A/N: Here's Chapter Six Deadly Life Part Nine! Please read, review, and enjoy!
Danganronpa 4: Next Generation Killing!
Chapter Six: Goodbye Danganronpa!
Deadly Life Part Nine: Danganronpa 4!
"Wh-What?" Kiki's voice shook. "Who are these people!?"
"They've all been watching this Killing Game transpire." Tsumugi explained. "Of course, those you see here are only a fraction of our total viewers."
…Our…? Shuichi wondered. "…What do you mean…our…?"
"Y-Yeah…" A wide-eyed Gonta stammered. "A-Aren't you the M-Mastermind…?"
"…Could it be that she didn't orchestrate this by herself?"
"I-Impossible!" Sokyu gritted his teeth. "Who would p-possibly help her do something this c-crazy?!"
"Puhuhu…who indeed?" Tsumugi giggled. "Did I do it myself, or did I have help? Figure it out for yourselves!"
Was Tsumugi solely responsible for trapping us here, for forcing us to kill each other, for showing our struggle to survive to the audience? Or was she helped somehow?
Shuichi's ponderings were interrupted as Tsumugi posed the question one more time. "Did I act alone in planning this Killing Game?"
"W-who else besides you would do something this twisted?!" Sokyu clenched his fist.
"Still, the mechanics used during this Killing Game…" Keebo argued "…transporting us here, furnishing this building, the elaborate executions, recording our every move…"
"It does seem like a lot…too much for one person…" Gonta finished.
"I-I don't care how much work it was!" Sokyu fervently shook his head. "There's no way she had a team helping her!"
"That's wrong!" Shuichi interjected, countering his denial and pulling out the binder. "Everyone, look at this!"
"Team Danganronpa…?" Ryoma's brow furrowed curiously. "What's that? And why does the cover look like Monokuma's eye?"
"I'm so good-looking, everyone wants to put my logo on their notebooks!" Monokuma crowed, though everyone ignored him.
"Oh…that's the one Gonta found in the Headmaster's Office!"
"That's right." Shuichi confirmed, nodding at the bug enthusiast. "Gonta stumbled across this binder. It contains plans for Kibou University, and profiles for us…but more than that…it also indicates the name Team Danganronpa."
"Could that refer to the group Tsumugi's a part of?" Keebo wondered.
"That's right, I'm a part of Team Danganronpa!" Tsumugi cheered. "In fact, I'm its founder, and this Killing Game is our premiere project!"
"…Premiere project…?"
"Yep…oh, but I guess you haven't seen the opening the audience saw…so, I'll play it for you. Monokuma, play the video!"
Monokuma pressed another button on his throne, causing the giant monitor to lower from the ceiling. Everyone's eyes drifted to it as it lit up, widening in shock from this sight of what Tsumugi and Monokuma were revealing to them.
"Hey, it's the same opening we saw at the start!" Koto realized.
"But why?" Kiri wondered. "Why show them this? What's the point?!"
"It's all part of the Mastermind's plan to reveal the truth." Kyoko answered. "Junko and her AI counterpart loved to drip-feed information to the survivors."
Makoto nodded. "She always did get some twisted thrill out of seeing us frustrated for more information."
"And knowing that this Team Danganronpa put on this Killing game and broadcast it to the world, like some TV show…" Maki mused. "They're sure to get some satisfaction out of seeing their disbelief and shock."
"The question is…does the audience get that thrill as well?" Everyone turned towards Mokubo. "Does everyone else watching this treat their suffering like some TV drama?"
Everyone grimaced, afraid of the answer. Makoto and Kyoko especially knew that humanity could be cruel…cruel enough to see suffering and murder as thrilling entertainment.
"Danganronpa 4…" Kiki and Shuichi read. "Next Generation Killing…?"
"Yes, this is our grand masterpiece at Team Danganronpa!" Tsumugi gushed. "Our collective goal was to make the finest killing entertainment! We wanted to share it with the world, so that everyone would enjoy our work oh-so-much!"
"A heart-pounding Killing Game, brought to life by Team Danganronpa!" Monokuma cheered.
"Gonta doesn't understand!" Tsumugi turned towards the confused bug enthusiast. "Why would we all be in…killing entertainment?!"
Ryoma nodded in agreement. "Even if I killed before, I certainly wouldn't have agreed to take part in killing for fun."
"It does boggle the mind…" Keebo admitted. "How did any of us ever end up participating in this…"
"…this disgusting excuse for reality TV…" Sokyu growled.
"Huh? You haven't figured that out yet?" Tsumugi sighed in disappointment. "How lame…alright, let's go through how Team Danganronpa came to form. You see, it all started when I, Tsumugi Shirogane, got a first-hand look at the battle between hope and despair. Can you guess what that event was?"
What event caused Tsumugi to plan the Killing Game…? Kiki mused. There should be a piece of evidence that narrows it down… Kiki closed her eyes, sifting through the evidence she and Shuichi had collected in her mind until one specific folder flashed in her mind. That's the one! "Sokyu, remember that folder you found in the Headmaster's Office?"
"Yeah…it had that girl's name on it, one that we saw in one of those books before…what was it again…?" Sokyu's eyes lit up. "That's right, it was that Akki girl…" Sokyu gasped in realization. "Wait…so then…the event Tsumugi witnessed…"
Kiki nodded. "That's right, it was the second Tragedy, the one that was barely averted." She locked eyes with the Mastermind. "Tsumugi…that's what you saw firsthand, wasn't it?"
"Correct!" Tsumugi proclaimed, putting a crown on her head. "Well done, peasant!"
…Peasant…?
"We saw Akki's plan unfold in real time…and fail at the last minute, thanks to the hope the offspring of Makoto Naegi gave her followers. The excitement, the struggle, the battle between hope and despair, seeing someone as persuasive as Akki brought down by mere words of friendship brought much needed excitement that we didn't even know we needed! So, in the weeks that followed, we had an idea! What if we could spread the thrill of that very battle with the entire world?! And so, the seed of the revival of the Killing Games was planted!"
"…Something's pretty screwy with your head…" Ryoma deadpanned. "Whatever happened to you during Akki's takeover must have done some serious damage to your brain."
"That's putting it mildly…" Sokyu snorted. "You're some seriously fucked-up chick!"
"Her mental state aside, there's a problem we still need to address." Keebo interjected. "Even if we accept that she got the idea to restart the Killing Games from witnessing Akki's failure, there's still the problem of how she learned to orchestrate something like this."
"Yeah…" Ryoma concurred. "I doubt she could just google how to start a Killing Game, and a mere cosplayer wouldn't have the capabilities to pull this off."
"Ah, that actually wouldn't be a problem." Shuichi interjected. "When Kiki and I looked inside Akki's file, it contained not only plans for a school building, but also directions for how to build Monokumas."
"Build Monokumas?!" Keebo exclaimed in shock.
"Correct!" Tsumugi exclaimed. "You see, when Akki was captured, we were still in possession of her planning documents! So, we simply adapted them for our own purposes when we planned this Killing Game!"
"That must be how Tsumugi created the skeleton of her Killing Game plans."
"Once she did that, all she had to do was find enough like-minded people, and she could have the resources and manpower to make her dream a reality." Ryoma realized.
"Okay, but still…" Kiki grimaced. "…Why were we targeted? Like we said, we'd never have willingly participated in something like this."
"Excellent question, five acres of land for you!" Tsumugi grinned as Kiki sweatdropped. "Since we were just starting up, and the survivors of the previous Killing Games had used their influence to make such activities viewed as taboo, we knew we couldn't just hold auditions and hope for a line of applicants."
Tsumugi tossed her crown to the side and stuck her tongue out in a crazed expression. Her voice matched her changed persona, sounding like a punk rocker.
"The fuzz would've shut us down before we could even get started! Honestly, it was hard enough to find like-minded people as it was, let alone plan anything. So, we had to operate in fuckin' secret! We wanted to match the format of the first two games and abduct fourteen high school students, at least at first. But with Makoto and Kyoko Naegi paying close attention to anything even remotely resembling what they survived, we'd just be painting a bullseye on our backs!"
"So, you couldn't abduct an entire group of participants from one place…" Shuichi mused. "You had to diversify your targets so as to limit the attention law enforcement would give each case."
Tsumugi nodded, visibly calming down and donning a pair of glasses while tying her wig into a ponytail with one hand. "Yeah, it was a real headscratcher. Then we remembered that the Future Foundation Killing Game proved that the formula could work with any age. So, we had an idea. What if we allowed people of any age to compete? That way it could be everybody's Killing Game! We would get the cast we needed and allow us to keep a low profile."
Kiki's eyes lit up in realization. "Is that why you targeted the Nonary Game Participants? So that you'd have a variance in ages?"
"We'll get to why I chose them to participate soon enough. For now, we're discussing your participation." Kiki grumbled before Tsumugi continued, "Now then, we knew that we wanted the revival cast to have some connection to the survivors of old, which is why our first targets were all of you, bar Sokyu."
"Why bar me?"
"Because you never attended Hope's Peak Academy."
"Hope's Peak Academy?" Kiki's brow furrowed. "You mean…Shuichi, Kirumi, Gonta, Ryoma, Keebo, and I attended Hope's Peak Academy?"
"Well, at the very least, you were all directly connected to it. You, Shuichi, Kirumi, and Gonta were students from beginning to end in your own right."
"What about me and Keebo?" Ryoma questioned.
"You were scheduled to attend, but your incarceration meant that your studies had to be cancelled. Keebo, on the other hand, worked within the school. In any case, you were both connected enough to Hope's Peak Academy to catch Team Danganronpa's interest, so we added you two to the list of worthwhile participants."
"Okay, but then why did you choose Sokyu, then?" Kiki pressed.
"Astute question. Even though he had no direct interaction with Hope's Peak Academy, his family ties to Makoto Naegi made him an interesting candidate."
"…You mean how my old man and my uncle came to blows with Kiki's parents, right…?" Sokyu deduced, causing Kiki's eyes to widen in shock.
"So, it…it's true then…? Makoto Naegi…is really…my father…?" So it was…my name that was redacted from that file about Akki's plan?
"Of course, that's why you were of particular interest to us. Think about it, the offspring of the Ultimate Hope and now Headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy, being the main character of the Killing Game Revival's premiere cast…the nostalgic appeal would have made our ratings soar. In fact, we had several good candidates for lead characters, and we couldn't decide on just one. All of you had your individual merits and would have made compelling leads for different reasons."
"…You mean me and Kaede, right?" Shuichi guessed.
"Correct, that's why we chose her in the first place. She was renowned as a piano prodigy, and her bubbly, charismatic personality made her a character that would win the hearts of many a male viewer, as you yourself can attest to."
How dare you refer to Kaede as just some character! Shuichi gritted his teeth in fury, though Tsumugi merely ignored him.
"Which brings us to you, Shuichi. Whilst your lack of inner strength would have made you a…not very compelling main character…we knew from your past with Kiki that there was a hidden strength within you. It merely needed the right circumstances to be brought out. Besides, without any character growth, an audience is bound to be bored, so we added you in and hoped you'd survive long enough to grow into your own. And you did not disappoint our expectations, so congratulations, Shuichi."
"What about Rantaro?" Keebo inquired, changing the subject before Shuichi could lash out at Tsumugi's taunts. "We now know that he was a Willing Participant…but how did he agree to be part of something that he knew would likely kill him?"
"Ah, yes, Rantaro's true role…he was a…"
"Oh yeah…" Koto tilted his head. "Why did Rantaro agree to be part of this Killing Game?"
"Whatever it was, he obviously didn't remember it once the game started." Mokubo deduced.
I can think of one possible reason…Kyoko thought as Makoto bit his lip in agreement.
"It doesn't look like we'll have to wait long." Maki gestured to the TV. "Tsumugi doesn't look like she's going to be very coy about this detail."
"Yeah…" Kiri's head bobbed with dread. "And I don't think I'm gonna like the answer…"
Neither do we…
"Rantaro's true role…" Tsumugi began. "He was my…collaborator."
Kiki and Shuichi's eyes widened in shock. Collaborator?!
"He wasn't officially a member of Team Danganronpa, mind you. But he agreed to support my endeavors to the very end, even at the cost of his own life."
"So, you planned to kill him from the very start?!" Gonta shrieked in horror, only for Tsumugi to remove her glasses and bow her head in sorrow.
"No…it wasn't like that. They say that love makes people do crazy things for each other…or maybe I just like to think he loved me. Maybe having him die for the sake of my dreams makes the despair of losing him easier to stomach…" Returning to the standard Junko persona, Tsumugi glanced towards Kaede's portrait. "Anyway, if you want to blame someone, blame Kaede. She did come up with the plan to kill him, after all. I merely gave her the insurance that it would work."
"Just like how you tried to use me to kill Kiki, right?" Sokyu guessed, glaring at Tsumugi.
Right…Tsumugi tried to kill me to keep the game going…
"Well, what'd you expect?!" Tsumugi exclaimed, turning her head to glare at Kiki. "This isn't a sitcom; watching you and Shuichi tiptoe around each other can only keep the audience entertained for so long. I didn't love having to kill you off, but with you keeping everyone together, you didn't leave me much choice."
"Hmph." Ryoma snorted. "You take the term abnormality to a whole new level…"
Tsumugi shrugged. "I did what I had to in order to keep the game going. Anyway, we're getting too far ahead. We still have to finish talking about the planning of the game."
"We now know how Kiki, Shuichi, Gonta, Kirumi, Ryoma, Rantaro, Kaede, Sokyu, and I were selected for the Killing Game." Keebo recalled.
"Then how were we captured?!" Sokyu demanded. "Cause I'm pretty sure none of us were just gonna waltz into those pods of our own accord!"
Tsumugi nodded. "Yes, I'd say it's about time to talk about the Nonary Game Participants."
"That's not what I asked!" An angry vein pulsed in his forehead. "I asked you how you captured us!"
"We are talking about how you were captured, you hotheaded baboon." Tsumugi retorted. "It merely involves talking about the members of the Nonary Game I selected for this Killing Game as well. Now…how did I bring you into this Killing Game without your consent?"
How did Tsumugi get us to Kibou University…? Kiki pondered. Whatever she did, it had to have incapacitated us beforehand. In order to advance this trial, I have to figure that out!
"How did I capture you?"
"You must have done something to knock us out first." Keebo deduced.
"Sure, I can agree with that, but…" Sokyu demanded "…what did that witch use to do it?"
"Maybe it was head trauma?" Ryoma suggested.
"Or maybe…" Gonta mused. "…We all breathed in something funny!"
"I agree with you!" Kiki exclaimed. "We did all breathe in something that made us lose consciousness!"
"Huh, really?"
"Why are you surprised?" Ryoma raised his brow. "You're the one who suggested it."
"Forget about that." Sokyu interjected. "What did they have us breathe in?"
"Well, Tsumugi's journal that Shuichi found indicates that we were all exposed to Soporil."
"Soporil…?" Sokyu's eyes flashed. "Wasn't that what the quack who held you at gunpoint used to kill Snake?"
"That's right." Shuichi nodded. "Gentarou Hongou was the CEO of Cradle Pharmaceuticals, a corporation that specializes in a sedative known as Soporil."
"Then Tsumugi must have gotten it from Ace!" Keebo declared. "That's how she and Team Danganronpa targeted him for the Killing Game!"
"Puhuhu, that's right!" Tsumugi giggled. "During our research into potential players, we came across a news article regarding the Nonary Game. At that point, we were struck with inspiration! The survivors of another death game, competing for survival with the descendant of the First Killing Game's survivors and those connected to the new Hope's Peak Academy…it was the perfect starting cast for the revival of the Killing Games! And the perfect crossover show to boot!"
"That's why you subjected Hongou, Snake, Clover, Seven, Lotus, and Teruaki to this?!" Kiki exclaimed, her eyes blazing in fury. "How could you do something like that to people who already survived their own hell?!"
"It was easy once Ace gave us what we needed. Once we dangled the promise of freedom and a cure in front of him, he sang like a canary. From there, finding and tracking down the others was easy-"
"Wait, something still doesn't fit." Shuichi interrupted.
"Huh? What doesn't fit?"
"You said you tracked down the other members of the Nonary Game to capture them…but that explanation has a hole in it."
Ryoma furrowed his brow. "What do you mean…?"
"Puhuhu…" Tsumugi giggled. "Yes, what do you mean, Shuichi? Go ahead…and tell us what's wrong with my story!"
What doesn't match up with Tsumugi's story? If she's telling the truth…then the number of participants should be much higher. Shuichi narrowed his eyes. I have to prove what the discrepancy is!
"Huh?" Kiri tilted her head in confusion. "What's he talking about?"
"Yeah!" Koto nodded. "What's the problem with Tsumugi's story?"
"…It's the number of participants…" Everyone turned towards Mokubo, who explained, "It's simple addition. If you add the Nonary Game participants to the others she captured, it doesn't add up to sixteen."
"Indeed." Kyoko nodded. "She was trying to mimic the past Killing Games, which all included sixteen participants. So, something must have happened during Tsumugi's planning to cut the number of possible participants."
"Thank Kami for that…" Makoto sighed in relief.
"Obviously Teruaki was already dead beforehand…" Maki concluded. "But is that all there is to it?"
The family stayed glued to the TV screen. Their minds worked in tandem with Shuichi's as they tried to figure out exactly what the fallacy in Tsumugi's statement was.