CHAPTER 1: BONDS THAT DEFY FICTION
Team Danganronpa Files
Videos
Entry Logs
Tsumugi Shirogane
Password: cospox
File #42
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Here we are again, at the start of the story. Half an hour before the students wake up, and half an hour after that until the opening ceremony. I'm supposed to be on the second floor near the dragon statue. But this time, I'm not playing the game. I'm busy at work at this computer, creating something I can use to reshape this world and change the world of Danganronpa as a whole. If I can't continue the game, I can at least save the people in it. I owe it to them to try.
There's just one problem. Killing game or not, the show can't begin until 16 students are gathered in the gym. As I was fishing through the Flashback Lights in the drawer, the door opened.
Uploading Log...
MONOSUKE: Hey, Tsumugi, what are you still doing here? You know the killing game can't get going unless there's 16 of you bastards.
TSUMUGI: Tell the Monokubs I'm cancelling the killing game.
MONOSUKE: What!? Are you insane!? Do you have any idea what kinda backlash that's gonna earn ya!?
TSUMUGI: I've heard it already.
MONOSUKE: Heard it already...? Is there something I'm missing?
TSUMUGI: Give me a second to reprogram one of the Flashback Lights. We'll have to reuse a character. I need to be in here.
MONOSUKE: Wait, then what are we gonna tell Pops? The killing game is his life.
TSUMUGI: We'll deal with him together. He is a villain mascot, after all.
MONOSUKE: I'm not sure I like where this is going... but whatever. Gimme the light and I'll go tell the others.
I started tweaking one of them, only for Monosuke to pipe up again.
MONOSUKE: Outta sheer curiosity, what are you doing in place of it?
TSUMUGI: Hmm... Well, the second season did tease a slice-of-life setting. How about a dating game?
MONOSUKE: Ooh, youse gonna wanna keep Monokid away from that.
TSUMUGI: It's fine. I'll just tweak his personality a little. I always regretted his creation, anyway.
MONOSUKE: Hey. Don't you go talking like you're our mom or something. It's kinda creepy.
TSUMUGI: Oh no, that's not what I was thinking at all. Anyway, there's a few adjustments we'll need to make to everyone else's Flashback Lights as well.
This is my update. Now that he has the Flashback Lights I altered, I'm going to get back to work now. Once their characters are created, I'm done with the Flashback Lights. I'm going to need something more. Something that alters not mind, but matter. Something that turns fiction into fact.
Something we can all look at together...
MERGE FILE
Monopad #16
Audio
Journal
Kaede Akamatsu
File #1
Merge File? Yes No
Merging...
REC
Nothing.
No light. No sound. No form. No voice. No knowledge of who I am.
...Who I am? Who am I? I extend a hand that belongs to no one to take hold of my existence-
The sensation of cold metal, and a flash of sudden light in hues of blue, green, gray. A pale hand pushed it open, the arm of which concealed in a sleeve belonging to a light pink high school uniform. A mental picture forms in my head. A blonde girl with musical note hair clips wearing a backpack and a skirt. A girl stepping out of a locker and into a classroom.
That girl is me. My name is Kaede Akamatsu. I just remembered who I am.
Nice to meet... me. I'm the protagonist of this crazy story.
KAEDE: H-Huh?
I stumbled out of the locker in a daze. But as soon as I did, I fell on the floor.
KAEDE: Ahh!?
I couldn't even brace for impact as blinding pain suddenly rushed through my head.
KAEDE: Gghhh... Owww...
But thanks to that pain, I went from dazed to annoyed real quick.
KAEDE: ...Huh? Where am I? What is this place?
I rubbed my throbbing head. This was definitely going to leave a bump. I looked around, trying to get a sense of where I was. I saw that it was a classroom, but I didn't recognize it at first. Strangely enough, the head trauma I just suffered actually made me remember, like a sort of reverse amnesia. This place I was in was my high school, Saishu Academy. It's a place that gathers exceptionally talented students called Super High School Levels. It's small; only 16 students come here. That's how rare they are. I'm one of them. I'm the Super High School Level Pianist. I've been obsessed with the piano ever since I was 3, so I guess that's no real surprise.
Still, that just makes me question more why I was asleep in a locker-
SHUICHI: Gah!
While I was distracted, I heard the adjacent locker door suddenly swing open. The boy that came falling out is a long time friend of mine. Shuichi Saihara, the Super High School Level Detective. After a tumble like that, there's a chance he may have hurt his head. I rushed over and slightly lifted his hat to check for a goose egg.
KAEDE: Shuichi! Are you okay!? Hey, Shuichi!
He eventually picked his head up, looking somewhat confused. Come to think of it, I'd forgotten where I was when I woke up, too. Something fishy was going on. I remember that I was making my way to school like usual, when suddenly I was shoved into a car. Before I could get a sense of where I was being taken, I blacked out. And then I woke up in that locker...
SHUICHI: Ah... Kaede...
KAEDE: Are you alright? You kind of fell a little.
SHUICHI: I'm okay. More importantly, what's going on? I just woke up in a locker...
KAEDE: Same here. How much do you remember?
SHUICHI: I... think the Monokubs told us to investigate the school grounds. They said we had a transfer student.
KAEDE: But there are 14 other people here... How do we know which one is the transfer student?
SHUICHI: I suppose they'd tell us.
DING-DONG
BING-BONG
KAEDE: Was that the bell!?
SHUICHI: Kaede, look at the monitor!
I turned around and faced the ceiling monitor just behind me. There was an overabundance of speakers on it. You couldn't drown it out if you wanted to. The screen activated and displayed five animate teddy bears. These were the Monokubs, and they more or less acted as our staff. Their attitude towards authority is rather loosey goosey.
MONOPHANIE: Hiii~! Thanks for bear-ing with us!
MONODAM: ...
The green one was silent as usual.
MONOKID: Kept you bastards waiting, huh!?
MONOTARO: Everyone, make your way to the gym, please.
MONOKID: The opening ceremony can finally begin!
MONOTARO: Phew! We finally finished our preparations!
MONOSUKE: ...You do realize you just read your lines backwards, don't you?
MONOKUBS: So long! Bear-well!
With that, the monitor shut off. But what were they saying about an opening ceremony? Why would the school be open before the semester even began? Nevertheless, if they say we can finally get going with our school life, we should probably take them up on the offer.
SHUICHI: Kaede... what should we do?
KAEDE: What should we do? Go, of course. Everyone else is probably doing the same thing. And maybe we'll run into that transfer student on the way.
SHUICHI: Good point... Although, I must admit I am a tad worried about this.
I had my concerns as well, but I decided to swallow them and head out. We were on the 2nd floor in Classroom B at the time. When we exited and headed out towards the stairs going down, we saw someone we didn't recognize idling by the dragon statue. She was a smaller girl; elementary schooler height. She has green hair in a bowl cut and green eyes.
KAEDE: Um, excuse me? Are you lost?
GIRL: Hm? No, I'm not lost. This is Saishu Academy, right?
SHUICHI: Yeah, it is.
GIRL: Then I found my way here. But I get it. You two thought I was lost because of my age, right?
KAEDE: Um, yes... Are you sure you're a high schooler?
SHUICHI: More importantly, are you sure you're one of us?
GIRL: Mhm. Super High School Level Psychologist. Monaca is called Monaca Towa. And seeing as you're also talents, it looks like we're classmates. Nice to meet you!
MONACA TOWA
SHSL PSYCHOLOGIST
KAEDE: Wow... That's amazing for someone so young to be a Super High School Level!
MONACA: I was recognized in elementary school, too. Back then, they called me Super Elementary School Level Homeroom.
SHUICHI: I'm sorry, your... talent was in Homeroom...?
MONACA: You might not expect there to be talents for a class like Homeroom, but there are! It was because Monaca was so good at getting people to help her.
That certainly seems like a useful skill.
SHUICHI: But smart enough to test out of elementary class?
MONACA: Well, even if you study everything in the book, you'll only need so much of it, y'know? It was easier to study the questions that the teacher would be putting on the test, and then look up those answers in the book before testing time.
KAEDE: How could you tell that!?
MONACA: It was easy, seeing what the teacher was emphasizing during his essays...
SHUICHI: You could tell just off of that!?
MONACA: Monaca knows people very good!
That's a frightening ability to have...
Nevertheless, Monaca followed Shuichi and I down the stairs to the gymnasium at the end of the hallway. When we got there, everyone else was inside as well.
KIRUMI: All 16 of us have gathered...
KAITO: Hmm, it's pretty spectacular seeing all 16 of us Super High School Levels gathered together.
KOREKIYO: Kehehe... You may not be able to be so easygoing for much longer...
HIMIKO: Nyeeeh... What's gonna happen to us? I bet it'll be a big pain...
TENKO: Hmmmmm...
MONACA: Hey... What are you two doing?
HIMIKO: What? What are you looking at?
TENKO: Um... Himiko, you can use amazing powers, right? Cuz you're a psychic and stuff, right?
HIMIKO: I'm not a psychic... I'm a mage.
TENKO: Whoooa! That's amazing! I definitely wanna incorporate that into Neo-Aikido! Hey, what sorta training did you undergo to gain your awesome powers!?
HIMIKO: Talking about it is too tiring...
MONACA: Should we be splitting them up?
SHUICHI: A-Ah, I'm sure it's fine, Monaca...
KAEDE: Still, what a lazy girl.
K1-B0: Pardon me, but... we need to be on our guard. We do not know if and when danger will strike.
KOKICHI: D-Don't say that... I'm so scared... I don't know what to do...
ANGIE: There is no need to worry. Atua will protect us.
KOKICHI: Phew! That's a relief!
MIU: Is your brain full of weeds or somethin'? I'll whack 'em outta that skull of yours!
KAITO: Don't worry about it! Just leave it to me! If those teddy bears show themselves again, I'll kick all their asses!
GONTA: ...Huh? What that?
RYOMA: Hm? What's wrong?
GONTA: Listen... Hear that?
At Gonta's request, we all tuned our ears into this weird sound he was hearing. It almost sounded like an engine from a mecha anime. Just when I had finished that thought, five giant machines popped up out of nowhere, surrounding us and obscuring the podium where the headmaster was supposed to be speaking.
MONOKUBS: Yoo-hoo! Bear-y good morning!
Everyone was startled by their sudden appearance... except Monaca and Rantaro.
GONTA: Everyone, behind Gonta!
TENKO: Wh-What the heck are these... monsters!?
KOKICHI: Whoooooaaaa! So coooool!
MONOKID: They're Exisals- highly mobile, bipedal weapons platforms! They got lotsa hometown pride, too!
MONOSUKE: ...I can't keep track of these backstories.
MIU: Wh-Whatever they are, they better kill off the uggos and save me for last!
KOKICHI: Run, Himiko!
HIMIKO: Why are you concerned about me all of a sudden?
MAKI: Hm, didn't someone say they would "kick all their asses"?
KAITO: Wh-What the hell!? Nobody told me about these!
MONACA: These Exisals... They feel kind of familiar to Monaca, but she can't put her finger on it... Oh well. It must have been worth forgetting.
KAEDE: Why are you leaving that info out!?
RANTARO: Alright, chill out, no need to panic... We're probably not in any danger. If they wanted to kill us, they'd have done it by now.
With that, Rantaro casually walked up to the Exisals.
RANTARO: So... what do you want from us? You clearly want something. That's what the guns are for, right? Let me guess. You're gonna force us to do something, and if we don't, we get hurt. Well, you have our attention. So what do you want?
MONOSUKE: Huh. Well aren't you a wiseguy? So, who wants to break the news?
MONOPHANIE: Ooh, let me do it! I've always loved these kinds of things!
MONOKID: Loved!? Who are you and what have you done with Monophanie!?
MONOSUKE: Change of plans, bub. Take it away, sweetheart.
MONOPHANIE: With pride! ahem! Now then, the activity we want you guys to do is a-
MONODAM: DATING-GAME.
KAEDE: Huh?
MONOPHANIE: Hey! I called dibs on saying it!
MONOTARO: Well, it looks like he called dibs on your dibs!
MONOPHANIE: Why you...! I'm reporting you to the dib police!
TENKO: W-What did he say!?
K1-B0: If I heard him correctly... I believe he said a-
MONODAM: DATING-GAME.
MONOKID: Dating game!? Eck-fucking-sceuse me!? I thought we were gonna do a sick-ass killing game!
MONOPHANIE: You would think that, Monokid! You and your violent nature!
MONOSUKE: We're switching it up this time around. These kids are gonna play the roles they're meant to play; uncoupled mates!
MONOKID: Nuh uh! We all agreed we were doing a killing game!
MONOTARO: Did we? I don't remember anything like that.
MONOPHANIE: You must have been dreaming it, Monotaro!
MONOKID: Why you treacherous, conniving little-!
But before the blue Exisal could properly turn on the others, something clicked inside it. And all of a sudden, it blew up, leaving behind nothing but scrap metal.
MONOPHANIE: Eek! Monokid!
MONOTARO: Even though he was a hot tempered brute... To die such a sudden death...!
MONOSUKE: Everyone... Let's make a special note of this. We never step outta line. Let's learn from Monokid's failure.
MONODAM: ...
The culprit didn't take long to reveal itself. A voice suddenly came through on the intercom.
VOICE: Settle down there, kubs! You're getting way too out of control!
MONOPHANIE: Oh! That voice!
The remaining Monokubs jumped right out of the Exisals, clearly excited over the voice they heard.
MONOTARO: Father!? Father, is that you!?
MONOPHANIE: Daddy!? Where are you, Daddy!?
KAEDE: "Daddy"!?
MONACA: Huh...? Could it be!?
At that moment, the lights in the gymnasium suddenly shut off. And suddenly, a spotlight cut through the gym, shining on the podium. One last teddy bear made its appearance, this one with a black half. The lack of a binkie naturally led me to assume this one was the papa bear.
PAPA: I am the god of this new world... and the headmaster of Saishu Academy! The one, the only... Monokuma! Nice to meetcha!
MONOTARO: Yayyyyy! Father's here!
MONOPHANIE: Oh, Daddy! I knew you'd arrive just in time! It's terrible! Monokid tried to put a stop to the dating game, and then all of a sudden, he just exploded in front of everybody!
MONOKUMA: Ah, my sweet little kubs... He didn't "just" explode! That was his punishment for getting in the way of our agreement!
MONOSUKE: I tried to tell ya, Monophanie. We're best off forgetting about that palooka.
MONOPHANIE: F-Forgetting!?
MONACA: Huh? More designs? What's the deal?
MONOKUMA: Well, this is an ambiguously familiar face...
KOREKIYO: Are you two somehow related?
KAITO: They are!?
KOKICHI: Ooooh, and a babysitter on the side!? We can totally trust this guy, folks!
KAITO: That only makes me suspicious of her!
KOKICHI: Kaito, Kaito, Kaito... Casting suspicion on an innocent little girl is quite cruel, don't you think?
MONACA: sniff Monaca's just happy to see the bear again... You're so mean!
KAITO: A-Ahh...
KAEDE: Wait... Again? Where did you see him before?
MONACA: Before I came here, there used to be a buncha Monokumas. We went around parading and having fun. The leader was kind of annoying, but it didn't bother Monaca. But now, it seems like these guys are all that's left...
MONOKUMA: Indeed, indeed. I am the last of my once proud sleuth! There is only Monokuma and his cubs now! All of my brethren was lost in the fire...
KOREKIYO: That sounds strangely familiar...
ANGIE: Ah! So this is why Atua tells me to put out campfires when I leave! Praise be Atua and His infinite wisdom!
SHUICHI: That's all well and good, but, uh... One of your "kubs" seems to have exploded.
MONOKUMA: Yes, well... That's just the punishment you receive when you break school rules!
RANTARO: As I thought... Failure to comply will be met with harsh punishment. In essence, you hold our lives in the palm of your hand. Or paw, rather.
MONOKUMA: Right you are, my man! Here at Saishu Academy, I am the highest authority! And so long as I have the Exisals on my side, there will be no interference, inside or out!
HIMIKO: That's a little authoritarian...
RYOMA: More than a little. This is even stricter than prison. But it does seem a little more spacey.
HIMIKO: Nyeh... Life here is gonna be a major pain...
MONOKUMA: Puhuhuhu... Only if you're hopeless with romance!
TENKO: W-What are you getting at!?
MONOKUMA: You must have heard it from the Monokubs already, but I'll go ahead and say it again. ahem Congraaaaatulations! The sixteen of you have been carefully selected to participate in a high-tension dating game!
TENKO: Y-You were serious!? You mean I have to... copulate with these degenerate males!?
MIU: Fuckin' duh! What do you THINK you do with degenerates!? Host tea parties on a sunny day!? You REALLY need to get out more, whoever you are!
RANTARO: The first day hasn't even started, and we already have our first cat fight...
TENKO: You wanna come say that to my face, degenerate!?
RANTARO: Thanks for the offer, but I'm fine over here.
KAEDE: What exactly do you mean by dating game? S-Shouldn't there be rules to these kinds of things?
MONOKUMA: Why, I quite agree, piano lady! And so we shall explain! Right, my kubs?
MONOTARO: Okay! Here's how this is going to work!
The monitor on the top turned on and displayed a sort of scoreboard. The conditions looked like... sprite art of all our faces.
MONOTARO: This is the relationship chart of this school! Throughout your stay at Saishu Academy, the interactions you have with your new friends will be recorded on this chart.
MONOPHANIE: The closer you get to your friends, the higher up their affection stat goes on your specific chart!
MONOSUKE: But don't worry about raising em all to the top. Youse just gotta get one maxed out.
MONODAM: ...
MONOTARO: At the end of the semester, everyone with at least one max friendship can graduate!
MONOPHANIE: But you can try to get everyone to the top if you want! And if you do that, everyone wins, since they'll all have maxed you out as well!
MONOSUKE: This is a game of cooperation. If any of you bastards wanna escape, you're gonna have to get along, ya hear me?
MONOKUMA: Well said, my Monokubs! Now that they have covered the basics, I'll be going into more detail. Everyone, please look at your Monopads. I've added a Rules and Regulations section.
Almost as if by coincidence, everyone's Monopads lit up and made a notification sound at the same time. I pulled mine out of my backpack and went to the new section Monokuma just added.
RULE 1: Students are required to cohabitate at Saishu Academy for the foreseeable future.
RULE 2: "Nighttime" lasts from 22:00 to 8:00 (or 10PM to 8AM). The dining hall and gymnasium are off limits during this time.
RULE 3: Any and all acts of violence towards Headmaster Monokuma are strictly prohibited.
RULE 4: Your Monopads are very important items. Make sure they are not damaged.
RULE 5: Students have free rein to explore Saishu Academy as they see fit.
RULE 6: If a murder occurs on campus, the killer will be exterminated by the Exisals with extreme prejudice.
RULE 7: Violation of Rules 1-5 will result in immediate disqualification from the dating game for all parties involved.
RULE 8: The headmaster may add additional regulations to this list at any time.
MONOKUMA: Alright! Now that everyone has looked at the rules, I'll be expecting you all to follow them for the whole dating game! Any questions?
RYOMA: Yeah, I got one, actually. What happens if we lose or get disqualified? We can only leave if we win, right?
MONOKUMA: Puhuhuhu... That's simple. Anyone who cannot complete the dating game will be forced to spend another semester in this academy! And that includes Winter and Summer break, so I hope you didn't have any travel tickets pre-purchased!
RANTARO: I was expecting something a lot harsher... but that's comforting to know.
HIMIKO: I can't believe I have to play some dating game... I bet it'll be a real pain...
TENKO: H-Hey, um... We girls don't have to get with any degenerate males, do we?
MONOKUMA: Fear not, my dear Super High School Level Aikido Master! Here at Saishu Academy, love has no boundaries! And that includes gender!
TENKO: Phew! I thought I was about to die of shame just now.
GONTA: Tenko no need to worry about degenerate males. Gonta be true gentleman! Promise!
MONACA: Gentleman, huh? Monaca will be the judge of that.
TENKO: I don't trust you. You reek of body odor and dirt.
GONTA: That natural. Coz Gonta grow up in forest.
MONOSUKE: Wow. Way to just casually drop in your backstory right there.
MONOTARO: Does that mean the game's already begun?
MONODAM: ...
MONOPHANIE: Well, someone here has to be passionate about it.
MONOKUMA: Anyway, we're running out of time in this introduction, so I'm only taking one more question for now. If you have more, you gotta hunt me down!
KAITO: You gotta be kidding me... We were really drafted for this? What if I miss my astronaut training?
MONOKUMA: No need to fear! Everyone you have connections with has been alerted about your selection! And with that, that's the last question!
KAITO: W-Wait, that was sarcasm-
MONOKUMA: Oh, and one more thing. First dates, try to be quick about it. You might have guessed this dating game is being broadcast.
KOKICHI: Well, naturally. Games are made to be shown, right?
MONOKUMA: You kids wouldn't believe how quickly an audience can get bored nowadays! If no one ends up together after ten days, this show will be forced off the air.
KIRUMI: And what will happen when this show ends?
ANGIE: Who knows? With no show, we might be here forever and ever, maybe.
MONOKUMA: Nyah-hahahaha! Kids these days, always worrying about the future as if failure is a guarantee. Take chances! Get messy! Make mistakes! Worry about failure when it happens! That said, the romantic sparks won't be set off if you guys just do whatever you want. The audience won't know who to watch if all sixteen of you are just milling about. So, if you ever want to go on a date with another student, you'll need to exchange a Date Ticket. What's that? How do you go about obtaining one of these tickets? I never said these tickets were free, did I? Wanting something gives it value. In other words, you gotta shell out cash for 'em. Hopefully, you guys have already seen a place on campus where you can earn cash, haven't you?
MONACA: You mean the casino?
KAITO: Sheesh... For a kid to know what a casino is...
KOREKIYO: You would be surprised how freely the concept is mentioned around minors in certain places of the world.
SHUICHI: I'm sure it's harmless...
KAEDE: You think...?
MONOKUMA: Now then, I can't wait to see what kinda hot and heavy hijinks you get into! Let the Saishu Academy Dating Game begin! Ah-hahahahahaha!
MONOKUBS: Kah-hahahahahaha!
We stood in dumbfounded silence, surrounded by the squealing laughter of Monokuma and his cubs. Everything about this situation was messed up. An academy surrounded by a giant wall, 16 Super High School Level students trapped inside, mysterious stuffed bears and deadly weapons, and new friends forced to play some dating game. Against my will, I was now a character in that story.
MONOKUBS: So long! Bear-well!
Half-covering their snickering grins, the bears retreated, leaving us with this newfound knowledge and a newfound norm. We were all still recovering from the shock of it all. That's when we were all pulled back to our senses by one little girl.
MONACA: Hey, everyone, cheer up. Things could be a whole lot worse, y'know.
KAEDE: Monaca...?
We never expected to be encouraged by the youngest one here. This must be part of her talent.
MONACA: I said Monokuma used to be a huge thing a while ago, but it wasn't always a good thing. The world was so obsessed with Monokuma that they let themselves collapse. People were getting into fights and driving friends and family members away. There were Monokuma robots everywhere, and they could even fight and kill. Factions, corporate scandals, bans, cults... Everything kinda fell apart. It was fun at first, but then I got bored. So I looked away. But when I looked back, the world was better again. That's why this Monokuma is the last of his kind. The rest of the world kind of gave up on Monokuma. And if they can do that, I know we can, too. So, let's keep fighting. Let's be warriors. We'll beat this demon!
KAITO: Yeah! I agree with Monaca! We can't give up hope! Not even for a second!
ANGIE: Nyahahaha! As long as we have Atua, we have nothing to fear!
KAEDE: T-That's the spirit, you guys! We're in this together! Who's with us!?
SHUICHI: I'll stand by Kaede.
MAKI: You raise a compelling argument.
RYOMA: Hmph... I had no intention of just sitting quiet.
KIRUMI: For everyone's sake, I will devote myself to our new group.
TENKO: You can count on me! If push comes to shove, I'll protect all the girls here!
GONTA: Right! And Gonta will protect the men! Gonta cannot call himself gentleman if he does nothing!
KOREKIYO: Kuhuhuhu... This teamwork truly is beautiful.
RANTARO: Yeah. We stand a better chance if we cooperate.
HIMIKO: Alright... It'll be a pain, but I'll lend you guys my magic.
K1-B0: Then we have no choice! Let's band together from here on out!
MIU: Hah! We'll be outta here in no fuckin' time flat! You guys might not even need me! But I'll be here anyway!
KOKICHI: Nee-hee hee! That makes us a team! Alright, squad! Let's move out!
Kokichi took off out the gym doors like a kid chasing down an ice cream truck. Almost like a kindergarten class, we all formed an orderly line and followed after him, one by one. I was the last one in the line, but I noticed that there were only 15 of us. I looked around, and I noticed Shuichi had suddenly gone missing. I stopped in place, hoping that just scanning the empty gymnasium would be enough to locate him.
KAEDE: Shuichi? Shuichi, where did you go?
There was no hint of him anywhere. Rather than stay and worry about it, I followed quickly after the line, Gonta right in front of me. We headed out into the courtyard and suddenly realized that none of us knew where to start... except Tenko, who continued hounding Himiko.
RYOMA: On second thought, I think I'll sit the first day out.
MONACA: Huh? Where are you going?
RYOMA: It'd be a little too convenient if we were all in the same area on the first day. Plus, I think Shuichi's missing. I may as well go fetch him.
KAEDE: Oh, okay. Thanks, Ryoma.
RYOMA: Don't mention it. I'm not really someone you should be thanking, anyway.
With that, he walked off. Still, 14 out of 16 students working together isn't half bad, and it's not like they quit or anything. But Shuichi disappearing like that does have me concerned. He doesn't seem like the type...
MAKI: Actually, I'll be back as well. There's something I need to confirm with Monokuma in private.
K1-B0: What would that be?
MAKI: Rule 6... It specifically states that people who commit murders will be exterminated by the Exisals. Why would you need to have a rule for that? Not being allowed to murder should be a given, especially in a dating game...
RANTARO: That is bizarre...
KOKICHI: Nee-hee hee... I have a few ideas...
MERGE FILE
Monopad #1
Audio
Journal
Shuichi Saihara
File #1
Merge File? Yes No
Merging...
REC
KOKICHI: Nee-hee hee! That makes us a team! Alright, squad! Let's move out!
We were all motivated by Kokichi's enthusiasm. As he bolted out the door, the rest of us couldn't help but follow suit in a strangely uniform fashion. I would have joined them, but I heard something from the corner of the room in the midst of all the cheering. It sounded like a girl's voice.
GIRL: Psst! Detective! Over here!
Sure enough, there was one. But I thought there were only 16 Ultimates in this academy... Too curious to let this go, I immediately pursued the origin of the noise. I knew Kaede could handle herself without me, especially with everyone else having her back. She led me out another door into a section of the courtyard far away from the rest of the students, who were headed out to the front. We were in the backyard, essentially.
SHUICHI: What's going on? Wait, more importantly, who are you?
GIRL: I'll explain that in a second. All you need to know for now is I have a plan.
SHUICHI: A plan?
The fact that there are supposed to be 16 students here, and yet there's somehow a 17th...
SHUICHI: Were you hiding out here?
GIRL: You could say that. It was more like I was biding my time. There's something I need you to see.
SHUICHI: Why me specifically?
GIRL: Because I trust you, Shuichi.
SHUICHI: H-How do you know my name!?
GIRL: I'll explain that as well. Let's just wait for them to be gone.
I just met this girl, and she already knew my name was Shuichi... Could my memories have been wiped as well, the same way as Rantaro? If so, how many other people have forgotten about this girl? Is she a target somehow? A prisoner? I better not mention this to Monokuma or any of the kubs...
GIRL: It sounds like they're gone. Come on. I know a secret passage I need you to see.
Wordlessly consenting, I followed close behind this mysterious new girl. She seemed to have hair close in color to me. This could be bad... Have I forgotten about a family member...? No, that's too extraordinary. I shouldn't be reaching for conclusions like that yet. I stop for a second, however, when the girl approaches the girls' bathroom and holds the door open.
GIRL: It's through here.
SHUICHI: Ah... The girls' bathroom? I thought you were about to take a break...
GIRL: I know what it looks like, but trust me. No one will know you were here.
The situation was too serious for me to be thinking about that. I cast aside my instinctive hesitation and headed inside with her, a million excuses repeating in my mind. Once inside, she opened the utility closet. It seemed like a normal closet at first, until she pushed against the back wall. With a thud, it slid back slightly and raised to reveal...
SHUICHI: There really was a secret passage...
GIRL: We'll be safe in the secret room.
This mysterious, seemingly all-knowing girl headed in first, walking down the ramp that the pathway revealed. Not wanting to risk being seen in the girls' bathroom and likely killed on the spot, I quickly followed her close behind. We both headed down the narrow and claustrophobic pathway, until it eventually lead to a door. This had to have been in the basement; it feels like I've gone down the same incline as the stairs. At least, I hope the y-axis is the same.
GIRL: Now, there's going to be another door in this room. It leads to the library, so please don't use it. I want to keep this room as secret as possible, and the way it was hidden in the library takes much longer to reset.
SHUICHI: Got it. Let's go.
With that, she opened the door to the hidden room. Inside was a very high-tech area, with a big computer, various drawers, and what looked like a mother brain Monokuma. This was, without a doubt, a room only Monokuma should've had access to. Either she found a loophole, or she's working with him.
SHUICHI: What... is all this?
GIRL: This is the mastermind's headquarters. A secret room hidden from everyone's maps.
SHUICHI: There's a mastermind...?
GIRL: Monokuma's just a robot. There has to have been someone programming him.
SHUICHI: When you put it like that...
GIRL: I brought you here because this entire situation has gotten out of hand. I made a mistake bringing him into this world, and I need help to take him out.
SHUICHI: You created Monokuma!?
GIRL: More or less. But before I go any further, I should introduce myself.
SHUICHI: Wait... Does that make you the mastermind?
GIRL: I plainly am. I'm the one who orchestrated all of this and brought you all here. And just like you, I'm a Super High School Level. My name is Tsumugi Shirogane. I'm the Super High School Level Cosplayer.
TSUMUGI SHIROGANE
SHSL COSPLAYER
SHUICHI: But... why!? Why would you kidnap all of us and force us into some weird dating game!?
TSUMUGI: It beat the alternative.
SHUICHI: Alternative...?
TSUMUGI: I'll explain everything in a second. But first, let's get those memories restored.
SHUICHI: So, you're the mastermind... but you aren't the one who erased our memories?
TSUMUGI: That was done by the Monokubs. Their programming transcended into sentient AI, and they began acting on their own accord. They're keeping a show going.
SHUICHI: In other words, they betrayed you.
TSUMUGI: No, I just changed my mind. It's more like I betrayed them. But I'm going to need to start all the way from the beginning, so just... please try to stay calm.
SHUICHI: I... I'll do my best. I already decided we were going to work together. If you say you're going to put a stop to this, then I'll believe you.
TSUMUGI: There's this device I've been working on. It restores forgotten memories and converts entered data into tangible objects... and people. I'm nearly done with it, but I needed someone reliable to test it on.
SHUICHI: Someone reliable? Why did you specifically choose me?
TSUMUGI: Because you're the one who inspired me to change my ways.
I inspired her? This girl I just met? She must be serious about our lost memories, then. I don't remember doing anything like that. As far as I'm aware, Tsumugi is a total stranger.
SHUICHI: ...This is all rather hard to understand.
TSUMUGI: I'm sure you can reach for the truth, Mr. Super High School Level Detective.
SHUICHI: I'm... not really a detective yet. I just kinda-
TSUMUGI: Solved a case of the murder of a cruel manipulator, right?
SHUICHI: H-How did you!?
It was like she was looking through my body and directly into my soul. I hadn't shared that information with anyone yet. I felt like she was squeezing a lemon into my psychological wounds.
The way that poor man looked at me... I'll never forget that gaze.
TSUMUGI: But there's no way I would be able to know that if you hadn't told me, right? Do you believe me now?
SHUICHI: ...I really don't have a choice, do I...?
TSUMUGI: Nope. Afraid you don't. Just sit down right there on that couch I stole from the library while I get the device ready.
I was at a complete loss. Feeling a mere puppet to Tsumugi's words, I obeyed and sat down on the surprisingly comfortable couch. Tsumugi went over to the computer and started typing away at the keyboard. I caught myself wondering how the others are doing before I smothered the thought. The more I worry about them, the more motivated I'll be to leave Tsumugi behind and rejoin them. She says she's about to explain everything. Everything that happened, everything I've forgotten... If she somehow knows about the one case I solved if I haven't even told my friends yet, I should believe her.
SHUICHI: How long... is this gonna take?
TSUMUGI: Just a few more hours. Don't worry about the passage of time. I plan on showing this to the rest of our friends one by one as well.
There I sat, waiting. For some reason, this entire room, as well as Tsumugi herself, gave me a strange feeling of deja vu, like I should know what this is. I was filled with weird senses of pain and confusion that I couldn't explain. Before I could dwell on them for too long, Tsumugi finished her coding. From the back wall to her left, some sort of device came out. It had the appearance of a projector, but with more bulk in the back and a sort of receptacle in the front, like one for a DVD player.
SHUICHI: So, that's the device, huh?
TSUMUGI: I know it looks a little strange, but it'll work.
She was holding it over her shoulder and aiming it at my head like a cannon. I couldn't help but feel like she was going to shoot me with something, and I fidgeted a little in my seat.
SHUICHI: Um... This isn't going to hurt, is it?
TSUMUGI: You might feel a little stinging in your brain...
I swallowed hard and braced for the pain. I was doing my best to sit still for Tsumugi. Once she was convinced I was fully on board, she hit the button, and a bright light emitted from the projector, searing into my brain like a magnifying glass on an ant in the Summer. Just as Tsumugi said, there was a stinging pain, most likely from the sudden inflow of information into my brain. I couldn't help but cry out.
SHUICHI: Ahh... Agghhh...!
Everything came to me at once. I felt a pain I didn't think possible. But it was a pain I needed to feel. The ringing in my ears and the throbbing of my veins made me fall over onto the couch, lying down. The light kept pouring down, ensuring I learned... everything. What I saw next... What I remembered... So long as I live, I will never forget.
MAKOTO NAEGI
SHSL LUCKY STUDENT
CHIHIRO FUJISAKI
SHSL PROGRAMMER
BYAKUYA TOGAMI
SHSL AFFLUENT PROGENY
JUNKO ENOSHIMA
SHSL DESPAIR
ACT 1
It all began at a school called Hope's Peak Academy, a school made specifically to scout youthful talents from all around the globe. Prodigies in their own right. Masters of their own talent. Super High School Level, as they were called, not unlike us. But everything fell apart thanks to the efforts of just a few students. Junko Enoshima and Mukuro Ikusaba. Together, they formed the Super High School Level Despair and sabotaged a top secret project to create a being of infinite talent. A reserve course student by the name of Hajime Hinata volunteered for such a project. When he was reborn, they honored him with the name of Hope's Peak's late founder: Izuru Kamukura. From there, Junko needed three more pawns in her scheme: Chiaki Nanami, Ryota Mitarai, and an elementary student named Monaca Towa. After coercing Ryota into giving her the programming for a brainwashing video, Junko got in touch with Monaca, the chief executive of Towa Group's robotics branch. Together, they created the Monokuma robots, weapons of mass destruction that they could control with ease.
ACT 2
After that, Junko set her plan in motion to plunge the world into despair. And it started at Hope's Peak. Chiaki was handpicked by Junko to be a sacrifice. Her death coupled with Ryota's video plunged her entire class into despair. Mukuro, meanwhile, was busy lobotomizing their teacher Chisa Yukizome into furthering her agenda, all the while a grief-stricken Izuru helped things along out of nihilism by causing more murders and making more escapes. Junko and Mukuro were never caught. Monaca would go on to form the Warriors of Hope. A group of five children, herself included, dedicated to building a paradise exclusively for children in Towa City by exterminating all the adults in the area. But this was part of Monaca's ploy to incite a war, and it was yet unfinished.
ACT 3
As a last ditch effort to remain safe from the outside world, which had been completely destroyed by terrorism and war, one of the classes of Hope's Peak Academy sealed themselves inside the school with the permission of their headmaster, Jin Kirigiri. Junko and Mukuro managed to slip in, and after a year, she perfected some memory wipe programming given to her by her childhood friend Yasuke Matsuda. She tested it on herself and existed as Ryoko Otonashi for a time. Once her memories came back thanks to Mukuro, who was disguised as Junko as part of their plan, she killed Yasuke in a fit of despair, assassinated Jin in secret, and completed her preparations. The entire class was given complete amnesia, and with it, a newfound desire to escape the school. Thus, Junko hid away and controlled a Monokuma robot to act as the new headmaster. There, the Killing Game was born. A sick game about death and deception, complete with its own list of rules. No more than two murders, Monokuma will not assist you, the culprit gets to leave if no one can figure them out, among others. Even Mukuro, Junko's twin sister, was sacrificed to this insane game. In the end, when Junko was finally cornered and killed, out of 15 participants, there were 6 survivors. Makoto Naegi, Kyoko Kirigiri, Byakuya Togami, Toko Fukawa, Aoi Asahina, and Yasuhiro Hagakure.
ACT 4
The death of Junko caused mass suicides among those still under her influence, but a select few went on to form a new group called the Remnants of Despair, who were in direct conflict with a reformation group called the Future Foundation. Those who escaped the Hope's Peak Killing Game would go on to join Future Foundation, with the exception of Toko , who had a split personality with a serial killer named Genocider Syo. That's when she met up with one of the Remnants of Despair; Nagito Komaeda, one of Chiaki's classmates. He had been scouted by the Warriors of Hope as a servant, but he had a plan of his own in mind. He allowed himself to fight on the side of despair just so he could watch an even stronger hope beat it out in the end. To that end, he found the location of Makoto's sister, Komaru, and made a deal with Toko. Since Byakuya was taken as a hostage, Nagito promised a trade; Byakuya's freedom for Komaru's captivity. This just made it easier for Monaca to drag her into her scheme to create a successor to Junko Enoshima. A new Super High School Level Despair. If the Monokuma controller for Towa City was destroyed, the brainwashed children would die as a result, and the entire city would be flushed out by both Future Foundation and the Remnants of Despair. But in the end, Toko saved Komaru from that choice and undid Monaca's work. Monaca separated from the Warriors of Hope and was relocated by Nagito, after which he headed to a place called Jabberwock Island alongside Izuru for a certain purpose.
ACT 5
In truth, the "Jabberwock Island" they arrived at was a simulation born from something called the Neo World Program. The Remnants of Despair were undergoing a sort of reverse brainwashing to restore their old selves. Future Foundation sent in an AI replica of Chiaki as a safety measure to make sure it all went smoothly. But, in fact, Junko had an AI replica of her own that was uploaded by Izuru shortly before the program turned on. This turned their reformation into yet another Killing Game that deleted their avatars. Finishing the uploading process would effectively kill those who didn't survive to the final trial. But Chiaki saved them by giving them hope. The five survivors, alongside three members of Future Foundation, succeeded in flushing Junko out of the system, killing the AI in the process. Initially, only 5 people out of 15 woke up. But one of those 5 was Izuru, now back to his identity as Hajime. His programming talent freed the rest of them by recovering the data for their avatars and uploading that. As a reward for their actions in Towa City, Komaru and Toko also joined Future Foundation as a result. But it wasn't enough for the higher ups, particularly one Kazuo Tengan, who attempted to host one last Killing Game to force Ryota to spearhead a message of hope. The last few Remnants of Despair, Monaca included, tried to intervene as well to finish what Junko had started. But in the end, the survivors of the two killing games prior were the ones to survive and escape and continue their agenda of rebuilding the world normally, sparing the lives of Hajime and his new classmates in the process. Monaca retreated into space as a result, but everyone else under Junko's influence didn't survive. Ryota almost went through with his hope brainwashing video, but he was stopped at the last minute, as that wouldn't have been the right call. And thus, the story of Hope's Peak Academy came to an end.
ACT 6
But all of that... was fiction. It was a show put together by a group named Team Danganronpa. It was a story the world fell in love with. So completely that they kept it going to spice up their overly peaceful lives. Until it transcended games and anime to become a real life event: the Super High School Level Real Fiction. Real people were scouted by Team Danganronpa and brainwashed into fictional characters made to fit the setting. And there was where the Killing Game truly began in the real world. I, myself... am one such candidate. All 16 of us are... save for Monaca, who was brought into the real world so Tsumugi here could hide. This isn't the first time this has happened. This was originally the 53rd season of Danganronpa, with Rantaro as the survivor of the previous game and Tsumugi as the mastermind. Tsumugi's true identity is actually a member of Team Danganronpa, and Keebo was created as an audience surrogate. I had survived to the end alongside Maki and Himiko. And together, we used our experience, our friendships, our struggles... our very lives to change the world and end Danganronpa. But Saishu Academy had a backup system that Tsumugi took advantage of. After her death, the place reset and she turned back the hands of time. And thus, she tried again. And she kept trying until she was convinced there was nothing she could do. The time before this, she opened up to us about her life. And she made us a promise: that she'd find a way to save us. That she could salvage Danganronpa while still ending the Killing Game.
That's right... You're one of us, Tsumugi. And you... you betrayed us...
...
The searing pain from all the information made my head go numb. Before I knew what was happening, I was already unconscious.
END