of COURSE he does not know what he is about to go through – did ANYONE? the ultimate despair rises to the stage and TAKES her place as her plans fall into place. already, his classmates are out causing destruction for the sake of her NAME. broken beasts searching to PLEASE their new master. now if ONLY he could see – if ONLY she can break him down enough to serve her as well. a servant, tainted with hope and drawn down with despair, and a MISTRESS tainted with despair with HOPE in her plans. what a perfectly disgusting yin and YANG.
when he SPEAKS, she doesn’t immediately respond – that cutesy look still adorning her face. for FAR too long she has held herself back, the reality of her form kept hidden. how FREEING it is to express it. but ALREADY this face is growing boring. when he SMIRKS at her she finds an excuse to FLIP to another form. jumping back and forth, maybe she could be LESS bored with herself. an expression of PURE sorrow comes to cross her features as she steps forward. a warm palm is pressed against his cheek, a COO leaving her lips before words.
“ how depressing… your mom beat you too, huh? i doubt you deserved it as much as i did… i deserved her hatred… and yours. it’s so totally sad i can hardly bare it. to think… we have something in common, huh? “
and ANOTHER switch is flipped as she takes a step back. as if that SORROW meant nothing, because it DID. none of this meant anything. there was ONLY despair – and he would learn that. oh, he would learn that. hands find their way to her hips – feet planted square as a CALCULATING expression overcomes her – she has several plans for him. and he DID ask why he was here. the analyst could provide THAT at least.
“ and i THOUGHT it would be clear why you are here. right NOW as we speak, the world has changed. chiaki nanami is dead, and her death was FACTORED in to be the perfect catalyst for the end of the world. your classmates fell easily enough into despair – now there is only YOU left. i am here to PUSH you over the edge, if you will. “
a SNAP of her fingers and the WALLS come alive with light. covered in tv monitors they begin to PLAY those gruesome scenes. some are from the news – the horrors his classmates are instigating. but MOST of them repeat the death of the gamer. again and again and again – driving it home.
“ – i am here to STEAL away your hope and replace it with sweet DESPAIR. “
He forces out a chuckle. Bravado only. He’s scared. He can’t even remember the last time he’d been this terrified. If anything, it feels like his heart is going to explode out of his chest. But Komaeda is good at faking. He’s been doing it his entire life. Pretend it doesn’t hurt. Pretend you’re okay. Pretend you’re strong. Pretend you’re happy. It’s second nature to him at this point. Fake it til you make it was the only way for him to survive.
Was this her true face? That annoying model replaced with that disgusting cute play or that sad and teary expression? He can’t read her. He called her bluff in Hope’s Peak, but now he can see her cards aren’t all on the table. Neither are his... He won’t give in to this. Whatever mind games she plans to play with him won’t work. His arrogance is one of his worst qualities, but right now he NEEDS it.
“Oh, I did deserve ALL the scorn my parents gave me. You probably deserved worse.” He snaps at her as if he honestly thinks it’ll sting. “We may have both been rightfully hated by our mothers, but we are NOTHING alike.”
His expression slips into a more-or-less neutral one. She seems inconsistent. Nagito is no ULTIMATE but he is observant. He’s trying to decode her and understand. He needs to be able to defeat her, after all. To think, his hope is still so strong. Of course... Hope always wins, no matter what despair.
But that... makes him flinch. Nanami is dead... Oh... He remembers. He can feel his heart sinking into his stomach. His classmates... fell? That’s impossible! They’re symbols of hope! Surely, they were putting up a better fight than HIM! There’s no way... he’s the only one left. He can already feel despair nipping at his heels. But he... has to move on. Or else Chiaki’s death--
Was this his fault? He cared deeply for her and now... she’s gone. Dead. He tries to force that thought away. Luckily, the room suddenly lit up and blinded him. His eyes shut instantly, but he forces them open and....
God... what was HAPPENING? That footage, couldn’t be live. It must be... some carefully selected archive footage. But... he can’t bring himself to focus on anything except for... Chiaki’s HORRIBLE death. Why? Why her? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?
He shuts his eyes tightly, hands gripping his messy hair as tears already start to form in his eyes. This despair... will be a stepping stone for hope.... It HAS to be. Why not him? Why HER? He feels like he’s going to throw up.
“Nngh....! You’ll PAY for that... Chiaki is...” My hope. “She’ll just make my hope stronger...!”