"Hope for a better world - for eternity," Chiaki said, stepping forward. "That's what the Calamity itself told us your motivation was. It also said that unrestrained hope leads to denial of reality and the rejection of all."

Her gaze turns serious, eyes closing for a moment as she bows her head.

"You know this - I've said it before plenty of times - but I've seen that kind of twisted hope firsthand. There was a boy named Nagito Komaeda who was so obsessed with hope that he viewed it as an absolute good. Anything done in the name of hope was good too. Even if it hurt people. Even if it killed them. Because hope always wins out in the end, and that end justifies whatever must be done to achieve it."

There's a pause as she chews her lip thoughtfully before continuing.

"He also believed in constant clashes between different hopes. Not everyone wishes for the same thing, after all. He called them 'strong hopes' and 'weak hopes,' and the strong ones would win every time. Weak hopes were meant to be devoured by the strong, used as stepladders to achieve the Ultimate Hope."

She sighs, finally smiling again.

"...I can't say I agree with him, or his way of thinking, or how he chose to achieve his goals... but I understood him. And I understand what you were trying to do here, too, Kalki. You really believed in this. Deep down in your heart, you thought this would be the best outcome for everyone. For Crystallis. For the people who live here. Even for the Heroes of Light. If he were here, Nagito would probably have different things to say about everything that happened, but there's one thing I think he and I can agree on."

Her smile quirks up just a bit. Not mocking or arrogant, but rather satisfied.

"This time, our hope was stronger."