Part 38: Update XXXVI

Alright, time to check out this secret passageway.







This is it.



Nagisa then shoves the small shrine over.



Stairs?
This is the secret passageway we've prepared in case of emergency. Go through here, and you can get outside the town.



...What are you doing? Hurry up and leave.
...
Hey, what's the hold up? If you just go through here, you'll be outside of the city.
Didn't you want to run away!? Didn't you want to escape this town!?
Th-That's right, that's...what I've always wanted. At least that's...what I thought...
Toko... Is it really okay for me to go?
D-Do whatever you want. It has nothing to do with me... Not anymore.
...





♪ BGM: Abnormality on the Girls' Front Line ♫

I'll just answer the question that's probably on your mind right now. No, nobody's going to acknowledge that Nagito's had his face drawn on. It's just a thing now.

You? Why are you here?
Why am I here...? To persuade her to stay, of course.
So that our boring and common protagonist who has no distinct characteristics doesn't just quit.
...Huh?
...
Komaru Naegi... Though you are "normal," not an Ultimate, or even a part of Future Foundation... I really do think quite poorly of the idea that you would abandon your friend and run off alone.
Are you really going to just run away like this? Is your conscience clear?
Stop it! What are you saying!? She's about to leave for good!
That would be quite bothersome for me, y'know? That is why I must convince her to stay.
...Huh?
It would be disappointing if she did not see the game through to the end. How it was meant to be.
D-Don't just go speaking your mind without permission! You're a servant! Listen to me! In order to see our paradise, this girl cannot stay here!
So then I must ask, which is more important to the Warriors of Hope? Paradise or the game?
Wh-What are you talking about? It's obviously--
The game, of course.
What?
You're a smart one, you must be at least vaguely aware. Otherwise, you wouldn't be sneaking about. You *could* have openly proposed a halt to these slayings, to focus entirely on building paradise.
...
And the reason you did not do exactly that, and are instead going behind their backs... Is because you realize your favorite Miss Mage would choose the game over paradise.
...Ugh...
Do you know what you call someone who behaves like you're behaving?
...A traitor.

♪ BGM: DSO_Weekly Despair Magazine ♫

You're wrong... I care about them more than anyone... They all have high hopes for me... I mean, I am the leader...
Nagisa...
Isn't it best if you just calm down a little? You can leave the rest to me.
Ugh!
Okay? I really think you should.
...D-Dammit!



And Nagisa bails, finding it impossible to compete with Nagito Being Nagito.



...
Wh-What are you talking about?
I must admit, I am a little disappointed. When I heard that she was his little sister, I was intrigued...
His...? Makoto? Do you know him?
Now listen, since I've planned the game out this far... I would like it to be completed.
Of course, perhaps I am being somewhat unfair to you, Komaru. Rather, the one who disappointed me was Toko.
Huh?
...Ugh!
Now perhaps I am mistaken, but I believe we made a promise. You were to escort her to headquarters.
Promise? E-Escort...? What are you talking about?
...
Oh, I really think it should be Toko who answers that question. But if you continue to be silent, the story cannot progress. So I will speak.
I made a deal with Toko. If she escorts you to the children's main base, I will release Byakuya Togami. Consider it exchanging hostages. The plan was to trade you and Byakuya.
...What? What are you talking about?
And it was such a good deal, too... Why did it have to come to this?



...
If you believe it to be a lie, think back on when you two first met...



♪ BGM: Ghost Stories From the School District of Revolution ♫







L-Lies! You're lying...
...
I went through considerable trouble making sure you would complete this little game. Returning the Hacking Gun you had lost, having the Monokuma Kids deliver items... That was me.
Consider it "game balance," as they say. You've thought about it before, I'm sure. Why enemies conveniently drop items, why the path you must travel on to advance is always clear... The game began as a way for the children to have fun, but it was also a game to help you grow.
And I am the one who made it that way.
Wh-Why me...?
Hm? You mean, why was I so particular about choosing you? Well, that is all your brother's fault, of course.
Makoto?

♪ BGM: DSO_Ocean Breeze Dead End ♫

He defeated Junko Enoshima, the one I truly hate... And I wasn't there to witness it. That's why, this time around... I wanted to see the action up close. And not only that. Unlike him, an Ultimate, you are a normal girl who can't do anything...
That was particularly compelling. Her brother, a hero, the Symbol of Hope. The little sister, utterly boring by comparison... If someone like you were to stand against despair...that would bring hope to the people.









If my assumptions are correct... You will release a light even brighter than his. And in order for that to happen, I need you to participate in my game.
Through the game, you will grow, defeat the Final Boss, and become the hope for this town. That's why it would be quite disappointing if you give up halfway through.



Alright, yeah, Nagito's on usual form again.

What do you mean? I'm...hope? I don't understand what you mean at all...

And Komaru once again doesn't know what the fuck.

Ah, I see, so you still don't understand. I blame myself, I should have been more enthusiastic.
But regardless... I truly do believe in you.
No matter how big the despair... Hope will always win in the end. That is why I feel no remorse becoming despair myself.
Y-You're just as crazy as those kids... You must be insane!
Who cares about me? The more important thing is what you two are going to do now.
I mean, now that Toko's lie has been uncovered...



...
What he's saying, it's a lie...right? That I'm...gonna be traded for Byakuya... And you've been lying this whole time... That's... That's got to be a lie, right?
...
Answer me, Toko!



♪ BGM: DSO_Desire for Execution... ♫

What...?
All this time I was protecting you and cheering you up...
It was all for the sake of Master Byakuya!
Toko...
That's right. I was deceiving you. And you just kept relying on me! "Toko, Toko!" Trusting me like an idiot... It's your fault.
I... I believed in you...
W-Well you shouldn't have done that!
Why would you believe in me!? I have a split personality with a serial killer! I'm abnormal! A-All my life, nobody...even tried to trust me. It's always been like that. That's why...I've never had a problem lying to people.



Toko...
From the very start, I hated you! Just being with you was insufferable!
Lies... It's all lies...
I'm not lying! It's the truth! I tricked you from the start! You were a fool not to realize it! You're just a stupid idiot who got set up by the coward Toko Fukawa! Simple as that!



If you put it like that, she will be even *more* motivated to leave you behind, will she not?
If you want to stop her, you've got to try harder. Byakuya is important to you, right?
... Guess there's no other way... By force if I have to...
...Force?



♪ BGM: Monster That Shouts Its Love in the Middle of Hell ♫





Toko!?





Well then. This boss fight is, uh, different. Different in that I have no real idea how to legit beat it again. I mean, the basic idea is simple - dodge Jack's attacks until she jumps onto one of the lanterns nearby. There, she'll give herself a shock with the stun gun, which restores her battery meter / health. You prevent that by shooting the stun gun with a Break shot. Then it's just a matter of repeating the process until her health runs out completely.

There's just one problem - Jack is way faster than you, especially when she uses the drill attack, which closes distance even faster.



So my solution is to just use the tipped over shrine. Jack has some difficulties figuring out how to work around this obstacle, which gives you the slight advantage you need to keep from getting attacked.



So from then on it's just shooting the stun gun a bit and trying to not get smacked the fuck up.



Trying. Sometimes it doesn't quite work out.



Still, we manage to tire Jack out and get out of the situation mostly untouched.



♪ BGM: DSO_All All Apologies ♫





Oh...I lost consciousness... That means... I must have lost. I-If that's the case, I can't stop you now. Hurry up and run...
...
Wh-What are you doing!? If you don't hurry, next time I really will take you by force.
...You did it on purpose, didn't you? You lost on purpose.
...Huh?
You lost on purpose, so you can let me go. Right? Saying cruel things to me, and attacking me without warning... It was an act, wasn't it? So that I wouldn't hesitate to leave you here.
Wh-What are you talking about? Why would you think that?



♪ BGM: DSO_Welcome Despair Academy ♫

We've been together all this time!
...
Toko... Why?
...I-If things stayed the same, you never would have made a move, would you? You always made me decide. You didn't do anything on your own.
So you...wanted to give me a chance...?
I was with you all this time, y'know. I... I know you well, too...
And also, listening to this crazy idiot's orders just makes my skin crawl... "Hope"... It sounds disgusting when you say it.
Well, that is completely understandable. But are you really okay with this...? If Miss Komaru runs away, the safety of the hostage cannot be guaranteed...
...



♪ BGM: DSO_Ocean Breeze Dead End ♫

Well, personally, if it's for the sake of the game... Byakuya Togami is important to you, is he not? Then allow me to lend a hand.



See? You'll still make it if you go now.



And so Toko gets peppered.



Toko!
Don't come near me!



Run!



Achoo!





Tadaaa!



Don't get your blood on my glasses!



I'm the Cinderella of the slaughter flower garden!
Kyeeehahaha!



Please... please stop!







♪ BGM: Silence ♫





...Huh?



...Huh?



Blabbity-blah-blah-blah-blah-bleh-blah-bleh! Shut the hell up, you lanky wavy-haired bastard!



Ah, alright. Even though you two share knowledge, you don't share memories, correct? So then, you have no idea who the real enemy is. An honest mistake, I sup-
Idiot! It's no mistake.



♪ BGM: Monster That Shouts Its Love in the Middle of Hell ♫

What I share with her isn't just knowledge... she and I also share... emotions. If we didn't, there's no way we'd both love Master.



And my emotions are telling me this: To kill you and let Dekomaru escape!



And you're something of a pretty boy yourself... so I can kill you as I like... no remorse!



Ah, I see. So you've decided to stop taking advantage of Komaru Naegi. Is that friendship?
Huh?
To travel the harsher path for the sake of protecting your friend. Such beautiful friendship. I truly think it's a splendid thing. But... aren't you a serial killer? You're an aberrant who has no problem taking lives to satiate your own lusts. For someone like that to... say things like friendship and friends, do you not find it strange? Or even shameful?



Kyeeehahaha! I can't breathe! Friendship! Friends! Kyeeehahaha!



Who're you calling my friend!



♪ BGM: Silence ♫

Huh?
No... you're my friend!



What're you doing? Let go!
No, I won't! I mean, you made a promise with Byakuya, right?



♪ BGM: DSO_Welcome Despair Academy ♫

You said, you won't kill anyone anymore. If you keep your promise, you can be an official member of Future Foundation. That's why you... you just can't!



I never thought of... of you or Toko as abnormal, not even one bit. You're just a little strange, that's all. And even so, you are important to me! You and I are friends now, no matter what happens!



You're a precious friend and I won't let you do this!



You know... you're probably wasting your time. I mean, after all, she knows she needs to kill me. Byakuya's life is in danger as long as I'm alive. If she breaks the promise we made and lets you escape...







...I'll stay. If that's how it is...



If I stay in this city and go with her, then it's fine, right?



Hey! Do you know what the hell you're talking about? You were crying and whining about escaping earlier, remember? Now what? Did you change your mind?
I still want to escape! I'm still scared! Even now! But you feel the same way, don't you?
You were scared too, but you tried to help me escape, and hid how afraid you really were inside, didn't you?
There's no way I can run now, leaving you behind!



As expected... you just don't get it.





I betrayed you. I betrayed you, you know?



No... no, you didn't. And you're suffering from guilt, aren't you? If you're hurting...



...you can tell me.



♪ BGM: This Is the Path We Follow ♫

I'm an unreliable, normal girl who can't do anything.



But... I can at least do normal things, right?



And it's normal for a friend to help a friend.



I'll stay. No matter how much you say no. I will definitely stay with you, alright? I've... decided.



♪ BGM: Silence ♫

Man, so annoying. All that lip-service talk that I hate, so damn irritating. Anybody can just say something.



In that case, I'm a great detective, an astronaut, a reporter, and a super-beauty!



And besides... you have absolutely no idea what I'm really like.
What do you mean?
...there's no way I'd say no.
Huh?



...rather... thanks.



Toko!







Achoo!



...Oh. So... um... about what just happened...
It... it's alright. I kinda figured out what was happening.
Huh? Really?



♪ BGM: Beautiful Days ♫

F-Friend? The last time I was called that... was in a dream I had in grade school.
That's... pretty depressing.



Well, you're actually one of many friends that I have, so, you don't have to take it that seriously...
You bring that up now? Let me have this moment a bit longer, jeez!



Well... guess it turned out alright.



♪ BGM: Abnormality on the Girls' Front Line ♫

To prevent that... A wound like this will not diminish my resolve. ...Though it does hurt.



All you have to do is defeat the Final Boss. You save the princess after defeating the Final Boss, right? ...In theory.
In theory...?
I was not the only one who came up with the plan to take you to the children's base. I have a partner... But I'm not sure what they are planning, to be honest.
Wh-Who is that...?
There's no way I would tell you that. l have... already been disqualified from the game. But it'll be alright. No matter what kind of despair awaits you, hope will overcome it. The deeper and darker the despair...the brighter and more powerful the hope born from it.
Yeah...you're crazy alright.
You are seriously disgusting... You're like three steps below vomit in a toilet.
Anyway, all you need to do is progress forward. I will support you until the very end.
So in order to get back Byakuya, we need to stop the children's rioting, right? Then... I'll do it. There's no other choice.



♪ BGM: This Is the Path We Follow ♫

B-But...are you sure you can do this?
There's no way I can accept leaving you behind. Thanks to you, I've come this far...
And not just that... Maybe I'm not really attached to this town, but I *will* save my friend.
Komaru...



♪ BGM: Abnormality on the Girls' Front Line ♫

The building the children are using as a headquarters is called "Towa Hills." Marching in there with just the two of you would be a bit...suicidal. Monokumas have dug in all around Towa Hills. Even you two would have trouble with that many.
Then what do we need to do!?
Well...we could ask for help. From Shirokuma and Haiji.
Their *help*?

♪ BGM: DSO_Beautiful Dead ♫

They want to stop the children as much as we do! Shirokuma said it too. If we work together, everyone can be saved, and everyone's happy. Right?
Wh-What? Where did that come from? Now's not the time for heroics!
But I think you and I can do it! It's going to be alright.
Ah, such splendid growth... Your world has gradually grown wider... As expected of his little sister. My judgment was indeed correct.
...
Ah, that reminds me. The Resistance base is in the sewers underground, correct? In that case, there should be an entrance to the subway if you go through the business district. As I recall, there was a blue building... If you move through there, you'll reach the base.
You're sending us on a pretty specific path. Is this also part of your scheme?
I would prefer that you think of it as "support." It *is* information that will help you...
Well, it doesn't matter what you're scheming. Master and Komaru... I'll protect them both. Even if it takes my life.



Komaru still doesn't really know what to do with the weird creepy guy with a hope fetish.

...Do your best. Defeat despair.



♪ BGM: Silence ♫

And thus, Nagito waves off Komaru and Toko as they head out again.

That's it... just a little longer.



Just a little longer, and that light of hope will swallow the despair of this place. Ahahaha... I can't wait!



Suddenly, a shadow.



It's a giant robot!



And Nagisa!



Heh... so upset over something like this. You really are a child.



♪ BGM: Wonderful Dead 004 ♫

And with that, we're back on the way out again. But this update's been going on quite a bit for just one scene - of course, given that it's a quite pivotal one, that makes sense. Next time, we'll head back into town, and we'll find Komaru back in her true element.