Everyone's eyes widened as they saw that oh-so familiar face come on screen. They heard the voice of the person that kept them high, even when they were about to break. The person... that was always... there.

You showed Kaede that she's not alone.

You showed Shuichi that he had so much to him.

You showed Ryoma that he's more than his past.

You showed Kirumi that she has someone there for her as well.

You showed Rantaro that a talent doesn't define who you are.

You showed Kiyo that people will see him for more than his mistakes.

You showed Tenko how to accept people, even if that doesn't mean you'll be close.

You showed Angie that fear may not be obvious, but that doesn't mean you should face it alone.

You showed Gonta that strength can still be there, even when you're scared.

You showed Miu that her passion wouldn't be ignored.

You showed Kaito that being cared for doesn't mean you're weak.

You showed Himiko how to express herself more.

You showed Kiibo that he's accepted, no matter his differences.

You showed Maki that feelings aren't to be hidden.

You even showed Tsumugi that there's kindness and hope everywhere, as long as the right people are there, too.

And Kokichi.... you showed him so much. You showed him that feelings aren't weak, that there's more to him than the mistakes he made, that there will always be someone who will break through his mask, and... that you would always be there for him.

The video paused for a moment. "Of course, you need a proper viewing experience!" The podiums shifted so they were all side by side, and facing the screen. The video of your audition continued... but it wasn't what everyone thought it would be.

"To be honest... I was never really a huge fan of Danganronpa. As much as my friends talk about it, I've never really had an interest with... people killing each other, and then getting executed. But... that's kind of the whole reason I'm auditioning. This probably won't get me in, but I'd want to try. As much as Danganronpa... disturbs me, my whole role in life has always been protecting people. And.... I'd really want to do that! Even if... I die. I want to... bring hope.. and keep everyone safe!"

The monitor shut off as everyone stared in disbelief at the blank screen. "They... said that?" Kaede whispered. Tsumugi cackled as the monitors ascended back into the ceiling. "Hear that? They wanted to protect you! You, of all people!" As her cackles echoed through the room, you flew up to Kiibo and whispered. "Listen to your inner voice."

Kiibo looked up and around, but heard the inner voice you wanted him to hear. "Remedy this." The podiums returned back to a circle and Tsumugi changed into Junko. "Feel the despair? You feel it! Ah! Just like the audience wants!" Kiibo spoke up. "No..." Tsumugi went silent. "What?"

"My inner voice... is telling me to remedy this! To fix it! If this is all real fiction... then some of it has to be real, right? Even if we're fictional, we can still do something!" Tsumugi tilted her head. "You haven't realized it yet? You're the audience surrogate. That inner voice you've got there? That's from the audience survey! You get it from your antennae, but when that broke off, we got so many complaints from the audience!"

Kiibo went silent, but then, Kokichi spoke. "So... you're telling me that the audience didn't want despair?" Tsumugi turned to him. "What are you talking about? Of course-" "Because, if the audience wants despair, they wouldn't tell Kiibo to remedy this situation, right?" Rantaro nodded and looked at Kaede. "R-right! So.. you're wrong!"

Tsumugi cringed. "Hope...? But that's so unpopular. Maybe... I should just make you give into despair, and then the viewers will, too! Just like Junko!" Tsumugi drooled with excitement, but Kiibo still had determination present in his eyes. "No! I won't let you do that!"

It was silent, but Kiibo wouldn't allow it to be for any longer. "Well? What do you say?" Tsumugi looked at Kiibo, and sighed. "This will be rather troubling. Both you and Monokuma broke the rules, so I don't know who will get punished!" Himiko scrunched up her face. "You mean, you're the one who broke the rules."

Everyone's dead eyes looked to the floor. "What's the point anymore..." Miu asked. You flew to the centre of the podiums and sat down. You pulled out a strip of paper. "W-wait... what's that?" Rantaro asked as everyone looked to where he was pointing. There was a floating strip of paper, slowly folding itself into a pentagon. It then flew up to Kokichi and it landed in his hand.

"W-what's that?" Tsumugi, who was now Toko Fukawa, asked. Kokichi fidgeted with the small pentagon, until he realized what it was. He gently pinched the corners to create a star. You smiled as you moved away from him. "What exactly was the point of that?!" Tsumugi yelled.

"I have a deal for you." She offered, as she turned back to herself. "We can take a vote... a vote that will determine whether it's me or Kiibo who will get punished. But, there's a twist. If despair wins, and Kiibo gets punished, you will all live here! Happily ever after! But, if I get punished, then all but two of you must get punished, and those two will return to the outside world."

The air in the room felt heavy. "W-what?" Kiibo asked. Tsumugi giggled. "Of course, those who graduate won't really have a life to go to. They don't have any memory of a real life, after all!" Shuichi had enough. "What... are we even supposed to do? Both outcomes are... are awful!"

"Hope... that's the reason this game continued for so long, right? You said you were the 53rd Junko? There are 53 seasons to this thing! We may be fictional, but these feelings, this tragedy in my heart, it's all real! When you guys died... I didn't know what to do with myself. Now... Y/N..." Shuichi stopped talking, tears brimming his eyes.

You slowly floated next to him. "So don't choose either." He furrowed his eyebrows as he looked around. "We... don't have to choose either. Both will end in despair, anyways." Kaito turned to his sidekick. "W-what?" Shuichi faced everyone. "Something... Something tells me that in past killing games, the fact that they chose hope made the next season happen."

"What makes you say that?" Kirumi asked. "Well... according to Rantaro's video, he said that it wasn't his first time. But, if he has been in a killing game before, then he knows how truly gruesome it is." Rantaro tilted his head. "I don't really remember saying that... but I'll take your word for it."

"Oh, I forgot to mention." Tsumugi added. "The punishment for those other than the two that get to graduate... is participating in another killing game! Isn't that great?" Kiyo furrowed his eyebrows. "I do not understand your definition of 'great.'"

"Well, you don't have the option to choose a third option, because there isn't one!" Tsumugi said. Rantaro shook his head. "There is, actually..." He looked at everyone, and they all nodded in confirmation. "Not voting." Kiibo nodded. "It seems to be the most logical conclusion. Even if the audience doesn't want it."

Tsumugi's eyes widened. "W-what? You'll all die... a meaningless death!" Kiibo suddenly began glitching. "Kiibo?" Miu asked, surprisingly concerned. "Ah, the audience is getting angry~" Tsumugi teased. "When the audience surrogate tries to rebel, his personality must be reset! That's just how it works!"

Tenko gritted her teeth. "Come on, degenerate! Kiibo!" Miu covered her mouth, in genuine concern. "N-no..." Shuichi was determined to make everyone not vote. And he means everyone. "The ending the audience wants is one that will make another season, right? You can't have another season with no more participants! We need to convince Kiibo not to vote!"

Everyone pleaded Kiibo to come back to them, and you flew in front of him. You caressed his cheeks and smiled. "I know you can see me... you thought it was a hallucination, didn't you Kiibo?" Kiibo blinked, as you saw a small glint of the Kiibo you knew. "They have to convince the audience... that this isn't right." You whispered to Kiyo's sister. She nodded and looked at everyone. "I think they need to hear that from you."

You flew to the top of the room and yelled at the top of your lungs. "Listen up!" Everyone stopped talking and looked around. "Everyone has a conscience. You just have to hit it! Convince them, the audience, that this isn't right! That you're not toys!" Kokichi's shoulders dropped. "This way of talking... Y/N?" He mumbled. He glanced at the paper star you placed in his hand.

"Hey, audience!"

"What are you, sadists?!"

"We have a life of our own to live!"

"You can't treat us like toys!"

"The killing game is wrong!"

"Killing is wrong in general!"

"That's enough!" Tsumugi interrupted. "There's nothing you can do! The audience will always continue! They love Danganronpa!" Everyone was silent. "H-hey, say something! This killing game will never end!" No one argued, no one debated, it was silent. "We said we're not participating anymore." Maki said, plainly.

No matter how many times Tsumugi and Monokuma tried to get everyone to argue, they were silent. "Dang it, answer already! The viewers are getting bored!" Yet again, she was met with silence. She looked at Kiibo and smiled. "Either way, there will be a new season! Even if one person in this room survives! Right Kiibo?" He was silent. "Ugh, fine. It's Voting Time!"

The screens on everyone's podium lit up, showing each person they could vote for... but everyone was still. After a few minutes, the screens shut off. "I... didn't vote... is that okay?" Himiko asked. Kirumi nodded. "None of us did, correct?" Everyone hummed in agreement. Including Tsumugi.

"H-huh?" Angie wondered. "But you said that you wanted the killing game to continue! Atua has reminded me!" Tsumugi nodded. "Yes, but we are all friends, right? So I'm going along with you all!" Tenko squinted her eyes in disgust. "You're more of a degenerate than every male in this room! You have no right to call yourself our friend!"

Tsumugi sighed. "Fine then. Monokuma, show us the results. Kiibo casted his vote as well, so either way, a new killing game will happen! You all will die in vain!" However, she was quickly proven wrong when the monitor flashed "NO VOTES CASTED."

"W-what?" Tsumugi stuttered. Miu cackled. "Looks like the audience doesn't want this **** to continue either!" Kokichi turned to your portrait. "Yeah... they didn't." The audience's words echoed through the room from Kiibo's speakers.

"My favourite character died. What's the point?"

"This game is cruel, I realize that now."

"There isn't any hope to begin with! There's just despair through and through!"

"It's just gonna be the same next season, right?"

"You revealed everything, so this would be the right ending, right?"

Tsumugi had a shadow looming over her eyes as those words rang through her ears. "It's what the audience wants." Ryoma said, rather cockily. Tsumugi shook her head. "N-no... it can't be!" The screens showing the viewers slowly began to go blank, until there were no viewers left. "That's what you get." Himiko scolded.

"Y/N knew this from the start, didn't they?" Shuichi mumbled. "H-huh?" Kokichi asked the detective. "Well, their riddle from the investigation said..."

The mastermind's hair may be purple

The killer's hands are red

Things aren't what it seems

Look at the first again

"The strings connecting the blackened to the victims were red, and it says the killer's hands are red. Things aren't what it seems, like when we thought you were the mastermind. Look at the first again, as in the first trial. And then... a purple string connected Tsumugi to Rantaro. The purple strings, or just purple in general, probably represented evidence that proved the person to be the mastermind." Rantaro blinked at Shuichi. "They thought of all that?" Shuichi nodded.

"Is it really that surprising?" Kaito asked. "They were like, hella smart!" Tsumugi groaned. "I knew there was something annoying about them!" Everyone's heads turned to the girl, pure anger in every pair of eyes.

"I mean, all they did was cry! They also claimed to be selfless, but they were also the ones who contributed the most to finding the culprit. If-" A purple blur ran past everyone, and suspended Tsumugi in the air by her shirt.

"Say that again about them, and I'll rip you clean in half!" Kokichi threatened. Shock was evident on everyone's faces. "K-Kokichi..." Kaede stuttered.

Kokichi let go and walked to Gonta, letting his face fall into Gonta's chest. "Dammit... why was it them...?" Gonta patted Kokichi's back.

"I guess... we're all gonna die for not voting, huh?" Ryoma muttered. "Well, I didn't expect everyone to have to be punished at the same time, so I don't have a punishment ready." Tsumugi admitted.

"I'll do it." Kiibo offered. Shuichi smiled and nodded. "Get on with it then." Kiibo flew out of the academy... and began blowing up the school.

"Get out, quick!" They all heard someone say. Everyone sprinted outside of the school, as they watched Kiibo blow up the school. Tsumugi, however, did not get away from the school like everyone else. She stood at the entrance, waving, up until a large rock crushed her.

You were in Kiibo's lab. "Oh, what's this?" Kiyo's sister wondered. You looked over her shoulder and your eyes widened. "Kiibo!"

You quickly flew up to where Kiibo was and grabbed him by the wrist, just as he was about to press the button on his stomach. "I've got this, don't worry. Go down to the others." He looked at you, but then nodded as he lowered down to everyone else.

"Kiibo?" Shuichi wondered. "Y/N told me to come down." Kokichi's eyes widened at the sound of your name. He felt a tap on his back and he turned around. There was a bag placed on the ground. "H-huh?"

Meanwhile, you were at the edge of the End Wall, feeling it with your hands. "Shinguji-chan, can you pass me a rock?" She nodded and brought you a rock, about the size of your head. You lifted it and threw it, making a big hole in the End Wall. "This... is the end."