Danganronpa: Painful Truth

Prologue

My head spinning, I gave a small nod and eyed the old man expectantly. Were we finally about to learn the real truth? Was this actually someone we could trust, or did they just want to feed us more lies? I decided I still didn't care. At that point, information was information.

Even Maki's hateful glare was on the man as he began his story. "About 25 years ago, the Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History caused the world to spiral into despair. Mass murders, riots, and wars were soon no longer newsworthy events, as they happened every day in every part of the world. Even after her death, those who idolized Junko Enoshima were numerous, powerful, and cunning, carrying out her will in the form of political figures, religious leaders, and popular entertainers.

"The Future Foundation never stopped trying to fight back. We even managed to successfully rehabilitate the group of ultimates that had once been known as the Remnants of Despair. We considered that a decisive victory for hope." He paused and adjusted his sunglasses. "But we made the same mistake as our predecessors, the same mistake they've made since the establishment of Hope's Peak Academy: we underestimated the power of those without ultimate talents.

"Even with the help of the survivors of the first killing game, and the former Remnants, we were outnumbered. The despair that had infected society was too strong. Anyone with a talent even close to reaching a perceived 'ultimate' level were being rounded up, tortured, and killed by ordinary people who worshiped Junko and her ideals. We tried to keep up with the reports, traveling all over the world to quell the cults and gangs attempting to spread despair. But, like carving a path through quicksand, every community we thought we'd saved soon looked as though we'd never been there. It was...too much."

The old man cleared his throat to steady the slight tremble in his voice. "We were struggling to keep our hopes. All of the Future Foundation's efforts, our trauma, our losses, seemed pointless. We weren't sure how to proceed until about thirteen years ago. A talented child we'd saved had an idea. A way to pacify our poisoned society while saving as many talented young individuals as possible."

"That was me!" Tsumugi interjected proudly. "I watched a lot of different TV shows when I was growing up, and the way they can influence society is just plain amazing!"

"Tsumugi suggested that if we demonstrate what appears to be a televised tribute to Junko Enoshima's killing game, it would satisfy society's cravings for despair, which would prevent many from finding the motivation to spread it themselves. We called for a sort of scouting program, where any young and talented people who were caught, rather than being killed right away, would be brought here to participate in another killing game." He sighed. "Just as we expected, frightened children were brought to us in droves. Many parents even offered up their own children."

The old man hesitated. When he spoke again, he sounded much more positive. "So far, it has worked exactly as she predicted. As the ratings of Danganronpa increased, the reports of gang violence and cult activity began to decrease. Now, after over a decade of the show running four seasons per year, we're as close as we've been in a long time to enjoying a peaceful society."

"And I like to try to sneak little positive messages into every season! That way, everyone watching gets a little dose of hope whether they like it or not!" Tsumugi smiled proudly.

Once the explanation had finished, the silence hung heavily in the air. Himiko looked exhausted, her eyes damp with tears. Maki's fiery glare stayed fixed on Tsumugi. I felt numb, not only from the myriad of half-truths and white lies I'd had to accept in such a short time, but from the weight and implications of this most recent version of the truth.

"So, now that you know the story," the old man added, breaking the silence. "I hope you'll accept our apologies for what you've been through, as well as our invitation to join the Future Foundation."

"It's just like Men In Black!" Tsumugi piped up excitedly. "The last suit you'll ever wear!"

Himiko glanced up at me, and I met her uncomfortable gaze. We looked up to see Maki watching us over her shoulder, gauging our reactions. I narrowed my eyes and gave her a small, determined nod. None of us had to speak to know what the others were thinking.

Maki returned my nod and glared at Tsumugi once again. "You really think we would join an organization that put us through hell like this? I've spent enough of my life taking orders from an organization that tortured me, and you want me to do it again? Do you wanna die?" She suddenly pulled a blade from an unseen fold of her skirt and stepped quickly behind Tsumugi.

The suited figures stepped forward, but Tsumugi just laughed. "That's just plain overdramatic! What if I told you that Kaito already joined us?"

If she had expected Maki to falter or hesitate, she was severely disappointed. The sound of Kaito's name only caused her to grip the knife's handle tighter as she restrained the cosplayer's arms with the other hand. "I don't believe you. I won't! Kaito would never help you! He was trying to stop the killing game!"

"You know, you two really do have a lot in common!" Tsumugi pointed out. "Refusing to believe me with no proof is definitely something Kaito would do."

"But where's your proof, Tsumugi?" I asked. "I can accept that the Future Foundation was behind this. I may not want to, but it makes sense, and it fits with the information in the book I found about the history of Hope's Peak." I stroked my chin. "But if we really are ultimates who were brought here against our will, and everything you told us in the trial was for the sake of the show, then we can believe that those videos of us were fake too. That means we have no reason to believe that the Kaito we met wasn't the real Kaito."

I narrowed my eyes at Tsumugi as I spoke. "I agree, refusing to believe something that's been proven without question isn't a smart idea. But without any proof, we have no reason to believe that Kaito would join you!"

"Th-that's right!" Himiko piped up. "Until there's proof, we get to choose what we believe!"

"Oh no," Tsumugi sighed. "I was just plain worried this would happen." She nodded toward the other Future Foundation members. Almost in unison, they pulled pairs of earplugs from their pockets.

The old man heaved a regretful sigh as he retrieved a strange device from the same pocket. "Sorry about this," he muttered, pressing a button.

A high-pitched sound that was almost outside the range they could hear emanated painfully from the device. Immediately I felt myself growing dizzy, and the world went dark.