Danganronpa IF

Dangan Ronpa IF (Part 6) - END

With great difficulty, Makoto Naegi regained consciousness.

His course of action during Ikusaba's battle at the entrance hall against the

Monobear army was exceedingly simple.

All he did was relate his own memories to the other students.

Even the recording from the infirmary that Fujisaki presented to everyone had not been enough to convince them. Naturally, at first they were not persuaded by Naegi's explanation. That is, until Oogami asked him a certain question and turned the atmosphere upside-down.

"Ah... Then you say that the world outside this school is in utter ruins? That no one remains alive?"

"...Don't worry, Oogami-san... I... I'm sure Kenichiro-san must be safe... He's not going to break his promise to you... I just know it..." Naegi said slowly, struggling to take breaths in between words.

Oogami gasped. Kenichiro was the name of the man she had never been able to defeat--a man with whom she had made a vow to fight once more, and one other promise.

"How... How do you know that name... and the fact of that promise?"

"You told me yourself, Oogami-san... No..." Naegi breathed. "Oogami-san... you told us all. Everyone..."

"..."

Oogami stood in silence for a moment before turning to her fellow students.

"I shall put my faith in Naegi."

"S-Sakura-chan?" Asahina gasped. Oogami continued, her tone somewhat hesitant.

"Not once have I ever spoken of this man and our promise. And I intended to keep this memory buried within my heart until my dying day. But if I had truly disclosed this secret of mine, then that must mean there was a powerful bond between myself, Naegi, and you, my fellow students."

Naegi continued to recount his memories in a gentle tone. Although it could not be the best thing for his health, he did not stop revealing even more memories that the others had lost.

"Naegi Makoto-dono! That story idea is still but a figment of my imagination!

Could you possibly be asatori-type Emitter?!"(1)

"You... already finished that book... I helped you with the inking and stuff..."

"Whoa, hold your horses! How'd you know I extorted money from that gangster's girl, Naegi?!"

"...Because... They lumped me in with you and almost sold off both our organs, Hagakure-kun..."

The pain of his injury was excruciating. But Naegi did his best to keep a smile on his face as he told everyone about the cherished memories they had made together. And as he continued, the others slowly began to realize that there was something very genuine about the memories he related to them--he told them the kind of things that couldn't be learned without having spent time with them.

The students began to catch sight of something like a lost connection between one another. Togami alone remained cynical ("There's a good chance all of you are working together. After all, there is no way I could have allowed myself to become close to the likes of you people"), but he at least seemed to have stopped thinking of Naegi as a simple terrorist.

Even if Mukuro Ikusaba did not intentionally set things up this way, the act of holding off the Monobears long enough for Naegi to awaken and recount his memories became a tiny ray of hope in her path.

And now, as she looked upon the face of the boy who flashed a smile at her wellbeing, Ikusaba found herself unable to speak. What should she say, she wondered, lost for words. The battle was over, and Ikusaba was back to being a disappointing teenage girl. She averted her eyes and apologetically stepped off the back of the motorcycle. But Naegi did not ignore her.