Kirigiri gathered her thoughts as she walked back to the cafeteria with everyone else. She couldn't help but feel guilty, Makoto wasn't supposed to die but she threw him under the bus anyway. However, it couldn't be helped. She was the only one who could find the secrets behind Hope's Peak Academia.

She looked up at everyone in front of her. She was searching for the most trustworthy. The person that would least likely be the mastermind. "Hey, Byakuya. Can I talk to you for a minute?" She asked. Byakuya raised an eyebrow as he turned around.

She watched as everyone else walked away out of hearing before turning to face the young heir. "I'm going to tell you something. But I need you to promise to keep it to yourself. I was originally going to tell Makoto this but... you seen what happened."

Byakuya sighed pushing his glasses farther up his nose. "I suppose if it's.... important I could listen. But this better be quick." Kyoko nodded in understanding. "There's a reason I have to survive. There's a reason I came to this school." Byakuya raised his eyebrow once more. "I made up my mind to come to Hope's Peak Academia for one very important reason." Kirigiri sighed. "But as you may already know, I'd forgotten what it was..."

"Then I suppose you weren't lying about the memory loss." Kyoko nodded before continuing. "Do you remember Byakuya? Do you remember the first thing that happened to us, as we each arrived at this school?"

Byakuya crossed his arms over his chest. "Your talking about when we fainted right? I fainted and when I woke up I was in some dusty old classroom." Kyoko looked to the side. "I fainted too. But when I woke up, I noticed a strange feeling of.... separation within myself. A disconnection." She looked back up at Byakuya. "Thinking back on it now, at that point my memory was gone. At that time I'd forgotten. I couldn't remember why I'd come to this school, and I couldn't remember what my ultimate talent was."

"And how am I supposed to help you with that? What would even make you forget all of that in the first place?"  Byakuya rolled his eyes. "Stange isn't it? It's hard to think it happened all by chance. It seems much too convenient."

"Are you saying you think you lost your memory because-" Kyoko cut him off? "I don't think. I'm positive it was the work of the mastermind. They stole my memory."

"That doesn't even make any sense. Why would they want to do that?!"

"There's only one reason I could come up with. Because of my purpose, and my ability.  Somehow they would interfere with the mastermind's plans. But.... it could also mean, that somehow my memories may be connected to the mystery of the school, and the mastermind. Which is why I have to get them back. That's why I've been investing by myself this whole time. Not because I was up to no good." 

"But if what you say is true, why didn't you ask the rest of us to help you?" Byakuya pushed up his glasses once more. "If I did that, and we all worked as one, the mastermind would have noticed right away. Plus... there's always the chance that the mastermind is actually one of us..." Byakuya nodded in agreement. "Yes.. that is very much a possibility. But even so why pick me out of everyone to tell this information. I could still be the mastermind you know." 

"Because among everyone other than Makoto, you are the least likely to be the mastermind. This is just an intuition but..." "I see... your intuition is right. I don't have too much time on my hands to plan out a killing game such as this." Kyoko nodded. "Well... I know I never asked you for help right away, so I understand if you are not too convinced." Byakuya ignored her statement and asked a question of his own.  "You said you had a reason for doing all that investigating on your own... So how did it turn out? Did you find out anything?"

"I think there's a lot I don't remember, however at the very least, I was finally able to recall what my purpose and ability are. My ability... what everyone should have known me for... I'm the Ultimate Detective." Byakuya blinked and looked at her. "Well yeah anyone could have told you that." She looked at him stunned. "W-what... what do you mean?" Byakuya rolled his eyes, frustrated. "You know more about dead bodies than anyone else here. It was pretty obvious."  

"W-well then..." she swallowed containing her composure. "The reason I came to Hope's Peak Academy... There was someone I had to find here in the school. " 

"Who did you have to find?" She looked down at the ground nervously. "Well... It was the headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy." Byakuya's eyes widened in shock. "The...headmaster?? Why did you want to find the headmaster?" Kyoko looked him straight in the eyes. "Because he's my father." 

"WHAT!?" Byakuya took a step back in surprise. "I was separated from him as a child. As it turns out, he became the headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy. Byakuya took a deep breath. "Well, I suppose that explain's the way you acted when Alter Ego told us he thought the headmaster was involved." Kyoko closed her eyes as she spoke. "My memory hadn't come back yet. But at that point, when he said that I felt... strange. It makes perfect sense now, of course since my whole purpose for coming here was to find him. But listen Byakuya, I want to make this perfectly clear, so there's no misunderstanding. I said the headmaster wasn't the mastermind, but I didn't say that to protect him. I only said that based on what I had seen when I was sneaking around Hope's Peak. " 

Byakuya nodded in understanding and sighed. "Fine, I will help you. Where do we start?" Kyoko gave him a soft smile. 

~~~~~

"HAHA! Those idiots are so full of despair! Look at them Makoto!" Junko shouted as she pointed at the screen and laughed. "Yeah.. yeah..." Makoto mumbled as he ate the bacon, ham, and cheese sandwich Junko had given him. "But you're not even looking at the screen!" she whined as Makoto took a sip of his water. "And I don't plan to." Junko huffed and turned back to her cameras. "Wait a second... where are those two idiots!?" Now, this got Makoto's attention. "What do you mean?" he asked as he got up from his chair. "What do I mean? I mean the threats to our plan are missing! They're not in the cafeteria with everyone else!" 

Makoto took a look at the screen. "You mean Kyoko, and Byakuya? There in the gym." "HAH?!" Junko looked at the screen and sure enough there they were. "What are they doing in there!? Oh well, only one way to find out!" she slammed her hand on one of the big red buttons, and a Monokuma poped out of nowhere. 

"Hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey HEY! What are you two doing in the gym!! You are supposed to be in the cafeteria with all the others!" Kyoko spoke up. "We're here to offer you a deal." Monokuma laughed. "A deal you say? What kind of deal?" 

"We want to do Mukuro'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! Well, that would make a proper climax, wouldn't you say? " For a few moments, everything was silent. 

"Can you believe this Makoto! They want to redo your trial! Even after the damage has already been done!" She laughed. "Well, it's not like there's any evidence of you being a mastermind so they have no chance either way! But how could I ever refuse such a deal!" Makoto smirked as he watched from behind. There was no way they could ever figure this one out. 

"Kehehehe... Interesting... Beary interesting indeed!" Confusion appeared on both of their faces. "Oh, I was getting bored so I decided to change things up a little. So, time for bear jokes!" 

"Really Junko? Bear jokes?" Makoto asked, snickering a bit. "Oh shut up Hope boy! They're hella funny!" This time Makoto laughed. Junko rolled her eyes playfully and went back to talking as Monokuma. "Now, what you suggested might be pawsible. It sure would certainly make for one honey of a climax." Kyoko raised an eyebrow hopeful. "Does that mean you accept?" 

"If we do things your way, that'll be enough to convince you and the viewers, right? And it would cause your unbearable despair right? Then I'm prebeared to agree to your terms! Will your hope win or our desbear claim victory...? Let's have one final grizzly showdown!! 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?" Byakuya raised an eyebrow. "That's right. Every last mystery that's pawing around the school. If you can do that... then that'll be enough to koalafy as a victory for you!" Kyoko smirked and crossed her arms. "That's what we have been trying to do all along." 

"Okay, well that's good. Then let's bear it all! If you can claw your way to the truth of Mukuro's dealth, AND solve the mysteries of this school... then you win! Easy! But if you can't do it..." Monokuma started to laugh before he was cut off by Kyoko. "We'll all face execution right?" Monokuma started to laugh once more. "Keheheh... I can bearly contain my excitement!  When you learn the whole truth what kind of despair will you show me!? Oh, a lot I'm sure of it! Especially with my new addiction...." Byakuya rolled his eyes. "We're as excited as you are, I'm sure. When we've uncovered every last truth, how will the Ultimate Despair reveal their own despair?" 

"But before we get started I want to clarify one more thing. Do you remember the rule?" Kyoko asked. "When one student kills another, that's when a class trial is held." Monokuma looked at her confused. "I remember that fur sure! So what?" Kyoko uncrossed her arms. "I just want to confirm that is what you said right? And that statement is true?" 

"Khehehehe you don't have to be so suspicious. I've said it before, but it bears repeating. Everything is based on the school regulations. And having a trial to Mukuro is no exception to that." Kyoko and Byakuya took a moment to think. "Khehehehe... It's a very polarizing approach, I know, but---okay, enough puns. Anyway, here's a little hint. I'm sure I told you this before 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 sixteen students." Byakuya eyes widen slightly. "Are you telling the truth?" Kyoko asked. Monokuma went quiet. "Puhu... Puhuhu... I'm done talking! I got nothing left to say to you!" 

"He seems... emotionally unstable..." Kyoko muttered under her breath. "Hey, I can hear you ya know! Leave me alone! Get outta here!" Kyoko glanced at Monkuma one last time. "Come on Byakuya. Let's get out of here." 

Junko and Makoto watched the two leave from Monokuma's eyes, as smirks appeared on their faces. They did not doubt in their mind, that despair would win this battle.