The Revival: A Danganronpa fanfiction (Juzo x Kyosuke)

Chapter 18

Tw/Cw: weapons, talk of suicide,

He cringed immensely at the fading screams behind him. But he had made up his mind. There was the only solution to this whole situation. So he continued on the way he was, ignoring the soft wails he continued to hear. It was odd. Sakakura was never one to cry. Until recently Munakata wasn't even sure if he knew how. So to hear him screaming like a toddler at a candy shop... it meant a lot. Munakata reminded himself that if he had explained the plan to Sakakura, he would've surely agreed. He just couldn't bring himself to. He breathed a sigh of relief as he finally approached the last door. Without a keypad in the last chamber, he had to open the door by force. He used his sword to pry it open just enough for him to slip through, then he left it there. He stared at the ground, panting for a minute as she softly laughed.

"Well well well! To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you on this lovely evening?" Slowly he stood up and walked toward her.

"It's time to end this."

"Fun! You even came here to let me know? Oh fantastic! I'm about to die! Again!" She giggled. He looked away with a scowl before pulling out the dagger he had. "Oh! Being a bit fancy I see! I was just about to ask if you needed your sword!" He walked up to her and stared down into her still cold eyes. She smiled.

"... Why?"

"Are you really asking that again?"

"I want a real answer this time. If we're both about to die, I want a final, reasonable, explanation." She sighed and let her head fall to the side.

"You know there really isn't much more. For me to explain, I mean." Munakata leaned on the wall across from her.

"... Tell me about how you fell to despair."

"Oh that? That's simple! I was simply shown the same video used to create most of her minions!" Munakata narrowed his eyes.

"Video?"

"A video of the biggest, most awful, most tragic event in human history! The first killing game. Embedded with mind washing techniques of course."

"... That's it? A video caused all this??"

"Well of course Junko did a lot of heavy lifting, but yeah, essentially. The remnants however were shown a very special video of their classmate dying!"

"...Chiaki Nanami."

"You got it!"

"... How did you get there?"

"Well, I was trying to save my students actually.  And because of that, I walked straight into their trap!" She sighed happily. "I did put up quite the fight, I remember that. But they got through to me eventually. And thus my students were saved by despair!" She cheered at the end, like someone who just won a race. Munakata looked down at the clean dagger and shook his head.

"... It's pathetic really."

"I know right! It only took a video!" She laughed heartily.

"If you know then why are you so happy?"

"Oh dear, you really never will catch on to how despair works, huh?"

"So what?" He stood up again and began to walk towards her.

"So? It's funny!" She laughed. Again.

"Maybe to you. But I'm alright with the hope I have. Even if it's beginning to be a bit blind like Naegi's." This fit of laughter stopped abruptly.

"That's something I never expected you to say."

"You've said lots of things I never expected."

"And now I expect you to hurry up. It sounds like your friends are coming..." she nodded her head towards the door. Sure enough, he could now hear soft metallic sounds and shouting. They were only a few doors away. He swallowed, then walked directly up to her.

"....Any last words?"

"Nope! I'm good. How about you?" He swallowed. He had to decide within seconds what he would do. Even then he wasn't sure. He was certain Sakakura would agree with his solution while everyone else would disagree. But what he really wanted to do, would upset everyone. He took a deep breath and searched Yukizome's eyes once more for any sign of his old friend. But of course, there was nothing.

"... Actually there is something."

"I'm waiting~!" Of course she was going to be cheery to the last moment. He sighed and stared at his reflection in the knife.

"... Hope will always prevail."

"Pffth. Big words for-"

"Are we doing this or not?"

"I'm sorry! It's just funny. I'll be quiet now." He sighed again.

"Hope will always prevail. I know from the bottom of my being that Makoto Naegi will protect the future foundation and make it better than it's ever been! The remnants of despair will be no more, and Junko Enoshima's legacy will die! I am literally betting my life on it." She rolled her eyes with a smile.

"You're so dramatic."

"I know..." they stared at each other as Munakata raised the knife.

"...See you on the other side!"

"...Chisa..." she looked surprised.

"Yes?" Without another thought, he pressed his lips against hers. Almost instantly he heard the second to last door opening.