Danganronpa: Digital Daze

I was awakened the next morning, Tuesday, November 8th, to Monorakun's usual morning announcement.

"Wake up, everyone! It's 7am, and Nighttime is now over! Time to enjoy another fun-filled day at The Ultimate Talent Enhancement Center!"

Remembering that I needed to take my Masculinizing Hormone Therapy, I got up, got dressed, and walked to the bathroom. There, I injected my weekly treatment into my thigh. Grimacing a little from the pain from the shot, I put a bandage over the injection site, then put the needle into the sharps container Monorakun had given me on my first day here.

I got dressed and brushed my hair, decided that I should do my laundry later tonight, and then headed to the Dining Hall for breakfast. I would need to decide who I should explore the fifth and final floor with, and I wanted it to be with someone I trusted.

As I entered the Dining Hall, I glanced around at everyone remaining: Chihiro, Chiaki, Kenchikka, Theo, Kaito, and Leon. Sixteen students were here at one point; now, only seven of us remained.

Chihiro glanced around at us, seeming to realize this, too.

"It feels so... empty in here now," he remarked.

"Yeah, no shit," Leon agreed. "Over half of us are gone now."

"A true shame, indeed," Theo concurred.

"Perhaps for them, but for you all, a step closer to freedom!" Monorakun announces, emerging from the kitchen on all fours.

Kenchikka turns to glare at Monorakun. "What does Asshole Raccoon want now?"

Monorakun, ignoring her remark, scurried up to our little group.

"Well, I've got a deal for you all," Monorakun announces. "As you all know, the Fifth Floor is now open to you all. But get this: One more Class Trial, and all remaining students go free. No strings attached."

Theo pondered this. "But that would mean one more student death, too, would it not?"

Monorakun nodded. "Yeah, Terrence, that's true. I can't waive that part."

"Excuse me, but my name is Theodore, not Terrence. If that is too long for you, then please call me Theo," he corrected.

Monorakun's red eye glowed. "Well, if you had a real birth certificate, then maybe I could remember your fucking name, ok?" He snapped back.

Theo had no response for him, so Monorakun scurried out of the room. "Remember, one more Class Trial, then you can all go free," he called out as he fled down the hallway.

We all looked at each other, processing what Monorakun just said.

Well, everyone except Kenchikka, who appeared to not really care. She went into the kitchen to make herself breakfast.

After the seven of us finished breakfast, we considered who should go with who to explore the last floor.

"Yo, Kaito! Wanna team up?" Leon asked, but Kaito shook his head.

"Maybe another time," Kaito replied. "I wanna make sure Bera's ok."

Hmmm? Why was Kaito worried about me?

Leon ended up pairing with Chiaki (my suspicion was because she was the only girl alive who hadn't threatened him yet), while Theo and Chihiro teamed up.

This left me with Kaito, who then asked Kenchikka if she wanted to join us.

"Sorry. No interest in last floor. Working on plan to get out. Had plan with Mukuro. No more, needed her alive."

Kaito shrugged, while I was confused. Why wouldn't Kenchikka want to see the final floor?

Kaito, however, quickly dismissed her, and we headed up the flights of stairs together, headed to the Fifth Floor.

Upon our arrival, we noticed a large Botany Room to our left, and a long hallway before us.

Deciding to check out the Botany Room, we were greeted with a glass ceiling, much like the one in the Courtyard, which allowed sunlight into the room. There were a wide variety of different flowers and other plants in here.

"Whoa! Check this out!" Kaito called out, looking at a sunflower growing in a corner of the room. It almost reached the ceiling in here!

After checking out the rest of the flora, we left the Botany Room and reached a T-Intersection. Here, another set of stairs to our left, marked "Roof Access" was gated off, but there was a room on the opposite side marked "Archery Room".

"Archery, huh?" Kaito quipped.

I shrugged, not really having a response to this. Yet, I couldn't shake a feeling of dread within me.

Our curiosity overriding us, we entered the Archery Room, a long room that could almost qualify as a hallway. Here, we were greeted with a circular, ringed target with Monorakun's face on it on the far end of the room. Along one side, near the entrance, was a rack of various types of bows and arrows for shooting at the target. There were a variety of bows here: simple bows, compound bows, and even a bow with a scope on it, which Chihiro was looking at.

"So, this scope helps you aim better, right?" Chihiro asked Theo as we stood in the doorway.

"Quite right, good sir. Yet, the scope is also designed to block out anything except what you're presently aiming at, so do be careful if you ever need to use it," Theo cheerfully replied.

"Ummmm," Kaito asked. "Why are you looking at bows, Chihiro?"

Chihiro gulped, then took a deep breath. "Because... Because I don't want to be seen as weak. I've come so far here, and I... I don't want to..."

I nodded, understanding what Chihiro couldn't bring himself to say.

"Yeah. Hey, I get it," I comfort Chihiro.

Kaito looked at the target. "I gotta admit, though, shooting a target with Monorakun's face on it sounds like a great way to let off some steam."

After a while, we parted ways, with Theo and Chihiro moving on to the Botany Room while we headed down the last hallway, then made a left to avoid going back to the staircase.

Here, we were greeted with an open area, with two doors. One was marked "Headmaster's Office", and the other was marked "Staff Meeting Room".

"So, this is Monorakun's office?" Kaito asked out loud.

"Either that, or whoever controls him, maybe," I reply.

We decided to check out the Headmaster's Office first, where Leon and Chiaki were standing inside.

"The fuck is this?" Leon asked, clearly annoyed. "Just an empty desk and a black cushioned chair?"

"My perception check has failed in here, Leon. That's all I see here, too, I think," Chiaki responded.

Joining them, the four of us looked all over the Headmaster's Office. The desk drawers were empty. Nothing was underneath the desk, or the chair. We didn't notice anything strange with the walls, floor, or ceiling.

It was just... an empty office.

Chiaki and I exchanged shrugs, while Kaito and Leon, both equally as annoyed as the other, moved on to the Staff Meeting Room.

Leon reached the door first, and went to turn the door handle...

Only to find the door was locked.

"The hell is this?" Leon griped. "Why is this stupid door locked? Nothing else here is!"

We were greeted by Monorakun, scurrying on all fours towards us.

And he did NOT look happy.