Danganronpa Midnight: Lantern Lament (Fanganronpa)

Chapter 2 - A Grasp of Fading Spotlight - BDA and Investigation

Shouko gazed upon the body and lowered her head. "Geez...Another spirit. Even I have to admit...this is too much."

"No fucking way!" Akihiro instinctively stepped back from pure terror. "That's...That's terrible!"

Although, the other two people in the room had far more different reactions

As soon as Kokoro's eyes caught Yukari, laid out on the floor, her breath got caught in her throat. She gripped the sides of her head and shook it, refusing to believe another murder had been committed even though the proof we right before her.

"No...No! Not again...T-This...This can't happen again!" She screamed and pleaded. "Not after Shunsuke...Get me out of here! I hate this!"

Ryoko, on the other hand, appeared to be especially pleased with herself and strangely calm

"Ah, yes. It appears the killing has started up again." She grinned and laughed. "Ohoho...I wonder what tricks the blackened has up their sleeve this time. Ah...Just the thought of what's coming is making me all excited!"

"Ok...T-That's weird!" Akihiro stopped looking at the corpse just to comment on Ryoko's bizarreness.

"I see you've gotten a good look at the body!" A voice spoke up from behind the open human-sized box. Behind it walked out Monokuma, grinning from ear to ear with his paws on his stomach. "I knew my motive didn't backfire!"

Upon mention of the motive, most of our expressions turned solemn.

He's wrong...All of us - No, most of us - were set on leaving here talentless. It was objectively better than committing another murder.

So...Why did this happen again?!?

Yukari was the one most vocal about being against leaving. She even made threats and everything...

How did she become the one dead on the floor right now even? What the hell happened...

"You guys really wanted to leave...And look at what that got you! A dead camper!" Monokuma cackled, playfully kicking the side of Yukari's head. "You only had to wait about...less than twelve hours before you could leave. But I suppose one of you was dying to stay! Get it?"

"Yeah, we obviously get it, build a bear reject." I sighed. "Just...cut to the chase!"

"Hm? Whatever do you mean!" He tried to act innocent.

"We all know you're dying to get the investigation started. We're just uses of entertainment to you!" Kairi exclaimed. "And now, 'cause of you...We've lost four people!"

"Hey!" The bear growled. "I take serious offence to that! It's not like I killed them. I didn't murder that theorist idiot or this illusionist girl! And that toxicologist guy...he was just stupid I guess."

"Wait...H-How dare you!" Akihiro called him out. "What an asshole this bear is...!"

"You...You killed Shunsuke's though!" Kokoro spoke up, pointing at the bear with a trembling hand.

"Who...?"

"S-Shunsuke!" She cried.

"Hm." The bear thought for a moment, but shook his head and shrugged. "Nah, not ringing any bells. Must have been an irrelevant loser."

"H-How...How could you?!?" Kokoro gasped.

"We don't have time for this," Ryoko smirked. "Though, it is quite funny."

"As if." I rolled my eyes at Ryoko and turned to the bear. "You...want us to start investigating, right? That's why you're here."

Monokuma nodded. "Yup! I even brought you a special something to get you all going...!"