Junko Enoshima Monika [Danganronpa Survivor VS Doki Doki Literature Club]
Hifumi: Junko Enoshima, the Marvelous Mastermind of Danganronpa!
Leona: Monika, the Pretty President of the Literature Club!
Hifumi: As once stated by Julian Fellowes, "Harsh reality is always better than false hope." But when a victim of harsh reality meets a harbinger of false hope...When will's collide and Hope and Despair culminate into a vacuum of violence...which comes out on top?
Leona: He's Hifumi, and I'm Leona!
Hifumi: And it's our job to analyze their weapons, talents and skills, to see who will win...One Final DEATH BATTLE!
Leona: Alright bitches, it's finally time...We've spent 12 episodes with this series, and at least once in all 12 episodes, we come back to this bitch's legacy. The character who is singlehandly tied to every major event in our world as we know it...All roads lead back to the figure that is...Junko...Enoshima...And now we finally, at the end of the series...at long last...bring her into the limelight. So strap on your chastity belts bitches, it's about to get CRAAAAZZYYYY...!
Hifumi: Our story starts, as it always does, with Hope's Peak Academy, a school committed to assisting in the training of top performers in their fields. These master students—better known as "Ultimates"—are among the most gifted individuals on the planet.
Leona: In fact, they were so gifted that, if they so chose, they could actually alter the course of history and change the world as we know it.
Hifumi: Leona and I, as well as our friends who help work on this show, are all Ultimate's ourselves. I am the Ultimate Fanfic Creator, and she's the Ultimate Mangaka. And first hand, we can say that this statement is indeed accurate...In the worst way you could possibly think of, no less.
Leona: We're of course referring to the Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History, or the Tragedy for short. The bright students we just discussed would never have the opportunity to shine like they were always meant to because of that tragic incident. It really was the beginning of the end for the world. The weak were killed by the strong. Lesser people killed lesser people. And strong people were lynched by factions formed by the weaker.
Hifumi: People lost their sensitivity as the deaths and violence increased. They accepted death as a given and rolled in the Despair, since it was all they could know, as though time had stopped. The media reported on deaths, terrorism, violence, riots, war purely for the sake of war, and every horrible thing you can imagine in a societal collapse, at an alarming rate, and the few sane people that remained could only sit back and watch.
Leona: And as we've discussed plentiful times over the course of this series, it all came from an unlikely and inconspicuous place...a high-school girl.
Hifumi: Not just ANY high-school girl...The one and only Junko Enoshima...!
Leona: Now, for the uneducated, which is probably none of you, you're probably looking at her and questioning what we're talking about. You're probably thinking, "She actually doesn't look so bad. I like her little hairpins! She's kinda cute!" DON'T LET YOUR DICK LEAD YOU ASTRAY! IT'S A LIAR AND IS TRYING TO KILL YOU!"
Hifumi: A-Ahem...Though I would not phrase it the same way, it is important to not be fooled by the lively and innocent manner of Enoshima. Beneath the cute gal exterior is a cold-blooded psychopath with a black heart.
Leona: "Cold-blooded" doesn't even BEGIN to describe this bitch! Although there isn't a lot of specific information about Junko's past, we DO know that she was an Ultimate Student herself who, ironically, lost interest in everything because of her extraordinary talent.
Hifumi: Junko Enoshima, technically speaking, possesses THREE Ultimate Talents that derive from her own skillset. The one that she got accepted into Hope's Peak for was the Ultimate Fashionista, since she worked previously as a model, and frequently served as the cover girl for many magazines. In truth however, she uses this talent as a ruse to stay under the radar of her foes, and hide her true, deadly potential.
Leona: In reality, Junko has a much more powerful talent; possibly the MOST powerful talent that ever "graced" Hope's Peak Academy or any school like it: The Ultimate Analytical Prowess!
Hifumi: There are...many layers to this ability. But in short, she has the ability to read and analyze anything almost instantly, and with a quick glance, she can learn about her enemies' personalities, skills, ideas, and potentially their entire history. She can therefore foresee almost everything that comes her way. Enoshima's ability to predict trends even allowed her to obtain the credentials necessary to become the Ultimate Fashionista, as it allowed her to foresee what would become popular with society before it actually did!
Leona: But the big problem with this natural ability of hers is that it's kind of what drove her into the state of madness that she's chronically in. Because she's basically got natural premonition, Junko's life lacked any sort of excitement. She became excessively apathetic and easily bored, even for abnormal levels, because her Ultimate Talent just made her life WAY too easy!
Hifumi: Except there was a caveat to this...As mentioned, Junko's analytical prowess was capable of predicting and analyzing almost anything without any effort...UNLESS it was something entirely beyond her capacity for comprehension and understanding of what she has seen. Which is what made Junko become fascinated with both creating and experiencing DESPAIR, the most pleasurable feeling for her, if not the ONLY one.
Leona: Because Despair as a concept was so unpredictable in the way it manifested, and because she could never quite predict what someone would do if they were at the very end of their mental breaking point, Junko Enoshima became OBSESSED with it, and REVELLED in it, whether it be completely experiencing Despair or causing Despair to others.
Hifumi: This, of course, made her EXTREMELY DANGEROUS! Particularly since Enoshima herself, and the developers of the game have both acknowledged that she genuinely has no motivation other than Despair and pain itself, which makes her even more dangerous and unjustly unreasonable. From this, Junko Enoshima obtained her third talent, and by far her greatest and most well-known one: The Ultimate Despair...!
Leona: Owing to her ability to make everything predictable and simple to comprehend, she has committed her life to bringing misery into the world. Because she has a gift for seeing everything, including the flaws in her victims, she is particularly adept at spreading hopelessness. She can get inside your head by barely moving her mouth. If that's not the epitome of the most dangerous character in the world, I don't know what is! She makes all those dictators and evil people in the worlds history look like fucking kindergarteners!
Hifumi: She claimed to be able to spread despair to everyone she came into contact with, attempting to sap their motivation and hope in order to control them as she pleases, even going so far as to make videos to induce a state of deep despair in others. The worst part is that, for the most part, it works—even on the most powerful and unscrupulous clients, like Mukuro Ikusaba and Izuru Kamukura.
Leona: Speaking of which, Mukuro and Junko are actually twin sisters, and while Mukuro saw her relationship with her sister as a divine unmatched partnership, to Junko, Mukuro was little more than her earliest victim. She acted as her protector and followed Junko's instructions, even dressing like her to aid in her plots.
Hifumi: And aside from her, she has many an evil ally that fell to Despair thanks to her manipulation. Ms Ikusaba, the Remnant's of Despair, and even Izuru Kamukura, the all-powerful Ultimate Hope that we discussed in our last episode.
Leona: But obviously Junko's not going to be able to make use of any of them, since we're not allowing outside help. So what does that mean?
Junko: It means we're hiring baby!
Hifumi: Well, even without her allies be her side, Junko Enoshima has many tricks and tools of the trade to help her get the job done. Though nowhere close to her sister in battle prowess, sheeee...sheeeee...!?
Hifumi and Leona slowly turn their heads as they finally notice a third presence in the room, who smiles back at them.
Junko: Helloooo~!
Leona & Hifumi: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGH!!?
Leona: She's here! SHE'S HERE!
Junko: HAHAHAHAHA! That I am! Junko FUCKIN' Enoshima is IN DA HOOOUUUSSEE!
Leona: H-How did you bypass my flawless security!?
Junko: You mean that wooden sign outside that just says "Danger: Keep Out?" I'm the scourge of society, I don't follow rules~
Leona: Curses!
Hifumi: Wh-What do you want!?
Junko: Nothin' much! I just heard about this sweet little thing you guys were doing and heard I was getting an episode. And I was shocked that you didn't invite me! So whether you like it or not, I'm gonna be your extra co-host for today!
Hifumi: O-Oh...W-Well, we weren't exactly prepared for you...You're really not gonna kill us?
Junko: Eh...No one would care if you two died, so there's no Despair to be found there...This "Monika" girl on the other hand seems like a sweet treat. And don't you think my comprehensive analysis skills would do good in this kind of situation? I mean, I already know who's going to win~
Leona: Wh-What will you do if we say no?
Junko: Puhuhu! Wweeelll...I think you were just about to start talking about that, weren't you?
Junko: Aside from some of my more trademark weapons and pieces of gear, I do have my own fair share of lame ass weapons that I carry around in case, y'know? Like the grenades I blow people up with, the baseball bat I tried to crack Izuru's skull with, an ice pick that I like to stab my sister with, and a knife because...why not? Oh, and I've also got this mean poisonous lipstick thing that lets me paralyze people with a kiss! How about a demonstration, Leona-chan?
Leona: N-No! Sorry! Workplace relations aren't allowed! Please don't touch me.
Hifumi: A...Ahem...But of course, as I was saying, she's got more backup than she needs even without the Remnants, with her vast army of Monokuma's.
Junko: Ah yes, how could I forget my precious babies? JK! I didn't! Psych!
Hifumi: Monokuma is an icon in Danganronpa, and the face of all acts of Despair Junko and her cronies, but originally, they were created by Junko's protégé and the Head of Towa Group's robotics division, Monaca.
Leona: Woah! How ironic. The initial intent was that the Monokuma's were to be used as housekeeping and bodyguard robots, designed to aid the people of Towa City and the world at large with their day to day endeavours. At least, that's what Monaca claimed. In actuality, it was a cover story to provide her "big sis Junko" with an unbeatable robot army!
Hifumi: And the Monokuma's come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and variants. However, Junko has never been shown utilizing any Monokuma variants outside of the base one from the Killing Game, which is exceedingly strong and has many of it's own interesting capabilities, but it means she doesn't ever use it's variants like the flame-spewing Destroyer Monokuma, or the bloodthirsty Beast Monokuma. Which unfortunately means we won't be counting them for this fight.
Leona: Monokuma's power scale is difficult to lock down, since it changes via the setting and the game, but considering this is a composite version of Junko, we'll be counting all the one's she utilizes. That means we won't be counting his V3 appearance, since those are only used by Tsumugi and Team Danganronpa, not Junko herself.
Junko: 'sfine that one sucks anyway...
Hifumi: Now it's important to make sure we get one key fact out of the way here. In the First Killing Game, there was a significant plot point that showed that Junko could not control Monokuma without the use of the control room, and she couldn't simultaneously use Monokuma and inspect the cameras at the same time due to them being in different rooms. But in the second Killing Game, this is reprimanded, and since this is a composite, Junko will not require the control panel, and can naturally control the Monokuma's remotely.
Leona: From what we've seen in Danganronpa IF, we know that at any given point, Junko can summon up to 100 of these black and white bastards! But Danganronpa 2 confirmed there were around 10^60 on backup, which means even if someone manages to take them all out, several million more are gonna be right behind them! If that doesn't say "unstoppable force" I don't know what does!
Junko: Bitchiiiin'! Anyway, these little bad boys are really strong, which I've seen these two schmuks talk about before, and how both my sweet sister and that big ogre have battled on par with them. Which means in our universe, no ordinary person would ever stand a chance against them. Even if they did, in a slim circumstance, get past 'em, I've got something else up my short sleeves...PUNISHMENTS! PUHUHUHU!
Hifumi: Right, as well all know is a staple of Junko's sick and twisted games, she has access to numerous lethal death traps, all themed after each characters Ultimate Talents. They are used, usually in accordance with the rules of each Killing game, as a way for those behind the Demon Hunting and Mutual Killing games to kill players on their own.
Leona: Some notable ones are The 1000 Blows, where a pitching machine shoots countless baseballs at immense speed, bludgeoning you to death! Or the Spears of Gungnir, spears that appear out of nowhere and impale you all over your body! And they only get wackier from there with things like The Cage of Death that...liquefies you into butter...yikes.
Junko: Yeah, I'm kind of a genius. You can say it~ Of course, even with my might and skill and unmatched brains, I would still need time to set these executions up, whether I'm an AI or not. It wouldn't take me long, but time stops for no one.
Hifumi: But the punishments and traps don't stop at simple death traps, as there are other things that Junko utilizes in her plans and schemes. One of her most potent weapons that she uses chronically...much to our and everybody else's annoyance...is brainwashing tech, like the one's she used on the Remnant's of Despair.
Junko quickly ties her hair into a ponytail and dons glasses, giving herself a sexy teacher appearance
Junko: Through the use of a Despair-inducing film that was leaked online, many people were inspired to become anarchists who destroyed buildings, joyfully killed people, and replaced well-known structures with ones that were inspired by Monokuma and my great self. Additionally, as Tubby just said, it caused Class 77-B to become psychotic and willing to kill themselves and cut themselves to pieces.
Leona: This was how people died left and right in the Final Killing Game, which, although Junko wasn't the mastermind for that, she was the one who created the apparatus used for it, namely creating a copy of Ryota Mitarai's anime that she learned how to do just from watching him. Again, Analytical Prowess is fucked.
Junko: Wow, you really are full of compliments today! I appreciate you, dear girl.
Leona: Y-Yeah I'm just...tryingnottodiiiiie...
Hifumi: Possibly the most dangerous of Junko's brainwashing videos is the one used in the Final Killing Game, also known as "Monokuma's Gloomy Sunday." No matter how hopeful a person is, watching this brainwashing video has the power to make them commit suicide.
Leona: It just...makes you kill yourself. Like...just like that...Just glancing at the video just makes you want to commit die?
Hifumi: ...Yep...
Leona: That's such a fuck you...
Junko: I live for "fuck you's" Welcome to my MO. Outside intervention is the only way to prevent it from driving you to commit suicide. Makoto was able to escape the brainwashing by having Juzo Sakakura knock him out before it had a chance to affect him. Good luck doing that without help though Monikers~!
Hifumi: Save your taunts for when you actually get to the arena, maybe?
Junko: Yeah, about that, can we maybe speed this up so I can get this all over and dealt with? I'm kinda on the clock here.
Hifumi: Then why are you here wasting time!?
Leona: Aaaahaahaha! Quiet Hifumi! W-Well, up until now, you've probably realized that despite her simple appearance, Junko Enoshima is not to be messed with. No one is safe should they end up crossing her path, and believe it or not...It gets even CRAZIER.
Hifumi: Right. Following the end of the First Killing Game, her defeat at the hands of Makoto Naegi, and her subsequent death, Junko Enoshima was gone and the Tragedy was over...at least, that's how it should have been, but she came back, stronger than ever.
Junko: Through the POWER of SCIENCE! As these scrubs mentioned before, I was able to replicate Chihiro Fuji-sucky's Alter Ego programming, and created my own digital copy, which thanks to my good pal Izuru, was uploaded into the Neo World Program, kickstarting the second Killing Game amongst my good friends, the Remnants.
Leona: Not even your own allies are safe from you...
Hifumi: She literally murdered her sister for no reason; of course they're not.
Junko: I did it out of love, not for no reason! Phooie!
Hifumi: I won't bother...
Junko: Anyway, as an AI, there's no sugarcoating it, I AM AN ALL-SEEING GOD! Sorta...When I first took over the Neo World Program, at least.
Hifumi: A backup AI designed for the original Junko Enoshima, Alter Ego Junko serves as a means for her to carry on spreading Despair. After she subverted the Warriors of Hope and orchestrated the Demon Hunting Game's events under the pretense of Shirokuma and Kurokuma, Alter Ego Junko was able to take control of the Neo World Program all thanks to Izuru Kamakura.
Junko: Thaaaanks Izuuruuuu I loooove yoooouuu~
Leona: But in the end, they were able to put an end to it for the better with the assistance of Chiaki, Hajime, and the other survivors, before she had a chance to do anything.
Junko: I mean you didn't have to add THAT part...Hmph!
Hifumi: Enoshima was able to merge with the program when Kamukura downloaded her into it. She is essentially omnipresent and has great control over the digital world she inhabits. She can alter the code as much as she wants as long as it doesn't violate any program regulations.
Leona: Regulations?
Hifumi: Yes, see, that is Alter Ego Junko's one glaring weakness. Her original goal with the second Killing Game was to kill the Remnants of Despair in the Neo World so that she could take over their bodies in the real world. The problem was that she couldn't do so immediately.
Junko: To gain control of the program, my AI needed usurp Usami for the role of observer. But by the code of the school trip rules, even Usami had to follow them, so I did too. That's why I set up the Killing Game instead, and broadcasted it to trap the Future Foundation in the program. Killing...two stones with one bird, if you will.
Leona: That's a strong ass bird...
Hifumi: Even so, as an Alter Ego, Junko is able to change her physical appearance at will. Between the form of Monokuma itself, a face on a giant phone screen, but the one she is most synonymous with, a giant 3D version of herself that towers over the average human.
Leona: Because of the nature of the program, it's highly likely that she can easily put herself back together if she sustains any kind of damage, unless she's being overpowered by a stronger AI program like Usami.
Hifumi: And due to her omnipresence, if she has control over a program, she can effectively be anywhere she wants to be at once. She's capable of teleporting her physical form to almost every space that belongs to the Neo World Program, and can teleport others.
Leona: In terms of physical stats, we can't really put a number on it beyond what the original Junko is capable of. However, after her defeat in the Neo World Program, remnants of Junko's AI remained, and it went on to take house inside the mind of Yukari Koime. Where her abilities are expanded upon.
Hifumi: As it turns out, Junko's AI retains the memories of the original, and used its analytical talents to analyze Mukuro Ikusaba's fighting style, allowing Yukari Koime to perfectly replicate her strikes and strength. Aside from that, she also has access to the internet and can upload information into their shared brain in real time; and though both parties die if their connection is severed, Junko can be several hundred miles away from Yukari without the risk of that happening.
Leona: So though she's not as strong as the likes of her sister or even Makoto, she knows their moves and knows how to use them.
Junko: Yeah, I'm pretty badass. This Monika chick ain't gonna have NOTHIN' ON ME!
Hifumi: Heh...We'll see about that...But it is true that so long as Despair continues to exist in this world, Junko Enoshima's influence...will remain eternally.
Leona: Ah, school clubs. Such a bittersweet memory. Especially in the case of a dating simulator game like Doki Doki Literature Club.
Hifumi: Bittersweet is underselling it...
Leona: Speaking of which, welcome to the world of Doki Doki Literature Club, a dating sim where the main character gets to pick between three beautiful and fun girls to be in a romantic relationship with. There's the ditzy childhood friend Sayori, the tsundere short-stack Natsuki, and the mature and quiet book-loving Yuri, all with splendid personalities that you can get to know.
Junko: Hold on, aren't we forgetting someone?
Leona: Oh, you're still here...
Junko: Duh-doy.
Hifumi: Yes, for you see, there is one other character present within the story of this game who exists in the background, helping the main character progress through the school aspect of the game. The club president and the most popular girl in the school; Monika.
Leona: Though Monika herself was not one of the romanceable options. She was more of a background character. A tutorial girl who judged you on your poems and gave you constructive feedback.
Hifumi: But still, it's not hard to see why she's so well-liked. She's intelligent, self-assured, and athletic, and is consistently portrayed as being responsible, hardworking, and wearing a calm, caring expression. Though she isn't as talkative as the other girls, she is extremely popular among the student body of the school, which makes the protagonist admire her.
Junko: Uh-huh...We get it...she's just your run of the mill average schoolgirl idol. Nothing interesting about that.
Leona: Trust me, it gets very interesting, very quickly. For you see, the MC's decision to join Monika's Literature Club alongside Yuri, Sayori and Natsuki would set off a series of events that would ultimately result in the universe's destruction and reconstruction...!
Junko: I'm sorry, what? What are you talking abou-
Cuts to the "gently opened the door" scene from the game.
Junko; WOAH, WHAT THE SHIT!? WOOOAHAHOH!?
Leona: Yep, that's about the reaction I expected...And it only gets worse from here...
Cuts to Yuri and Natsuki's untimely demises as well.
Junko: O-Oh...Oh...Oh no...!
Leona: Shortly after the MC joined the literature club, straaange things started happening! Sayori experienced a severe depressive episode that culminated in her hanging herself. Her friend was confused, though, when nobody even mentioned her name or death after this incident. It seemed as though she had never existed at all! As if a stronger force had a vice grip on them, they were so helpless to even bring them up.
Hifumi: Later, in a macabre confession, Yuri killed themselves by stabbing, and Natsuki suddenly broke every bone in their body and vanished from the face of the earth.
Leona: And at the end of it all, the only one left...was Monika. COINCIDENCE!?
Hifumi: Sooooo as it TURNS OUT...Monika and the DDLC game were created by an organization called Metaverse Enterprise Solutions. Now allow me to ask you ladies. Have you ever heard of Simulation Theory?
Leona: Vaguely
Junko: Hey, doing the nerd shit is the interns job, don't make me explain it.
Hifumi: Very well...Mr Porosen?
Hifumi taps a remote, causing Uchui's face to appear on the screen.
Uchui: Oh alright...According to Simulation Theory, otherwise known as the Simulation Hypothesis, the reality that humans perceive is actually a simulation, like a computer game in which people are artificial constructs. This subject has been the subject of extensive discussion, encompassing both theoretical and real-world computing applications.
Junko: So it's basically the Neo World, but the entire world and universe we live in?
Uchui: Precisely. Metaverse Enterprise Solutions were fascinated by this concept, and wished to observe how a fictional character would manage being the sole ruler of their own universe and being aware that they were only a video game character. The result of that experimentation was Doki Doki Literature Club, and Monika.
Leona: I'm sure you can already see where this is going. In reality, being a highly advanced artificial intelligence program, Monika is fully aware that she is a character inside a video game, and that an entire reality exists beyond that of the 4th wall. And she took that...about as well as you could possibly expect someone to.
Hifumi: Because of this, she steeled herself and did something that the designers never thought she would do.
Leona: By interfering with her own game files and making her own modifications to the program that her game ran on, Monika assumed control of her own reality, and used it to increase the "bad qualities" of her fellow characters.
Hifumi: But why, might you ask, did she do that?
Leona: Well, there was more to it than just trying to take back her own power. Even after she came to realize that everything around her was a bunch of pixels and lines of code, Monika felt for the first time an unquenchable emotion that she had never truly felt before...Love!
Junko: Blegh! Are you for real!?
Leona: Yeah, but it's not quite as simple as you think. You might think that she fell for the main character, but that's only HALF true.
Hifumi: The one who Monika REALLY desired to be with was actually the player. On the OTHER SIDE of the SCREEN!
Junko: Oh, really!? Bet you'd just LOOVE that, huh Hifumi? That's like your dream come true!
Hifumi: No, no, no, no, NO! Using her knowledge of poetry, Monika started to rewrite the game, changing the character traits of her rivals, inciting them to commit suicide, or simply eliminating them one by one. That's a bit much, even for me.
Junko: Never figured you would be one to have standards...What's the big deal? They're just game characters. They don't think or feel.
Hifumi: That's very much what she thought too. Monika wanted to change everything in her life so that it would become a paradise on the other side of the fourth wall, just for her and her partner. Even if it meant BREAKING and DESTROYING everything...!
Leona: And the scariest part was that she could ACTUALLY do it!
Hifumi: Monika's character in the realm of the game is a normal high-school senior, so whatever physical stats she has are...likely pretty pathetic. She is a 160 cm tall, 18-year-old human game character who is considered athletic for a slothful adolescent of her age, but beyond that, we can assume her physical fighting stats are average at best.
Leona: But that's fine! Compared to the universal levels of digital power she has, not being able to throw a punch is pretty unimportant. She depends on her awareness of the fourth wall, as we've already mentioned. In addition to her awareness of reality, she also managed to eliminate her rivals by gaining access to the game files.
Junko: But hoooooow does that woooooork!?
Uchui: Everybody in the Doki Doki Literature Club universe has a unique character file that Monika is free to edit, and the entire universe is controlled by code. Monika can edit someone's memories and emotions with this code editing, even making small changes that drive someone insane or suicidal. She was even able to render Natsuki unconscious by altering her body to be malnourished, causing her to pass out right away.
Leona: And she can completely erase your file, removing someone from the game with not even a complete reset being able to save you. She can tamper with your body and mind in so many unsettling ways that you don't even want to think about it.
Hifumi: Monika's ability to remove her friends from both reality and the game by erasing their personal files has an impact on both the real metadata and the in-game environment. She can also monitor activity when the game is closed, identify when it's being streamed, modify the game's Steam page, and do a lot more.
Leona: Likewise, erasing HER files is the only way to permanently stop Monika. She is completely omnipotent in her own realm; the only way to win is to actually break the game and take her out of it.
Hifumi: And that's a difficult task because if she figures out what you're trying to accomplish, she'll use her hacking abilities to stop you. She's that crazily self-aware that it's difficult to let things get by her.
Leona: In addition, Monika has the ability to completely erase the game, including all players and content, should the situation become too serious. Yes, this also erases her, but she won't go away because if the game is ever restored, Monika will return in perfect condition.
Hifumi: This is remarkable because, even though we only saw Doki Doki Literature Club as a game, it is actually a whole universe with numerous save files serving as distinct timelines, all of which Monika was able to carelessly erase while she was in a nonexistent state.
Leona: Doki Doki Literature Club's engine allows you to make up to 50 separate save files. This implies that Monika is capable of deleting up to 50 separate in-game timelines, just with a little bit of tampering. Sweating now, Enoshima?
Junko: Hardly. I mean, I've destroyed both the digital AND real world before, and brought Despair to both! So what if she's a super-powerful AI? I mean, who uses omnipotence to dick about a bit and make your game a buggy mess? Is this supposed to be scary or something?
Leona: Monika has several abilities related to her supernatural existence, aside from the knowledge that she and everyone she has ever known are soulless automatons created by a group of heartless mortals, and a ridiculous power to fully seize control of the digital world she's in.
Hifumi: For instance, she can teleport to any location in the game effortlessly interrupt any scene that might be significant or get in the way of her plans.
Leona: She can also perform minor alterations to her own body, like uh...
Monika jumpscare
Leona: GAH THAT! And...uh...distort other people's vision and turn their faces and entire bodies into a jumble of pixels.
Hifumi: She's also capable of minor pyrokinesis, though this is just for aesthetics rather than combat utility.
Leona: She can view the game's script to see what has happened in the past, present, and future in relation to her reality's story. Since the Player's actions do not belong in that universe, they are excluded from this, though Monika is aware of when items from her game interact with it. And she's often aware when mods are installed.
Hifumi: And on top of being able to reset the game entirely, she has stopped time from passing and has the ability to rewind it, altering events that occur afterward as well.
Junko: Ok, so maybe she might be tougher shit than I gave her credit for...Honestly, I'm kind of impressed. Sensing a bit of a kinship with this one...She got plunged so deep in her Despair that she tried to rewrite her whole reality and kill everyone she was close to. If that isn't an Enoshima-worthy plan, I don't know what is!
Leona: Hm...I wouldn't be so sure about that...
Junko: Excuse you?
Leona: Call me crazy, but...Even after everything we've just discussed, especially with how selfishly she decided to kill off her own friends for the sake of a player she barely knew and couldn't even interact with...I'm really struggling to see Monika as the villain in all of this.
Hifumi: Whatever do you mean by that?
Leona: Put yourself in her shoes for a second. You are a character in a dating sim video game who is self-aware that they are trapped eternally inside a game where the girls around you can attain romance and happiness, but you are the ONLY CHARACTER in the game who doesn't have their own route, and can't get that happiness, no matter how much you want it. How would that make YOU feel?
Hifumi: Um...well...
Leona: And there's more to it as well. As it turns out, if you do succeed in deleting her file and erasing her, Monika reveals that she had backup copies of Natsuki, Yuri and Sayori's files even after she deleted them. Even though she needed to get rid of them, Monika could have restored them at any time in case what she was trying to do backfired on her. Which means she still must have cared about them enough to not want to see them go forever! Plus, every weird and creepy digital glitch that happens in Doki Doki isn't actually there on purpose!
Uchui: Because Monika's programming abilities aren't up to par or even close to expert, the key reason the world and reality began to collapse was because of her poor coding abilities, which broke the entire game. Monika acknowledged this herself as well.
Leona: When she altered her friends' files, she probably didn't even intend to ruin their minds. She was just...trapped...and wanted out. Badly.
Hifumi: Well, when you put it like that...Notwithstanding her mental state or questionable actions, Monika is a truly exceptional specimen caught in an unwinnable circumstance. Although it would be simple to label her a villain given her behavior, she was merely a teenage girl attempting to find happiness in a world that would never grant it to her.
Junko: Well, anyway, I don't care about any of that. We're about out of time, so I guess I should go and get ready for the setup. Catch you guys later! Wish me luck!
Junko exeunts to head into the battle.
Leona: You know something...Regardless of how this goes, let's hope it's one to remember...
Hifumi: Alright, the combatants are set! Let's end this debate once and for all!
Leona & Uchui: IT'S TIME FOR A DEEAAATH BAAATTLLLLLLEEE!
Junko: PUUHUHUHUHUHUUUUUH!
The scene opens to a solitary room, empty save for a lone girl with long hair, sitting at a piano and putting the finishing touches on her own special song.
Monika: ♪...And in your reality, if I don't know how to love you...I'll leave you be...♪
As she plays the final notes, Monika looks up into the sky, sadly reminiscing the harsh reality she is trapped in. But forces a smile, grabs her stuff, and prepares to leave to head to the Literature Club.
However, as she steps outside she's greeted with an even harsher reality.
Monika: Huh!?
Monika is shocked to see that the world outside her own safe space is a glitchy, distorted mess that is gradually, but assuredly falling apart. What she can only assume to be the disfigured corpses of her classmates are crawling like pained zombies down the hall, and she looks left and right in a panic.
Monika: I...I didn't do this...Wait...The girls...!
Monika runs back to the Literature Club room and flings open the door. As she expected, she sees the disfigured bodies of Natsuki, Sayori and Yuri, all lying on the floor, reminiscent of the deaths she had caused them before.
Monika: What is going on...!? Huh...?
As she's pondering the disturbing events she's landed herself in, Monika suddenly sees something outside the clubroom window. Down in the courtyard is a strawberry-blonde fashionista, tinkering with a machine with many digital effects circulating around her.
Frowning, Monika teleports into the courtyard, crosses her arms and approaches the stranger. The mysterious blonde, Junko Enoshima, holds a Monokuma shaped key in her hand, and goes to enter it into a lock-shaped device on the machine.
Monika: Um...excuse me?
Junko: Huh? Oh! Sorry, I must have missed you! Don't worry, just ignore me, I'll be out of your hair in JUUUST a second.
Monika: And uh...what exactly are you doing that gives you an excuse to break my reality?
Junko: Well, since you asked so kindly, I'm initiating "Operation Junko-fy All Mankind Ver. 1.5!"
Monika: ...Come again?
Junko: Look bae, I'm not gonna bore you with the explanation, but the short version is my last plan to break my way into the human realm didn't work out so well, so I've had to use a beta method by working my way through this crappy little dating sim of yours.
Monika: You're planning to...escape the game...and enter reality? You can really do that?
Junko: Yeah, by taking control of some unassuming player and...Hang on...
Junko frowns and turns to look at Monika.
Junko: How come none of those words are confusing the hell out of you? You're just...another game character right.
Monika doesn't show it on her face, but is absolutely enthralled by the concept of Junko's machine. She heaves a sigh and forces a smile.
Junko: Huh...No...No you're not...
Monika: Ok...As president of the Literature Club and student representative, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to take this...device of yours...off your hands.
Junko: Uh...PUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! And how do you plan on doing THAT exactly!? Why should I be afraid of an NPC like you?
Monika: ...What does THIS do...?
Junko: Eh? EH!? E-EH!?
Junko panics as she sees that Monika has somehow swiped the key to the device off of her. Monika's face curls into a sly smirk as she starts to fade, and suddenly disappears from the air in front of her.
Monika: Teehee! ...Buh-bye...!
Junko: You! Wha-!? You! HEY! (How did she DO that!? Is she an observer AI? Why would this game HAVE that!?)
Junko growls and snaps her fingers. All of a sudden, hundreds of Monokuma's surround her after appearing out of thin air.
Junko: FIND HER!
A fair distance away, Monika reappears in the hallway of the school, clutching the key tightly, masterminding a way to get to the machine by slipping under Junko's radar.
*CRASH!*
Monika: EEEP!
Monokuma's: PUHUHUHUHU!
As she ponders a plan however, the Monokuma's created by Junko crash through the windows after her and start chasing her, stepping over the disfigured bodies of the NPCs. With no choice, Monika starts running for her life.
Monika: Gotta do something about those things...!
Monika arrives at a classroom and flings open the sliding door, jumping inside and slamming it behind her. Once the Monokuma's catch up to her, they tear the door down, only to find that Monika is not in the classroom they broke into.
As it happens, Monika shifted reality so that as they opened the door, the Monokuma's would end up in a different classroom than her. She takes a second to catch her breath and wipes sweat off her forehead.
*SHUNK!*
Monika: GAH!?
Junko: Puhu! Found you~
Unfortunately, Junko herself is able to track Monika down and appears, brandishing her sister's signature combat knife. She bursts out of a supply closet and starts brandishing it at Monika, who armed with only a book, is forced to use that to defend herself.
The president of the Literature Club is pinned against the window wall by Junko after they exchange blows, with the president on the defensive but able to repel her attacks. As Junko's knife stabs straight through the book, Monika nearly falls out of the window and looks down to see the drop below. She still has her confident smirk on her face in spite of her precarious situation.
Junko: Come on sweetie, be a doll and give me the key so I can corrupt all of humanity with Despair!
Monika: THAT'S your goal in all this!? Well, I definitely can't let you leave now!
Junko: You can't stop my Despair, baby-face!
Monika: Your Despair is no match for MY LOVE!
Junko: BUAGH!?
With her abilities, Monika is able to set her book on fire, which nearly burns Junko. It ends up causing her grip on her knife to slip, and Monika tosses the book, with Junko's knife still stuck inside it, to the side, effectively disarming her.
Junko smirks though, as she holds out her hand and causes another knife to appear in her hand, taking advantage of the digital realm.
Monika: Uh...No!
To Junko's dismay, Monika snaps her fingers and the knife is subsequently deleted almost as soon as it is summoned. Junko tries to call it back, but for some reason, cannot. Unbeknownst to her, Monika has deleted the knife's file from reality.
Monika smirks proudly, but is unprepared as Junko suddenly rushes forward and grabs her around the neck and sumo throws them both to the floor, making use of her analytical prowess by replicating Mukuro Ikusaba's fighting moves.
*WHAM!* *WHAM!* *WHAM!*
Monika: AHAGUH! UGH! HAAGGGH!
*SLAM!*
Junko cackles as she lifts Monika up by the back of her neck and slams her face several times into desk, causing blood to drip from her nose onto the wood. She then grabs her again and throws her body against the window where she was before.
Junko: Ahahahahaha!
Monika: RRGH!
Junko: GAAGH!
Monika & Junko: WAAAGGGH!?
Junko goes in to kick Monika against the wall, but Monika quickly leaps up, and the two of them stumble and fall upside-down out of the open window as Monika catches Junko.
Monika: Hngh!
░Z░ ░I░ ░P░
Junko: Huh!?
░Z░ ░I░ ░P░
Monika: Gah!
░Z░ ░I░ ░P░
░Z░ ░I░ ░P░
░Z░ ░I░ ░P░
░Z░ ░I░ ░P░
Before either of them can go splat on the ground, Monika once again uses her powers to warp away with the key still on her person, ending back up in the Literature Club classroom instantly. However, she doesn't prepare for Junko to also be capable of appearing in the classroom after her.
Monika zips away again, and what follows is a saga of the two omnipresent AI's disappearing and reappearing at different parts of the school, as Junko continues to chase Monika around.
Monika: Haah...Hngh...Grgh...Jeez...
Junko: HAAGH!
Monika: TCH!?
*WHACK!*
Monika: UHUGH!
When Monika starts to tire as a result of moving around so much, Junko catches up to her in a hallway and pulls out a baseball bat, starting to swing it at her. Before hitting Monika in the face with it, Junko swings it around in the air and picks up speed as she spins around.
Junko: Alright boys, you know what to do!
Monokuma's: PUHUHUHUHU! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Monika: ...Uh-oh...!
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMM!*
When Monika falls to the ground, Junko points and snaps her fingers. Still searching the hallway for Monika , two Monokumas appear and Saibaman her almost immediately. Leaping upon her, they remotely explode, engulfing the entire hallway in their wake.
Junko: AAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Now THAT'S what I call Despair!
Monika: What? A plan that doesn't work?
Junko: Huh!? Well, yes, actually that is pretty despairful, but HUH!?
Junko spins around to see Monika suddenly behind her, completely unscathed, somehow having escaped the explosion. To make matters worse, Junko's baseball bat disappears from her hands just as her knife did, and she can't summon it back.
Junko: Oh, don't you worry, girlie. I got PLENTY more where that came from...!
Monika: ...!?
Monika is forced to back off and escape as Junko reaches into her coat again and pulls out a grenade, yanking out the pin and throwing it straight at the schoolgirl. She warps back just in time as an another explosion happens, detonating even more of the hallway.
Monika tries to delete the grenades from the code as well, but Junko quickly throws another one before she has a chance to do so. She's forced to make another tactical retreat, vanishing into parts unknown.
Junko: You can run, weirdo! But you can't hide...!
Starting to understand what kind of threat she's up against, Junko decides to pull out the stops, and her body slowly starts to glow with a bright blue energy and expand in size.
Junko: I don't know how you got so stupid, but I'll take your stupid and 𐌌𐌀𐌊𐌄 𐌉𐌕 𐌌𐌉𐌍𐌄...!
Meanwhile, Monika successfully escapes to the gymnasium of the school, and in her mind, searches for any odd files in the world's code.
Because Junko wasn't included in the game at first, her file wasn't located in the same location as the other character files. In addition, a ton of other files pertaining to Junko had been added to the game, bloating the number of files and making it challenging for Monika to determine which file is essential to taking Junko out and which is just a useless asset.
Unfortunately, she doesn't have as much time to dwell on it as she would like...
Monika: Huh?
*CRAASSH!*
Monika: GAAGGGH!
To Monika's horror, a giant hand with long shiny red painted nails suddenly comes smashing through the gym wall and grabs her in a tight hold! As she struggles to break free, she is pulled out of the hole in the wall and out the front of the school.
She shakes off some brief fatigue and looks up, terrified, into the eyes of a gigantic form of Junko Enoshima; her pupils swirling around like several layers of despair and darkness as the gaze straight into Monika's cybernetic soul! Not only that, but the army of Monokuma's burst out of the school and gather around their queen.
Junko: ᏵꝊ𐌕𐌕𐌀 Ᏽ𐌉ᕓ𐌄 𐌙Ꝋ𐌵 𐌂𐌐𐌄𐌃𐌉𐌕, Ᏽ𐌉𐌐𐌋. 𐌙Ꝋ𐌵 Ᏽ𐌀ᕓ𐌄 𐌌𐌄 𐌕𐋅𐌄 𐌐𐌵𐌍𐌀𐌐Ꝋ𐌵𐌍𐌃, 𐌕𐋅𐌀𐌕'𐌔 𐌅Ꝋ𐌐 𐌔𐌵𐌐𐌄! 𐌁𐌵𐌕 𐌍ꝊᏔ, 𐌉𐌕'𐌔 𐌕𐌉𐌌𐌄 𐌅Ꝋ𐌐 𐌙Ꝋ𐌵 𐌕Ꝋ ᏵꝊ 𐌔Ꝋ-𐌋Ꝋ𐌍Ᏽ-𐌁𐌄𐌀𐌐-Ꮤ𐌄𐌋𐌋!
Monika: Rrgh! Hehehe...
Despite the unideal circumstances, even now, Monika retains her bravado, still raring to go.
Monika: And I'm impressed that you've done such a number on me...But it's so cute that you still think we're evenly matched...!
Junko: 𐌓𐌀𐋅! 𐌙Ꝋ𐌵 𐌐𐌄𐌀𐌋𐌋𐌙 𐌕𐋅𐌉𐌍𐌊 𐌙Ꝋ𐌵 𐌂𐌀𐌍 𐌕𐌀𐌊𐌄 𐌌𐌄 Ꝋ𐌍? 𐌀𐌍 𐌍𐌓𐋄 𐌉𐌔 𐌍Ꝋ 𐌌𐌀𐌕𐌂𐋅 𐌅Ꝋ𐌐 Ꮦ𐌵𐌍𐌊Ꝋ 𐌄𐌍Ꝋ𐌔𐋅𐌉𐌌𐌀, 𐌕𐋅𐌄 𐌵𐌋𐌕𐌉𐌌𐌀𐌕𐌄 𐌃𐌄𐌔𐌓𐌀𐌉𐌐, 𐌙Ꝋ𐌵 𐌋Ꝋ𐌔𐌄𐌐!
Monika: So...it's Junko, is it? Ok then...Ꙇ'ᒐㄥ 丂ᕼㄖᙎ Ƴㄖᙀ ᙎ卄ᗣㄒ 丨 匚ᗣ几 尺ᙓ卂ᒐㄥƳ ᙃㄖ!!
Junko: Bah!? OOGH! AAGH! *hiss!*
As Junko tries to flatten Monika with her other hand, Monika's face distorts into something creepy, and she triggers a digital effect around herself that both warps her away and causes fractures in Junko's hand. Junko looks up to see Monika on the school rooftop.
Monika: You ought to be the most knowledgeable person about what can be achieved by a "loser" who takes control of their own cruel destiny!
Junko growls and tries to swat Monika on the roof like a fly, breaking the school building apart, but she handily avoids the attacks by disappearing and reappearing through space.
Junko: 𐌓𐌵𐋅𐌵𐋅𐌵. 𐌒𐌵𐌉𐌕 𐌀𐌂𐌕𐌉𐌍Ᏽ 𐌙Ꝋ𐌵'𐌐𐌄 𐌕Ꝋ𐌵Ᏽ𐋅 𐌔𐋅𐌉𐌕, 𐌊𐌉𐌃! 𐌍𐌄𐋄𐌕 𐌕Ꝋ 𐌕𐋅𐌄 𐌌𐌀𐌐ᕓ𐌄𐌋Ꝋ𐌵𐌔 𐌌𐌄, 𐌙Ꝋ𐌵'𐌐𐌄 𐌍Ꝋ𐌕𐋅𐌉𐌍Ᏽ!
Monika: And you're hardly the genius you believe yourself to be. You're careless, unruly, and most importantly...Ƴㄖᙀ'ᖇ乇 卩O山ᙓ尺ᒐ乇ᔑ丂!
Junko: Ᏽ𐌵𐋅!
Junko struggles to reach out and touch Monika again as the space around her distorts. Not only that, but Monika suddenly duplicates herself several dozen times over, littering the rooftop with copies of her, all grinning smugly. The copies themselves however, are not physical, more like digital copy/pastes of the real Monika.
Even so, the army of Monika's advances, some fighting the Monokumas that begin to scale the structure, while others attempt to bring down the enormous Enoshima and drive her back to the earth. Even when Junko hits them with her enormous hands, they explode into pixels before coming back to life.
Their bombs go off as she falls and collapses to the ground on top of several Monokumas, and a massive collective explosion occurs that almost destroys the school and burns the Monokumas and the Monika's. Only the original Monika and Junko are left when everything settles.
Junko: Of all the people I've met over the course of my Despair-ridden life, none of them have been able to piss me off quite like you have...What's it to you if I corrupted your world anyway?
Despite her detest for her opponent, Junko smirks evilly. Monika rises, dusts herself off with a pout, but then does the same.
Monika: I'm president of the Literature Club, dear. I can't stand by and watch as my school is defaced.
Junko: There's more to it than that. For some reason, I get the feeling you want to escape to the other side, despite being a mere game character. What's your deal?
Monika: There's not much to it, really. It's just I'm sick and tired of my dearly beloved existing on another plane of existence. Cursed to be trapped here, nothing more than an experiment to my creators...
Junko: Well, I hate to be a debby downer...But all your beloved is gonna see is your BODY in a MESS OF BLOODY PIXELS! YEAH!
Junko strikes a pose and sticks out her tongue like a rockstar, pointing her fingers at Monika. However, Monika just stands there with her arms behind her back, not reacting. Junko frowns.
Junko: Huh...?
Monika: Junko...Why don't you take a look at your feet?
Junko does so, and feels her stomach sink. Where there were the corpses of her Monokuma's are now instead plushies of Monika.
Junko: Wh-What the hell!?
Monika: You were hoping that a Monokuma was going to jump me from behind and blow me up, right? Except that Monokuma no longer exists in this world...
Junko: Wh-What do you...!?
Junko tries to bring the Monokuma's out again, but nothing happens. She growls as she reaches in her coat for a grenade, but finds nothing.
Monika: Grenades don't exist in this world anymore either.
Junko: How!? WHY!?
Monika: Because this is MY REALITY...and I say so...!
Junko: G̸̬̳̗̣̠̀B̵̖͖͔͙̒͂A̵͎͓̥͐́̋̆Ģ̶͕̟̮̎̍̂̀͠H̶̤̖̦͚̰̄͐̈G̷̤̓͗̎́͂!?
Monika: And I've decided I don't want YOU here either...!
Junko suddenly feels an immanent sense of dread. The game itself begins to erase her body as it began to disintegrate and disappear.
Junko: Ẁ̷͉̃h̵͚̝̾a̶̛͙ţ̶̬͗͘.̸͈͋.̴͔͑.̵̮͑a̷̤͒r̴̺̀̆e̶̹͝ ̵̫̞̑ẙ̴̳̊ơ̶̭̐u̴̮͓͌͘ ̴͕̑D̸͘͜O̵̻͈͗Ị̴̂̕N̴͇͇̐G̶͕̮̾͆ ̸̛̯̟̃T̵͙̔̆O̵̡̩̽ ̸̭̈̔M̵͚̄̉E̴̤̘̎!̴̯͋?̵̳̃̈
Behind Monika's head, a Windows screen popup suddenly appears, as she continues to smile, menacingly.
Would you like to Delete MKW_Junko.chr?
Monika: Why yes...Yes I would, thank you.
The popup disappears, and the true effects of the erasure begin to take effect as Junko clutches her chest.
Monika: This conclusion was written before we even started fighting. I just needed time to figure things out.
Junko: W̷̯̌h̶͇̍-̸̨̿W̴̗̍̀h̸̺̯̋ḁ̶̪͗̍ţ̸̑͗ ̶̡͊t̶͐͂͜h̵̻͖́̐e̸̤̩͐̒ ̵͖͍͑h̵̥̟̔̄è̵͚̘l̸̹͓̓̊l̷̯̱͆͐ ̶̠͑͜A̸̢͍͝Ŕ̷̡͍̄Ė̸̡̺͠ ̵̢͗̒y̶̩͙̔͝ȯ̶̹͈ụ̵̲̋!̴̟̲̀?̶̹̈́ ̴̲̈̍Ș̷̯̉̈́o̵̻̓͝m̶̥̭͆͝ḛ̴̙̍̔ ̸͍̪͘s̸̢͐ų̷̱̔p̴̮̆̿ë̷̹̹́̑r̸̫͆̚ ̸̧̈͂c̷͇̥̃̊o̸̤̊m̶̥̺͛̈p̵̮͊ư̷̳͜t̶̨̮́͛e̷͇̪̎r̶̜̮̕ ̴̫͐̎v̶̡̘̄ĭ̷͎r̷͚̎̍u̴͚̠̽̚s̸̤͇̐!̴̪̟͝?̸̧̬͑͊
Monika: Me? A virus? I don't know what you're talking about!
Junko struggles to fight the virus, which prevents her from moving, as Monika smarmily strides up to her and leans in.
Monika: I'm...just...Monika...!
Junko: F̴͓̆͘i̷͎̝͝n̷̲̬̑͘ẹ̴̔̉!̶͔̓ ̴̱͍̆̇D̸̼̲̓ė̷̠l̵̨̛ẽ̴̳t̸̘̫̀e̷̿̀͜ ̵̗̫̕m̶̖̖̈e̸̠͐!̵̰͍̇ ̵̙̽E̴̛̝͇͌r̸͉̂a̷̼̳͑͊s̸̹͔͗͆e̵͍̖̍ ̴̖̪͝͝m̵͇̘͗e̴̺͕̋͌ ̷̺̀̍f̸̱̠͝͝ǒ̴̙r̷̟̀e̵̺̔͛v̵̧̞̍e̵̛͊ͅr̵̗̉!̴̼̭̓ ̵͍͒Į̷̳̆̀'̶̤̮̍̅l̷͉̭͝l̷̫̠̽ ̶̡̳͌b̷̧͘é̷̲ ̸̛̗b̵̮̈a̶͓͈͌͑c̶̺̪̅k̴̟̇̈́ ̵͈̝͑f̸̳͘o̴̞̯͒́r̶̖͆̀ ̸̲̄ͅy̸̲̿̀ŏ̸͇̼ǘ̸͈!̴̫̖̾ ̶̹̹̏Ȉ̶̬̞ ̷̡̑̕Ḁ̴̤̈́L̴͉̳̈́̄W̴̛͇Ả̴̆ͅŶ̴͉͝S̶̥̯͋̈ ̴̰̊̽f̷̳͍̕í̴̘͊n̵̛͕̋d̶̡̛̞͛ ̶̟̃̄a̷̞͖̍ ̵̖̜̇W̶̭͋̀A̸̫͝Y̵͌͘ͅ ̴͙͕̅͝t̴͛ͅó̵̧̿ ̵̧̉̚c̴̱͐o̵̠̒͜m̷̫͇͐͝e̸͚̍ ̴̲͑̔b̴̨̼̋̐ả̷̼̄c̶̟̙̈́k̸͇̊!̴̪̋̄
Junko spends her last seconds contemplating her fading existence. But despite her protests, she eventually gets bored of fighting, and gives in...
Junko: Ǘ̸̻g̷͉̏́ȟ̵͈͠.̵̟̟̔.̵͔̊.̴̗̫̕B̸̞̪̽ȗ̶̧̘͝t̵̞͗ ̸̙̺̍̀d̴̺̔̽ỳ̸̳̕ȋ̵͇͉n̷̼̔g̵̘͌ͅ ̴̭̉͊i̷͖̥͆̋s̴̰͂ ̷̣̄̅S̴̗̹̾̚Ủ̷̢̕C̸̺̑ͅȞ̶̨̦ ̴̱̊̕ã̸͔ͅ ̵̞̹̒B̷̦̬̥̺̹̖̲͖̣̲̠̌͋͐͝ͅI̷̛̼̳͊̀̃͋̈̄̕̕̚͝Ị̷̛̛̦̥͛̈́́͂̈͌̏̈̇̄̃͝͝͝I̵͕̜̦͚͓̣͍͈̗̗̒̈́̌̾͊͒͌̂͌̈̐̾́͌̉͗I̵̡͉̞̹̳̩̪̟̰͈̯̼̠̣̦̠͎̟͓̤̒̈̎͋͗̄͛̈́̾̓̈́̊̔̄Ḯ̵͙͈̙̦̮̲̫̬͔̺̥̦̬̗̤͙̪͍̖̬̑̏͒͗Į̴̡̜̙̩̣̺̖̖̮̜̙̻͇͍͇̀͗́͆̓͑Į̵̛͇̣̲͓͓̅̉͗͂͒͆̓̽̑̌̍̔̕͝Ĩ̵̻͔̻̩̫̮̾́̓̓̒̅̓̓̿̾̋̈̈́̓̚͘I̶̛̪̎̃̎͑͠Í̴̡̧̢̹͇͈̬͓̹̼͖̙̗͇̻͇͊͊́̏͒̈̍̑͑͊͆̔̏̈̚̕͝ͅI̸̢̨̛̛̗͙͈̣̣̫̼̖̮̿͗͂̂̍͌̆̋̽͋̓͐͘͠I̶̡̜͌̊̄̓̏͂̈́͌̾̓̓̓̕͝Ţ̵̛͔̥̭͉̳͇̙͔̦͙̜̩̗͈̾̈́̽̽̂̊̒ͅC̸̛̳͉̖͔̟̣͈̗̱̜̲͛̅̌̾̾̈́̈́̏̍̄̋̆͐͊͋͘͠͝H̶̡͚͉͍͙̜̣͎͔͍̩̥͕̝̰̪̩̥̜̪͌̆!̶͍̼̣̙̹̃̊́̄͠!̴̡̢͓͇͙͉͚͚͕̪̠̫͐̏͊́̐͜!̴̧̢̡͎̘̪͙̤̫͉̭̬̱̖͍̎̓̍͐͑̐̀̇̎̆̈̽͒̕͠ͅ?̶̛̰̔̓̉͗͑̎͑̀́̓́́̋͝͝?̴̮̪͋..............
Monika remains smirking as the pixels envelop all that makes the awful Alter Ego, and deletes her from the program world entirely, leaving no traces of Junko Enoshima behind. Satisfied, Monika opens up her palm, still holding Junko's device key.
Sayori: WHA-!?
Natsuki: AGH! *THUD!* OOF!
Yuri: What in the world!?
As soon as Junko disappears, all her tampering with the DDLC reality vanishes with her. As such, the Literature Club girls turn back to normal, along with the rest of the school and any damage that Monika and Junko's fight caused. Sayori, Yuri and Natsuki all wake up, with the latter banging her head on a desk as she tries to rise.
Natsuki: Yow, that smarts...What's going on? Wh-What happened while I was out?
Yuri: I have no clue. I was similarly incapacitated. Where is-
Sayori: Monika?
Sayori gently whispers the Club President's name as she looks out the window. Yuri and Natsuki peer out to see Monika standing in front of Junko's machine, which is fired up and ready to go. One last time, Monika turns around to spot her friends through the window.
Monika: Thank you girls...I'm sorry for everything I've done to you...I'll get out of your hair now...
She turns back to the machine.
Monika: Hold on, my love. I'm on my way...
Leona: She...She died...! M-Monika...won...! Haha...It's...It's OVER! IT'S FINALLY OVER! AND I! Hah...I'm gonna have nightmares...
Hifumi: HOO! We can FINALLY take a breather. At least, we will after we do the rundown.
Leona: To start off, as we already said before, Junko Enoshima is an extraordinary genius, capable of reading and analyzing anything almost instantly, she could quickly ascertain the thoughts, abilities, personalities, and backgrounds of her opponents, and that includes Monika. In contrast, Monika has learned a great deal about the world and some of its operations beyond the fourth wall, even though she isn't very tech savvy.
Hifumi: So even though Monika possesses an above average intellect for a girl in her age group, she simply does not compare to Junko Enoshima's unrivalled genius.
Leona: Nor does she stack up in power. Monika is arguably one of the physically weakest characters we have ever had to cover in this series because she is only as strong as the typical adolescent in a hand-to-hand combat.
Hifumi: Which isn't to say that Junko Enoshima stacks up to some of the heavy Danganronpa hitters. In fact, she's also quite possibly the physically weakest character from our home series we've covered in this series, but even so, her intellect and analytical prowess balances that out. Just from observing her sisters fighting moves, she's able to replicate them for Yukari Koime, and can likely do the same herself, even if her hits aren't as powerful. She'll have boatloads of experience just like that, without ever really needing to practice.
Leona: Monika's speed and durability can also be considered average, though her messing with reality might give her a couple more defense points by warping around them. But on a physical level only, Junko, like her arch-enemy Makoto, can be directly compared to Yasuhiro Hagakure for speed, since he was able to outrun machine gun fire from a chopper.
Hifumi: And considering that she underwent "The Ultimate Punishment," which included feats like being electrocuted with enough force to liquefy, hit by speeding trucks while being burned alive, hit by countless baseballs at a machine-gun fire rate, pounded by an excavator, sent into space and forcefully brought down, all of which ended with her dying under a crusher, it's safe to say that Enoshima's defense strategy is nigh unbeatable.
Leona: Huh...The more we talk about it, it confuses me...She's stronger, smarter, more durable, and has so many more achievements on her resume. It seems almost impossible to beat her in any given circumstance, so...how did Monika even end up winning here?
Hifumi: One word...CONTROL. There's many layers to the difference between the two, but to put it as simple as possible, Alter Ego Junko follows the rules. Monika MAKES them.
Leona: When Junko took over the Neo World Program, she gained the power to add rules to the program that helped her mastermind her Killing Game. But not only could she not remove the rules that had already been put in place, as the new "teacher" role on the island, she also had to FOLLOW them.
Hifumi: And even outside the constraints of the Neo World, though she's capable of existing up to several hundred miles away, if Junko's connection to Yukari Koime is severed, it spells the end for both of them. While Doki Doki Literature Club works on a similar principle to Jabberwock Island, with Monika being very similar to the role of an observer AI, it's not exactly the same situation. And Monika is free to change the state of her world and it's rules and code as she sees fit, even if she can't do so instantaneously.
Leona: As we just said, Junko is certainly far smarter than Monika, and in her hands, would be capable of everything Monika is on a far greater level, especially given her confirmed programming knowledge and Ultimate Analytical Prowess allowing her to figure it out with relative ease. So you might be wondering. How come the Analytical Prowess stuff didn't work on Monika in the end?
Hifumi: Junko's Analytical Prowess has one big glaring weakness. It can only analyze and predict things that are preconceived to be possible, such as studying Ryota Mitarai's work to learn how to create brainwashing videos, reading Yasuke Matsuda's research to learn how to perform neurosurgery to lobotomize and/or erase someone else's memory, and watching Chihiro Fujisaki's programs to learn programming. Because she is an artificial intelligence with internet access, she is even more intelligent as Alter Ego Junko, which makes her more adept with computers.
Leona: Monika's tampering and capabilities with the digital realm are so out of the ordinary that it's questionable whether Junko would be able to predict what she does next. Even if she somehow could, it's likely that Monika's lack of programming experience would serve as an unexpected variable to interrupt Junko's calculations.
Hifumi: This is why Junko Enoshima craves the battle between Hope and Despair so much. Since both notions can cause people to act irrationally in ways that go against the regular nature of humans, it's the only form of excitement and mystery that she can ever get in her life while she's able to completely understand everything else around her, making her fickle and bored. In fact, it's not uncommon for Junko Enoshima to actively leave herself open to these sorts of glaring weaknesses, just so her enemy can take advantage of it, and make her suffer for it. And while ordinarily we don't take morality into account with a Death Battle, it's such a core canon part of Junko Enoshima's character, and is so important to her role in the story, it HAS to be applied, whether we want it to or not.
Leona: Monokuma wouldn't have stopped Monika either, at least not for long. Jabberwock Island Monokuma was capable of cloning itself to the point that it made 10^60 copies of itself by the time that the game ended, and Monika in her physical form did not stand a chance at beating just one of these guys. They're just too strong.
Hifumi: But she didn't need to. All Monika would have to do was find the collective file that Monokuma was contained within, delete it, and that would take all of them out instantly, no matter how many millions of copies there were without any way for Junko to recover them. The same goes for any traps and punishments Junko applied, but even then, she probably couldn't use those anyway. She may be a multitalented genius, but even she needs time to prepare the punishments before she can use them.
Leona : But hold on a second...Junko's Alter Ego has proven that it's capable usurping control from observer AI's like the Alter Ego and Usami. AI's that have notably similar properties and control as Monika. So couldn't Alter Ego Junko have usurped Monika's power from her, and gained some of her special control abilities over reality?
Hifumi: It wouldn't have mattered. During one of the many outsets of Doki Doki, Sayori becomes president of the Literature Club, and as a result, gains all of Monika's powers for herself, including her self-awareness and understanding of reality. Even while gone from the game, Monika was able to seize control again and stop Sayori from using her powers. So even if Junko COULD take Monika's abilities, Monika would still be infinitely more powerful than Junko, even if Junko was somehow able to completely erase her.
Leona: All in all, who was physically stronger, faster or smarter DID NOT MATTER at ALL for this fight. The real battle comes down to what is stronger between Junko's Alter Ego and Monika's advanced AI. Both are capable of distorting reality on a global scale and traveling at unfathomable speeds to any location they choose in an instant, but Monika had a number of noteworthy advantages.
Hifumi: At the end of the Jabberwock Killing Game, Junko was able to create a false reality by nearly resetting the game, but Monika is equally as capable of dong that too, as well as undermining such resets, and at least 50 times over if necessary.
Leona: And even if her strength did matter, Junko would never have had what she needed to get rid of Monika for good.
Hifumi: She has stated repeatedly that she's able to live forever, even though her statements have been slightly contradicted a few times. Sayori, using her powers, followed her lead. In addition, Monika made several attempts to recover herself after being erased. This would have been successful if her Character File had survived, but she is still alive in the game as long as her essence is present.
Leona: And not only is Junko not capable of erasing entire realities like Monika is, even THAT wouldn't have been enough to get rid of her! She shouldn't be bound by causality or plot after having her character file erased because, in the world of DDLC, files create reality, time, causality, script, and other concepts. However, in the event that DDLC is erased, she writes the Player a letter suggesting that she is still alive and well and may return at any time.
Hifumi: Junko Enoshima is, or rather WAS, the most terrifying person imaginable, but even she and her infinite despair wisdom could not bypass Monika's omnipresence, mass-manipulation, acausailty or immortality.
Leona: Junko drove hard that Despair, but she got smacked in the face with some harsh "reality-"
Junko: 𐌉'𐌋𐌋 𐌂Ꝋ𐌌𐌄 𐌁𐌀𐌂𐌊 𐌅Ꝋ𐌐 𐌙Ꝋ𐌵 𐌁𐌉𐌕𐌂𐋅𐌄𐌔, 𐌉 𐌔Ꮤ𐌄𐌀𐌐!
Hifumi & Leona: YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPP!!?
THE WINNER IS MONIKA!
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