'Come on bitches! You all have to remember what fuckin' happened or die!' Junko laughed, sticking her tongue out.

'How we supposed to remember stuff we forgot?' Mondo sighed, shaking his head.

'What's the meaning of the footage we saw...? Is this another one of your practical jokes?' Byakuya speculated.

'I'm not even sure what we're meant to be remembering,' Celeste frowned.

'If no one can remember... how are we gonna get out of this?' Leon shrugged.

'Wait, that's not true. Y/N, you remember what happened, don't you?' Kyoko asked me.

'I... I don't want to look..' I still refused to look at the screens.

'Y/N, if you don't do anything, we'll all die,' She stated.

'I... I can't... I don't want to see... what they did,' I trembled, it had become too much for me.

'Y/N,' Byakuya spoke up. 'You have to do this, you're the only one who remembers,'

'I...' I tried to protest. 'Okay...' I looked up at the screen, horrified by what I saw. The outside world was as horrifying as it was before.

'Do you know anything about the video?' Celeste queried.

'I don't know everything that happened... but... That looks like it was the last time... but worse,' I bit my lip.

'Then, what is it?' Kyoko asked.

'The tragedy. The biggest, most awful, most tragic event in human history,' I explained.

'The phrase... why is it here?' Celeste tapped her forehead, trying to remember.

'It's because of the events that took place. The world is in ruins. The tragedy occurred a year ago. It was man made, but was like a natural disaster. That's why the world looks like it does now,' I explained, looking down at the floor.

'But what specifically happened?' Junko asked.

'The world ended,' Junko butted in before someone could answer her own question. 'It doesn't matter how, but it has. There's no need to panic. Every living person will be dead in a hundred years anyway, so the world isn't that big a deal,'

'You're just being ridiculous,' Byakuya spat.

'Well, if we're being ridiculous. How about we play a little game. What happened to the Togami family?' She giggled.

'What..?' Byakuya frowned.

'Tick tock... come on now, guess!' She laughed.

'Times up! Shame, no one answered. But, the answer is.... Byakuya's entire family has been totally annihilated!' She grinned.

'What the hell are you talking about?!' Byakuya's face grew pale and his eyes widened in fear.

'Y/N, be a good girl and confirm that what I am saying is true,' She looked over at me.

'I... I don't know. I can't remember everything that happened,' I trembled.

'Stop with these idiotic jokes!' He yelled.

'Stop? And said with such authority. A peasant would dare challenge us, the avatar of divine punishment? You must learn your place, peasant! You are no longer the Ultimate Affluent Progeny!' She put her hands on her hips.

'They can't be gone... they can't be. The togami family is destined to guide the world!' He countered.

'There is no more world anymore, duh! It's all gone to hell and back!' She laughed.

'Hold on... you said it happened a year ago, correct? We came to the school a few weeks ago, none of this was present then,' Celeste frowned.

'You're mistaken...' I sighed. 'I think you've misunderstood. You believe the tragedy happened a year before you got here. But, it happened a year after you started attending Hope's Peak,'

'What? That doesn't make any sense,' Leon frowned.

'You've been at this school for two years. You must by now realise what memories I took from you,' Junko said.

'What the fuck are we even meant to say to that?' Mondo yelled.

'The memories you took from us... they were our lives at hopes peak. For us, it was the past two years, but since Y/N graduated early and came here a year before us, it was three,' Kyoko stated.

'Another correct answer...! Well done, peasant,' Junko seemed dismayed.

'Two years of our memories..?' Celeste trailed off.

'Precisely!' Junko cackled.

'Two years... that's impossible,'

'This is all just surreal,'

'How old even are we?'

'We've never even been to a class!'

'I'm sorry, but that's wrong. I found a notebook with your handwriting, Leon. Also, I found my own pocketbook. I have no memory of even using it,' Kyoko explained. 'Thats because of the missing memories we have,'

'Isn't it just so desperately dark? The mystery's solved , but it's like a goddamn funeral in here! Shit man, I've never been to a funeral. Hell yes!' Junko laughed before turning serious 'two years of school life. How many moments of blossoming youth have you missed out on? How many fun classes? How many school events? This was your chance to build lasting friendships, right? And on top of that, something tragically sad happened a year ago... right before everyone's eyes, the world came crashing down.. you absorbed all that despair, but then, you forgot it all. Oh there's one more thing, all memories you all lost were.... Actually, never mind, I'm bored. Explaining stuff is boring,'

'What..?' Mondo looked blankly at her.

'We are bored of this world! It's just so desperately fucking boring!' She grinned.

'What are you talking about?' Kyoko said.

'I'm jealous of all of you. To give yourself over so completely to such stimulating despair... yeah, so figure the rest for yourselves! I'm sick of expositing all this shit!' She grinned.

'Figure out what?' I asked.

'Figure out where your memories come apart. That's the heart of all this,' She shrugged. Where our memories come apart? I don't know about the others but, the last thing I remembered was walking through the gates and fainting.

'When we passed out... when we came into the school,' Celeste answered wearily.

'Wow! You still have enough spirit to keep on talking, huh? I don't know all the details, but you all remember passing out, right? And your sense of time got all messed up because of the memory loss after that...?' Junko looked at everyone with sparkles in her eyes.

'The reason it felt so short was because... our memories of the time in between had been completely removed?' Kyoko asked.

'You got it, honey! Two years of memories, poof, gone! Which means of course...' she switched personas 'When everyone met for the first time, it wasn't actually the first time. Unaware of this fact, you took the time to introduce yourselves to each other. But...'

'But by that point, we'd already spent two years together at the school. That's what those photos reveal, isn't it?' Kyoko asked.

'Yup! You were all such close friends... almost! Y/N was an outsider to you! She never got to be apart of your class until the time when the school went into total lockdown! And by then she was just a mindless puppet! But, you all started to kill each other! Just to escape to a dead world!' She grinned.

'You're the one who did this!' Mondo cracked his knuckles.

'...I love you all so much...' She sighed.

'What?' I raised an eyebrow. She was weird, but that definitely threw me off.

'Once your school life began here, I thought about you constantly. It's only natural that I would... fall in love. So, since I love you guys so much, I'll tell you all about it! The idea we came up with as the Ultimate Despair - our plan to bring despair to mankind!' She giggled. 'To start, we need to go to the beginning. Before we even started attending this school. Back when Y/N first enrolled...

Several years ago, I met Y/N L/N. A young girl with a talent for cutting up dead bodies as well as her younger brother, Jataro. She managed to graduate middle school early with flying colours and started high school, which is when she received an offer for hopes peak. Of course, she accepted. The school knew she was a hitman, and that was her true talent, but she hid as the ultimate Forensic Scientist. She became the youngest student of class 77! As the year progressed, they had a substitute teacher that managed to bring them all together, she was called Chisa Yukizome! However, after an accident at the exams, she was suspended for six months

When she returned, the class was overjoyed! So much Hope! And by then, the 78th class had started. Plans had been made to transfer Y/N into the class since they believed it would be more be Beneficial for her. I met with her and I started my plan, using her as a puppet. She didn't even know!

I did it all because you... you were so full of hope and life! I just wanted to take it all away and destroy it. So I used Y/N's class and made them into the ultimate tool for spreading despair. They are the ones that caused the amazing tragedy for me! It was so beautiful seeing the despair!

The tragedy even made its way to the school, leading to most of the students to die! Your class the 78th class of hopes peak academy were the only survivors, apart from the now despair enraged 77th class. To protect you all, hopes peak was transformed into a shelter! The headmaster was responsible, of course. He wanted to keep the hope of the world alive!

It was so laughable. He was the headmaster, but he had nooo idea, until the very end. When he realised I was the Ultimate Despair, he began making plans. But, before he could do anything. Y/N here, she helped me kill him!,' She finished her speech.

'So... that's why you hijacked the airwaves,' Kyoko said 'to show the outside world, their hopes dying to despair,'

'So you used us...?' Celeste shook.

'Well duh! But there's a reason I chose you to survive, you were all my precious classmates... sorry, that's a lie. I just figured you'd despair even more when you found out a friend had betrayed you. So? Does it make you feel utterly lost and hopeless? You solved the mystery but despair at the truth, right?' She grinned.

'You knew we would solve it...' Kyoko bit her lip in frustration as everyone grew silent.

'It's time! For the final vote! And this time I changed the rules!' She grinned.

'Changed them how?' I sniffed.

'It's hope vs despair! If you vote punish Despair, I loose. But, if even one of you says to punish hope, well, wouldn't that be funny. Y/N here would end up dying! But, the rest of you will live out your days here, within the school!'

'You can't just do that!' Celeste yelled.

'Why not? I have the power here! I'm giving you a chance! If you choose punish despair you can go and live outside!' She giggled.

'I... I want you to live. Out there, you wouldn't stand a chance. So please, punish hope. Let me die,' I sniffed as I looked up at everyone.

'No!' Byakuya shook his head. 'There's hope still left, we have to cling onto it, Y/N, don't throw away your life..' He looked over at me.

'I... I can't let you die...' I cried.

'We won't die. We can save the world!' Celeste smiled softly. 'We can all do it together, right Kyoko?'

'Yes... if ultimates were the ones to do this to the world... then surely we can undo it too,' She smiled.

'Hell yeah! We can't just give up now, that'd be fucking lame. I'll keep surviving for bro!' Mondo yelled.

'Yeah! And I'll finally get into music, I'll help you fight the despair,' Leon cheered.

'I... thank you,'I smiled 'I won't give in either!'

'So uncool... your stupid faces... the stupid things you've said.... the stupid way you all treat each other... it's all SO uncool! SO unhip! Shut up shut up shut up shut up SHUT UP! Lame lame lame lame LAME!' She started to yell.

'Junko. Accept your defeat! This is over! Hope always finds a way!' I wiped away my tears while yelling at her.

'What's going on...' her eyes widened. 'What's happening...?'

'It looks like we've reached the end. I believe it's time to vote,' Byakuya said, smiling softly as he crossed his arms.

'Just gotta pull the lever,' Leon smiled.

'We can finally be out of here,' Celeste looked at everyone.

'For bro, I'll avenge you. I'll make the world a better place,'

'Let's put an end to these trials! Put an end to the killing...' Kyoko stated.

Junko lost. We won. We won!

'The hell...?' She murmured.

'You've lost Junko,' Kyoko pointed at her.

'I... lost? Me...? No way... it can't beeeee!' She frowned.

'Even the Ultimate Despair herself is vulnerable to the onslaught of despair, it would seem,' Byakuya rolled his eyes.

'Well that's jusssst...!

Totally the best!' She started to drool.

'...what?' I frowned.

'This... this is despair! We came to fhs this school two years ago, created our incredibly detailed plan... I even killed my own sister for it... to come this far, and fail at the very end..! It's the most ultimately ultimate despair!' She sighed longingly.

'The hell is wrong with you?' Mondo yelled.

'Don't you see? I was bored of this world since Birth. This is a once in a lifetime experience, the despair of death! To have the chance to taste it... it makes me so hopelessly happy right now!' Drool ran down her face.

'Anyway, so are you prepared to admit defeat?' Kyoko moved on.

'You think I care wether I won or lost? Either way, it doesn't change a thing! The remanent's of despairs will still reek their havoc on the world! Despair awaits wherever you go!' She smiled.

'Let me tell you this right now,' Byakuya sighed 'We no longer fear despair,'

'Fine, let me just say one last thing... if you guys wanna get all hung up on the word hope, that's no skin off my nose... just be warned. Despair will face you constantly once you leave... no matter where you run, where you hide... you can't escape despair!' She grinned 'I'm almost done, because it's almost punishment time, right?'

'You're really going to execute yourself..?' I asked.

'Hell yeah! I'll be using a few of Kazuichi's machines. Oh how brilliant it will be! Maybe you'll even see your own execution in there,'

.

..

...

'Let's give it everything we've got! It's.... PUNISHMENT TIME!'

I watched as the scene unfolded. First, Junko was submitted to several blows by baseball balls while she was tied to a pole. Next, she was spun around in circles on a motor cycle. Then, she was burned and crushed by a fire truck before being sent off into space and then being hit several times by a bulldozer. Finally, I recognised the execution. Kyoko's failed execution. She hugged Monokuma as she waved at us, nearing her death. Moments before she was crushed, her face dropped and I could see the despair. Even she was vulnerable in the end.

We made our way to the entrance of the school, holding the button that would allow us to leave. 'So... it's finally over,' I sighed before rubbing my arm 'I'm really sorry,'

'Don't apologise... about what I said before. I won't kill you, I was just... mad,' Mondo apologised.

'Enough talk. We can't stand here forever, it's time to leave. Y/N, would you do the honours?' Kyoko handed me the button.

'Okay, sure,' I smiled.

'Is it... safe?' Leon asked.

'You don't have to read too much into it to find the answer. She said she would force us out,' Kyoko explained.

'But, you never know... maybe it'll make us all blow up or something,' Leon suggested.

'Maybe you're right,' Kyoko smirked.

'Maybe?!' He exclaimed.

'She's joking, relax,' Celeste laughed.

'Even still, it's impossible to think we would take our chances,' Byakuya smiled as he wrapped his arms around me.

'A part of me hopes she was lying about the outside world, even though, I know it's real,' I sighed.

'We all want it to be fake, but we can't deny reality,' Kyoko smiled softly.

'Together, we have the power to rebuild the world,' Celeste smiled. 'We can help everyone be guided back into the light of hope,'

'No more stalling. Let's get out of this place. We could be doing something good right now, so let's go!' Mondo yelled.

I giggled. 'Here goes nothing,' I pressed the button and watched as the door opened.

'I guess this is goodbye to the school,' Leon sighed.

'Yeah... and goodbye to bro for one last time... I'll make you proud,' Mondo smiled.

'And goodbye to the pain we had to endure,' Celeste cheered.

'Goodbye to our friends. Goodbye to the horrors of Junko,' I shuddered.

'Look at this as Hello instead. Hello, the new world,' Kyoko smiled as she leaned against Celeste.

'Well then, hello to the new world, and hello a new place we can fill with hope,' Byakuya wrapped his hand around mine and squeezed it tightly as he looked at me, hope written on his face as it slowly spread to mine.

The door opened and we were blinded by the light that hit us like swords.

Something tells me, things are going to get better from here.

We've come so far together. We're saying goodbye, but we've found something knew. It's up to us to rebuild the world now.

We are the hope of the world.