Danganronpa: Days Before Despair

Chapter 50~UPUPUPUPUPU

Super High School Level Scientist Yazu Takashi's POV

An hour had passed since the mysterious shadow had disappeared into the AV room, and my legs were getting tired. I was sick of standing and my legs wanted nothing more than a break, but I knew I couldn't sit. If I did, then the criminal might come running out of the room and end up making an escape. I couldn't have that happen. All my pride as a temporary protector of the door to the AV room was on the line here, and I couldn't have it go down the drain as easy as that!

Elec was getting tired, too. I could tell that he was starting to wobble on his stilts. He seemed to be stumbling every ten seconds or so, which made me worry more than a little bit. "Are you okay?" I asked. "You look pretty tired."

"I am tired. I wish that we could stop now, but I know that we can't stop until we catch the criminal. I thought that they would have come out of the room by now, but I guess not," Elec sighed. He sighed heavily and shook his head. "I wish that we hadn't gotten ourselves into this."

"It's okay. I feel the same way," I admitted. "I'm sick of this job already. Can it please just finish itself up?"

"If only it could," Elec told me. "Do you want to try and listen in through the door again? Maybe the criminal in there is finally making some noise."

I nodded and pressed my ear up against the door again. I held that position for about thirty seconds, but the entire time, silence reigned over the room. No noise. Nothing close to noise. "Nothing," I told Elec after I was done. "The criminal sure is quiet..."

Elec gasped. "Unless... They're not in there anymore!" Elec suddenly began bashing against the door. I followed suit, leaning into the door with all my might. The door groaned under our weight, but it didn't truly give way for about two minutes.

When the door finally did open, I gasped. We were too late... Elec was right. The criminal had been so quite because they weren't in there anymore.

Glass covered the floor. The criminal had tossed something at the door and broken it open. Since this was only the first floor of the school, they were able to climb out easily with no broken limbs or anything. They were so quiet getting out that we didn't even hear them. How is that even possible? I thought that my sense of hearing was really good but now... I'm starting to question what the doctors always told me.

Elec was just as shocked as I was. "They really got out..." Elec whispered. "I can't believe it..."

"It's crazy to think of," I agreed, shaking my head. "But they did get out and there's no way that we can avoid that fact."

"I can't believe we really failed..." Elec whispered, shaking his head in disbelief and disappointment.

I couldn't help but feel the same way as he did. The criminal got away. We stood guard for an hour and didn't do anything else because we thought that the criminal was going to come out the front door, when they went for the window instead. They could be anywhere now. And we really did let them get away...

We moped for a few minutes until we heard a little bit of static. I covered my ears. There the good hearing goes again... The static was overwhelming, making my head pound. Whoever was making that noise sure was good at being an annoying, royal pain in the neck. Or an annoying, royal pain in the head if you know what I mean.

"This is a school announcement," a voice said. I recognized it as coming in through the intercom. I gasped and looked around for the speaker. Once I finally found it, I stared at it, pushing it with my mind for answers as to who was talking through it.

Personally, I thought that the speaker was using a voice modifier. Their voice sounded kind of scratchy and low quality like that was what was going on. Then again, my hearing has been failing me today, so that might be wrong...

Elec looked at me in confusion. "Who do you think it is?" he asked. "It sounds pretty weird to me... The voice doesn't sound right... Not like a normal voice."

"I agree," I told him, nodding. "But who could it be using the voice modifier? I can't really tell..."

"Listen up! All of you! Things are about to get reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally interesting around here! This school has been pretty boring, but now, things are going to get really greats!" the voice cried. Their voice was overflowing with excitement, which concerned me for whatever reason. I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

Elec and I didn't say anything as we stared at the speaker. After a few seconds of silence, the person on the other end began to talk once again. "I get that some of you don't understand what I'm talking about, so I'll give you the simple version: this school is about to get plunged into some serious despair thanks to... Ultimate Despair!!"

Silence followed for a few more seconds. I stared at Elec, my heart pounding in my chest and in my head. Panic was rising up inside of me, taking control of my body. "You see, I stole the keys to the front door so that none of you can leave until you agree to give into my despair! Come on now! Join me if you want to have some serious fun! Join meeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!"

Nobody spoke for a few more seconds. The voice didn't say anything. Static came through the line a little bit longer. The speaker sighed. "Fine! If you still don't get it, allow me to explain it in a very simple fashion I'm sure you all get: upupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupu!!"

And that...

That was the moment that Hope's Peak Academy...

Sort of became more of 'Despair's Peak Academy'.

~

D A Y S B E F O R E D E S P A I R : B O O K O N E

C O M P L E T E

~current books~

~Days Before Despair (complete)~

~Hope of Tomorrow (in progress)~