(3rd Person's POV)

Junko: Okay dokey! Like they say, seeing is believing! I'd like for you to see...the outside world.

"What...?"

Sora: You mean...the world that's beyond the walls of this school?

Kyoko: So something really did happen out there...

Junko: Now are you interested in what I have to say? You wanna see what's out there? Puhuhu. I wanna see, too... See your faces sink into despair...! Ah-hahahaha! Now then, OPEN SESAME!!! Behold, the world beyond the school walls! This is the outside world you've all been so anxious to claw your way back into!

Suddenly, multiple TV's appeared above the trial grounds. Static appeared on them as they slowly fizzled on. And what was shown on the televisions were...

...

...

...

Sora: What...

Makoto: The...

Byakuya: Hell...?

What the students saw was unbelievable. Monokuma's face planted on multiple historic monuments, dozens of buildings destroyed, and over thousands of people wearing Monokuma masks causing chaos and anarchy.

Seeing the students flabbergasted experssions, Junko smirked to herself before changing her personas.

Junko: (Depressed persona) Dangerous... The world has grown so very dangerous. That's what this means.

Everyone whipped their heads to Junko, understandably horrified and confused.

Hiro: What are you talking about!? None of this makes any sense!

Byakuya: Wh-What am I looking at?

Toko: This is a scene f-from a movie or something, r-right?

Junko: What you just saw... All of you should recognize it.

We should...recognize it? What about it should we recognize? This whole thing is insane... Sora thought, trying and failing to wrap her head around all this.

Junko:  That world...is locked away within the memories that were taken from you. If you can't remember, please just try... Do your best to try and recall... (Goes into her Punk Rock persona) Haahahaha! Better kick your brain in the ass, cuz it's up to that grey lump whether you live or die! "I don't remember" ain't a fuckin' excuse no more! Cuz now it's time...for the final class trial!

---

NONSTOP DEBATE: MAKE YOUR ARGUMENT!

Junko: Come on, bitches! Remember or die! What the fuck happened outside!?

Hiro: You want us to remember or whatever, but... When it comes to that crazy confusing video you showed us...I don't understand a damn thing!

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

Makoto: Th-There's nothing "practical" about what we just saw...

Hina: I mean, you're telling us to remember, but what am I supposed to be remembering!?

Toko: I-If nobody can remember anything...this is the end f-for all of us! What other ch-choice do we have!?

Sora's Truth Bullet: Genocide Jill's Memory

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!"

---

Sora: Wait a minute, there might be someone who might remember. There's a high chance that she does...

Toko: Wh-Who might remember...?

Sora: Your split personality...Genocide Jill!

Toko: (Widens her eyes) What?

Sora: The two of them share certain kinds of knowledge, but their memories aren't linked, right?

Kyoko: (Pondering) I see... If their memories are separate...then even if one personality's forgotten, there's a chance the other may still have those memories.

Hiro: Well?! Whaddya say, Fukawa!?

Toko: Are y-you telling me to swap places...w-with HER!? (Furiously shakes her head) N-No! Absolutely not! That'd be like f-forfeiting my entire identity!

Byakuya let out a sigh as he looked at Toko with an almost convincing pleading expression. He can't believe he's about to say this...

Byakuya: Fukawa...you're the only one we can rely on now.

Toko: ...Achoo!

And like the wind, Toko lets out a hearty sneeze as she switches places and Genocide Jill reappeared.

Genocide Jill: Dun dada duuun! It's me, your friend neighborhood serial killer!

Hina: (Sweatdrops) Boy, she just gave in like it was nothin'...

Byakuya: I'm going to ask you a question. And I want to have it answered immediately. Do you know anything about this video?

Genocide Jill:  Huh? What video...!?

Junko: The video that's playing right now...

But Genocide Jill, her memories seperate from Toko, narrowed her eyes in confusion at the blonde fashionista.

 Genocide Jill: Who the hell are you!?

Junko: Oh, um...I'm the mastermind.

Genocide Jill: Oh! (Smiles) Nice to meetcha!

Junko: (Meekly) Ah...nice to meet you, too.

Hiro: That's enough! Just look at the stupid screen!

Genocide Jill:  Aye aye! Roger! You got it, captain!

Heeding the command, Genocide Jill turned her head and looked intently at the screens. Her eyes squinted as he mind started jogging.

Genocide Jill: (Had her arms folded and eyes closed) ...

Kyoko: Well? Does it look familiar?

Genocide Jill: I don't have all the details, but... (Nods in confirmation) Of course it does!

All the students widened their eyes.

Hiro: Then you remember all the stuff it's showing?

Genocide Jill: Of course I do!

Makoto: So you didn't lose your memory, after all...

Hina: Then why didn't you say something earlier!?

Genocide Jill: I only answer questions when someone bothers to ask me! I'm the quiet type, ya know?

Sora: (Facepalms) Oh, good grief...

Hina: Oh Kami! She's the worst liar in the world!

Byakuya: More importantly...if you really do remember, what is it?

Genocide Jill:  Huh? What's the matter, Master? Do you really not remember The Tragedy?

Byakuya: (Raised an eyebrow) "The Tragedy"...?

Genocide Jill: Oh no! You seriously forgot!? (Smirks seductively) Maybe I can help you remember...with a kiss!

Byakuya: Just answer the question! What happened out there!?

Genocide Jill:  Well, I can't really say if it "happened" or if it's still happening... But it was the biggest, most awful, most tragic event in human history.

Byakuya seemed to lose color in his face as Sora's ahoge perked up at the name.

Byakuya: Why is that phrase coming up now?

Genocide Jill: Cuz it's all because of that event.

Hina: What is...?

Genocide Jill: Are you serious? I'm talking about the way the world is now.

Hiro: Is...now?

Junko: The world's been destroyed, get it!?

Kyoko: (Grimaces in a rare show of emotion) Destroyed...?

Byakuya: (To Genocide Jill) Explain yourself! Tell us everything you know!

Genocide Jill: Copy that, darling! Okay, so, this big, awful, tragic event--they started just calling it the Tragedy--happened about a year ago! It was so big and bad that even this murderous fiend went pale at the sight of it. I guess you could say what happened was man-made... But it was more on the level of a worldwide natural disaster! Either way, there's no doubt that it was the biggest, most awful, most tragic event in human history. And as a result, in basically no time flat...the world turned out the way it did. And that's that.

Hiro: That's all there is to it!? Come on, there wasn't a single concrete description in there!

Genocide Jill: Well it just so happens I don't know any of the specifics! Miss Morose saw it all play out in real-time, so why don't you ask her?

Byakuya: We already did, and she didn't know anything! That's why we're asking you!

Genocide Jill: (Blushes) Ahh! I couldn't live up to Master's expectations! To die, to die...! This is the true tragedy!

Junko: (Menacing persona)  Okay, okay, that's enough of your little lover's quarrel. Whatever happened, it doesn't matter at this exact point in time, right? The end justifies the means. Everything serves the outcome. In other words... The world has ended. That's the important thing.

Hiro: H-How can the world just end!? It's...it's the world!

Junko: Calm down, it's okay. There's no need to panic. Every living person will be dead in a hundred years anyway, so the world ending isn't that big a deal.

Byakuya: Oh, come on... Now you're just being ridiculous!

Junko:  Well, as long as we're being ridiculous, I have another ridiculous story to tell you. It's the story of the Togami Corporation, which has given Togami's life all its meaning.

The person in question widened his eyes and instinctively whipped her head to Junko.

Byakuya: What...? What did you say...!?

Junko: (Teacher persona) I'm glad to see you took the bait. You bit into it like a middle-aged secretary at an all-you-can-eat cake buffet. (Goes into her kawii persona) Hey, hey! So? What do you think happened to the Togami family, hm!?

---

-The Togami family fell

-The Togami family fell

-The Togami family fell

"..."

---

Sora: ...Th-

Junko: (Royal persona) Correct! Well done, peasant!

Sora: But I didn't say anything yet. ...Also, who you calling a peasant?

Junko: (Punk Rock persona) I just got so fuckin' bored waiting, I couldn't help it! Even if you're wrong, eventually you'll figure it out, right? Till then, you're just goin' in circles! (Goes into her kawii persona) So no matter what you pick, you get the right answer! Pretty innovative, don't ya think? (Goes into her depressed persona) But...do you think it might be a disease? Getting bored so easy, I mean. Do you think I might be sick?

Oh you're sick, alright... Sora thought.

Junko: (Monokuma persona) Anyway, like I was saying...Togami's entire lineage has been totally annihilated!

The heir to the allegedly dead Togami family blinked in shock.

Byakuya: What? What the hell are you talking about!?

Junko: (Teacher persona) I can confirm that his entire family has died, even the distant relatives. The Togami name...has perished.

Byakuya: S-Stop with these idiotic jokes!

Junko: (Royal persona) 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!

But he would just shake his head in complete denial.

Byakuya: Th-They couldn't possibly be gone! The Togami family is destined to guide the world!

Junko: (Punk Rock persona) Hell, there IS no world anymore, remember? It got fucked a full year ago!

Makoto: H-Hold on! That doesn't make any sense!

Junko: (Kawaii persona) Huh? I don't make sense?

Makoto: There's no way that happened a year ago! I mean, we only came to this school a few weeks ago! If some kind of world-ending event happened a year ago...then how do you explain the totally normal world we were living in up till then!?

But the mastermind would simply laugh this off.

Junko: (Monokuma persona) Puhuhu... Have you considered the possibility that you're mistaken about that?

Kyoko: Mistaken...?

Junko: Well, if I'm understanding you right...it sounds like you think The Tragedy happened a year before you arrived here!

Hina: W-Well, yeah! I mean, like he said, we just got here a few weeks ago!

Junko: A few weeks ago...? ...Ohh, I get it! You're saying that what happened two years ago actually happened more recently! Right?

Hina: ...Huh? Two years ago...?

Junko: Well, I mean...you guys all started attending Hope's Peak Academy two years ago.

Everyone froze.

Makoto: Wait, what...?

Hiro: (Mirthlessly laughs) Hah...hahaha. What the hell is this chick trying to say?

Junko: (Menacing persona) I understand why you'd have trouble accepting it, but in the end, you can't deny the truth. And the truth is, everything is cause and effect. Deny that, and you may as well give yourself up to Kami. (Goes into her teacher persona) So, you must surely understand all the hints I've given you so far, right? What are the memories I took from you? (Goes into her royal persona) Come now, answer us. Answer with all your heart and soul!

Hina:  H-How are we supposed to answer...?

Hiro: I...I just don't know what's going on anymore...!

Byakuya: ...

Sora clenches her fist. She doesn't like what Junko's implying, either. Still...they have to answer somehow. If they don't, everything ends right here!

The memories that were stolen from the students... If what Junko says is true--if they first came here two years ago... But the rest of them only remember getting here within the last few weeks or so... So the memories she took from them...

---

-Their life at Hope's Peak

-The entire past

-The Tragedy

"..."

---

Sora: If we accept that what you say is true...then we've all lost our memories of the last two years, after coming to this school.

Hiro: No. (Shakes his head in denial) No no no no. Nope! No. I mean, no matter what anyone says...uh-uh...

Junko: Kh--! Another correct answer...! Well done, peasant...

Hiro: Seriously!? This routine again!?

Hina: (Places a hand over her mouth in fear) We've lost two years' worth of memories...?

Junko: That's right! You've already spent two full years here at Hope's Peak Academy! And that entire period of time...is precisely what you've forgotten!

Hiro: I don't remember the last two years of my life...? That...that's not possible!

Sora closed her eyes in fear and frustration. She'd like to believe what Hiro said, too. She doesn't want to believe it, but it's just their desire blinding them. She wants it to be impossible, but...

If it's the truth, then she has no choice but to accept it! And she'll make the others accept it, as well!

Class Trial: On Hold

To be continued...?