Rhinogradentia

* DR: Togami
* Kirigiriso

The **Rhinogradentia** (鼻行類, *Rhinogradentia*) are an antagonistic group featured in *Kirigiriso* and later explained in *Danganronpa: Togami*. They are also guest characters from The Snouters: Form and Life of the Rhinogrades. For more in-depth detail about physiology and other habits, please see the Speculative Evolution Wiki.

## Appearance

The Rhinogradentia are rodent like creatures with brown fur and have various protrusions on their snouts such as tentacles, hands, etc. Kirigiriso mentions mostly shows the *Nasobema Lyricum* species of the *Tetrarrhinida* family, whereas Danganronpa: Togami mostly shows the *Hopsorrhinus Aureus* from the *Sclerorrhina* family.

## Personality

In Kirigiriso, in the Extraterrestrials vs Earth Plants Against Invaders Defense Force Route, the Rhinogradentia are portrayed as a relentless attackers in their pursuit of trying to kill Earth Defense Force, but are also noted to be not very intelligent, with their entire strategy against them being to rush in and attempt to overpower them with their numbers without much regard for traps. The Rhinogradentia do express unwillingness to attack if they see one of their own be in harms way, but will resume their assault as soon as such member is safe.

## History

### Kirigiriso

#### Extraterrestrials vs Earth Plants Against Invaders Defense Force Route

The Rhinogradentia serve as the main antagonists for this alternative route, with their main goal of wanting to eradicate humanity because they believe they are harming the planet. However, as noted by Kyoko Kirigiri, their limited intellect gives credence that they are more than likely foot soldiers to those that control their UFO's. Originally, they had invaded the southern islands of Hy-yi-yi and were even documented by a Swedish man by the name of Einar Pettersson-Skämtkvist, who had escaped from a Japanese detention camp during the war in the South Pacific. However, the Rhinogradentia there were wiped out due to nuclear tests and their existence was ultimately suppressed to the public.

Decades later, they would begin to invade again. This time, they sent Kyōka the **True Super Galaxy level Invader**, (who is an alien in this route), down to Earth and act as a spy meant to disrupt any attempts at repelling their invasion, all while going about in their UFO's. Such UFO's would be sighted by Hope's Peak Academy student, Santa Shikiba, who then sought to fight back and repel the aliens he thought were the **Super Galaxy Level Invaders**. After 'saving' Kyōka from being attacked by them, the **Earth Plants Against Invaders Defense Force** was established to repel them. During this time, Santa did manage to capture one and use it as a research subject. He discovered that they were half animal and half plant, and bled green.

The night when Santa called in Kyoko Kirigiri to his mansion, the Rhinogradentia were flying about in their UFO's, which was was spotted by Kōhei Matsudaira. When Kōhei got out of his vehicle and walked towards Kyoko, the Rhinogradentia shot his vehicle and destroyed it, though he initially believed it was to be from a meteor. Once Kyoko and Kōhei entered inside, a Rhinogradentia pursued them and tried to enter the front door. Kōhei, not knowing what it was, let it in and was attacked by it, but Santa killed it with a spear.

More Rhinogradentia would come soon after when one of them set off an explosive mine that blew a hole into the mansion, thus putting the Earth Defense Force into a retreat that had them give up on the first floor. They took refuge in Santa's secret laboratory and it was there Kyoko comes up with the idea to use that captive Rhinogradentia as a bargaining tool for their safety, and believing that perhaps what they really wanted was their captive friend. Santa volunteers to let the prisoner go, but as soon as he releases it, the horde of Rhinogradentia attacks them once again. As the quartet rush to the green house of the mansion, Kyōka trips, which causes Santa to stay behind to allow her to escape. The horde attempts to kill him, but Santa blows them away with an explosive. Thus, this allows the Earth Defense Force to retreat inside the mansion and plan their next move safely for a few moments.

The plan they come up with is Operation: Absolute Bomb Cone or ABC, which involved gathering as much as the Rhinogradentia as possible into the mansion and lighting Santa's genetically modified pine cones on fire so that they would create a massive explosion and fire that would kill the invaders (though it would also burn down the mansion as well). Santa got the horde's attention attention, which allowed for his allies to get the large quantities of pine cones needed for the mission. However, the horde began to climb atop of the green house and broke through the roof to attack again. Kyoko scattered the pinecones about, but Santa (wanting to die with his creations) stayed behind to light the pine cones on fire. With his friends safety assured, Santa lit the pine cones on fire and they exploded, engulfing the mansion in flames and wiping out the Rhinogradentia forces that were there. Though Santa ended up surviving even that.

If there were any more Rhinogradentia that were still alive, they would have ceased their invasion with Kyōka swearing off that invasion after witnessing Santa take a brunt of their mothership's laser to save Kyōka's sakura tree.

#### Bad Ending 3

In this bad ending, Kōhei is the one to release the hostage Rhinogradentia instead of Santa, however he is swarmed by them and killed.

#### True Ending

They do not appear directly, however the singular celled organisms with plant and animal DNA have flagella similar to the tentacles of a *Nasobema Lyricum*.

### Danganronpa: Togami

#### World Domination Proclamation

A picture of a *Hopsorrhinus Aureus* Rhinogradentia is displayed on 'K's wall and noticed by Blue Ink, who notes that a certain factor of the painting has piqued her interest, but also spikes her anxiety. As Blue Ink was struggling to come to terms with herself after being told that Borges was distorting her reality, K brings up the Rhinogradentia and their history. This ranged from their being over fourteen subjects found, to the fact the were documented in a book called BAU UND LEBEN DER RHINOGRADENTIA which was published in 1961 by Professor Harald Stümpke. When Blue Ink wonders if it was a false book, however K points out that it was published by a famous zoologist and a review of it was was even published in many scientific journals, with it covering a variety of issues modern zoology deals with. With that in mind, he asks if Blue Ink felt qualified to question it. She responds that the best form of evidence had to be images and that since this took place in the 1950's there should be pictures. However, K reports that due to nuclear testing, that the island and the Rhinogradentia that were on it, were destroyed. Blue Ink thinks such an ending is superficial and that without evidence, ultimately what K said can not be credible. K then moves the topic to the Dodo and how, despite lack of evidence, ultimately she believes that those exists. Blue Ink retorts that simply common sense proves that one exists and the other could not have, but K believes its simply due to a lack of knowledge.

K says that reality and unreality are usually indistinguishable from the experience and that if the person that passes on such fantasy as a reality, its entirely possible for a shared fantasy to be arise if a third party happens to believe it. Ultimately, K says that people are only willing to believe what they want to believe, and will refuse to accept anything that doesn't fit their views. When K says that as long as she thought Byakuya was God, Borges would do anything to back up that fact (even if it made up falsehoods) it clicks for Blue Ink what he's trying to say. Once such a reasoning has taken a hold of her mind, she looks at the picture again and asks what that type of Rhinogradentia is called. K informs her that its called the *Snout Leaper*. She thinks the painting is now cute and wouldn't mind if such a creature existed, but notes there is a difference in believing something to exist and something actually existing. In turn, K says that belief is just enough.

#### K2K System

In essence, all forms of Rhinogradentia be it in non-canon alternative route, or otherwise, are merely fabricated. This also confirms the non-canon routes (apart from the True End canon route) of Kirigiriso to be nothing more than unreality.

## Trivia

* Considering Akio Chage's major investment into aliens, cryptids and conspiracies, it is possible he may even be aware of the Rhinogradentia, however it is never stated officially.
* They are one of the few guest characters that appear in Danganronpa that is not from the Kagami Family Saga. The only others being 'K', Norman and the Kōhei Matsudaira.