Mukuro's mind was overwhelmed by emotions as she watched Makoto's life slowly drain from his body. She didn't realize it, but in the moment, her soldier instincts kicked in. Time slowed down to a trickle as thought after thought and emotion after emotion overwhelmed her mind.

….

"I'm sorry Makoto.."

….

"If I ever decide to kill someone, I'll make sure it isn't you!"

….

"But you promised! You promised tha—" "… That I'd spare him from the killing? Oh I'm sorry Mukuro, I lied."

….

"You're…. too kind Makoto… Junko would kill you for that…"

….

"Makoto-kun… w-would you…. Hate me if I played a part in all this?"

….

"… the killings, the despair, we…. We're the masterminds"

….

"…. There's still a part of you who wants out…"

…

"I can't …. Disappoint Junko again… or…?

….

"Muku…ro…please... you…. Can still…turn….back…"

….

"I.. I can still turn back?"

…

"Did…Did I want any of this?"

….

"I… I…"

She threw her head back and howled like a lone wolf grieving for the lost of its pack; the only two people in her life creating a rift inside of her. Without thinking, she crawled over to him and held him close, he was still miraculously conscious. The voices and commotion around her quickly blurred out of her attention.

"M…Mukuro…"

"S-S-Stop! D-Don't talk… Please.."

Mukuro tucked his head into her chest and buried her face into his hair, her tears once again falling down to stain his cheeks. Nothing else mattered to her in the moment, not until she noticed a particular voice talking.

"…. And She's the once who trapped you all here! Mukuro Ikusaba, your captive, your memory thief, and your mastermind! Puhuhuhu~"

She opened her tear stained eyes and turned to Monokuma in disbelief. Junko had just revealed her identity and what she had done. She stared into the bear, hoping for an explanation, or maybe a plan B she wasn't told of, but Junko continued.

"Of course that isn't Junko Enoshima! Check the back of her right hand! She has a tattoo hidden there by foundation! And that wig is probably fake too!"

The rest of the students as one, turned their eyes towards the soldier in disguise. Mukuro stared back at the bear, and for a second, she could see the smiling face of her sister behind the black and white surface of the puppet she so loved. It sank Mukuro's mind deeper into the depths of despair.

"Junko…. Why?" She asked herself. She kept trying to figure out where did everything go wrong. She followed her instructions perfectly. Everything was going as planned, until Makoto saved her from death.

"Makoto saved me… so Junko tried to kill me?" It seemed like an impossible thought, but the more she processed it, the more the facts made sense to her.

"Junko… tried to kill me… Me. I could have… died..

….

It… could have been me…

…

No.. It should have been me…

….

Why? Why would she—!

…

Of course. I-It makes sense now.

…

You just wanted despair right Junko? You always said it feels good…but I'm sorry I don't feel the same.

…

Despair….. you want despair?

…

I think…. I think I know… how you can despair Junko."

"… So if I were you guys, I'd capture her and kill her right now!"

"Hold it, how do we know if you're lying or not?" Byakuya sneered.

"Like I said! Check her right hand or her hair you idiot! Did you not hear me the first time?"

"Hey, watch your mouth! After all of this, I'm coming after you next."

"S-So… we just gotta check her identity right?" Sayaka asked.

"N-no. That won't be necessary." Mukuro managed to squeeze out through her gritted teeth.

She gently laid Makoto's head onto his arm before standing up and ripped the wig off her head, revealing the short black hair that hid underneath. She looked down at her hands and hesitated for a second before wiping off the foundation that concealed the Fenrir tattoo and showing it to everyone.

"My name, is Mukuro Ikusaba, SHSL Soldier, and partly responsible for everyone being imprisoned here."

A wave a mixed reactions swept through her classmates. Mukuro felt everyone's eyes watching her, each with their own reactions and feelings behind them. She could sense the confusion, the hatred, and the shock but she didn't know how to follow up on it. Her focus on her surroundings faded out as all she could feel right now is ever-growing hole in her heart from the betrayal of her sister and Makoto saving her. She has dealt with traitors within Fenrir before, it was simple: Kill them. But in her current situation, that wasn't possible because in everyone else's eyes, she was the traitor. Unless she was the SHSL Diplomat, there was no way for her to convince everyone that she was no longer working against them. When she returned her attention to her surroundings, she felt something bubbling inside of her as she registered what Monokuma was saying.

"That's right! She's the one to blame for trapping you all here and forcing you guys to kill each other!"

She clenched her fist as Monokuma continued to spit out encouragements for her classmates to lynch her. Mukuro never wanted to admit it, but she now understood that Junko had been using her this entire time. It was the ultimate betrayal after everything she had done for her twin sister. She has always been taught not to get carried away with her emotions, but right now, Mukuro couldn't contain the rage that has been building up the whole time.

"S-Shut up Junko…"

"Hmm? What was that? Are you admitting defeat now?"

"I said, SHUT UP JUNKO!"

The sudden outburst from the soldier silenced everyone in the gymnasium. Even Monokuma flinched at the unexpected explosion of rage before turning around and said:

"Alrighty! I think it's best to leave you children alone for a while. The headmaster needs a break!"

Mukuro watched Monokuma waddle away and disappear from the gym. She let out a breath of relief as the source of her anger had temporarily disappeared from the scene. However, as she turned around to face Makoto, she felt the eyes of everyone else on her. She realized that everyone had been watching her since the beginning and the fear and doubt in their expressions were still there. Mukuro internally panicked at her realization. Fighting was her strength, not diplomacy. She had never needed to talk her way out of things before so she didn't even know where to start. In an attempt to subdue her panic, she cast her eyes towards the boy still on the ground bleeding. She couldn't get him out of here right now, not with the chance that Sakura could intercept her.

"Makoto… What… What do I do?" She mentally addressed the question to the unconscious boy, expecting him to lift his head with a smile and an answer. She looked around, her classmates had formed a circle around her but kept their distance. They were discussing what to do with her while trying not to provoke someone who had just introduced themselves as the ultimate soldier.

"I-I say we tie her up! T-There's n-no telling w-what she'd do with us n-next!"

"W-Wait! W-What if she's with us? I-I mean she could be helping us!"

"Use your brain for once will you? Do you really think she is trustworthy? For all we know, she has just admitted to capturing and trapping us here. It could be another part of her plans."

Mukuro's eyes returned to Makoto's body, his breathing has slowed down drastically since he has been hit with the spear. She could picture his shining smile looking back at her as if lighting the path she should follow. She had always tried to fight her way out of situations, and he would always remind her that fighting wasn't the only solution to everything.

"Makoto… what…. Should I do?" She asked again. This time, his smile grew brighter, and his lips started moving. It was another thing he had always told her to do.

"Just tell the truth!" She read. Mukuro dipped her head and gave the slightest smile at the answer. It was a simple one, yet it seemed to have made everything clear to her in that moment. She looked at her clenched fists, and for once, maybe she didn't need to fight her way out of this situation. She calmly moved to pick up Makoto in a bridal carry, alarming everyone else in the process.

"Hey. What do you think you're doing?" Byakuya shot at her.

"I assume we all agree that he requires immediate medical attention due to his… injury.. Don't worry. I'm simply taking him to the infirmary and I'm sure you all want some answers as well. We can talk there. If I try anything suspicious, Oogami-San is more than enough to stop me." Mukuro explained.

"That sounds reasonable. I am willing to cooperate with that." Sakura agreed.

"W-Wait! Isn't she.. still suspicious? Are we really going to let her do that?" Sayaka cried.

"Do you have the medical skills necessary to ensure his survival? I doubt even Asahina-san has the first-aid knowledge necessary to treat such a wound. I believe I'm the most qualified to tend to his injuries given my history as a soldier." Mukuro calmly replied.

"Hey, what about the bear?" Leon asked.

His answer came in the form of Mukuro kicking a spear into the security camera by the door, shattering it into pieces.

"That shouldn't be a problem."

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After smashing every camera on their way to the infirmary, Mukuro went to work on Makoto while everyone else watched her carefully. When she had just finished and placed a blanket over him to preserve body heat, Byakuya impatiently shot out:

"Alright. Now explain yourself."

Mukuro turned around and leaned herself against the wall beside the bed. She crossed her arms and took a breath.

"Ok. Where do I start?"

"With everything." Byakuya growled.

"You'll have to be more specific than that."

"How about starting with us. What happened to us when we all entered the academy?" Kyouko suggested.

"Hmm… Alright. Before I begin however, I advise you all to brace yourselves and to not interrupt me until I finish. I'll answer any questions after my explanation."

"Feh. Get started then."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Makoto opened his eyes. He was surprised to find that he was no longer in the gymnasium, but in a dark room. Then, the room lit up and he felt as if he was floating inside a virtual world. It was cold, and Makoto felt really light as he adjusted to floating around. He looked all around him, his memories plastered in frames across the entire surface of the room. A sudden realization caused his hand to move towards the spot the spear had struck him.

"Am I dead?" He thought as he felt no pain from his injury. The snapshots of his memories started shifting and voices began echoing throughout the room. Makoto tried to focus on the voices, but due to the echoes, it was hard to decipher what they were actually saying. A frame containing several people floated past him. Although their bodies seemed to be very familiar, he still squinted to try and make out their identities. It didn't surprise him when he finally identified them as his family, in fact, the snapshot made him remember some details of that specific day as well. He smiled at the picture as it brought warm feelings to his heart.

The picture drifted off and another took its place. This time, it looked like a class photo, people of all different sizes were packed close together facing the camera. As he squinted his eyes towards the different people, he was able to make out the individuals in the photo. Touko Fukawa, Byakuya Togami, Celestia Ludenburg, Mondo Owada, he continued to identify every face in the photo starting from the outside working his way to the center until he found himself staring at Mukuro. She sat with a straight back next to him, her fists resting gently on her knees and wearing a small smile. It stirred more warm feelings within himself and caused his face to heat up.

"That's right… we were…. Dating…" He thought.

Then as if on command, the memories around him shifted to be more focussed on himself and Mukuro. Shot after shot with them as the focus floated past him and Makoto remembered what happened every time. Memory after memory of Mukuro saving him from his luck, various dates they've went on, the different class outings they both attended, all of which he was able to completely recall.

The focus of his memories changed again, and this time, it hit him hard. A series of snapshots of the tragedy and the ruined world floated past him, followed by his class barricading the old school building. It was hard to take in everything he saw even though he already had glimpses of these events before. Makoto forced himself to watch everything: the destruction, the torture, the unnecessary deaths and the despair. The next memory ripped a hole in his heart: Mukuro holding the syringe. The countless frames of memories around him froze as Mukuro's confession played out in front of him.

Then everything went dark and silent; all the memory frames shut down, leaving Makoto in a world of darkness. However, he didn't need them anymore. He already knows what has happened since waking up in the classroom. Suddenly, voices started echoing the room again. Although he couldn't see what was happening, this time, he was able to make out what was being said.

"So… What do we do with him now?" A female voice asked.

"Obviously we wait for him to wake up. There's nothing we can do after she left." A male voice answered.

"She? That… must be Mukuro…What's going on?" Makoto thought.

"D-Do you think she's going to come after us again?"

"I doubt it. At least, not now. She does not seem like someone who would go back on their word."

"Then… do you think she'll be fine?"

"I think its best to wait for him to wake up first before deciding our next move."

"So.. I'm alive? I… need to get back to them…"

Makoto no longer felt cold in the darkness and tried to move but he felt as if he was bound by something. His body went stiff and unresponsive to his commands as he willed himself to wriggle free. The more he struggled, the more he could slowly feel his body and his surroundings again. The voices also became more clear as he continued to fight for control.

"Umm… guys? I.. I think I just saw him move…"

"Don't be ridiculous. She said he wasn't going to wake for a couple hours."

"Funny how you believe that statement coming from her despite being openly against trusting her."

"Shut up."

Makoto continued his fight over control of his body. Little by little, he began to feel more alive. He could feel his chest rise and fall from his breaths again, and that he was also laying on something soft. The pain in his side has returned and his heart beating in a slow steady rhythm. He felt the warmth of a blanket over his body, something was attached to his arm and his head half buried into another soft surface. The darkness around him slowly dissolved into bright light as he tried to open his eyes.

"Guys… I definitely saw him move this time…"

"Hagakure-kun, I ask that you stop with your unnecessary lies right now!"

"Woah simmer down bushy-brows, I think he might be right this time…"

"B-Bushy-Brows? What are you—"

"Hey! Keep it down ok? He's waking!"

"N-Naegi-kun! Can you hear me?"

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Mukuro broke into the infirmary upon hearing news that Makoto has awakened. She was just outside the room when she overheard talk of him waking up. Upon bursting through the doors, she saw that the entire class has now huddled around the bed he was resting on. They turned to face her when they heard the doors swung open and Sakura almost moved to intercept her just in case she turned out to be a Monokuma bot. Mukuro made her way through the crowd and stood next to the bed. Though Makoto's eyes were barely open and his breaths were still weak, he was definitely conscious. She let out a breath of relief upon confirming that his condition was stable. The rest of the class however, had different priorities.

"W-Wait… W-What happened to you?" Chihiro asked, noticing the ashes and light burns that were scattered across her body. There was also a cut mark on her left sleeve but no blood was present. Mukuro looked like she just walked through a battlefield and came back unharmed.

"I… I had a chat with my sister." She replied.

"That doesn't explain anything. We still have no reason to believe you or your accomplice over there." Byakuya said.

"He-He's innocent! L-Look, like I said before, all the photographs and evidence are hidden by Junko and I couldn't find them when I went to see her." Mukuro tried to explain.

"That's still very poor reasoning for us to believe you. For all we know, this could still be a part of your grand plan." Celeste added.

"I-I'm trying to help you!" She cried.

"T-there's no telling what you'd d-do to us next! F-F-First you t-take away our memories…. Then what? I-I bet there's s-some way for you to take over our bodies next!" Touko said.

"N-No! Tha-That's not even possible!" Mukuro shot back.

"According to you, you've already stolen our memories. Putting that into consideration, I'd say its reasonable to think you'd have the ability to do so." Celeste continued.

Mukuro felt as though she was backed into a corner. She looked at the rest of the students, hoping for someone who did believe her, but all she saw were eyes of suspicion and fear. Despite that however, a voice spoke up from the back.

"Um.. I think this might sound dumb but…if you weren't lying about us being classmates for two years.. then you should know things about us that we told you or something right? I mean, I want to believe you… and in a way, you know more about us than we do… wait… that sounded dumb…" Aoi thought.

"Hold on, there is some merit to that. If we are to believe your words that we were all close once, then you should know some of our secrets that we would only tell to someone we trusted. You must have at least befriended a few of us correct?" Sakura elaborated.

Mukuro thought for a second before dipping her head in shame. Two years of being classmates with everyone and she only managed to be close to Junko and Makoto. When Sakura put it like that, even she found it disappointing.

"I… Actually.. I was.. an outcast." She slowly replied. "I was only close with Makoto and Junko…"

Sayaka's eye's widened at her words. "M-Makoto? Y-You mean Naegi-kun? Y-You two are….?"

The soldier recoiled at her slipup. There was no taking it back since everyone was listening when Sayaka pointed it out. She clenched her fists, and through her gritted teeth she muttered:

"..Y-Yeah…"

Sayaka's eyes fell to the floor as her suspicions were confirmed.

"I..I see…"

"Alright, Enough of this. You still haven't provided any reason for us to trust you." Byakuya interrupted.

"T-That's right! I-I say we tie her up and k-kill her!" Touko added.

"That won't be necessary, but I do believe putting you in custody for now is the best course of action." Sakura said.

"So in the end, you betrayed us by trapping us and putting us here. And now, you're betraying your own sister by claiming to be helping us. You're nothing but a traitor and we have no reason to believe you even if you were speaking the truth." Byakuya continued.

"No… That's Wrong!" A weak voice forced out.

Everyone turned to the source of the sudden objection: the boy lying on the bed who had been observing the whole commotion and had finally gathered the strength to speak. Mukuro looked over to him in shock, not expecting him to have recover that fast after such a short time. His eyes were full of determination and although his voice was weak, there was a strong resolve behind it.

"She's.. not a traitor! And … everything she's said… was the truth. We've been classmates… for two years already… and we did… barricade ourselves in here." Makoto continued.

"Again, there's no proof of that. You're either spouting nonsense or you're her accomplice." Byakuya reiterated.

"I.. I can prove it…" Makoto breathed out.

"M-Makoto.." Mukuro started, concerned about his injury.

"Don't worry Mukuro… I.. I think I got this.. Trust me.. on this one.." He flashed the same smile he has given every other time.

"A-Alright." Mukuro said. She sat down next to Makoto on the bed and watched Makoto take over.

"So… Oogami-San, you said if we were friends…. Then we'd know some things about each other… right?"

"That's correct."

"Ok… Starting with you… how about a name that you quote… "locked in your heart"? If you don't want me to say it out loud… I can whisper it to you."

"Tha..That shouldn't be possible! What's their name?"

"Kenichiro-kun… I believe you two still have a promise to uphold as well.."

"Y-You know of our promise?"

"Yeah… you told me.. er, you told everyone here.. "

"…" Sakura stood in silence and thought about what Makoto has just revealed. In the end, she nodded and declared:

"Alright. I shall place my faith in Naegi-kun and Ikusaba-san."

"What? Really?" Aoi asked.

"Tch, that could've been information found on the internet. After all—" Togami started to refute but Sakura interrupted him.

"No, its not possible to find on the internet. This man, Kenichiro-kun and and I have only met in private. That promise was also made during our private meetings so it would be impossible for him to know unless one of us has told him." Sakura explained.

"Togami-kun, I think there's something I can say to convince you… but you'll probably prefer it not to be said aloud…" Makoto suggested

"Hmph. I doubt it. But I will entertain your useless attempt regardless."

Mukuro watched Byakuya make his way over to the bed and leaned in so Makoto could whisper in his ear. She saw Byakuya's eye widen as Makoto whispered his secret to him.

"T-There's no way you could have that kind of information! Tell me, who told you this?"

"I-It was you Togami-kun…"

"L-Lies! I would've never –"

"W-wait! What can you tell about me?" Aoi interrupted, which in turn, also sparked interest from the rest of the class. Makoto began to retell their school encounters one by one, whispering to those who preferred the privacy and sharing the others. Halfway through his speech however, Mukuro had to apply another bandage on top of the original since blood started seeping through. Although, that never stopped him from talking. It was amazing for Mukuro to watch Makoto go on with a smile on his face while enduring the pain and telling his stories one after another. "He really is stronger than he looks…" Mukuro noted.

By the end of Makoto's story telling, all of the students have finally accepted their current situation. Some of them were shaken when they realized that the outside world was actually in shambles and that Mukuro wasn't lying about the despair that has been happening. However, she was the only variable left out of the entire situation that they weren't sure of.

"Alright. That leaves us with her. What should we do with her?" Celeste proposed.

"W-What do you mean?" Makoto asked.

"She was the one who knocked us out and tried to get us to kill each other. She herself confirmed that. But as we know, she's betrayed us by following along with her sister's plan, and she's betrayed her sister by helping us. Who's to say she won't betray us again?" Celeste explained.

"I-I don't think she'll do that again…" Makoto tried to defend her.

"However, the possibility is still there. We don't know if she will or will not betray someone again and we also don't know what her agenda is." Kyouko added.

"Guys… I'm sure she's—"

"It's fine Makoto. Their accusations are fair against me. So far, I've proven nothing but betrayal to everyone here and my sister." Mukuro said.

"M-Mukuro!" Makoto cried.

"But I will say that I don't intend to plot against you guys anymore. I never knew what I fought for, I simply fought for the sake of fighting. Now, I think I have an idea as to why people fight, and I'd like to think I'm close to finding my own answer for fighting." Mukuro continued.

"So you're basically saying you're still lost." Byakuya said

"Perhaps I am Togami-kun. But someone taught me that whether I find the answer or not isn't as important as giving it a try. I'm looking to make amends… and maybe… a new start." Mukuro replied as she looked towards Makoto.

"Mukuro…" Makoto smiled. Despite his obvious pain, he managed to still provide the brightest smile he has ever produced in his years of Hope's Peak Academy. Mukuro smiled back and squeezed his hand at the sentiment. She closed her eyes and thought about what she just said.

It was true that in her time with Fenrir, she fought and killed because it felt natural to her. She didn't need a purpose, she just needed some poor targets that needed to be eliminated and she would get the job done. Mukuro knew full well that if she was from the other side, she'd show Fenrir no mercy as long as they were the designated targets.

Then came Junko and her tragedy. She's been given mission after mission by Junko, to which she has executed all of them flawlessly, until recent events. At first, it felt justified since she was doing it for the sake of her sister. Mukuro has seen countless number of people beg for mercy from Junko's methods, she didn't really care then. However, Mukuro began to see things differently during her time at Hope's Peak.

It was all Makoto's fault, and she has yet to thank him for that. He was the first person that wasn't Junko to have sparked her interests. His optimism and honest nature opened her eyes to many things in the world that she has never considered before and he has shown her and taught her many things in life that she would've never known if she stayed with Junko. So when Junko decided to cause the fall of Hope's Peak Academy, Mukuro was conflicted. Unlike with the other victims she has seen before Hope's Peak Academy, she started to feel certain things while Junko planted her seed of despair in the school. It started to feel wrong and Mukuro often left Junko alone to do the torturing unless explicitly told to do it herself. Her sense of guilt started piling up until a few nights prior where she couldn't contain it anymore.

"GAH! Y-You two stop that disgusting act r-right now! Y-You're going to make me puke!" Touko exploded, causing both Mukuro and Makoto to blush.

"Oh.. ahh.. sorry!" Makoto apologized.

"Tch, if you two are done, then enlighten us on our next move. We're still stuck here." Byakuya said.

"Ah, that… I can manage." Mukuro said. "I almost forgot about this."

She dug into her pocket and produced another controller of sorts. It was similar to the one Makoto got from the Monomono machine except its silver, much bigger, and there are multiple buttons on the surface.

"I-Is that what I think it is?" Makoto asked.

"Yes. It's the real thing." Mukuro answered.

"I-It looks like a controller of sorts.." Chihiro started.

"That's correct. This controller directly controls all the newly installed doors and mechanisms in this building as well as the defense system." Mukuro explained.

"Defense system?" Chihiro asked.

"Yes. There's the turrets by the main entrance hall and outside the building, there's another turret outside the change rooms to the swimming pool, the cameras and the air filtration system."

"So, it would be able to open the giant door in the entrance hall then." Kyouko said.

"Yes. Oh and there is also one more thing I managed to retrieve from Junko."

Mukuro then pulled out a small belt of syringes. Makoto recognized these syringes as the same one Mukuro used on him, although they all had different initials on them.

"These… are your memories. Whether you want them back or not is up to you so I'll be letting you hold on to your own. If you want them back, you'll need my help however, since these need to be injected into a specific spot on the back of your neck." Mukuro explained.

"You're asking us… to trust you with a needle that you claim to restore our memories?" Mondo asked.

"Well… to be fair… I've done it once already.. against all your wills." Mukuro replied.

"A-Ah! W-what she meant to s-say was that she is the only one who knows how to use them properly!" Makoto interjected.

"Look, I've told nothing but the truth since I gathered you all in here. And again, the final choice is yours. If you're not comfortable with me doing it, I'm confident enough that I can guide another person to do it for you." Mukuro said.

"Alright alright! I get it." Mondo said as he grabbed his syringe and backed off.

"Hmm" Celeste hummed as she looked at her syringe. "Wouldn't your sister be quite displeased if she found out what you've done?"

"Oh Junko? Don't worry. She won't be waking up for a few hours." Mukuro shrugged.

"Y-You what?" Makoto cried.

"Hey, when I got to her, she was already wallowing in despair over the fact that I turned against her. I just did her a favour and knocked her out and tied her up. She'll wake up in a few hours, and it'll take her a few more minutes to undo the knots I tied." Mukuro explained.

"A-Are you sure you're okay with that?" Makoto asked with concern. "I mean, she is your sister and all… and I think leaving her behind isn't that great of an idea.."

"I'll come back and get her once I figure out how to deal with her." Mukuro answered with conviction. "One day, Junko… I promise I'll come back for you"

"O-Okay. If you're fine with that" Makoto replied.

"Alright then. Let's go. Grab what you think you'll need before we leave. I'll meet you all at the entrance hall in fifteen minutes." Mukuro said.

The rest of the class seemed content with the notion that they were leaving soon and slowly left the infirmary one by one, eventually leaving the lucky student and the soldier alone.

"There's something bothering you." Makoto stated with concern which caused Mukuro to visibly flinch. She went into a cycle of opening her mouth as if to say something, then deciding not to say it before finally sighing and spoke.

"W-well… It's Junko. I don't know what I'm feeling… I'm just.. not sure.." She started.

"Say, what did happen between you two?"

"I-It's complicated…"

"I'm listening."

"Umm.. Ok. Well, how do I put this… I think… throughout the time I was with Junko.. deep down somewhere, I think I never wanted this… and that maybe, if I didn't join Fenrir… Junko might've not turned out like this either.. I guess.. I'm regretting some of the choices I made in the past.."

"Hey well, everyone makes mistakes…"

"Yeah.. but there's more. A-After you happened… I-Uh.. you made me think about some things… and I g-guess I also made up my mind on those things… So sometime after that.. I didn't want to admit it then, but I f-felt that maybe, Junko was wrong. Its weird, and difficult that.. you looked up to someone all your life… then one day think they're wrong.."

Makoto silently watched as Mukuro dipped her head and continued talking.

"..So I guess that… this whole time.. I didn't entirely trust Junko.. I didn't give her the support I was supposed to.. so I uhh… hid this remote away from her.. To be honest, I stashed it in your room before installing the cameras there."

"W-What? Where did you hide it? I'm sure I looked through all the drawers and everything.."

"It was strapped to the underside of your bed.. And I couldn't get it if Junko was watching.. so I went and visited her first."

"She didn't try to stop you?"

"Well I did had to fight my way to her, however, there were only so many Monokuma bots Junko could have stored in here as backups, and she couldn't open the main gate for more due to the chance that one of us could have walked by… and when I did reach her, she was well.. despairing already."

"A-And then you knocked her out?"

"I.. couldn't see her like that anymore… I used to think that she was just special like that… but now.. it's different… I guess it almost disgusts me… I don't know how I could've done the stuff I did back then.."

"Well, hey, come on. You're trying to fix it now right? I think I said it before, but it's not too late to turn around."

"Indeed you did…and I.. Thank you for that…"

"*Chuckle* Ok. I think we should get ready to leave as well. Wouldn't be good if we kept everyone waiting."

"Sounds good. I'll see you in a bit."

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A few minutes later, the fifteen students stood in front of the heavily armoured metal gate. The turrets next to the gate has been deactivated and folded themselves back onto the ceiling. Makoto stood at the front of the group next to Mukuro with an improvised crutch. He looked back towards everyone else, seeing a mix of fear, anticipation, and determination amongst other emotions. It was oddly quiet for what used to be a lively class.

"I-Is everyone good to go?" He asked. When everyone else gave their approval, he turned and nodded towards Mukuro who was holding the controller. Her finger was just about to press the button when she stopped herself and handed the controller to Makoto instead.

"Here. I think you should do it." She said.

"M-Me? I.. don't think it makes a difference."

"You were the one who pulled everyone together Makoto… and besides, you were also the class representative so… I think you're more qualified for this than I am."

"W-Well… if you put it like that… I guess so…" He turned around again. "Er.. Any objections?"

When he didn't a response from everyone, he turned to face the gate, took a breath and pressed the button.

"Alright, then I guess this is graduation."

An alarm started sounded and the mechanisms on the door started moving. The huge metal door slowly unlocked itself and in the process, produced a lot of hissing and the sounds of metal grinding on each other. As it slowly opened, the students were temporarily blinded by the natural light of the outside world, and it took a few seconds for their eyes to adjust.

When they finally processed what they saw beyond the metal door, they were speechless as to how different the world has become. It seemed as if the world has ended in just a few days, and even the more calm and collected students looked a little shaken from the drastic change in environment.

The students had barely made their first steps into the open world when suddenly, an object came flying out of nowhere towards the group.

"Woah! Look out!" Leon pointed and cried out as soon as he registered the object as a javelin.

By the time everyone had reacted to Leon's warning, Mukuro had already leaped into the air and intercepted it just before it was going to collide with Chihiro. When she landed, the group had finally noticed the other group of people across the block, and they were all wearing Monokuma masks.

"Wha-Who're are they?" Sayaka asked in fear.

"They're…. despair." Mukuro answered. "Those masks brainwash those who wear them, allowing Junko to directly control them as she wishes."

Another javelin came flying through the air but this time, Mukuro used the one she intercepted with to bat it away. She analyzed the group of brainwashed people in front of her. "Hmmm… One hundred forty two hostiles… no fire arms and no more ranged projectiles…" She thought.

"I-Is there anyway to talk it out with them?" Makoto asked nervously.

"No. Not a chance. Junko wouldn't have allowed that. They basically only know how to torture, kill and destroy. Don't try to reason with them." Mukuro replied.

"W-Wait! Y-You're not going to kill them are you?" Makoto cried.

"Don't worry. I won't kill them." Mukuro stated as she slowly walked towards the group. She eyed the ones in the front who looked excited at the chance to slaughter more people.

"Hey Oogami-San! Take care of anyone who gets past me!" She ordered before beginning her charge towards the group of despairs. Sakura nodded and positioned herself in between Mukuro and the students.

"Very well. Stand behind me everyone, I'll make sure no harm shall come to you." Mukuro heard her say.

Like any other battle, her soldier instincts kicked in, slowing down time around her as she began to process and move faster than the normal human being. She smiled as she got back into her comfort zone, except it was a little warmer this time. As she closed her eyes mid blink, she recalled all the times she has fought. The streets when she was but a child, the battlefields that Fenrir has sent her to, the different security guards and private military personnel that Junko had her remove. Every ounce of her body then simply killed for the sake of killing. She didn't feel anything when she had ended the countless number of lives then. There was no sense of purpose, joy or remorse in her entire career as a soldier. But now, it was different. There was a motivation inside of her that she couldn't explain, but understood. There was a sense of purpose and for once, she can anticipate the feeling of accomplishing something.

She blinked again as the distance between her and the group of despairs continued to close; the image of Makoto's bright smile flashed before her. It was all the motivation she needed for now. The once emotionless soldier now charged into battle with both a purpose and a smile on her face. She now understood what it means to be a soldier; what it means to protect something, and so for the first time, she didn't fight without a purpose; she fought with her heart.

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Author's Notes

Hello Readers!

I'd like to first say that, I don't particularly feel 100% satisfied with this ending and I feel the whatever I planned original was infinitely better. But I didn't want to leave this around any longer than it should. School has started and I don't think making multi-chaptered fics in the middle of school is a good idea. (I'm also a... slow writer...)

So, with that said, I'll be writing shorts for a while and I'm looking to branch out from Naekusaba content.

Also, a couple things I guess I should get out:

1) Requests: So I've gotten a couple messages over from you guys asking if I took requests or not and if there were rules behind them. To be honest, I haven't exactly planned to take requests, but I'm down to hear your ideas and give them proper thought before dismissing them. However, here are things that I don't find myself writing:

Lemon, Gender-Bending, Yaoi, Cross-overs and nothing too OOC. (I have nothing against them, I'm just not comfortable writing them and I prefer the characters to be themselves as much as possible)

And the stuff that I planned to write:

More Naekusaba, Naegiri, Naezono, NaeJunko, Hinatsumi (Kuzuryuu N.), Hinazumi (Koizumi) and maybe Hinabuki (Ibuki)

I guess you can for now, comment on the chapter for requests or send me a message over at if you value the privacy.

2)A small thing: If anyone here is familiar with 's document system, and knows an efficient way to copy-paste my stories over there without losing the formatting and getting a bunch of code when I paste it in, please teach me D: