Part 50: Update XLVIII

♪ BGM: Wonderful Dead 005 ♫

Well, here we are. Time to get into the endgame. We run up this winding platform...



...and arrive at an elevator.



The elevator then brings us to the roof.



Does that thing even fly? It looks like a floating hotel!



♪ BGM: Last VERSUS ♫

And upon arriving up there, the game throws us into a massive Monokuma melee.



There's a lot of them, basically. This is the last battle we'll have with these Monokumas, so the game goes all out. This group isn't too tough if you just keep your distance and pick them off - it helps that the game lags quite a bit for me here, so it's easier to react.



Some application of Genocide Jack helps too.



Also, in the middle of the fighting, we find some sparkles!



♪ Jingle: Hidden Kids Discovered! ♫

Only one left. Well, that and the one we missed earlier.



After the group of regular and Guard Monokumas, the game drops a bunch of Ball Monokumas on us, which is pretty hard to deal with, since you always need to be moving or you end up getting hit in the crossfire. I do get hit a few times, but mostly only with noodles, not with the bomb.



After the Balls, the game drops a fuckton of Destroyers on us, which creates a massive dead zone from all the Destroyers shooting at me.



So I decide to use Link for combat purposes for the first time, taking a Destroyer and shooting the others with it. This doesn't kill them, but it causes them to go into their suicide attack.



This would be a problem if I hadn't positioned Komaru behind the pillar so the Destroyers get stuck.



Oh, and there's also some Junk Monokumas. Just for good measure. Random thought: Throughout this entire LP I have been incapable of just typing "Junk Monokuma". My mind works like some phone autocomplete and turns it into "Junko Monokuma".



We pick off the Destroyers stuck trying to suicide attack me.



Then use the more open battlefield to snipe the remaining ones.



After we take out all the Monokumas, the Monokuma kids blocking the path forward bail.



♪ BGM: DSO_Living to the Fullest ♫

Let's move on.



Also, suddenly, Donkey Kong perspective.



We make it to where we want to go - the entrance to the Excalibur.





There's no obstacles here, it's just a straight shot to the place where we first met the Warriors of Hope. But there's a lot of collectibles to be had on the side paths. And here too!







Monaca loves Junko. Also, I just now noticed that her diaries also have her name as "Monaca Towa". So much for keeping that at least slightly vague with the whole "coming from a ghost" thing.



Another skill shop bought out.



Now, we'll have a few collectibles from the different side paths.











These collectibles are going to show us another side of the Warriors of Hope. A side that shows us them trying to cope or justify sticking through the abuse their parents inflicted on them. We will not be seeing one of these for Monaca, mind. Because Monaca is literally Satan and therefore harbors no such feelings.









Nagisa's strange hangup about expectations still had him trying to live up to his father's insane expectations.









♪ BGM: DSO_Beautiful Dead ♫

I'm sure *you* wouldn't know this, but that's not rare among pure novels. With a name as prestigious as mine, you don't need a summary to move units.
But because this is written by a friend, I at least want to know the synopsis.
O-Okay, as a friend...I'll tell you. S-Since you're listening to the author herself, you better clean your ears and listen carefully.
Wait! Oh, well, actually...never mind. It's fine, continue.
Wh-What's the problem!? Calling me a friend like that, then snatching my moment away from me! You sadist!
I-It's not like that! I just think that, maybe because it is your book, I should go into it cold!
If that's the case...I guess I understand. But you should be more clear when you speak! You startled me so much, you nearly made me forget the idea for my next book!
Oh? You already have an idea for your next work?
Who do you think I am?! always have more than 200 ideas in stock! I just haven't decided which idea to use.
Well, maybe it would be fun to write about your own experience, like in this town.
Write about my own experience, huh? I've heard that advice before. But I've already decided not to write about this town. Or, maybe I should say that even if I do end up writing something, I would never publish it.
I'd want to read it, though... A novel about this city, written by you.
Like, a novel written about me...
About this town...and about what happened to you...
I'd rather keep it a memory... A memory just for myself.



♪ BGM: This Is the Path We Follow ♫

Raise your hand if you were waiting for Komaru to say this the entire game.

...Wait, what?
What I mean is, it's not just your memory. It's both our memories, together.
...
Right?
...You're an average...idiot...but... ... ...Your hairstyle is weird.
I-It's not weird! My antenna is charming and really pretty! Jeez, I thought you were actually gonna say something nice to me!
Not in a thousand years! But... You made me happy.
Hm? Did you say something?

♪ BGM: DSO_Junk Food for a Dashing Youth ♫

...You didn't hear me!?
I-I said that you're an average idiot, with a weird hairstyle and a brother complex!
Really? I heard you say "You made me happy"...
What!? So you *did* hear me!



♪ BGM: DSO_Living to the Fullest ♫

Next, we have another collectible.









Jataro develops his self-loathing complex.



Another one.





Masaru is basically scared shitless of abandonment.



And in one side path that looks like it might not have any collectibles hide some sparkles.



♪ Jingle: Hidden Kids Discovered! ♫

Only one left now, but we can't get it now. We'll have to wait for our second playthrough.



And with that, it's time.



♪ BGM: DSO_New World Order ♫



As a side note, every video from now to the end is a very highly recommended one. They have Kurokuma being Kurokuma and Monaca being Monaca, so obviously I'm going to recommend them.

Toko...we're going to be alright, aren't we?
We've come this far already, don't go freaking out now. They should be scared of *us*!
You're right...
...Yeah, I guess you're right! After all, we're a powerful team.
Wait, "powerful team"...? Can't you think of a cooler name than that?
Well then, you think of one! You're the Ultimate Writing Prodigy, after all...
Yeah, you're right... I'll think of something after the happy ending.
Yeah... After the happy ending.



Alright, let's do this.



♪ BGM: Silence ♫

We enter the room, and...



...huh.



♪ BGM: DSO_Mr. Monokuma's Extracurricular Lesson ♫

So slow! This isn't a manga, it shouldn't take a whole year for a day to pass!
A black...Monokuma?
What is he...? He looks...vulgar.
Hey, fuck off, Four Eyes! I wouldn't expect some pasty four-eyed emo chick to understand my charm. I get no respect.

I know Haiji told Komaru and Toko to "get the fuck out", but straight up telling somebody to fuck off is another step above that. Kurokuma is great.

Yo, I'm so baller, if a professional musician ever came to my concert, they'd retire the next day! I'd make 'em choke on the Haterade! And you're gonna be chokin' too when I'm done with ya!
Wh-What is this thing!? Blabbering on with its nonsense...
Could it...? Does it have an AI, like Shirokuma?
Didja say Shirokuma? So ya know him, huh? How's Li'l Bro doin'!?
Brothers...?
Well, he's *like* a brother! We bearfolk stick together, y'know!?
But that ain't important! Don't you think it's strange? Huh? Weiiird!? I'm talkin' about why Monaca ain't here!
To tell ya the truth... It's nap time for little Monaca...
...Nap time?
Well yeah, she's still a kid, after all! She wore herself out bein' all hyped up!

I love this, too. You make your way to the big confrontation with the mastermind, and when you show up, she's nowhere to be found because she's taking a nap. And it's not like it doesn't make sense, either - she's like eight years old. Even hellspawn needs to sleep occasionally.



♪ BGM: It's a Kids' World ♫

If you're brave enough chicks to disturb her nap, you could always try opening the door...
...Which door?
Hell if I know!
Monaca made this little trap to keep out bigmouths like me, see?
If you open the wrong door, blammo! Instant death! Hm, hello nasty!
Buuut, if you leave her be, she'll sleep for like, three years!
Now whatcha whatcha gonna do!? Hurry! Choose! Dammit you're makin' me impatient!
Komaru... You've seen that Monaca kid before, right? So what do you think? Any idea which door she would choose?
Hm, rather than "choose," it's more like... Which would she even be able to access...?
But it can't be *that* simple. He said it's a trap, so it can't be easy.
Y-Yeah, you're right...



♪ BGM: Riddle Land ♫

Well, it's time to choose. Basically, the game expects you to be paying attention and notice this particular twist about Monaca ahead of time in order to answer this riddle. Yes, those that have been paying attention will have noticed a contradiction - when we accessed Monaca's room, we did it by way of a ladder. There is no way a wheelchair-bound person would make their room only accessible by a ladder, so the only conclusion is that Monaca is actually not wheelchair-bound. And with that, we know which door to choose.



The blue one, which is only accessible by a ladder.



♪ BGM: Silence ♫



This scene and the one that will be coming in the next update combine to make my favorite in the game. These scenes are why I love Monaca, and I hope you will too afterwards.

We open the door, and...



...Monaca just comes flying out!





And she sticks the landing!



Whoaaaaaaa!

Kurokuma can't deal and falls out of his throne.



Good morning! Good morning!



Komaru shows an expression that is less "doesn't know what the fuck" and more "is Komaru Naegi gonna have to smack a bitch?".



♪ BGM: Like I Would Become A Monster ♫

Huh... I thought that's Haiji's line...
I knew it... You can stand... Your legs aren't paralyzed...
...



And you were like that from the beginning, right? You just pretended to be disabled.
Ah, don't tell me... You saw my secret room, didn't you?
So that *was* your room...



But something didn't add up.



There's no way you would make a place like that your room if your legs were disabled.



Ufufu, you might have a stupid-looking face, but you sure are pretty smart.
But why pretend that you're disabled?
Because pitiful children are the most powerful, don't you think?
...Huh?

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

Monaca's home life was terrible... She didn't feel like she belonged there. But Monaca was more brilliant than her brother or her father, and they hated her for it... But then, I thought of a way I could counter their neglect and cruelty...
All I had to do was become a pitiful figure... Then, I would have the whole world's sympathy.
...
The wheelchair was inconvenient, of course, but thanks to the act, I acquired much...





They thought they were the reason I ended up in a wheelchair, so they *really* pitied me.
You tricked everyone all this time...
You... You're the worst... You're more awful than all the other kids...
Maybe. But to survive in that horrible world... I had to be. When Monaca talks, everyone freezes... When Monaca smiles, everyone stops smiling...
For Monaca, the outsider, the eyesore, to survive in that house, she did what she had to do.
...
I wanna ask you... The "Papa" and "Big Brother" you mentioned... Are they from the Towa family?
...Oh, so you know that much, too...
See, Toko! It *wasn't* a hallucination! The ghost was real!
I-It's a coincidence! Delusion and fantasy with a little coincidence mixed in!

♪ BGM: DSO_Mr. Monokuma's Extracurricular Lesson ♫

It's true, fantasy and reality overlap sometimes! I'm so desperate to make my fantasies real... That's why, whenever I think about the girl I like, I strip her naked in my mind, and pose her--
Okay, now's not the time for that talk. Silent mode!



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

So... You're the one who made Komaru come here by using that skinny white-haired boy, right? Why would you do something that could compromise your own plan?
My plan...? Oh, you mean the Children's Paradise.
Well, personally, I don't really care about that. Monaca has a much more important job to do.
Does it have something to do with The Successor...?
Yep, that's right. The Successor is the most important thing to Monaca. And for that plan, I wanted you to come this far, Big Sis. After all... You are essential for The Successor...
...Huh?
Just what I'd expect from the little sister of the Ultimate Hope! You're so impressive, meow! Completely different than when I first met you! How you have the face of a savior...
Savior? Komaru has the face of a high school girl you'd find anywhere... B-But who cares about any of this!? Hurry up and hand over the key to Master's room!
Key? Monaca doesn't have anyyything like thaaat.
Don't play dumb! Hand it over!
Like I said, I don't have it! You want to strip search me to make sure? Monaca doesn't mind... But weren't you guys in a hurry?





♪ BGM: DSO_DISTRUST ♫

You wanna break this controller, right? You wanna stop Mister Monokuma, riiight?
I-Is that!?
Monaca Towa, chief executive of Towa Group Robotics Branch...



And as long as Monaca has her magic, Monaca can control the Monokumas and the Monokuma Kids...
Y-You're the one brainwashing them, too!?
Huh? You didn't know that?
Hmph, this idiot brat slipped up.
In that case, I'll make you hand over the controller by force! And after that, I'm going to make you hand over the key to Master's room with even *more* force!
Hm... No, I don't think that's possible... After all, I have a trump card.
A trump card...?
A super big awesome battle robot the Towa Group Robotics Branch created...
That is Monaca's masterpiece! It's sooo much better than the other Warriors of Hope robots!
Sooo, Mister Kurokuma! I leave it to you!



♪ BGM: Decisive Battle With The Mage ♫

Hell yeah! Leave it to me, Monaca!







The throne gets covered with a red cloth...



...which starts twisting and moving...













...revealing a fucking massive battle robot.



Kurokuma gets absorbed inside the robot...



...and Monaca takes a seat inside the staff.



It's time to fight.





Also, the adults outside of Towa Hills are also seeing the battle and are cheering us on.



♪ BGM: The Warriors Of Hope ♫



So, time for the big boss fight. This, as you might gather from the robot being comprised of parts of the other robots, is a sort of culmination of all the other boss fights, with some new stuff on top. Plus, it's a boss fight with Kurokuma banter. That makes it even better.



The main way to fight this robot is to shoot the flashing joint parts. This is not always easy.



The first attack we get to see is the one from Kotoko's robot - it moves towards us and tries to attack us with the axe.



Then we get to see the one from Masaru's robot - it tries to charge us with the drills. This one is relatively easy to dodge if you're always moving.



Monaca tries to make her attacks for the sake of the other Warriors of Hope we've beaten, but... well, she doesn't quite care about them that much.





Next, we get the attack from Jataro's robot - we get some explosive Monokuma bullets shot at us. I'm still not good at dodging these.



The main opportunity we get to hit the joint parts on the back is after the axe attack. The other ones don't give too much of a window (though you can get one shot off if your aiming is good).



If you hit all the joint parts, Kurokuma comes out of the robot, and you have to blast him.



After shooting him a bit, he jumps back into the robot, and we repeat the process with more joint bits flashing.



We also fall victim to a new attack - the robot jumps into the air, then drops back down, causing a bunch of explosives to spread around the arena. I happened to be standing right in one and got blown up immediately.



Here's a better look at the explosives. They stay static, but make dodging away from this giant robot a bit hairy, especially since the arena seems smaller than usual.



I also get smacked around by Nagisa's robot's attack - the robot preps for a bit, giving you a warning, but then quickly jumps up and blasts everywhere.



This fight goes on for four rounds of this joint shooting, and at the end, basically every joint on the robot is flashing.





Eventually, we win. Overall, I think I prefer Nagisa's robot fight for overall execution because of the cool arena, but this one is also a great fight, plus, like I said, it has Monaca and Kurokuma, so that obviously makes it better.

Anyway, I know this is an odd place to cut, but this is where we'll end the update for now. I have a reason for this, so just trust me on this for now.