Phantom Thieves of Hope - A Danganronpa X Persona 5 Story.

Chapter 111: Everybody Lies

 A Dead End to the Ocean's Aroma - Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair

And just like that, Usami's entire world shattered.

"WHAT!?" The Phantom Thieves all exclaimed in unison, looking at the bunny, who had gone completely, utterly pale.

"H-How is that possible?" Sandbox stepped forward.

"I can't say how it happened without further investigation. Of course, at first interaction, the difference between them is like night and day," the Phantom Knight admitted. "But does it not seem obvious at this point? It all lines up."

"No...No, that's horseshit!" Lab-Rat snarled. "There's no way she could be a Monokuma!"

"But if she IS a Monokuma, and the failed ones are all kept in this room, then...did she..." Sleuth paused, and then continued. "Did she escape this place before it shut down?"

"Or did she cause it to shut down in the first place...?" Mozart looked down at the bunny. "Could the person who locked away the Junk Monokuma have been her, trying to keep her past at bay?"

"I-I..." Usami stumbled backward, her back hitting the wall behind her, her breaths growing shallow and rapid. "I don't know! I-I can't remember!"

"You guys aren't seriously buying into this bullcrap, are you!?" Highwayman snapped at them before she rounded back on the Phantom Knight. "That's such a groundless theory! Give me one good reason why we should take what you're saying seriously, and I'll believe it!"

The Phantom Knight scoffed.

"I won't give you one good reason." He raised his hand in front of her face. "I'll give you five."

"FIVE!?" she hissed, incredulous. "You can't have!"

"One:" the Phantom Knight ignored her, already diving into his explanation. "Based on what Usami just told us, the pain and sorrow she felt from interacting with this pod was connected to the reverse idea of destruction. And do you know what the opposite of destruction is? It's CREATION. In fact, I think the exact words she used were, 'when your dreams come true, or the kind of fear you would have when creating life itself.' Doesn't that sound a lot like a birth, or even a birthing pod?"

"Okay, fine, but there's no proof-!" Highwayman shot back.

"Two:" he held up another finger. "Do none of you think that Usami has always borne an uncanny resemblance to the Monokumas?"

Everyone instantly turned to stare at Usami. She looked so small, and scared, and...utterly helpless.

"I admit, it's not immediately obvious, but really, there are only two particularly standout things that set them apart," the Phantom Knight continued. "The color, and the fact the Monokumas look like bears while she looks more like a rabbit. However, beyond that, their body shape is the same."

"Even so, that's-" Lab-Rat tried to interject, but the Knight didn't let him.

"Three: Usami and the Monokumas both possess the ability to shapeshift. Creatures like the Junk Monokuma, as we've seen, can reshape their own body into a desired form," he explained further. "While it's not immediately obvious, Usami can do the same thing, like how she turns herself into a bus to transport you around Mementos."

"How do you know all of this about us?" Sleuth scowled. "Have you been watching us?"

"I've been watching you long enough to know the basics." He shrugged the question off. "Four: This one is a question. How exactly did you meet Usami to begin with?"

This question was obviously directed at Leprechaun and Razor. They shot each other a look, while Usami gave them a sad, panicked, and desperate one. Leprechaun felt sympathy for her and decided to tell the truth.