Dangan RomPonya

by Serenade-Stereo

Final Class Trial: Chapter 4

Author's Note:

WARNING SPOILERS OF THE FIRST DANGANRONPA GAME IN THIS CHAPTER!!!

"No matter what happens...as long as the spirits of the others are around me...I won't let your despair infect me!"

"What the...?" Shadow gave a confused look. "How is this possible...she calculated everything...she said this would work...WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!!!" Shadow slammed his fist on the podium in front of him. "You shouldn't have a speck of hope left within you! So why...?"

"Because, Serenade has something you don't..." Gold says. "And that something is our friendship with him."

"Friend...ship...?" Shadow spat. "What a wasteful word! You don't need friends, friends are meaningless! This is a despair environment! Only despair can exist!"

Non-Stop Debate

Evidence Bullets

-Class Friendship

-Recording Tape

-The Mastermind

-The School Life of Mutual Killings

-Photo Album

-Digital's Testimony

Shadow- They don't want you...friends just abandon each other when one does something the other doesn't like!

Moonlight- That may exist for you...but this reporter will always be friends with Ms Lens!

Shadow- Just wait, I'm telling you all...friends are worthless...friendship shouldn't exist or be spoken of!

Lock- I was friends with Serenade a long time ago, seeing him again, it made me realise how close we were back then!

Shadow- But you left him! You abandoned him in his time of need!

Tickery- Everyone makes mistakes! Even Tickery!

Shadow- And I wonder how many friendships failed because of that!

Gold- I never really had any friends...so to be here and be considered a friend was like an acceptance to me!

Shadow- They probably felt sorry for you...

Wild- Oh just fuck off!

Shadow- You fuck off!

Zoom- Stop fighting, both of you! Wild, I know you just wanna defend Serenade, but...

Shadow- It's all fake!

Punch- Friendships will always grow...maybe into something deeper...

Shadow- And maybe you'll realize how much you hate that person!

Hammer- I'll always keep in contact with my friends, even when I had to move from Fillydelphia to Trottingham!

Shadow- Friends will just forget about you...

Nimbus- You will always have a deep connection the ones that you call 'friend'

Shadow- But they can be faked very easily!

Samurai- So tell us then...why are you so against friendship...?

Shadow- Because...I have nobody to consider a friend!

You got that wrong!

"You're saying that you never had any friends? Not even one...?"

"Yes, what of it?!"

"Well, looking through my photo album, the one photo you're in...that would be with B, are you saying that you didn't have some sort of friendship with her?" Shadow gave a blank expression.

"Friendship with B? B Positive? Fehahahahahahahah! You crack me up!"

"What's so funny?" Wild asked angrily.

"Sure, I knew B, but we didn't have a friendship!"

"Wait...you knew, B?" Serenade asked.

"Oh right...you don't know about your school life...."

"What are you talking about? School life?" Zoom yelled.

"You realise that you have the answer there in your ElectroID, right? Just look, you'll see what I mean..."

What is Shadow talking about...?
Of course!

"You're talking about the human world's School Life of Mutual Killings, right?"

"Ding! We have a winner! You see, in the human world's mutual killings, they had to take away the memories of the students to give them the ultimate despair, which was...well, you could play the game for yourself but I already spoiled to much, y'know?"

"Spoiled? Game?" Gold repeated.

"Shh....just pretend I never said anything..."

"Are you saying...you stole our memories...?" Punch asked. Shadow smirked and gave a shrug.

"Who knows...? Maybe I did...maybe I didn't..."

"What kind of a response is that?!" Zoom yelled.

"A normal yet cryptic answer, you honestly think that I would just reveal the secret to everything just like that? Oh no, there has to be some fun in this game."

"Is that all this was to you...?" Nimbus asked. "Just a game...?"

"Yeah, pretty much, it was great fun to see you all murder one another to only be executed in the end...ah...the despair you all must have felt..."

"Wait...Gold, do you know who killed you?" Serenade asked.

"...sorry, Serenade...but we're just projections that your mind created...so I don't really know, but if this was a video game, I could've probably told you with no problems...."

"You guys are just projections...?" Serenade asked.

"But, your mind was able to create based on even the stolen memories, this just shows how strong our bond were with you!" Gold responded. "That in itself is awesome, better than any game I've ever played."

"But the real goal right now...is defeating him..." Wild pointed to Shadow. "And stopping the spread of despair forever!"

"Feh! You're all just fakes!"

"This coming from you?!" Moonlight snapped. "This reporter believes that Mr Rain will pay for his crimes!"

"So, you want Serenade to pay as well then?"

"Wh-what...?" Serenade stuttered.

"You didn't realise something so simple? Celestia dammit, you're retarded...I'm saying that if I get punished...then you do as well..."

Nrg...! That can't be true...there has to be some way around it...

"No, there's another way!" Samurai interjected.

"Oh really? Alright then...tell me what that would be?" Shadow folded his arms.

"If we trapped you in here one more time...and made sure you were sealed away forever...then Serenade wins and you get punished for your crimes!"

"Yeah...to bad that's not gonna happen..." Shadow sighed. "I mean, feeling that despair was nice and all but I need something much more refreshing...basically...the despair of death..."

"D-death...?" Serenade paled.

"Yeah, as we speak, I'm convincing everyone else to vote for you as the mastermind and kill you off..."

"You son of a bitch!" Wild yelled.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever...let's just finish this..." Shadow smirked. "Well, Serenade? Are you prepared to face off against me?"

"Come on Serenade...don't let him get the better of you..." Samurai encouraged.

If I am the mastermind...then what's the use...? But still...I won't let Shadow defeat me!

Cross-Swords

Evidence Blades

-Recording Tape

-Class Friendship

-The Mastermind

Shadow- It's all over for you now, no matter what you do or say. You can't change the fact that you're the mastermind, right? Basically, what I'm trying to say is that you have no hope left to cling onto.

Serenade- No hope left? You seem pretty sure of that.

Shadow- You never had hope to begin with, you just latched onto others and brought them despair because you wouldn't fend for yourself, could you?

Serenade- That was then...I admit, I am weaker than a lot of people...but that doesn't mean I'll lose to you!

Shadow- Why are you still fighting this? You're the mastermind! You'll get executed no matter what you do, you fit the mastermind's MO perfectly after all...

I can't listen to your lies!

"I fit the mastermind's MO? Not in the slightest!"

"Are you kidding me? The mastermind has split personalities just like you!"

"Yes...but I am not the mastermind..."

"What...?"

"In all honesty...I think you know who I'm referring to...Junko Enoshima. The real mastermind!" Shadow scoffed.

"I just used Junko Enoshima as a basis for my plan...why would you think that she's actually in our dimension?"

"Because this is something nobody could construct on their own..."

"And what makes you say that exactly?" Shadow grinned.

What makes me say that...are the previous attempts!
Of course!

"I mean, the first ever School Life of Mutual Killings, that was constructed by two Super High School Level Despairs. But you aren't a Super High School Level at all!"

"Oh? What makes you say that...? You didn't actually hear it but...I already introduced myself to the others as the Super High School Level Mastermind..."

"Y-you're...the SHSL Mastermind...?" Nimbus asked stunned.

"Well duh! I just went through this ninja boy! Anyway, the point is...the one that's been conducting all of this...has been me...and therefore, you, Serenade..."

N...no...no! That can't be true! Why did it have to be me?! Why do I have to be the mastermind in all of this?!

"Serenade." Samurai looked at him. "Listen, it doesn't matter what he says because for you there are two options whether he's telling the truth or not. If he's lying...you can defeat him and find the real mastermind...or if he's telling the truth...I think you should already know the answer...because you don't want despair to win, right?"

I don't want despair to win...no, I don't. Why would I want something like that getting the better of me? I need to do something...I need to stop Shadow once and for all!

"That...fire in your eyes, surely you still don't want to continue?!"

"I will fight you, I won't let your despair bring me down anymore! You've been a thorn in everybody's side from the start and I will end you!"

"P...piece of shit..." Shadow grunted.

Machinegun Talk Battle

Shadow- You're hopeless!

Shadow- You're the real mastermind!

Shadow- You've trapped everyone!

Shadow- Friendship is meaningless!

Shadow- Despair! Despair! DESPAIR!

Shadow- Perish before me!

Shadow- I am victorious!

Shadow- You're finished!

Enough!

Shadow- You're the mastermind...why would you continue to fight?!

For everybody's future!

"Even if you are telling the truth, you've already lost, Shadow!"

"Wh...what? I've lost already?"

"No matter what kind of despair you would throw at Serenade, he would always rise above it with his hope!" Zoom explained.

"Even in the face of death...Serenade would fight for everyone else to have a future, to have hope emanating from them!" Wild smiled. There was a screech as Shadow Beau faded away.

"No! Shut up! All of you!"

"Hope is the reason Serenade still lives right now!" Gold adds.

"Hope will always triumph over despair!" Moonlight points at Shadow with her microphone. Another screech was heard as Shadow Grimdark disappeared.

"Tickery knows that Serenade is the strongest of the strong!"

"Yeah, with willpower anyway..." Punch gives a small laugh as Shadow Olive vanished.

"This...this isn't happening!" Shadow yelled.

"It is, no force on this planet will sit by and watch as you spread your despair across the world!" Nimbus twirls a shuriken.

"Yeah! You better back off forever!" Hammer adds, causing Shadow Orion to disappear.

"Serenade's hope isn't the only thing inside of him that's strong either..." Lock smirks making Shadow Digital disappear with another screech.

"Serenade has strong bonds with whoever he meets...in all honesty, Serenade is like the embodiment of hope!" Samurai draws his katana, leaps across the trial room and cuts Shadow B down before jumping back to his place beside Serenade.

"See, Shadow? Because of my friends, I've been able to make it through everything you've put me through...friends are meaningless, they're worth fighting for! They're worth dying for!"

Shadow just gave a wide eyed expression. "A-after...everything...? You're telling me that I....that I....that I...lost...?"

"So is it true...? Are you the real mastermind?" Serenade asked.

"...you already have the evidence to say if I am or not...I just wonder if you'll be able to figure it out..."

"I have the evidence?" Serenade repeated.

"What is it?! What's the evidence?!" Punch demanded.

"...figure that out...yourself..." Shadow disappeared and as soon as he did, everything went dark.

Did I...win...? There was a glow as Samurai's figure slowly drifted towards Serenade.

"Well done..." He gave a small smile.

"S-Samurai..." Serenade gave a sad expression.

"What's wrong? You just beat Shadow, the devil side of you. Why aren't you happy?"

"I am...it's just...what happened to you...I feel a little bit responsible..."

"Why do feel like that? It was my own arrogance that got me killed..."

"But, I could have helped you...I could have saved you...I feel like it's my fault that you felt useless..."

"Serenade...that isn't your fault. That was just my inferiority complex. I hate how useless I always feel, that's what it was about, you shouldn't feel bad about what happened."

"But..." Samurai silenced him.

"Look. That doesn't matter, what matters now...is finishing this all off once and for all...and I guess I was helpful in end..."

"What do you mean?"

"I got you the trial that you needed...so go win it for everyone!" Samurai gave a goofy grin and a thumbs up as a bright light consumed Serenade's vision.

--------------------------

Serenade's eyes flew open, he was standing upright again but this time he was in the real trial room with the real Beau, Grimdark, B, Olive, Digital and Orion.

"Serenade...? Are you okay...?" Beau asked.

"Shadow Rain..." Serenade started. "I stopped him..."

"Huh? Olive tilted her head. "You beat Shadow Rain without being here?"

"Are you talking about inside your mind?" Grimdark asked.

"Yes...though I did have some help...oh, which reminds me, Orion?"

"Yes, Mr Stereo...?"

"Nimbus...Nimbus says he loves you back."

"What...?" Orion's eyes widened. "T-to think! I sensed spiritual activity in the room but...I never thought..."

Spiritual activity...? But didn't Gold say...?

------------

"...sorry, Serenade...but we're just projections that your mind created...so I don't really know, but if this was a video game, I could've probably told you with no problems...."

------------

Was that...the mastermind's doing...?

"So, are you really the mastermind...?" Beau asked.

"I..." Am I...? Shadow Rain said I had the evidence...wait...no, it couldn't be...could it... "I am not the mastermind! Junko Enoshima is!"

"What?! You can prove that?!" B yelled out.

"Yes I can...the real identity of the mastermind is..."
It's been you all along!