(3rd Person's POV)

"It all started when I was still attending the Hope's Peak Academy elementary school." Monaca began, wincing from her brother tight grip. "Monaca did a little prank to convince the Warriors of Hope to commit suicide."

"W-Wait, what!?" Kotoko blinked in shock. "That was a prank?"

"Oh, of course. Monaca didn't intend to end her own life at all. But you all took it so seriously." Monaca said.

"..." Kotoko's eye twitched.

"And around then, Monaca met Big Sis Junko with the most miraculous timing." Monaca continued. "The moment Monaca saw her...Monaca understood. Big Sis Junko is light itself that will shine down on Monaca's boring little world. It's a miracle! Thank you, Kami! ...At least, at the time I thought it was a miracle. But later I learned it was inevitable. She came into my life just to take advantage of me."

"...Take advantage...?" Komaru parroted, requesting for her to elaborate.

"By then, Monaca was already a chief executive at Towa Group's robotics branch." Monaca mentioned before looking up at Haiji. "Oh, Big Brother, I'm sorry about that... Wasn't it painful to watch your little sister surpass you?" She asked with a hint of smugness.

"..." Haiji simply glared down at her.

"And I'm also sorry to you, Kotoko. You didn't want to hear that little truth, did you? Big Sis Junko only cared about Monaca. The other Warriors of Hope were just bonuses."

Kotoko shook her head in denial. "D-Don't make stuff up! Big Sis loved us all!"

"Love? What are you talking about?" Monaca's eyes darkened as she menacingly stared at Kotoko. "There's no way someone would love you. Your own parents didn't even love you."

"Ugh... Ugh!" Kotoko winced, turning her head away from her.

"Enough. Just keep talking." Haiji demanded, tightening the grip.

"I-I'm sorry, I got it... Stop, Big Brother..." Monaca complied. "A-At first... Big Sis Junko was looking for a corporation that could mass produce machines. So that she could use them for The Tragedy. That's why, to meet her expectations, Monaca started making all the Mister Monokumas. Concentrating all of the resources of Towa Group's Robotics Branch..."

"And just what was everyone else at Towa doing!? Why did no one stop you...?" Toko asked.

"I lied. To Papa and Big Brother. I told them I was building robots that could be domestic helpers and emergency aid workers..." Monaca responded.

"And the adults actually bought that story?" Toko turned her head to Haiji.

Haiji sighed. "No... It's more like...we turned a blind eye. She was the outsider in our family... But she's tenacious, with a genius intellect. As long as she kept earning Towa Group money... We let her do whatever she wanted." He scowled. "This brat took advantage of her position and started mass producing these monsters on her own. I didn't know what the machines were even for, so as usual, I let her be... ...But I did think they had a weird design."

"And thanks to that, Monaca made Big Sis Junko so happy. She started using them for the incident. That's what helped the incident get bigger and bigger..." Monaca said.

"That's when the old man finally realized what was up. And when he tried to stop you..." Haiji trailed off

---

"It's a little too late to stop producing the Monokumas anyway, right? If we stopped, Big Sis Junko would reveal the whole thing... She would make it known that Towa Group built all those murder machines. And if she did that... Towa Group's finished."

"Monaca... Are you threatening me?"

"Jeez, Papa! That's not it. It's more like...a business opportunity.

---

 "This little bitch sold us the idea of making a weapon to fight the Monokumas."

"You made them, and then you sold the weapons to fight against them as well?" Komaru blinked.

Toko lightly bit her thumb. "The more out of hand the situation got, the more profitable Towa became..."

"Hmph... Just what a filthy Demon would do." Kotoko folded her arms.

"We didn't have a choice... We were in too deep. If we went against the Despair group, they'd reveal what Monaca did under Towa's name. Then Towa makes enemies with both forces. We'd be shunned... Go extinct." Haiji tried to justify.

"Anyyyways, Towa Group did the riiight thing and chose to coexist with the despair." Monaca smiled. "And to the public, they looked like heroes, fighting against the incident. But behind the scenes... They were working for both sides. The reason that air purifier they developed was so effective was because... They were part of the cause in the first place. That's why the incident didn't hit them as hard. Those idiot adults didn't know that, so they worshipped Towa Group like they were saviors... Buuut, you better not blame this all on me. By the end, even Papa was into it... He supported the incident for money and honor. He ended up being a patron of Big Sis Junko."

"Towa Group... Junko Enoshima's patron?" Toko said in shock.

"So that's why you distanced yourself from Future Foundation... You didn't want to get found out." Komaru looked at Haiji.

"No matter how rotten it is... Towa Group is still my legacy. I want to protect it." Haiji closed his eyes in remorse.

"But the good times had to end eventually... Just when things were gonna get much, much more fun, Big Sis Junko died." Monaca frowned. "All thanks to your brother, Miss Komaru Naegi."

"..." Komaru looked away from her.

"Since then, Future Foundation gained power, and Big Sis's influence got weaker and weaker... Monaca tried her best to rebuild it by any means necessary..." Monaca pouted. "But Papa just said "It's over," and gave up like all the fickle, wishy-washy adults do. Papa betrayed Big Sis. No matter what Monaca said, Papa just wouldn't listen anymore..."

"And you couldn't forgive him for that, could you? That's why you targeted this city." Haiji assumed.

"That's what you told us, right?" Kotoko recalled.

---

"All we gotta do is fulfill the hopeful dream Big Sis Junko gave us. We shouldn't give up. We can't abandon hope. We need to build a paradise and take revenge against all the adults who betrayed us."

---

"Monaca...is so grateful to the Warriors of Hope. Adults are dirty Demons who killed Big Sis... You guys killed them off so well for me." Monaca smirked. "I was sooo happy... It was just as I thought, kids are so simple-minded."

"..." Kotoko scowled at her.

"The truth is...Monaca didn't really care about things like revenge and paradise... Succeeding Big Sis's will was far more important. Monaca...doesn't want Junko Enoshima's legacy to end." Monaca explained.

"So that's how you came to the brilliant conclusion that you should become The Successor?" Toko guessed.

"And in order to become The Successor... What exactly did you do?" Haiji asked.

"Big Sis used to say all the time that she wanted to paint the world with despair..." Monaca noted. "If someone could do that... Don't you think they would make the best Successor ever?"

"...What do you mean?" Komaru asked.

"...War."

"Huh?"

"Causing war. If a war breaks out, the world topples back into despair, right?"

"War...? What are you talking about, brat?" Toko demanded to know.

Haiji scoffed. "You're bluffing. You're trying to trick us again, aren't you? You've got some ulterior motive."

"If you think so...why don't you just break that controller Miss Komaru has?" Monaca dared. "Break the controller...and start a war."

"W-Wait...why would a war break out if this controller is destroyed...?" Komaru asked.

"I told you, she's bluffing." Haiji responded, tightening the grip on her hair. "She's just using reverse psychology."

"Ow! Heyyy, don't call Monaca a liar! You told me to talk..." Monaca said through pained winces.

"I told you to tell the truth, not spew more of your lies!" Haiji snarled before turning to Komaru. "Enough of this. No more talk, destroy that controller right now!"

"Huh?" Komaru took an apprehensive step back.

"Hey hey, what are you doing? Don't tell me you seriously trust what this kid said..."

"..." Toko and Akira looked conflicted.

Komaru shook her head. "W-Wait, no! I can't break it yet!"

"So you're taking this little brat's word over mine?" Haiji narrowed his eyes.

"It's not like that..." Komaru muttered.

"P-Please, wait! I remember!" Kotoko spoke up.

"Remember...what?" Toko inquired.

"A while ago, Monaca and Kurokuma were having a secret talk... I was listening in..." Kotoko started.

"What are you talking about? Get to the point." Haiji ordered.

"At the time, I thought they were kidding, but... Maybe they weren't... If that's the case...this is very bad." Kotoko said.

"Wh-What are you talking about!?" Toko asked.

Kotoko grimaced. "The Monokuma Heads the kids are wearing... They're linked to the Monokumas' power source. If that power source is cut off...the helmets explode."

"Explode!?" Komaru exclaimed, turning to her.

Kotoko nodded. "If you destroy the controller, the Monokumas stop... But all the Monokuma Heads will blow up! And then, headless children everywhere!"

"Oh, come on, an exploding helmet?" Haiji rolled his eyes. "You expect us to believe that made-up bullshit?"

"B-But I'm serious! I heard them say it!" Kotoko stammered. "You know Monaca would totally pull something like that... She betrayed the Warriors of Hope... She could do it without even feeling guilty about it."

"S-So mean, Kotoko! Making me out to be the bad guy..." Monaca hiccupped. "Monaca doesn't want the controller to be destroyed!"

"Bitch..." Kotoko spat.

"A rift in the group now, huh? Well if you're both lying, you need to get your stories straight." Haiji said.

"No, I'm serious! I heard it!" Kotoko insisted.

"That's enough. Destroy that thing already." Haiji ordered Komaru.

"N-No! Never, ever destroy that controller!" Kotoko urgently said.

"Huh...? Huh...?" Komaru looked down at the controller again. She stared at it before eventually looking up, shifting it away from the others.

"Hey... What are you doing? Why aren't you destroying it!?" Haiji looked at her in pure confusion.

"Because...the children might die if I do..."

"They're bluffing! I've been trying to tell you!"

"But even if there's a small chance they're not... I can't do it. The kids wearing those helmets... They're just being brainwashed, none of this is their fault... Not everyone involved was doing this of their own will!"

"Brainwashing? Are you serious? Who the hell cares about that...?"

"...Huh?"

Haiji walked up to Komaru, an angry expression on his face. "After all this, that excuse is not gonna fly. Even if they all die, they had it coming!" He yelled. "You've seen what they did to us! They deserve it!"

"..." Again, Monaca just watched, smiling.

"You can't be serious... You're just blinded by revenge." Toko stated.

"Maybe I am! But how could I not be!?" Haiji roared in rage. After what they did to us... Not even the harshest revenge is enough to make me forget what I've been through! Listen! Listen, outside! The screams of the adults, the ones who lost everything! Our loved ones were butchered by those little brats... They took everything from us..." He lowly growled as he snapped his head towards Komaru. "But you were the one who told us to stand and fight, right? It's because of your speech that we're even here right now! If you really are our ally, then finish this!"

"Ugh...ugh..." Komaru groaned, unsure of what to do.

"You are... You're our hope. Please... Don't betray us..." Haiji hoarsely pleaded. "Destroy the controller, please... Please just... End this for us... We just want it to be over..."

Komaru silently let out a small sob, the pressure being too much for her to take.

"H-Hold on a minute!" Toko shouted. "You can't fool me!"

"Me...?" Haiji raised an eyebrow.

"No, idiot, you!" Toko pointed towards Monaca. "I'm talking to you!"

"...Hm? Are you talking to Monaca?" Monaca pointed towards her face.

"I get it now..." Toko glared down at her. "What you meant by "war"... You're trying to start a war between Towa City and Future Foundation."

"...Huh?" Akira spoke up, her ahoge bobbing up and down.

"..." Monaca stayed silent.

"If the children are killed, what would Future Foundation do when they found out?" Toko continued. "They'd think the adults who survived were behind it... And then they'd find out Towa Group was involved with manufacturing the Monokumas... From that evidence, I'm guessing Future Foundation would think the adults were Remnants of Despair. And if that happens... Future Foundation would crush this town immediately. That's the idea, isn't it?"

Monaca shook her head. "...Nope, that's not quite it! Cuz it won't just end with a war between Towa and Future Foundation."

"...Huh?" Komaru looked confused.

"Future Foundation isn't the only one who'd see the adults as Remnants of Despair. The true Remnants of Despair that are spread all over the world... They'd learn about the war in Towa City, and they'd come charging in." Monaca revealed, a dark smile forming on her face. "Towa City would become the heart of a resurgence of the despair that Big Sis Junko left us. Worthy of the name of Junko Enoshima, wouldn't you agree?"

"Are you serious with this?" Komaru felt her breath stop for a second.

"She can't be... She's bluffing anyway." Haiji denied. "Even if it were true, all you'd have to do is explain the situation to Future Foundation, right? And you're with them, right, Toko? I mean, you could straighten this all out easily."

"Hm, I dunnooo... Because this city shares a past with the incident, they won't take any chances." Monaca claimed. "The moment they see the headless bodies of children in the streets... It's over. They wouldn't even care about their hostage or Miss Toko's testimony, don't you think?"

"...What!?" Toko gasped.

"Child victims have quite an impact on people. It's just like I said from the beginning. Pitiful children are the most powerful." Monaca smiled smugly.

"So that was your plan... You need the adults to take revenge, so they will cause more child victims. You chose adults with no children because you thought they'd kill the kids with no remorse." Toko deduced.

"I mean, adults with no children wouldn't have a single bit of mercy, would they?" Monaca innocently tilted her head to the side.

"W-Wait, then... We were... We were sorted and kept alive...?" Haiji blinked in disbelief. 

"You used Komaru to incite the adults to take revenge against the kids, didn't you?" Toko guessed.

"...Huh?" The young woman in question looked horrified. 

"Ufu, fufufu... Puhuhuhu..." Monaca giggled in a similar way to Monokuma. "Monaca may have helped things along... But Miss Komaru's transformation was her own doing. That delicate little girl maturing, growing to overcome the despair as hope itself. You even grew to care about this town, wanting to save it, becoming the hope for the adults..." She said, her eyes darkening. "But even so... You know, hope isn't always a good thing. At times, hope can be a terrible burden... It can be a drive to hurt others. Just like now."

"Th-That's..." Komaru tried to come up with a response, but trailed off.

"What did you think would happen if you gave people who watched their loved ones die hope? Didja think they'd all be positive, working together, nice and peacefully? Of cooourse not!" Monaca grinned. "They will turn into Demons. Demons who live for revenge. You see? Just listen to them..." 

She gestured to the adults chanting outside, but now instead of them chanting "destroy", they were chanting to "kill".

"K-Kill!?" Komaru screeched. "But why...? Why is this happening!?"

"It's because they've been waiting for you to destroy that controller for sooo long..." Monaca replied.

"...What?"

"Those people out there don't care whether or not the heads of the children are gonna explode... Rather... They sound pretty excited about it, don't you think? That's the sound of people who have completely transformed into Demons. And this is aaall your fault, Big Sis."

"M-Me...?"

"It's because you stirred up the adults. It's your hope that turned them into Demons, y'know? So that makes it all, aaall, aaaaaall your fault, Miss Komaru Naegi!" Monaca made a wide grin.

"Wh-What are you talking about!? It's not Komaru's fault, it's yours!" Toko snapped.

"W-Wait, listen to what she's saying!" Haiji, for once, agreed with her estranged sister. "If what she said is true, then she should have wanted to destroy the controller right away! She could have just destroyed the damn thing herself! Then she would have her war!"

"No, that wouldn't do! That would not be worthy of The Successor, now would it?" Monaca said as she stood up.

Both Kotoko and Haiji widened their eyes in shock. "Sh-She can stand!?" Kotoko exclaimed.

"She stood! Monaca...stood up!?" Haiji looked in shock.

"Th-That's not important right now!" Toko interrupted before clutching her head in frustration. "Not just the city, but the whole world... How could this happen...?"

"Mmph..." Akira grunted, shutting her eyes.

"So anyways, what are you gonna do now? Hm?" Monaca walked up to Komaru. "How are you gonna end this? Are you gonna kill the children and play the savior? Or...are you gonna spare the children's lives, and let them keep slaughtering the adults? Who lives, who dies? That is your choice. There's no way to save both. One side has to die. ...And you're going to kill them."

"Ugh... Ugh..." Komaru shook her head frantically, backing away from her.

"How it's about time you made your final choice. The final choice you can make as Komaru Naegi. Choose wisely." Monaca coyly smirked.

Komaru shook her head, hyperventilating all the while. "N-No. No, it's impossible... I...I can't break it..."

"No, you're gonna break it all right. Monaca knows." Monaca retorted.

"...Huh?"

"You're gonna destroy the controller, and then the children's heads are gonna explode. And that's when the war begins... And The Successor, a new splendid symbol of despair, will be born!"

"Y-You don't know that!" Toko yelled, grimacing as a blue shadow formed on her forehead.

"And like, there's no way I'd ever accept you as a successor in the first place!" Kotoko cried. "There's no way you can be a vessel of Big Sis Junko!"

Monaca made a look of faux-confusion. "Kotoko... When did I ever say that Monaca wanted to be The Successor?"

"...Huh?" Kotoko blinked.

"Monaca's not the one who's going to be The Successor." Another dark grin formed on Monaca's face as she pointed to a certain brunette. "It's gonna be Miss Komaru Naegi."

Komaru froze. "...Huh?"

""Paint the world with despair"... That's what Big Sis Junko always used to say, y'know?" Monaca recalled. "And what could be more despair-inducing than having Makoto Naegi's sister be The Successor?  Sooo, the one who's gonna murder all these kids has to be Miss Komaru herself."

"Wh-What are you saying?" Komaru fumbled.

"Oh, don't worry, it's not hard. All you hafta do is destroy the controller. I've already prepared cameras so that the moment is recorded and sent to Future Foundation. With Monaca's video message as a bonus set!" Monaca revealed. "Monaca already declared that Miss Komaru Naegi will succeed the legacy of Big Sis Junko."

"Wh-What do you mean? Why would I...?" Komaru trailed off.

"Like I said, don't listen to her! She's just trying to keep you from destroying it!" Haiji shouted.

"Puuuhuhuhu..." Monaca giggled. "Big Brother, you've just been saying that over and over... Adults don't like change."

"You shitty little brat! Enough! Give me the controller! I'll destroy it myself!" Haiji demanded.

"But if we do that, the children will die!" Komaru yelled.

"What else are we supposed to do!? We have to end this massacre! What about all the adults who died? Are we just going to forget about them!?" Haiji roared.

"D-Don't go dragging us into your revenge! Komaru has nothing to do with this!" Toko yelled.

"That's right! There's no reason to kill them! You don't have to be a part of this one bit!" Kotoko agreed.

"..." Akira let out a shaky sigh.

"No need, no reason... No relation. That's the difference between Big Brother and Miss Komaru. This isn't personal for her." Monaca said. "But I knew that might be a problem. So Monaca made sure to make a special request. To get Miss Komaru to want revenge... I needed help from her parents."

"...Huh?" Komaru slowly turned her head to her.

---

"Now, come on over here. Let's open the gates of Hell with Monaca... You too, Mom and Dad. The climax is gonna start soon... Your child will be born again as The Successor to Junko Enoshima. Aha...ahahaha."

---

"Wh-What do you mean, "revenge"...?" Komaru nervously asked, a growing pit in her heart knowing that she's gonna regret asking that.

Monaca grinned. "Are you ready for this? Take a potty break? Get a list of insults ready for Monaca? Have you mentally prepared yourself to surrender to despair, unable to suppress the urge to kill? Then I'll show you!"

She then clapped her hands together as two Monokuma Kids brought a large television. It fizzled on as it showed the group...

...

...

...

It was Komaru's parents. Dead.

Chapter 24: End

To be continued...?