Truth, Perjury, and Sacrifice

Remnants of Despair

"Altered?" Karen asked, mouth slightly agape. "But Junko didn't meet these students, right?"

"I can't be sure of that," Mikan grimaced. "However, their psyche evaluations show definitive changes between before and now."

"But that's not so surprising. I mean, we've changed and we were all involved in events of the Tragedy," Hajime said.

"Still, after memory retrieval, we're fundamentally the same," Mikan said. "This could be nothing, but the students show signs of brain alteration or illness."

"Despair disease?" Nagito asked Hajime.

"But that was restricted to our virtual world, wasn't it?" Hajime shook his head as he asked. "This doesn't make any sense."

"Komaru said she saw the same setup as the Neo World Program in the warehouse she was held hostage in, right?" Karen asked Makoto and Kyoko. They both nodded.

"But when we went back to check, the machines were gone," Makoto said.

"That's not my point. She said they were using them. Actively using the program and the machines. What if the students were experimented on?" Karen glanced between Mikan and Nagito.

"That's a slim margin for testing. They were having issues operating the system, I thought?" Hajime pointed out. "Why would they put themselves through that?"

"But what if they didn't? What if we're dealing with another mastermind?" Karen sucked her lips in for a moment and crossed her arms. "Maybe the code alteration was to operate the system more easily? But with someone like Miu, operating a system like that shouldn't be an issue."

"She's an inventor, not a programmer. That distinction alone could be why we're able to find bread crumbs before any damage is done," Kyoko said. "Chihiro was the best, and we have him to thank at this moment for being thorough with his talent. We need to figure out what they're planning and fast."

"Are you okay?" Makoto asked Karen, as everyone was dispersing into the hallway.

"No, I've just begun to move past that these are the same people that tossed our loved ones' bodies on our front porches, only to find out that they're thieves and potential Remnants of Despair?"

"Well, we never said that exactly, but."

"She's right," Nagito added. "If this is their work, they are setting themselves up to take our places as Enoshima's pawns."

"But why? She's the reason we're all in this mess and trying to rebuild the world," Hajime said. "Wouldn't it make more sense for them to hate her?"

"I asked myself the same thing about the Warriors of Hope." Karen shook her head slowly. "Kotoko and Nagisa have slowly begun to move past acknowledging her as a savior, but I know deep down they are grateful to Junko. I can't change that. Junko was there for them in time of need, even for her twisted reasons." She took a moment to breathe. "Maybe witnessing all they did, the students just accepted that Junko controlled everything. I mean, she still has some control around the globe right now, and she's been dead for over two years now."

"Are you really rationalizing what these kids have been doing? They tried to kill you, you know!" Nagito yelled.

"Oh yes, how could I have completely forgotten that now I have two gunshot scars on my body?! That they almost killed Byakuya! They desecrated our friends' gravesite and our families' bodies! God, Nagito, how dense do you think I am?"