Hope

Hope is the one-hundred-and-nineteenth and final chapter of Battle Royale.

Plot[]

Shogo Kawada falls to the ground. Shuya Nanahara rushes to his side as Shogo tells him to stop yelling. Shuya realizes that Shogo is dying and begs him to let him know what he can do to prevent this. Shogo knows it is too late and tells him that he has to protect Noriko Nakagawa who starts to cry. Shogo asks for a cigarette and reveals to Noriko that Shuya loves her, he's just too stupid to actually say it.

Shogo then goes on to say that there is one good thing that came out of the program and that is how Shuya and Noriko reacted in it. The program expects people to be filled with either rage or fear but those two didn't give in, they always showed love. He wanted to bring down the game itself but believed that those two may have done the most damage just by being themselves and that he was glad to see that. Even if he wasn't there, he believed they would have waited out on the collars. Shogo tells them to stay smart, do right by each other, and it is his time to go on as he dies.

Three months later, a man who owns a food shop decides to take a break and tells his employee to watch the store. He goes to a book shelf and takes out a special book which contains a button for a hidden door. He presses it and walks downstairs to a room. As he walks, he can hear the television is on as he talks about. Martial law is still in effect for the Kagawa Prefecture, and the program is on indefinite hiatus until they find Shuya and Noriko. The news also reveals that Shogo won the game and tells anyone with the surname "Kawada" must report to their nearest interrogation center. They show photos of Shuya, Noriko, Shogo, and Yonemi Kamon as they urge Shuya and Noriko to turn themselves in before a lethal force protocol is put into place.

The shop owner opens the door and it is revealed that the person watching the news is Noriko. He gives her food for both her and Shuya as he tells her that he hopes that Shuya can eat it on the boat for America. Noriko thanks him for the food and tells him that it smells good before she thinks about her situation. The owner comforts her that in time, she will cry less and perhaps distance will soften her memories.

Meanwhile, Shuya has been watching the Charity House and finds that Ryoko Anno is doing very well and that Kamon must have lied about raping her. Shuya then sees a young man come up to greet her and he can tell that the two are together and hopes that they can be happy together.

Later that night, Noriko is on the phone with her mother as Shinji's Aunt listens in. Mrs. Nakagawa begs her daughter to come back home as the government has taken in her brother. Noriko reassures her mother that he will come back and that she is sorry for what has happened and rather she likes it or not, she will always have a daughter as Mrs. Nakagawa hangs up the phone. Shuya arrives on the scene as Shinji's aunt complains about how the phone call was risky but Shuya tells her that it was needed. Shinji's aunt reveals to them that she knows of them because of Shinji Mimura. She tells the two to get into the car and details that they must go onto a fishing boat and then be passed off to a trawler that will take them to the states. She also tells them that they must make this work for Shinji and every kid that died.

The two make it on board as the captain discusses with a shipmate about how they know there is a high bounty on them, they are not going to turn them in as every time he sees Noriko, he sees his own daughter. Hiding out, Noriko asks Shuya if what Shogo meant about Shuya loving her id true to which he tells her that it was obvious. Shuya then realizes that he has no idea what Noriko would do once they reach America as he has music but he isn't sure what she wants to do. She assures him that once she gets things worked out, she'll find something.

Noriko gets upset again when she thinks on how her mother disowned her, wanted to turn her in, how many people are getting punished for what they did, and how they didn't really stop the program, just delayed it. Shuya tells her that while they might not have much, they have to make it work, not just for themselves but for everyone who died on that island and they must remember that every death must never lose its significance and that everyone, even the worst of them, deserved much better.

Noriko knows that Shuya really believes in this, so she wants to try and believe too as she knows Shuya loves her. Later that night, Shuya writes down warning people that as long as they watch the program, it will never stop. The two would later make it to New York City. Shuya continues to think back on what happened and how the memory of Shogo Kawada still hurts him the most but he never mentioned this to Noriko, even when things were going good and there were plenty of good moments, more than they expected.

"Fucking Game".

Appearances[]

Trivia[]

Unlike the novel and movie, Shuya and Noriko manage to make it to the United States and live peacefully.
This chapter has the most characters appearing than any other chapter.
Due to Hiroki's Teacher appearing with the other deceased characters, it could be assumed that he died.
This is the only chapter to show a teenage Kazuo smiling.