful, okay? Keebo and the Exisals are fighting—

Hey, who do you think I am?





MUSIC: Hope Searching





I should investigate this, too. I'm positive there's *some* clue here.

I opened the trash can casually, and...



MUSIC: Wonderful Story

I let out a surprised gasp.

What is this...?

This thing in the trash can is much heavier than I thought...



But there's no blood on this shot. It can't be the one that Kaede used to kill Rantaro.

In that case...where did this come from? Why is this here?



I noticed something sticking to the shot put ball.



Inspecting it closely, I can see several pink fibers stuck to the surface of the shot.



Wait! That means, this shot...

......I understand. I know how to pin down the mastermind of this killing game...



MUSIC: Hope Searching







Of course, none of us have that, so we couldn't get in before. But it doesn't look like there's a card reader on the *inside" of the hidden door. I looked through the rubble thoroughly but didn't find anything like that. Which means...you don't need a card key to *leave* this room. In that case...









They weren't hiding here... Did you find anything, Shuichi?

I've inspected everything I found, but I feel like there's still something hidden here...

NO MUSIC



...Ah! Aaugh!!! A-Again! Another...memory!

VIDEO: Remember



...What?



This is...



MUSIC: Wonderful Story





M-Monokuma?

Although we're meeting for the first time, you already know me... Puhuhu... Well, of course you know. I'm famous, after all.





Oh, but it can. This is where it all begins.



K—Killing game!?

Now then, from here things will proceed how they usually do. You'll all lose your memories and forget everything that's happened up to this point. The stakes of the Gofer Project, the hopes and dreams that humanity entrusted to you...



The bonds of trust you've forged, your disgusting promises of friendship...



What...? Wh-Why are you doing this...?

There's no point in asking me questions. You're gonna forget everything, anyway.



Like I said, there's no point. You'll just forget that, too.

Y-You're lying! How could I ever forget this!?



...What?

The Blackout Light has the power to induce total memory loss. The light it emits stimulates the basal nuclei and the hippocampus—

W-Wait a minute!



I'm gonna use this light, then I'm gonna shove you all into lockers while you're unconscious...

And then the killing game will begin!

MUSIC: Hope Searching



I...remember...



Th-That was from...just after we woke up from cold sleep...

Yes...a memory from right before the killing game began.

We were each woken up by Monokuma and our memories were taken... A-And we were forced...to do all this...?







I feel the same way... But right now, we need to investigate. Dawn is coming.



What?

You feel like there's still a mystery here, right, Shuichi? Then I'll find it for you. We're all trying to work together and find the truth, but I haven't found any clues yet...



Himiko...will you be okay by yourself?

That's a stupid question!

Since I got that memory back, I'm now overwhelmed with anger!



...I understand. Then I'll leave it to you, Himiko.



If you're not confident enough to do it, then you don't need to force yourself...

N-No, I'm okay! Since you believe in me, I need to give my all...



D-Don't say such unlucky things...

I'm just letting you know how determined I am. You guys should believe in me and go on ahead.

Thank you. That really makes me feel better, Himiko.



Yes. We need to split up and check all the labs one more time. If we missed a clue in any of them...it would most likely be *that* one.

Got it! Let's go!



You too, Himiko.



We're going to split up and check all the research labs again, right? Since Keebo and the Exisals are destroying the academy, who knows how much longer we have. But we've got no choice but to do it! Let's go!



we saw Keebo and the Exisal in a fierce battle!

MUSIC: New Classmates of the Dead

















I-I'm okay...



The hidden door has been blocked by rubble!

H-Himiko!



H-Hold on... Himiko is...!



I'm sorry! I'm relieved that you two are not hurt.





I-Is...Himiko trapped?

I-I think so...

Keebo, can you do something!?



It could be dangerous for me to just recklessly attack it.

Th-Then...are you saying we should just leave her there?



But I'm not strong enough to lift the debris...



What?

Use the Exisal...? How?

We don't have any more of Miu's inventions, and the Monokubs are in the Exisals—



...Monokuma and the Monokubs?

They don't want this either. Their objective is to continue the killing game...



But Himiko is in danger! Rescuing her should be our first—

No. We're going to *end* this killing game.

...What do you mean? Do you have a plan of some sort?

Yes, I do. It just requires a little bit of detective work...



Huh? What about Himiko?

...I'm worried about her, but we have to trust that she's okay right now. We trusted her when she said to leave everything to her.



...

O-Okay... Himiko is the Ultimate Magician... I bet she'll use her magic to find a clue in that room that's just plain amazing.



...



Huh?

I caught a glimpse of something odd there while battling the Exisals in the courtyard. Whatever clue you're looking for may be there.

Something odd...



And...I'm worried about Himiko.

Keebo...

But you won't change the time limit...will you?



If we don't settle this soon, I'll be destroyed. And if that happens, we'll lose the chance to destroy the Ultimate Academy... That would be the worst ending... No...







I don't know if I can get to all of them, but I'll do what I can! I'll see you later!

NO MUSIC