Yuuki slowly turned to face the rest of us, his eyes now practically glowing that haunting color. Rantaro, Ruji, and I stepped back as Ahmya covered her mouth, frozen in place.

He stepped forward, slowly closing the distance between us. There was a still gentle look in his eyes, but I didn't want him to come any closer.

"You could have saved him," Ahmya breathed. "Yuuki, you could have saved him!"

"Shh..." Yuuki whispered, placing a shaking finger by his lips and looking up to the sky. He smiled a soft smile that wasn't his. It wasn't bright or cheery. It felt like the kind of smile someone would give when having a picture taken. "The eclipse is here..."

I shook my head and slowly turned my gaze to the pitch-black sky.

Kichiro was right... it was him.

But it wasn't him.

This wasn't the Yuuki who captained the second raft. This wasn't the Yuuki who helped Sora try and build a plane.

"Possession," Ruji whispered from beside me, trembling. "Why... why you, though?"

"Why?" Yuuki asked, turning his gaze toward us and shrugging. His voice sounded just slightly different, as if two voices had combined, creating a strange, ghostly echo. "The world knows why..."

Ahmya shook her head and bit her lip before screaming and running toward him.

"Ahmya!" I cried, reaching forward. Only, I was too far. I was powerless. All I could do was watch as Yuuki grasped her neck and snapped it, dropping her to the ground in a second.

She was gone.

Ruji let out a faint cry and let go of my shoulder, covering his mouth. I stood still frozen, unable to comprehend what was happening to us.

"Run," Rantaro whispered, pushing Ruji and me forward.

We turned and ran around the back of the lodge. But, there was nowhere we could go. Not with the flames keeping us in place.

"Into the woods!" Rantaro commanded. 

He must have been insane, but I did as he said. If it was a choice between Yuuki and the fire, I was going to choose the fire.

How could Yuuki have done this? Who even was he?! Was he the Mastermind? 

Was it really him doing this, or was what Ruji said true?!

Why would this happen? Why him?!

We ran into the flames, my skin screaming and sizzling as we ran through the forest. My entire face still stung from earlier, making it hard to even breathe.

"We have to get to the trapdoor," Rantaro coughed. "You know the one I'm talking about!"

I did. He meant the one which led to that small underground room. Not the catacombs, but the other one. The one where Rantaro, Ruji, Daiki, Kichiro and I all met to talk about that VHS tape with Daiki's name on it.

I pushed myself forward, running as fast as I could manage.

How were we supposed to save Yuuki?! Ruji could do it, right? He was a ghostbuster. If Yuuki really was being possessed or whatever, then surely he could fix it, right?

Could he fix it before the flames claimed us all? 

And what about Ahmya? It happened so quickly that I couldn't even process it. She was gone. Kichiro was gone. Both at Yuuki's hand.

Does the Yuuki I knew even know what's going on, or is he already gone too? If he's still in there, then how would he process what happened? Would he be executed for this? 

"We just need to put distance between us," Rantaro breathed. "Ruji, have you experienced things like this before?"

"Kinda... with... less... fire..." Ruji said between gasps for breath. "I... think I can try... something-"

Suddenly, Ruji tripped.

"SUKI!" he cried as flames turned his skin a deep red color. He cried out in pain, his voice just slightly softer than Kichiro's was in his final moments.  

I skid to a stop and ran to his side, grasping at his arm. I pulled him to his feet, only for him to cry out in pain and lean into me.

"My legs," he whispered, trembling. His skin was pale and damp from sweat. I looked down to see his clothing caught on fire, burning away around his ankles and revealing the worst burns I had ever seen.

My eyes started to sting with tears.

"Rantaro, we have to carry him," I coughed, slinging Ruji's arm over my shoulder. Rantaro nodded and ran to my side, taking Ruji's other arm as the ultimate ghostbuster continued to cry out in pain.

Together, the three of us continued forward as fast as we possibly could. I tried to fight the stinging sensation that covered my entire body.

"Suki, we're moving too slow," Ruji whispered, allowing his head to fall forward. His strawberry blonde hair drifted over his eyes, which were red with tears that practically evaporated the moment they fell from his face.

"Don't say that," I hissed as flames circled around us. "We're still together. We're still okay."

He weakly shook his head no, his eyes glassy as he turned his face to mine.

"Suki..."

"Stop," I begged. "Ruji, we're getting out of here. All three of us. You, me, and Rantaro. We're the team to beat."

It was like Yuuki kept saying. Except this time, it was finally the truth. We were the team to beat. We were the ultimate survivors. We were going to live. For everyone waiting outside for us, for everyone who didn't make it this far, we were going to live.

"I want you t-to tell my brother I love him," Ruji whispered, smiling slightly. "A-and tell him... tell him I tried my best. Okay? Please?"

"Ruji, stop that," Rantaro hissed, out of breath.

Ruji nodded and lowered his head once again, closing his eyes. He took his arm from Rantaro's shoulder, doubling the weight on my side as he reached for his dead flashlight and held it out in front of himself, smiling wistfully at it.

"Okay..." he muttered. "Okay... I'll... I just want to say thanks..."

His legs gave out, but Rantaro and I were able to catch him and keep him standing.

"Don't thank us yet," I begged. "Thank us when we're safe. We're still okay."

He shook his head, breathing sharply. I wasn't going to let him go, though. I could practically feel Maikeru's cold gaze upon me, telling me not to let go.

"I can hear him..." Ruji whispered his voice light and no longer afraid. I had no idea who he was talking about. The heat must have been making him delusional.

"It's okay, it's okay," I said through tears. "We're almost there. We're still okay."

Rantaro and I kept carrying him forward as he stayed silent, grasping the flashlight with all the strength he had left. He didn't move his legs or attempt to walk, but I didn't blame him. The burns were deep enough to expose his bones.

We're still okay. We're still okay. We're still okay.

We couldn't give up. I still had hope. We couldn't let the flames and the despair win. We were stronger than that. 

"You're strong, Ruji," I whispered as tears and blood continued to fall from my face. "You're so so strong. From the moment we solved Tora's murder together, I knew you were strong. Remember the phone call with your brother? He's out there, waiting for you. And your dog! You have to make it so you can see your dog. You can introduce us to it, then we can all get ice cream or something. Then, when it's nighttime, we can look at the stars, like we did that one night! We're still okay."

"Suki..." Rantaro breathed.

"We're almost there," I coughed as thick black smoke filled my lungs. "We're... going to make it."

Rantaro suddenly dropped Ruji, which nearly made me collapse from the surge of weight added to my side.

"Rantaro, we have to get him out-"

"He's gone," Rantaro whispered.

I felt my heart stop as I turned my gaze to Ruji. His eyes were closed and his head was down. If I didn't know better, I would say he looked peaceful. But he wasn't.

He couldn't be dead. He was still holding his flashlight. Maikeru's flashlight. It was still grasped in his burnt hands.

I felt a sob from deep within my throat. "Ruji?" I asked, my voice breaking.

No, no, no, no, no, this couldn't have been happening.

This couldn't be real.

None of this could be real. It had to all be a dream! This had to just be one of my daydreams, turning dark.

"Ruji!" I cried, desperately keeping him up. I didn't care how hard it was to keep him standing, I wasn't going to let him fall. I wasn't going to let him go. "Ruji, please wake up!"

"He won't," Yuuki said, walking through the flames. Aside from the burns Kichiro gave him, he was unharmed. His eyes were still that deep, possessed blue color.

I turned my gaze to him as Rantaro pushed me and Ruji behind himself. A sob escaped my lips as I slowly dropped my best friend, falling to my knees in the process. His skin was burnt and charred. It reminded me of what the poison from the bracelet did to Daiki.

The flashlight was still in his hands, though. He still clutched onto Maikeru's memory, a last comfort for him.

"Looks like it's down to the three of us," Yuuki smiled, applauding slowly. "Congratulations."

"Shut up," Rantaro hissed, clenching his fists slightly. "Who are you really? You're not Yuuki. Why are you doing this?!"

Yuuki grinned, then snapped his fingers. On cue, Monokuma popped up in front of him, smoking slightly from the flames as if he too had been burned. His face was slightly distorted, covered in ashes.

The ultimate hero leaned down, then picked the bear up, holding it in front of his face and laughing.

"We're this year's hosts of Danganronpa!" Yuuki laughed.

"Danganronpa?" Rantaro asked.

"Danganronpa!" Yuuki nodded, lowering the bear and grinning a sinister grin. It didn't match its face. "Did I do well? Surely, I'm not as good as those before me, but I must say, it's been such an honor being a part of this."

"Go away!" I screamed, clutching Ruji's dead body to mine. His blonde hair clung to the burns covering his face. "Get out of Yuuki!"

"Why?" Yuuki asked with a head tilt and a grin. "I need to possess SOMEONE to keep this spirit alive. Monokuma, the hero, the gameshow host... it doesn't matter who! No one's safe from despair. Not even our heroes~!"

Gameshow host...

Saikoro was telling the truth... it really WAS ghosts who killed Keiko.

"Y-you cheated!" I cried, tears of despair and rage continuing to well up. "You're a monster for doing this to us!"

"Oh, no, no, I'm not the one keeping these games alive," Yuuki shrugged. "The real monsters are out there. But let's not discuss that. We've got much to celebrate."

"Celebrate?" Rantaro asked.

"Yes, celebrate!" Yuuki grinned. "After all, you two know Yuuki Kikumoto is the blackened. He killed Kichiro, Ahmya, and now Ruji is gone as well. Which means, you're our winners!"

Yuuki didn't do this, though. It wasn't his fault! Why should he have to suffer the consequences?! 

And winning? Was that what this was? How could winning come after so many losses?

"Does that mean it's over?" I breathed, slightly hopeful.

"Oh, no, no, no," Yuuki grinned, holding his arms out and laughing, his voice still echoing. There was a feminine quality to it, it wasn't his own. I had no idea who this insane person possessing him was, but they were clearly dangerous. And now, with Ruji gone, we had no way to stop them. "This is never over, Suki! People need a hero to root for, and lucky for us, hope will always give us one. The battle between hope and despair will never end, so long as people like you are still out there."

People like us?

A never-ending battle between hope and despair?

No, I wasn't going to have it. 

Because if we win, then we have to live with these memories. If we win, we live in despair. We win, hope loses.

It was said before. Either we all win, or no one wins.

Rantaro looked back at me, and I could see the gears turning in his head. He was thinking the same thing.

I looked down at Ruji, then set him on the burning ground and stood up, stepping forward and taking Rantaro's hand. I moved away from the flames that swallowed Ruji and his flashlight whole.

I hoped he could finally rest, now in a place that no longer scared him. In a place where he could look at the stars every night with people he loved and cared about.

"We said all or nothing," I breathed. "We're not your winners. We're not going anywhere."

Yuuki seemed to raise an eyebrow, then laughed.

"That's not how this works," he grinned.

"It is now," Rantaro said. "No matter what we do, despair wins. You've cornered us. The game's over. We're the ones who vote, not you. Execute us both."

Yuuki's smile slowly faded and his eye twitched. Rantaro and I didn't back down, though. We weren't going to give him the victory he seemed to want. He wanted winners. He wanted survivors. He wanted despair to follow us everywhere we went.

I may not have known what was really going on out there, but I did know one thing. I wasn't going to let despair get the better of us. And if that meant dying, then at least I was dying the way I planned to.

In the company of my best friends.

"Hmm.... alright then," Yuuki mused, his smile growing back. "But first, a vote!!!"

A vote? We already cast our votes. We told him to execute us.

Yuuki turned his gaze to the sky, holding his arms out and grinning.

"This vote isn't up to you, but up to everyone else! What do you all think?! Which winner do we want to see return for next year's season?!"

"Next year?!" Rantaro asked, his eyebrows knitting together. "What do you mean next year?!"

Despite the burning flames surrounding us, I felt my blood run cold.

I remembered the exhausted look in Daiki's eyes. His tired, despair-filled voice.

The ultimate survivor.

One of us was going to have to be the ultimate survivor...

One of us was going to have to do this all again.

"Oh no," I whispered.

"Oh no?" Rantaro asked, turning to face me. "What do you mean?! Suki, what's-"

"The audience has spoken!" Yuuki smiled. "The votes are in!"

"Audience?!" Rantaro asked.

"Yes. Now, sit back, Rantaro Amami. It's punishment time for Yuuki Kikumoto, the ultimate hero, AND Suki Kiyama, the ultimate daydreamer!" Yuuki laughed, his voice becoming less and less like his own. "A different kind of execution awaits you, Rantaro Amami, the ultimate survivor."

"What does that mean?!" Rantaro begged, his voice shaking. "What are you talking about-"

Before he could even finish that thought, the flames circling us swallowed me whole, and everything went dark.

. . .

For a moment, my mind was blank. All I could focus on was the buzzing noise, the heat, the stickiness.

Suki.

My name is Suki Kiyama.

Suki Kiyama, the ultimate daydreamer.

Ultimate daydreamer... what an odd talent. Could that even be considered a talent? No one ever saw it as one before. Teachers used to yell at me to get my head out of the clouds. I always have a hard time focusing. I get too wrapped up in my thoughts too often.

Dreams are what push the world forward. Dreams are the foundation for hope. Without dreamers, the future would be bland.

We'd all have to wake up from dreams eventually, though. Dreams end, swallowed in darkness.

Tora, Nori, Seiko, Maikeru, Brittany, Sora, Bashira, Keiko, Saikoro, Daiki, Kichiro, Ahmya, Ruji, Yuuki...

Were they all really gone, or were our lives part of something bigger?

Who am I?

Am I.... free?

Are we all free?

No.... no, Rantaro's still in there.

The ultimate survivor... More like the ultimate prisoner. While we all were able to escape, he had been assigned Daiki's fate. A fate wrapped in hope and despair alike.

I can't help him, though. Not anymore.

All I can do is watch from the darkness, and pray that he escapes too, someday. Escapes... and does what Daiki couldn't. 

Finds a way to make sure no one else is assigned the same fate as him, ever again.

I guess... all I can really say now is good luck. 

Good luck, Rantaro. We're all rooting for you, whether you like it or not. You have to continue to survive. 

For Tora Aikawa, the ultimate golfer.

For Nori Ishioka, the ultimate DJ.

For Seiko Okazaki, the ultimate chemist.

For Maikeru Afuton, the ultimate security guard.

For Brittany Smith, the ultimate fantasy football player.

For Sora Tachi, the ultimate pilot.

For Bashira Gato, the ultimate daredevil.

For Keiko Yamada, the ultimate public speaker.

For Saikoro Bushida, the ultimate game show host.

For Daiki Daitokuji, the ultimate survivor.

For Kichiro Yoshikawa, the ultimate unlucky student.

For Ahmya Furukawa, the ultimate arsonist.

For Ruji Sasaki, the ultimate ghostbuster.

For Yuuki Kikumoto, the ultimate hero.

For me, Suki Kiyama, the ultimate daydreamer.

For your sisters.

And, most importantly... for you, Rantaro. If not for us, survive for you. 

I have hope the future will be better.