What if it Repeated? (Oumasai/Saiouma)

Chapter 1- Freedom?

(AN: Again, spoilers for the whole of Danganronpa V3 so if you don't want to get spoiled plz don't read :) and the beginning of this is the build up, Oumasai will come soon)

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Shuuichi heaved the heavy rock off the trio and emerged into the deafeningly bright light. They had made it. After all this time it was finally over. Maki and Himiko stood beside him. He gripped onto Himiko's shoulder reassuringly and squeezed gently. He heard a stifled sob from the mage and a small sniffle. They had been through so much, they had lost everything except the two other people standing beside them. He forced himself not to look back at the wreckage of the school, willing himself to only look forward - to the future. There was no way he was going to forget what he had gone through, but he couldn't go into a bright future wallowing in the past. The sacrifices of his classmates would be honoured in the rebuilding of their world. With Himiko and Maki beside him, he believed they could achieve this.

This was only the beginning, they all stepped up onto the climbing rock face, eyes set on the outside of the dome. The black gaping hole that was the outside. And then it got larger, swallowing his vision in darkness. A sudden drowsiness and over him and his leg gave way. His whole body felt limp and all the strength that he had felt a few seconds ago was gone. He fell to the ground in a heap, breathing hard.
"W-what's happening?" He choked out, Maki and Himiko bent down beside him in a panic.
"Shuuichi what's wrong!?" Himiko cried ringing her hands.
"Shuuchi!" Even Maki was showing signs of fear. Was this Tsumugi's doing? It couldn't be, they had seen her die!

"Why is this happening I thought everything was over!" Himiko's stature swam in his vision. The soft glint of tears starting in her eyes. And then it all went black. Everything was gone and was replaced by impenetrable darkness.

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"Ah!" His sense of feel had returned. He could feel coldness on his fingertips and the floor beneath his feet. He tried to move, but found his way blocked by something solid.
"What..." he banged on the barrier, "is anyone there!?" He called. Where was he, what had happened to him. The pain and weakness wasn't there anymore, he was back to normal. "Hey!" He banged on the wall again, louder this time. On the fourth knock the door swung open and he fell out onto the floor. He groaned as his knee throbbed from its hard contact with the floor. He looked up and his heart stopped.

Kaede was standing in front of him, worry plastered on her face. She was just as he remembered her. Her long blonde hair falling over her shoulders, adorned in a very pink outfit. What kind of sick joke was this!
"Kaede... are you really here?" She looked at him confusedly and gave an awkward laugh,
"Uhh pretty sure I'm real and do I know you? How do you know my name?" His blood ran cold. They hadn't met yet. Kaede wouldn't have tricked him like this, not when he was in this state.

"Oh yeah... I'm a huge fan." He said thinking fast, "You know... piano..." he tried to sound convincing, but he wasn't sure how well it came across. Kaede seemed to decide to not question his weird behaviour and smiled.
"I didn't know I had fans, that's so cool! What's your name?"
"Shuuichi Saihara, pleasure to meet you," he forced a smile onto his face. This couldn't be happening. This was how it had all started the first time he had been forced into the killing game. Kaede's face suddenly fell and became hard,
"Hey, do you remember anything about coming here, because the more I think about it... the more I come up blank."

"No... I haven't got any memories." He said rather shortly. He shouldn't reveal anything, at least yet. He would be seen as suspicious and that was the last thing he needed. This could also be some elaborate scheme by the mastermind. He had thought Tsumugi was dead, but maybe not. There was one thing for sure though, Kaede didn't know him at this time. Her opinion on him would be ruined if he stuffed it up by knowing too much. At the moment, it was better to play it safe.

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Time skip

Everything had gone as it had before. Monokuma had appeared to tell them about their compulsory participation in the killing game. All of his classmates protests and worried cries melted into one and caused his heart to ache. He didn't want to go through this again. He never wanted to experience his classmates die one by one once in the first place, let alone again. There had to be a way to prevent any of it happening. Kaede was first to murder someone. Well thought to have. He wasn't sure if he was going to be able to talk Kaede out of her plan, but he had to try.

He had spent the next few days setting up his and Kaede's plan to catch the mastermind even if it would inevitably fail. He watched her attempt at restacking the books, knowing full well what she was planning. It made him feel sick, to see Kaede already putting her murder plan into action. He knew she was doing all this to protect them, to end the killing game but to know that she was willing to kill... To think that her efforts and Rantaro's death had been for nothing. There were only a few more hours until the countdown for their lives would play, the closer it drew, the harder his blood pumped. Kaede climbed down from the ladder with a disappointed look on her face.

"Ugh maybe you were right, there'll be no place to put the camera." Shuuichi's mouth had gone dry,
"Yeah... well the camera angle wouldn't have worked well from up there anyway."
"And here I thought it was a good idea." She sighed shaking her head, "well I suppose we should put them between the books like you suggested before." They set to work placing the cameras in the optimal positions. Kaede went straight for the bookcase and placed one directly in front of Rantaro's dying spot. He turned away, he would get through to her. No matter what.

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Time skip

"Kaede..." they had made it back up to the classroom early out of nerves. Kaede was pacing back and forth, fiddling with her hands. He needed to get through to her, even if it meant telling her information that would arouse suspicion around him. Kaede gave a start and looked at him at the sound of her name. "I just wanted to tell you..." it was now or never "...your plan, it won't work." Kaede stopped her pacing and smiled reassuringly,
"It's our plan Shuuichi, and I believe that it will work, when the mastermind comes in and opens the door we'll get their picture! There's no way they can hide." He shook his head sadly and looked her dead in the eye,
"...You won't kill the mastermind." There was a silence between them where Kaede simply blinked back at him. And then she spoke,

"They don't call you the ultimate detective for nothing, do they?" She gave a small laugh. Her voice came out soft, but it still rang around the silence of the classroom, "I'll do whatever it takes to save you guys, I need to kill the mastermind, I need to stop this killing game before it begins and if that means taking out the orchestrator then I'll do it." Her words gained more passion as she spoke, tears starting in her eyes, "I have to, don't you get it Shuuichi? It's the only way!" Shuuichi moved towards her and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Trust me, ok? There is a better way, this won't kill the mastermind, the wrong pers..."
"No Shuuichi you have to trust me this time. I'm not backing out now, I've got a plan and it will work... it has to." She wasn't listening to him,

"But..." His words were cut off by a static sound and then a familiar ominous tune sounded out of the speakers. The monitors now displaying a cruel collection of animations displaying masses of dead stick figures dying in different horrific ways.
"Is that coming from the monitors?!" Kaede was staring wide eyed at the screen watching the video loop.
"It's the time limit, it's monokuma telling us we need to start the killing." He looked back at Kaede, her expression was set. There was no changing her mind, she hadn't planned on abandoning her plan from the beginning, he could see that now.
"Shuuichi, I have to do this, but if you are right... if we are sent to a class trial... I want you to tell everyone the truth of what happened, don't hide anything." The sensor in his pocket sounded and Kaede jumped, "well... shall we go then?" Shuuchi turned his back on her and left, Kaede appeared beside him a few seconds later him adjusting her bag, solemn faced, she nodded.