(3rd Person's POV)

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. 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!

---

NONSTOP DEBATE: MAKE YOUR ARGUMENT!

Hina: Two years' worth of memories... I could never lose something like that!

Hiro: We've been living here for two years...? Hell no! That's impossible! I mean, I haven't gone to any awesome school events or anything... Heck, I've never even gone to a single class!

Byakuya: This is all just...surreal!

Hiro: Plus, if two years have passed...how freakin' old am I!?

Junko: (Monokuma persona) Puhuhu... Everyone's so conflicted!

Sora's Truth Bullet: Locker Notebook

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!"

---

Sora: Hiro, there's something I'd like you to take a look at. This notebook right here... (Takes it out)

Hiro: Huh? Hey, why's my name written on it?

Sora: I found it in the locker room on the 2nd floor. If you don't mind, could you take a look inside?

Hiro: Sure, whatever you want. But I've never seen this notebook before in my life.

He then took the notebook and opened it. And when he did....

Hiro: ... ... ... ...

Genocide Jill: Wuzza wuzza? Is something wrong?

Hiro (Furrows his eyebrows) It's kinda similar... No, even more than that...

His eyes widened in disbelief.

Hiro:  What the--? This is absolutely my handwriting, without a doubt! But how is this...? I don't remember ever writing in this thing! N-No... No way!

Sora let out a sigh.

Sora: It looks like you actually did attend class here at Hope's Peak. But somehow...you forgot all about it.

Hiro: (Shakes his head in denial) Lies... It's all one big lie...!

Kyoko: I don't want to believe it either... But there's also no explanation for this pocketbook.

The detective mumbled as she took the pocketbook out as well.

Genocide Jill: Hm... And whose pocketbook is that?

Kyoko: It's mine. And the handwriting inside is also mine, there's no doubt about it. But just like Hiro, I have no memory of ever writing in it.

Kyoko had a dark expression on her face. But not the violent one she had those times when mentioning her father. It was an expression of subtle fear.

Byakuya:  And the reason for that...is the two years of missing memories?

Junko: Puhuhu. After seeing all the evidence, do you have any choice but to acknowledge the truth? (Goes into her Punk Rock persona) 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!

Makoto: ...

Junko: (Menacing persona) 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 one year ago... The biggest, most awful, most tragic event in human history. Right before everyone's eyes, the world came crashing down... You absorbed all that despair, but then you forgot it all. And once you'd forgotten, you made the choice to subject yourselves to this killing game. Oh, and there's one other thing. To be even more precise, the memories you all lost were... ... (Sighs as she goes into her depressed persona) Actually, never mind. I'm bored. Explaining stuff is boring...

Hiro:  What...?

Junko: (Royal persona) We are bored of this world! Everyone always talks big, declaring all the great things they'll do! But then they always fizzle out... (Goes into her Punk Rock persona) This world is just so desperately fucking boring!

Kyoko: What are you talking about?

Junko: (Menacing persona) In a way, I'm jealous of all of you. To give yourself over so completely to such stimulating despair... (Goes into her Punk Rock persona) Yeah, so figure out the rest for yourselves! I'm sick of expositioning all this shit!

Sora: Figure out what, exactly?

Junko: (Teacher persona) Figure out where your memories come apart. That's at the heart of all of this.

Where their memories come apart... Is she talking about the moment where they must have lost their memories?

---

-At the entrance ceremony

-When Sora fainted

-When Sora got the acceptance letter

"..."

---

Sora: The moment I lost my memories... I can't think of any time other than...that day. When I first came to the gates of this school, and stepped foot in the main hall... When I passed out...I was overcome with a strange sensation...

Junko: (Kawaii persona) Wow! You still have enough spirit to keep on talking, huh? Umm, so I don't know much about the details, but it seems like everyone remembers passing out, right? And your sense of time got all messed up because of the memory loss after that...? I guess it musta been something like that!

Sora: After I passed out, I woke up in a classroom, with my head on a desk... I assumed not much time had passed since I'd collapsed in the main hall.

Junko: Ahaha... But instead, two whole years had gone by!

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

Junko: (Punk Rock persona) You got it, honey! Two years of memories, poof, gone! Which means, of course... (Goes into her teacher persona) When everyone met for the first time, it wasn't actually for the first time. Unaware of this fact, you took the time to introduce yourselves to each other. But...

Kyoko interjected, knowing what she was going to say.

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

Junko: (Monokuma persona) Puhuhu... Yup! That's what they reveal! You were all such close friends. You spent two years together. And then you started killing each other! And it was all so you could escape into a world that's already been annihilated! Puhuhu. What a terribly tragic tale... Even if you left now, there's nothing you could do to fix it!

But Makoto wasn't having any of that.

Makoto: You're the one who set things up to be like this!

The blonde mastermind would go into her depressed persona as she flopped her head down.

Junko: (Depressed persona) ...I love you all so much...

Makoto:  ...What?

Junko: Once your school life here began, I thought about you constantly. It's only natural that I would...fall in love. (Kawaii persona) So since I love you guys so much, I'll tell you all about it! All about the idea we came up with as the Ultimate Despair--our plan to bring despair to all mankind!

The Ultimate Despair? All mankind...? Sora mumbled internally.

Junko: Let's go back in time two years, okay? Back to when everyone first came to this school... School life during that first year overflowed with hope and happiness! Oh boy, it was just the worst! Everyone was enjoying themselves so much. You were all having the time of your lives! (Goes into her teacher persona) But that couldn't last forever, of course. The peacefulness only made it through that first year...  Because of that, an event unfolded that hammered a soul-crushing despair into all of humanity. The biggest, most awful, most tragic even in human history... The Tragedy.  All too soon, the world's days of peace came to a bloody end. And as you can imagine, the school was no exception. The Tragedy even made its way here, leading to the extermination of most of the students.

Everyone froze in their place, the information sinking in like a sadistic sponge. Then, after a few seconds...a stoic voice finally spoke up.

Kyoko: What...are you?

Junko: (Menacing persona) Hm? What do you mean?

Kyoko: The most tragic event in human history, and the "Ultimate Despair" that caused it... I can't believe it's all because of just you and Ikusaba. Was it some kind of organization? An angry mob? An incredibly motivated family?

Junko: You have a point. If I had to describe it, I'd say... It was none of those. How can I put it? It was more of an ideological thing. Despair is contagious you know. It's almost like...a natural phenomenon. Everyone is capable of it. And now the entire world has fallen into despair. (Goes into her royal persona) In other words, if you see despair as the enemy, then your enemy...is the world itself!

Kyoko: (Grimaces as a dark shadow covered her forehead) I just don't understand why...

Junko: We didn't ask you to try to understand. This was a tangent anyway, unrelated to the matter at hand. (Goes into depressed persona) Okay, so let's get back to the story... Hope's Peak had taken so much damage. You guys were the only survivors. The members of the 78th class of Hope's Peak Academy were the only ones left... (Goes into kawaii persona) And then, something super neat happened! Now pay attention, cuz this is important and I'm only gonna say it once! So guess what! To protect everyone who had survived, Hope's Peak was transformed into a shelter. That's right! It was transformed into a shelter! Ahh! I said it twice! (Goes into teacher persona) Now, someone was responsible for that transformation, for creating what would eventually become your prison. Do any of you know who that might have been?

The one who turned Hope's Peak into a shelter and isolated us here...

---

-Junko

-The prime minister 

-The headmaster

"..."

---

Sora: It could only have been...the headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy.

Kyoko: (Closes her eyes and silently grunts to herself) ...

Sora: He wanted to turn the school into a shelter to try and protect us. To protect us...from the despair and tragedy taking place outside. That's why he asked us to make that promise... To say that we were willing to live in this school forever.

Junko: (Royal persona) We believe he had something like that in mind, yes. If you, the collective hope of a new generation, could survive, maybe the world could have a fresh start. (Goes into her depressed persona) Yeah...the headmaster put that much faith in you.

Sora: And because we had that same hope... That's why we all agreed...to live here forever.

Junko: (Chuckles as she goes into her Monokuma persona) But creating the shelter was also his single biggest mistake. Puhuhu... It's laughable, really. He was the headmaster, but he had nooo idea. He had no idea that we, the Ultimate Despair had already made our way into the school. So what was supposed to be a shelter to keep you safe...became a cage that made it impossible for you to escape despair.  Puhuhu. I have to say, it really helped me out a lot! It saved me a ton of time. (Goes into her teacher persona)  By the way, it was you yourselves who blocked off the windows, the doors, all the exits. Under the headmaster's direction, you all went about your work like obedient little sheep.

Everyone did a double-take at this news.

Hiro: You mean...we trapped ourselves in here?

Junko: (Punk Rock persona) And then you forgot all about it, and started bitching about how you were trapped in here! (Goes into her Monokuma persona) Once you'd finished building your little shelter, it was time for me and Mukuro to get to work. And thus began the killing game! (Goes into her depressed persona) Me and Mukuro had come here, spending the last two years waiting for that moment... (Goes into her royal persona) That moment where you all began killing each other served as the climax of our global despair plan! (Goes into teacher persona) And the only reason you survived The Tragedy was so that you could be a part of it...

Hina: You only let us live...so we could go around killing each other. Is that what you're saying?

Makoto: Why...? Why would you do that?

Junko: (Royal persona) Because this was so much more than a simple high school death match... Rather, it was a method to hunt down and destroy every last remaining speck of hope in the world.

Makoto: What are you saying?

Junko: (Menacing persona) Well, it would seem that there's a little bit left out there, a few souls unwilling to give up hope... So I thought I should show them. Which is why I... (Stops herself as she goes into her Monokuma persona)  Puhuhu... Well, why don't you tell me?

What the mastermind did to show everyone in the outside world... That was...!

---

HANGMAN'S GAMBIT: THINK ABOUT IT!

H.I.J.A.C.K.

"..."

---

Sora: You're talking about you hijacking the airwaves, aren't you?

Junko: (Menacing persona) Uh-huh. That's exactly what I'm talking about. To show the world the murders taking place at this school, which was meant to be a symbol of hope... (Goes into her Punk Rock persona) That was the whole point of the Ultimate Despair! When I said "climax," THAT was what I was talking about! (Goes into her royal persona) The world watched as you fell into despair, and began to kill each other one after another... Despair is as contagious as any disease; any hope left turns to despair. (Goes into her Monokuma persona) Puhuhu. Isn't the power of television just amazing!? By the way, since we started broadcasting, a whole bunch of people have tried to come and rescue you.

Hina: (Widens her eyes) A-Are you serious!?

Junko: (Teacher persona) But utilizing the heavy weaponry I installed around the school grounds, I had no problem expelling them.

Hina: You...expelled them?

Junko: I have to thank you all. They were a relentless bunch, refusing to give up on hope and trying to force their beliefs on the world. But in the end, I was able to give them the final despair--death.

Makoto: (His ahoge shivering) So you just used us? To bring despair to everyone in the outside world...?

Junko: (Kawaii persona) Well sure, but I also gave you a second chance at life, right? So it's like...give and take!

Makoto (Angered) Give and take!? You're so full of...shit!

The boy raised his voice and emphasized one that last word, showing how uncustomed he is to using that sort of language. 

Junko: And there's a reason I chose you guys to survive, when all the other students were dropping like flies... I mean, we built up two years of memories together. You were all my treasured classmates... (Goes into her depressed persona) Sorry, that's a lie. I just figured you'd despair even more when you found out a friend had betrayed you. (Royal persona) And that's the truth! Which is what you wanted, right? So? Does it make you feel utterly lost and hopeless? You solved the mystery but despair at the truth, right!?

Kyoko gasped in horror and realization at what Junko was implying.

Kyoko: Don't tell me... Did you seriously count on the possibility that we would solve your mystery?

Junko: (Laughs) And if we did? Then what? Our final desire for creating this world of despair was so we could experience one last class trial. If you were bold enough to solve the mystery, only to discover that the truth was utterly hopeless...how would you react? What would you do?

Kyoko: ...

Junko: (Menacing persona) See? Discovering the truth doesn't necessarily lead to a sense of hope. (Goes into her Punk Rock persona) Truth can be full of despair, too! Like right fuckin' now!

Sora felt a drop of sweat roll down her face as she couldn't stop herself from absorbing every word the woman said.

Junko: (Menacing persona) Not to mention, all those motives I talked about were totally meaningless. I mean, with the world having ended and all...

Hina: Meaningless? Then we...  We've been murdering each other...for nothing?

Junko: (Depressed persona) And think about it. You chose to lock yourselves up here, then started murdering each other to get out...

Kyoko:  We weren't just random strangers, either. We were classmates. We'd spent two years together...

Byakuya: Kh--!

Genocide Jill: Kyeeha--! (Suddenly stops herself as her face went flat) No, even I can't laugh at that.

Hiro: We get it... We get it, okay? You're totally awesome, right? We get it already! So help us! I'll do anything! Just help me!

Sora lets out a defeated sigh. Honestly, for once in her entire time being here, she can't blame Hiro for acting desperate. After what they all just heard...she doesn't blame him one single bit.

Junko: (Royal persona) A peasant begging for his life? How delightful! We've never witnessed such a travesty firsthand... (Goes into her Monokuma persona) But I'm sorry to say, begging doesn't work on me. All I want is despair. And there's no reason for it. And since there's no reason, there's no argument against it. There's just no understanding it. No argument, no understanding... What better definition of ultimate despair could there be!?

Makoto: Wait, hold on... You've just been going on about whatever you feel like, but... (Points harshly at Junko) But there's no real reason for us to believe anything you have to say!

Suddenly, Junko's face fell flat. She looked at Makoto with a blank stare. No personas, no extreme hamminess. Just at blank stare.

Junko: ...Huh?

Makoto: You say the world's fallen apart. But I haven't seen it for myself. So I don't acknowledge it...! I don't accept it as the truth!

Though Junko seemed momentarily stunned by the act of defiance, she soon shoved it off, going into her teacher persona.

Junko: (Teacher persona) Until you see it with your own eyes, truth and falsehood overlap one another. In other words, you're not unlike Schrödinger's cat right now. Is that what you're saying? If so, what then? (Goes into her kawaii persona) Are you saying you won't accept the truth until you can go outside and see for yourself!? Well, you better not! You go out into that world, and you're all goners for sure! Trust me, I'm not lying about any of this!

Makoto: W-Well...even if it's all true... I refuse to give in! I refuse to lose to you! For the sake of everyone you've killed...!

Junko: (Monokuma persona) Huh? Everyone I've killed? What are you talking about? You're the ones who killed them. (Goes into her teacher persona) I didn't kill anyone. I simply gave you a little nudge in the right direction. (Goes into her depressed persona) And that's all it took for you to start killing each other. You're nothing but bloodthirsty animals... (Goes into her royal persona) That's why anyone was murdered here, peasant! (Goes into her kawaii persona) Say what you want about hope, but we're all creatures of instinct, right? Despair comes naturally! (Goes into her Punk Rock persona) Hell yes! That's funny as shit!

The lucky student would let out a hateful hiss as he threw the argument right back in her face.

Makoto: No...! This isn't just some game to us! (Fiercely points at her) It's murder, plain and simple! You stole our memories, invented reasons for us to do it... You pushed us all into a corner...!  It's all your fault! All of it!

Junko: (Chuckles as she goes into her menacing persona) You certainly have a talent for passing the buck, don't you? That must be your hope, huh? But we don't have much time left to keep up this banter. We have to draw things to a close soon...

Makoto: What do you mean?

Junko: (Kawaii persona) I'm talking about the vote, of course! You didn't forget about that little rule, did you? Oh! And also, since this'll be the last vote, I decided to change the rules!

Everyone looked at her in confusion and disbelief.

Makoto: What...?

Junko: (Monokuma persona) You guys so full of hope... And me so full of despair... I've decided to have you vote which one will be punished! If even one of you votes to punish hope, well then...I'll consider that a win for me, and punish everyone on the side of hope!

Hina: Even if it's just one person...?

Junko: Oh, but don't worry. I won't be voting, of course.

Hiro: Even if you don't, you've still got the upper hand in all this!

Makoto: It's okay. Nobody would actually vote to kill themselves, right?

Junko: Oh, let me just mention one more thing. When I win, to punish you guys... You'll have to stay here till you grow old and die. No fighting, no killing. That's your punishment.

Hiro: You mean...we'd just...

Hina: We'd have to just...live here?

Genocide Jill: She's saying she'll let us live!

Junko: (Depressed persona) If you're not happy with that...then go ahead and punish me, and make your way to the outside world. (Goes into her teacher persona) Enter a world fallen from grace, where only despair exists. Where you'd likely be dead within a day.

Makoto: Wh-What are you saying? So no matter what, we're doomed...!

Junko: (Goes into her Punk Rock persona) Wait a sec! I just got hit with an inspiration bomb... Dying of old age is boring as shit, right? The audience at home isn't gonna dig that at all! So, here's what'll happen! One of you will get to experience an instant, super impressive punishment!

The despair within the students hearts grew even larger with that last statement.

Hina: What!? Y-You can't just--!

Byakuya: Do you mean to say...you'll execute one of us?

Junko: And I get to decide...who's gonna hafta suck it down!

The mastermind grinned evilly as she raised up a finger and pointed it towards...

Junko: Naegi! You're up!

Makoto: ...M-Me?

Junko: (Kawaii persona) Yeah! (Childishly pouts) You've been acting up, causing all kinds of trouble! I haaate you! (Goes into her menacing persona) So, let me make this clear. Everyone has two choices in front of them. If a single person votes for "hope" to be punished...then only Naegi will receive a harsh punishment, and the rest of you will live here in peace. (Goes into her royal persona) If, on the other hand, you desire to see us punished, then you must all leave this place. (Goes into her teacher persona) I will force you out, ensuring you all die horrible deaths in the outside world. (Goes into her Punk Rock persona) What I'm saying is, if you sacrifice Naegi, the rest of you will get to live out your lives.

Sora's breathed hitched as she clenched her fist. If they decide to stay, Makoto will die and the rest of them gets to live in hopelessness, and if we leave this place, they'll enter the despair-filled outside world where the chances of surviving are null at best? This...this is a full-on lose-lose situation...!

Junko: (Monokuma persona) What, has your resolve softened? Have you lost confidence? Are you afraid of being punished? Don't you have faith in your friends?

Makoto: N-No, that's not it...!

Junko: (Teacher persona) It's okay. You're right to be afraid. It would seem all of those around you have realized the futility of going against me.

Hina: ...

Hiro: ...

Genocide Jill: ...

Byakuya: ...

Makoto's face paled.

Makoto: Guys...?

Junko: (Depressed persona) It's so beautiful... Your lovely faces, eroded by despair, have come together as one... (Goes into her Monokuma persona) Besides... Kirigiri, you could never betray your father, could you?

Kyoko: ...What?

Junko: I mean, the headmaster's only wish was that all of you would survive, right? That's why he tried to trap you all here, after all! The least you can do is try to honor your dead father's wishes. Puhuhuhu!

Kyoko: ...

The girl grit her teeth in frustration, but said nothing.

Makoto: Kirigiri...!

Junko: (Punk Rock persona) One person's despair is enough to seal your fate. Isn't that just the most hopeless outcome ever!? (Goes into her kawaii persona) So who do you think's gonna give in? Whose despair is gonna sign your death warrant!?

Makoto: ...

The lucky student put his head down for a moment, looking to be in deep contemplation. Soon, however, he raised his head up, eyebrows furrowing as his as shined with defiance and determination.

Makoto: No one... Nobody's gonna give in to despair! We're not gonna lose to you!

And once again, Junko's face fell completely flat.

Junko: (Sighs) ...So boring. Stubborn till the very end, huh? Well, that's fine. Then let's just hurry up and get it over with. It's time for the final vote. Everything will come to an end. Your stupid hope... And your stupid life!

The final vote... This is it... The ultimate confrontation... Makoto...he has to show everyone... He has to make them remember! He has to convince them not to give up. To live in despair...

That's not really living at all!

"...Hey."

Both Makoto and Junko whipped their heads to see Sora. Her face was as bored and neutral as it ever was, but it was clear that she was hiding some negative emotions behind her semi-stoic mask.

Makoto: S-Shirayuki...?

Junko: (Monokuma persona) Puhuhuhu...! Well now! You've been pretty quiet lately. Have you succumbed to despair already?!

Sora: (Her eye twitches) ...I have just one question for you.

Sora closed her eyes briefly before quickly opening them.

"...Who's the third despair...?"

Class Trial #6: On Hold

To be continued...?