I crawl away from my discovery and break into a full-blown sprint towards the Shrine of Judgement.

This can't be right!

I don't get it, I don't get it!

I trip down the stairs and fall in front of the Shrine, scraping my knees. Why? I-I don't get it.

I stare up at the building, so much like a cage.Rantaro.

Should I even tell anyone what I've found? The case seems so simple now, but at the same time, it's not. I'm so confused. Why did they kill him? There are only three people who could have done it, I know that. Yet I can't help but lean towards one of them. I...I think I can, with the evidence I have, figure it out. But I don't want to. Is that bad? I look down at myself, my clothes are covered in paint, pink paint. I shudder. The blood here is pink, why is that a thing!? Hah, wonder what the others think when they see me walking around. Then again, I'm not the only one covered in paint.

I Reach up and grab the Monokuma bear ears entangled in my hair. There are splatters of paint on them. It makes them seem oddly sinister. I wrap my fingers around the edges... and snap it, separating the connection between the black and the white.

End the game.


I push open the doors to the Shrine of Judgement and walk inside. I'm the fourth one here. Standing in the room, I glance at the door. Red, blood red. Fitting. Even if the blood in this world is a silly hot pink, I don't care. To me, it's always red. Always will be. Maybe I'm being stubborn, but I know my reasons. It's a fact, a fact from my world. Blood is red. It's something I can remember, hold onto. Clutch onto that simple fact like a lifeline when things get tough, tricking myself into thinking this world is a game again. Enveloping myself into the fantasy. It made handling the sight of Rantaro's corpse better. I didn't completely panic, didn't have apologies tumbling from my mouth at a rapid speed as the voice in my head giggled. No matter how much I wanted to, I restrained myself. A game, if I think of it like that, think of the pink blood, I can almost get the same level of detachment I had.

Blood being this way is so so wrong. It doesn't work, doesn't belong! It's not supposed to be like that, It's not natural. The blood isn't red!

Play a game, see a body, move on to the next level. I remember Rantaro's body in the library. His hair was covering his face, expression hidden. What expression was his face forever stuck on, trapped in his final moments? Anger, Desperation. That was a game, this is a game. When I held his cold hand waiting for a sign that never came. The way his body was stiff and cold means nothing to me. A game, that's it. Huh, he was first to die both times. Why? Is it that bad that he can't live past the first trial? He didn't even die trying to figure out who the mastermind is this time. A simple death. It's better. He didn't die with thoughts of failure this time, just surprise.

That's good, right? He can pass on in peace. Haha, funny, I've seen Rantaro die twice now, both times were gruesome.


Maki enters the room, face expressionless. Maki, Maki, Maki. The name rolls on my tongue, testing it. So simple, so deadly. I long to whisper it out into the air, listen to it echo around the chilly room. But she's here. She'll hear me, I don't doubt that. She's playing a role right now, a facade. It doesn't mean her skills have dulled one bit. She still uses them. Why wouldn't she? It's an advantage. She was resigned to her ability being exposed. There was no way it was going to stay hidden. It's no surprise if she survives to the end of the game, but at some point, she'd be targeted, making her skills known. It was her advantage, and Kokichi took it away. It's sad before her talent was revealed, she would express more emotion than afterward. I remember her interactions with Kaede in the first chapter, she wasn't as closed off as later. Or was that also an act? I guess the saying of things getting worse before better kinda applies for her. Her poor soul was tainted at such a young age. I pity her, but not much. It was her choice.


I watch the water part for a path to forge for us, giving us easy access to the elevator that was hidden away not long ago. It's fascinating. Did anyone ever come back here after the trials? Trying to get in to explore the place more. There has to be more to the trial grounds than whats obvious. They were always overlooked. Pity. There is the whole live comment feed for Danganronpa, maybe that could be accessed. Or was that faked? There is the possibility what the mastermind said was a lie, which could mean the comments were made up, but it doesn't make sense. The mastermind's reaction to the feed ending, the failure. It looked crushing.

I shake my head, how silly. It was a game, that's all! Why should I care about the ending, I'm still playing through the first chapter. I shouldn't read into the mastermind's reaction. It was fake, an illusion.

Like everything else.

Just a GAME!


The elevator creaked ominously as we all stepped in. It reminded me of a horror movie. Not the happy go lucky horror movies but the terrifying ones that leave you awake at night. Good memories.

In my heart, I can't help but feel unlucky. A class trial. Another life. Another death. Can you pity yourself? I feel like I can.

The screeching of the doors is all I can hear as they close behind us, locking us away from the outside, dragging us down. So slow. I idly listen to everyone's conversation, and then I focus on Kaede and Shuichi's discussion. It's the same conversation as last time. It's filled with lies. One of us will never see a sunrise again, never laugh again, die questioning everything, all the what-ifs. Feeling nothing but despair. I feel like laughing, there's no restart. Rantao's gone, and soon someone else will follow in his footsteps. I'm so close, the laugh is bubbling in my throat, try as I might push it down I can't. This is insanity, I don't want this. My gut is churning as my stomach twists in on itself. Why? What did I do to end up here? I'll never know, It's a bitter truth that I despise. I never knew how cruel fate could be.

I take deep breaths and close my eyes, repeating the fact that blood is red to myself over and over again, the only reassurance I have in this crazy reality. I open my eyes. This is a game.


The doors slowly dragged open to reveal the trial grounds. My breath caught in my throat as I looked at the podiums and then at the throne. Monokuma's throne. What an ego.

"Welcome to the class trial!" The Monokubs shout out as they stand in front of the throne. I tune them out in favor of looking around. No Monokuma yet. I glance around, eyeing the theme the room is arranged to suit. It looks like a courtroom. The whole atmosphere is stifling, the tension tangible. This room... will become a room of nightmares, for everyone, for me. I shudder at the thought. Just a game.

"-Putting strangers in life-or-death scenarios is the best entertainment!" I jump slightly. Monokuma! I try to slow my racing heart, but I can't. I-I just can't!

"Don't just pop in like that!" Tenko screeches.

Monokuma clears his throat. "As you can see, there are podiums over there. Please stand behind the podium with your name on it."

We all hesitantly walk around the podiums, eventually finding our names. I'm stuck with Maki and Kiyo next to me. Maki to my right, Kiyo to my left. Across from me, I can see Tenko uncomfortably shifting on her podium, probably because she's stuck in between Kokichi and Kebbo, who are currently arguing. Oh, and they're both males. That might mean something, especially with the way her face twists up into a sneer. Poor Tenko.

"Ahem! Let's begin with the basics of the class trial. During the trial, you'll present your arguments for who the culprit is, and vote for 'whodunnit!' Vote correctly, and only the blackened will be punished. But if you pick the wrong one...

I'll punish everyone besides the blackened, and that person will graduate from this academy! Also, refusing to vote will result in your death, so you better vote for someone!"

Monokuma raises his paws with a flourish. "Now, let's get this crazy, awesome, crazy-awesome trial underway!"