Part 138: Chapter 6 Deadly Life, Part 2

: Here goes nothing...



: Hey hey hey hey hey hey HEY!





: Kyoko I don't mind so much.
: But Makoto's supposed to be dead! What's HE doing here!?

That's exactly how I thought he'd react... Are we really gonna be okay...?

: You were supposed to be punished! Did Kyoko help you!?
: So what if I did? What will you do?



: If the guilty party is exposed during the class trial, they alone will be executed. It's unfortunate, but that *is* the rule...
: So now I gotta punish you again! And this time I won't leave anything to chance!
: K-Kyoko...!
: Do whatever you feel you have to.
: What!?



: But before you do, let me just say one thing.
: If you execute Makoto, that means you lose. Not that that matters to you, right?
: Huh? I...lose?
: You! Explain yourself! What do you mean by that!?



: Well you set up this latest class trial yourself, right? I was getting in your way, so you wanted an excuse to kill me.
: I was supposed to be chosen as the blackened and then executed, right?
: H-Hey, what are you talking about?
: But when Makoto chose to overlook my lie, your plan came crashing down. The results of the trial weren't at all what you were expecting. Because you never imagined that in that position, one person would protect another like that.
: And in response to that unexpected development...



: ...you reacted by proclaiming *Makoto* the blackened and trying to execute *him*. You made that choice out of desperation. No, more than that... You must have realized that Makoto, who refused to be manipulated, was a threat to you, as well.
: ...
: But then there was *another* unexpected development waiting for you. An entity that would throw a wrench, so to speak, in your precious execution machinery.
: Alter Ego...
: You never imagined the possibility of a being that could come to our aid even after you'd "killed" it.



: Now, here's the absolute truth. Makoto didn't kill Mukuro. You did.
: ...
: So executing Makoto for it would surely be a violation of your rules, which I know you love so much. If the blackened is exposed, they alone will be executed. That's what you told us, right?



: Hmph. And that means I lose? You talk a big game. You're saying the blackened is me and not Makoto?
: And you can prove this, right?
: No, I can't.

Don't just say it like that!



: What is this, a comedy routine? To make such bold claims without a shred of evidence...
: I don't have any right now, but with a little more time I guarantee I'll find some.
: Because no matter how deeply you try to bury it, there is only ever one absolute truth.
: And now you're trying to talk like some kind of famous detective type?



: If Makoto really was the killer, he never would have come to you willingly like this. He would have feared for his life, feared another execution. He would have tried to run and hide. He would have been gripped by the despair you so love to inspire.
: But here we are--confronting you with nothing but hope in our hearts.
: And that's supposed to be enough to convince me in the absence of evidence?
: It's not you I'm trying to convince.





: If you were to execute Makoto now, everyone out there watching this would be extremely displeased.
: Huh...?
: Imagine what everyone out there would think if you killed Makoto... They would assume that you killed him because what we said is exactly right.



: Despair can never kill hope.
: Grh--!
: Of course, you can say we're just making this all up. You're welcome to prove us wrong. No, you have no choice *but* to prove it. Because if you kill Makoto without proving your own innocence, you'll be accepting your own defeat.
: Gh-grg-grah!
: If you want to earn our despair "fair and square", then I suggest you take my advice.



: ...So? What is this "advice" of yours?
: To do Mukuro's trial over again. Only this time, you follow the school regulations to ensure a fair trial.



: It's time for one last showdown--one final battle between hope...and despair!
: Well? That would make for a proper climax, wouldn't you say?

A fair trial...one last showdown... In other words... This would be out chance to expose the true identity of Mukuro's killer--of the mastermind themselves! But...what reason would the mastermind have to accept the challenge? They'll probably just execute me without another word...

♪ Music fades out. ♪

: ... ...



: Kehehe... Interesting.
: Beary interesting indeed!
: ...Beary?





: Oh, I was getting bored, so I decided to change things up a little. So, time for bear jokes! Now, what you've suggested might be pawsible. It would certainly make for one honey of a climax!
: Does that mean you accept?
: If we do things your way, that'll be enough to convince you *and* the viewers, right? And it would cause you unbearable despair, right? Then I'm prebeared to agree to your terms!
: Will your hope win out? Or will my desbear claim victory...?



: Let's have one final grizzly showdown!

He agreed...! Then we still have a shot at this...!

: But this is the long-awaited climax, right? Just guessing the killer is bearly a fitting end. So for this final face-off, you'll have to unearth all the mysteries that have been bearied here!
: All the mysteries...?
: That's right. Every last mystery that's pawing around the school. If you can do that...
: ...then that'll be enough to koalafy as a victory for you!



: That's what we've been trying to do all along...
: Okay, well, good! Then let's bear it all! If you can claw your way to the truth of Mukuro's death, AND solve the mysteries of this school...
: ...then you win!
: But if you *can't* do all of that...
: We'll all face execution. Right?
: Kehehe... I can bearly contain my excitement... When you learn the whole truth...what kind of despair will you show me?
: We're as excited as you are, I'm sure.
: When we've uncovered every last truth, how will the Ultimate Despair reveal their own despair...?

I honestly can't believe how this has all turned out...



♪ Music fades out. ♪

: But before we get started, I want to clarify one more thing. Do you remember the rule? When one student kills another, that's when a class trial is held.
: I remember that, fur sure. So what?
: I just want to confirm, that *is* what you said, right? And it's a true statement?





: Kehehe. You don't have to be so suspicious. I've said it before, but it bears repeating... Everything is based on the school regulations. And having a trial for Mukuro is no exception to that.
: Huh...?

Mukuro's trial is no exception? Then...it's part of the regulations? Which would have to mean that whoever killed Mukuro...

: Kehehe... It's a very polarizing approach, I know, but--okay, enough puns. Anyway, here's a hint... I'm sure I told you this already, but...this killing game began with sixteen participants, all of them high school students. And the only people to take a single step in Hope's Peak since the killing game began...are those sixteen students.
: What...?



: Are you telling the truth?
: ... ...
: Why'd he go quiet all of a sudden...?
: ...Puhu... Puhuhu...





: I'm done talking! I got nothin' left to say to you! So get lost, would ya!?
: Why so mad!?
: He seems...emotionally unstable.
: Leave me alone! Get outta here!
: O-Okay, I'm going. I just... You're really gonna let me go?
: ...



: Hmph. I don't even care anymore. You're all gonna get your punishment later anyway. I need to start getting it ready. A super duper extra special punishment, overflowing with despair...
: Puhu... Puhuhu... Puhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhu...
: Come on, Makoto. Let's go.
: Okay...
: Puhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhu...

Monokuma's unstable laughter seemed to cling to us as we walked away. And just like that, we were out of the gym.





...I could hardly believe it, but...somehow I ended up not getting executed. I still had my life, and we still had a chance... Overall, things turned out way better than expected.

: ...

Once again, I was in Kyoko's debt.



: Kyoko...thank you. Everything I have right now is because of you.
: Don't thank me just yet. The real battle is still ahead of us.
: Yeah, true...



: But still, I'm glad it worked out. I wasn't sure it the enemy would accept my proposal.
: B-But honestly, why would the mastermind agree to that? I mean, they don't stand to gain anything from a final showdown, do they?
: They had no choice but to accept.
: Huh...?
: It's all because of that one moment that the mastermind [let down their guard], like I said.

> let down their guard

: So when was it that the mastermind let their guard down...?



: I wasn't there to hear it myself, but do you remember what the mastermind said? They said they had hijacked the airwaves to broadcast our school life to the outside world, right?
: Y-Yeah, they definitely said that...
: And what did you think when you heard that? Pretty hard to believe, right?
: Well...I mean, the idea of actually taking over the airwaves seems so...unbelievable.
: You don't exactly read about something like that happening very often, so it's hard to imagine. In other words, that kind of thing is extremely difficult to pull off.
: And yet somehow...the mastermind was able to do it.



: But think of it another way--there must have been some reason they *had* to do something that difficult.
: A reason...?
: They had to show the world something, no matter the cost--us killing each other.
: They wanted to show the world...?



: The mastermind has been very adamant about not killing us directly, but forcing us to kill each other. And all their rules and regulation were designed to encourage that.
: Yeah, that makes sense. If those stupid regulations didn't exist, nobody would've killed anybody...
: So the mastermind's ultimate goal was to make us kill each other, and show that off to the world.
: But...why?



: To prove a point, most likely.
: Prove...a point?
: The outside world has a name for the students of Hope's Peak, right? A certain concept...
: You're talking about "hope," right?
: And for those of us who represent hope to kill each other and sink into despair...





: The mastermind wants the world to see that, to try and prove that despair is better than hope. That's their goal, as the Ultimate Despair.
: ...What?

They want to prove that despair...is better than hope?

: But that...that's ridiculous!
: You're right. It *is* ridiculous, completely irrational. It's the kind of thing that nobody but those who call themselves the Ultimate Despair would devise. That group whose only purpose and motivation comes from despair...
: B-But--! Is that really their only reason for making the rest of us suffer!?



: I know how angry it must make you. And yet...that same motivation is what led to the mastermind revealing their weakness.
: What...?
: Because their goal is to broadcast this killing game to the world...the mastermind has had to be more particular than is reasonable about their own regulations. If the mastermind simply ignored their rules, this wouldn't have been a "game," but a one-sided slaughter.
: At least, that's how those who are watching this would have seen it.
: And that's why the mastermind couldn't kill any of us themselves?
: That is precisely the reason. No matter how much they may hate what I'm doing, I haven't violated a single one of their regulations.



: Junko broke the rules, so she was punished. But in my case, they couldn't lay a finger on me. So instead, they tried to use the class trial, following all their proper rules, to get me killed. They began a trial that didn't have a right answer, then made me out to be the killer.
: But even that didn't work...



: Yes, thanks to you. And due to that failure, the mastermind took yet another risk.
: And when that fact was exposed on live TV to the entire outside world...the mastermind had to accept your suggestion?
: To prove to the world that despair is better than hope, they have to defeat us in perfect form...
: It would only do the mastermind harm to have it shown that they'd violated their own regulations.
: But all of that was a hunch, right? And you were still able to get the mastermind to accept your challenge...
: Well, it's only thanks to you that we got that chance. Because you believed in me, another path opened up.
: Still, I can't believe how much of the mastermind's thoughts and plans you were able to figure out. I didn't have the slightest clue...



: In the end, though, I couldn't prove any of it. It was just my reasoning. Essentially, I was making a bet.
: But it looks like I got it right. This time, at least, I won the bet.

She let out a quick sigh. I took it as a small sign of relief.

: To be honest, I haven't been that nervous in a long time.
: I totally couldn't tell you were nervous at all... You seemed totally confident from the moment we decided to go talk to him.



: Well, presenting a strong demeanor is a fundamental part of negotiation and persuasion, wouldn't you say? Plus, if I'd showed my uneasiness, that would have just made you that much more uneasy.

Yeah, you're probably right. How pathetic...

: Anyway, we can't relax just yet. All we've done is earn another chance to fight. We have to win this time.
: Or everything we've gone through will have been for nothing...
: You're right...

If we can't defeat the mastermind, it'll cost us our lives...! There is no option except to win!



: But before we begin the final battle, we have to tell the others what's going on.
: True, but now we know who our real enemy is. All we have to do now is work together with everyone to destroy the mastermind...!
: Work together with everyone...
: Is that really possible?
: ...Huh?
: Anyway, right now we have to go find the others. They're probably in the dorms somewhere. Shall we go?