Part 174: Endtroducing.....

MUSIC: Hope Searching





Once you go in, you'll understand... Seeing is believing. Follow me...



The girls bathroom, huh...





This is an emergency. Nothing I can do about that... Ah, now's not the time to be thinking about boys and girls bathrooms......Alright, I'll do it.

I repeated several excuses in my mind as I stepped into the girls bathroom.







...What do you mean?

It's just like then, right?



The hidden room and the bathroom!?

Look where the equipment is placed... Geez... Caught up on past killing games... That's typical of a Remnant of Despair.





Th-This isn't the time!

Boys don't usually get such a good excuse to go into the girls bathroom.

You should look around carefully for your future reference. Don't worry, I won't say anything.

...Future reference?





I carefully placed my palm on the far wall of the closet...

*bang!*

The wall slides up to reveal...





Now, proceed through this pathway...

Y-Yeah, let's go.















The girls bathroom and the hidden room in the library are connected...

The library isn't the only way to get in and out of the hidden room...



And that passageway connects to the girls bathroom on the first floor. But this passageway...



This passageway was hidden, even from him. A hidden passageway that only the mastermind knows about.











So you *have* to go through the hidden passageway to get out of the hidden room.









Yes, please do.

Right after you guys left this room, there was a huge explosion and I got flipped over... When I came to my senses...it looked like this.

I'm surprised you weren't hurt...



A magical backlash must have happened and the way out got buried in rubble. Even I, the wise and powerful Himiko, panicked a little bit when I saw I was trapped in here.

What happened after that?



...I'm sure.

Then, I happened to find that hidden pathway and that's how I got out...

Then I ran into Keebo and he told me you were in one of the classrooms on the 2nd floor... So I rushed over there...



...W-Well? Was I...useful?

Huh?

It seems Himiko is still concerned about that...





Is it...broken?



Ahhh... It's over. I can't go on... I can't birth Monokumas anymore... I wanted to birth more and more and more...

Birth Monokumas, huh?



O-Of course it's true...... Fine... Since this is the end for me, I guess I'll say it. I have a built-in voiceprint authentication system...



"Designated person"?

It's to ensure that my Monokumas are birthed into a welcoming environment, y'know?



Only the mastermind's voice command will make you create a Spare Monokuma?

Puhu...puhuhu... Th-That hint was...on the house, so to speak...









...

It seems like...it's really broken this time.

That was an important clue. Motherkuma creates spare Monokumas after receiving the mastermind's voice command.



If the entrance to the bathroom were blocked by rubble, we'd be completely trapped.



...

Hm? Something wrong?

J-Just tell it to me straight...like a man.

...Tell you what?



I-I want to be useful for my friends. But I can't help much in investigations, can I? I couldn't find the mastermind...

Ah, you're worried about that...

Himiko, not only were you *useful*, you may have cracked the case wide open.



Hiii hee hee hee! I'm terrified of my own magical power!

R-Right... Let's get out of here.



After all, I am the Ultimate Mage! Hiii hee hee hee!





Hey, I reached the level cap! That last level is purely cosmetic; all skills cost an even number of slots.



Motherkuma isn't moving at all. She's really broken.

Still...we got an important clue.

Motherkuma "births" a spare Monokuma with the mastermind's voice command.

One trek back through the passage later...





N—Now that I feel safe, I'm a little over it...

Ah...okay... I'll step outside.





Of course.



Ah!

What...were you doing? Why were you in the girls bathroom?

M-Maki! I-It's not what it looks like, I'm just—



N-No! Listen, there's a reason—



Yet another rumble from above.



I can't relieve myself if you do that!

...Himiko's inside? And you were...in there, Shuichi?

Ah, okay, this is *all* a huge misunderstanding...

...





...Th-Thank you. Though it still seems like you want to murder me.



Rantaro's picture! Thank you!

I took the photograph from her and inspected it closely.



SHUICHI: Just as I thought...

I sighed to myself, looking over the picture. Everything was beginning to connect in my mind. I finally saw through all of the lies.





With this...I can fight. I can fight the mastermind behind this killing game. ...And I believe I can end it all.



But, what do you want to do now? It's almost dawn.

Th-This is bad... We don't even know the mastermind's identity or where they are...



Can you two please go get Tsumugi? She should be in one of the labs. After that, I'd like everyone to gather in the courtyard.

I'll be waiting for you there.

Wh-What do you mean? What are you planning on doing?



B-But, we haven't even found the mastermind, so how—

...We can talk about that later. We don't have much time left, so let's hurry and find Tsumugi.

O-Oh...I see...



Alright...to the courtyard. But before I stop this killing game... I need to stop the destruction of the Ultimate Academy.









Please, listen to me!

NO MUSIC

My voice reverberated throughout the courtyard. And after a while...

MUSIC: EXISAL TRIBE

AUDIO: The Beginning of the End



Have you found what you were looking for? Are you ready to do what must be done, Shuichi? Either way...this is your last chance.



I guess I'll hear you out.



...



We're all going to do a class trial, one last time!









I'm not messing around.



A class trial...to *end* the killing game?

As Keebo spoke, I saw Maki running over from the school building.





Are you serious...?

That's...how you're going to end the killing game?

...Everyone's here. Now let me say this.



MUSIC: New World Order V3



The killing game will end when the truth is exposed? Why would you say such a thing?

By the end of the class trial, that will be clear. Monokuma...you're the one who calls these class trials...



But...why do we need to hold a class trial when no one has been killed?



What...?

My little shootout with this rundown robot hasn't been fun for a while now.

And I think it's pretty interesting that you guys are on board with holding a class trial.



So even in these circumstances, you take the opportunity to make things interesting... That means this killing game must be—



Responsible...?

It would be bad if we held a class trial that didn't reach a satisfying conclusion.

In other words, if the trial doesn't go your way and ends without the truth being exposed...



O-Of course!



But are the others okay with it, too? The responsibility will be shared by all of you...

Th-The responsibility will be...shared?

We've been ready.

I'll trust you. But if you screw this up...



...Y—Yeah, I believe you.

Y-You're right... There's no point freaking out now...



...

K—Keebo...



We can't risk you going berserk if the outcome isn't in your favor...

Take off this gear... If I remove these armaments now, I will lose my chance to destroy this academy... This is...the last chance. The last chance to not let Monokuma win...



Keebo...please, believe me. I don't want Monokuma to win.



Our hope is going to end this game of despair!

Do you really think that ending awaits us? It sounds too good to be true, honestly.

Yes, I do. That ending *is* hope for us.



...

Keebo...let's trust Shuichi here.



We're all friends who can believe in each other, aren't we!?

...



Thank you, Keebo.

Puhuhu... Then it's decided.

That's right. Our class trial!



Puhuhu...puhuhuhu...



Why are you laughing...?

I-Is he that confident he'll win?

I-It'll be okay! He's probably just bluffing!

Puhuhu... Who can say?



However...I will have the Monokubs strip that robot of his gear.

...I know.

Everyone else, please proceed to the Shrine of Judgment and head to the trial grounds.



Monokuma leaves.



I'll finish it in seconds cuz I work like I eat—fast and sloppy!

You shouldn't be proud of being sloppy.

...I'll meet you guys there.

Y-Yeah...



We should go, too...

MUSIC: Beautiful Lie



I didn't think Monokuma would accept so easily. That was too easy... I can't help but feel a little strange.

He probably agreed to it to stop Keebo from destroying the academy.



Perhaps Monokuma simply expected this. But it was still much easier than I imagined it would be. ...No sense worrying about that now. We've come this far, we just have to do it. To end this killing game, we have to follow his rules one last time...



Next time, we somehow get one last clue before the trial starts.