A.N: Hello again, everyone! After months of having to put it off because there were other stories I wanted to get off my writing list, there it is: the sequel to The Academy of Hope, part of my take on the Danganronpa timeline and mainly focused on Makoto. Of course, it's better if you have read the first part of this series, even if you'll be able to understand more than 95% of what will happen in this story even if you didn't. That being said, there will be HUGE spoilers for THH, DR2, UDG, DR0, DR: Kirigiri, and both Despair and Future Arcs of DR3, so if you've yet to play/watch/read one of these, you are warned.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the ride as we, like Makoto & co, start the second part of our adventure!
Chapter One: Door to the Future
The six friends stood together as the door opened, focusing on every little detail they could make out as the light gradually stopped blinding them. They remained silent for a moment, taking in the darkened sky, the ravaged buildings, and the toxic smell of the air.
"So this is… the outside world…" Makoto muttered, his eyes scanning their new environment. "There's so much… despair…"
Next to him, Kyoko seemed to be deep in thought. "It looks like Junko wasn't lying when she said that the Tragedy had brought the world to its knees. I personally have trouble breathing, which isn't a good sign."
The Ultimate Detective walked a couple of feet away from the door and knelt down, taking a bit of dried, putrid grass in her gloved hands and giving it a thorough analysis.
"Indeed. There seems to be a lack of oxygen without the air purifier." Byakuya agreed, taking a few steps outside. "Breathing air of such low quality is undignified of a Togami. But I suppose we have no other choice."
"Yeah, that kinda sucks…" said Hina, taking a deep breath to refill her lungs. "But we kinda expected it, didn't we? I mean, Junko could have been lying, but given what Genocide Jack told us…"
Toko coughed a couple of times as she panted, stuttering, "T-This world… i-it's even worse than the K-Killing Game! B-But… as long as M-Master's there with me, I-I can do anything!"
The now orphan Togami heir hmphed but otherwise remained silent as he surveyed the area some more with the Ultimate Writing Prodigy standing close to him.
"T-This is catastrophic, for serious! We're going to die here, aren't we?!" Hiro exclaimed in fear as he shook in place. "I-I almost wanna go back inside!"
"It wouldn't change a thing." Kyoko reminded him curtly. "The air purifier was turned off when Makoto pressed the exit button." she gave him a scary look, saying, "Besides, didn't we agree that we would face whatever waited for us outside? It is too late to be a coward, Hiro."
That's a bit cold, but Kyoko has a point. We decided to vote for hope in the final Class Trial knowing the outside world could be like this… The Luckster thought, looking as his ex-classmates scanned their close surroundings. But that's no reason to give up! If Junko managed to bring the world to ruins, then surely we can restore it! We just need to be determined!
"S-Sorry!" the Ultimate Clairvoyant quickly apologized as his eyes met Kyoko's disappointed ones. "I'll make it up to y'all by giving you a prediction, alright?"
"We don't need your predictions, Hiro!" the swimmer told him harshly, growling in frustration. "It would probably be wrong, anyway!"
As the two Ultimates got into a silly argument revolving around Hiro's abilities, or lack thereof, Makoto got moving on a small path he could hardly discern in the mud.
The campus seems deserted and in ruins… The Ultimate Lucky Student thought, slowly getting used to the polluted air he was breathing. It makes sense… Monokuma had said that raiding the Killing Game from outside would be impossible, and for a fact: this place looks hostile…
"Shouldn't we check out what's this way, guys?" the boy suggested, getting everyone's attention as he pointed towards a large but highly-damaged building in the distance. "The campus seems big, so wouldn't it be wise to start exploring a bit?"
Kyoko nodded in agreement, joining him as she said, "Indeed. We need to either find a safe way out of here or find enough resources to stay hidden for a while. If what Junko said is true and that people in the entire world have fallen to despair, we could be their next targets. Being prepared for every eventually would probably be wise."
The Ultimate Detective's voice was assertive and seemed to convince everyone, even a scared Hiro and a shaking Toko.
"I have little hopes we can find anything useful in this warzone," Byakuya argued, pushing up his glasses. "But it would be folly not to search. Feel free to do what you want, but I am not escaping this campus without a decent enough weapon to fend off against enemies."
"Hm, couldn't we ask for Genocide Jack to remove any threats?" the fortune-teller asked, genuinely curious as his expression seemed to indicate. "Her scissors seem sharp, for serious!"
"N-No!" Toko immediately shouted in disagreement. "I-I've let her loose too much recently, s-so no way am I letting h-her come now! B-Besides, M-Master Togami said he w-wouldn't date me if she killed a-anyone!"
"Don't make me repeat myself. I've never said that and never will." the blond reminded the talented novelist, his voice cold and lacking in empathy. "You are the last person I would think of to help me rebuild the Togami Empire. You should consider yourself lucky I haven't shut your mouth with duct tape yet."
Relying on Jill's murderous side might be going a little overboard when we haven't explored all the other options, yeah… Makoto thought, shaking his head in amusement at the familiar scene between Byakuya and Toko. "Hey, I was thinking about something…" he began, getting the others' attention… yet again. "We're saying there might be enemies coming for us, which is possible, but…" a hopeful smile appeared on the hazel-eyed boy's lips as he finished, "Maybe somebody is coming to rescue us, right now! The Killing Game was broadcasted all over the world, right? There's bound to be someone who tried to help us, don't you agree?"
Makoto's optimistic expression seemed to improve everybody's mood as they all shared a smile.
"Yeah, Makoto's right!" Hina agreed with passion. "I'm sure there are people who have regained hope after we escaped the Killing Game! They'll come to help us!"
"While I usually don't agree with such foolishly hopeful suggestions…" the Ultimate Affluent Progeny revealed a kinder smile, saying, "There is some truth in your words, Makoto. However, if we have to wait for them, we still need to explore this place to ensure we do not die before they arrive. Dying now would disgrace the Togami name, and I won't allow it!"
"Yeah, for serious! I'm not going to die now after we've managed to escape this crazy place!" Hiro added, though his voice still betrayed some fear. "If anyone attacks us, I'll smash them on the head with my crystal ball, even if it was super expensive!"
We're not gonna go far with that, Hiro… Makoto, and pretty much everyone else, thought, sweatdropping at the idea. But more seriously, it's good to see that everyone keeps hope, even if the outside world looks hostile…
"Moving on… I think we should head this way." Kyoko suggested, her glove hand pointing in the direction of a path they could make out more clearly than the others. "I'm pretty sure this leads to a central point of the campus, so going there might help up get a better grasp of where we are and where we should look."
"No objections from me!" the Ultimate Swimming Pro told them, giving the detective a thumbs-up. "Kyoko's a detective, so we should definitely follow her lead in this investigation!"
The lavender-haired girl smiled gratefully at Hina, thankful for the vote of confidence. Makoto had to smile at the scene of friendship between his two classmates, as well. On their hand, Byakuya, Hiro, and Toko didn't seem to have anything to counter Kyoko's proposal.
"I-I agree with the i-idiot swimmer girl…" the latter stuttered, taking a shot at Hina, even now that the game was over. "A-Aside from Master, K-Kyoko probably knows the best…!"
"Then, if we are in agreement, I suggest we get moving," Kyoko told them, walking ahead. "Staying here won't do us any good."
"R-Right…" the short boy said, shaking his head as he realized that his friend had gone back to her usual, earnest demeanor quicker than he could have thought. "Right behind you."
With that, the six Ultimates got going towards the central plaza, hoping to find something that would help them survive on the hostile-looking campus of Hope's Peak Academy…
"Considering that most of these buildings are either destroyed or look too dangerous to be explored safely, I think we should restrain our search to these two buildings for now," Kyoko said as she pointed successively to a building on their right and one on their left. "They seem to be the only ones that still stand correctly."
"I agree. And I order Toko and Hiro to go scout these buildings and tell us if they're really safe or not." Byakuya forcefully added, glaring at the Ultimate Writing Prodigy and Ultimate Clairvoyant. "If we have to lose two people, I'd rather have them be these two."
"Hey, that's mean!" Hiro exclaimed, looking scandalized. Kyoko gave the Ultimate Affluent Progeny a disapproving stare, though Hina didn't seem to disagree much with the boy, which was a first. "My predictions can be so useful, for serious! I know they haven't really been amazing so far, but there'll be a time they'll save us, I'm sure!"
Byakuya scoffed mockingly, retorting, "Please notify me when that happens. But anyway, I thought I was clear. Toko, Hiro, you go first and tell us how dangerous it is. We don't have any time to waste discussing your mockery of a talent."
"Y-Yes, Master!" the purple-haired nodded shakily. "I-I'll be right back!"
And she actually agreed?! Makoto wondered in disbelief, as even Byakuya seemed shocked his stalker had accepted the order. "W-Wait, you don't need to do that, Toko!" he assured her, waving his hands around. "We can't send anyone alone… If there were any threats, we'd be able to defend ourselves much better together!"
"That's right. Any other suggestion is foolish." the Ultimate Detective stated coldly, her glare still on the Togami heir. "For that matter, we will split into two groups of three. I'll explore the building on our right with Makoto and Hina, while Byakuya, Toko, and Hiro will explore the building on our left. Given we're alone, one group should be able to hear the other if they shout, so do that if you need help."
"Great idea!" Hina beamed, quickly walking to Makoto's side. "I'm sure that'll be super effective!"
"And why do I have to investigate with these two idiots, exactly?" Byakuya demanded, even though he sounded anything but surprised.
Kyoko smirked victoriously at him, telling the Ultimate Affluent Progeny, "Who you investigate with shouldn't matter, am I wrong? A Togami will bring results, whoever they are paired with, correct? Besides, Makoto's going with me, whether you like it or not."
"Hmph. You have a point." Byakuya conceded, making the Luckster sigh in relief. An argument now, after they had managed to reach unity, would be counterproductive. Soon enough, however, a grin of his own appeared on the blond's lips. "But if you are willing to explain to me why you care so much that Makoto investigates with you, it would be appreciated."
"That doesn't matter, Byakuya." the lavender-haired girl assured him, closing her eyes in deep thought. "The point is, I'll go with Hina and Makoto. Now, I suggest we come back here after our searches are complete. Does that seem fair to everyone?"
"I suppose it is." the Ultimate Affluent Progeny answered on behalf of his group. "We will bring everything of interest here when we come back." turning away and heading towards the building he was going to be investigating with Hiro and Toko, Byakuya finished by saying, "Do not disappoint."
With their three companions gone on their own adventure, Kyoko sighed. "I think we should start, too. I don't know if we're likely to find anything in this mess, but we won't know until we try." casting one last glance at the Ultimate Lucky Student and Ultimate Swimming Pro, the detective asked, "Are you following me?"
"Yeah, right behind you, Kyoko!" Hina said with enthusiasm, visibly joyed at the idea of investigating with her two friends.
Makoto stayed silent for another second before nodding and giving a more unsure, "Yes, go ahead."
And as they walked, the Luckster couldn't help but ask himself questions.
Why did Kyoko insist that she wanted to investigate with me in particular…? He wondered, trying to keep the girls' pace. I mean, she's the Ultimate Detective, so she'd have been able to investigate with either Hiro or Toko just fine, so…
The swimmer seemed to notice there was something on Makoto's mind as they walked. "Are you alright, Makoto? You seem lost in your thoughts…"
"N-No, I'm fine…" the boy replied, showing a forced yet easygoing smile. "It's just… there's so much to think about, you know?"
In reality, Makoto didn't want to share his questions while Kyoko was next to them. He had a few theories, but in case he was wrong, he preferred to keep them to himself, at least for the time being.
"Ah, yeah, you're totally right." Hina agreed, none the wiser. "But hey, we might get some answers as we investigate this place!"
The Ultimate Lucky Student smiled more genuinely at his friend's boundless cheeriness. "You're right, Hina. We're gonna be just fine, I'm sure of it!"
However, as soon as their conversation had ended, the smile gave way to a frown. The boy's eyes filled with the slightest bit of worry as he observed Kyoko walking, as focused and serious as usual.
Could it be… That you're feeling guilty for what happened during Mukuro's trial, Kyoko…? His near-execution flashed through his mind, recalling it very precisely. You try to look brave, and that's admirable… but if you need to let your guard down, then you should do so… just like when we were in your father's room… Well, I'll have plenty of time to bring it up in the future.
Refocusing on their current objective, Makoto sped up a little, not to fall behind as they approached a tall building made of glass. Perhaps they still had doubts and regrets, but at least, they now could take the time they needed to sort them out.
And Makoto would be there to help his friends with that.
To be continued…
A.N: I hope you liked this first chapter. For reference, I think they will all be around that length, though there will surely be some exceptions to the rule. This chapter really allowed me to replace the context, so while it was pretty uneventful, the future chapters will have a little bit more happening. And just like when I was writing AOH, you're free to send me ideas for side stories on my Tumblr askbox and I'll be sure to write them if they fit with my plans for this series! Until then, please leave a review, and I hope you have a nice day! :)