Chapter 3: When Hell Freezes Over Part 1 (Daily Life)

Remaining Students: 14

Yūgo Hachiken (Silver Spoon): Ultimate Tutor

Reyn (Xenoblade Chronicles): Ultimate Tank

Pietro Maximoff "Quicksilver" (Marvel Cinematic Universe): Ultimate Speedster

Miles "Tails" Prower (Sonic The Hedgehog): Ultimate Pilot

Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd (Fire Emblem: Three Houses): Ultimate Prince

Satou Kazuma (Konosuba) Ultimate Thief

Bede (Pokémon): Ultimate Gym Leader

Ray (The Promised Neverland): Ultimate Strategist

Sayori (Doki Doki Literature Club): Ultimate Poet

Konata Izumi (Lucky Star): Ultimate Otaku

Saki Nikaido (Zombie Land Saga): Ultimate Biker Gang Leader

Tsuyu Asui (My Hero Academia) Ultimate Amphibian

Minori Ichinose (Tropical-Rouge! Pretty Cure): Ultimate Bookworm

Kale (Dragon Ball Super): Ultimate ?

Sayori's POV

Insert Song: Candy Heartz (feat. Jason Hayes) Version 2 (Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!)

"Sayo…. where…. I? Wa…. up… he…llo?"

"...one please… help…. Any….?"

"AGH!"

I wake up screaming… voices, again?

Those were different ones than the voices I heard after the last trial… I couldn't hear much of what they said, but I swear they sounded familiar… one word stood out from what they said to me though…

"Help…" I said the word aloud to myself.

They were crying out for help, but why would they come to me?

I'm not too helpful in investigation and trials, mainly looking over stuff that we've gathered and failing to connect the dots as well as everyone else… It's mainly Hachiken and Ray putting in the work, these voices should be going to them… or maybe a good leader like Dimitri… someone as brainy as Tails… someone as strong as Reyn and Saki…

Why someone like me?

That question lingers on my mind even when I shake my head. I'm thinking too hard about this, if I do it too much my rain clouds might come back… and I'm already feeling awful for how we lost both Finn and Teruhashi yesterday…

…

…

A walk, yeah, I should take a walk.

Nobody else should be awake this early, so I won't bother anyone else and no one would try to kill me either. Finally Sayori, a good idea from you…

I put on some sandals as I prepared to walk out the dorm. Reyn was passed out on the couch snoring as loud as a gorilla probably does, and it made me giggle a bit. He's such a funny guy, just a big dumb softy…

It's cold.

I wiggled my chilly toes and hugged myself as I stepped outside. Those wind machines they used for the hurricane must still be on. Or… maybe they were already on to begin with and they just increased the amount of force to make the hurricane… It's still cold no matter the reason though, and I shivered as I walked around the plaza.

I wonder if the next area has opened up by now, maybe I can prove how useful I can be by scouting ahead!

I walked past the dance studio and theater area… and it was already done!

"The… L Zone? What does the L stand for?"

"I know what it DOESN'T stand for, LITERATURE! No bookworms allowed here! NEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRD!"

"KYAAAAAAAHHH!"

Jeez, Monokuma scared the heck out of me… I clutched my chest and took a few deep breaths before I turned to him and saw he was…

"Bwahahahahaha! Got you, ya adorable Cinnamon Bun! Did you come here for the Tailgate Party?! It's only a few days away!"

Monokuma had two foam fingers on, with a football helmet and jersey to complete the look. I'd say it looked cute… if it wasn't for the fact that it was, y'know, Monokuma? Mr. Big Dumb Meanie Murder Bear, trademarked by Sayori.

"Tailgate Party? Like they do for football games? Why would you… ohhhhhhhhh."

I look behind him and there's a HUGE stadium behind him, food trucks lined up all over, to my right a large running track, and to my left a baseball and soccer field! This is a sports themed zone! Wow….

"This is so… coooooool!"

Monkuma chuckled after I said that, "What a reaction! I can see that face being used on video thumbnails everywhere! You know… just for that, and for being the first guest…"

Monokuma took my hand and led me over to a nearby food truck and tapped on the window. The chef was another Monokuma, with a little hairnet and a stubble. I looked at the name of the truck, painted right above the ordering window: Gokuhara Garlic Fries.

"Here ya go, one order of the special! A bucket of garlic fries for the little lady with the bow!"

H-HUH?!

Insert Song: Poem Panic! (Doki Doki Literature Club!)

The size of that bucket… and it's filled to the brim with french fries covered in garlic, parsley and olive oil! I felt my mouth watering as he placed the bucket in my arms. It wasn't too heavy… and the fries were perfectly crispy… Wait, no!

"You're trying to trick me with deliciousness before you take it all away! You're too much of a meanie not to do it!"

"Say whaaaaa? Who do you think I am? I'm the dean of this university, of course I get to treat my students when they do well in their studies… or, class trials in our case. But if you're not gonna eat it then…"

He put his paw on the bucket and I instinctively swatted it away.

"N-No! I-I'll just eat it then… it would be rude of me not to."

I gulped as I picked one up with my fingers, looking to make sure that they weren't poisoned or anything. I inserted it into my mouth, chewing carefully so that the taste could fill my mouth.

"MMPH!"

After just one bite I was shoveling more into my mouth hole by the handful as Monokuma crossed his arms and looked smug… or, is that just his default face? I don't know, all I do know is… THESE ARE TOO GOOD.

"Puhuhuhu, I can't believe you fell for it! You're going to be stuck eating through the layers of that bucket and never live to see the bottom! A fate worse than death… A STARCHY HELL BE UPON YOU SAYORI (Insert Last Name Here)!"

Five minutes later…

"Mm… can I have some more please? Or… maybe something sweet to go along with it?"

Monokuma's eyes went wide when I handed him back the empty bucket. He takes it, but is shivering so much that he ends up dropping it. Didn't know he was cold too…

"W-W-Well then… y-y-you want to go check out the s-s-stadium? Get a p-p-preview of the next motive?"

The next motive?! Now this I need to find out more about, even if it's not much… I still gotta help everyone out!

"O-Okay, take me there."

He gingerly took my messy hand, still all oily from the garlic fries, as we walked into Kuma Kolosseum. I'm greeted by a Monokuma head flying over my head.

"Ah! What's going on here?!"

"Oh, just a preview of what you and your fellow students will have to go through soon…"

Insert Song: The Darkest Day (Pokémon Sword and Shield)

Monokuma held his arm out and I saw… a maze! Several teams of Monokumas wearing glowing neon armor are going through separate areas, with different things coming at them! Large boulders, flame jets, buzz saws, cannons, tidal waves, mine fields, and out of the corner of my eye I see the end of the maze had a bit of cold wind blowing out of it…

"We have to go through this?" I asked Monokuma with my mouth wide open.

Monokuma held his paw to his mouth and chuckled, "No no, of course not… it'll be MUCH worse than this."

I went back to being all shaky, except it was for more than just the cold… this is crazy, TOO CRAZY! What's the point of going through all of this? I clutched my head as I looked on at all the carnage inside the Kolosseum.

How can anyone survive all of this?

How can I survive all of this?

As my mind continued to flood with all these worries, I saw a familiar figure step down from the audience seats… she was like a vampire, coming here to suck the life out of me… her face made me tense up in fear… Sird.

"An unexpected guest, hm? If it isn't the girl who nearly strung herself up and ended her own life…"

I gasped when she said that, how did she know about that? I stayed silent as she walked around me, making me tense up even more.

"Did not expect you to survive this long after the fact… you do look to be weak prey surrounded by a horde of hungry predators. Perhaps they see you as merely a pet? One whose blood is not worth staining their hands with…"

I clenched my fists and looked down at my feet as she continued to insult me. I… don't have the courage to say something back to her. My body feels paralyzed and nothing comes out of my mouth. It gets even worse when she takes out her Pokémon, I think that's what Bede called those things.

Her lion cat Pokémon was looking at me like I was made of catnip, licking its fangs as it brushed up against my leg.

"Ah…" Was the only thing I could let out as Sird leaned forward and looked me in the eye with a scary smirk.

"This event will determine who in this killing game has the will to carry on until its conclusion. Teams will have to brave many trials that will test their strength, intelligence, and resilience, while also being given opportunities to hinder their opponents. And to make matters more interesting, the one that proves themselves as champion out of all of you… will receive this."

She showed me a dark red card in between her fingers and I squinted to see what was written on it.

"This… is the Free Kill card. It allows you to assassinate any person on campus and get away with the crime. You will not be able to use it to escape, but it is useful for being rid of any potential threat as well as protecting yourself from execution…"

My eyes went wide as I gulped nervously. This… This could be awful in the wrong hands… If someone gets caught killing someone, they can just use the card and try again another time! Or they can use it to kill a witness and get away with it so they can focus on hiding their true victim… Agh, my head!

"Just the reaction I was hoping for… I better take my leave then. Have a good night's sleep, child…"

I don't think I'll be getting ANY sleep tonight, or the next few days… maybe even a week.

As I wiped the tears that were beginning to fall from my face, Sird stopped in her tracks and turned around.

"One final thing I forgot to mention, I will be in attendance for both this event… and for the likely class trial afterwards. Farewell…"

I ran back to the dorm as quickly as I could, trying to get as far away from her as possible. As soon as I reached the door to my room however…

"Oi, Sayori. What are doin' up this late, huh?" Saki asked me while yawning, her long blonde and orange hair dropping down her face.

"... "

Saki put her hands on her hips before asking me again, "Sayori? I said…"

"... It's nothing. Just went out to clear my head, sorry to wake you. Goodnight!"

I faked a smile as I closed the door on her, dropping face first back into bed.

I'm such a coward…

I didn't just want to straight up tell her all of what I just went through, even though it would have been good for her to know. Tomorrow, yeah, that's when I tell them all.

Tomorrow….

MONOKUMA THEATER

"I may be a bear obsessed with despair, but I draw the line at stealing any form of art!"

"Whether it's writing, drawings, or even 3D modeling… you shouldn't be taking shortcuts, ya lazy bums!"

"Sure you can use references for posing, but full-on TRACING? COPY-PASTING? Or god forbid… A.I. ART?! I'm a robot bear, a primary example of A.I. in fiction, and even I find it repulsive!"

"When I steal ideas, I would at least leave some credit to whoever made them. I would not just steal something and pass it off as my own, I want to make it blatantly clear that I am taking their stuff!"

"As a wise toy cleaner and chess player once said, YOU CAN'T RUSH ART! Which is probably why the author has such an iffy schedule when posting these chapters. This stuff takes time, people…"

Hachiken's POV

"Eh…"

Last night we lived to see another day… at the cost of two more people's lives. Not a victory I feel like celebrating, even if we did have a bit of fun here last night. Maybe it was just a way to escape feeling like crap.

It did work… until it didn't, immediately returning after we went to bed.

Insert Song: Ground (Silver Spoon/Gin no Saji)

I washed my face with water and got dressed before walking out to see everyone around the tv.

"1! 2! 3! YES!" Reyn cheered and raised his arms up excitedly.

"I still can't believe he finished the story… he really deserves it!" Tails smiles as he watches the replay of an event we watched last night.

Saki was sobbing as she wiped away tears with her arms, "Damn it… I love professional wrestling…"

Even if my knowledge of wrestling was scarce, it still was quite an enjoyable watch for me as well.

The hero or "babyface" finally toppled the reign of a champion who held the belt for over a thousand days, with the help of many allies… including a man who claims not to be seen and a deadman. With their assistance in taking down his enforcers, a trifecta of finishing moves begins a new era… Sounds a bit cheesy, but I'm a sucker for an ending like that.

A happy ending.

Something that… I truly want to experience myself once we get out of here. Sharing a tearful goodbye to the friends I made here, and a tearful reunion with the friends back home. Giving Mikage the biggest kiss I could give her before going on a horseback ride together… I will pray a thousand times more to make this happen. May my prayers reach every god I just tried to contact.

"Um… guys? Something… happened last night…"

Sayori suddenly sat up from her chair and we all turned to her with both worry and curiosity.

"Oh yeah, you finally gonna tell me why you were out so late?" Saki asked as she crossed her arms.

"Y-Yeah… well… you see… um…"

Sayori pressed her fingers together as she tried to come up with the words.

"Take your time, take your time…" I told her to help ease her conscience.

She nodded as she finally found "Okay, so I went out for a bit to clear my mind a little… the last trial really did a number on me so…"

Reyn nodded along as he put his large hand on her tinier shoulder.

"I get it, Sayori, we all need to get away from it all sometimes. You're not alone though, I'm still trying to wrap my head around how four people got killed already…"

"Mhm… I guess you could say though… that walk did not help at all, mainly due to where I ended up going." Sayori hugged her arms together with a fearful look on her face.

Uh oh, she must have seen something big. Unfortunately though…

*ring ring*

A call from Dimitri, we all opened up our e-Handbooks and joined the group chat.

"Agh, I was still sleeping!" Kazuma complained on the other end.

Tails sighed, "We were just about to learn something important ourselves…"

"What's the problem, Your Highness?" Minori's quieter voice could barely be heard over everyone else's voices.

Pietro's audio sounded pretty windy, he must be going jogging.

"I'm…n my…. 10th lap… what?!"

We then saw Dimitri's icon light up on our chat, but not a sound was coming out. Does… he not know how to…

Tsuyu addressed the problem faster than I did, "Your Highness… press the unmute button, ribbit. It's the one with the microphone…"

Dimitri finally figured it out and unmuted as a few people were laughing at him. It was funny, but give the guy a break, he doesn't know how our devices work!

"A-Ahem, you have my thanks for that, Tsuyu. Now then, the new facilities have opened up and it's once again time to explore every inch of it. Even if we do not manage to find anything of importance, knowing our surroundings is another key factor in our survival. Once we finish up, we shall immediately meet up to trade any information we may have gathered. Understood?"

"Yes, Your Highness." I replied back to him.

He sounded tired again like he was after our first trial, but on the bright side he doesn't seem to be in as bad of a mood as he was last night… he was visibly upset after finding the body and even spoke rudely to Sayori… I truly hope to find out if he is any better right now.

We all exited the call and put our handbooks away.

"Ah, it looks like we have to go. Maybe we can discuss it after, Sayori?" Tails suggests as she bit her lip.

"No, i-it's fine. Yeah we can do it after our search. Ehehehe… let's get going."

She walked out the door ahead of us as I felt bad for her being interrupted. Right as soon as she came up with what to say too… I wish I could have said something to reassure her before she left, but… maybe I could make it up to her later? We all departed to the next area, the L Zone… what does the L stand for anyways? Knowing Monokuma, it represents us, because we're LOSERS. Yeah he would say something like that, or something just as insulting and more…

Insert Song: Colony 9 (Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition)

Anyways this place… was astoundingly large! Food trucks on every corner, a baseball field, soccer field, a running track, and football stadium as its main attraction… I walk along paved walkways, looking high and low for something out of place, but there's nothing that really stood out to me… well aside from how outlandish some of the food items being served here were. And look at that, the others are helping themselves to… nearly everything.

Saki bit into a smoked turkey leg that had been stuffed with macaroni and cheese.

"Mmph! Thish iz amzing!"

"Ah… ah! Oh my… this was not the smartest decision…" Minori was trying to balance an ice cream cone with so many scoops and toppings on it, sweat dropped from her head as she tried to keep it from falling.

Kazuma sighed as his hot dog squeezed itself out of its bun as soon as he tried to take a bite. Pietro swung by to grab it before it touched the ground, wiping mustard off his face and smirking at him before running off.

"Is it just me, or has my luck been shittier since I've got here?"

"It's not just you, things are rough all over. The fact that we're even here at all, even if we're lucky to survive at the moment, is a sign that we all have terrible luck." Ray tells Kazuma as he sips a soda.

Agreed, you may have the right to complain… but you don't see us doing it. Kazuma has been pretty annoyed at everything since he's been here, wonder if it's just a result of being stuck in this killing game for so long or if he's like this back home too. Really hope he starts to mellow out a little as time goes on, I may hate this place as much as he does… yet I have the decency to not make such a big deal about it for others' sake.

Okay beyond the food trucks were the sports fields and they were freaking gigantic… I'd pass out before I could even finish walking across all of them, although I may owe that to me being inadequate at sports. I may have worked in stables and rode horseback plenty of times, but physical education was never my strong suit. I'm more brains than brawn, as one could easily tell by my Ultimate title or by just looking at me.

Finally we went up to that stadium… and it was closed. Metal doors and a bunch of chains surrounded the entryways and even the windows up high were blocked off. Whatever's in here… they really don't want us to see.

I saw Bede observe this and groaned loudly, "Such a tease… a stadium so flashy on the outside, yet not allowing visitors inside? Something's going on in there, but what could it be…?"

Don't tell Bede this, but I was thinking the same thing. Why open up everything around here except the centerpiece of the area?

"Mmmm…." Sayori was pressing her fingers together again, this time while pouting.

I go up to her and ask "What's up, Sayori?".

"N-Nothing, it's nothing."

It's definitely not nothing, judging by her tone.

"If you have nothing interesting to add, then please leave. Grab yourself an ice cream cone and leave the searching for people who can contribute." Bede tells her as he rolls his eyes and walks off.

Always the most polite, that Bede…. He even said "please" that time, wow. I patted Sayori on the back as we all went back to meet up with Dimitri and everyone else.

"So there's exactly 50 food trucks in this starting area, each with their own different menus. None of the food they serve could be found in the diner, and the inside of each truck only contained food supplies, grills, stoves, and deep fryers." Minori was listing off everything that the L Zone had to offer.

"Important note to add: Don't eat at Nagito Nachos. My chips were soggy and there was barely any queso on it!" Kazuma critiqued his order.

Konata interjected, "Really? Mine were perfectly crispy and had the perfect amount of cheese sauce. Pretty decent salsa too, not too spicy."

Kazuma lowered his head down in sorrow, "Now I really think my luck's gotten worse…"

Minori continued as she looks over her notes, "The baseball field at first seems like the standard size, yet the infield's dimensions are off by about twenty feet and the home plate is thirty feet closer to the third and first base, thus making it unsuitable for fair games to be played on them."

Tails rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, "I uh… went a bit overboard and measured the length of the field. Ah ha ha… it just felt off to me, I played baseball a few times and the fields were never like that!"

"Tails, you don't need to use all your brain power on stuff like this. We do appreciate your dedication though, kid." I reassured him by patting him on the back for his efforts… as strange as they may have been.

"The soccer field's nets were not even placed in their goals, leaving any shots made on them go right through. Other than that, no other things of note, due to how Kuma Kolosseum isn't open to the public currently." Minori finishes and bows her head towards the rest of us.

Dimitri puts his hand on his head and sighs, "Thank you, Minori. So once again we've managed to find no other clues on how to escape this prison… unfortunate, but don't lose faith yet, my friends."

To be honest, these searches haven't been doing us any good aside from us getting used to the layout of the campus. Sure we don't get lost, but I would want at least something for our efforts…

Dimitri continued as I began to start listening again.

"Remember that we can still continue to search in our own time, there may be things we have overlooked. For now, we await whatever that dastard Monokuma has planned for our next motive…"

"... I know what it is."

We all turned to Sayori as she softly whispered something.

"What was that?" Ray asked her.

"The next motive… I know what it is…" She repeated herself as she gripped her fists tightly and looked up at us.

…

…

…

"God damn, so that's where you went last night…" Saki gritted her teeth.

Sayori nodded while shaking like a leaf, "Mhm… we have to go through all of that, in order for one of us to get that card… And I don't know if we'll be able to get through all of what I saw in there…"

I'm glad she finally decided to tell us what she had on her mind… but at the same time I wish she didn't. Ugh… Now I can't stop shaking myself from how horrible it all sounds… Ray had to put his hand on my shoulder to stop my quivering.

A team race to the finish… with all sorts of hazardous crap being thrown our way? This is why I like watching sports, instead of being in them.

Konata put a finger on her chin and pondered, "Yeah, what you've just said basically describes an endgame level gauntlet… but here it is when we're likely at the halfway point, what a difficulty spike…"

"Ribbit, well all I know is that I'll do my best to defend my team members if they can't handle this kind of environment. I'll be sure to use my quirk to its fullest, as if it were an important physical test at U.A.." Tsuyu reassures us.

Reyn points to himself using his thumb, "Yeah! I'll be sure to be your shield too! I won't let anything happen to you guys, I'll hit any obstacle that comes our way with a sharp Bone Upper! I have been told I'm a lifesaver on more than one occasion, ah ha ha!"

That's when Dimitri stood up from the bench he was sitting on.

"That's not going to be enough. Having to rely only on allies with more strength or abilities than you could result in leaving yourselves vulnerable if they get taken out. If it ultimately comes down to a person untrained in any combat scenario… then more lives could end up being lost."

Pietro crossed his arms, "Then what do you suggest, Your Highness? Training them? Ha!"

"... Yes. That's exactly it." Dimitri stated.

Insert Song: Beneath The Banner (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)

"H-Huh?" I uttered out as Dimitri stood on top of his bench to look over us all.

"These next few days will be a training session for all of us. No matter how physically capable most of us are… we need to be ready for whatever gets thrown our way. And we certainly need to help our fellow students who aren't as capable."

Dimitri looked at me, Sayori, Konata, Bede, and Minori.

"Once they inform us of the teams we will be placed in, teamwork exercises will be a must. It's not just about the amount of power you have, it's about using your mind to formulate strategies and to collaborate with whoever you're paired up with. This is our primary task, leave it to me to lead you all through this struggle."

Sayori then walked forward timidly.

"But… Dimitri, not all of us can do what you do. How are you so sure that this training will help us?"

"Even the smallest step helps, Sayori. Even if you feel like you've hit a wall in terms of your own growth, break through those limits and keep aiming higher. Understood, everyone?""

We all answered him with a resounding, "YES, SIR!"

"Very well, train diligently tomorrow, as for today… get as much rest as you need. You're all dismissed!"

We all began to leave, and I seriously don't know if my noodle arms and legs will be able to get any stronger these next few days… I pray that I don't die of exhaustion before Monokuma even brings us into the stadium.

I then spotted Dimitri stopping next to Sayori before I could depart.

"I appreciate you sharing this information, Sayori, it must have been hard for you to keep this to yourself. Thank you… And, I must also apologize for the way I spoke to you before the trial the previous night. I hope you are able to forgive me…"

"Y-You're welcome, Dimitri. And no no, you had the right to be upset at me! It's okay, ehehehe~, see you later!" She replies back as the two wave goodbye.

Hm… she still doesn't look okay. Well, if I have all this free time until tomorrow…

"Sayori! You want to hang out for the rest of the day?" I asked her.

She looked at me with wide eyes before answering, "Huh?! Um… okay, Hachiken! That sounds fun!"

Good, good, she didn't refuse. I'm so glad I'm better at talking to cute girls now, bless you Mikage. Now let's see if we can cheer her up a little…

April 26th, 2020. I decided to make a fanfiction that featured Ai Mizuno, a character from the anime Zombie Land Saga, as the protagonist of a Danganronpa killing game. A cast of many other characters had followed her on her journey, supporting her, facing off with her in a battle of wits… that was Danganronpa: Fictional Nexus. Now four years later, the second killing game begins what is likely the most influential chapter in its own story. Calling back to the fourth chapter of its predecessor, with a competition for a special card that will affect the killing game down the line… and calling back to the third chapter with some protagonist shifting! Thank you to those who have been following along, especially to those not afraid to tell me what they've enjoyed about each chapter. I am eternally grateful for the amount of love I received on each of these stories in the Fictional Saga. To celebrate Nexus, I commissioned a great artist on Twitter to draw me an image featuring four of the main stars of that story. Ai Mizuno, Gold, Emma, and Yu Ishigami. A big thanks to Eemapso, please check out their artwork and get commissions of your own if you want to! Send some love their way. Hope you all enjoyed this first part, it will only get more interesting as the chapter continues… Farewell for no—wait… what do you mean there's another part done already? - Renegade Braveheart