Danganronpa: Doomsday/Entry 2

Indeed, we weren’t the only survivors, but we found out the harsh way.

Roughly five months after the apocalypse’s beginning, the teachers decided to attempt an expedition to reach Hope’s Peak’ main campus, as they suspected someone else could still be alive there, hiding in the school, just like I did. They didn’t have any concrete evidence, but they deemed it better than staying locked in the annex without any information regarding the main campus. And so, five students, including myself because of my medical training, led by a P.E teacher, left the annex that November night, carrying enough rations for a few days outside and a few weapons.

The first night was the most difficult, as we had to avoid any sort of confrontation. Therefore, as soon as one of us heard a suspicious sound, we retreated into the nearest building to hide. Thankfully the moon was full and we could see our surroundings quite well. The further we progressed into the deserted and desolated streets, the clearer it became how violent the apocalypse had been : broken windows, burnt cars and buildings, a few cadavers here and there, some horribly mutilated, blood stains on the walls… Kawakami puked the first time we stumbled on a body, crudely beheaded in an alleyway. I couldn’t really blame her, the sight was quite horrible to behold.

On the following morning, we rested in a grocery shop, its doors left ajar on the street. Unsurprisingly, it had been pillaged, though at least it meant the probability someone else would break in was low. The shelves were disorganized, most of the food had disappeared, probably hastily taken away by survivors, but after a little exploring we discovered a fight’s aftermath, in the shop’s back. Three bodies, two in a pool of dried blood and a third lying against the wall, harboring a strange monochrome mask depicting a bear figure. Touta pointed out its reddish glowing eye, long extinct by that point. Obviously, we were extremely weirded out by this grotesque outfit, but we decided to just leave it be and resumed our exploration.

The rest of the day was uneventful, and so were the next two. On our fourth day however, we managed to reach the outskirts of the campus. M. Kumagai, the teacher leading our expedition, said he would enter the school's grounds first, to ensure our safety and scout the area, before escalating the wall and vanishing on the other side. He ordered us to wait safely in a nearby cafe, and so we did. Although, the sudden appearance of a pair of unknown men, both wearing the same bizzare bear mask as the body in the shop, armed with spiked baseball bats forced us to reconsider the plan as we all scattered around. I must admit, we panicked pretty badly back then.

They didn’t chase me, thankfully, but I still ran away as fast as possible, not caring about the direction as long as I could put distance between me and these punks. After maybe ten minutes, I stopped running, but I was far from being off the hook as I was now lost in Tokyo’s ruins, unable to call my comrades as it’d have attracted unwanted attention. I spent the rest of my day hiding behind cars, walls and bushes as I tried to find my way back to Hope’s Peak.

But night came, and so did the cold. In the panic, I dropped my bag containing my sweatshirt somewhere around these streets, and I was surely not attempting to localize it. Without much of a choice, I entered the first building I could to shelter myself from both the cold and danger, revealing it to be an abandoned police station. Not the most welcoming place, but more than enough for a single night, as I was resuming my searching as soon as the sun would peek in the horizon. The place, as all the others we visited prior, was dilapidated and filled with dirt and cobwebs, the cells left open and the armory missing quite a few guns. I spent the night in the lobby, keeping watch for a classmate or M.Kumagai.

On the morning of the fifth day, I eventually made my way back to the cafe, but I was greeted with the most gruesome sight I’d witnessed this far : the mangled bodies of Kawakami and Shimura, seemingly beaten to death with blunt weapons, so badly I was only able to recognize them by their students’ ID. I was so tempted to scream in terror, but I had to stay silent, or else the killers would find me as well. As far as I knew, I could’ve been our group’s only survivor at that moment. Therefore, I simply left the cafe in sheer shock and returned to the campus.

I was far from being the best pupil when it came to sports, but I had enough strength to pull myself on top of the wall circling campus, as M.Kumagai did before, then jumping on the other side. Now inside these walls, I noticed the school’s buildings, proudly standing still in this sinister landscape. The main entrance was completely broken, and I knew better than to attempt an entrance there. Instead, I chose to walk around the campus, towards the Reserve course building. Thinking about them, I couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly : these students were nothing special, they didn’t have any talent, but parents paid astronomical fees to enroll their kids into the most prestigious school ever built, hoping they’d gain a talent that way. Everyone knew it was just a way for the school to reap more profits and secure its future, but they all turned a blind eye to it. To be honest, I pitied them.

In hindsight, maybe it’d have been better for me to not enter this building either, because what I discovered there was another gruesome aftermath. When I opened the gymnasium’s doors, I was greeted by what appeared to be a scene of mass suicide, as the lifeless bodies of dozens of students, still clothed in their uniforms, were scattered all around the premises. A dreadful atmosphere was reigning there, and I happened to disrupt it when I set foot inside. I was simply frozen in place, as my hands and legs were shaking immensely and my back was running with sweat. At this exact moment, I thought I was crossed by death itself, eager to reap me as it did with those countless students. I slammed the door shut and that feeling vanished. Whatever happened there would remain a mystery, and it was probably better that way.

After that vision, I promptly left the reserve course section and made my way to the oldest building, what was once the original school built by Kamakura Izuru. Unlike the other ones, it appeared to be in relatively good shape, even though its windows were covered by metal plates from the inside. It was at that moment that I thought that we probably weren’t the only survivors, as it’d only make sense if a few students managed to barricade themselves in safety inside one of the buildings. However, accessing its interior had proven to be impossible as a large metallic door was covering the entrance, probably another precaution taken by the survivors.

But another question was left unanswered, as I pondered about M.Kumagai and my remaining classmates' whereabouts. It truly pained me to admit it, but they were probably all dead by that point and I’d have to trace my way back to the annex by myself. Was it really worth it to sacrifice five of us only to obtain an uncertain confirmation about other survivors, furthermore when we couldn’t even establish contact ? Personally, I didn’t think so, but it was to our teachers to decide so, not me.

Thus, I simply returned straight to the annex, which proved to be easier than expected. Once I reached the grocery shop we slept in on our first day, I quickly retraced my steps back to the annex, stuffing a few food products in another bag I found on my way back. By then, I was pretty tired, both physically and mentally, marked by all the horrors I had encountered in the short span of five days, and I collapsed to the ground as soon as I entered the annex’s hall. Fortunately and ironically, I was quickly rushed to my own infirmary, and I fell asleep the moment my head met with the pillows.

After my short nap, I was questioned by the teachers about what we discovered, but also about my companions’ situation. Of course, I had to tell them the truth, that they were probably dead -or dead, in the case of Shimura and Kawakami-, that we learned almost nothing useful and I barely returned alive to tell the tale. One of them broke down in tears, sobbing uncontrollably, and had to be accompanied out of the room by two upperclassmen. I’d later learn she was the wife of the late M.Kumagai, and her husband’s death clearly took a toll on her.

It was only then that I returned to my lair - the infirmary-, that I was finally able to truly rest for the first time in days, soothed by Kawasaki’s sweet voice singing a relaxing tune as I drifted into a dreamless sleep. For now, my mission was complete, but relaxing times never lasted long in there.