(3rd Person's POV)

"..."

Sora pursed her lips. She nervously followed Kyoko as they left the trash room. The rapid beating in her heart matched the steps she took. She could hear the heels of her Mary Janes clack against the floor as the walked throughout the entirety of the 1st floor.

Eventually, the two would finally reach the gym door after what felt like an eternity. Kyoko placed her hand on the knob before looking back at Sora.

"...You ready?"

Sora sighed, honestly responding. "Not really. But..." She made a small smile. "If I spend all my time trying to avoid danger, then I'll never move forward. So..."

Kyoko lightly beamed. "Okay, then. Let's go." She said as she turned the knob.

---

Here goes nothing...

The two entered the gym. The first thing they saw was...

"Hey hey hey hey hey hey HEY!" Monokuma yelled, looking angry as he looked at the two. "Kirigiri I don't mind so much. But Shirayuki's supposed to be dead! What's SHE doing here!?"

"Good grief..." Sora mumbled. That's exactly how I thought he'd react... Are we really gonna be okay...?

"You were supposed to be punished! Did Kirigiri help you!?" Monokuma demanded to know.

Kyoko scoffed. "So what if I did? What will you do?"

"If the guilty party is exposed during the class trial, they alone will be executed. It's unfortunate, but that is the rule..." Monokuma growled, brandishing his claws while glaring at Sora. "So now I gotta punish you again! And this time I won't leave anything to chance!"

"Uhhh, Kiri..." Sora felt a drop of sweat roll down her face.

"Do whatever you feel you have to." Kyoko said.

"...What." Sora deadpanned.

"But before you do, let me just say one thing." Kyoko requested while she flipped her head. "If you execute Shirayuki, that means you lose. Not that that matters to you, right?"

"Huh? I...lose?" Monokuma tilted his head in confusion before replacing it with anger. "You! Explain yourself! What do you mean by that!?"

"Well, you set up this latest class trial yourself, right? I was getting in your way, so you wanted an excuse to kill me." Kyoko accused. "I was supposed to be chosen as the blackened and then executed, right?"

Monokuma froze in his place. "H-Hey, what are you talking about?"

"But when Shirayuki chose to overlook my lie, your plan came crashing down." Kyoko smirked. "The results of the trial weren't at all what you were expecting. Because you never imagined that in that position, one person would protect another like that. And in response to that unexpected development..."

She made a subtle glare at Monokuma. "...You reacted by proclaiming Shirayuki the blackened and trying to execute her. You made that choice out of desperation. No, more than that... You must have realized that Shirayuki, who refused to be manipulated, was a threat to you, as well."

"..." Monokuma stayed silent.

"But then there was another unexpected development waiting for you. An entity that would throw a wrench, so to speak, in your precious execution machinery."

Sora slightly widened her eyes. "Doppelgänger..." 

Kyoko nodded. "You never imagined the possibility of a being that could come to our aid even after you'd "killed" her." She made a fierce point at Monokuma as she proclaimed. "Now, here's the absolute truth. Shirayuki didn't kill Ikusaba. You did."

"..." Again, Monokuma stayed silent.

"So executing Shirayuki for it would surely be a violation of your rules, which I know you love so much. If the blackened is exposed, they alone will be executed. That's what you told us, right?" Kyoko reminded him.

Monokuma didn't respond for a while before he let out a scoff. "Hmph. And that means I lose? You talk a big game. You're saying the blackened is me and not Shirayuki? And you can prove this, right?"

"No, I can't." Kyoko answered honestly.

Sora felt like an anvil dropped on her head. Wha-?! Don't say it like that!

Monokuma narrowed his eye, his lone red eye glowing. "What is this, a comedy routine? To make such bold claims without a shred of evidence..."

"I don't have any right now, but with a little more time I guarantee I'll find some." Kyoko assured. "Because no matter how deeply you try to bury it, there is only ever one absolute truth."

"And now you're trying to talk like some kind of famous detective type?"

"If Shirayuki really was the killer, she never would have come to you willingly like this. She would have feared for her life, feared another execution. She would have tried to run and hide. She would have been gripped by the despair you so love to inspire. But here we are--confronting you with nothing but hope in our hearts."

"And that's supposed to be enough to convince me in the absence of evidence?"

"It's not you I'm trying to convince." Kyoko said as she stared straight at Monokuma. "If you were to execute Shirayuki now, everyone out there watching this would be extremely displeased."

"Huh...?" Sora blinked.

"Imagine what everyone out there would think if you killed Shirayuki... They would assume that you killed her because what we said is exactly right." She folded her arms. "Despair can never kill hope."

"Grh--!" Monokuma grunted.

"Of course, you can say we're just making this all up. You're welcome to prove us wrong. No, you have no choice but to prove it. Because if you kill Shirayuki without proving your own innocence, you'll be accepting your own defeat."

"Gh-grg-grah!"

"If you want to earn our despair "fair and square", then I suggest you take my advice."

Monokuma glared at her. "...So? What is this "advice" of yours?"

Kyoko smirked. "To do Ikusaba's trial over again. Only this time, you follow the school regulations to ensure a fair trial. It's time for one last showdown--one final battle between hope...and despair!" She declared. "Well? That would make for a proper climax, wouldn't you say?"

A fair trial...one last showdown... In other words... This would be out chance to expose the true identity of Mukuro's killer--of the mastermind herself! Sora thought before frowning. But...what reason would the mastermind have to accept the challenge? She'll probably just execute me without another word...

"..." Monokuma had his back turned to the two. "Kehehe... Interesting." He chuckled before turning back to them. "Beary interesting indeed!"

"...Beary?" Sora raised an eyebrow before sighing. "Good grief, man..."

Monokuma giggled, pulling his paws towards his mouth. "Oh, I was getting bored, so I decided to change things up a little. So, time for bear jokes! Now, what you've suggested might be pawsible. It would certainly make for one honey of a climax!"

Kami... Sora inwardly groaned.

"Does that mean you accept?" Kyoko asked.

"If we do things your way, that'll be enough to convince you and the viewers, right? And it would cause you unbearable despair, right? Then I'm prebeared to agree to your terms!" Monokuma grinned. "Will your hope win out? Or will my desbear claim victory...? Let's have one final grizzly showdown!

He agreed. We finally have a shot at this, it seems...

"But this is the long-awaited climax, right? Just guessing the killer is bearly a fitting end. So for this final face-off, you'll have to unearth all the mysteries that have been bearied here!"

"All the mysteries...?" Sora tilted her head.

"That's right. Every last mystery that's pawing around the school. If you can do that..." Monokuma laughed. "Then that'll be enough to koalafy as a victory for you!"

Kyoko folded her arms, smirking. "That's what we've been trying to do all along..."

"Okay, well, good! Then let's bear it all! If you can claw your way to the truth of Ikusaba's death, AND solve the mysteries of this school...then you win!" Monokuma exclaimed. "But if you can't do all of that..."

"We'll all face execution. Right?" Kyoko guessed.

Monokuma made a dark grin. "Kehehe... I can bearly contain my excitement... When you learn the whole truth...what kind of despair will you show me?"

"We're as excited as you are, I'm sure." Kyoko said. "When we've uncovered every last truth, how will the Ultimate Despair reveal their own despair...?"

Sora looked at the conversation in awe, staying silent the entire time. I honestly can't believe how this has all turned out...

"But before we get started, I want to clarify one more thing." Kyoko requested. "Do you remember the rule? When one student kills another, that's when a class trial is held."

"I remember that, fur sure. So what?" Monokuma asked.

"I just want to confirm, that is what you said, right? And it's a true statement?"

"Kehehe. You don't have to be so suspicious. I've said it before, but it bears repeating..." Monokuma chuckle. "Everything is based on the school regulations. And having a trial for Ikusaba is no exception to that."

"Hm?" Sora raised an eyebrow. Mukuro's trial is no exception? Then...it's part of the regulations? Which would have to mean that whoever killed Mukuro...

"Kehehe... It's a very polarizing approach, I know, but--" Monokuma sighed. "Okay, enough puns. Anyway, here's a hint... I'm sure I told you this already, but...this killing game began with sixteen participants, all of them high school students. And the only people to take a single step in Hope's Peak since the killing game began...are those seventeen students."

"Really now...?" Sora looked intrigued.

"Are you telling the truth?" Kyoko narrowed her eyes.

"... ..."

"Why'd he go quiet all of a sudden...?" Sora mumbled.

"...Puhu... Puhuhu..." Monokuma giggled before rising up. "I'm done talking! I got nothin' left to say to you! So get lost, would ya!?"

"Good grief, why so mad all of a sudden?" Sora wondered.

"He seems...emotionally unstable." Kyoko commented.

"Leave me alone! Get outta here!" Monokuma ordered.

"Wait, really?" Sora tilted her head. "You're seriously gonna let me go?"

"...Hmph. I don't even care anymore. You're all gonna get your punishment later anyway. I need to start getting it ready. A super duper extra special punishment, overflowing with despair..." Monokuma gushed at the thought. "Puhu... Puhuhu... Puhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhu..."

Sora and Kyoko both grimanced. "Come on, Shirayuki. Let's go." Kyoko said.

"With pleasure."

"Puhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhu..."

Monokuma's unstable laughter seemed to cling to the two girls as they walked away. And just like that, they were out of the gym.

---

...Sora could hardly believe it, but...somehow she ended up not getting executed. She still had her life, and they still had a chance... Overall, things turned out way better than expected.

"..." Kyoko looked lost on thought.

Sora looked over to the lavender-haired detective and made a small smile. Once again, she's in Kyoko's debt.

"Hey..." Sora spoke up as Kyoko looked at her. "Thanks, Kiri. I'm still alive because of you. This totally makes up for you throwin' me to the dogs earlier."

Kyoko sighed. "Don't thank me just yet. The real battle is still ahead of us."

"Of course." Sora nodded.

"But still, I'm glad it worked out. I wasn't sure if the enemy would accept my proposal."

"But still, why would the mastermind agree to that?" Sora wondered. "They have nothing to gain from a final showdown, right?"

"They had no choice but to accept."

"What do you mean?"

"It's all because of that one moment that the mastermind let down their guard, like I said."

"So when was it that the mastermind let their guard down...?"

"I wasn't there to hear it myself, but do you remember what the mastermind said? They said they had hijacked the airwaves to broadcast our school life to the outside world, right?"

"Yeah, they definitely said that..."

"And what did you think when you heard that? Pretty hard to believe, right?"

"Well...my life is anything but normal, I assure you. But the idea of somebody taking control of the airwaves is...frankly, it sounds unbelievable."

"You don't exactly read about something like that happening very often, so it's hard to imagine. In other words, that kind of thing is extremely difficult to pull off. And yet somehow...the mastermind was able to do it. But think of it another way--there must have been some reason they had to do something that difficult."

"What kind of reason...?"

"They had to show the world something, no matter the cost--us killing each other."

"They wanted to show the world...?" Sora repeated in confusion.

"The mastermind has been very adamant about not killing us directly, but forcing us to kill each other." Kyoko mused. "And all their rules and regulation were designed to encourage that."

"I suppose that makes sense." Sora admitted. "After all, if those dumbass regulations didn't exist in the first place, nobody would've killed anybody. ...Except Celeste, I think..."

"So the mastermind's ultimate goal was to make us kill each other, and show that off to the world." 

"But why, though...?"

"To prove a point, most likely." Kyoko assumed.

"...Eh?" Sora looked confused.

"The outside world has a name for the students of Hope's Peak, right? A certain concept..."

"...Hope..."

"And for those of us who represent hope to kill each other and sink into despair..." Kyoko folded her arms. "The mastermind wants the world to see that, to try and prove that despair is better than hope. That's their goal, as the Ultimate Despair."

"..."

They want to prove that despair...is better than hope?

"That's it?" Sora blinked before narrowing her eyes. "That's all there is to it? That's absolutely ridiculous!"

"You're right. It is ridiculous, completely irrational." Kyoko agreed. "It's the kind of thing that nobody but those who call themselves the Ultimate Despair would devise. That group whose only purpose and motivation comes from despair..."

"...Is that seriously the only reason they're doing all this...?" Sora quietly grumbled

"I know how angry it must make you. And yet...that same motivation is what led to the mastermind revealing their weakness."

"...Hm?"

"Because their goal is to broadcast this killing game to the world...the mastermind has had to be more particular than is reasonable about their own regulations." Kyoko deduced. "If the mastermind simply ignored their rules, this wouldn't have been a "game," but a one-sided slaughter. At least, that's how those who are watching this would have seen it."

"So that's why the mastermind couldn't kill any of us herself?" Sora guessed.

"That is precisely the reason." Kyoko nodded. "No matter how much they may hate what I'm doing, I haven't violated a single one of their regulations." She pointed out. "Enoshima broke the rules, so she was punished. But in my case, they couldn't lay a finger on me. So instead, they tried to use the class trial, following all their proper rules, to get me killed. They began a trial that didn't have a right answer, then made me out to be the killer."

"But even that didn't work..."

"Yes, thanks to you. And due to that failure, the mastermind took yet another risk."

"And when that fact was exposed on live TV to the entire outside world...the mastermind had to give in to your demands?"

"To prove to the world that despair is better than hope, they have to defeat us in perfect form... It would only do the mastermind harm to have it shown that they'd violated their own regulations."

"But all of that...you weren't completely sure of that, were you? It was only a hunch." Sora pointed out. "And you still got the mastermind to accept your challenge... "

 "Well, it's only thanks to you that we got that chance." Kyoko told her. "Because you believed in me, another path opened up."

"Still, I can't believe how much of the mastermind's thoughts and plans you were able to figure out. I didn't have the slightest clue..." Sora scratched her head.

"In the end, though, I couldn't prove any of it. It was just my reasoning. Essentially, I was making a bet." Kyoko closed her eyes. "But it looks like I got it right. This time, at least, I won the bet."

She let out a quick sigh. She took it as a small sign of relief.

"To be honest, I haven't been that nervous in a long time." Kyoko admitted.

"You were nervous?" Sora blinked. "I couldn't tell the entire time. You seemed totally confident from the moment you entered the gym."

"I suppose so...but you're not so different, Shirayuki." Kyoko pointed out. "You're just as stoic as I am."

"Yeah but, it's more like I look completely tired and wanting nothing to do with anything. Nothing like your stone-cold stoic."

Kyoko let out a small chuckle. "Well regardless, presenting a strong demeanor is a fundamental part of negotiation and persuasion, wouldn't you say? Plus, if I'd showed my uneasiness, that would have just made you that much more uneasy. You're more likely to break your mask than me."

Sora sighed. "Yeah..."

"Anyway, we can't relax just yet. All we've done is earn another chance to fight. We have to win this time." Kyoko said. "Or everything we've gone through will have been for nothing..."

Sora nodded in agreement. "Right..." If we can't defeat the mastermind, it'll cost us our lives... There is no option except to win!

"But before we begin the final battle, we have to tell the others what's going on." Kyoko prioritized.

"Ah yeah, but know we know who the real enemy is. I'm pretty sure Naegi would say something like, "All we have to do now is work together with everyone to destroy the mastermind...!"" Sora exclaimed, perfectly mimicking Makoto's voice.

"Work together with everyone..." Kyoko let out a sigh as she flipped her hair. "Is that really possible?"

"...Hm?"

"Anyway, right now we have to go find the others. They're probably in the dorms somewhere. Shall we go?"

Sora nodded as the two of them left the trophy room to find the others.

Chapter 41: End

To be continued...?