(3rd Person's POV)

In Towa City, a young man was walking, carrying a familiar green-haired girl on his back. Monaca slowly opened her eyes and looked forward to see an equally-familiar wavy pale white hair.

"Mmm..." Monaca moaned.

"Oh? You're awake?" The Servant turned her head back to her. "You were lucky. You would surely have perished if I wasn't there to save you."

" ...Why?" Monaca weakly asked.

"I changed my mind and decided to stay in this town a while longer." The Servant responded. "And while I'm here, I figured I should see this through to the very end."

Monaca pouted. " ...That's not what I meant."

"Oh, you mean why I saved you? Because... I'm the same as you. I'm disappointed with endings that waver between despair and hope. I wish a real war had started. If it did, I know a brilliant hope would have been born. That is why I allowed myself to be captured, after all."

"So you did it... on purpose?"

"But... you weren't finished yet, right? Nothing has really changed since you began. So... I need you to continue working hard. So that a splendid hope may be born. You have tasted the bitter despair of having your meticulous plan fall apart around you, so I know you can do it."

"Really... which side are you on?"

The Servant chuckled. "Does it even matter? Anyway... why don't you be the Successor for now? If that is your intention, I will lend you a hand. If... my schedule allows it, of course. There is somewhere I need to be later."

"What do you mean?" Monaca tilted her head.

"I shall raise you to be her copy. One even more realistic than the real one..." The Servant made a soft smile as his eyes briefly darkened before returning to normal. "Someone like me, who both hates and loves her more than anyone else... I should be able to make you more like her than even she herself was!"

"...Gross." Monaca sighed as she closed her eyes. The Servant would continue carrying her to their unknown destination.

---

Meanwhile...

A laptop opened as a green light fizzled on to reveal a familiar brunette young man. "...I was waiting to hear from you. I'm so relieved... I'm glad you're safe, Byakuya."

"...Well, safe enough I suppose." Byakuya responded with a half-hearted shrug.

"Are you outside Towa City? You must be if this connection is secure, right?" Makoto assumed.

"Yeah. I used the secret passageway under the shrine." Byakuya explained. "The Captives are safe, thanks to the relative of that idiot we know so well. I'll introduce you to her later. She's much more talented and useful than he is."

"What's your position? I'll send rescue right away." Makoto offered.

"Before you do... There's something you need to know."

"...Huh?"

"Komaru Naegi, Akira Shirayuki, and Toko Fukawa...are not with me."

"Not with you? Why?"

"I'll let her explain."

"Her...?"

"She asked that I send you this message. It might be garbled a bit, but it'll do." Byakuya pulled out a phone as it showed Komaru.

"Um... Can you see me, Makoto? You're surprised that I'm not leaving, right? Sorry for making you worry... There's...a lot I want to say..." Komaru sighed. "But first, let me explain why I'm not there."

---

"Wh-what are you saying? All this time, you were bawling about how you wanted to go home!" Toko pointed out to Komaru.

"Oh, come on! I was not bawling! Don't make things up! Jeez!" Komaru grumbled.

Toko sighed as she solemnly looked down on the ground. "...Why...? Why are you bringing up something like that? Do you feel responsible for their revenge?" She looked up at her. "But that wasn't your fault! You can't feel bad about that, not even a little!"

"No, that's not it... It doesn't matter whose fault it is. This is my decision." Komaru said.

"Then why are you doing this? Didn't you want to get out of this place and live a normal, peaceful life?" Toko recalled. "But now you want to stay here? That's like... the complete opposite!"

"You're right." Komaru admitted.

"You... It's not because...you feel despair..." Toko warned, raising her hand.

Komaru shook her head. "No, o-of course not. I don't wanna get slapped again."

"Then...why?" 

"Even I'm not...totally sure... But earlier, when I said how I want to save both... All the scary feelings and hesitation I've felt were gone. Even though the odds were against us, for some reason... I felt courage. I think it's because I was confident that that was what I needed to do. But...what would happen if I leave this town with you, Aki and Byakuya? What would happen if Future Foundation came here to suppress the riot and uncover the secret? And then, what would happen if the Remnants of Despair were to find this place...? It would turn into a war... Just like Monaca said."

"S-So you're saying you're going to be this town's hostage in place of Master?"

"...Until now, I kept relying on you, and I never really got to make decisions on my own. But I was like that even before I met you. I used to give up all the time... But the decision to save everyone was one I made on my own. Of course, I'm scared, and I'm worried... But despite that, I've made up my mind. I won't give up until the very end. I'll make sure I protect both."

"Idiot... You're awfully optimistic, after all this..." Toko mumbled before clenching her head in frustration. "Ahhh! Seriously, what are you thinking!? You're just like your brother sometimes!"

"No... I think I got it from you." Komaru smiled.

"...Huh? Me?" Toko looked confused.

"You were with me all this time. If I have changed... It's your influence, Toko." Komaru claimed.

"..." Toko's eye twitched.

Komaru sweatdropped as she continued. "F-For now, I'm going to be fine. This is much better than an imprisoned life, regardless... So don't worry about me. Go back with Byakuya. You two are the only ones who can persuade Future Foundation not to interfere here."

"..." Toko frowned at her.

"S-So please, don't be mad..." 

"What!? Of course I'm mad! Jeez... Why do I have to stay behind in a town like this...?"

"..."I"? Oh, no, you misunderstood. I meant I'm the one who's gonna stay here."

Toko made a refusing shake of the head. "If you're going to stay, there's no way I can leave! I-I...decided to be with you too, remember?"

"Toko..."

"Do you really think some brother-complex girl like you can be Master's substitute!? In a hostage trade, you and I are barely enough for one Master Byakuya. So...I'll stay with you. That's the decision I made. No complaining." Toko sternly said before looking at Akira. "What about you, Aki? You gonna stay here, too? You did say you wanted to see Mistress Sora after all this time, right?"

Komaru turned to her as well. "Yeah. It'd be great to have you here, but you don't have to stay if you don't want to..."

Akira stared at them before letting out a sigh. "...I'm staying here with you two."

"R-Really?" Komaru widened her eyes.

"...As much as I'd like to see my big sister again, I get the feeling that I'm gonna have to wait a while before I can actually speak with her, what with all her Future Foundation business." Akira assumed. "Besides, like Toko said, if you're staying here, then I can't just leave you behind. I've said it a bunch of times and I'll say it again: I'll be okay with whatever decision you guys make. If that decision is to stay in this place, then I'll be right behind you." She beamed.

"Aki..." Komaru embraced her in a hug, which the blonde returned. "Thank you..." She released it as she turned to Toko. "But you said you wanted to go home with Byakuya..."

"Hmph, I don't need your concern." Toko gave her a dismissive wave. "Master and I are rock solid. Even if we're apart, our feelings towards each other will never change."

"...Yes, that's correct." A voice said from the storage room.

"Huh?" Toko gasped, running to the storage room door, immensely blushing. "Master Byakuyaaaaaaa!"

"It's true, what you said. Even if we're apart... My feelings of disgust toward you will never change."

Toko's blush instantly disappeared. "Master!?"

---

Komaru smiled. "So the reason I've decided to stay isn't because someone forced me to... It's a choice I made myself. But I know that I can't just expect things to change right away, just because I'm staying... I know that I can't become real hope, like you... So...I'm going to wait. I'm going to wait for the day you guys defeat the Remnants of Despair and come home safe. Ah, but...you don't have to rush or anything, okay? I'll wait until the day you come to pick me up. I have the gun Mister Byakuya gave me...and I have my reliable friends, Toko and Aki." She then made a serious expression as she added. "And... About Mom and Dad... ...I didn't find anything. I went to the torture room later, but it was empty. The film that girl forced me to watch must have been recorded earlier, or fake..." She made a hopeful smile. "That means there's a chance they're alive and well somewhere, right? Maybe even somewhere in this city. That's what I choose to believe. ...Okay, sorry, this video is getting pretty long... I guess I should wrap it up. The next time you see me...I might be so grown up you don't even recognize me. Just like how surprised I was when I saw you. ...See ya later, Makoto."

And with that, the recording ended as Byakuya put the phone back in his pocket. "So that's the situation. I thought all your sister was good for was cowering in fear... But there you have it."

"Seriously... Well...she's surprised me before..." Makoto rubbed the back of his head.

"Hey, Makoto... You know what we have to do, right?" Byakuya looked at him. "We have to stop this idiotic "war" and return here to retrieve them. We wouldn't want to betray their expectations."

"...Yeah, you're right." Makoto nodded. "I've made up my mind, Byakuya. If a situation like this ever happens again... No matter how dangerous the trap... I'm jumping right in. So I can end it properly. With my own two hands."

"Hearing you say that reminds me of what you said back at the academy." Byakuya mused.

"Huh?"

"Hope keeps going, huh..." Byakuya closed his eyes as he made a faint, but genuine smile. "Fine. I'll partner with you. For just a little while. At least...until I've repaid the debt I owe to Toko, Akira, and your sister."

"...Yeah."

---

Meanwhile, somewhere in Japan...

"Hey, Sora..." A lavender-haired young woman spoke up to her blonde partner as they were walking, the former looking at her phone.

"Hm? What it is, Kiri?" Sora asked as the woman made a disapproving stare at her. She sighed. "Oh, I'm sorry, Kyoko. What's up?"

"I just got word from Byakuya."

"Byakuya? He went on a mission to rescue the Captives held in Towa City, right?'

"That's right. He sent me a message to let you know... He found your sister."

"Aki...? How is she?"

"According to him, she's doing just fine. But something happened in Towa City, and now she's staying there with Toko, along with Makoto's sister, Komaru Naegi." Kyoko informed. "Regardless, I don't think that you'll be able to talk to her for a while. Especially since we've got our hands full with this retrieval mission.

Sora closed her eyes, making a faint smile and letting out a breath of relief. "That's perfectly fine. As long as she's okay, I don't care where she is. Besides, with Toko and Makoko's sister, I'm sure she'll hold up perfectly fine."

"I'll take your word on that." Kyoko put the phone back in her pocket. "But considering that she's your sister, I have a good feeling she'll do well there, especially with friends."

"Hey, can you text Toko something?" Sora requested. "I want you to tell her..." She made a slight frown. "Tell her not to tell Aki about what happened while I was at Hope's Peak."

"...Are you sure?" Kyoko raised an eyebrow. "You do know what hiding the truth will do, right? Especially to people close to you?"

"Believe me, I know, but I think it'll be better if she hears it from me instead. That way I can give her the whole story and she won't get the wrong idea."

"Ah, I see. I suppose that makes sense. But if that's the case, your sister will be waiting for a while. Future Foundation work has you quite busy, especially on this certain mission."

"Yeah, about that..." Sora turned to Kyoko. "Are you sure you want to do this with me? I know that they said I'm allowed to bring partners and I know you can handle yourself, but this particular mission from Future Foundation is pretty dangerous. You didn't have to come with me, I can do this on my own..." She said before Kyoko responded by pinching her cheeks. "Ow! Ow, hey!" She yelped before Kyoko let go. "What was that for...?!"

"For asking a stupid question." Kyoko responded, folding her arms. "I told you this back at the academy. No matter what happens or who you're up against, I will always be by your side. Being the Ultimate Supergenius doesn't give you a free license to handle everything on your own. You have friends to share that burden with. You have me to share it with."

 "I..." Sora sighed. "I guess you're right. Even with my talents, there's only so much one woman can do by herself..." She mused as she made a small smile. "Thanks, Kyoko."

"Hmph. You dork..." Kyoko chuckled, holding Sora's hand.

"K-Kiri, you don't have to..." Sora was cut off as she heard beeping from her wristband device. "...Oh. Looks like we're here." She said as they stopped at the entrance of the city.

"So this is where the intel lead us..." Kyoko mused. "If it's true, then we should be able to find at least one of them here."

"Yeah..." Sora let out a sigh. "So, Kyoko... You ready to meet our upperclassmen?"

---

A few days later, in Towa City...

"...Alright then." Komaru started doing a few arm stretches before shouting out. "Heyyy, you two aren't ready yet!?"

Two groans can be heard from a hotel as Toko and Akira stepped out. "D-Don't shout so early in the morniiing..." Toko groaned.

"Couldn't you have given us at least another hour...?" Akira complained.

"You guys aren't really morning people, are you? Are you secretly staying up late without me!?" Komaru accused.

"Th-Thanks to your jimmy legs and snoring, we can't get a good night's sleep!" Toko pointed at her.

"I'm so not snoring! But... It's true, I might toss and turn while I'm asleep." Komaru admitted.

"And it wasn't just snoring! You were talking in your sleep! Saying "Makotooo"..." Toko teased.

"L-Lies! Definitely lies!" Komaru shook her head with a blush.

"Aki, back me up! You heard it too, right?" Toko turned to her.

"Well... I did hear something to the effect of "Onii...chan..."..." Akira innocently played a finger on her chin.

"S-Stop playing along with her!" Komaru stammered in embarrassment. "And if you want to get a good night's sleep, why don't you go sleep in your own bed!? We're in a hotel, there's plenty of other rooms..."

"D-Don't be an idiot, what happens if a ghost shows up!?" Toko nervously fiddled with her fingers.

"Ah, so you're into occult stuff now!" Komaru grinned.

"W-Well...you really did get possessed, right? So g-g-ghosts do exist...right?" Toko countered.

"Well, I guess that's just one more thing you're afraid of now." Komaru said.

"It's all your fault!" Toko huffed as she walked past her. "C-C'mon, let's go. If we don't keep a watchful eye, these people are gonna start fighting again. No time to slack off."

"What? But you guys are the ones who woke up late!" Komaru pointed out as Toko and Akira started running off. "Hey! I told you to wait! Awww, c'mon, you guys!" She bolted after them.

The three would then run through the streets of Towa City. 

It's funny, isn't it? At first, these three were just strangers tangled in a dangerous, life-threatening situation. But as their journey went on, they became closer as they forged through the fires of war and now... They're all true companions in the greatest sense of the word...

---

Meanwhile, at the edge of Towa City...

A young man with long black hair was carrying two Monokuma heads in a wheelbarrow. One head pure black and one pure white. 

"Hahaha! Are they still at it with that "Successor" or whatever?" Kurokuma laughed, his lone red eye flashing.

"You're talking too loud! They'll hear you!" Shirokuma hushed, his red eye doing the same, although it was covered up by his bandage.

"They can hear all they fuckin' want! A bunch of chumps teamin' up together makes 'em suck even more!" Kurokuma boasted.

"Well, when you think about it, the plan was flawed from the beginning. Trying to create a successor while the original still exists?" Shirokuma said.

"I know this was kinda my idea, but kids sure are stupid idiots!" Kurokuma spat.

"Not just the kids, the adults are idiots too." Shirokuma added. "Just by causing a little unrest, just pushing them a teeny bit... I had them spinning around in the palms of my hands."

Kurokuma chuckled. "Heh, despite how you look, you sure are wicked inside. Even if the outside's white, the inside's pitch black! You a riceball or somethin'?"

"I may be wicked, but you are too. After all, we are..."

"No, not "we"... maybe "I"... or maybe..."

"It's meee~!" The familiar voice of a despair-obsessed strawberry blonde sang, the red flashes alternating with each Monokuma head she spoke out of. "Puhuhuhu... Well, they're pretty much the same. White despair, black hope... In the end, neither one..." Junko trailed off before letting out a low chuckle. "But I guess that works too. I mean, I didn't really give a damn about this town from the beginning. The fact that those guys take an interest in this place will yield a much more fruitful harvest." She noticed the wheelbarrow stop. "Hey, don't you think so? Personally, I think they did a pretty good job for a group of kids. ...Hey hey, don't you think so? Thanks to them, the preparations are nearly complete! Laying the foundations for the final match! It's so despairingly perfect! Hey hey hey, don't y- "

She was cut off as the man slammed his fists into Kurokuma and Shirokuma's heads, making electricity aggressively crackle around as he punctured into them.

"Oh... You're so forceful..." Junko playfully cooed. "What, what? Am I being too noisy for ya?"

The man simply stared down at the heads.

"I see... I didn't know you still felt such emotions... Or perhaps... you're forcing yourself to feel something in a situation like this? Well, not that it matters.  Anyway, I leave the rest to you."

The man lifted his hands back up, holding the Monokumas A.I. drives from above their heads.

"Though I'm sure the next time I see you, you'll be someone else entirely." Junko said. "Puhuhuhu... I hope you can at least have a little fun. I hope the future's going to be one you can't predict."

That was seemingly the last straw for the man, as he violently ripped out the A.I. drives. Kurokuma and Shirokuma's lone red eye dimmed briefly before fading out entirely.

The man would continue to stay silent. He turned around and looked at Towa City from afar, preparing himself for the inevitable future.

 ...

...

...

FIN