Ultimate Life Or Death Despair Game (Danganronpa THH X Fem! OC)

Chapter 20: Coping Mechanism

(3rd Person's POV)

Getting out of her room, Sora made a quick yawn as she and the still emotionally-broken Taka walked. After making sure they weren't being followed, the blonde silently went into the bathhouse, her feet not making a single sound.

---

In the bathhouse...

"..."

"Okay, here it is." Sora said, opening the locker and powering on the laptop. "There's two programs inside this laptop. One of 'em is called Alter Ego."

"How do I...talk to him?" Taka slowly asked.

"I'll do the talking." Sora said. "You just tell me what to type in."

Taka's closed his eyes as he began. "...Do you...hate Owada? And since I couldn't stop him...do you hate me?"

It was clear he was forcing himself to get the words out. From his mouth, to the bottom of his heart...he forced his weakened voice to make the sounds.

"...Please." Taka pleaded.

"Good grief..." Sora rolled her eyes, but did what Taka said. She typed the questions exactly as Taka had asked them. And then...

"...Do you hold yourself responsible...?" Alter Ego asked. "If Master could talk now, I think this is what he would say... "Please, live your life for the both of us. It's impossible for me now, but you can still survive and escape--all of you."

"..." Taka said nothing.

Sora stayed silent as the A.I. continued.

"The one asking those questions is...Taka, right? Analyzing all available data, that's the only conclusion I can come to. Master told me how close Taka and Owada had become. So that must be why he fells responsible..."

The screen suddenly went dark. And what appeared next was...

"You're not letting yourself get crushed under the weight of that responsibility, are you!?"

Alter Ego suddenly took the form of Mondo!

"Gh--!" Taka stiffened up.

"A man's only worth as much as the load he can carry! You get it, right bro? Hell, what am I saying? Of course ya do!"

"..."

"...Huh? What the..." Sora tilted her head.

"I'm sorry if I startled you..." Alter Ego returned to their default Chihiro form. "That was my attempt at a simulation, using the data about Owada that Master had given me. I figured if Taka was depressed, that's the kind of thing Owada would have said to him..." They then turned back into Mondo. "So you're just gonna stand there, huh? Just wait for things to get better? Just take your time and get all depressed... Take the time to indulge your regrets... You might even start walking again without realizing it. Sure, that kind of mediocre thinking might work for some people." They then turned back. " ...What if I said it with that kind of condescending tone!?"

"...Huh." Sora blinked twice. She didn't know Alter Ego was capable of that. Can Doppelgänger do that, too...?

"Hehe... Hahaha..." Taka chuckled.

"...Mm?" Sora tilted her head.

"It's starting to sink in... The way a bucketful of water sinks into a bone-dry sponge..." A smirked made its way on Taka's face as he clenched his fist.

"What're you...?"

"Those words... Deep within my heart...! They're inside of me!" Taka took a stance as a blueish aura surrounded him. "UWAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!"