Danganronpa: Heartless Disguise/Prologue (1)

He was drowning in emptiness, as if his mind were leaving his body. Around him, muffled yet shrill screams and sounds of struggling. Blood and tears, chaos unfolding. Lost in the darkness, and a binding light. And then...

"AHHH !"

Suddenly, nothing more, except this young man sitting on his bed, covered in sweat and eyes wide opened in sheer shock. He was panting, and his heart was beating rapidly. Looking worried, he put his hand on his chest and took several deep breaths, and after a few minutes of doing so, finally managed to calm down.

"What was that nightmare ? It was so... real ?"

Kichiro Shiratori couldn't understand why he'd just had such a nightmare. Usually, his dreams were more of the soothing kind. But whatever it was, he was going to keep this bad dream in mind for the days to come, to his utter dismay.

"Well, I'm feeling better now... I probably should go back to sleep... wait, did I leave my door open ?"

Facing Kichiro, his bedroom door was left ajar. He frowned and got up from the bed to approach it, puzzled. He, who always locked his door before going to sleep, couldn't understand how he could have forgotten to close it. He scratched the back of his neck, perplexed.

"That's really weird... Wait, where am I now ?"

Kichiro grabbed the door handle in his hand and opened it further, revealing a small hall whose walls were punctuated by several doors similar to his own. He grimaced and closed the door, turning back to his little bedroom.

"Why don't I recognize this place ? I don't understand... I feel like I've forgotten something important. And I really don't like that..."

Pondering over what he should do next, he then moved closer to his desk, where he noticed a small bright yellow note sticking out, lying among some school notebooks. He didn't recognize the note. Even more confused, he grabbed the scrap of paper and opened it, revealing a text written inside:

"Welcome to your new school, you're part of our new batch of students this year, you should be proud of yourselves ! A welcoming ceremony will soon take place in the gymnasium, so we recommend you gather there as soon as possible ! The Hope's Peak Academy staff."

Attached to the note, Kichiro found a floor plan of the building, as well as a small card reminiscent of a student ID. On it, his first and last name and age, as well as his ultimate talent, in his case as a creator of visual novels. Kichiro quickly understood that he was in a school for ultimates, but nothing more.

"Hope's Peak Academy ? The name doesn't really ring a bell. Well, at least I remember my ultimate talent, that's still somethjing important. But for the rest..."

Kichiro sighed and tucked his ID away in his pocket before unfolding the map. According to it, the gym was on the same floor he was on, the first floor.

"Well, I guess I'll have to go to that gym. Maybe I'll understand things better there," he decided, stepping away from the desk, plan in hand, back into the hall.

Once the door was closed and a few personal belongings retrieved, Kichiro immediately noticed that names were inscribed in fine black letters on every single door in the hall, including his own. He took a quick glance at the door next to his: Sayuri Madarame. He didn't recognize that name in the slightest.

"So there are other students at this school. They're probably already in the gym !"

Invigorated by the almost-certain presence of fellow students, Kichiro stepped out of the hall into a corridor lit only by a few neon lights that didn't work as well as they should have been. There were windows adorning the walls, but their tinted panes let in very little natural light. Kichiro tried to open one of them, but it wouldn't budge an inch. He quickly abandoned the idea afterwards.

"Windows are blocked. How nice, I don't even know if it's day or night..."

He simply shrugged before continuing towards the gym in a relatively heavy silence. He passed several more rooms, presumably classrooms, but didn't linger there any longer for the moment, eventually reaching the heavy, solid wooden doors of the gymnasium.

"I'm here... It's the moment of truth...!"

And he gently pushed open the door, in spite of himself causing a loud creak that echoed throughout the gym. Cheeks flushing red with embarrassment, he entered the room, closing the doors behind him. And almost immediately, he noticed the small group of people who had turned towards him, staring at him with surprised eyes, which didn't help his embarrassment. Coughing slightly to clear his throat, he walked slowly towards them.

"Hello... You're students here, I take it ? I got a note saying to go to the gym..."

"See, he got one too, I was right !" a young woman with burning red hair exclaimed in return.

"Yeah, we're not the only ones, I found one on my desk too !" agreed a burly young man with a scarred face.

"Would you please calm down? Your childish behavior is very irritating," sighed a third, a young man with long blond hair and a distinctive accent.

"Hey man, it's not very nice of you to talk to us like that! You're still pissed off!" replied the scarred man, frowning.

"No, not particularly. But hearing you bawling like mere toddlers is becoming unbearable."

"Please, don't be so harsh on them... We don't know anything about our current situation, so it's normal for us to be a little... agitated.", interjected a lady with grayish hair and a refined outfit.

Kichiro stood in front of the doors, looking with circumspection at his interlocutors arguing. That pretentious blond man didn't look any Japanese, judging by his accent and appearance. Hesitating a little, he moved closer to the group.

"Uh, excuse me... Is everything okay ?"

A black-haired, apron-clad young woman turned to answer him, but froze as she lingered on his face. A shiver ran through Kichiro's body. Why did this girl look so familiar ? What was happening to him ?

"Oh, please do excuse us ! We should stop getting so worked up when we haven't even introduced ourselves to our new friend !" she said in a soft voice to everyone in the room.

"Yes, that is true. Let's introduce ourselves, then.", suggested the sixth person, a serious young man cladded in a black and green kimono.

"I'll start then ! My name is Haru Hanabe, but you can call me Haru. I'm the ultimate gardener. It's a real pleasure to meet you Kichiro !"

Kichiro smiled at her and introduced herself in return. She had stepped forward with a grace and elegance that seemed almost supernatural. The scarred man arched his chest, smirking, and continued.

"Yo, I'm Takeru Katayama ! I'm the ultimate track runner ! I hope we'll be great buddies!" he declared with pronounced enthusiasm, which didn't fail to make the redhead react.

"Takeru, I think you're scaring him, being all happy like that..."

"Oops, sorry, I didn't mean to ! I'm just happy to see a new face that isn't berating us !"

Kichiro shrugged, indicating that it didn't matter. The redhead nodded and introduced herself in turn.

"Good for you ! Now it's my turn ! My name is Kanae Hayashiko, and I'm the ultimate basketball player!"

Her athletic outfit, but especially her rather muscular arms told Shiratori she wasn't lying.

"You're just as enthusiastic as Takeru, Kanae..." sighed Haru with a half-smile, while Takeru chuckled in amusement.

"Oh I'm know that ! But like Takeru said, seeing new faces is always super fun! Even if it's only been fifteen minutes or something since we woke up."

"Fifteen minutes already ! Man, time goes by super fast with you guys !" said Takeru, which made the young man in the kimono roll his eyes.

"We only met fifteen minutes ago, Takeru. You can't really say such a thing."

While the athletes enthused, the distinguished young woman had approached Kichiro to shake his hand, all the while darting her large blue eyes into the newcomer's. It caused a shiver to go down his spine.

"Hello Kichiro, I'm Sayuri Madarame, the ultimate chess player ! I hope we get along well!" she said with a rather polite smile.

Kichiro wanted to reply, but Sayuri's soul-searching eyes made him rather uncomfortable. Noticing the young man's expression, Sayuri pulled back with an embarrassed chuckle.

"Sorry, I'm used to scrutinizing people like that, analyzing them ! I hope I haven't made you too uncomfortable !"

"No no, it's fine... But I understand why you possess such a talent, chess requires a lot of analysis and logic!"

"That's right, I always give my all during competitions ! Now it's your turn Pierre !" she indicated, tugging at the blond's sleeve, who sighed, clearly unwilling to introduce himself.

"Fine, fine... I'm known as Pierre Dubonier, the ultimate aristocrat. No need to tell me the details of your life, I do not care."

"Pierre... From your name and accent, I take it you're French ?" asked Kichiro as he raised a curious eyebrow.

"Indeed. I presume you possess great observation skills to have come to this sort of conclusion.", Pierre replied with stinging sarcasm, leaving Shiratori speechless.

"Hey, I saw that ! Even with him you're insolent, I knew you were gonna !" interjected Kanae, but a glare from Pierre instantly silenced her.

Kichiro already knew that Pierre was going to cause problems in the future, if he continued to be this unpleasant and disdaining. His arrogance, mixed with his natural charisma, wasn't going to help anything...

"Pierre, come on... Anyway, Jared, that just leaves you !", Sayuri indicated with a hand gesture towards the young man in the kimono.

"Indeed. Kichiro, my name is Jared Kasai. I'm the ultimate samurai.", he introduced himself in a neutral tone while bowing slightly, before returning to silence

"Jared ? You're not Japanese either ?" noted Kichiro, rather surprised to meet a samurai with this kind of name.

But Jared elected to ignore the question and remained quiet. Shiratori had expected a longer presentation, but nothing else came. Jared must simply have been a man of few words. But with his presentation done, everyone had introduced themselves.

"Well, nice to meet you all, I really hope we'll get along well ! But then, does anyone know where we are ? I know we're in some kind of school, but no more...", Kichiro asked, hoping for an answer, but Haru shook her head.

"No, we don't know any more unfortunately... We think we're in a school of ultimates, given that we all have ultimate talents, but that's all. Besides, we tried to find a cell phone to contact anyone, but we couldn't find any."

"Such a theory is still more likely than the far-fetched one proposed by Katayama," Pierre added with a slight chuckle, which didn't fail to make the runner react.

"Hey, my asylum theory wasn't that crazy ! Given the shitty atmosphere here, it really would have been possible !"

"But of course..."

Kichiro glanced at the girls, who were chuckling softly at Takeru's ridiculous theory. He couldn't blame them, his hypothesis was really far-fetched and not much likely to be true.

"But so, suppose we're in some kind of school for ultimates as Haru proposed, does anyone remember how they got here ? I can't remember for the life of me...", Shiratori continued once calm had returned in the room.

This time, Sayuri replied as she shrugged dejectedly.

"It's the same for all of us. Our memories of before we awoke are more than a little hazy..."

"I think we've been kidnapped ! But by who, I've got no idea !", declared Kanae.

"I bet it was the government who kidnapped us before locking us up in that weird-ass school !" continued Takeru, sure of himself as he raised his fists.

"Oh the stupidities you shouldn't be hearing... Do you think the earth is flat, Katayama?", Pierre asked mockingly, prompting widespread laughter from the girls in the group.

"No, I'm not that stupid man, c'mon !"

Kichiro himself couldn't help but let out a small laugh. Takeru then informed him that the windows were indeed blocked and that trying to open one was impossible, confirming his doubts. With that out of the way, Kichiro switched topics.

"Anyways, the note also mentioned a ceremony, but so far nothing has happened..."

"Wait, there's a ceremony planned ?" asked Takeru, eliciting another eye-roll from Jared.

"Yes, a welcoming ceremony I suppose. Did you even read that note?"

"Of course I did ! If not, why would I be here !"

"... And yet you asked this stupid question, Katayama. Your lack of intelligence is really becoming bothering," Pierre sighed, shaking his head.

On hearing the Frenchman, Takeru winced and clenched his fists, before coming to stand right in front of him, his eyes planted in Pierre's mocking ones. Kichiro felt the tension rise, and took a step back. The girls did as well, and everyone was staring at the upcoming argument.

"Well, you're starting to piss me off, dude. Who do you think you are, richy boy ? You think you're better than us just because you've got more money, insulting us like that ?" spat an angry Takeru, crossing his arms.

"Takeru, please calm down...", Haru implored, to no avail.

Unlike the runner, Pierre was perfectly calm which enraged Katayama all the more. The Frenchman rolled his eyes in annoyance and ignored his attempt at intimidation, replying dryly.

"I don't have time to waste with a slug like you. I'm far more useful than you, and I do not even need to prove it."

"Shut up, or I swear I'll kick your ass !" barked Takeru, cracking his knuckles as he stared daggers at Pierre.

"So, resorting to violence now, are we ? I'm not even going to pretend to be surprised. Parasites like you always stoop to such lows to gain respect."

Pierre concluded his sentence with a most devious smile.

"Typical delinquent behavior."

Kichiro was speechless, as were the other students in the assembly. He'd understood that Dubonier was arrogant and disagreeable, but he'd never thought the Frenchman capable of uttering such words in such a detached tone. But unlike his comrades, Takeru was seething with pure rage and raised his fist.

"Fucking hell, I swear you're gonna pay, you little prick !" he shouted, shaking his fist under Pierre's nose.

"Takeru, stop ! Calm down, it's no use !", Kanae begged him, grabbing his arm, but Takeru violently tore himself from her grasp, vociferating.

"He asked for it, and I'm gonna deliver !"

And the fist flew, straight towards Pierre's head in an uppercut.

But just as suddenly, a metallic clang echoed through the room, and the fist stopped dead in its tracks. Kichiro didn't immediately understand what had just happened, but everything became clear when he looked more precisely : Jared had drawn a katana, slicing through the air and emotions with a swift stroke of his blade. He held it firmly between the two students, his face showing that he was clearly serious.

"Stop it, right now."

Pierre turned to him, seemingly shocked, while Takeru stared at him incredulously. Jared grunted and his grasp onto the katana's handle tightened.

"I mean it. We do not need a fight. So stop it, now. I won't repeat myself."

The two hesitated for a moment, then Takeru lowered his fist and stepped back, grumbling into his beard.

"Okay okay, but he'd better not start his bullshit again !"

"I do as I please, vermin. Nobody shall be telling me what to do,", Pierre responded through clenched teeth.

"Pierre, please... We may come from noble families, but that doesn't entitle us to behave like this. So please, stop...", Sayuri intimated in a very straightforward tone.

"... Very well, but I will not be intimidated by a scumbag like him, be sure of that."

Kichiro sighed in relief, reassured to know that an unnecessary fight had been avoided, even if the tension between Takeru and Pierre remained worrying and could very well be a source of conflict in the future. Still, he kept a concerned eye on Jared, who was sheathing his katana in a gray scabbard hanging from his back.

"A katana...? Why are you walking around with a weapon like that ?"

"I'm the ultimate samurai. That alone should be enough of an answer."

Kichiro nodded, understanding what Jared meant, then turned back to the others, crossing his arms now that some semblance of calm was back.

"Well, now that the situation has calmed down, what should we do ?"

"Hmmm... We're done with everyone present here, perhaps we should look for other students ?" suggested Sayuri with a smile, raising her finger in the air.

"Other students ? We're not alone there ?" questioned Takeru incredulously. Kichiro felt Pierre wince, but the nobleman thankfully stayed silent.

"I think so. There are only seven of us, yet the number of rooms suggests a much higher number of students. So I imagine other students are located somewhere in this building," Jared explained, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well, let's go find our classmates buddies ! Surely they can't be that far away ! Probably just one floor up !" said Kanae rather enthusiastically.

"Yes, maybe they're even looking for us ! In that case, let's go immediately", agreed Kichiro, but Kanae raised her hand to cut him off.

"Wait, maybe it's better if we split up or something ! One group could search this floor, and the other group could go to the top floor ! I'm sure there's plenty to find out about why we're here !"

Kichiro nodded, recalling the many rooms he'd seen on his way to the gym. Useful information could be found in one of them ! So he slammed his fist into his hand with a determined smile.

"Excellent idea Kanae ! But how should we divide the groups then ?"

Kichiro then saw Pierre displaying a sneering smile as he arranged the crimson cape hanging from his shoulders. He seemed to have something in mind, and Shiratori wasn't sure he wanted to know what.

"I'll take command of the group inspecting the first floor of this precinct. It's only natural for an aristocrat such as myself to take on this role, after all."

Kichiro hesitated, but when he saw Sayuri's benevolent gaze upon him before she joined Pierre, he figured that the young chess player would know how to keep a watchful eye on Dubonier, preventing him from causing unwanted problems.

"I'll go with him. Kichiro, how about leading the group searching the second floor ?"

"Well... if no one else volunteers, I suppose I could do that...", Kichiro answered dubiously, unsure he was fit for this role.

"In that case, I'll go with you, don't worry Kichiro !" said Haru as she stationed herself beside him, her beautiful cyan eyes reassuring him, at least enough for the time being.

"I'll accompany you as well.," Jared added with a brief shake of his head as he proceeded to Kichiro's side.

"I'd honestly like to, but are you sure about it ?"

"Yes, I've made up my mind. Besides... there's no guarantee that these other students will be friendly, and our situation remains perilous."

Following the samurai's words, the atmosphere suddenly seemed to become much heavier, and reality caught up with the little group. They were probably locked in a place they knew nothing about, and danger could very well be lurking in the shadows, around every corner of every corridor in this precinct. And for the first time since waking up, Kichiro felt his body stiffen. He was afraid. They were facing the unknown, and nothing was more terrifying than something you knew nothing of.

"... He's right, we don't know what can happen to us here...", Takeru breathed out as he crossed his arms, looking worried.

"The person who brought us here may still be within these walls... I'd rather not think about what might happen if we cross paths with them...", Sayuri added, staring down at the floor.

"Hmm. Yes, the samurai has a point. It would be wise for us to remain cautious, especially as some members of our group are particularly... noisy.", Pierre said with a slight sneer as he looked at Takeru, who was glaring at him with telling eyes.

"Yes, but we can't stay here, guys...! We've got to find the others, maybe even some information ! I dunno, but we can't stay in this gym forever !" replied a discomfited-looking Kichiro to his discouraged classmates.

"Exactly, we can't. And that's why I'll go with you in search of the others, Kichiro."

Kichiro turned back to Jared, who was mindlessly tapping his fingers on the scabbard holding his katana. The young man had a confident look across his face.

"I have a weapon, and I'm capable of defending myself, and you. If a threat were to appear, neutralizing it would be within my capabilities. I'm not scared, Kichiro."

Kichiro squinted as he stared at Jared, who was now crossing his arms and holding his interlocutor's gaze. The samurai did indeed seem capable of wielding his sword, as the incident between Pierre and Takeru a few minutes earlier had proved, but did he really feel no fear, as he claimed ? Or was it just a tactic to reassure him ? Either way, he was right. His presence by his side would tranquilize him, at least a minimum.

"In that case, I'll gladly accept you coming with us ! But... what about Pierre's group ?"

Pierre seemed incredibly offended that Kichiro was concerned about his well-being, but Jared had already turned to Takeru, arms opened as he replied.

"Takeru here is the ultimate runner. He's athletic and strong. I think he's more than capable of defending himself and the others, if the need arose." he declared, provoking a sharp reaction from the interested party.

"Wait... me, with that pricky kid ?! Did you smoke or something ?! That's the best way for it to go to shit !"

"No, it won't ! It's time for you two to put your differences aside ! We're about to search this floor to try and find some important information, so now's not the time to pick a fight !"

After uttering these words, a slightly irritated Sayuri beckoned Takeru to join them, which he did without a word of protest. Even Pierre was dumbfounded. Kichiro silently thanked the chess player for her quick wit.

"Which leaves just me... I think I'll stay there, in case anyone turn up !", Kanae shrugged, an embarrassed smile on her face.

"You're right, Kanae! But, how can we know ayone knocking will have good intentions ? It could be a trap to lure you out...", questioned Haru, a bit worried.

"Oh don't worry about that my Ruru ! I'll be careful when I lock up ! And if it's one of you, just knock three times in a row !"

Kichiro gave a thumbs-up, signalling that he'd received the message, and after a few final preparations the two groups left the gym, while Kanae locked the doors behind them. Pierre's group proceeded further into the first floor, while Kichiro's headed for the stairs, Jared in the lead, holding his blade in a firm grip.

"Now that I think about it... why did Sayuri think I'd fit the bill by leading the second group ?" ,Kichiro inquired to Haru, who shrugged in reply.

"I'm not sure... Probably because you seem friendly enough to initiate contact ! And also rather composed, imagine if Takeru had taken your place ! It would have been a real disaster !"

Kichiro couldn't help but laugh softly, knowing well that the gardener was right. Even Jared let out an amused gasp. But Kichiro quickly regained his composure as they reached the second-floor landing, which closely resembled the first floor despite its slightly different architecture. To their right, the stairs leading higher up were blocked by the same iron curtains as in the bedroom hall.

"Good... Let's go ! Let's hope they'll be friendly..."