"It was the principal. The guy who previously ran this place. He only wanted to protect us. He didn't know it would turn into this." I say. "Yeah. Oops! His bad. You know what they say, the road to hell is made with good intentions. Nyeh Nyeh Nyeh! I almost feel sorry for him. Almost. The poor oblivious bastard couldn't of known that despair had already made it's way into his precious shelter in the form of two sisters. Or the concepts of prison and shelter would bleed together and all distinction would melt together in one big mess! That reminds me, the people responsible for decorating the doors and windows to the outside in iron are none other than you guys. You guys sealed the lot in because of your paranoia." Junko reveals.

"No way dude! You mean the place we tried so hard to escape was created by us?!" Hiro asks. "She's right. Again..." Ishani says, still looking down. "Nice job throwing a hissy fit over your own handiwork by the way. Once we were properly locked in, Mukuro and I began the show. We thought we might have to kill Ice princess over there when she made her appearance, but turns out she was too traumatized to say anything! Anyway, our school life of mutual killing was going to be the biggest hit in tv history! Even from the start, before we got to Hope's Peak, we knew that the plan would go flawlessly. We had such an appetite for despair that only a scheme this devilish could satisfy it." Junko says, looking proud of herself.

"So you kept us alive to kill us off later?! How despicable!" Taka says. "I don't get it. Why go this far?" I ask. "The outside world, I'm sorry to say, still has a handful of people who hope for a better life. I've taken it upon myself to disperse what hope they have left." Junko states, like she's doing nothing more than killing some bugs. "You're pirating us! That's your game! You hijacked the air waves." I say. "Indeed. Well done sir. How else to squash remaining hope, then a world wide killing game? Oh dear! The truth is hard to accept isn't it? Just look at your faces! and only to have despair as the reward!" Junko says.

I look around. Everyone's face mirrors each other's. Shock, Anger, Sorrow. Despair. "Wait. That's what you wanted all along. Your whole plan hinged on us uncovering the truth!" Kyoko says. "Clever, clever. Of course I did. With you coming to terms to your situation would lead to my desire to cause utter misery at it's finest to be fulfilled." Junko explains. "That's all kinds of messed up!" I say. "Ahahahaha! And I thought I was tasteless." Jack says. "Who's number one?" Kyoko asks. "Hm?" Junko asks.

"I don't buy that two teenage girls did this. The tactical genius required is against it. Who are you working for?! A crime syndicate? A family?" Kyoko asks. "Multiple choices? None of the above I'm afraid. My sister and I are top dogs. We don't work for anyone. Would you believe that two sisters with the help of a revenge hungry teen, a extremely talented guy bored with the world and a intelligent little girl caused this?" Junko asks. That must be the other people Ishani asked about earlier. Junko's lackeys.

"We got it! Despair queen overlord with henchman! Yadda yadda yadda! Now can you please let us go?!" Hiro begs. "I'm going to receive that as a plea for life. I don't think I've seen a human being come so low. How extraordinary! You see while no one's immune to despair, I'm immune to begging. I do what I do because of what you call a deep seeded complex. No rhyme or reason to it. I'm just riding the wave. I've got no motive and you have no argument. It's zero zero." Junko says, mimicking Monokuma.

"Stop! I don't want to hear it. You keep talking but you don't say squat. We're just to swallow this BS without a shread of evidence!" I yell. "I hope that's not your way of calling me a liar." Junko says in a professional tone, narrowing her eyes at me. "Like you're one to talk about hope! Truth is, I don't care if you're lying. I just don't want to lose to you! And I won't! We owe it to the ones who died." I say. "Hm, a pragmatist are we? Is that how we stay positive? While I would love more than to keep debating about this, I'm afraid we're out of time." Junko reveals. "Out of time? How?" I ask.

"We can't jibber jabber all day! We've got to step up to the plate and vote! Oh, and since this is the last vote there's been a rule change. I mean, the same old rules are super boring! So here's the deal. You little sugar gliders represent Hope and I represent Despair. The rules work as before. Someone's getting KO'd. If even one of you vote hope down than I win and you all crash and burn together as one big happy dead family!" Junko announces. "Hold on, even if it's just one?" Hina asks. "I know what you're thinking and relax. Joke! Yep! Just one!" Junko says, imitating Monokuma.

"That's such BS! The odds are totally on your side!" Leon says. "No way! We've got this! No one's going to vote to be executed! Just think! The odds are in our favor!" I say. "Yeah, good point." Hiro says. "Let me paint an even clearer picture on what will happen if I win. You'll die of old age! Here! Under the roof of Hope's Peak!" Junko says, mimicking Monokuma. "So basically we would be prisoners here for the rest of our lives..." Taka says. "At least we'd still have lives." Jack adds. "If we start thinking like that than it's all over!" I say. "What if it is already all over? All this fighting and for what? To go back into that hellscape?" Ishani asks.

"You can't give up! You really want to be stuck in here forever?!" I ask. "You just gave me an idea! We can't have a chance without a death! Our viewers would so not forgive us for pulling the rug out like that! Here's the new deal! If hope gets voted down then one of you takes the fall! Enie meenie miny Makoto!" Junko yells. "Seriously?!" I ask. "It's only fair. I hate your guts even more than Ishani and Kyoko. Next time don't be such a jerk to your captor. In case you're not following kiddos, sacrifice him and we all get to live happily ever after!" Junko explains. No one says anything.

"Be...sacrificed?" I ask. "That's the idea. Simple!" Junko says in a weird voice. "You guys aren't okay with that, are you?!" I ask. "O-of course not!" Taka says, sounding unsure. "What's wrong? Having a hard time believing your so called friends will stick to your side?" Junko asks. "No! Screw you! That's not it-" I say. I cut myself off when I notice everyone's looks. They're having mixed thoughts. "Guys, what's the matter?" I ask. None of them look at me.

"Wow. If you can see yourselves now. Allies against each other. Oh that's right. I almost forgot. The outside world is barely habitable. What keeps us safe here is the air purifier purring away in the physics lab. I'm also linked to it, so if I die than it shuts off. I have mentioned the outside world is full of contamination and death right?" Junko asks in a annoying voice. The others look even more unsure.

"No! You're wrong! You said there's still people out there! If there is then it must be habitable. Besides, you've got to be importing all the food from somewhere. It definitely doesn't come here" I say. No one says anything. "How does it feel to have your life in the hands of people who are obviously having second thoughts?!" Junko asks, clearly enjoying this. "Come on guys! We can do this! If despair can spread than so can hope!" I say.

"I know but, I'm shaking in my boots. I'm getting a vibe that we should stay put." Hiro says. "You've got to pull yourself together! Come on man! You wanted out of here the most! Sometimes you're going to have to rely on other things besides your psychic sense! Man up! Either you want to stay in this place or you don't! Now you just crumble like the mastermind wants? Hell no! That's a sham and you know it!" I say. "You're right! The hell was I even thinking?! There's a door that needs opening! And I swear on my life that I'm going to open it if it's the last thing I do!" Hiro says, walking to me.

One down, seven more to convince. "Come on! We need to work together! Don't let Junko win!" I ask. "Work together? What a piece of shit. Every single time something happens everyone desides to turn on one another and take out the weakest. I'm going to make sure that's not going to me. Once was enough." Leon says. "We made mistakes and we know it. But this isn't the beginning anymore! We know each other! We can trust one another!" I say. "Oh really?! This is coming from the guy who's accused more people than the rest of us!" Leon says.

"I had to do it or else we all would of died. Are you really willing to stay trapped in here? Have everyone tapped in here? Even Ishani?" I ask. "No. I'd feel bad cause of that. Just cause I don't trust most of you, doesn't mean I want you all to be trapped in here forever. And getting you killed wouldn't be too good either, I guess." Leon says, walking over to Hiro and I. I turn to Hina next. "Hina, don't you think the people who didn't make it would want better for us? Think about it. You should move on because they didn't get the chance." I say.

"What would Sakura say? If she were here right now. What would she do?" Hina asks. "Well she wouldn't give in. For damn sure. We can't let them down. We owe it to them! We carry the hope they no longer can!" I say. "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger. That's what Sakura would say. Or maybe, when the going gets tough the tough kick ass! Oh yeah! For sure!" Hina says, joining us. "Taka, you're the ultimate moral compass right?! What is your heart telling you to do?" I ask. "I..." Taka says. "Mine is sure as hell telling me not to give up! When you're dedicated to something, you put everything you've got into it! Do that now! Dedicate yourself to Hope!" I say.

"You are right Makoto! Everything in me tells me to follow you! I'm sure bro would do the same!" Taka says, joining us. "Byakuya. Even if the world is going through hell and back, what would your family do? Wouldn't they of fought back? This is an opportunity! We can rebuild! Your family may be penniless, but you cannot afford to give up! You're alive! As long as you choose life, the Togami name still runs! So get off your ass and rebuild your family's legacy!" I say.

"Well played sir. But just so you know, I don't need any encouragement from a vile peasant like you." Byakuya says, chin up. "Welcome back." I say. "Frankly I'm offended. Do you truly think I'd fall so easily to the rants of a lunatic? I made a promise under my name and I vow to keep it. I vowed to kill the mastermind and indeed I shall." Byakuya vows. "That's so hot! That settles it for me, my darling! Where you go I go!" Jack says. "That's the spirit." I say. "Before you think I'm all noble, I could go either way. As long as it's the fun way! Ahahahaha!" Jack says.

I turn to Kyoko. "What about you miss murple? Does the smartest girl in the room have a death wish too? Is the the thought of all that trouble daddy went through enough to keep you in the game? Or are you going to drink Makoto's hope kool-aid?" Junko asks. "Don't listen to her! Kyoko, I know how important your father was to you. Believe me. This is what he wanted." I say. "You say that, but how can you really know that? I certainly don't have that luxury. I never knew the man." Kyoko says.

"Read between the lines. He had a vision. He had hope for us all. He wanted us to have a future. If hope really has left us, then we have to do everything in his name to get it back!" I say. "That we do. You're right. My father wanted the best for us. For tomorrow. He didn't sacrifice everything to have it bend under him like reeds in the currents of misery!" Kyoko says. "I knew I could count on you." I say. I look at the final person I need to convince. Ishani.

"You all are just like this because you've forgotten everything." She says. "That's where you're wrong! I know, horrors and all, that we would've still fought for our freedom!" I say. "You're going to have to keep fighting when you get out. No breaks. I'm tried of fighting. Tired of seeing traumatic things. I don't have a reason to fight, so why I should I?" I ask. "What if your family is still out there?! Are you just going to ignore them?!" I ask.

"They're not. You heard what Junko said. They're all dead. She has the power to do pretty much anything. I've seen it." I say. "She could be lying! Besides you family, there's got at least one other person for you to fight for! That person is waiting." I say. "That's right...I remember now. He's waiting for me. I promised him that I'd come back. Akari's there too. They'd know. They wouldn't let anything bad happen to my family. Man. I can't believe I almost fell for your damn tricks again." Ishani says, shaking her head before walking over.

"Wait, who's this he, Isha?!" Leon asks. "Hm. It's a secret. You'll find out after this." Ishani says. "I don't like the sound of that..." Leon grumbles. "Makoto, you may see yourself as a lighting rod, a reflection, but that's not true. Even in the darkest moments you stayed positive. You had hope. When the rest of us gave up, you continued to persist. Lady luck doesn't snuff you, she depends on you. You're the Ultimate Hope!" Kyoko says. Everyone nods in agreement. Byakuya and Jack join our side.

"It's over. So much for despair. Hope wins out!" I say.

A/N: The Final trial is coming to a close! Hope always beats despair such as good always beats evil! And sadly, that also means this crappy book is coming to a close. I'm surprised I've gotten as many views as I did. But on to the next chapter!