Part 145: Mothership Connection

day whatever









It's morning...... How long have I been like this...? I should...get up... Or I might not ever get up again. I...... I don't care. If I...just kill my—



MUSIC: Rise of the Ultimates



My body reacted reflexively as I heard the doorbell.

...Ah.

Somewhat surprised that I even managed to get out of bed, I went to the door.

Who could it be...?









It occurs to me that I could have been checking the bed as much as I checked the monitors throughout the game. Oh well.





I slowly opened it, and...





Go take a shower or something. Anything to help your face. I'll be in the dining hall with everyone else.

...Everyone?

...I'Il be waiting, so hurry up.



Everyone is waiting in the dining hall?

I...guess I should go.

















MUSIC: Heartless Journey



But mentally, they weren't really there. The life had gone out of their eyes.



Really? Even I look terrible?

Well...your face always looks like that.

What are we talking about...?

We're discussing how we wanna die, right?



I wanna go without suffering... Maki...can you do something about that?

Sure...but before that, take a look at this.





...Even in such a dire situation, robophobia still persists...



The Flashback Light... But now that we've learned everything... There's...no point to it...



Don't stop me...I just wanna die. Tenko...probably wouldn't be mad if I chose to die in this situation...





It was on top of the table when I went to the dining hall this morning.



Kokichi probably just put it there...

To...confirm the truth, perhaps? If we use that Flashback Light, we may recover memories that corroborate his story...



We don't need to confirm anything... We saw...the outside world for ourselves.

...

Do you want to die...comfortably? I can help you, but...



...What?

Why do we have to do that?

It's the only thing we can do right now. If we're going to die, then we might as well do anything we can. We'll have no regrets that way.



Either way, there's nothing for us to lose... We don't have any hope left.



...Well, okay... Things won't end up any worse than they already are.

So when you kill me...will it be like I'm falling asleep?



Yes... Very well, then.

Y-Yeah...



A Flashback Light suddenly appeared. Nothing could be more obvious and suspicious. But because our spirits were already broken, we had nothing to lose anyway...





NO MUSIC

And at that moment...



Flipped upside-down— Turned inside-out—

NEW VIDEO: Shuichi's Flashback Light (Chapter 5)



I remember! Everything...is...connected... And we...had forgotten... We had forgotten that everything is connected!

NEW MUSIC: DANGANRONPA



A government-backed school that nurtured the most talented students in various subjects... Hope's Peak Academy. And the event that tore that school apart...changed the world.



It triggered a wave of terrorism and war across the world. Humanity's true despair. Half the world was destroyed as a result of the terrible violence. And that tragedy was caused by a single high school girl.



She used whatever means necessary to paint the world in despair.



Trapped by the Ultimate Despair, forced into a killing game...



the case was closed, and the world began to slowly recover.



The Future Foundation fought against them, trying to restore order. The war between hope and despair grew more and more extreme... The fight raged on, but came to a sudden end.



It was the beginning of our truth!

NEW MUSIC: DANGANRONPA V3



A countless number of meteorites fell upon the world, carrying an unknown virus.



The Future Foundation was overwhelmed by the renewed despair and quickly lost influence. But then...



started the "Gofer Project" at Hope's Peak Academy.



"Our young geniuses must escape this Earth, to become the seeds of the future... That is the only hope for humanity." With those principles, the Gofer Project began, and 16 Hope's Peak students were selected.



That's it! We weren't all attending different high schools... We were all attending the rebuilt Hope's Peak Academy!



And the new Hope's Peak was like the last, in that... it accepted applications for talented students, and cultivated Ultimate talents... Hope's Peak Academy was a large school, so we were all in separate classes... But we were all students of Hope's Peak Academy.



...No, we weren't "selected." We were the only ones left.



The entire world was on the brink of extinction. Hope had almost triumphed...but cruel despair came roaring back to overtake the world.



That was the reason why we were chosen for the Gofer Project.







MUSIC: New World Order V3





Y-Yeah... Why... How...could we forget something so important.





Except for...one person.

Kokichi Oma...the mastermind behind this killing game...his organization's real identity...

AUDIO: The Ultimate Despair Has Arrived!



SHUICHI: That's right. The cult organization out to destroy the Gofer Project. If Kokichi is the leader, that means he controls the Remnants of Despair.







HIMIKO: It's all just like Junko Enoshima's killing game. Only someone who worships the Ultimate Despair would replicate that killing game.





A killing game that mires hope in dark despair.

Wait...hold on. If this was such an important killing game, then why did Kokichi abandon it?

That's also something the Remnants of Despair would do. They admire Junko Enoshima, right?



Wanting to feel the despair of your plan being ruined... That's the Ultimate Despair for you.

...

...What's wrong, Maki?

Nothing... I'm just not convinced...



...Are you sure?

We finally learned the truth, but we still can't do anything...

Even if we get out of this academy, the outside world is still destroyed. There's...no hope left for us.



Huh? What's with you all of a sudden?

If all hope is lost, then it's up to us to become that hope!



We're all that's left of the 16 who survived the battle between hope and despair!



Fought for...nothing...



That no matter what, I cannot abandon hope. I cannot give up... Yes, that's what it's urging me to do.



Keebo...

Right now, there is no use in thinking about whether our lives have meaning or not... Because as long as we're alive, we still have the power to decide that meaning for ourselves...



That's what hope is... I see... Yeah, you're right... We're the students of the new Hope's Peak Academy, rebuilt as the symbol of hope...

If we—the students of Hope's Peak—give up, the world really will be plunged into deSpair!

I got it! In the end, it's all about willpower! I'm gonna live till the end and never give up!





It's a pain, but it'll be worth it! I'll live! I'll live for a hundred million more years!

You guys...

...You're right. Let's do it.



Yes! As long as we stand together, without giving in to despair, we will find a new hope!

NO MUSIC



We each felt the power of hope coursing through us, driving our bodies. The hope born in this academy, a tree of life with roots down deep... It was supporting each and every one of us.

MUSIC: Becoming Friends



Hiii hee hee hee! This is the power of hope!

With a laugh like that, you sound less like a mage and more like a wicked witch.

Kokichi may have left that Flashback Light to make us give up...



It's true...it does seem as though Kokichi's plan went wrong somewhere. The only person who can give us Flashback Lights...is Kokichi.

Ah, so...what's our plan now? What are we going to do about Kokichi?

We've gotta stop You-Know-Who, the Remnant of Despair, or this despair will never end.



Yeah, of course!

He's so stupidly positive. He's just the kind of guy we need at a time like this.

With Kaito by our side encouraging us, then even if we are the only people left... ...I think we can still find a new hope.



I knew that...even in a situation like this, he'd think of something!

The problem is...where *are* Kokichi and Kaito?



Both of them? Kokichi did say that Kaito would be trapped in there, but...



By chance? Really?

I bet the truth is you were worried about Kaito and were watching the hangar all day.



...Looks like that was the case.

It's not like I was worried about Kaito or anything. I just...had nothing else to do. Also...I'm used to watching others, so it wasn't any trouble. It's important for assassins to watch their targets, and think of ways to kill them—



MUSIC: Beautiful Lie

We know they're in the Exisal hangar, but how do we get them out?



KEEBO: On top of that, Kokichi has the alarm remote key to shut off that alarm system.

TSUMUGI: And there's also an electric barrier, right? You'd need to do something about that, too.

KEEBO: Yes, but...even approaching the control panel will set off the alarm, too...





Does she...have an idea?



I will not let Kokichi's despair win in the end... As students of Hope's Peak Academy, we must unite and fight back against despair!





I suspect that Kokichi was very deliberate about erasing our memories... Because we've gained newfound power now that we remember Hope's Peak Academy.

Hm, Kokichi was afraid of us awakening the power of hope.

Yeah!





If we don't stop Kokichi—a Remnant of Despair— then this despair will never end... But something like that would be a cinch for my magic! It's overflowing with hope! After you've undone the alarm system and electric barrier, then leave it to me!









MAKI: We did the same thing to the electronic lock on the exit to the outside world.



The alarm will go off before we can even get close enough to use the Electrohammer...







It jams electronic signals by scattering particles that interfere with electromagnetic waves.

For two hours, any and all electronic devices within 50 yards will be completely disabled. It's perfect for any secret activities, too, since it doesn't leave any debris behind.



So I need to use them carefully. You guys will have to settle for the Electrohammers.



I stole it from his pocket.





...



Nice work, Maki! We can use that Electrobomb to get inside the hangar!

Not only that, it will disable all communication.





Then Kokichi'll be as good as butt naked! All he'll be able to do is hold his crotch and run!

But he might still be able to control an Exisal from inside...



No, I'm pretty sure he'll be clothed.

Then we should bring the Electrohammers as a precaution against the Exisals.

Nyeeeh, dang... I just left mine sitting around without charging it.

Ah...sorry, but I did too...





Umm...we don't really have a choice, do we? Without the Electrohammers, it's impossible.

Maki...I know that you don't want to wait a single minute more than necessary... but we shouldn't try this until tomorrow. When everyone is ready.

...



Kill...?

No, Maki, you can't! Even if he's a Remnant of Despair, that doesn't—

But if we kill him, then everything will end. We have no other choice.



But you can't...

I understand how you feel, Maki... But we'd feel bad after we killed him.

It would be no different than the killing game that has caused us so much suffering.



But...Kaito said that killing is wrong...remember? So...we can't...

......Fine. If everyone thinks that way, then I'll listen to you guys.



W-Wow, Maki's actually reliable...?

No, she's dangerous. There's nothing more dangerous than a heated Maki Roll.



...

D-Did you...see those eyes? They were like a predator looking at its prey.

Ah, you may have deserved that, Himiko...



I didn't think we'd be able to stand together as one again.



While we were sedentary, feeling sorry for ourselves, she was planning... I suppose it might also be thanks to Kaito... Because Kaito was worried about her, she promised to work hard to do her best... Ah, of course, if I pointed that out, she'd ask me if I wanted to die again.



Ah! S-Sorry...

...

...Let's do our best. Then the three of us...can train together again.

Y—Yeah...right.





Until then, we would wait for the Electrohammers to recharge and finish preparations. We split up, focused and determined.

Next time, how can we spend a whole day without doing any Free Time!?