Danganronpa: Goodbye Despair

Chapter 71: EMPTY HUSKS

Graduation Exam (Part One)

Monokuma: "I did say I wanted you guys to know the outside world, but this is still a questionable starting topic. Let me ask you this... what is this world's true identity?" Everyone was currently at their respective podiums. It didn't really feel different from the class trials, but the pictures of their dead classmates were no longer present, just empty podiums.

Kazuichi: "Huh? This world's true identity? What kind of question is that?"

Hajime: 'This world's true identity...' If he were to answer this with everything he discovered, then it will be true. That lie will become the truth. But there's no way he could leave it unanswered. "This world... this 'Jabberwock Island' we're on..."

Monokuma: "It's a virtual world that was inspired by the actual Jabberwock Island!"

Hajime: "H-Hey!"

Monokuma: "So... this isn't the real world, but if you want, you can call it the game world. You get it? It's all just one big game!"

Akane: "...A-Are you fricking serious?!"

Fuyuhiko: "Don't fucking mess with me, you bastard! Did you have us all come here just to tell us bullshit?!"

Kazuichi: "T-That's stupid! There's no way that's even possible!"

Monokuma: "I know, I know... the 'all in your mind' trope makes you feel such cruel despair. But who cares?! I've revived all the suspense and mystery with just one line! Because it's a game!"

Fuyuhiko: "Then... we were forced to kill each other..."

Monokuma: "Because it's a game!"

Kazuichi: "A lot of crazy shit happened..."

Monokuma: "Because it's a game!"

Akane: "We're the only people here..."

Monokuma: "Because it's a game!"

Sonia: "Monokuma's nonsensical abilities..."

Monokuma: "Because it's a game!"

Fuyuhiko: "D-Don't fuck with me! That's not even possible!"

Monokuma: "I know you guys are pissed, but you were having fun too, right? A world where anything goes only exists in games. So... just force yourself to accept it. This closed space, this game world, was the true stage of this killing school trip!"

Akane: "J-Just stop... there's no way... there's no way I'm gonna believe that."

Monokuma: "Back in the day, people must've reacted the same way when they first saw the airplane take flight. But like wearing contact lenses, it'll stop feeling strange once you just get used to it."

Sonia: "Please do not compare reality to contact lenses!"

Kazuichi: "I mean, if this really is a... virtual world... what does that make... us?"

Fuyuhiko: "You better not say we're fictional characters!"

Monokuma: "The Future Foundation created this world using a program called the Neo World Program. It's programmed to place the user in a virtual world by synchronizing directly with the user's brain. Which means... your bodies still exist in the real world. But right now... you're completely submerged in the game world, as if you're dreaming or something. Simply put, you're... um... you know, not 'aviators', but..."

Kazuichi: "You mean... avatar, right? An existence created in the game as a copy of the user's real body."

Hajime: "But... we're not just regular avatars, right?"