Super Danganronpa Another 2 -- When fates intertwine

Chapter 1

A loud bang hit the air. A shock of red and orange was the only thing visible, and the horrifying image burned itself into Iroha's brain, despite her best efforts to look away.

Then... blood. Her eyes were shut, but that didn't stop her from picking up on the pungent odor that was slowly spreading through the courtroom. The familiarity of the smell made her gag. Iroha had always had a weak stomach when it came to gore, and the events that had taken place during this so-called killing game only made matters worse.

When Iroha had finally agreed to be a part of Mikado's plans, she had at least taken comfort in the happy future promised to her and the other three, seeking assurance in her own empty words; trying to convince herself that this seemingly atrocious scheme was actually a blessing in disguise -- for if Void actually managed to achieve its goal, the world as they knew it would've surely changed for the better.

All the same, Iroha couldn't completely ignore the disgust that rose through her throat like bile everytime she thought about the consequences of her actions. Despite giving in to Mikado's demands, she still retained some semblance of compassion and empathy for others -- even people she had never met.

But what really made Iroha second-guess herself was the betrayal. Looking back on it, it shouldn't have come as much of a surprise considering Mikado's track record, but it still dealt quite a blow to the remaining Void members, and the reality of their situation had sunk in only after Hajime had been beaten to a bloody pulp.

The following days had passed by in a blur. On the rare occassion she tried recalling any details related to the week after Hajime and Yuri's deaths, Iroha found that the only memories she had were those involving Hibiki and Kanade's concert, and those pertaining to Kokoro and Emma's deaths. She hadn't been able to focus on much else, seeing as how she was tasked with commiting the next murder, not to mention the imminent execution that awaited her. But somehow, watching her beloved friend -- the one who would do her hair and make her laugh with her knee-slapping renditions of cartoon characters -- being torn apart mercilessly by a hoard of vicious monsters was a million times worse than whatever gruesome punishment Mikado could ever hope to give her.

Then came the third murder. Those were quite unique, or so Mikado had said. Though the thought of three students biting the dust instead of the usual two made Iroha's skin crawl, she was far too deep in it do anything at this point. The one consolation was that she didn't have to worry about dying or losing her last teammate, but it came at a hefty price and soon enough, she was faced with Setsuka Chiebukuro's mutilated corpse, with Hibiki and Kanade following suit mere hours later.

And now... Nikei wanted her dead. Iroha knew she was a coward, but for Nikei to hate her enough to want to kill her? But... none of this was about her, was it? It was about Mikado. About Nikei's unending hatred of Mikado, which, unlike in Iroha's case, stemmed from his vanity. His hurt pride at being outclassed by an amateur magician was the sole motivation for his defection from Void. It was the reason why Shinji had died -- all because Nikei was bitter over being shown up by a mentally-unstable wizard.

Tears prickled in Iroha's eyes as she opened them, taking in her surroundings. She was kneeling down on a patch of yellow carpet, right in front of her designated podium. The last thing she had seen was a wide array of colour, made up mostly of dark reds and oranges. It was kind of like watching a sunset, though the piercing bangs of Nikei's handgun made the whole experience rather unnerving.

Wait. The gun. Someone had been shot... But who? It couldn't have been Yuki or Mikado, since they were the only ones Nikei had no interest in harming anymore, and Iroha herself wasn't in pain, so...

'A-Ah... Ahhhhh!!!' The Ultimate Hostess' shrieks reverberated throughout the trial grounds, sending a chill down Iroha's spine. Was Yoruko hurt? Or had it been Sora who had taken the bullet instead? Her unnecessary meddling was the main reason Nikei had failed to pull off his revenge plot -- she was probably first on his list of targets.

Iroha glanced to the side. The corners of her mouth twitched into a faint grin in spite of herself as she caught a glimpse of the former Ultimate Merchant crouched down beside her. She had grown quite fond of Teruya ever since their little private conversation about rainbows, and their bonds only strengthened from there. He was a comforting presence, much like Shinji and Setsuka, which worried her a bit, since they had both wound up dead. That, coupled with Mikado's clear dislike of him, had Iroha on edge a lot of the time, wondering when (or if) he'd meet his end. Knowing him, what Mikado had in store for Teruya was something that went beyond his usual cruelty, and Iroha didn't think she could bear to watch such a sweet man go down the same way her friends had, if not worse.

Yet for now she could rest assured that Teruya was very much alive, and that was enough to lift her spirits a bit. That is, until another scream rang through the courtroom, even more terror-inducing than the last.

'AHHHHHHHH!!!'

What the...

Iroha leapt to her feet, her veins pulsing with adrenaline. No way... It couldn't be...

But it was. The sight of it made her blood go cold.

'Well, would you look at that, Mr.Yomiuri? It looks like you really have got a handle on the situation after all.'

A/N: Hiya guys! This is my first time writing fanfiction, so I hope it turned out alright. I've had this idea rolling around in my head for months, and started commiting it to paper last week. It turned out much better than I expected, so I'll most likely be updating this story regularly. Unfortunately, I don't have as much time in my hands as I'd like to, and I apologize in advance for any delays or slow updates. Of course, constructive criticism and feedback is always welcome. On a side note, who are your favourite characters? (My personal favourites are Iroha and Teruya)