Previously on the Amazing Race: Hopes' Peak Edition:
Eleven teams set off from Tokyo for a trip around the world.
*Teams standing at a wharf in Tokyo*
"The world is waiting for you. Travel safe… GO!" Monokuma shouted, starting off the race.
Along the way, tensions ran high.
"The two teams here already left!" Mukuro shouted.
"Fine, let's go back."
"No, we're already here!
"Then quit whining about it!" Junko screamed.
Teams faced frustration after frustration.
*Mondo dancing over and over again and failing*
"Dammit!" Mondo shouted.
*Tsumugi scraping rocks with a metal detector*
"Why can't I find anything?"
And faced strategic moves from other teams.
"We're gonna U-turn Junko and Mukuro," Kokichi said
"We choose to U-turn Hiyoko and Mahiru," Junko said.
"We choose to U-turn Gonta and Kokichi," Mondo said.
"We're U-turning Toko and Kyoko," Mahiru said.
Along the way, eight teams were eliminated.
"Gundham and Teruteru,"
"Angie and Tsumugi,"
"Gonta and Kokichi,"
"Fuyuhiko and Natsumi"
"Sakura and Kirumi,"
"Toko and Kyoko,"
"Mondo and Taka,"
"Hiyoko and Mahiru, I'm sorry to say that you are the last team to arrive, and that you have been eliminated from the race."
At the end of the eleventh leg, only three teams remain to compete in the finale.
Junko and Mukuro immediately established themselves as the team to beat, placing first place in Leg 1, and continued to outperform the other teams, winning a total of four legs and only dipping below 3rd place once throughout the entire race. However, the pressures began to hit them in Mexico and Australia, causing their near eliminations.
Peko and Keebo seemed to be the odd ones out. Being a robot, Keebo lacked significant strength and several human abilities. However, Peko was able to quickly adapt to what Keebo was lacking to help build a team that won two legs throughout the race.
Being the only team at the Starting Line who was paired up by default, it was only natural to assume that Mikan and Maki would be early outs. However, their teamwork and perseverance allowed them to remain in the race and reach the final three.
Which one of these three teams will win this finale and win the Amazing Race: Hope's Peak Edition? Read until the end to find out.
Leg 12: Finale
Previous Leg
"Congratulations, you three are in the finale!" Monokuma said. The three teams present clapped and cheered. "Tomorrow, you'll be headed out to the most important leg of this race! The finale!"
Everyone clapped and seemed excited.
"Now, you've been to eleven countries and raced eleven times. So I have no doubt you're tired and exhausted. So, to let you race at your full potential, we're giving you first-class tickets on your thirteen hour flight back to Japan."
Everyone clapped. "This next leg will be the most difficult one by far, so don't give up and don't hold back. It's all or nothing.
Peko and Keebo: 1st to depart: 1:30 PM
Peko ripped their clue open. "Fly to your final destination city, Osaka Japan!"
"Great" Peko said, climbing into a cab. "Sydney Airport."
"We're finally going home," Keebo said. "Well not quite home, because Hope's Peak is located in Tokyo, but we're going back to Japan."
"This is the day that we win a hundred million yen," Peko said. "We can't afford to slack off today. We have to do our best. If we make one mistake, this whole thing could be forfeit."
Mikan and Maki: 2nd to depart: 1:43 PM
"Fly to your Final Destination City: Osaka Japan," Maki read.
"We managed to get into finals," Mikan said. "But the other two teams are still very strong."
"True, we do have a very powerful final three," Maki said. "But that doesn't mean it's hopeless. We're arguably just as strong as the other two teams in this race. Nothing about our previous performance matters. We just need to race our hardest."
"W-We might've been a team who seemed like early outs," Mikan said. "Because we were the only team who got paired up by fate, and neither of us chose the other so it wasn't guaranteed that we'd cover each other's weaknesses perfectly, but we made it work."
Junko and Mukuro: Last to depart: 2:54 PM
"Fly to your Final Destination City: Osaka Japan," Junko read.
"I can't believe it, we're going home!" Mukuro cheered.
"I knew we'd win from the start." Junko said.
"We're the strongest team in this entire race." Junko explained. "And the other teams, they don't matter. I mean, they won't be seeing our backs because we're so far ahead of them that they won't even see us anymore."
"..."
"What?"
"Let's just try our best. Don't get so cocky."
"Fine, if you say so."
Sydney International Airport
"We're boarding our final flight of the race," Keebo said. "We're both really excited or anxious."
"First class!" Mikan shouted, getting seated.
"Today, it's all or nothing." Maki said. "Throughout the race, we've been more focused on not coming in last, but today, that's not going to cut it. We need to get first, or we lose."
"I'm not too worried," Junko said. "My sister's flipping out over nothing."
"You're too lax," Mukuro said.
"We're gonna win this. Nothing to be afraid of."
[i] Proceed to: Umeda Sky Building
Teams are now headed to their final destination, Osaka. Once teams arrive at Kansai International Airport, they must make their way to Umeda Sky Building to find their next clue.
Kansai International Airport: 11:00 AM
The three teams jetted out of the airport arrivals gate and ran straight for the taxis.
Mikan and Maki
"Umeda Sky Building," Maki said.
"T-The final leg," Mikan whimpered, shrivelling up into a ball on the seat of the taxi.
"We can't screw around," Maki said. "We have to win. It's the only first place that matters."
Junko and Mukuro
"We're back home," Junko said. "It smells nice outside, it's not sickeningly hot, this is my place."
Peko and Keebo
"We're sure we've got this in the bag," Peko said. "But anything can happen, so the best thing we can do for now is to make sure we do our best."
Mikan and Maki
"We checked our bags on the plane," Mikan said. "So we're not running around lugging our baggage around Osaka. Peko and Keebo didn't seem to do that…"
"And I didn't see either Junko or Mukuro with their bags. I'm certain they didn't check it, but regardless of what happened with them they're on the same level as us," Maki said.
Peko and Keebo's taxis arrived at the tower first.
"We need you to stay here," Peko said. "Just keep the meter running. We'll be back."
"We're keeping our bags with you." Keebo said. "So don't drive off."
"Got it," the driver said. Peko and Keeb ran up to the clue box.
Peko and Keebo: Currently in 1st Place
"Roadblock," Peko read. "Who wants to bridge the gap?"
[R] Bridge the Gap
In this Roadblock, one team member must hook up to harnesses and tightrope walk between the two towers of Umeda Sky Building. After reaching the second tower, they will have their clue attached to their harness, and they must tightrope walk all the way back to the first tower to continue racing.
"I'll do it," Peko said. "Keebo's not too good at balance."
"You've got this, right?" Keebo asked.
"Certainly," Peko replied. "Balance is perfect for me."
Junko and Mukuro: Currently in 2nd Place
"Who wants to bridge the gap?," Junko read. Mukuro stared straight up at the three tightropes hanging across the two towers.
"I can do it," Mukuro replied. "Heights aren't a big problem with me."
"Don't let me down," Junko said. "You better do this quickly."
Mikan and Maki: Currently in Last Place
"Roadblock," Mikan read. "Who wants to bridge the gap?"
Maki looked up at the ropes across the towers. "I'll do it."
Peko
Peko sat in the elevator as it moved upwards. When it opened, she made her way over to the window, overlooking the second tower. The window was open as someone walked up to her and began strapping the harness around her.
"I notice there's no net," Peko said, looking downward at the drop.
"The harness will be attached to a rope above you," the man said. "If you fall, your harness will stop you, but we'll have to reel you back in and you'll have to restart. And feel free to grab onto the rope on top of you. We recommend that you walk sideways and inch your way to the left and right by sliding your limbs."
"Got it," Peko said.
Mukuro
Mukuro and Maki went up the elevator afterwards and began getting the harnesses strapped onto them.
"I see Peko out there," Mukuro said. "I'm getting excited."
Peko
Peko climbed her way out of the window and onto the temporary platform on the outside. The race assistants hooked her harness up to the rope above her.
"You're good to go," the instructor said. "Just get to the other end, get your clue, and come back."
"Got it," Peko said. "It's a perfect challenge for me."
Peko stepped onto the lower rope and nearly lost her balance before gripping the upper rope and regaining her balance.
"Okay… okay…" she said, beginning to move across while walking sideways.
Maki
Maki and Mukuro got themselves strapped up and left the building onto the open-aired platform outside of the window.
"Peko's already out a good distance," Maki said. "Mukuro and I are neck-and-neck… but Peko looks like she's going pretty fast."
Peko
Peko continued inching her way between the two towers.
"I was walking sideways," Peko explained. "So in that scenario, the only thing that you need to worry about is falling forward or backward. And if you were clutching onto the rope on top of you, you didn't need to worry too much. So the majority of the challenge was just keeping your balance while moving as fast as you can. It's not too physically demanding."
Maki
Maki began working on her own tightrope as she hopped on and grabbed the upper rope.
"I can catch up to Peko if I hustle," Maki murmured, speeding up her movement.
Mukuro
Mukuro continued shuffling over the rope, slowly catching up to Maki.
"I'm a soldier," Mukuro said. "So this isn't nearly the scariest thing I've done. Heights don't faze me, sometimes I have to be sniping from a high area with little protection. But at that moment, even if i was scared, I said to myself, I have to go, I can't afford to let me and my sister down."
Peko
Peko inched her way to the second tower as a crew member grabbed her clue (which was on a carabiner) and strapped it onto her harness.
Maki
"I've never done anything this insane," Maki said. "And I've done a lot of messed-up stuff. But it doesn't matter."
Mukuro
Mukuro walked sideways until she stood side-by-side with Maki.
Peko
Peko crossed the halfway point on her way back to the original tower, as the other two continued competing for second place on the first trip there.
"I have a lead now," Peko said. "It's not huge, but it's something.
Maki
Maki and Mukuro arrived at the other end of the tower at the same time as the clues were strapped to their harnesses.
Mikan, Junko, and Keebo watched from the ground outside of the building.
"This is insane," Junko said, staring up at the three girls on the ropes.
"Y-Yeah," Mikan stammered.
"Well, we're not doing it, at least," Keebo replied.
Peko
Peko made her way back to the original tower as the helpers grabbed her and unhooked her from the top rope. After that, she made her way back into the building with her clue in hand.
Mukuro
Maki and Mukuro walked at more or less the same speed on the way back. As soon as one of them sped up, the other sped up to match their pace and were stuck going head-to-head.
"Stop!" Mukuro shouted.
"No." Maki replied.
Peko
After waiting in the elevator for a few minutes, it came all the way down to ground level as it opened and Peko rushed outside to Keebo with the clue.
Peko and Keebo: Currently in 1st Place
"Make your way to Kansai Studios," Peko read.
[i] Proceed to: Kansai TV
Teams must now make their way to Kansai TV. Once they arrive, they'll find their next clue.
Peko and Keebo ran to the taxis, with Peko not bothering to take the harness off.
Maki
Maki and Mukuro stood in the elevator as it descended down to ground level before reuniting with their partners and ripping their clues open.
Junko and Mukuro: Currently in 2nd Place
Mikan and Maki: Currently in Last Place
"Make your way to Kansai Studios," they read. "You must take off your gear before you leave the location."
Maki and Mukuro began taking off their harnesses before handing them to a staff member and running to a cab.
Peko and Keebo
Peko read through their clue. "Hang on," Peko said. "Dammit. We have to turn around. I forgot to take my harness off."
"What?" Keebo asked.
"Yeah, it says right here that we have to take off our gear before we leave the location."
Keebo bent over in his seat. "You kidding me?"
She tipped off the cab driver as they turned around, Keebo's hand over his face.
"This-this is the one leg that we can't afford to be doing this kind of thing," Keebo replied.
"Sorry,"
Junko and Mukuro
Junko and Mukuro's cabbie drove down the street with Mikan and Maki directly behind them, but they noticed Peko and Keebo's cab going the way they came.
"What's going on over there?" Mukuro asked.
"I don't know," Junko replied. "It doesn't matter."
Mikan and Maki
"Did they turn around?" Maki asked, looking out the window. "Maybe they forgot something."
"G-Good for us…" Mikan trailed.
Peko and Keebo
Peko and Keebo arrived back at the skyscraper as Peko ran into the lobby and very hastily undid her harness and gear before throwing it at a worker and rushing outside.
"The other two teams already left," Keebo said. "We're going to be last when we arrive at the next location unless someone gets lost."
Junko and Mukuro
Junko and Mukuro's cab drove past the clue box.
"Stop! Stop!" Junko shouted. The driver stopped as Junko and Mukuro hopped outside and ran to the clue box.
Junko and Mukuro: Currently in 1st Place
"Route Info," Junko read. "Join a Japanese Game Show,"
[i] Japanese Game Show
Teams just now join Kansai TV and join a game show. In this challenge, teams must get onto a treadmill together. Once the treadmill begins running, several items will be sent down the conveyor belt , including golden plastic fish. However, people from the audience will be throwing an assortment of obstacles at the teams. Once teams have picked up five golden fish, the host will exchange them for their next clue. If one team member trips or slips, the conveyor belt will drop them into a pool full of water where they will be put out of commission for the rest of the game. However, if both team members are sent into the water, any fish caught will be deemed forfeit and the game must be restarted.
Junko and Mukuro ran into the building as Mikan and Maki ripped the clue.
Mikan and Maki: Currently in 2nd Place
"Route Info… okay." Maki read, going into the building.
Junko and Mukuro: 1st Attempt
Junko and Mukuro put on helmets and their game show outfits before running into the play area and hopping onto a treadmill.
"Okay!" the host shouted. "Are you ready?"
"Sure," Mukuro said.
"3… 2… 1…" the host counted. "GO!"
Then, the treadmill began moving.
"At first, it started moving slowly, like at a walking pace," Junko explained. "So we figured, this would be easy."
Junko and Mukuro began walking on the conveyor belt. No one threw anything, and it was more or less a leisurely walk.
Mikan and Maki: 1st Attempt
Mikan and Maki hopped onto their treadmills as it began moving, with both of them walking.
"This isn't too bad…" Mikan murmured.
Junko and Mukuro
Junko and Mukuro continued walking as various objects appeared on top of the conveyor belt.
"Orange?" Junko asked, seeing an orange coming to them. She and Mukuro simply side stepped it and continued walking. Soon enough, more and more items began coming to them. Junko kicked aside an upside-down pail and found her first fish underneath it.
"Got it!" Junko shouted. But then, the conveyor belt began to speed up, causing Junko and Mukuro to speed up their pace from a walk to a jog.
Mikan and Maki
Dodging legos and wooden block toys, Maki barely missed a golden fish, but Mikan picked it up right afterwards.
"I got it, Maki!" Mikan said.
"Good work!" Maki shouted. "Oh, it's getting faster now!"
Mikan and Maki began jogging on top of the conveyor belt as it sped up.
Junko and Mukuro
"Okay, okay," Junko huffed. While jogging, a random person in the audience threw a snowball at Junko, causing her to stumble a bit before getting back on her feet.
"Rude," Junko said. She dodged unsharpened pencils and stuffed plushies, looking down at the ground and searching for the fish.
Another audience member threw a tomato at Mukuro, causing her to wipe her eyes.
"Oh come on!" Mukuro shouted.
Mikan and Maki
Audience members began throwing shoes at the two of them as they tried to ignore them.
"Mikan, I know you're clumsy, but try not to trip." Maki shouted. She bent down and scooped up another golden fish as the conveyor belt sped up again.
"O-Okay…"
"After picking up two fish, the conveyor belt sped up from a jog to a full-on spring," Maki explained. "It was not easy to continue running, but we absolutely had to. The entire race relied on this leg."
"Oh, come on…" Maki muttered. "Good thing Mikan's behind me. If she was in front of me and tripped, she'd take me out with her…"
Junko and Mukuro
Junko and Mukuro continued running on the conveyor belt before Junko stepped on a cake and slipped, taking Mukuro out with her and dropping them into the pool of water.
"GAME!" the judge shouted. "YOU LOSE! YOU SUCK!"
Mukuro and Junko climbed out of the pool. "Dammit!" Junko shouted. "Why'd you fall?"
"You're the one who fell first!" Mukuro shouted. "And I tripped over you!"
Mikan and Maki
"They fell…" Mikan said, looking at Junko and Mukuro before not seeing where she was running and slipping on a banana peel before being cast into the water.
"Mikan?" Maki asked. "Are you there?"
No response. "I guess not. It's all up to me now."
She continued sprinting on the conveyor belt as she found another fish among a pile of stuffed animals. She pulled it out and grabbed the fish. "That's three…"
An audience member threw a water balloon at her filled with some purple slime.
"What the hell is that?" she asked, wiping it out of her eyes.
Peko and Keebo: Currently in Last Place
"Route Info," Peko read. "Okay. Let's do this. Hopefully the other teams are having trouble."
"We'll see…" Keebo replied.
Junko and Mukuro: 2nd Attempt
Junko and Mukuro stepped onto the conveyor belt again, this time trying to distance from each other more.
"You better not fall this time," Mukuro said.
"Pfft."
The belt began moving as Junko and Mukuro began walking, very quickly grabbing a golden fish and increasing the speed of the treadmill.
Peko and Keebo
Peko and Keebo got onto their conveyor belt with Peko up front and Keebo in the back. The horn sounded as they began walking it, scouring the floor for fish.
Mikan and Maki
Maki hopped over a Jenga tower before pulling a plastic fish out of the top of a cake as audience members began bombarding her with slime and slippery objects.
"That's going to make me slip," Maki muttered. "Not good. But I only have one more fish to go."
Junko and Mukuro
Junko and Mukuro ran, Mukuro bending low to scoop up their third fish.
"Alright," Junko muttered. "We're going to bring it home this time."
Peko and Keebo
Peko and Keebo ran and swooped up a fish from a bucket as the conveyor belt began to speed up.
"Oh god," Keebo said, trying to match the machine's pace.
Peko bent down to pick up another fish, but missed it as it slipped past Keebo's hand as well.
"Dammit!" Keebo shouted.
Mikan and Maki
Maki ran as the slime began dripping down to her feet, causing her to lose her footing and slip onto the ground. However, at that second, before she was cast into the water, she reached out and plucked a golden fish out of a box.
"Got it!" Maki shouted. "I've got five!"
The conveyor belt stopped as Mikan clapped. "You're wonderful!" Mikan shouted.
"Thanks," Maki replied, standing up but immediately slipping again due to the slime and whatever else the people threw at her. Mikan grabbed her hand to help her up, but slipped too. The host walked up to Maki as she handed him her five fish (while still on the ground) and the host handed her a clue.
Mikan and Maki: Currently in 1st Place
Mikan grabbed the clue and ripped it open.
[i] Proceed to: Don Quijote Dotonbori
Teams must now make their way to Don Quijote Dotonbori and search for their next clue by the waterfront.
"Let's go," Maki said. "I need to get changed, though."
They ran into the changing rooms to clean the grime and whatever was thrown at them.
Junko and Mukuro
Junko grabbed their fourth fish before tripping and falling to the ground, the conveyor belt carrying her into the pool. Luckily, Mukuro avoided her and continued on her feet while avoiding slime and other obstacles the audience was throwing at her. She swooped down to pick up her last fish.
"Got it!" Mukuro shouted. She held up her fish as the conveyor belt carried them into the pool of water and other disgusting things that were either on the belt or thrown at them.
Junko and Mukuro stepped out of the pool and presented their fish to the host who nodded and exchanged it for their next clue.
Junko and Mukuro: Currently in 2nd Place
"Let's get out of here!" Junko shouted.
Mikan and Maki
After getting changed, Mikan and Maki ran out of the studio and to their taxi.
"Don Quijote Dotonbori. As fast as you can." Maki said, hopping into the taxi.
Peko and Keebo
Peko picked up their third fish, but stepped on a lego and fell over. Keebo however, managed to jump over her and continue running in order to pick up a fourth fish in the middle of a pile of soap suds.
"Come on, Keebo," Peko said, climbing out of the pool. Keebo continued running.
"After I picked up the fourth fish," Keebo said. "The conveyor belt had me running as fast as I could. If I wasted time to try and pick up something and failed, there would be no way I would recover."
Keebo sprinted down the conveyor belt as he spotted a fish sticking out of the middle of a cake. He sprinted and bent over before picking up the cake and pulling the fish out.
"Got it!" he shouted, holding the fish up and stepping off the side of the conveyor belt. Peko ran up to him with her fish and counted them out before showing them to the host.
"Good work!" He said, handing them their clue.
Peko and Keebo: Currently in Last Place
"We definitely made up time getting that done on the first try," Peko said. "Let's get cleaned up."
Junko and Mukuro
Junko and Mukuro climbed into their taxi.
"I can't believe they passed us on that," Junko said. "Stupid."
Mikan and Maki
"We got in front of Junko and Mukuro," Mikan said.
"That's great, but we still have the rest of the leg to go through," Maki replied. "If we're in first now, it doesn't mean we'll be in first until the finale. We just have to go as fast as possible and do our best."
Peko and Keebo
"We don't know how much more we have to do before we reach the Finish Line," Peko said. "But we're in last place, so hopefully there's a lot."
Mikan and Maki
"This is as close as I can get you," the driver said. "Go around for the main entrance. It's in front of the river."
"Got it," Maki said, stepping out of the taxi and running around the building to find their clue by the riverside.
Mikan and Maki: Currently in 1st Place
"Route Info," Maki read. "Keep a keen eye"
[i] Keen Eye
Dotonbori is known for its electronic billboards, and in the middle of this eccentric district, a canal. In this challenge, teams must get into these kayaks and row themselves down the canal. While rowing, they must locate three signs displaying cities they've visited along the race: Cai Be, Prague, and Mexico City. Once they've completed their row, this man will hand them a briefcase with a three-digit lock. They must then input the placements they finished in the three cities into the briefcase to unlock it and receive their next clue.
"Let's do this," Maki said, running down to the kayaks by the side of the canal. After getting in and getting their oars ready, Mikan recited their journey.
"Philippines we finished in 6th…" Mikan muttered. "Indonesia was 5th… Zimbabwe was 4…"
"Vietnam," Maki said. "You forgot Vietnam."
"Oh, right… that was 2nd, right?"
"Sounds right."
Junko and Mukuro: Currently in 2nd Place
"Route Info," Junko read. "Alright. I hope your memory's as sharp as mine is."
Junko and Mukuro got into their kayaks and raced after Mikan and Maki while looking around at the surroundings.
Mikan and Maki
Mikan and Maki rowed down the canal while looking around.
"Mikan," Maki said. "We need to coordinate our rowing. We're going in circles."
"Oh… sorry…" She said.
"You're behind me, so it's on you to make sure you're mimicking my rowing and not the other way around," Maki said.
"Okay," Mikan replied.
Junko and Mukuro
Junko and Mukuro sped up, trying to get past Mikan and Maki.
"Sis!" Junko shouted. "Make sure you're actually looking for the signs!"
"This canal was in the middle of Dotonbori, which meant there were like, millions of neon signs above us," Junko explained. "Luckily, we could search at our own pace, but it's a race."
"I know!" Mukuro shouted. "I'm looking!"
"Okay. Good."
Mikan and Maki
"Up there!" Mikan pointed. "Look! It says Prague!"
Maki looked up. "Okay. Prague was Leg 7… so we finished… 6th."
"That was a terrible leg for us," Mikan said.
Junko and Mukuro
"Look!" Junko pointed. But she wasn't pointing at the sign, she was pointing at Mikan.
"At that point, I don't think Mikan and Maki realized how close behind them we were," Junko said. "So they were pointing up at the signs and we were just watching them, waiting for them to do it themselves so we could copy them."
"Yeah, that says Prague," Junko whispered. "In Prague we finished in first place."
Peko and Keebo: Currently in 3rd Place
"Route Info," Peko read. "Keep a Keen eye,"
They read through the clue before they ran down into the canal and began putting on their life vests.
Mikan and Maki
"Come on," Maki said. "Row."
"Oh… I'm sorry!"
"ROW!"
"OKAY!"
Junko and Mukuro
Junko and Mukuro rowed right past Mikan and Maki, who were still struggling to coordinate enough to row properly.
"Dammit!" Maki shouted. "Mikan, row!"
"I'm trying!"
"Hehehe…" Junko snickered. Mukuro craned her neck to look at the billboards on the side of them.
Peko and Keebo
"It's really neat to be rowing in such an extremely urban area," Keebo said.
"Pay attention," Peko replied. "Look out for the cities."
"I'm looking," Keebo said.
Mikan and Maki
Mikan and Maki rammed their kayaks into the wall of the canal.
"At that point, we were going in circles and I couldn't get us to go straight and coordinate enough to actually control our direction," Maki explained. "So I needed to take control."
"No!" Maki shouted. "You know what? Just… Just don't row. Leave it to me."
"O-Okay… I'M SORRY!"
"Your apologies are too annoying. Just don't apologize until the race is over. It's unnecessary and wastes time."
Junko and Mukuro
"That says London up there!" Mukuro pointed.
"That does not say London," Junko replied. "It's in cursive, so I can't tell what it says, but it definitely does not say London."
"I guess…"
"How about the other side?" Junko asked.
Mukuro went silent for a moment before looking up and gasping. "Mexico City. There's Mexico City."
"Mexico City we finished in fourth," Junko said. "So we have 1 and 4."
Peko and Keebo
"I see Prague up there," Peko said, pointing.
"Good work," Keebo replied. "In Prague we finished 2nd I think."
"Third,"
"Huh?"
"We finished third. First was Junko and Mukur, then was Toko and Kyoko, then us."
"Right. Right."
Mikan and Maki
Maki paddled by herself, but without Mikan's help she slowed down enough to the point in which Peko and Keebo managed to scoot past them.
"Dammit," Maki muttered. "Whatever."
Mikan leaned up to Maki. "Mexico City on your right," she whispered. Maki glanced up and saw the sign.
"Alright. Good work."
Junko and Mukuro
Junko and Mukuro looked around, but brushed right past the Cai Be sign.
"We're looking for a third city now," Junko said. "But I don't see anything."
"You look on the right side, I'll look on the left," Mukuro said.
"Aren't we already doing that? Keep up."
"Okay… so we have Manila, Bali, Ho Chi Minh City, Victoria Falls, Cairo, Helsinki, Prague, London, Lima, Mexico City, and Sydney." Mukuro muttered.
"I don't think they consider Bali a city," Junko said. "Bali's an island. Denpasar's the city."
"Oh. Right."
Peko and Keebo
Peko looked up at the Mexico City sign on their right.
"Mexico City was 3…" Peko said. "So we have 3 and 3."
"I don't think it matters what the next number is," Keebo said. "We have two of the numbers. We could just brute force it."
"That's a good idea, but we should still look out for it if we can. If we can't find it, then we'll brute force it."
"Sounds good."
Junko and Mukuro
Junko and Mukuro rowed until they saw a flag pointing to the left, with a man standing at the dock with three briefcases.
"Is that it?" Junko asked. "This is where it ends?"
"We didn't see the last city," Mukuro said.
"Well, we have to go back and look for it."
Junko sighed and began paddling to turn their boat around.
Mikan and Maki
Maki rowed themselves forward, scouring the surrounding buildings to find a city.
"Did we miss it already?" Mikan asked.
"We have two of the numbers already," Maki said. "So there's only eleven possibilities for what the last number could be. We could just try everything."
"Okay," Mikan said. "Oh! Up there! Cai Be!"
"Cai Be?" Maki asked.
"Vietnam!"
"..."
"It was the village we went to!"
"OH!"
"During that time, I was expecting to see Ho Chi Minh City," Maki said. "I wasn't expecting to see Cai Be there. I totally would've missed that. Not that it would have mattered, but it saved us time from tring out the possible combinations."
"So Prague was 6… Mexico City was 2… and Cai Be was 2. So we have 622."
They continued rowing before they collided into Junko and Mukuro, who were paddling back and not looking at where they were rowing.
"Oh.. uhh…" Maki muttered.
"Hey!" Junko shouted. "Watch where you're going!"
"You're the ones who ran into us!" Maki scolded. "Let's go. I don't want to waste time with this shit."
Maki grabbed her oar and used it to push away from Junko and Mukuro's boat.
"What's the last city?" Mukuro asked.
"Pyongyang." Maki said before rowing away.
Peko and Keebo
Peko and Keebo rowed to the endpoint as they got out of their kayaks. (Keebo messed up and fell into the canal before being pulled back to the dock.)
"Okay, please insert your numbers," the judge said. Peko and Keebo bent over to the briefcases to see the three-digit lock.
"Prague was 3… London was 3… so let's just try everything for the last digit."
Peko inserted 331. No. 332. No. 333. No. 334. No.
She went through all of them before reaching 330, which didn't work.
"Huh." Peko said.
"Maybe it's not in order." Keebo said. "What if the numbers are in a random order?"
"Huh?"
"Like, it's not the order we found the sign. It could be 3X3 or X33."
Peko fished out her clue from her pocket. Sure enough, nothing in the clue stated anything about the order.
"Okay. Okay." Peko said. "So let's start with 133."
Mikan and Maki
Maki rowed herself and Mikan to the dock where Peko and Keebo were inputting their codes. After getting out of their kayaks, they ran to the briefcases and kneeled over the combination lock.
"622." Maki said. Mikan inputted the code, but the lock didn't open.
"We inputted our codes, and the lock didn't open." Maki explained. "And I was just very confused, because I explicitly remember what placement we finished in each of those locations."
"Hmm…" Mikan muttered.
Maki recalled the placements and muttered so that Peko and Keebo couldn't hear. "Prague was 6… Mexico was 2… and Vietnam was 2… That's right. That's definitely right."
Junko and Mukuro
"What about that?" Mukuro pointed.
"What?"
"The sign up there that says Cai Be."
"The hell's a Cai Be?"
"It was in Vietnam. It's the town we went to after Ho Chi Minh. Remember? The floating market?"
"Oh, right! You failed miserably!"
"Shut up. It's leg 3, so we were 3rd."
They turned around and began paddling back to the dock.
Peko and Keebo
343. *CLICK*
The lock clicked and unlocked as the briefcase opened up, showing them their clue.
"We got it," Keebo said, grabbing the clue and ripping it open.
Peko and Keebo: Currently in 1st Place
[i] Proceed to: Takoyaki Stand
Teams must now run up and down Dotonbori Street to find this takoyaki stand, where teams will find their next clue.
Peko and Keebo ran from the dock and then crossed over to the street running parallel to the canal.
Mikan and Maki
"M-Maybe it's not the same order?" Mikan asked. "Like the three cities are put in a random order?"
"Worth a shot," Maki said. She bent down and inputted 262, which opened the lock.
"Alright then," she said. She opened the briefcase to pick out the clue, which they ripped open and read.
Mikan and Maki: Currently in 2nd Place
They stood up and ran from the canal into the street.
Junko and Mukuro
"Great. The other two teams are gone." Junko said, rowing to the end.
"We have time to catch up," Mukuro replied. "Don't worry."
"Don't tell me not to worry."
They rowed to the end and got out of their kayaks before approaching the briefcases.
"143, right?" Mukuro asked, inputting the code. Junko nodded as Mukuro inputted it, but it didn't work.
"Huh."
Peko and Keebo
The swordswoman and the robot ran up to the takoyaki stand and ripped the clue open.
Peko and Keebo: Currently in 1st Place
"Route Info," Peko read. "Make takoyaki, the world-famous food of Osaka."
[i] Make Takoyaki
Takoyaki is one of the most popular Japanese street foods, consisting of a ball of batter with octopus inside. In this challenge, each team member must make twenty-five perfect takoyaki balls. Once the chef deems every takoyaki perfect, teams will receive their next clue.
Peko and Keebo went into the stand as the instructor showed them how to do it.
"You have this pan," the instructor said, showing them the cast iron pan with the indents. "You need to pour the batter into the mold like this."
The instructor poured the batter into the molds until they were all half full.
"Then, you need to put in the octopus," He said, putting one chunk of octopus into each circular indent. "And then you add the tempura scraps, green onion, and pickled ginger."
He did so, scattering them all over the mold. "And then top it off with batter again."
He poured batter into the pan again, completely filling them up and some even flowing into the sides.
"We need to wait for like, two or three minutes," he said. Peko and Keebo watched him in intrigue. As they waited, Mikan and Maki showed up to the next stall.
Mikan and Maki: Currently in 2nd Place
"Route Info. Make takoyaki, the world-famous food of Osaka," Maki read.
Peko and Keebo
"Now that the bottom is cooked, you need to flip each takoyaki over, and shove some of this excess batter into the bottom." he said. "Do that for each one, and then wait. If there's any raw batter sticking out, rotate it so that that raw batter is on the bottom so it can cook. You need to cook it until it's golden brown, then you should put it on the mold for inspection.
"That's it?" Peko asked.
"That's it." the instructor said. "This pan can hold 25 takoyaki at once, so if you do this perfectly, you only need to cook one batch. But you can only have one team member cooking at a time."
"Okay," Keebo said. "I'll go first."
Junko and Mukuro
Junko and Mukuro input random combinations of their three numbers until they got it the third time.
"That's annoying," Junko said, pulling the clue out of the briefcase.
Junko and Mukuro: Currently in Last Place
After reading their clue, they ran out of the dock and to the adjacent street.
Peko and Keebo
Keebo picked up the pitcher full of batter and splashed it over the grill, filling each indent about halfway. He quickly grabbed the octopus out of the bin next to him and carefully put in one chunk of octopus in each of the indents. After covering it with tempura scraps, ginger, and green onion and letting it cook for a few seconds, he poured his second thick layer of batter over the molds.
Mikan and Maki
"Okay, okay," Maki said, watching. "You want to go first?" Maki asked.
"Sure," Mikan said.
"Alright then."
Mikan stood up to the grill and poured takoyaki batter over each of the indents in the grill before putting in octopus, but some of it splashed out over her outfit.
"EEEEKK!"
"Oh, come on." Maki said.
Junko and Mukuro: Currently in 3rd Place
Junko and Mukuro walked behind the takoyaki stand and awaited the instructions.
Peko and Keebo
After waiting for the balls to cook, Keebo flipped them over with some metal chopsticks and shoved the surrounding batter into the space below to complete the ball shape.
"This isn't too hard," Keebo said.
"Because of the way the pans were, you could only pour in enough batter to make half a ball." Keebo explained. "So you had to turn it sideways, shove in more batter from the side, then flip it the rest of the way."
Mikan and Maki
Mikan sprinkled ginger and tempura scraps over it.
"More." Maki said. "You need more."
"Okay," Mikan said, sprinkling more over.
"You can turn it over now." Maki said. "I'm sure of it."
"Are you allowed to be helping me?"
"It's not a Roadblock. It's fine."
Junko and Mukuro
After the instructor stopped the demonstration, Mukuro stepped up first. She poured the batter over the pan and put octopus into each one.
Peko and Keebo
After waiting for it to cook a little more, Keebo rotated each of the takoyaki a little bit more so it would cook evenly, but also to hide some of the loose batter on the sides.
"I should be done in a few more minutes," Keebo said.
"I can't eat," Keebo explained. "But I do enjoy food. I enjoy cooking food, I enjoy looking at food… but I can't eat it."
Mikan and Maki
Mikan rotated the balls around the pan as she tapped some more semi-cooked batter into the indent to form the ball shape.
"This is actually really satisfying." she said. "How long should I cook it for? What color?"
"Dark brown," Maki replied. "But not to the point when it's burnt."
"O-Okay… don't be mad if I mess up."
"It's fine. Just try."
Junko and Mukuro
Mukuro poured the second layer of batter over.
"No!" Junko shouted. "You forgot everything that came between!"
"Huh?"
"The ginger, tempura flakes, scallion!"
"Oh," Mukuro replied, picking up the pan and dumping everything into the garbage pan.
"You're a joke."
Peko and Keebo
Keebo continued rotating the takoyaki around the pan until each of them reached a uniform brown.
"I think that's good," Keebo said. He used the chopsticks to pick up each of the takoyaki and transfer them to the presentation tray.
"Alright, could you check these?" Keebo asked. The judge came up to the tray and looked at them. He picked one up, looked at it, and then threw it in the garbage.
"Oh, no." Keebo said. The judge picked up six more and threw them into the garbage bin.
"So I have to redo seven?" Keebo asked.
"Yes."
Mikan and Maki
Mikan continued rotating the octopus balls around the mold.
"Can I serve it now?" Mikan asked.
"A little longer," Maki said, hunched over her work.
Junko and Mukuro
Now that Mukuro was restarting, she went a little faster. She very quickly made up for her mistake by rapidly pouring in the batter, and putting in the octopus and other toppings in a flash.
"Alright," Mukuro said. "This is going smoothly."
Peko and Keebo
"I only have to redo seven," Keebo said. "But I'm going to do another entire tray just in case. There's no harm in that."
He poured in the batter and put in the octopus before sprinkling on the toppings.
Mikan and Maki
"That looks good," Maki said. "Present them now."
Mikan nodded and began transferring the takoyaki to the presentation tray. The judge came up to it and looked at each one individually, but ended up throwing away three.
"That's alright." Maki said. "Keep going."
Junko and Mukuro
Mukuro rotated her takoyaki around the platter in order to get an even grill on each side. "That looks good," Mukuro said. She transferred each of them to a tray as the judge inspected each of them.
"Hmm…" he muttered, picking them up and looking at them at all angles. "All good. Switch people, now."
Mukuro nodded and sat down as Junko stood up to begin making her takoyaki.
Peko and Keebo
Keebo spun his takoyaki around the plate while looking at Junko. "Mukuro got all hers done on the first try?" he muttered.
"It's fine. Junko could mess up badly. Don't focus on them. They're just a distraction to us." Peko said, hovering over him.
Mikan and Maki
"You know the drill," Maki said. "Just do the same thing but roll it around more. Rotate it more so it cooks more evenly."
"I-I get it, Maki," Mikan said.
Junko and Mukuro
Junko stood up and poured a lot of batter over the pans.
"Alright, let's do this shit." she said. She tossed some octopus into each of the pools of batter before sprinkling the ginger, scallions, and tempura flakes over it.
Peko and Keebo
After cooking it completely, Keebo transferred seven of his takoyaki to the plate, of which the judge threw one away. He replaced it immediately as the judge nodded and told them to switch places, but Peko couldn't use any of the ones that Keebo made.
"Okay," Peko said. "I can do this. No problem."
Mikan and Maki
Mikan transferred the last of her takoyaki to the plate, and the judge nodded, motioning for them to swap places.
Junko and Mukuro
Junko shoved some of the batter in the underside of the takoyaki. "I really don't see how you can mess this up," Junko said.
"I think it might be with cooking too unevenly," Mukuro said. "Try to rotate it often so each side gets equal treatment."
"I get it. I don't need your help."
Peko and Keebo
Peko began rotating the food and tucking the raw batter underneath. "This is oddly calming," she said. "Change of pace after being so stressed all day."
"You're not thinking of relaxing, are you?" Keebo asked.
"Of course not. Just saying that doing something with my hands instead of all physical challenges is a nice change of pace."
Mikan and Maki
Maki rolled the takoyaki around in its pan.
"Those aren't going to work," Maki said.
"So after a few minutes of doing it, I realized that all my takoyaki was oval shaped and it was too cooked to revert it back to being spherical. So, I figured that none of them would pass and it would just be best to completely restart."
Maki picked up the pan and dumped all of her takoyaki into the garbage can.
"Maki!" Mikan squealed. "What are you do-"
"I know what I'm doing," Maki said. "Just be quiet."
Junko and Mukuro
Junko kept flipping the takoyaki until it became golden brown before presenting them to the judge.
"Check." she said. The judge walked up to it and looked at it.
"It's good," the judge said. He reached into his pocket and handed Junko the clue.
Junko and Mukuro: Currently in 1st Place
"Make your way to Nakanoshima Park and search for your next clue," Junko read.
[i] Proceed to: Nakanoshima Park
Junko and Mukuro ran out of the takoyaki stall and to the street, where they ran back to their cabs who were waiting for them. "We need to get to Nakanoshima Park. As fast as you can."
"The end of the leg is getting close," Junko said, wiping her forehead. "I can feel it."
Peko and Keebo
Peko rolled over her takoyaki as she put them onto the tray to present them.
"Can we get a check?" Peko asked. The judge came up to the tray and looked at each of the takoyaki.
"It's good," the judge said. Peko nodded as the judge handed them their clue.
Peko and Keebo: Currently in 2nd Place
"Make your way to Nakanoshima Park," Peko read, fleeing the stand.
Mikan and Maki
"Dammit," Maki groaned. "Whatever."
Maki put her takoyaki onto the presentation platter. The judge walked up to it and picked up one before throwing it in the garbage.
"Just one?" Maki asked. The judge nodded as Maki sighed. "Fine."
"It's okay, Maki!" Mikan shouted.
"Don't butter me up." Maki said. "I get it."
Maki sighed again and poured the batter over the pan again before putting another octopus inside and putting some ginger, scallion, and tempura flakes over it. She covered it again before waiting a few minutes and rotating it, stuffing the excess batter underneath. She continued flipping it while cooking, which allowed the entire thing to cook perfectly in a few minutes. She then put it onto the tray to complete the arrangement as the judge gave her the clue.
Mikan and Maki: Currently in Last Place
"Make your way to Nakanoshima Park," Mikan read.
Junko and Mukuro
Junko and Mukuro's cab pulled up to the park and the clue box in front of it. They ran up and ripped the clue open.
Junko and Mukuro: Currently in 1st Place
"Roadblock," Junko read. "Who has a way with words?"
[R] A Word Game in the Homestretch
Teams are now in the homestretch. They've been to twelve different countries, and raced in twelve legs of the Amazing Race. This final challenge will now determine whether or not our teams have been paying attention the whole time.
With tension running at an all-time high, the team members who did not complete the tightrope Roadblock at Umeda Sky Building must comb through twenty-two of these paper fans, each with a phrase on them.
Who's Feeling Hydrated
500 Ducks or 5000 Meters
The Incan Capital
Who's High Strung
Southern Gate
The Emerald City
Construction or Congestion?
Who's Light on their Feet
Bridge the Gap
City of A Thousand Spires
A Real Gold Digger
Rudolfinum
Spill the Tea
Menjan Island
Rizal Park
Show of Shadows
Tana Lot
Time to get Steamy
The Evergreen City
Land of the Queen
Drum Bash
Peak Pressure
Then, they must figure out which twelve of these fans contain phrases that they've physically heard or seen on the Race, then hang them up on this wall underneath the leg that was associated with it. Once all twelve correct fans are hung up on this wall in the correct order, previous Amazing Race winners Aoi Asahina and Chihiro Fujisaki will hand teams their final clue of the Amazing Race: Hope's Peak Edition.
"Well, I have to do it," Junko said. She ran to the play area, where there was a wall with twelve hooks, each with a country name on top, and a rack of fans. "Oh, Hina! Chihiro! Hi!"
"Junko…" Hina said, reaching in to give her a hug and patting her on the back before rubbing Chihiro's head. "We're your judges for today."
"You're kidding me."
"Nope! You should probably start with the challenge instead of wasting your time talking to me though."
Junko nodded and began searching through the fans.
"So for this challenge, we had to look through the fans to find the fan that had a correct phrase and match it up to the leg that we heard or read it in." Junko explained. "But this is it. This is the final memory challenge, and Mukuro can't help me. Our entire race comes down onto my shoulders."
Junko took down the fan that read 'Bridge the Gap'.
"This one was earlier today," Junko muttered.
Leg 12: Osaka
"Roadblock. Who wants to bridge the gap?," Junko read.
She spread it out and then used the holes on the top of the fan and the string attached to the wall to fasten the fan to the wall.
"Alright." Junko said, shuffling through the rest of the fans before picking up another one. "Construction or Congestion?" she read. "That one sounds like it could be the Vietnam Detour, but that was so long ago."
She sat and stared at it for a second. "No. The Vietnam Detour was Ride it or Build It."
"Some of the incorrect fans were very similar to phrases we've encountered in the race." Junko explained. "But they were slightly different. Like, one of them was Construction or Congestion, which could possibly be the challenge in Vietnam if you didn't think about it and completely forgot the prompt. But it wasn't right because I remember the challenge was named Build It or Ride It."
She shuffled through the fans more. "Rizal Park… I don't recognize that at all. It could, like, be any of the fuckin non English languages!"
Peko and Keebo
Peko and Keebo ran to the clue box and opened it before ripping it open.
Peko and Keebo: Currently in 2nd Place
"Roadblock," Peko read. "Who has a way with words?"
"Well, I have to do this." Keebo said.
"We did not expect the final challenge would be a Roadblock," Peko said. "And a Roadblock that we can't pick who the participating team member is because of the first Roadblock limitation. We assumed we'd be able to use both of our prowesses to boost ourselves to the Finish Line, but it didn't turn out that way."
Peko stood and wiped her forehead. "Okay. You've got this," she yelled out.
Junko
Junko picked up 'Rudolfinum'. "I have no idea what this is."
Leg 7: Prague
"Make your way to the Rudolfinum," Mukuro read.
"Sounds Finnish," Junko said. "Might as well try it."
She hung it up underneath Leg 6.
Keebo
Keebo picked up 'Rizal Park'. "This was our Leg 1 Pit Stop."
Leg 1: Philippines
"Make your way to your next Pit Stop, Rizal Park," Peko read.
He fastened it to the spot underneath Leg 1.
"And this one was just today," Keebo said, holding up 'Bridge the Gap'. "It was the first Roadblock this leg."
He began to fasten it underneath the spot for Leg 12.
Junko
"Tana Lot," Junko repeated. "Tana Lot, Tana Lot, Tana Lot… This was our Pit Stop in Indonesia."
Leg 2: Indonesia
"Make your way to your next Pit Stop: Tanah Lot," Peko read.
Fan's Spelling: Tana Lot
"These foreign names are kicking my ass." Junko said. She fastened it underneath Leg 2.
Mikan and Maki: Currently in Last Place
"Roadblock," Maki read. "Oh."
"What?"
"This is the final challenge. And it's all up to you."
"What?" Mikan asked.
"Stop wasting time! This is the final hurdle between us and the hundred million. You need to go up there and do your best." Maki said.
"At that moment, I realized that everything we've done these last thirty days all rested on my shoulders," Mikan said. "Which made me very nervous."
She whimpered as she ran up to her workstation.
Junko
"I'm just gonna try this," Junko said. She hung up two more fans. "Can you check my work?
Junko: Check #1
Leg 1: 500 Ducks or 5000 Meters
Leg 2: Tana Lot
Leg 3: Who's Feeling Hydrated
Leg 4: Drum Bash
Leg 5: A Real Gold Digger
Leg 6: Rudolfinum
Leg 7: City of a Thousand Spires
Leg 8: Spill the Tea
Leg 9: The Incan Capital
Leg 10: Who's Light on their Feet
Leg 11: The Evergreen City
Leg 12: Bridge the Gap
6/12 Correct
Chihiro looked up and looked at the fans on Junko's wall.
"Sorry," Chihiro said. "It's not correct."
"Can you tell me how many are wrong?" Junko asked.
"I would, and I want to, but I don't want to lose last season's winnings from a lawsuit." Chihiro said. He looked to the side where a Race staff member nodded and signalled for him to stay quiet. "Just keep trying."
Junko sighed.
Keebo
"Who's Feeling Hydrated," Keebo said. "That was the Roadblock question in Vietnam."
Leg 3: Vietnam
"Who's feeling hydrated?" Kokichi read, standing in front of the river.
Keebo strapped that fan to the spot underneath Leg 3.
Mikan
Mikan smacked her face a few times. "I can't mess up. I can't mess up. I can't mess up."
"Throughout this entire race, the Roadblocks that I've had to do have resulted in someone getting in front of us," Mikan explained. "The only reason we've gotten this far is because Maki carried me the whole way. I just thought… I have to prove that I'm not a complete deadweight."
She pulled down a fan. "500 Ducks or 5000 Meters… no… the D-Detour in the Philippines was different."
Hina came up to her. "Are you okay?" Hina asked. "You're shaking and sweating."
"I-I-I'm fine!" she squealed. Hina shrugged and walked away.
Keebo
Keebo held two fans; The Emerald City and The Evergreen City.
"I know one of these is supposed to be describing Sydney," Keebo said. "But I don't know which one."
Leg 11: Mexico - Australia
"Fly to the Emerald City, Sydney, Australia." Hiyoko read.
Keebo shrugged and picked the Emerald City before strapping it underneath Leg 11.
"Check!" Keebo shouted. Chihiro came up and looked at it.
Keebo: Check #1
Leg 1: Rizal Park
Leg 2: Menjan Island
Leg 3: Who's Feeling Hydrated
Leg 4: Who's High Strung
Leg 5: A Real Gold Digger
Leg 6: Time to get Steamy
Leg 7: City of a Thousand Spires
Leg 8: Spill the Tea
Leg 9: The Incan Capital
Leg 10: Who's Light on their Feet
Leg 11: The Emerald City
Leg 12: Bridge the Gap
8/12 Correct
"That's not correct." Chihiro said. "Sorry."
Mikan
"Menjan Island," Mikan muttered. "The island in Indonesia was Menjangan Island. Not Menjan Island."
Leg 2: Indonesia
"Roadblock," Peko read. "Who wants to explore the reefs of Menjangan Island?"
Fan Spelling: Menjan Island
Mikan set it aside. "Show of Shadows… That was… I think that was Indonesia…"
Leg 2: Indonesia
"Detour," Peko read. "Show of Sounds or Show of Shadows?"
Mikan hung up Show of Shadows onto the slot for Leg 2.
"Rizal Park was Leg 1… and Bridge the Gap was today."
Junko
Junko swapped around a few fans. "Can I get a check now?"
Junko: Check #2
Leg 1: Rizal Park
Leg 2: Tana Lot
Leg 3: Who's Feeling Hydrated
Leg 4: Drum Bash
Leg 5: A Real Gold Digger
Leg 6: Rudolfinum
Leg 7: City of a Thousand Spires
Leg 8: Spill the Tea
Leg 9: The Incan Capital
Leg 10: Who's Light on their Feet
Leg 11: The Emerald City
Leg 12: Bridge the Gap
8/12 Correct
"It's not correct." Hina said.
"Graah!" Junko shouted.
Mikan
Mikan fixed one of the fans to the Leg 7 slot.
"C-check please." Mikan muttered.
Mikan: Check #1
Leg 1: Rizal Park
Leg 2: Show of Shadows
Leg 3: Who's Feeling Hydrated
Leg 4: Drum Bash
Leg 5: A Real Gold Digger
Leg 6: Peak Pressure
Leg 7: Rudolfinum
Leg 8: Land of the Queen
Leg 9: The Incan Capital
Leg 10: Who's Light on their Feet
Leg 11: The Emerald City
Leg 12: Bridge the Gap
9/12 Correct
"Sorry, not good." Hina said. Mikan balled up her hands before throwing them towards the ground.
Junko: Check #3
Junko held her hand up for a check.
Leg 1: Rizal Park
Leg 2: Tana Lot
Leg 3: Who's Feeling Hydrated
Leg 4: Who's High Strung?
Leg 5: Southern Gate
Leg 6: Rudolfinum
Leg 7: City of a Thousand Spires
Leg 8: Spill the Tea
Leg 9: The Incan Capital
Leg 10: Who's Light on their Feet
Leg 11: The Emerald City
Leg 12: Bridge the Gap
8/12 Correct
"Sorry, it's wrong," Hina said.
"The worst part is that I have no idea how many of them I've got right, or how close I'm getting," Junko said. "For all I know, I could have everything wrong, or I could have only one thing to change before I get out of here."
Keebo
"Southern Gate?" Keebo asked, holding up the fan. "What's that?"
Leg 5: Egypt
"Make your way to the Southern Gate and search for your next clue," Kyoko read.
"Right, that was part of the Egypt leg," Keebo said. "But what about this one? The gold digger one?"
He held the second fan in his hand. "Was that challenge phrased differently? I knew it had to do with gold."
Leg 5: Egypt
"Roadblock," Mikan read. "Who wants to find gold?"
Fan Phrasing: Who's a real gold digger?
Keebo swapped out his Leg 5 fan with Southern Gate. "Check!"
Keebo: Check #2
Leg 1: Rizal Park
Leg 2: Menjan Island
Leg 3: Who's Feeling Hydrated
Leg 4: Who's High Strung
Leg 5: Southern Gate
Leg 6: Time to get Steamy
Leg 7: City of a Thousand Spires
Leg 8: Spill the Tea
Leg 9: The Incan Capital
Leg 10: Who's Light on their Feet
Leg 11: The Emerald City
Leg 12: Bridge the Gap
9/12 Correct
"That's not correct," Chihiro said.
"Dammit," Keebo swore. "This is impossible!"
Junko: Check #5
"Can I get a check?" Junko asked.
"No good," Hina said.
"There must be, like, a million ways of putting these things up!" Junko shouted. "Grr…"
Mikan
Mikan picked up the fan that read 'spill the tea'.
"Oh, right, the tea challenge in England."
Leg 8: London
"Roadblock," Junko read. "Who wants to spill the tea?"
Mikan swapped out 'Land of the Queen' for 'Spill the Tea'.
"Can I get a check?"
Mikan: Check #2
Leg 1: Rizal Park
Leg 2: Show of Shadows
Leg 3: Who's Feeling Hydrated
Leg 4: Who's High Strung
Leg 5: A Real Gold Digger
Leg 6: Peak Pressure
Leg 7: Rudolfinum
Leg 8: Spill the Tea
Leg 9: The Incan Capital
Leg 10: Who's Light on their Feet
Leg 11: The Emerald City
Leg 12: Bridge the Gap
9/12 Correct
"Sorry," Chihiro said.
Maki, Peko, and Mukuro all sat down on the grass, watching their teammates do the challenge.
"How long have we been here?" Mukuro asked.
"At least an hour." Peko replied. "Maybe longer."
"How long we spend here doesn't matter," Maki said. "We're all neck and neck. The only thing that matters is who leaves first."
"It's so painful that it's a Roadblock," Mukuro said. "So we can't even help them."
Maki shook her head and sighed. "All we can do now is sit and watch."
Time Elapsed: 1 Hour 15 Minutes
"Check!" Junko shouted.
Junko: Check #14
Leg 1: 500 Ducks or 5000 Meters
Leg 2: Tana Lot
Leg 3: Construction or Congestion
Leg 4: Who's High Strung
Leg 5: Southern Gate
Leg 6: Time to get Steamy
Leg 7: City of a Thousand Spires
Leg 8: Spill the Tea
Leg 9: The Incan Capital
Leg 10: Who's Light on their Feet
Leg 11: The Emerald City
Leg 12: Bridge the Gap
7/12 Correct
"It's wrong," Chihiro said.
"What the hell?" Junko asked. "This is rigged."
Keebo
"City of A Thousand Spires is Prague, right?" Keebo asked. "That's exactly what the clue said when we were flying in from Finland."
Leg 7: Finland - Czech Republic
"Fly to the City of a Hundred Spires, Prague, Czech Republic," Mukuro read.
Fan Phrasing: City of a Thousand Spires
"Argh… I can't remember!"
"At this point, all three of us are very thoroughly frustrated," Keebo explained. "We're all tired and sick of this challenge, but the hundred million yen and the title of Amazing Race winners just kept us all going."
"Check," Keebo said.
Keebo: Check #10
Leg 1: Rizal Park
Leg 2: Show of Shadows
Leg 3: Who's Feeling Hydrated
Leg 4: Drum Bash
Leg 5: Southern Gate
Leg 6: Time to get Steamy
Leg 7: City of a Thousand Spires
Leg 8: Spill the Tea
Leg 9: The Incan Capital
Leg 10: Who's Light on their Feet
Leg 11: The Evergreen City
Leg 12: Bridge the Gap
10/12 Correct
"I'm close. I know it."
Mikan
"Time to get Steamy…" Mikan muttered. "That was the Sauna challenge in Finland.."
Leg 6: Finland
"Roadblock," Hiyoko read. "It's time to get steamy…"
"So 'Peak Pressure' is wrong…" Mikan muttered, swapping out Peak Pressure for Time to get Steamy.
"Check please!"
Mikan: Check #8
Leg 1: Rizal Park
Leg 2: Show of Shadows
Leg 3: Who's Feeling Hydrated?
Leg 4: Drum Bash
Leg 5: Southern Gate
Leg 6: Time to get Steamy
Leg 7: City of A Thousand Spires
Leg 8: Spill the Tea
Leg 9: The Incan Capital
Leg 10: Who's Light on their Feet?
Leg 11: The Emerald City
Leg 12: Bridge the Gap
11/12 Correct
"Sorry," Hina said. "It's not right."
"Nnnnggghhhh…"
Junko
"Check!" Junko shouted.
Junko: Check #15
Leg 1: 500 Ducks or 5000 Meters
Leg 2: Tana Lot
Leg 3: Who's Feeling Hydrated
Leg 4: Who's High Strung
Leg 5: Who's a Real Gold Digger
Leg 6: Time to get Steamy
Leg 7: City of a Thousand Spires
Leg 8: Rudolfinum
Leg 9: The Incan Capital
Leg 10: Who's Light on their Feet
Leg 11: The Emerald City
Leg 12: Bridge the Gap
6/12 Correct
"It's incorrect," Chihiro said.
"I want to throw these fans at you." Junko said.
Keebo
Keebo looked through his fans. "This all looks right. Please. Please be right."
He scrambled to swap out one of his fans, muttering under the stress.
Mikan
"The Rudolfinum… That… that was the concert hall in Prague…"
She grabbed the Rudolfinum fan and switched it with the City of a Thousand Spires.
"Check?"
Hina and Chihiro both walked up and stared at the walls.
"Please, please," Maki said, staring at her.
To her left, Keebo was scrambling and swapping out his fans. To her right, Junko was staring and thinking.
Their eyes darted across the wall as Mikan scrunched her face.
Mikan: Check #10
Leg 1: Rizal Park
Leg 2: Show of Shadows
Leg 3: Who's Feeling Hydrated
Leg 4: Drum Bash
Leg 5: Southern Gate
Leg 6: Time to get Steamy
Leg 7: Rudolfinum
Leg 8: Spill the Tea
Leg 9: The Incan Capital
Leg 10: Who's Light on their Feet?
Leg 11: The Emerald City
Leg 12: Bridge the Gap
12/12 Correct
"It's perfect," Hina said, reaching inside her track jacket and handing the clue to Mikan as Chihiro clapped for her.
"OH MY GOD!" Mikan shouted, jumping up and hugging Hina while crying. Hina awkwardly pat her on the back. "You're wasting time. Go!"
Maki stared at her. "Run! Run!"
Mikan cried and ran to Maki as they ripped the clue open.
Mikan and Maki: Currently in 1st Place
"At last, the Finish Line! Make your way to Osaka Castle to finish this race! This is it, go go go!" Maki read.
[i] Proceed to Finish Line: Osaka Castle
Along the way, these eight teams were eliminated. And now, Osaka Castle will now serve as the Finish Line for Season 2 of the Amazing Race: Hope's Peak Edition. The first team to arrive here at the Finish Line Mat will win 100,000,000 Yen, and the Amazing Race.
Mikan and Maki nodded and ran to the street.
"Where are the taxis?" Mikan asked.
"They all got fed up with waiting for us and left." Maki said. "We have to find one. At least the other two teams are in the same boat."
They ran around the street, desperately searching for a taxi.
Keebo
Keebo fastened a fan to the slot for Leg 2. "Can we check?"
Keebo: Check #12
Leg 1: Rizal Park
Leg 2: Show of Shadows
Leg 3: Who's Feeling Hydrated
Leg 4: Drum Bash
Leg 5: Southern Gate
Leg 6: Time to get Steamy
Leg 7: Rudolfinum
Leg 8: Spill the Tea
Leg 9: The Incan Capital
Leg 10: Who's Light on their Feet?
Leg 11: The Emerald City
Leg 12: Bridge the Gap
12/12 Correct
"It's good!" Chihiro said with a smile. He handed Keebo the clue as he ran back to Peko. Junko looked at him and tore the fan she was holding in half out of anger. Keebo ran up to Peko and ripped the clue open.
Peko and Keebo: Currently in 2nd Place
"At last, the Finish Line," Keebo read. "Make your way to Osaka Castle to finish this race! This is it, go go go!"
They ran to the street.
"Our taxi left," Peko said. "We're going to have to find a new one fast if we want to keep up with Mikan and Maki.
Mikan and Maki
"Oh, taxi, over there!" Maki shouted, pointing. They ran over to the cab and climbed into the back.
"We need to get to Osaka Castle." Maki said. "As fast as you possibly can. We're in a huge race for lots of money."
After the driver nodded, Maki leaned back in her chair. "We left first, but for all we know another team left right after us."
"Y-Yeah…" Mikan muttered.
"You know, you did great," Maki said, leaning in to give Mikan a hug. "No matter what placement we get at the end, you've been a great partner."
Peko and Keebo
"TAXI!" Keebo shouted, quickly running up to one and hopping inside.
"Where you want to go?" he asked.
"Osaka Castle. Drive as fast as you can." Peko said. "There's a lot of money on the line here."
"Alright," he said.
"That was a tough challenge," Peko said. "I'm very proud of you for sticking through it."
"Thanks," Keebo replied. "And I'm proud of you for dealing with me and being patient with me for this entire race."
The eight eliminated teams waited and watched at the Finish Line as a taxi approached from the distance and stopped, opening its doors. Each team, Gundham and Teruteru, Angie and Tsumugi, Gonta and Kokichi, Fuyuhiko and Natsumi, Sakura and Kirumi, Toko and Kyoko, Mondo and Taka, and Hiyoko and Mahiru all stared and waited as footsteps approached them.
Mikan and Maki sprinted down the path as the teams began clapping.
"Oh my god!" Mikan shouted. They ran past the teams and hopped onto the Finish Line mat, with Mikan collapsing in relief.
"Twelve countries!" Monokuma announced. Mikan had a hand on her chest. "Oh my god!" Maki looked dazed as if she didn't believe it.
"Eighteen cities, over 39,000 miles, you are the official winners of the Amazing Race: Hope's Peak Edition and the ONE HUNDRED MILLION YEN, CONGRATULATIONS!"
Mikan and Maki: Winners!
Mikan and Maki both cried in joy and hugged each other on the Finish line pedestal, sobbing into each other's arms.
"AAAH!" Mikan shouted with glee. "We won!"
"She made us rich with that challenge." Maki said. "If I was paired up with anyone different, we would not be standing here right now."
"How do you think you've grown since the start of the race?" Monokuma asked. "You were complete strangers."
"At the start, when we were paired up by default and I had just met her, if you would've told me that we would be the winners, I probably wouldn't've believed you because of how different I am from this girl. We were just two completely, dramatically different people. But throughout this race, we've just grown so much, we got to know each other, we know what works, we know what didn't, and that's what got us far in this race. And maybe… Mikan's learned to have more faith in herself, and that she's her own person who's capable of great things."
Mikan smiled.
"No comment, huh?" Monokuma asked. Everyone laughed.
Peko and Keebo came running into the park and jumped onto the mat, everyone clapping, but with Fuyuhiko's and Natsumi's especially loud.
"Peko and Keebo," Monokuma said. "You've had an incredible race, and I am proud to say that after twelve countries, eighteen cities, over 39,000 miles, you are team number two."
Peko and Keebo: 2nd Place
Peko and Keebo hugged each other, then hugged the victors Mikan and Maki. "Good work, girls," Keebo said.
"I mean, we did our best," Peko said. "Sure, a hundred million dollars is nice, but at the end of the day, that's just a bonus. The main event is being able to do this amazing game and this amazing journey."
"We're both super happy with the outcome." Keebo said. "What more could we ask for?"
Night fell over Osaka as Junko stood and stared at the fans on the wall, eyes wet with tears.
"C-Check," she sniffled. Hina walked up to it. "It's good," she said, handing Junko her clue. Junko began full-on crying when Hina handed it to her.
"What's the point? It's been hours since they left. It's over."
"Don't be like that." Hina said, giving her another big hug. "Go on. Finish the race. I've heard your performance. You had an amazing run."
"You're stronger than us. You're stronger than any other team that's participated, our season or yours." Chihiro said. "That in itself is something to be proud of. Finish this race and set your names in the record books."
Junko nodded and wiped the tears from her face before she walked over to Mukuro.
"I'm sorry," She sniffled, walking with Mukuro with no sense of urgency.
"It's okay," Mukuro replied. "You did your best."
They climbed into a taxi as Mukuro wiped the tears off her sister's face with a tissue.
The sisters ran into the park as the teams stood and clapped.
"Junko and Mukuro," Monokuma said. "You've run a good race."
Junko nodded, on the brink of breaking out in tears again.
"I am pleased to tell you that after twelve countries, eighteen cities, and over 39,000 miles, you are team number three."
Junko and Mukuro: 3rd Place
"You did your hardest, but third place is still very good, you still absolutely dominated this race, and you should still be very proud of yourselves." Monokuma said. Junko sniffled and nodded.
"Thank you." Mukuro said. "That means a lot to us."
"Junko might be upset about not winning," Mukuro said.
"That's not all…" Junko replied. "I let you down, and I let our family down."
"It's not about that." Mukuro said. "We got to go on this journey, together, not as classmates or people who happen to be related, but as sisters. That's the most I could ever want."
The teams all clapped and got up onto the Finish Line to congratulate each other.
"It's time to start the afterparty," Mahiru said. "Good work, you two."
"Got room for two more?" Hina asked, running up to the mat with Chihiro.
"The money has nothing to do with it." Mikan said. "It's just the icing on the cake, but the cake's already got so much icing on it that extra icing really does nothing."
"That's a terrible analogy." Maki said.
"Hehe… Sorry. I'm just so happy. I've made a new friend, one that I'll never forget."
The End.
Race Stats
Mikan and Maki: 6th, 5th, 2nd, 4th, 1st, 3rd, 6th, 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 2nd, 1st
Peko and Keebo: 3rd, 1st, 4th, 6th, 3rd, 6th, 3rd, 2nd, 4th, 3rd, 1st, 2nd
Junko and Mukuro: 1st, 3rdU, 3rd, 3rd, 2nd, 1st, 1st, 1st, 2nd, 4th, 3rd, 3rd
Hiyoko and Mahiru: 10th, 9thU, 8th, 5th, 7th, 5th, 5th, 5thU, 5th, 1st, 4th
Mondo and Taka: 4th, 7th, 6th, 2nd, 5th, 7th, 4th, 3rd, 1st, 5th
Toko and Kyoko: 5th, 2nd, 7th, 7th, 6th, 4th, 2nd, 6thU
Sakura and Kirumi: 7th, 6th, 5th, 1st, 4th, 2nd, 7th
Fuyuhiko and Natsumi: 8th, 8th, 9th, 8th, 8th
Gonta and Kokichi: 2nd, 4th, 1st, 9thU
Angie and Tsumugi: 9th, 10th
Gundham and Teruteru: 11th
Hey, guys. What did you think of that finale? Props to Almandite on FFN for correctly guessing the victor.
I'm going to be taking a short break from writing this series. Don't worry, Season 3 is absolutely going to happen. As for when, it might be a while. Writing this series has been a blast at the start. I just had so much fun with the entirety of Season 1. But as Season 2 came rolling in, I just felt like it was getting more of a drag and I've been less motivated to do it. Specifically, these last four Peru, Mexico, Australia, and Japan legs were very difficult for me to crank out. I'm not certain if it's because the characters in Season 2 are more stoic and dull and I'll have a better time with Season 3, or if I'm just getting tired of this series, but I need a break. So I figure it'll be best to work on other things for now. Once I do get into the swing of things I also plan to stock up on chapters before I begin uploading them so I can upload at a more consistent pace, but no promises.
These are my current teams for Season 3, but it is subject to change.
Season 1: Hajime and Chiaki, Leon and Ibuki, Shuichi and Kaede, Makoto and Sayaka, Tenko and Himiko/Hiro and Rantaro (either or)
Season 2: Junko and Mukuro, Gonta and Kokichi, Angie and Tsumugi, Mondo and Taka
Composite: Peko and Fuyuhiko, Sonia and Kazuichi
Feel free to suggest changes or possible locations for Season 3.
If you follow, favorite, review, kudos, or whatever, have a nice rest of your day. If you don't, I hope you step on a lego.
Thank you for reading.