*ding dong, bing bong*

“Good morning everyone! It is now 7 a.m and nighttime is officially over! Time to rise and shine! Get ready to greet another beautiful day!” Monokuma raises his arm enthusiastically, a martini in hand.

“Ugh.” Naegi grunts as he pulls himself up. He had convinced Maizono to not kill anyone this time around so there shouldn’t be a dead body to be discovered today. Maybe going back here was a second chance to save all of his friends?

Yes. That’s going to be my goal. I will save everyone!

“Ah, morning already…” Maizono yawns sleepily before standing up from the floor. “Good morning Naegi.”

“Good morning. Are you feeling better?”

Maizono nods and gives him a bright smile. But though she seemed happy, Naegi could tell that her smile was a bit forced. Her mouth was tight lipped and dark circles were visible under her eyes. It looked as if she hadn’t slept at all last night.

“Do you want to walk to the cafeteria today?” Maizono asks.

“Sure!”

She’s alive. Now, to make sure that everyone else stays alive. After Maizono, Junko killed her sister… Ikusaba.

As Naegi walks to the dining hall with Maizono, he sighs as he realizes the large task ahead of him. Mukuro Ikusaba was the Ultimate Despair. He had never held a ‘real’ conversation with her, so he had no idea what she would be like. Apparently, they were classmates before all of this happened but Naegi’s (and everyone else’s) memories of her were erased. But if she was an Ultimate Despair, then she might be a little tough to deal with.

Despair or not, I will save her. Everyone else too. This is my second chance!

“S-So to make sure I understand… if we get the culprit right, then only they die. But if we get it wrong… all the rest of us get executed?” Kiyotaka stammers.

“Yep! Remember this when the first murder inevitably happens!” Monokuma guffaws, prancing around on top of a table. Despite there not being a murder this time around, Monokuma was still explaining things again. So if things kept consistent, Ikusaba will be tricked and killed by the real Junko.

Ikusaba won’t die this time though. Not on Naegi’s watch.

“W-Wait, hold on a second!” Right on schedule, Ikusaba starts to protest against Monokuma. “You’re freaking insane, you know that?”

“Hm?” Monokuma tilts his head quizzically.

“What the hell is a class trial? I want nothing to do with that!”

“Why not?”

“What do you mean why not?! Why would I want to try and figure out a murderer with my own life on the line?”

“What?! Are you saying that you’re gonna rebel against the headmaster? Only punishment awaits such blasphemy!”

As the two argue, they start inching closer to each other. Unbeknownst to them, Naegi was also approaching Ikusaba. No one noticed this as everyone was too busy observing the argument unfolding in front of them.

“What? Punishment?”

“I might… I dunno, throw you in a deep, dark scary prison or something!”

“Shut the hell up! Say whatever you want, I’m not gonna participate in your fucked up game!”

“Don’t be so selfish!”

“You’re the selfish one! Kill whoever you want, I won’t be a part of this!”

Monokuma extends some sharp claws from his paws and takes a menacing pose. Well, it would be menacing if the robot bear wasn’t so tiny.

“I won’t give in to such rebellion! It’s my style to stick it out and resist till the very end! If you really wanna get out of here… You’ll have to go through me first!” Monokuma says with a dramatic flair.

He charges at Ikusaba, one eye glowing red.

But then…

*Smash*

“Uwahhh!”

Ikusaba takes a step forward and stomps on Monokuma, effectively trapped him beneath her boot. Monokuma flails about and hits Ikusaba’s boot, but no matter how he struggled it seemed like he was truly stuck.

“Enjoying yourself now?” Ikusaba smirks with a look of satisfaction on her face.

“No, but I will soon!”

“Huh?”

“Violence against Headmaster Monokuma is not allowed.” Monokuma booms, body strangely still. “You’ve violated a school regulation. I invoke the mighty summon spell! Help! To me, godly spear Gungnir!”

Now!

Right as Monokuma finishes his sentence, Naegi rushes forwards and shoves Ikusaba as hard as he could. She ends up stumbling several feet forwards, almost falling down.

“Hey! What’s the big…” Ikusaba’s protest dies in her throat as she sees what she had just been spared from. Dozens of spears that were reaching up from the floor stabbed into the empty air that Ikusaba had just been standing in seconds ago. The razor-sharp tips of each spear glinted murderously in the light. If Naegi was even a little bit late with his push, she most definitely would have been dead.

“Run, Iku - I mean, Junko!” Naegi shouts at her. “He might try to kill you again!”

Ikusaba doesn’t move however, instead opting to just stand there, glued to the ground. For once in her life, her mind moved sluggishly, not able to process what just happened. Her eyes told her what they saw, but her brain refused to process it.

What…? How? What just happened?

“You!” Monokuma turns his attention to Naegi, steam pouring out of his ears. His face seemed as red as a beet. “How dare you interfere with a punishment! Why, just for that, I might execute you instead!”

“No.” Kirigiri says in a quiet yet commanding voice. Every eye turns to her as she shakes her head firmly. “No where in the rules does it say that Naegi can be punished for interference with an execution. Punishing him would break your rules.”

“Grrr....” Monokuma stares at both Kirigiri and Naegi with malice. For a second, it seemed as if Monokuma would end up killing Naegi anyway. But then, unexpectedly…

“Puhuhuhuhuhu… Sure, sure!” This may be more interesting anyway! I won’t even finish off ‘Junko’ over here!” Monokuma waddles towards the exit, still giggling to himself. “Next time though, I will DEFINITELY kill the rule breaker! So stay on your toes!”

And with that, Monokuma leaves. As he does, Ikusaba’s knees finally betray her and she ends up stumbling down onto the ground, her mind still reeling over what just happened.

…

“Naegi. Care to explain?” Togami asks, breaking the tense silence.

“Huh?”

“How did you know to push Junko away? I saw you moving closer to her even before she attacked Monokuma. You clearly knew what was going to happen.” Togami glares at Naegi suspiciously.

“I… uh, gut feeling?” Naegi offers weakly.

“Gut feeling? Of course a plebian like you would try a worthless excuse like that. What kind of idiot do you take me for? Do you honestly th-”

“Shut up!” Maizono snaps, shooting a withering glare at Togami. “Naegi just saved someone’s life! That’s better than anything you’ve ever done in your life! Stop pushing him around you jerk!”

“Please.” Togami rolls his eyes. “Naegi here knows something we don’t, that much is obvious.”

“So what? He still saved Junko’s life! It’s not like Naegi did anything wrong!” Maizono argues.

Togami scowls. “How are you so sure that it’s Junko that Naegi really saved?”

“Huh?”

All of the students looked at Togami, confused. All of the students that is, besides Naegi, Kirigiri, and Ikusaba herself.

“Don’t tell me that you all missed the sarcastic tone that bear used when saying Junko’s name? You must be either deaf or a complete idiot to not get the hint. Not only is Naegi suspicious, but Junko is as well.”

“Monokuma was probably just trying to mess with us. That’s something he would do, right?” Asahina comments.

“Guys, can we give Junko some time to recover? I’m sure that she can explain after she does.” Naegi walks over to Ikusaba who was still sitting on the ground and offers her his hand.

“Fine.” Togami sneers and turns away to walk out of the gym. “But I expect a full explanation.”

“M-Master! Wait for me!” Fukawa quickly runs to catch up to Togami.

Ikusaba stares at Naegi’s outstretched hand as if unsure what to do. After some time though, she finally decides to take it.

“... Thanks. For saving me too.”

“No problem!” Naegi flashes his signature smile.

“...” Blushing slightly, Ikusaba quickly lets go of his hand. For the whole time that Ikusaba had been attending Hope’s Peak, there were really only 2 people that she had cared about - Her little sister Junko, and Naegi, her classmate.

Makoto Naegi, the Ultimate Lucky Student. The boy who smiled at her. For some reason, whenever she was around Naegi, her heart started beating faster and she ends up stumbling over her own words. His smile, filled to the brim with hope, always made her feel warm inside.

Junko had always called her a disappointment of a sister. She always took every opportunity to verbally abuse her in some way. Despite this, Ikusaba remained loyal to her - she knew that deep down, Junko really loved Ikusaba. Surely Junko just wanted Ikusaba to feel the same despair that she had always been obsessed about. Junko just wanted the best for both of them. They would always stick together, no matter what.

At least, she always thought that they would stick together.

Junko betrayed me… But Naegi saved me.

What do I do?

Mukuro Ikusaba was one half of the Ultimate Despair - the brawns of the group. Obviously her sister, Junko Enoshima, made up the brains of the group. Together, with Junko’s analytical prowess and Ikusaba’s Ultimate Soldier talents, they made a formidable team. The twin sisters - The Ultimate Despairs. Despite all of this, despair was never the first thing on Ikusaba’s mind. While she did feel despair from doing horrible acts and watching the world burn, it never made her feel as good as how Junko felt.

She was not doing all of this for despair - she was doing all of this for Junko.

Junko, her beloved little sister. Ikusaba felt that Junko was the only one in the world who understood and loved her and in turn, Ikusaba felt as if she were the only one to understand and love Junko. Whenever Junko gave her even the slightest bit of attention, she was on cloud 9.

Everyone else saw Ikusaba as a tool, just waiting to be used. That is what comes with being the Ultimate Soldier after all - Countless organizations and groups sought her talents. She was always wanted for some sort of job.

Those who did not see Ikusaba as a tool simply saw her as a threat instead. They shied away from her, always looking uncomfortable when Ikusaba was anywhere near them. She was treated as if she were the Ultimate Murderous Fiend rather than the Ultimate Soldier.

For her whole life, she was an outcast. The only person she could talk to was her own despair loving sister, Junko Enoshima.

Until she met Makoto Naegi, that is.

It was during the first week of Hope’s Peak Academy.

“You’re Ikusaba… right? The Ultimate Soldier.” Naegi had been exchanging introductions with his classmates. “Junko mentioned that you’re her sister.”

“Mukuro Ikusaba, Ultimate Soldier.” Ikusaba confirms with a nod of her head as she introduces herself in her usual listless tone. She didn’t think that introductions were necessary. Everyone was just going to ignore her again anyway.

“I’m Makoto Naegi, the Ultimate Lucky Student.”

Ikusaba gasps as Naegi suddenly delivers a shining grin to the soldier. This was the first time that someone had genuinely smiled at her. Usually, she only sees smiles that are either polite or nervous.

“I hope we can get along!”

For a moment, Ikusaba didn’t know what to say. None of the training she had taken could have prepared her for this.

“... T-Thanks, I… hope we can get along too.” Ikusaba stammers with a flushed face.

“You’re Ikusaba… right? The Ultimate Soldier.”

As soon as everyone else dispersed, Naegi dragged Ikusaba to his room so that they could talk privately. When Naegi asked this, Ikusaba was instantly put on guard. If he had known that Ikusaba even existed, then his memory was probably not completely erased. This could pose problems to the Killing Game.

I should report this to Junko as soon as…

Then, Ikusaba remembered that Junko just tried to kill her.

… Maybe I should hear him out.

“How did you know?” Ikusaba sighs and took her giant blonde wig off. Beneath it, a clean bobbed haircut was revealed.

Naegi laughs awkwardly and scratches his chin. “Um, I don’t think you would believe me if I told you.”

Faster than anyone could even blink, Ikusaba takes out a combat knife and holds it to Naegi’s neck.

“Tell me. How did you know?” Ikusaba says in a dangerously quiet voice. Of course, Ikusaba didn’t intend to hurt him, but she really wanted to know about how he knew about Junko’s plans. On top of apparently avoiding the memory erasure, he had known enough to save her life.

“Ok, ok!” Naegi stammers, clearly flustered. “Can you… erm, put the knife away first?”

“.. Fine.”

Naegi lets out a breath of relief and sits down on his bed. “Long story short… I think I time traveled.”

…

“This isn’t the time for jokes.” Ikusaba glares at him, hand inching back to her knife.

“No! It’s not a joke! I swear it’s the truth.”

…

Ikusaba sighs and sits down next to Naegi, shifting the bed down. “Prove it then.”

“How?”

“Tell me something that will happen in the future.”

Something that will happen in the future?

What would happen in the future anyway? Now that Ikusaba and Maizono are alive, the future would have been heavily changed at this point. There aren’t many things that are guaranteed/

“Well, I’m not sure if this will happen but… Sakura Oogami will be forced to become a mole for Monokuma.”

Ikusaba raises a brow. “You aren’t sure?”

“Well I changed the future by preventing the deaths of you and Maizono. That could mean that the stuff I saw happen won’t happen at all, right?”

“You saved Maizono?” This was news to Ikusaba. Was a murder supposed to happen recently?

“Before I time traveled, she was going to attempt to murder Leon. But it would have gone wrong had she would end up murdered instead. Thankfully, I manage to convince her to not resort to murder this time around.

Ikusaba shakes her head in disbelief. “Time travel? That’s completely absurd… though I suppose there aren’t many other plausible explanations on how you knew about Junko’s plan.”

With that said, Ikusaba stands up and makes her way to the door.

“Where are you going?”

“I need to think up of an excuse. You did promise that I would explain everything to the others, after all.”

“Oh, right.” Naegi grins sheepishly. “Sorry about that.”

Slamming the door shut, Ikusaba leaves without a response.

“You have had plenty of time to recover. Care to explain what happened? The truth, if you will.” Togami readjusts his glasses as he glares coldly at Ikusaba.

Ikusaba had decided that the best course of action was to build a small lie on top of a partial truth. She couldn’t think of many plausible lies that could explain how Naegi knew to push her out of the way. Obviously, she wouldn’t be able to explain time travel to a skeptic like Togami. Not just Togami either - she doubted that anyone would believe her.

“My real name is Mukuro Ikusaba. I… was an acquaintance to the mastermind, the one who trapped all of you in here.

“You’re saying that you’re one of the people who forced us all into this?” Kuwata steps forward. “Then let us out of here already!”

“Only the mastermind has the remote to open the front door.”

“My, what a convenient excuse.” Celeste holds her hand to her mouth as she smiles to herself. Her words were suspicious, but as far as Celeste knew, Ikusaba wasn’t lying. She was the Queen of Liars, one who could read other people very well. Unless Ikusaba was extremely good at lying (which is entirely possible), then the mastermind probably was the only one with the remote.

“Man, you guys know that none of this was real in the first place right?” Hagakure laughs loudly, ignoring the pointed looks of everyone else around him. “I mean, those spears that shot out of the floor were probably made out of plastic or something!”

“Fucking idiot…” Owada cracks his knuckles menacingly, causing Hagakure to involuntarily whimper.

“Here’s the obvious question.” Celeste says. “Who’s the mastermind?”

“I’m pretty sure that Monokuma wouldn’t let me tell you.”

As if Monokuma had been waiting for the perfect moment, a notification suddenly pops up from the student E-Handbooks, causing several beeping noises to pop up.

Naegi glances down and reads the new rule.

Mukuro Ikusaba is not allowed to divulge confidential matters about the Killing Game.

“Oh, that’s a load of bullshit!” Owada shouts

Togami clears his throat. “Assuming that you aren’t lying, this would mean that Naegi is a third accomplice, correct?”

“Wh-What?” Naegi stammers.

“No. Naegi had nothing to do with this.” Ikusaba says with certainty.

“Oh?”

Now, the lie comes in. Ikusaba had an excellent poker face. In fact, it was one that may rival the masks of Kyoko and Celeste. She had stood against entire armies by herself with a straight face. Surely she would be able to tell a small lie to a couple of teenagers… even if one of them was the Queen of Lies.

“Naegi only knew to push me out of the way because I told him too. I knew that the mastermind was planning to backstab me when I was told to stomp on Monokuma in that specific spot.”

“You knew that you were going to be betrayed but you went along with it anyway?” Kirigiri stares into Ikusaba’s eyes, as if she was challenging her.

“I didn’t want to believe that the mastermind would betray me. Even now, I still don’t want to believe it. I told Naegi to push me anyway though.” Ikusaba shrugs her shoulders. “Just in case.”

“Is this true?” The detective shifts her attention to Naegi.

“Uh, yeah!” Naegi laughs nervously. “It’s true.”

Inwardly, Ikusaba curses him for being so obvious. She may be able to lie decently but he was always terrible at telling them. She notices that several students, including Kirigiri stare at him with suspicion.

“Hmmm. Well if Mr. Naegi insists, then I suppose that Ikusaba is being truthful!” Yamada puffs out his chest obliviously. “I will place my full trust in him!”

“Idiot.” Togami scoffs. “If he’s telling the truth then he probably wouldn’t be sweating literal bullets right now.”

That was true. Naegi was fidgeting around, avoiding eye contact with anyone.

“I would rather trust in Naegi then someone like Togami anyway.” Asahina says.

“Yeah dude! Naegs is way nicer than Toges.”

“From what I’ve seen, Naegi is an upstanding student!”

“If Asahina trusts in him, then I see no reason for doubt.”

Despite Naegi’s horrible acting, most of her classmates decided to place their trust in him anyway. Even the smarter ones like Kirigiri and Celeste didn’t raise any objections, though there was no doubt in Ikusaba’s mind that they knew that he was lying.

“Hmph. Don’t blame me when you idiots get murdered.” With that said, Togami sulks away from the group, scowling to himself.

“M-Master is right!” Fukawa grumbles, stalking after Togami. “I bet that either N-Naegi or I-Ikusaba will be the next killer!”

“Sheesh. That chick’s got serious issues.” Owada shakes his head slowly. “Just what does she see in that asshole?”

“Um… H-Hey, Ikusaba?” Unexpectedly it was Fujisaki who spoke up. “S-So, if you aren’t Junko Enoshima, the Ultimate Fashionista… then what is your talent?”

Mukuro glances over at Naegi hesitantly. She was already distrusted by most of the people here. Not that she could blame them - She had openly admitted to work for the mastermind. Revealing that she was also a killer would only cast even more suspicion on her. But refusing to tell her talent, or lying about it might be even worse.

“I think you should tell them.” Naegi says.

Well, if Naegi says it’s okay then...

…

“I’m the Ultimate Soldier.” Ikusaba says simply.