Gamer4 in. Y'know, it's funny how life works sometimes. I thought of this idea more as a joke than anything else, but over the course of a day, came to genuinely believe it had real potential. So here we are- My Next Life as the Ultimate Despair. Unlike my usual fare, this won't be a direct retelling of My Next Life as a Villainess, though that anime does serve as inspiration. There will likely be some allusions, but it won't be a beat-for-beat retelling- there's plenty of room to go dreaming here. I hope you enjoy- let's begin.

Disclaimer: Danganronpa is owned by Spike Chunsoft, My Next Life as a Villainess by Satoru Yamaguchi. Probably didn't technically have to disclaim that one, but you can never be too sure.

My Next Life as the Ultimate Despair

Chapter I

Awakening

If I've said it once, I've said it a million times- this world is weird. Very weird. You just wouldn't believe how bizarrely, oddly strange it is- for evidence, I submit the story of one Junko Enoshima.

Junko Enoshima was an odd girl herself- despite her young age, she had felt more despair than most people felt through their entire lives- and she liked it that way. Despair, paradoxically, made her feel good- made her feel alive.

It would seem very odd, then, for her to attend a school known as Hope's Peak Academy, where the students who would forge a brighter tomorrow came to learn, but if one was to think more on it, it made complete sense. What better place to begin planting the seeds of despair than the place that was supposed to foster pure hope?

She had smirked from the front courtyard upon arriving, almost able to taste the wonderful, wonderful despair she would spread.

All it would take was time.

XXXX

Fast forward a few months. School was underway, as were Junko's plans to initiate the Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History (TM.) This idea is what allowed her to wake up in the morning with a smile, getting herself ready to face the day and heading out into the hallway to hunt down her useless sister, Mukuro Ikusaba.

She kept rapping on the door until Mukuro finally opened it- remaining motionless as Junko continued her rapping on Mukuro's forehead. "Bout time, you waste of space," Junko complained. "What, your alarm didn't go off today?"

"I don't use an alarm," Mukuro tilted her head in confusion, paying no mind as the raps continued.

"Then what did keep you?"

Mukuro averted her eyes, mumbling something incoherent. Junko rolled her eyes- as if she actually cared what her stupid sister was up to when she was looking the other way.

"Whatever, come with me," she ordered, turning on her heel and marching off, Mukuro following behind like a lost puppy.

"Status report," Junko demanded, not caring over-much who heard her- the thought of getting caught only brought her even more glorious despair.

"Mikan is steadily coming around towards our cause," Mukuro rattled off.

"Yeah, she's done the impossible- she's even more pathetic than you," Junko scoffed.

Mukuro took the insult in stride. "I've been keeping tabs on the Kamakura project- once it goes through, it should be simple to recruit him."

"If he's even half as bored as I am," Junko nodded.

"The AI for Monokuma is coming along well, according to Chihiro- once we have it, it should be easy for you to rewrite."

"Damn straight," Junko nodded, momentarily slipping into one of her many different personas. "Now, what about that thorn in my side- Makoto Naegi?"

Oh, Makoto Naegi- how she loathed that name. Such a young boy, full of so much hope... blurgh. If he could just shut up and keep it to himself, it would be fine, but he had the horrendous habit of spreading hope to everyone else in the school, too! For one such as her, absolutely besotted with despair, could there be any clearer enemy?

Mukuro remained silent.

Junko looked back at her, crossing her arms. "Any ideas on how to deal with Naegi?"

She could see the conflict going on behind Mukuro's eyes- she was absolutely loyal to her sister, of course, but even Mukuro- Junko's fellow Ultimate Despair- didn't seem to be immune to that oh-so-toxic hope. Junko's eyes began to empty. "We still have time, Mukuro, but you're going to have to decide soon... are you loyal to him, or to me?"

Mukuro cringed away, looking all too uncomfortable at the realization. "You, of course... always you..."

Junko's face brightened, but on the inside, she was just as empty as ever. "Sounds good! Now... to breakfast!"

Breakfast at Hope's Peak was often the same for the students of Class 78- the class to which Junko belonged. Most of the class ate at a center table, while some of the more reserved ones ate on their own- Byakuya Togami, for instance, kept to his own table- or would, if he wasn't being stalked as usual by Toko Fukawa. Kyoko Kirigiri ate with the main group, after a great deal of coercion from... bleh, Makoto... and Mukuro invariably was on her own as well. Junko sat with her sometimes, sometimes she didn't. Today was an example of the former.

"I'm getting bored, Mukuro," she confided. "It's about time for a despairing turn of events."

"What's the plan?" Mukuro asked immediately- ever the obedient dog.

Junko beckoned her closer. "I've been keeping my ear to the ground, my hideous little sister, and I just so happen to know that some potential students for Class 79 are going to be coming soon to show off their talent for the scouts. They're getting ready up in the music room, including... a piano!"

Mukuro blinked in some mild surprise. "You... you mean...?"

"Listen, my sister, and you shall hear," Junko beckoned conspiratorially. They leaned close to each other and began to whisper out their plan.

XXXX

Junko felt the glee that only came to her from incoming despair as she searched through the school for her chosen target. Finally, she located Makoto Naegi in his natural environment- playing with the school store's gacha machine. She fought back the urge to roll her eyes- of course he'd be here, getting more useless junk to try and get into everybody's good graces, the little suck-up.

She fought down her revulsion and forced a smile. "Hey, Naegi! Wanna come up to the rec room with me? I thought of a new way to test your luck!"

"Oh- sure, Enoshima!" Makoto agreed, flashing her that bright, colorful, hateful smile. She fought back the urge to gag.

He followed her out the door, and towards the stairs, where, up above, the three strongest students currently at the school- Mondo Owada, Sakura Ogami, and Nekomaru Nidai- were in the midst of hauling up a piano.

"You'd think they'd have an easier way to get somethin' like this up to the music room," Mondo grunted, red-faced from exertion. "Why's the music room even on the fourth floor, anyway?"

"Truly, this school is full of mysteries," Sakura agreed- even she was feeling some strain.

"NO COMPLAINING!" Nekomaru chastised, doing his best to use his inside voice. "WE WILL GET THIS PIANO TO ITS PROPER LOCATION, OR MY NAME ISN'T NEKOMARU NIDAAAAAAAIIIIIII!"

None of them noticed the strategically placed banana peel Junko had carefully planted on the steps- not until Nekomaru stepped on it and slipped spectacularly, punctuating his tumble with a loud cry. "SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!"

Strong as they were, Sakura and Mondo couldn't take the sudden shift in balance, buckling under the sudden new weight as the piano began crashing down the stairs- right towards where Junko was leading Makoto.

"Crap- there's someone down there!" Mondo roared.

"Look out!" Sakura bellowed.

Makoto looked up and his eyes widened as he saw the multi-ton instrument careening towards him. None of them saw Junko's grin widened as a look of terror spread across his face. Yes, this was what she lived for- that moment of dawning despair-

The piano missed. By at least three feet. To the left.

It was Junko's turn to widen her eyes. "Wha-"

"That was close," Sakura grunted, landing on the floor in front of them, stretching the leg she'd just used to kick the piano off course. "Are you okay, Makoto?"

"Fine, Sakura, thanks for the save," Makoto waved sheepishly. "Junko and I were just- Junko, where are you going?"

"Going on ahead," Junko grumbled, her voice oddly empty. "You really have the devil's own luck."

She hurried up the stairs, not eager to meet anyone's eyes. It was always like this, somehow- no matter how carefully she thought through her plans, Makoto seemed so untouchable, as if the universe itself conspired to make him as large a thorn in her side as possible.

"Um, Junko, are you okay?" Makoto asked, perhaps sensing some of her distress.

Junko didn't answer, continuing on her way, so upset she didn't even notice the discarded banana peel until she'd slammed her foot down on it and found herself careening backwards.

"Whoa- Junko!" Mondo called, reaching out just a second too late to grab her.

Junko's eyes opened wide as they rose to the ceiling, her body falling backwards, her stomach rushing up into her throat as she realized what had happened. Oh, you gotta be shitting me!

"Junko!"

Even Sakura was unable to reach her before her skull collided painfully with the stairs- once, twice, thrice. Not that she felt anything past the first blow- she was out pretty quickly after that.

XXXX

Junko found herself surrounded by a dark, howling void. "Well, this sucks," she grumbled, crossing her mental arms. "How could I let something so stupid and cliche...?"

She trailed off when she suddenly saw something in the endless shadow- a small room with a sofa sitting before a large television. A young man sat in the sofa's center, a game controller in his hand, beaming at whatever he was seeing on screen.

"What a loser," she couldn't help thinking. "Who is... this..."

A name popped into her head: Jack Baker.

"Jack Baker? Why do I know that name... wait... isn't that... that was... that used to be my name?!"

XXXX

Junko opened her eyes to a white ceiling. "Hmm... unfamiliar ceiling." She couldn't help smirking slightly- until she looked to her side and saw the Ultimate Nurse looming directly over her. "Whoa!" she gasped, pushing herself back into her pillow as far as she could. "Give a brother a little space, would ya? You're in my personal bubble!"

"B-brother?" Mikan Tsumiki asked, tilting her head in confusion.

Junko blinked, struggling to sort through her very mixed and confused thoughts. "Er... sister- sorry, just took a... a nasty knock to the head, you know?"

"Oh- yes, that makes sense," Mikan nodded, before breaking into a grin. "It's wonderful to see you awake!"

Junko barely registered her- her head was reeling with countless thoughts, memories and images, all clashing drastically with each other. "Yeah, sure... er... you mind leaving me be for a little? I've got some things... to think about..."

"Of course. I'll get some medicine for the headache."

When she was alone, Junko reached up and touched her head- it was bound tightly in bandages, feeling very tender. Her thoughts returned to her bizarre dream- the dream of a young man living in an American city.

"Los Juicio." She felt the name come to her lips as easily as the boy's name had come, despite never having heard either in her life. At least, not this life...

"Could those really have been... memories of a past life?"

The more she thought on it, the more memories came to her- memories of a life she shouldn't recall, but did, with increasing clarity.

My name was Jack Baker... I lived in the city of Los Juicio. But... now I'm here... what happened?

I loved video games... my best friend got me into this one series... what was it? Dang...gan... Danganronpa, that's it! A mystery series, and I fell in love with it. I'd just finished the last game, when...

A rush of pain coursed through her head, refusing to allow her to go much further.

I... I was tired... and that driver... he was drunk... it came right off the road, ran me over... and then... I... I died...

Yes... Jack Baker was dead. And yet, here he was- er... here she was, rather.

She looked down on her body- it had never seemed so foreign to her as it suddenly did now. She raised her hands, suddenly seeming like alien appendages attached to her arms.

Reborn? Reborn... into another world... huh, who knew those animes had the right idea?

She leaned back and contented herself with looking at the ceiling. Danganronpa... yeah, we were playing that together, weren't we? Tom and I... he loved watching me react to the twists. I still remember that big grin on his face when I realized who the mastermind was- that Junko... Eno...shima...

Her thought processes ground to a halt- the realization was almost like another, equally powerful blow to her skull.

The door swung open, and Mukuro appeared, looking horrified. "I'd have been here earlier, but Mikan said it was better for you if I stayed out- are you okay, Junko?"

Mukuro Ikusaba, the sixteenth student hidden somewhere in the school- watch out for her.

Makoto was right behind her. "Junko- are you okay? You took a really nasty spill!"

Makoto Naegi- the Ultimate Hope!

Junko's breath caught in her throat as reality began pressing further and further in on her.

"Junko! Can you hear me?" Mukuro pressed. "Junko? Junko?!"

Finally, Junko forced a single word out. "Mirror."

"Huh- what?"

"MIRROR!"

For once, she hadn't meant to be so forceful, but she needed to see her face, and she needed to see it now. All the evidence in her analytical mind told her it must be so, but until she saw it with her own eyes, there was still hope- urgh, that still sounded weird to her ears.

Mukuro and Makoto glanced at each other, but Mukuro shrugged and reached for Junko's bag. There was a hand mirror in there, sometimes used for adjusting makeup, far more often used for wanton mischief.

Junko accepted it with shaking hands, and gazed into it.

Near-perfect face.

Strawberry-blond hair tied into pigtails.

Ice-blue eyes.

"JUNKO!"

Junko didn't hear them- she was busy fainting dead away.

XXXX

This is what I like to call the sales-pitch chapter- getting the idea out there to get a feel for how welcome it is. To be clear right off the bat, Jack is not a self-insert- he's from a personal project I'm working on, titled Solaris. God willing, that'll see the light someday. I guess an ulterior motive to all this would be practicing writing my own character, even if he'll technically be Junko throughout this story's runtime. Any knowledge you need will be provided to you, but we'll be focusing more on Danganronpa anyways.

As for this story, it's been a while since I've done a fun, goofy story that places laughs first and story second- that's what I intend to go for here. I do plan on there being an overarching narrative, but the biggest reason I'm writing this is to provide laughs in a world I believe desperately needs them- take that as you will. To let me know how you feel, please R&R, constructive criticism always welcome, Gamer4 out!