This is a request story to Shiranai Atsune. Let me clear this out first for all of you, I'm writing this without setting a precedent. I DO NOT take requests to write stories. Maybe I'll give it a shot someday, but not now.

On another note, take notice that this fanfic contains SPOILERS for Danganronpa 3 Mirai-Hen… kind of… So you might want to get around that before reading this.

Now, a message to my dear applicant: Though, this plot isn't that original in my own personal opinion, I think I did a good job for a female protagonist. So I hope this is enough to satisfy your expectations! Enjoy the read! (Togami may be a little OOC, sorry about that T_T)

"Text with apostrophes is being talked"

Text in italics is being thought.

Hope's Progeny

It has been hours since the killing game started. Who would have told Mako Naegi that she would be getting out of a massacre, just to be put into another. She only came to the Future Foundation building to answer for her acts, to explain why in the world she was protecting the Remnants of Despair… Nobody would have ever guessed that Monokuma would put them to sleep and make them participate in another killing game.

It didn't help that Kyosuke Munakata and Juzo Sakakura were already aggressive towards her and pointing her as a traitor and a Remnant of Despair herself. Things got nasty quickly, as the game had just begun and there were already two dead people and the rest got split up in groups because of the commotion.

For the rest of the game, Mako spent her time with one of the survivors of the Killing School Life and her friend Aoi Asahina and Miaya Gekkogahara, a member of the Future Foundation and the one who created the Neo World Program… It turned out that she was a robot and that the real Gekkogahara was long gone…

This all bring us to the present: At some point, Mako and Aoi reunited again with their friend Byakuya Togami and Ryouta Mitarai. Now, the group is hiding inside a closed room within the building to prevent the traitor to get to them once the time limit comes. In the meantime, they decided to enjoy a little meal together before they inevitably go to sleep due to the drugs on their wrists.

Mako couldn't feel any better to see Byakuya safe… She remembered her time trapped in Hope's Peak Academy, while she and the rest had to go through the Killing School Life. When she first met up the Ultimate Affluent Progeny she couldn't get her eyes out of him. She would always blush whenever he was around, or her heart would beat wildly when he looked at her directly. Of course, he would always talk harshly if she ever tried to interact with him, which caused to feel sad or angry at him sometimes… But she would always forgive him and patiently be by his side until he reciprocated her feelings (which got her more than one trouble with a certain serial killer with two personalities…).

Eventually, he fell for her too while he promised to keep her safe throughout the rest of the killing game. He would still act all-mighty around her, but that was something Mako found endearing.

When she cornered the Ultimate Despair when everything seemed lost and she could finally step out of the building, she couldn't resist the urge to hug her new boyfriend out of happiness… a gesture he hesitantly, but joyfully returned.

Back in the present, she looked at her tanned friend digging into a couple of donuts, while her boyfriend took a sip of his tea elegantly. Ryouta was in the back, eating quietly, as if he didn't want to disturb us. Mako smiled to herself, seeing such an innocent scene in the middle of a horror circus… But there was something that bothered her for an hour or so ago.

"Naegi-chan…" The swimmer's voice got Mako out of her trance "Are you feeling okay?"

"Y-Yes…" Mako replied unconvinced and Aoi noticed it.

"Are you thinking about what your sister told you…?" Mako then remembered the little interaction she was granted with her sister Komaru Naegi.

FLASHBACK

"Someone's going to die because of me…?" Mako whispered to herself with sadness… N-No way… I've already seen a lot of people die… and I couldn't do anything to stop it… I don't want anyone else to die on me anymore…

"Onee-chan…" Her sister's words got her attention back again "I don't know exactly what is going on there, but you promised to come for me, right? You have never broken a promise, have you? Don't worry, you'll be fine! I'll have faith and wait!" Komaru said with determination, trying her best to cheer up her sibling.

"Komaru-chan… You have grown up so much, I feel like I can count on you…" Mako said while she smiled to her sister at the other side of the screen. If she had to tell the truth, she actually misses Komaru and thanks Touko Fukawa for taking care of her in her absence…

"Um… Is that something you should be telling me now?" Komaru asked embarrassed.

"Shut up!" Mako giggled "Can't I feel proud of my little sister becoming such a respectable woman?"

"Well, if you put it like that…"

"Ugh, listening to this lesbian incestuous conversation is giving me goosebumps…" The Ultimate Writing Prodigy complained behind Komaru.

"In any case, just hang in there, onee-chan. I'll do my best here!" She said right before the video got faulty and the connection got cut.

"I'll come for you, I promise…" Mako whispered to the screen, not caring if her sister couldn't hear her anymore.

FLASHBACK END

"What was that again?" Byakuya asked.

"She told me… that someone would die because of me…" Mako said sadly.

"Hmph. Acting all wimpy and weak, this is not like you at all. Have you been talking to that Vice-Chairman Munakata?"

"Until now, I've always thought I could do something more… But, here I am… helpless and useless… Maybe it's just like Munakata says, my words have no power…" Mako was interrupted by Byakuya himself, who has taking both of her hands between his. He looked at her sternly, which meant that he was actually being serious about this.

"Don't let anyone tell you what you can or cannot do, specially people like him" Mako looked at her boyfriend stunned. Togami-kun… "Your words have no power? Ridiculous. Those words you believed in so blindly became our hope, remember?" That's right… When Junko Enoshima told us the truth, everyone was devastated… they were ready to give into despair… I was the only one who stood against her, and saved them from the darkness… I gave them hope… "And though sometimes you can get annoying with that optimist you always have, it is one of the things I fell in love with you" He confessed nonchalantly "You said so yourself once: Hope is contagious. And if your words aren't powerful enough, we'll be there for you"

Mako looked at Aoi, who nodded in agreement "That's right! No matter the hardships, we will always cover each other's back! That's what friends are for!"

"Guys… If you two keep going on you will make me cry!" Mako whined as she snuggled against Byakuya's chest while Aoi giggled in amusement.

"U-Um… it's almost the time limit…" Ryouta Mitarai interjected in the back. The rest checked the time left in their wristband to find that there were just a few minutes left indeed.

"It's alright! We've already locked the door and made a barricade! No one is getting in here now!" Aoi exclaimed in excitement.

"We still may not be safe, though" Ryouta added "The attacker still has the complete control of the facility. They could easily open the lock…". Nobody said anything for a few seconds, which built up an uncomfortable atmosphere. That was until Byakuya decided to sigh out… and speak with a gentle tone never heard from here ever before.

"Naegi…" Mako looked at his beloved in worry. This kind of behavior was odd on him, and she didn't know what this could possibly mean. "Listen… No matter what happens from this point on, don't you ever give up on hope. I will always be by your side, so promise me that you will always go forward"

"I…I'll do my best…" Mako said uncertain. "We won't lose. We can't lose!" She said to convince herself, which granted a smirk from the progeny and an energetic nod from the swimmer. At that moment, the alarm in their wristbands let them know that the sleeping drug has been administered in their circulation and quickly made effect. Slowly, they were losing consciousness, but Byakuya managed to give a quick glance at a sleeping Mako. He smiled to himself right before passing out.

Only he knew… it would be for the last time…

Half an hour later, Mako woke up suddenly, as if she has just woken up from a nightmare. She looked around to see the rest lying down exactly in the same way they were before falling unconscious, no apparent blood was to be seen on their clothes or the floor. A feeling of relief filled Mako's heart as she stood up in excitement "We are alive… no one's been killed!" She looked at the door to find the barricade they have built intact "No one has got through here, it seems that we got lucky with this hiding place!"

The Ultimate Swimmer and the Ultimate Animator slowly regained consciousness… but Byakuya wasn't moving an inch…

"Togami-kun…?" Mako asked innocently. The left side of his face was completely dry as well as purple, and there was a stream of blood running down from his eye.

"No way!" Aoi said as she grabbed Byakuya's arm to look at his forbidden action.

Passing the 4th time limit with Mako Naegi alive.

Aoi covered her mouth with her hands as she gasped in horror. Mako couldn't do more aside from looking in shock at her beloved's corpse, tears flowing down her cheeks. "Th-This can't be! Was this the fourth one?!" Aoi asked in disbelief.

Y-Yes… It was… Togami-kun… Togami-kun…! Mako simply brought her hands to her head as she let herself sob and shiver "Why…? Why didn't you tell me…? Why didn't you tell me?! Togami-kun…!" Mako yelled inconsolably, her emotions getting the best of her… Aoi just sobbed in silence while Ryouta seemed to struggle.

"Mako Naegi" A severe voice was heard from the speakers. It was Kyosuke Munakata "Have you already learned Byakuya Togami's forbidden action?" The poor girl could only listen in resignation as she clutched to the progeny's clothes "Do you now understand the futility of your words? It's time to settle whose hope is right. Yours… or mine"

Togami… kun… He kept his f-forbidden action a secret… because he knew I w-would do something reckless… Mako was still mourning Byakuya's death… his last words still reasoned in her mind.

No matter what happens from this point on, don't you ever give up on hope. I will always be by your side, so promise me that you will always go forward.

H-He is right… If I stay here, crying and avoiding the problem I will not get anywhere… He has trusted his hope on me… I… I n-need to stay strong and p-press forward… For him… for Asahina-chan… and Mitarai too… Togami-kun…

With those final thoughts, Mako finally found the strength to stand up and look forward. Her eyes were red and watery… but there was an undying shine of determination on them. It was the light of hope. For she, is the Ultimate Hope.

Hours later, Kyoko Kirigiri came up with reinforcements from Byakuya Togami's family that helped up clear the rubble in the entrance and free the remaining Future Foundation members. Even the Remnants of Despair, now free of their brainwashing helped with the rescue, in addition to stopping Ryouta Mitarai from using his hope video and send the entire planet on a massive brainwash to create an eternal and indestructible hope.

Mako Naegi, after seeing Class 77 entire reunion, decided to go and reunite with her own friends, who were waiting for her in a tent just outside the building. "Are you guys alright?" She asked.

"Yeah, it's fine! It's not like I've been avoiding bullets the entire night thank you!" Yasuhiro Hagakure said ironically, making the lucky girl giggle a little. Then, she noticed Kyoko watching intently at the laptop screen she was holding.

"What's this?"

"A video that someone's been broadcasting to the Future Foundation" The detective said as she played the video. Its content was the former Remnants of Despair saying how boring the Future Foundation is, as well as alleging that they will strike again and bring despair to the world.

"Wh-What is this?!" Aoi asked in disbelief.

"I thought that they saved us, but they were still Remnants of Despair all along!" Yasuhiro yelled.

"Calm down" Kyoko reassured "With this video, the world would think that the Remnants of Despair were responsible of this incident. No one will suspect that the Future Foundation was staging the whole thing. God work, Naegi" She said as she looked at me.

Mako simply shook her head in modesty "I didn't do anything. Without them this wouldn't have been possible…"

"But you made it possible, this all starts with your hope. Because hope… is contagious…" She said adding a stern tone to it. Mako looked at the ground in sadness, remembering the person she has lost in this fight… the most important person in her life… "The cost was high…" Kyoko finally added.

While the detective stayed behind to manage Byakuya's group in his place, Mako, Aoi and Yasuhiro headed to the harbor to say goodbye to Class 77, who were going out to the rest of the world to restore hope.

"Is this the time to be worrying about others?" Mako heard a voice from behind. She turned around to find Kyosuke Munakata "You will be a heroine from now on. The world needs one, someone who has fought and defeated the Remnants of Despair. Can you bear the burden…?"

Mako turned to see the ship sailing away to the sunrise "They have carried the burden of despair for me… I guess I'll have to carry the burden of hope in exchange" She admitted with a sad smile.

"Have you decided what you will do from now on?"

"… sort of…" She said uncertain… still trying to accept that she won't be seeing the love of her life ever again… In that sense, she thinks she can understand Kyosuke… He has lost the woman he loved in this final killing game too…

"I see…" He said as he turned and walked away.

"W-Where are you going?"

"I have to bear my own burdens…"

With that being said, Mako couldn't do much but to turn back again and think deeply in what this whole journey of Hope against Despair entails… No one has seen the future… We are always heading to a cloudy, ashen sky. Hope and despair are always mixed, and we don't know which is which. That is scary… But if you wait patiently, nothing will change. We must take one step at a time to a better future… a future where we actually don't know what will happen… Thinking on those we love the most, we look up at the sky and think to ourselves that tomorrow would be a better day… And is what will always keep up pressing forward…

"Togami-kun…" Mako whispered one last time "Even if I miss you… I'm not going to let you down… I will make sure you always have a reason to be proud of me…" She said as she let her tears fall down…

"Well… You really did a good job…" A very familiar voice said from behind, a voice that made Mako to open her eyes in surprise. She turned around immediately and cried out loud when she recognized the newcomer… She ran up to him and jumped to his arms.

"Togami-kun…!" She whimpered out loud as she pressed her face to his shirt. "How…! How are you still alive?! I've seen the blood on your face!"

"You'll have to thank that nurse you kept among your Remnants for that" He smirked before pulling her away a little to get a good look at her face "But most importantly, you have been incredible back there. I knew you were capable of keeping it together even if everything seemed grim"

"Togami-kun…" They joy Mako was feeling at that moment was overwhelming, she couldn't resist it anymore. She locked her lips with her boyfriend's and started to kiss him passionately. For a brief time he seemed to kiss back too, until he gently pulled her away. He was blushing madly.

"Hey, do not get so worked up all of a sudden either" He said, trying to sound imposing but failing miserably.

"Silly~!" Mako giggled right before snuggling up into Byakuya's arms, who wrapped her tightly a little hesitant. "You are still by my side on this, right? You promised…".

The progeny smirked at his girlfriend innocence "Of course I am, idiot".

The End

Aww, this turned out fluffy. Anyways, that's everything for this request. Again, I refer to Shiranai Atsune to kindly leave a review or PM me what she thinks about this.

Hope you enjoyed this as well! See you around!