✧ Chapter 61 ✧
[ The Final Act of Death  ]
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[ Shuichi's PoV ]

As soon as the gunshot sounded, the two sides surged forward. However, the bullet that Kirigiri fired was simply deflected by Izuru's knife. He was protecting Junko, but it seemed to be mostly out of respect than an act of kindness.

I made my way towards Kokichi, many Traitors tried to attack me, but each time, someone was always there to beat them back.

Familiar faces greeted me from the shadows of the Monokuma hoodies. Their darkened, shadowed eyes carried anger, hurt and negativity. Maybe that was what drove them to fight for the wrong side.

Was there even a wrong side?
"Fighting for something as simple as Love? How boring.."

I could almost hear Izuru's droning voice in my mind, making my movements slower than usual.

No. I have to cut through those thoughts.. or else I might soon give in and stop fighting. And there was no way I was going to give up now.

Makoto swung his knife at his sister, who blasted him away with the power of her Hacking Gun. "Stop fighting, big bro, please!" I could hear her pleas; fearful and desperate.

Toko and Togami battled against the green haired girl who had been standing by Junko. The kid was accompanied by various Monokumas, carrying bombs, flamethrowers and some even resembling a giant bear-shaped robot.

A white bear with a tattered bandage around its left eye, whom I didn't recognise also leapt into battle, fighting off the Monokuma variations with a small flower in its paw.

Akane was lying on the floor, surrounded by a pile of food with an out-cold Monokuma Traitor, Teruteru. They seemed to have fought against each other till they fell asleep; which I hoped wasn't the actual case.

Mitarai fended off his attackers with his brainwashing video. However, he seemed more terrified of the Traitors than he was of them, honestly. But they thankfully left him alone.

I stumbled past Kirumi, who was whacking a Traitor on the head with her broom. Before promptly sweeping up some dust from the floor without a problem. "Sorry, Miss Ludenberg." she told the unconscious girl, who had been hit unconscious by her.

The Ultimate Maid suddenly caught my eye and gave a curtsy, "Good morning, Mr Saihara, do you need any assistance?" Behind her, Korekiyo was sneaking up, a golden katana in his hand.

I froze, "Kiru-."

Without even hesitating, she whacked him on the head without looking and continued to sweep the place. And at that moment, I realised she really was not someone to mess around with.

Still passing both Remnants and Traitors alike, I finally made my way to where Junko and Kokichi were. Out of breath and my chest burning with pain.

"Get away from him.. Enoshima.."

I pressed a hand against my chest, which was really hurting tremendously.

However, my legs weren't giving way to exhaustion so that was a good thing. The peach-blonde haired woman was smiling widely at Kokichi, who seemed to be in a deep sleep. She appeared to be standing before her prey, her long nails sharpened and ready to attack.

She then raised her head, a small, friendly smile on her face, "Who are you to stop me, Saihara? You're a nobody here. Your Remnant friends are fighting and yet, you only care about one person."

I continued to glare at Junko's remorseless eyes, who sighed in exaggeration, using her hand to fan herself. "Don't say I didn't warn you. Momota-kun.. take care of him, would you?"

I spun around as Kaito swung a knife at me, the blade passing close to my neck. Instinctively, I backed away, holding a hand against where he had almost sliced through my skin.

He looked down at me, a small smirk on his face as my back hit the floor. I had no weapon to defend myself with.

Rolling to the side, I dodged the knife, and avoided the sharpened end. "Please, Kaito-." I tried once more to talk to him but was quickly shut up as he swung at me once more.

I had to put all my concentration not to get stabbed. So talking wasn't an answer-

I needed something else to distract him.

But before a plan could form in my mind, he swung down at me and I threw up my hands to protect myself the best I could-.

I breathed heavily, waiting for impact but none came. Slowly opening my eyes, Kaito's arms were outstretched but his eyes held an emotion I recognised as stunned.

Behind him, stood Maki, who had plunged the end of the needle into the vein of his neck. Her eyes held unshed tears; her pale hands shaking.

The assassin pulled the needle back, throwing Kaito to the ground. "I'm sorry Kaito-." she whispered under her breath but before I could stop him, he grabbed her arm and stabbed the girl right in the stomach.

"MAKI!" I cried, the shock rooting me to the ground. My legs went cold as Harukawa knelt on the ground, her arm around her stomach and blood spilling from her lips. I had to believe she didn't get stabbed. She was an assassin, surely she would've seen that coming-.

But a patch of deep crimson formed around the place where she had been injured..

"Poor Saihara-chan.." Junko whispered to herself as she circled Ouma's body, "Looks like someone else died because of you.."

"Maki.. MAKI!" I couldn't believe it.

I didn't want to believe it.

But no matter how much I argued with reality, I couldn't tear my eyes away from Maki, who was kneeling beside Kaito's slumped body.

I couldn't breathe, tears clouding my vision as my fingers clenched the end of the chain around my neck. I needed something to anchor me down, to get a grip on whatever was going on.

I didn't know what serum Maki had injected into Kaito, but whatever it was.. the Ultimate Astronaut seemed to have fallen unconscious.

However, the assassin wasn't dead yet, her eyes matching the colour of the liquid beneath her. She whispered something under her breath, but I couldn't hear what she said amongst the sounds of people fighting around me.

"Oh?" Junko's mocking voice thrilled out as Maki staggered to her feet, breathing heavily and her hand holding a bloodstained dagger. The same one Kaito had used to hurt her. "You're not dead? How unfortunate."

"I'm not going to die by his hands.." she finally muttered out loud, fixing her eyes on the woman. Her body waved slightly, blood dripping from between her fingers as she shot forward.

Before I could stop her, the silver blade of the dagger passed cleanly through the blonde's head. Maki attacked her repeatedly until she finally stood behind the other, unable to hurt the hologram.

"Pathetic, Harukawa.." Junko turned to  face the injured girl. "Nice try, but-."

"If there's one thing Ouma taught me." The assassin whispered so softly, I almost didn't catch her slowly fading voice, "Distractions can be useful in a fight."

"Upupupu.. dear Harukawa, what do you mean by that-?"

As if on cue, the lights flickered and the body of Junko glitched out for a second or two. Whoever was doing this seemed to want to stop the maniacal woman.

"What is this-?!"

Maki smiled as she then fell to her knees, but before she could finally rest, she swung her arm back and threw the knife at Junko's pixelated body. It passed right through her head, but it seemed to have shocked the hologram long enough for her to be distracted.

The assassin then turned to me and her eyes travelled over to Ouma who was still lying in the 'extraction' machine that Junko had thought up. One word was clearly written on her expression, right before she closed her eyes and breathed no more.

She gave me enough time to get to him; thanks to her distraction.

"Ouma-." I scrambled to get up, ignoring everyone else who had paused long enough to wonder about the slowly crumbling Neo World Program..

I was done being in pain. I had to end this before Junko's group of Traitors killed more of my friends.

"I'm not done talking to you, Shuichi Saihara!" at the shout of my name, the room shook and I nearly lost my balance. Junko's static's filled voice could make the room tremble, but even so, I ignored her.

"Listen to me," I finally grabbed Kokichi's limp hand, pulling off the straps with trembling hands, "Please Ouma, I know you can hear me. I need you here, we have to stop Junko together."

"Our friends are dying.."

"Forget the Revive serum.. don't bring Junko back." I rushed on, before taking a deep breath and gently pressing my forehead against his.

If you can hear me.. please. Just wake up.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Junko's shrill voice rang out.

This was for everyone I've lost.
My parents.
Kaede.
Rantaro.
Kaito.
Maki.

Countless lives I've killed without knowing.

"I just want to end this."

I pulled away from Kokichi, feeling the ground shake once more as Junko screamed something I couldn't catch.

Without letting go of Ouma's relaxed hand, I looked around to see most of the Monokuma Traitors on the ground, and as many casualties from the Remnants as well.

Above me, the lights flickered and sparked, dust falling from the ceiling.

Junko stomped her feet, looking livid as the Traitors fled, "No no no! Kamukura senpai! Where did you go?! How could you abandon me at a time like this?!"

The building was collapsing?

I turned back to Kokichi, who was still hooked up to the machine. Despite the straps I've pulled off, the wires connecting to the helmet he was wearing were a dangerous mess. I couldn't risk electrocuting him or myself.

"Gonta will help!" a loud voice boomed beside me and I looked up to see the one and only Gonta Gokuhara. In his arms, he was carrying Ryoma, who seemed to have passed out. "What does Shuichi need Gonta for?"

I refrained myself from asking questions about the unconscious tennis player and pointed to both the unconscious Kaito and.. with some difficulty, Maki.

"Please Gonta, carry them to safety.. I need to get Ouma out of this chair."

The huge giant of a man nodded and ran off, asking for permission before manoeuvring through the crowd.

I'll just have to risk it. I couldn't hear Junko anymore, which was a piece of good news.

As I reached for the multi coloured wires again, my eyes caught a string of words a nearby screen, a long list of letters scrolling past.

Some of the words I recognised as ordinary medicine, but there were also other terms which didn't seem to make sense. My hands stopped working as I found myself watching a video playing before me.

With my hand against the screen, I could barely make out a scene unfolding before me.

It seemed to be a younger version of myself, the screen glitching out every now and then.

From Ouma's point of view, I saw the Shuichi on screen take a piece of paper from him. Then I noticed something about myself. The small smile I always made just for him. The happiness in my eyes and flushed cheeks.

Back then.. I was in love with him. But blind to see that he too, loved me back.

As a precaution, I raised my elbow back to shatter the screen. No one needs to know the secret of the Revival serum.

Before I could do so, however, I was jerked back by an unknown force. "Did you really think you could ignore me like that?" Junko's voice whispered in my ear as chills ran down my spine.

Her long nail polished fingers gripped my arm so tightly, the skin turned white.

How was she-?

"How am I alive?" she continued to whisper as I heard someone shouting for everyone to evacuate the building. "Upupupu.. it seems like someone here really wants me to be right here.." she tilted my chin to Ouma, who was stirring from his slumber.

I clenched my right fist and slammed it right into her stomach, sending her backwards. "None of us wants you." the lights turned dark, the walls falling away little by little, beams of sunlights shining in through the cracks in the walls. "Be dead, and stay dead.."

Junko laughed, holding her stomach but she didn't seem to be in pain. "Me? Stay dead? As long as everyone knows my name, as long as anyone who wants despair.. I'll be immortal forever!"

"Kyahahhahah!" her laughter morphed into something which didn't sound like Monokuma as she advanced towards me. "Come here Saihara, darling! Give me the Revival serum and bring me back from-."

She stopped as soon as something seemed to freeze her in place.

"W-What?" her hands trembled but she still had that insane smile on her face. I froze, unable to look away was the girl touched the end of the knife protruding from her stomach.

The person behind her pulled the weapon out, and Junko finally collapsed to the floor, still laughing.

Her laughter sounded like it was glitching as well, providing a eerie soundtrack to the building which was slowly crumbling to pieces.

"You're working for the wrong side, my dear Monokuma Traitor.." The woman raised a long taloned finger at Keebo, who now stomped on her arm with no remorse.

I've never seen this side of the gentle Keebo. His blue eyes cold and serious as he regarded the last Mastermind with narrowed eyes.

"You're wrong Enoshima.. I'm nobody's traitor. I don't belong to any side."

With that said, he released his hold on the knife, the sharp thud resonating around the nearly empty room. On the end of the blade, there was no blood, but as I watched, Junko's body slowly glitched out and vanished. The ghost of her body now imprinted on the floor.

Just like that, her laughter, her malice, her insanity, was gone.

"Keebo.." I managed to find my voice, my hand holding Kokichi's, "Thank you."

The scientist nodded curtly, before helping Gonta with Maki and Kaito.

I turned away from him and focused all my attention back to Kokichi. He seemed to have moved slightly, his fists clenched and knuckles white. I then removed the rest of the wires from the machine.

This reminded me of the burning library where I saved him from Rantaro.. that felt like ages ago.

Slightly out of breath and ripping away the last of the wires which sparked angrily at me, I finally gathered Ouma in my arms and without hesitation, I pressed his lips against mine.

He didn't react but I continued to squeeze my eyes shut.

I didn't care if I was in a breaking, crumbling building..

"Even though you can't hear me.." I whispered as I heard someone calling my name.

"Get out of there!"

"Shuichi! Get out!"

"Someone get them!"

I held Kokichi tightly in my arms just as the machine in front of me announced a death. Like a dull, tone of a flatlined patient in a hospital.

Holding back a sob, I pressed my forehead against his.

If this building was going down..

It was going down with us.

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[ Two Hours Ago // Hallway ]
[ Keebo's PoV ]

"Kokichi!" My hands slammed against the metal door as it slid shut. Behind me, Izuru and Hajime were engaged in a fierce fight, sharp weapons flying and shots fired.

I pressed a hand against the frame of my glasses, activating a button. I've only just discovered this feature a few weeks ago, but it was simple and very helpful.

As soon as my fingers brushed against the button, light blue target symbols appeared on the surface of my glasses.

With this, I could easily trace the bullet paths and predict where Hajime would shoot. At the corner of my lenses, the target over Maki flash red in warning.

And at the same time, Hajime pulled the trigger of the gun, missing Izuru by inches.

Thinking quickly, I dashed forward and hit Maki aside, pushing her away. A sharp pain raced up my side and I gasped with pain.

"Keebo?! Why did you-." Maki's eyes were wide as I pretended to analyse the blank grey door before us. In reality, I was clutching my side to ease the pain where the bullet had grazed me.

I shook my head, laughing slightly. "It's fine, I just found a solution to our p-problem.." I lied, feeling my face heat with embarrassment, wrapping my arm around my side. I could feel warm blood, sticking to my clothes.

Masking my pain as carefully as I could, I pressed a hand against the wall, right where Kokichi had been thrown into.

A small alert from my glasses sounded softly, indicating that I needed immediate medical attention. I ignored that for now; staying strong for my friends. This was nothing compared to our 'mission'. I couldn't drag them down like this.

"He's in the Neo World Program room.." Chiaki announced as she pressed a hand against the door like how I was doing.

A panel appeared as soon as her fingers grazed the surface. "Maybe it needs authorisation?" the red eyed assassin suggested, clearly uneasy from the fight behind us. Chiaki didn't reply, and instead, moved her hand against the door again.

I pushed her hand away just in time for a bullet hit the panel beside the door; rendering it useless.

Maki made a small sound of annoyance. "Bad luck. Great, we can't get in there. We have to find another way."

Chiaki's eyes traveled to the floor, as if she were thinking. I analysed the corridor, where Hajime and Izuru were still bickering while shooting each other with both words and bullets.

"There's another room which controls what 'projection' runs for the Neo World Program." Chiaki's slow voice finally spoke up over the sounds of the fight, "I can lead you to it, if you'd like.. but someone is always there to work on it.. he never leaves the room, you see.."

"Lead us to it, then!" Maki exclaimed impatiently, making the pink haired girl regard her with a bored expression. "What are you waiting for?"

Without another word, the gamer spun on her heel and led us down a corridor, clutching the straps of her backpack.

While we walked as fast as we could, I passed by a couple of windows, realising that we seemed to be above ground. The green field of Remnants and Traitors fighting down below.

Another shock of pain travelled up my side, but I brushed it aside. I couldn't slow down. My friends needed me.

Maki held out her knife, wary of attackers as Chiaki hummed softly to herself, as if using sound waves to figure her way about.

I resisted the urge to yell at her to move faster. Time was running out! Didn't she care?

The building shook, and the ground shifted, making me stumble over my two feet. "Whoa-." I threw out my hands to steady myself but the two girls didn't seem to have been affected by the tremor.

"Keebo? What's wrong?" the assassin asked with a concerned tone. Ever since she and Ouma has become temporary 'friends' she seemed more relaxed and open.

But of course, she didn't lose her murderous stare.

"No.. it's nothing, keep going." I lied once more, silently thanking Ouma. If it wasn't for him, I never would have noticed the little things which indicated a lie. Over the years of observing and living with him-.

My eyes widened slightly. That's strange.. how did I remember years of friendships with Ouma? I knew I had spent about a few weeks with him at the most. But never years..

Making sure that the two girls were still brisk walking ahead, I pulled my hand away from my side. Crimson blood stained my fingers, a grotesque sight. Clenching my fist to hide it, I came up with a small theory..

What if people remembered their old memories.. while they were on the verge of death?

Was that what was going on?

Was I going to die? Maybe that's why I'm able to recall my memories..

If that was the case..

Chiaki pressed her hand against the side of a wall and the door's frame turned a light shade of lime green. "Alright, here we are." she whispered, almost to herself; as if she were gathering up her courage.

She wordlessly pushed it open, to reveal someone standing before a wide computer screen.

The person's back faced us, but there was no mistaking that style of layered hair. Monokuma hoodie, and pleated skirt. Even surrounded by the glowing screens of computers and machines.. the figure seemed relaxed and ease.

"I was wondering when you'd turn up, Miss Nanami.."

Chiaki's hand slowly slid down the door, to rest at her side. She faced the person with the same expression as someone who would meet an old friend.

Maki raised her knife but the person turned.

Chihiro's humourless magenta coloured eyes glowing within the darkness.

"Welcome back, you three.. were you expecting me?"

♥ End of Chapter Sixty-One ♥

A/N (11037th A/N)

*puts up sign* Hey guys! :) I'm back from the staycation and I gotta say. This took forever to edit 😹 but I'm backkkk. Anyway, take this chapter (which somehow ended up being longer than usual)

Love, Ellie.
P.S. Dolphins are freaking cute.