A.N. Sorry for that. I was waiting for MsterCyn1cal to catch up. Took our sweet time, didn't we?
And why did I wait for him? So I could respond to REVIEWS
DigiXBot: Oh no indeed. Well, I'm not exactly sure, but I do believe that they are starving. The sad reality of Danganronpa.
SuperSonicHeroes: The beauty of horror, we are constantly striving to hold out for as long as we can!
HashtagJustMonika: Wow, you've giving Nagito a run for his money there! Did they not do that in the game? I didn't see them drink at all...huh, I guess I'm just accidentally evil...I mean, no, yeah, that was the plan. Yep, you got me! Roar! This is true, they need to have something in their brains to investigate properly! Hey, also, where is Monokuma anyway...? Yes! A new convert! We love crackships! I also love KaitoxMaki, but she isn't here right now. It's HashtagJustMukuro, if you will... Come on, let's not act like Hiro isn't the most enlightened character in DR, okay? My mans is psychic! That's So Hiro! Aw, thank you so much! I'm glad to know you're enjoying this story so far! I hope you continue to enjoy it! Some good ideas, we'll see how they hold up...
D-Kirb: They've gone bloody mental, they 'ave. Yes! I think I mentioned that somewhere in an earlier chapter (in game Chapter Three), but, yeah, agreed. It's played for laughs, but at least Hiro is honest about his accuracy rate. Most "psychics" could not get that high. Well, we gotta have some positive vibes, otherwise the despair wouldn't hit as much!
TheAPPStore: Hmm...Good questions. I dunno, I can't say I've given it much thought... Ahaha, me too, pal. But also, really good! So far, everyone who made it to the Funhouse in canon also in this story has not made it to the Funhouse, and those who didn't in canon have...if you can follow that. I'm glad you stumbled upon this as well! It is interesting, I admit, as a character driven writer, I enjoy having such a diverse cast to work with, it lends its way to a lot of interesting and new scenarios. I still wonder that too... Yeah, I admit that's partial laziness on my part. I just didn't wanna go back and rewrite certain things verbatim. I also figured, since this was never intended to be such a serious project, I could take a minimalist approach to descriptions. With the exception of, like, my dad, basically everyone reading this already knows what Jabberwock Island looks like, so I'm not too concerned with descriptions unless I purposefully change something. Yeah, I really should take a break...
MsterCyn1cal: You beautiful bastard. I literally just saw this a minute after you posted. Good thing I checked, I was about to leave the site! Kaede ain't looking too hot right now, you ain't wrong. That would be sad, nothing but love for my beautiful Waifu #3. You know, you are the only person to have ever mentioned anything about Hiro's prediction. Very interesting that you think something's gonna happen with that. You know, I really shouldn't be spoiling you like this, but, I did write this chapter last night...and I was waiting for you to post it...so...
Without further ado, let's get back to Jabberwock Island...
Hope's Peak Academy- Sometime Before- P.O.V Unknown
The campus of Hope's Peak had grown significantly under the supervision of Headmaster Jin Kirigiri. A man truly devoted to the cultivation of the talents of his students, he was able to use revenue from the Reserve Course established by his predecessor to fund the construction of new Research Labs dedicated to helping students hone their craft.
One such building was the Biology building: a large, state-of-the-art setting with spacious laboratories dedicated to almost every facet of biology imaginable from botany to zoology, and even went on to expand it's umbrella to other sciences chemistry to astronomy. Because of these labs and the researchers using them, many advancements in the scientific field were made here, often by students. One such student made such great strides in his work, he was granted control of his very own research lab.
The Ultimate Neurologist's Lab.
The school never made a big deal about it. They figured it would only lead to distractions for the student in question. And anybody familiar with said student knew he did not like to be disturbed, especially when he was making significant breakthroughs in understanding human memory. That's not to say, of course, that he never worked with others, only that he preferred to keep his projects under wrap. As such, only a very small portion of the school knew what he was doing all the time, or where he even was: Headmaster Kirigiri, a handful of Steering Committee members, the school psychiatrist and one student in the 78th class.
In fact, those last two only knew what he was working on because this was a rare occasion where he bothered to ask for help.
The three of them could only ever meet on weekends, of course. The psychiatrist was also a homeroom teacher for one of the 79th classes, and the other student actually did try to be punctual and attend classes, something the older one never did.
Instead, the boy known as the Ultimate Neurologist spent nearly the entirety of his time at Hope's Peak inside his own lab. He had no desire for a social life, and no need for a "formal education". Graduating from Hope's Peak Academy guarantees success, and the only requirement to pass was an end of the year exam that measured how much you'd cultivated your talent. This boy had no worries about graduating, he devoted his waking hours to his talent.
The goal was a lofty one: he wanted to be able to manipulate memory.
The human mind was known to manufacture its own memory; each time a scene from one's past is recalled, it is altered slightly, so that you are no longer remembering the event itself but the memory of the event. The goal of the Ultimate Neurologist was to unlock the parts of the brain responsible for manufacturing and storing those memories, and to control them. Create false memories and insert them into the banks; regain a memory once thought to be long discarded and store it externally; even suppress memories that cause pain, anguish, or harm to one's self or others.
There would be many potential uses for his discovery. Create ease of access for mental health professionals into the minds of their patients to better locate the sources of common mental deterioration and disorders. Developing A.I. software that could perfectly mimic the thoughts and actions of a human, even an individual. As such, it was important to collaborate with the Ultimate Therapist and the Ultimate Programmer, their insights proved invaluable.
Their current project was top secret, and directly requested by the Steering Committee: streamlined education. Create an environment perfectly tailored to meet the needs of students as they entered into it to increase their learning capacity and retention.
They called it: The Immersive Learning Program.
Chapter Four: Paradise 30% Regained- Deadly Life.
*Ding dong bing bong*
"Gooooood morning everyone! Looks like today is gonna be another perfect, tropical day! Now then. Let's show some enthusiasm and make sure to give it our all today!"
N0w 3nt3r!ng th3 P.O.V$ of M h!r* K0!z*m!+M0nd0 00w d +$ y k M !z0n0
"Was that the morning announcement?"
"Huh…? Y-yeah...I...I think so…"
"Jesus…"
ScRIPt ERROR
SCript ER! #
"...I'm...so...thirsty…"
"C'mon, Mahiru. You can't just quit now! You gotta…"
"Hey, quit shakin' her, alright? She's tired, let her sleep."
"Okay, but...not too long, right Mondo?"
"Hm? Yeah, of course…"
!PROGRAM BREACHED!
SDF #$a3qr?Qca3rwcefaw34tr
#AR34r5va5w3y34a5vbs
Q# TA#$% a$avt$Cta5WG54a t4
"Hey, Mondo?"
"What's up?"
"Did you...hear something just now?"
"Huh? Whaddya mean?"
"I dunno...like…"
!PROGRAM BREACHED!
32 4Q2RA3RV $STgfrat4w34a5 !#$
*D!NG D)ONY$ B^*
"...That?"
"Uh...huh...that seems...weird?"
"What's going on? I could barely hear what that voice was saying…"
"...Don't worry 'bout it. Just get some rest, aight?"
"What about you, Mondo?"
"What about me? I'll be fine. Just get some rest, Sayaka. You'll feel better after a nap."
"...Okay…"
"..."
!FIRST ISLAND BREACHED!
ABORT
ABORT
ABORT
ASKJRTHAEAR[IU4P8AT5ECA3NPC85Y
AL385BC3lo48atm4u098q5Q# 23$
#A%$TW#5bw57srfg
"...The fuck?"
Hope's Peak Academy- Sometime Before- P.O.V Unknown
Most people seem to think that the Headmaster's office is located on the top floor of Hope's Peak's main building, and those people would be right. There is technically an office there. Richly furnished and well kept, as you would expect the office of Japan's most powerful educator to appear. This is the room where the headmaster conducts top secret meetings with the Steering Committee, a place where seldom a student has entered, except the privileged few. Those with important business to discuss with the higher ups of the academy, and, more recently, the Ultimate Maid, who keeps the room in it's fine, elite state.
However, to suggest that this was truly the office of Jin Kirigiri is to not know the man at all.
The man, now in his mid-thirties, knew the school like the back of his hand. He'd taught there for quite some time before he became it's youngest headmaster. One does not get that honor without first demonstrating their commitment to the cause, and Jin was truly committed. He knew talent almost at first sight, he was born with it, in fact, raised in it. If you knew anything about Jin Kirigiri, you would know this. Because, if you didn't know this, you didn't know Jin Kirigiri.
Koichi Kizakura knew Jin Kirigiri. The two young men had been childhood friends, both pursued similar fields of interest, and both possessed an uncanny ability to detect the near undetectable. It was a skill that Koichi had picked up from Jin, and that Jin had picked up from his father, Fuhito. A skill that, when put to good use, could make a true difference in the world. A difference that Jin was determined, more than anything, to make.
Over the years, he developed that talent beyond anything that his father ever thought were possible. In fact, Jin and Fuhito had had a falling out long ago, when the son refused to uphold the family business. What, you might ask, is the family business? Unfortunately, it's the family's business, and if you do not already know it, then you have no business bothering to learn it. Because of this refusal, Fuhito set his sights on Jin's only daughter, whom he helped to raise.
Instead of the family's business, Jin became an educator. Koichi joined him, always willing to follow Jin wherever he needed to go. The two were exemplary at understanding the hidden potential in their students, and churned out the nation's highest exam results from wherever they ended up teaching. This is what drew the administration at Hope's Peak to hire them, and what eventually resulted in their ascendency through the ranks. Jin couldn't have been there for more than five years before he was already chosen to replace headmaster Kazuo Tengan.
Of course, a man's career can oftentimes cause him problems in his domestic life. Just as he was getting started, his wife fell ill and was dying. Fuhito was off with his 7-year-old granddaughter on a business trip, teaching her the family trade; he refused to allow her to return home and see her dying mother. In fact, he managed to assume total custody of the child and completely cut her off from her now estranged father. In time, she would grow to resent him as much as her grandfather did.
But there was no longer time to worry about his past. Jin Kirigiri was now the Headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy, he held the future of the nation, even the world in his hands. In order to accomplish great things for your species, you must often neglect to accomplish the great things for your own kin. Nevertheless, Jin never forgot about his daughter, and he patiently counted the days until he would see her again.
He did so, even now, while tucked away in his own personal office, underneath the school's old building. Unassuming, unimportant, a room befitting a man such as Jin. He always enjoyed simpler tastes, he only needed a sturdy desk, a comfortable couch, and a solitary bookcase to keep him occupied. Whenever he needed to escape, or hide from the hawkeye Steering Committee, he would come to this room. Only two people ever came here anymore.
The second now lay sprawled across the couch, half awake and smelling of bourbon. Covering his head with his fedora, Koichi Kizakura intended to block out the world while his best friend continued to read at his desk. When he finally shut his book and placed it back on the desk, Jin leaned forward, placing his wrinkled face on top of his hands.
"Koichi?"
"Hngh?! Wha? Wassup?"
"Don't you dare fall asleep on my couch again."
"Hah...hah! I wasn't sleepin'..." to prove this, the man in white attire stretched his entire body and slowly sat up, "I was just waitin' for ya, Jin. See? Wide awake!"
Jin was not amused, "I mean it, Koichi. I'm not dragging your drunk ass back to your room again. It scares the students and it's unprofessional."
Koichi sighed and rested his chin on his hand, "Yeah, you're right. Look, I won't do it again. Promise."
The headmaster stood up, grabbing his indigo coat and readjusting his tie. The other man got up as well, although he made no effort to clean up his disheveled appearance.
"Where we goin', boss? I'm feeling like Ginza tonight."
Jin stopped and leaned back against the door, "We went to Ginza last week. Can't we go somewhere else tonight?"
Koichi tipped his hat up and gave a lazy smirk, "Ah, so we are going to a bar then?" Jin smiled and shook his head as he allowed Koichi to get the better of him. Shrugging, the blonde added, "Eh, doesn't really matter where we go, as long as they have booze."
The purple-haired man nodded, "Whiskey Library it is."
As he turned the knob, his companion gave a small cheer, "Yes! I was hoping you'd say that!"
The two young men strolled out into the night air, allowing the blossoms to crown their heads as they left the campus. The lights blazed all around Tokyo, city life showing no signs of slowing down. The night was young and so were they.
"Hey, so when were you planning on changing school policy about dating coworkers?"
"Was I making those plans? I don't recall…"
"C'mon, help a buddy out!"
"You seem to be deluded into thinking that school policy is the only thing stopping Aika from sleeping with you, Koichi."
The blonde gave a playful grin and nudged his friend's shoulder, "Awww, you're too mean, you know that?"
Jin chuckled, "I prefer the term realistic."
The bar was no less crowded than it had ever been when the two men went there to drink. Always a steady stream of patrons entering and exiting. Nothing too exciting ever went on in there, but then again, that's what the alcohol was for. Sitting down at their usual table, the friends ordered their usual drinks and began on their usual dialogue. It wasn't until they were halfway through their basket of wings that the conversation bothered to take a new turn.
"Relax, Jin, she's tremendously talented. After all, she is a Kirigiri."
"I know, it's just...she's already sixteen? I don't believe it. It's been so long."
"You're right it has. Nothing you can do to change that now. It's like you always say, focus on the future foundation!"
"That's not what I say, you drunk idiot. Focus on building the foundation for the future!"
Koichi waved a flippant hand, "Whatever, mine is more succinct anyway! The point is, you can only go forward from here, so there's no point in trying to look back."
Jin licked the buffalo sauce off his fingers, "You're not wrong...especially since you're quoting me."
"Ha, aren't you modest?"
The two shared another laugh. But Jin's mind had already drifted away onto the topic of the future. And Koichi's mind had already picked up on that fact. They understood each other far too well to ever bother keeping secrets.
"Will she be...safe here?"
For the first time all night, Koichi couldn't bring himself to smile. Instead he looked down and poked at a chicken bone, "I wish I could say. Things are getting really weird ever since they added that Reserve Course. The Steering Committee is really ridin' ass about security now too. Even got that Sakakura kid to come back and run the whole ship."
Jin nodded, "That project is costing a fortune. I don't like it one bit. There's too much that could go wrong. They should just stick to the expansion plan."
"Hm? Expansion plan? You mean, opening a new branch? Isn't that what Munakata's doing right now?" Koichi tugged at his thin goatee, "Come to think of it...Munakata overseeing expansion development, Sakakura in charge of security, and Yukizome just got my old job...if I didn't know any better, I'd say Munakata's already spreading himself pretty wide, huh boss?"
The headmaster's mind was already on that topic, in fact, it was halfway through dissecting it. There were too many questions plaguing his mind, too many answers waiting elsewhere to be found. Dwelling on them now wouldn't do much good, especially since all he's looking at is sparse and borderline conspiratorial.
But Koichi already knew that. He could tell what was on Jin's mind from one quick glance. Taking another sip of his drink, the blonde leaned back in his chair.
"We should go to a club later."
The purple-haired man took a sip of his drink and leaned back in his chair.
"We absolutely should not."
N0w 3nt3r!ng th3 P.O.V$ of T3r*t3r* H n m*r +C3l3st! L*d3nb3rg
Food.
Food.
Food.
Food.
Food.
Food.
Food.
Fo-
"Teruteru?"
…?
...Food?
"Teruteru?! Where are you?"
…
…
Where is he? That stupid pig, where, where, where!?
Please…
Please don't be dead…
Don't actually be dead…
Don't pretend to be dead…
Don't even think about being dead…
If you die now, I'll kill you.
I'll fucking kill you, Teruteru Hanamura!
…
…
…
"Mon petit corbeau?"
?!
"Teruteru?!"
a#Rcvt4TAR2C34
"Over here! Ah, I found you…! Wait, were you looking for me?"
"..."
"Eh? Corbeau?"
"Why did you take so long? Why didn't you come when I called you?"
"Eh? What are you talking about, corbeau? I'm here. I'm right here! I'm always right here!"
"Where?! Where are you?!"
"I'm always right here! I'm always right here by your side, until the day I die, I swear I will never leave you!"
"...That day might come sooner than you think…"
"Eh? Yeah...I guess you're right. Such a macabre thought...you really are a corbeau…"
"Teruteru…"
He can hardly stand.
She can hardly stand.
Maybe if I just…
...Lean against her…
...He'll be able to…
...Keep standing.
A#$W^BW%$^U*&R^ISBRZTZ RYZBH ZESR YZ$ZATTYI* (&)STE$S#TZH RZY
#V^QY$ #b^b%&yv6&WB
…
…
"What's going to happen to us?"
"I don't know."
"Are we going to kill each other?"
"No. I don't think so."
"But, we're still going to die, right?"
"We were always going to die. From the moment we took our first breath, we were destined to take our last."
"Haha, even now, you can be so poetic, corbeau…"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"What if we did manage to escape?"
"What if? What if what?"
"If we escaped...could we still...you know...talk?"
"...That's quite possibly the stupidest question I've ever heard."
"Yeah...you're right...we're not going to escape anyway…"
"You don't believe that, do you?"
"Who knows what I believe anymore? I thought that by becoming a chef, I would never go hungry, and now I'm starving to death."
"...You could have been the first."
"Eh? First what? First base?"
"Shut up."
"Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood!"
"..."
"...First what?"
"...B Rank."
"Oh. Is that good?"
"..Yes."
"Oh. That's good."
"..."
"Is there an A Rank?"
"Naturally."
"How do I get there?"
"You're not even B Rank yet."
"Eh? I'm not? Well, still, how do I get A Rank? If I can make A Rank, I would bypass B Rank, so just tell me that one!"
"...You'd have to lose weight."
"Pardon?!"
"And get taller."
"Excuse me?!"
"Open your eyes more, and learn how to play golf."
"T-that doesn't sound like me at all!"
"Because it isn't. Goals to work towards, Teruteru."
"Ah...okay. Whatever you say, corbeau…"
"...Please, Teruteru, call me-"
"Huh? Oh, right, sorry. I know you hate when I call you that, but I just got so used to it. I promise I'll call you Celeste from now on!"
"...Taeko."
"You're welcome."
"No, you idiot. Taeko! It's a name."
"Oh, sorry! Uhm...whose name is it?"
"It's mine. Please, from now on, call me Taeko."
"Ah, I see...well, we don't have much longer, do we?"
"No, we do not. That is why I'm ordering you to call me Taeko. Say it right now."
"T-Taeko!"
"...Again."
"Taeko."
"...Thank you."
"...? You mean...Taeko?"
"Just shut up now, Teruteru."
"Okay. Whatever you say...Taeko."
Hope's Peak Academy- Sometime Before- P.O.V Unknown
"No way, you know the Great Gozu?! He's like, one of my all time favorite pro-wrestlers! That man is the definition of a hero!"
Ms. Gekkogahara smiled through her computer, "Of course I know him, he was an upperclassman when I went here! He invited the whole school to his World Championship match! It was very exciting!"
As Kaito leapt from his seat with uncontrollable excitement, I leaned over the shoulder of my friend to the left.
"Whatcha readin' there, Kiyo?"
The anthropologist put a finger in his book and turned to give me his undivided attention.
"Kehehe...I was expecting you to ask me that, Kaede, so I came prepared. This is Alan P. Merriam's landmark book The Anthropology of Music. As you might be able to guess, it defines a term ethnomusicology to describe the study of music in culture, and determines that music is an inseparable aspect of our society. It establishes music as part of our social-behavioral practices and makes the compelling argument that music can and ought to be studied for its immense contributions to developing cultures. Quite the influential book for its time, many of his theories still hold up today."
My eyes sparkled with delight, "Oh wow, that does sound really interesting! You'll have to lend it to me sometime. Maybe we can do some kind of project that combines our knowledge to create something that will bring smiles to so many faces!"
"Your eyes and words suggest to me that you can sense the potential of this book. Your desire to utilize our combined efforts to better mankind is nothing short of beautiful!"
After promising to lend it to me when he finished, I let Kiyo return to his book and looked around for someone else to talk to. We still had time before our first class…
Huh?
What's he doing sitting by himself?
It's been at least a month by now, shouldn't he be interacting more? What happened to Kaito taking him under his wing?
…
I should go talk to him!
That's probably all he needs, just someone to show him a welcoming smile!
Standing up from my desk, I stride over to him, tapping him on the shoulder and waiting for him to turn my way.
"Ah...good morning, Kaede…"
"Good morning, ##$%# $^
N0w 3nt3r!ng th3 P.O.V$ of K !t0 M0m0t +M*k*r0 !k*s b
aw3t4rad34rtac34t535wcx5 Q$!% $#^$^Q%#A% ^qq#$tO9A57&*%&^%$#&%$*yh*(t(yb*&ti&^coybn(**(&%*^ r&tuiygoibub(*&^cI7T8UONH8 UG8O7TV76VR87TB987T98Y0987*(&^&^$(*&)(*&%*g*((98YG899Y987T*g98YGT9768G7897T9&*^t89G98GT89UHUH8UG8*&g*ug*(ggho(y*o(uho*&t87GO9UH8O7o(go(guo*g8UO
oigiugouG98H98Y(*y)(y80UBIU76RFU6i&tfr&^&&^f*yG9&tt&^RY7VOiug(*&obO8UG87TOUG*&f^7YVG87r(*&go*&ti&^g^&$e^tvouyho&*^r$%^$#$#^ #$we&rfyuigi8YFUYTEU6TRDUYtfit&e^(*&^G*gt987T(*yf(^&gO87y98
!FOURTH ISLAND BREACHED!
ABORT
ABORT
ABORT
Ai&otbi*ib&btc&^u%$u&b^f^&t g*&*&%( *
*Ding dong bing bong*
"Gooooood morning everyone! Looks like today is gonna be another perfect, tropical day! Now then. Let's show some enthusiasm and make sure to give it our all today!"
*Ding dong bing bong*
"This is an official announcement! The time is now 10pm, which means it is officially nighttime! The kitchen will be off limits until the morning! Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite!"
*Ding dong bing bong*
"Gooooood morning everyone! Looks like today is gonna be another perfect, tropical day! Now then. Let's show some enthusiasm and make sure to give it our all today!"
*Ding dong bing bong*
"This is an official announcement! The time is now 10pm, which means it is officially nighttime! The kitchen will be off limits until the morning! Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite!"
# TA$c$a$w^tbvA#TVY
"Something's wrong...hey, Mukuro? Where'd ya go!? Mukuro!? MUKURO!?"
…
…
…
Kaito.
Kaito Momota.
That's his name.
That's the name of that boy over there.
…
…
…
"Huh? Mukuro!? Is that you?! Hey, hey, Mukuro!?"
…
…
…
Just wait, Kaito.
A little longer and this will all be over.
You will never feel pain like this ever again.
I swear it. I swear you will live.
…
…
…
"MUKURO!"
…
…
…
You will live, Kaito. You deserve to live.
Please, don't cry. Don't scream. Don't worry.
We will meet again, very soon, when this is all over.
Be strong. You're my hero, after all.
…
…
…
Hope's Peak Academy- Sometime Before- P.O.V Unknown
They call this place a Paradise.
They say that if you graduate from Hope's Peak Academy, success is guaranteed.
In a world where people beg, barter, and steal just to scrape by by the seat of their pants, that's worth a lot. A sense of comfort and security, some people would kill for the chance to have.
I am one of those people.
One of those people who looks up to the ultimates. Because, a lot of them are just like me. A lot of them are miserable. A lot of them are hiding so much pain, they don't even know what to do with it. That's where we're different. Because I know exactly what to do with my pain.
I will plant it until it grows into something beautiful. I will watch it stretch over the world, changing lives, touching hearts, inspiring beauty where there is filth and sowing joy where there is pain. I will spread my realm, my paradise all over this earth. That is the life of an ultimate student. That is the life I seek to live.
And even though it isn't right now, I will make it so.
I will not hoard my talent. I will destroy those greedy, evil tyrants who don't care about the good of mankind, but the good of the bottom line. Those selfish, old demons-in-disguise clinging to themselves, clinging to their lives, long past their prime, and refusing to give up anything for the ever growing ever starving children that come to take their place. I will not be the same. I will feed the children at my door, because I know that when those children get older, they will remember how I treated them, and they will reward me accordingly. I will shelter them, because I know how it feels to be a child without shelter. I break the chain so that, one day, chains will be no more.
I will not treat them like cattle to be raised and slaughtered and carved and sold in neat, clean packages. There will be no price. There will only be freedom. Peace and freedom. This is the fate of the world when I am done with it. That is the promise of my talent. The gift given to me by the universe, shall be sharpened and honed as an unstoppable force for good in this world.
And that is why I hope. Because my despair has been sold, and I am left with nothing else. No other choice but to destroy Paradise, and start again.
Now entering the P.O.V of Kaede Akamatsu
Huh?
Where am I?
What's going on?
It was dark. I don't remember much of anything. My last memory is this darkness. I feel like I've been dragged down a bottomless pit. Am I falling? No…I don't think so. I should try...Try to remember. Remember…who I am…who am I?
Suddenly, it came back to me, like a clap of thunder.
"Kaede…Kaede Akamatsu!"
That's me. That's my name. Is that…all I can remember?
…
Somebody's calling my name. Right now, let's try and move…where am I again? It's still so dark. Can I open my eyes?
…
…
Ah!
I opened my eyes, it took a lot more force than I remembered it did. But then again, that was probably just me trying to remember how to open my eyes again. But now that I did it, I guess it's time to look around.
Wait…
I already know where I am.
The top floor of Strawberry House.
And that voice calling my name…
"Yasuhiro...Hagakure…?"
I blinked.
I blinked again.
The world wasn't in focus, no matter how many times I ended up blinking. But I could see the outline of my friend, Hiro. He's the ultimate clairvoyant. We came up here last night to wait for the apocalypse. I can't say I'm really that excited for it, but…
"Hey, just a little longer, Kaede! Just a little longer! It's finally here! We made it, Kaede! We made it to the end!"
He was so full of energy for someone who hadn't eaten food or drank any water in three days. I'll have to ask him how he did it when we…
Ah, wait. This is the end, right?
That's what Hiro just told me. He predicted that the end would come, and now it's here. His accuracy rate is 30%, isn't that amazing? Most psychics lie and say they're much higher, but they're all just scams. Hiro's the real deal. 30 whole percents. That's the power of the ultimate clairvoyant for you…
"Hey, you just wait right here, okay? I'll be back, I just have to get them. Otherwise, the end will never come!"
Okay Hiro. Go. Get them.
He's such a reliable guy, you know?
The kind of guy who you can always count on to be the same. Although, thanks to Nekomaru, you could say that Hiro became a little bit more than who he was. It's crazy to think that Nekomaru can see the potential in people when they can't even see it in themselves. That's the power of the ultimate team manager for you…
What a loud person he was, too. So confident and headstrong, just like Byakuya, if you think about it. Byakuya really knew the world, maybe a little too much about the world. He said so himself, he's seen and done things a person our age should never see or do. But he made it all this way without any help. That's the power of the ultimate scion for you…
He should have trusted us more, though. That was his weakness, he lacked trust in others, not like Sonia. Sonia trusted us more than we trusted her sometimes. She saw us as her people, she knew to love us and respect us and hold us close in her heart to love and protect for all time. That's the power of the ultimate princess for you…
She had the opposite problem, then, because she placed too much trust that it put her life on the line. Thankfully, Kazuichi was there to balance that out and save her, even if it was just for a little while longer. Still, he knew the parts he was dealt with in life, and he was able to make something incredibly strong from them. That's the power of the ultimate mechanic for you…
And with his strength came the beauty of his heart. That's probably something that Korekiyo would say, if he weren't the victim of that strength. He understood what makes a person tick, he's really good at that. Because, for all our differences, we're all really the same. That's what he might say. That's the power of the ultimate anthropologist for you…
We are all the same. I wish we could all be treated the same. Then, maybe I could have learned more about Toko. I'd like to read one of her books when the end comes. I'm sure they capture vivid emotions of hers she never even knew she felt. I'm sure that she could inspire change in herself as she has in others. That's the power of the ultimate literary writer for you…
Changing others. Inspiring change in others. That's what we've all done, right? Or tried to do, right? That's what you wanted to do, Makoto? You wanted to help everyone, inspire everyone. Because that's the kind of guy you are. You always knew how to make everyone else feel comfortable around you, and grateful to know you. That's the power of the ultimate lucky student for you…
…
…
…
Hiro?
Where are you?
When are you coming back?
It's getting cold.
I'm tired.
The world is still a blur.
My stomach hurts.
Everything is getting slower.
I can't even think straight.
Hiro?
Is it okay if I go back to sleep for a little bit?
You can...wake me up...when you...get…
…
…
…?
Huh?
Who is that?
Is that...Hiro?
N-No...it can't be…
His hair is too small. It's only pointy at the top.
"...Kaede…"
Huh?
That's my name.
I'm Kaede.
Who is that?
"...Grab my hand, Kaede…"
Huh?
What did he say?
It is a he, right?
I can barely see it...just a shadow...is he wearing black or is that just my vision?
I can't tell anymore.
Oh? Is that...his hand?
Ah, how thoughtful. A dark, handsome man come to whisk me off my feet-
Wait...where have I heard this before…
You're dying a slow painful death when all of a sudden you get whisked away by a dark, mysterious boy from a world beyond our own!
Ah...that's right!
Oh, Hiro...you really are psychic!
Well, then, I guess I'd better take that hand…
Slowly, with as much strength as I am able to muster in this weakened condition, I reach for the hand floating in front of me. The hand is soft to touch, not one that I'm familiar with...no, that's wrong. I am familiar with it. This is the hand that fits mine. This is his hand.
I lift my lips up to a smile.
"Shuichi...you...found me…"
He smiles back at me, "Of course I did. I'll always find you."
...Of course you will.
I grip the fingers of Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective.
Then everything goes black.
…
…
…
THE IMMERSIVE LEARNING PROGRAM HAS BEEN SHUT DOWN.
TO REBOOT, PLEASE ENTER THE PASSWORD.
INCORRECT PASSWORD.
PLEASE ENTER THE PASSWORD.
INCORRECT PASSWORD.
PLEASE ENTER THE PASS-
...
...
...
Chapter Four: Paradise 30% Regained- Deadly Life- End.
Alive: ? Dead: ?
A.N. I know what you're all thinking, and yes, Celeste was describing Beta Teruteru. Look him up, he's a hunk.
And on that note, I am pleased to give you: cliffhanger! Wanna find out what happened to our nine (?) remaining Jabberwock students? Well, I reckon you will soon enough. Keep your eyes open, it might come sooner than you think...
I'm sure you guys have a lot of questions, and since this is the last chapter, I will be unable to respond to your comments at the beginning of the next chapter like normal. I obviously still encourage you to leave a review, and to those with accounts, I will be more than happy to respond via PM, and we might be able to talk one on one, I can try and answer any questions you might have, or respond to your reactions. That does, unfortunately mean, that if you do not have an account, I cannot respond to you. So, because of that, this chapter is officially dedicated to SuperSonicHeroes and D-Kirb, two anon reviewers who have been with this story for quite a while! I am eternally grateful for the two of you for reading my story and sharing your thoughts on it! As for the rest of you accounted gentry, if you would like for me to respond to your review, just let me know in it, and make sure to leave a lot of substance so we can have a good lil chat! If not, that's fine too! We'll see each other again in my other fics, I hope!
This chapter was something I had planned for a while, which is why I was pretty adamant about finishing ILP. I knew it would be the quickest, because I wanted it to end at chapter 4. You might have an idea of what's coming next, if you can guess it, I might confirm it for you. I'll leave it on the bonus features. Furthermore, I am setting up for a larger story. This was not the original intent, to be sure, but when I came across that idea, I was drawn to it and, having watched the DR3 anime and read Danganronpa Zero (which you should read), I knew I wanted to include these characters somehow. Again, keep an eye out for more!
I'm still working on developing Semester In Hell, so that might not get the jump start I hoped to give it right away. That just means I can focus on Academy of Discontent now! If you haven't started reading that, I insist that you get on that right now! I am working on the Second Chapter Class Trial as we speak! Just as a hint, that story is mainly from the P.O.V of Shuichi Saihara...just saying, maybe you should check it out...
So, with that out of the way, I just want to thank you all again for coming on this journey with me. It's meant a lot to me that this story got so big, especially since this was just a fun idea that I came up with one day and almost didn't even write. This just goes to show that you shouldn't be afraid with sharing your ideas with the world, you never know who might want to hear them. I encourage you all to give it a shot. If there is something you've wanted to try, be it writing or drawing or literally anything (within reason) now is the time for it. Now is always the time for it! unless what you want to do is a fanfiction where Leon gets magical superpowers that allows him to go on dates with everyone. Don't do that, no one will read it. You are, by no means, being forced to keep reading (although having a cliffhanger certainly is encouraging), if you want to stop here, you are more than welcome to, thank you for reading this far. If you want to continue this journey with me, thank you as well. I look forward to seeing you at the end. As always, enjoy the rest of your day and please continue to stay safe out there.
-That1guyeveryonehates.