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penguwastaken · 4 days

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Nobody Understands Mukuro Ikusaba (aka Mukuro Character Analysis)

...except for the people that do (lol).

But first I want to clarify what I mean by this title and why I even wrote this thread in the first place. Mukuro is my second favorite Danganronpa character, only beaten out by Kyoko. There's a lot of reasons why I really like Mukuro, but one of them is her writing.

I think she's one of the best written characters in the series. But unfortunately, she also happens to be one of the most misunderstood characters as well. Not even by the people who don't like her, but also by her own fans.

"Mukuro has incestuous feelings for Junko" "Danganronpa 3 retconned her character" "Mukuro was just a plot device" These are all claims that baffle me because simply just consuming the media will say otherwise.

To many, Mukuro is either a one note incest freak or a pure innocent cinnamon roll who did nothing wrong and both of those interpretations are wildly incorrect. I've been meaning to write this post for a while, but we're finally here.

Nobody understands Mukuro Ikusaba (a ""🧵"") (Spoiler warning for the entire series)

Story Overview

We don't actually know too much about Mukuro's backstory aside from the fact that at a young age, she was separated from her younger twin sister Junko. Before being taken away, she claims that she was homeless and after she was taken she was forced to become a member of the military group Fenrir.

So clearly Mukuro never really had the chance to have a normal life, and more importantly: never had a chance to feel the care of another person.

Her sister, who Mukuro had not seen in years, suddenly got in contact with her and called Mukuro over to participate in her plan to overthrow Hope's Peak Academy (and the world). Mukuro, who already felt bad for losing her sister and was desperate for any kind of affection, accepted and began working for Junko.

Junko took advantage of Mukuro's desperation and had her basically work as a servant to her plans. She started by having Mukuro wipe out the entirety of a middle school in order to prove Mukuro's skills and how far Mukuro would go for her.

With that out of her way, Junko made Mukuro obey like her servant in order to overthrow Hope's Peak and cause the tragedy. Mukuro did so without batting an eye and disregarding any second thoughts she might have had, all while facing Junko's abuse.

During her time attending Hope's Peak, Mukuro met Makoto Naegi. Unlike most of her classmates, Makoto was friendly to her and showed her compassion. This confused her as we already established that Mukuro wasn't used to affection. Because of this and her tendency to latch onto anyone who shows her even an ounce of care, she began to develop feelings for Makoto (that even Junko acknowledged).

In the past two years, Ikusaba had gained an interest in the world beyond her sister. And in that world, Makoto Naegi--the first person who smiled at her and bridged the gap between her and the world--had become like a sapling of sincerity taking root in her heart. -Danganronpa IF confirming Mukuro's feelings for Makoto

"Upupupu… I wonder what kind of fun you were having in the infirmary? Did you take care of your rival in love, or did you wish them a happy marriage? Either way, don't you think our nice guy Naegi standing side-by-side with Kirigiri makes for a wonderful picture? If this were a thriller, they'd be the last surviving couple!" "Upupupupu… Or how about just killing all of the others? If everyone but you and Naegi die, then the two of you can spend the rest of your student lives together! After all, we can't even hold a trial if there's only two people left. Maybe it'll be best if you just hole up here, safe in the building forever!" "And what're you going to do once he goes back to his old self? It's not as if you were dating Naegi, right? You were just watching him from afar all this time! Now this is a shock. You can shoot right through people's heads and hearts without even blinking, but you can't even steal away some skinny little boy's heart! You want me to tell you who Naegi had a crush on before his memories were erased? Upupupupu…" -Junko teasing Mukuro about her feelings as she aids Makoto in Danganronpa IF

Once the tragedy occured, Mukuro was locked inside of Hope's Peak with Junko and the rest of their classmates and she helped orchestrate the killing game. She disguised herself as Junko, under the impression that Junko would fake her death and they could spend the rest of the game together.

This is when the seeds of doubt began to sprout inside of Mukuro. I wouldn't say that she necessarily began to go against her sister, but she definitely was starting to get a little more hesitant.

"It was only recently that she began to question her mindset. Hearing about this plan from Junko and watching the world burn at the hands of people in Monobear masks did nothing to sway her, but when she heard that Junko was intending to plunge Naegi and the others into a game of murder, something within her began to move. The seed of doubt soon took root, sprouting into a thorny vine that twisted around her feet. And the moment she met her friends for the first time under the identity of Junko Enoshima and realized their memories were truly gone, the vines quickly tightened around her ankles." -Danganronpa IF describing Mukuro's feelings when the killing game began

To Makoto and the player who are under the impression that this is Junko, they assume that she's referring to not wanting to be a model anymore. But given her backstory of never being able to live a normal life and always having to fend for herself or follow the orders of others, we can infer what she actually means. She expresses disappointment in the fact that she never really had a chance to do what she wanted.

This all culminates in the moment where Junko was supposed to fake the death of Mukuro, but that isn't what happened. Instead, Junko killed Mukuro and betrayed her. To say that Junko felt no remorse from this action would be a lie, however. Junko only did this because she knew it would hurt both of them.

...but what if that wasn't what happened? What if Mukuro wasn't killed? What would happen then? That brings us to:

Danganronpa IF

Danganronpa IF answers the hypothetical question of what if Mukuro survived Junko's attack. Of course this means it isn't canon, but due to Kodaka being involved with its creation and its existence as an event that hypothetically could have happened, it is canon compliant. This means that while the events didn't happen in canon, they could have and things like characterization are all accurate. Think of it like an extended free time event. While the events themselves aren't canon, the things they say and imply are. I'll also be referencing Danganronpa IF a lot because since it's told from Mukuro's perspective, it gives a lot of insight on her thought process.

After regaining his memories, Makoto recognizes and rescues Mukuro seconds before her would-be death and he gets impaled by one of the spears. Mukuro rushes to save him, abandoning her disguise and goal.

During this time, Mukuro does a lot of thinking. Why did Junko try to kill her? For all the time they've been working together, Mukuro always assumed that her job was to prop Junko up and help her achieve despair.

It turns out that Junko didn't want Mukuro to obey Junko's every order, Junko wanted Mukuro to retaliate. She didn't want Mukuro to submit to her, but instead to fight back.

With this Mukuro changes her mind, choosing to fight Junko instead of assisting her. Not because she's on the side of hope, she never cared about hope or despair, but because she only wants what's best for the only person in her life who cared for her.

"'That's why… I'll take responsibility. I'll make you happy, Junko . I'll make youdespair. I'll save Naegi-kun… I'll make sure none of our friends die. I'll get them all out of here. And I'll kill every last one of the ones on the outside. You planned this for years and killed so many people to make this work… so I'll destroy every last trace of it.' She was not driven by resentment at the sister who abandoned her. Ikusaba would do all this for her sister's sake." -Mukuro changing her approach to making Junko happy in Danganronpa IF

Who is Mukuro Ikusaba?

Now this is the part where I finally exit the synopsis phase and finally get into the character analysis, explaining why Mukuro acts the way she does in all entries.

Now, I want to begin with a common critique of Mukuro's character, specifically one that's attributed to Danganronpa 3. The one that says that Mukuro's behavior is not only out of character, but also claims that she has romantic feelings for her sister.

First point out of the way, Mukuro's blushy and flustered attitude is nothing new when it comes to her character. It's been an aspect of her since the very beginning of her characterization.

"'I don’t know if… she attracts despair, or despair attracts her, but… she’s lived her whole life with despair by her side. She lived while immersed in despair. That’s why she began looking for despair in others; she began to enjoy pushing people into despair. But you know… that’s normal. It’s no different than someone cursed by misfortune falling into hatred for those who are better off than them. But what’s special about her was that… she learned to enjoy inflicting despair upon herself. That’s how the link to despair began: as she chased down despair, she pushed it onto others along the way. Doing so caused her to crave falling into despair even more… and because of that chain to despair, the Ultimate Despair was born.' While she spoke, it was like she fell into a fever; the expressions on her face slowly turned into ecstasy. It was so completely absurd that it would have been difficult for anybody to think of it as anything but a joke, but I could tell that this was real. It might have been the hazy memories of Junko Enoshima inside me that led to that conclusion. 'You don’t get it right? That’s fair, I don’t think anybody could… But you know, only I can understand it…' Consumed by ecstasy, even Ikusaba’s breathing had begun to turn ragged." -Mukuro describing Junko in Danganronpa Zero

The second (and more important) point to address is the one that Mukuro holds some kind of romantic feelings for her sister. Now, in all honestly, I can't hold this against anyone for thinking this even if I think it's a wild misinterpretation of her behavior. Danganronpa has a track record of using incest for comedic effect (to always poor results). However, Mukuro's relationship with Junko is not used to comedic effect and it's portrayed in a negative light. Not only that, we know that Mukuro does not enjoy behaving that way.

"'She hoped that, perhaps her sister on the screen would say something like 'Not! You seriously thought I'd say something that sappy? Jeez, you're annoying! Can't you just disappear forever or something?'. She hoped that Junko might criticizeher and call her useless. Ikusaba was no masochist, but she would have preferred to hear scornful laughter and be shot at rather than continue to endure this pain." -Danganronpa IF explaining Mukuro's "masochism"

Mukuro doesn't behave the way she does because she has feelings for Junko, she does so because she believes that's how Junko wants her to behave. Danganronpa Zero and IF makes it clear that Mukuro was wrong about how Junko wanted her to behave.

“'You don’t get it right? That’s fair, I don’t think anybody could… But you know, only I can understand it…' Consumed by ecstasy, even Ikusaba’s breathing had begun to turn ragged. 'Only I’m able to understand her… That’s why she needs me. She still hasn’t realized it, but… maybe she’s only pretending not to. Ufu… It’s because she’s so shy. Ufufufu…'” -Mukuro explaining that Junko needs her in Danganronpa Zero

"Ikusaba knew that not even she herself was her own ally. After all, despite the fact that Junko had betrayed her and very nearly killed her, Ikusaba still believed that she was the only one who could understand her little sister. And that was why she felt that she had to protect her. That's right… you were just being you, Junko. You just wanted despair, right? It's because you love me. You wanted to kill me and fall into despair. That must have been it" -Mukuro in denial in Danganronpa IF

"Ikusaba believed that she alone could understand the despair known as Junko Enoshima. It was a ludicrous notion. The moment Junko said, 'I love you', Ikusaba realized--to her agony--that she never truly understood her sister. Only now had she come to realize Junko's feelings." -Mukuro realizing that she didn't understand Junko in Danganronpa IF

Because of Mukuro's incorrect interpretation of understanding Junko, Mukuro believes that Junko expects her to respond to her abuse with acceptance and masochism. Even if she was uncomfortable to, as long as it made Junko happy, that's what mattered. Of course, we learn that Junko wanted Mukuro to respond her abuse with retaliation, and as soon as Mukuro realizes that her behavior immediately shifts. Mukuro holds a great deal of admiration for Junko, so much so that she only wants to do what would please Junko the most.

She does not have romantic feelings for her sister and to say so misses the point entirely. She isn't behaving that way because she's a masochist, she behaves that way because she believes it's how she's expected to, even if she's visibly uncomfortable. Once she learns this isn't what's expected, she immediately changes course.

Danganronpa 3 also has official relationship charts that depict the relationship between characters. In this chart, crushes or explicitly shown romantic feelings are labeled with a heart (as seen with Kazuichi's attraction to Sonia or Toko's attraction to Byakuya). Mukuro's relationship does NOT feature this heart. You would think that if Mukuro's very obvious admiration towards Junko was romantic it would have a heart, but it doesn't because it isn't. If what I said before didn't convince you, I think this itself is proof enough.

Mukuro's admiration doesn't extend to just Junko though. Due to her unfortunate upbringing, Mukuro has a tendency to get attached to anyone who shows her the affection she's desperate for. So much so that her behavior changes completely around the people she cares about.

"The mass of monochrome spun round and round, making it look as though they were projecting a hypnotic image from three directions, but Ikusaba remained expressionless. In fact, the bizarre sight unfolding before her compelled the Super High School Level Soldier to regain her focus. She was an entirely different person from the girl who had panicked at Naegi's injury in the gymnasium." -Mukuro while fighting in Danganronpa IF, behaving completely differently from when she panicked over Makoto's injury

"Not only that, if anyone who knew her as the Super High School Level Soldier and mercenary were to see her now, the difference in her attitude might even make her look like another person altogether. And Monobear continued to drive the girl into a corner." -Mukuro panicking over Makoto's injury in Danganronpa IF

"The mask of ice she wore around others was entirely unlike the face she showed her sister, making it almost seem as though she had multiple personalities." -Danganronpa IF explaining that Mukuro's behavior around Junko is different from her typical icey expression

This is why around most people, Mukuro has a pretty blank expression. However when she's around Makoto or Junko, the two people who she cares about, she displays a much more soft and emotional side.

That being said, an often overlooked aspect of Mukuro is that she actually has a slight ego and is proud of her skill. This is especially obvious in her fight with Peko in Danganronpa 3. Of course, if I spent years in the military without getting a single scratch, I'd probably have an ego too.

Mukuro is also capable of turning off her feelings and going into a "killing machine mode" whenever the situation demands it, mostly when she's carrying out some mission. It's not because she doesn't feel bad for what she's doing or isn't having any second thoughts, it's that she pushes any doubts to the side to focus on getting the job done.

"In battlefields, where she made her home, her main mission was to kill and survive. And in that setting Ikusaba was invincible. She could put her own emotions on a leash in order to become a killing machine." -Danganronpa IF explaining how Mukuro is capable of ignoring her own feelings

"With a single whisper that was drowned out by the sound of gunfire, Ikusaba went completely silent. Thanks to her status as a member of Super High School Level Despair, her heart was filling with joy. And as if to offset the sudden surge of emotions, the sparkle in her eyes disappeared." -Mukuro turning her emotions off while fighting in Danganronpa IF

So Basically...

Due to her upbringing Mukuro is someone who gets attached to people easily, particularly those who give her attention. Junko took advantage of this to make Mukuro essentially act as her servant. Believing that Junko expected her to return the abuse she faced with enjoyment, she forced herself to do just that. Even if it made her uncomfortable, making her sister happy at her own expense is better than being alone. She's capable of turning off and ignoring her emotions to following orders when necessary and is generally a proud and skilled soldier, though she has a softer side that she only shows to people who she cares for.

That is who Mukuro Ikusaba is.

Conclusion

There's a lot of reasons I really like Mukuro. I think she's silly and cute and I like her singing voice. But I also think her characterization is really good in all of her appearances. I think a lot of the critiques made towards her (especially towards her appearance in Danganronpa 3) are misguided or just a result of her being misunderstood.

She's not a plot device or a character exclusively there to act as an extension of Junko. She's filled to the brim with character depth and interesting writing and has plenty of characterization on her own. I'll admit that her presence in Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is a bit limited, however she doesn't just become an important character in four other entries without getting some kind of development.

Many think her characterization is inconsistent or different across entries, but I honestly think it couldn't be any MORE consistent. The only times where I'd say she acts out of character is in the comic anthologies, but those are non-canon media that's kinda known for flanderizing characters for the sake of comedy.

Basically, I like Mukuro. I hope I managed to change some minds or shed a new light on her to anyone who didn't before. And if you already liked her, I hope maybe I could make you appreciate her a bit more or just help you explain her in some way.

anyways follow me on twitter cough cough

Also special thanks to Twitter user @LKSixtyfour for their tweets about Mukuro's characterization, many helped me organize my thoughts to form the thread that you just read.

Edit: didn't make any changes to the post, just fixed some typos

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theamityelf · 3 months

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(Takes place in this Yandere AU.)

Ideally, the moment when Makoto remembered everything would have come at a time when he was alone, so he could process the information and collect himself. Instead, the pieces all came together in his mind in the middle of dinner. He was sitting right across from Izuru, who was watching him to see his always-rapturous reaction to the food.

And he remembered. The little recollections he'd had of a stoic girl, of a room that seemed to be his, of laughing with friends, clicked together. He remembered dating Kyoko, going to school at Hope's Peak, befriending Izuru, gently rejecting Izuru, hearing about the Tragedy, living in the school for a year, and then...

He dropped his fork.

"What's wrong?" Izuru asked.

"N-Nothing." His heart was racing, and he tried to keep the revelation, the horror, from his expression. He remembered Mukuro knocking all of them out, Junko...Junko and Mukuro were the Ultimate Despair, and Izuru had-! He quickly averted his eyes, shoveling food in his mouth to hide his reaction.

Izuru lied. He lied he lied he lied he lied he lied-

He could feel Izuru's gaze still locked on him. "How is it?"

"It tastes great!" It did. Izuru's cooking always tasted so good, it made his eyes water. But he didn't want his eyes to be watering right now. And he didn't want his voice to be shaking.

He needed to leave. He needed to...get to the school? To his friends? Just to get away from Izuru and the threat posed by his willingness to do something like this?

Makoto forced himself to meet Izuru's eyes and smile. "It's really good. Maybe even better than yesterday."

Izuru's expression was normal. Makoto hoped that meant he was convinced by the act. "I'm glad you like it."

Makoto let himself break eye contact, lowering his head to keep eating.

The Tragedy. There had been rumors going around that Izuru had caused it. That he'd killed the Student Council. Izuru himself had vanished after it happened. Makoto...he'd insisted that it must be a misunderstanding. Izuru wouldn't do that. He was their friend.

But now...too much started to make sense- horrible sense -if it was true. But what did he want with Makoto? Junko and Mukuro had seemed to have plans for them all, when they'd knocked them out. Why was Makoto alone with Izuru? Was there something that came next?

He needed to not think about this. If it came to a physical struggle or race, he could not hold his own against Izuru at all, so he had to make sure his reaction wasn't obvious. Just get through dinner, and once he was alone, he'd sneak into the garage. That must be where Izuru was keeping everything useful; it would explain why he told Makoto not to go in there.

"I, uh..." Lighter. His tone needed to be a lot lighter. "I don't think I can eat another bite." He forced a laugh. "It was really good, though! I'm just full. I think maybe I'll take a shower and get some rest. My headache is back." Please work, please...

"Your headache?" The words seemed to have the desired effect, based on the furrow in Izuru's brow. He got up from his chair. "I'll get your bed ready. If your headache is back, you should have a bath instead of a shower. I'll take care of that, too. Wait here."

He could feel his heartbeat in his throat, as Izuru left the room. He waited until the footsteps had made it all the way up the stairs before he got out of his chair as silently as he could.

Okay. No big deal. He just needed to sneak out on the Ultimate Ultimate, figure out where he was, find his family? Find the school? As if he could get inside, after everything they'd done to secure the place.

What could he do? What could he do? He had to do something.

He reached the door to the garage. Deep breath. He had to open the door silently; if Izuru heard him opening it, he could be back downstairs in two seconds. He turned the doorknob. Silently. Silently. Please, silently...

He pushed the door open. There was a faint creak at the hinge, and he winced, but he didn't hear any footsteps. He entered the garage and turned on the light.

His heart skipped a beat.

The contents of the garage...First of all, the wall where there should have been a large door to let cars in and out was replaced by a sheet of solid metal, making his prospects of escaping this way dubious. In the corner of the room was a desk with a computer and other devices whose names Makoto didn't know. A sleek black moped leaned against the far wall.

But most of the room was taken up by some kind of machine. It looked a little like an MRI scanner, but what it most resembled was a more compact version of the device he'd seen after being knocked out by Mukuro...and before losing his memory.

The door suddenly closed behind him, and he whipped around and saw that Izuru was here. He didn't look angry. His expression was calm. But he'd closed the door, cornering Makoto in a room with no other exits, and one of his hands was hidden behind his back.

"You are a bad liar," he said mildly.

"Izuru! I was, uh...I just...Sorry, I was curious."

"You remembered something." Izuru took a few steps closer. Makoto managed not to back away. It wouldn't make a difference if he did, anyway, save indicating to Izuru that they were no longer on the same side. "Or dreamed something. If you tell me what it was, I can tell you if it was a memory or a dream."

Those words, and the casual way they invoked the trust Makoto had placed in Izuru for the past few weeks, teased at the outrage he hadn't consciously felt building inside him. "I remembered the girl's name," he said heatedly. "Kyoko Kirigiri."

Izuru's expression remained very still. After a few seconds- enough for Makoto's anger to settle back into dread -he replied, "Yes, that was her name. She was the Ultimate Detective."

Makoto's heart faltered. "Was?"

A head tilt. "Are you worried about her?" Izuru took another few steps closer, and this time Makoto couldn't stop himself from backing away. He didn't have time to think past the reflex. "Is that why you snuck in here? Because you're worried about her?"

He couldn't focus on any pretense of ignorance he might have kept. Not with that critical "was" demanding his attention. And not with Izuru's gaze holding his so coolly, the memory of their past friendship, an awkward rejection, and their recent closeness looping through his mind. Why was he here? Why had Izuru taken him here?

"You're shaking," Izuru said. "You don't have to be afraid. I'm not angry at you for remembering; you had no control over it. Matsuda's procedure was flawed in the first place. I've been working to improve on it for a while now."

Makoto glanced over at the weird machine. No...

When he looked back at Izuru, he was closer. And the hand that had been behind his back was now visible. He was holding a syringe.

"W-Wait!" Makoto said, though Izuru had already stopped moving. "Please, what happened to everyone? My class? Kyoko? Are they okay?"

Izuru flicked at the needle. "I almost wish I could tell you she's already dead, but I haven't been keeping up with Enoshima's game. You are a much higher priority."

Those words. So callous. How could he say something like that so casually? "What game? I don't understand!"

"And you needn't. Don't worry. Next time, you won't regain the memories at all. The improved process is much more precise. You will forget only what I want you to forget, and there will be no more dreams. You'll be happier once she's been burned from your mind. And the process won't hurt. I've made sure of it."

"No!" Makoto ran, and Izuru didn't stop him; there was nowhere to go. He already stood in the way of the one door. All Makoto could do was scurry aimlessly, just focused on putting enough distance between them that it felt like Izuru ceased to be a danger. "You can't take my memories! They're my friends; I can't just forget them again!"

"You won't miss them." Izuru was approaching slowly. "They don't miss you. She has forgotten you exist. You just need to reciprocate. This way, everyone will be happy."

"Izuru-"

"Weren't we happy before? Today, yesterday? You were happy."

"Izuru, I promise, I won't try to leave-!"

"I promise you," he said, backing Makoto into the wall. "Only happiness." He covered Makoto's mouth with his hand before more begging could come out. "I promise. Do you understand? You brought me from a state of despondence and disinterest, I will cure your excessive loyalty to undeserving people, and everyone will be happy. Now, I don't want you to go in upset. Can you relax for me, please?"

#danganronpa #yandere kamuegi #yandere izuru kamukura #makoto naegi #izuru kamukura #kamuegi #memory kidnapping au #my fanfic

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nabateaprodigy · 9 months

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Hi hello, I wanted to ask if you would be willing to make a (probably over) protective Junko x female reader situation, where reader had had a very tough life between abusive patents and ex’s and now Junko wants to ensure no one hurts her again a sort of hurt comfort meets classic unhinged Junko antics. Thank you very much for reading my request by the by :3

Lady of Despair

Series: Danganronpa.

Characters: Junko.

Genre: Hurt/Comfort.

Reader: Female.

Notes: Ultimate Talent is (U/T). Also, I love this art of Junko it's from a game called Divine Gate. Also, I like this and am happy and proud of how this fic turned out!

Even from your earliest memories as a child, your parents have always been very cruel towards you. Doing below the bare minimum possible to take care of you. The middle school you went to even took notice of this.

However In the end your lying and deceitful parents had managed to convince people that you were perfectly fine. That you were only "Acting this way for attention." Made you sick to your stomach and your hatred for your parents only grew with each passing day.

It had been this way for many years and as awful as it was you had to live and deal with their abuse. It had gotten to the point where you would be looking forward to going to school each day. Spending time at school would be much better than being at home with your parents.

You had also tried your hand at relationships as another escape from your parents and your home life. However, even this didn't seem to work well for you. Some of your partners were or even more abusive than your parents.

Say what you could and couldn't do what you could and couldn't wear who you could and couldn't be with. Between parents and parents, it was a never-ending cycle of despair. It was one you wouldn't ever find yourself escaping from.

And yet one day that cycle was finally broken and you couldn't believe it. This had to be some cruel joke right? But no it was happening Hopes Peak High School had scouted you to be the (U/T).

You really couldn't believe it but as it finally settled in that you had been scouted to Hopes Peak High School you were so happy! But wait when was the last time you were happy? But you couldn't care to think about that you were happy truly happy and you wouldn't let this opportunity pass you by!

With this chapter of your life began you left everything behind your home, parents, and ex-partners. You could finally put all of that behind you and not dare to look back. Thanks to this opportunity you wouldn't let anything pass you by and experience everything you can!

...

Okay, now that you were here standing at the Gates of Hope's Peak High School you were extremely nervous, to say the least. You had many questions running through your head all at once. One of the most important ones was what the people here were like.

Due to your past, you had become very nervous and reserved. Not trusting people thinking that if you did your past would only come back to haunt you. It's the last thing you wanted but even still the only thing you ever wanted was to be loved and accepted.

And let's just say you may have gotten more than you barred for. (Not that you minded of course!) But why was this? Well, it was all thanks to one girl Junko Enoshima!

You had heard of her before you had seen her on TV and in many magazines. You were honestly surprised to see that she was your classmate. Although you weren't surprised she had managed to get into a school like Hope's Peak being scouted as the Ultimate Fashionista.

But why do I say "was?" Well, that's because the Ultimate Fashionista was your girlfriend! The way you got into a relationship with her was certainly strange. Although it's not like you cared you were just happy to have someone like her in your life.

As Junko put it you were simply "Too adorable to be left alone!" And "How is a girl like you, not the Ultimate Model? You'll threaten my position as Ultimate Fashionista for being so beautiful! Be my girlfriend!"

And that's ultimately (haha see what I did there? "Ultimately" cuz of ultimate talents? Okay I'll stop...) How the both of you became partners and you couldn't be happier.

At the beginning of your relationship with Junko, you were afraid to open up to her about your past. But as the two of you got to know each other better and trusted each other as time passed.

When you had told Junko about your parents and ex-partners. She was extremely furious, to say the least. Out of anyone she would want to cause them despair the most.

Because how DARE they treat HER girlfriend like that? She would even send Mukuro after them to "silence" Whether you let her do this is up to you...

Junko would also let you hold and cuddle Monokuma. She'd also communicate through Monokuma. Why not text or phone call? Well according to her "That's so LAME! Who uses a phone to communicate anymore? When you can use the despair bear Monokuma I created!"

Of course, she'd still have her phone on her at all times. For when you didn't have Monokuma around and needed to contact her in some way. If you ever need anything contact her! If you don't well she might end up getting jealous...

All in all, you loved her and she loved you and that's all that matters. She was your Lady of Despair.

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starlightshadowsworld · 5 months

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Danganronpa 1 where everyone has their memories wiped.

Except Makoto.

Makoto remembers everything, he know about the tragedy, he knows that they were all friends once upon a time.

And that Junko is the one who's behind this.

But no one believes him.

He's not their trusted friend Makoto anymore. He's a suspect, he's a stranger.

The only one who smiles at him is Sayaka but even she doesn't know him beyond middle school.

He can't bring up the past because they won't believe him and it'll only make him more suspicious.

Afterall why can he remember but they can't?

... Because Junko wants him to watch.

Because Junko wants him to watch his friends kill each other while being powerless to stop them.

It's the ultimate showdown of hope vs despair, he always was the only one who could stop her.

Makoto has no choice but to play the game she's laid out for him.

He will do whatever he can to uplift their spirits.

But it hurts knowing they don't know him... That he's nothing to them.

Byakuya and Kyoko are cold, Mondo is pissed, Yasu-Celeste is closed off....

These aren't his friends...

But they are, oh they are.

Makoto who grieves his friends even when they're staring right at him.

Even if they survive, he may have already lost them.

#makoto naegi #junko enoshima #Danganronpa #danganronpa trigger happy havoc

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stars-and-cows · 4 months

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*shows you Takaaki*

Please don't cry but this man can fit so much angst

A man who has probably, like Taka, spent his whole life repairing their image. A man dedicated to being a police officer, someone who probably wanted to make the best future for his son and the country. To somehow atone for the sins of his father.

And then he looks up. At the big screen in the middle of the city. With everyone around, stopping the chaos, the riots to watch as the Ultimate despair herself appears on screen. She smiles. That's never a good sign.

Some run away, taking advantage of the despair-infected being glued to the screens. And those who worship Junko, the despair itself, being excited for what's to come.

She explains, quite enthusiastically, the killing game.

"Please don't" Takaaki repeats in his head. He lost so much. He doesn't want to hear it. He doesn't want it to be true

And then she shows the candidates. The Hope's Peak's brightest minds.

Takaaki cusses a bit under his breath. He's too scared to look up. He knows Taka is there. His son is defenceless, hopeless. And his father can't do anything about it.

So he watches the broadcast from the same billboard every night, even after being put on a demon list, he still makes sure to see his son. To give him guidance, just hoping he would hear him through the screen.

He cheers him on when he starts to make friends. And makes his dad jokes about introducing Mondo to the family, cracking up at the thought that maybe his straight-A son isn't that straight after all.

He forgets the bad just for a moment. He ignores the bad to feel like he is there with his son and it's just a normal school year. But there is a dark thought looming over his shoulder

"Taka... Isn't going to make it"

The good boys who want to make this world a little better, the ones that make friendships while facing the danger, the ones that want to save everyone... They never make it.

Mondo dies, Taka has a mental breakdown, the motive is introduced, Alter Ego appears, Taka becomes Kiyondo and

And then he's dead

Takaaki drinks his beer as usual when the other kids discover his son's body. He comments as usual, pretending his son is still searching for clues with the rest. He makes up stuff that Taka would say. About not running in the hallways, about being respectful to the dead, about making it through together.

"Damn it..."

The tears falls down his face as he takes another sip. He's alone again. All alone. Why did it have to be this way? Why did this need to happen? He was ready for war, for poverty, for the apocalypse... But not for hopelessly watching his son die because of his classmate on a big screen in the city square.

"Da...mn it..."

His voice cracks. He tries to drink more but the can is already empty. More tears fall. He wants to hug his son, to tell him one last joke, to tell him he was the greatest person he ever met, that he lived up to everyone's expectations. But he can't.

He's alone.

#wow this turned into a long post #Excuse the angst #danganronpa #udg #danganronpa udg #takaaki ishimaru #ishimaru kiyotaka #ishimaru #danganronpa thh #thh

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danggirlronpa · 22 days

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If it's not too much trouble, do you have headcanons for Kotoko/Monaka? I like to imagine post-canon they work out their issues with each other and get to a much healthier place, like, when they're teenagers. I related a lot to Kokoto's toxic relationship with Monaka, I definitely had relationships like that when I was in elementary school too. It's kind of nice to imagine a world where - whether romantically or platonically - they work out their issues and work out, even if that might not be exactly realistic, aha...

Oh MAN do I have post-canon Warriors of Hope headcanons. I really do love imagining these kids and the lives they lead when they come of age.

I try not to use read mores, but this one got way longer than the usual headcanon posts, and it very much is less "Kotoko/Monaca headcanons" and more "elaborate set-up for how Kotoko and Monaca feel about their crimes as teenagers." So more under the cut I guess!

Firstly, some setup. I love adoptive family relationships, and especially mother/child adoptive relationships. So of course I love daydreaming about Aoi "Bleeding Heart" Asahina adopting Kotoko, and it becoming a Kyoko (or Miaya!)/Hina-parenting-Kotoko, friends-to-moms slowburn. SOMEONE'S adopting these children, and it's not Komaru "I Just Spent A Full Year In Solitary Isolation (:" or the "We Taser Ourselves To Decide Whether The Serial Killer Fronts (:" Fukawas. Hina's upbeat, she keeps it light, and unlike Makoto "Spotless" Naegi, she understands the guilt of attempting/committing mass murder. Kyoko isn't quite any of that but deep in my heart. Through The Power Of Love And Elaborate Metaphors About Her Relationship To Her Father

And I mean. I'm going to be honest. Monaca's, like, 10. She spends three days in space before she goes 1. Wow this sucks 2. I did not in fact prepare enough materials to live like this indefinitely. I'm like 10. I packed enough for about 13 hours and thought I was good Forever. I need more marshmallows.

So it takes Monaca all of half a week to admit her failures and crash land somewhere on earth. The island with the Remnants? Misaki and Takumi? In-universe versions of the V3 students as adults? Personally I'm a fan of Yasuhiro and Kanon adopting her in the world's absolute weirdest fantasy. What matters is SOMEONE finds her. And we get Mod Loves Sappy Adoptive Relationships V2: Now With The Green One.

Because listen. Listen. These are kids. They have committed heinous, unforgivable crimes of extreme ethical concern, and they are also ten years old. Their only frame of ethical reference is a manipulator and abuser so good at what she does that she ended the world. People generally remember this with the other Warriors, but they almost always set it aside for Monaca, so I want to be clear: Monaca Towa is redeemable. Because she was 10 years old, and the moment she was out from under the thumb of the people who taught her how to do these cruel and unusual things, her first plan was Run Away To Space To Escape The Things That Have Happened Here. They're children.

THAT MEANS A LOT OF GUILT. NO ONE HAS EVER NOT BECOME A PUDDLE OF REGRET ABOUT SOMETHING THEY DID IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.

In general, I actually think Kotoko struggles with guilt the least amongst the Warriors. Firstly, I think having a parent who understands and can help her come to grips with what she's done from a very personal place really helps her work through it. But I also think Kotoko is low-empathy in general. I think eventually, she comes to understand intellectually what she's done wrong, but I don't think she ever struggles with the idea that she shouldn't have done it. I think she would be very practical about the circumstances that she was in, and in her mind, well. What else was she supposed to do? She'd been abused all her life. She was up against Junko Enoshima. Obviously what she did was wrong, but any other kid in that situation would've, in Kotoko's mind, done the same.

On the other hand, I believe Monaca would get hit with guilt very intensely once she finally processed everything she'd been through at high-school age, but that she would absolutely keep that under wraps and act as though it was meaningless to her.

Monaca is, in my opinion, a compulsive liar. You can see that in a lot of canonical ways, but I choose to extend it a bit to headcanons - it's not that she Doesn't need a wheelchair, it's that she has days when she needs it and days when she doesn't, and pretending she never needed it at all gives people a huge shock. She didn't plan to not kill herself with the rest of the Warriors as a prank; she really planned to do it, but people look at her when she says that. It's a defensive mechanism, and a method of feeling in control. At least I can choose for them to hate me by lying and being terrible, instead of being hated when I haven't done anything.

So I think, when she is finally faced with the enormity of what she has done, Monaca does what her first instinct is always to do: runs away from it and lies herself into culpability. Of course I killed all those terrible adults, and now that I'm almost their age, I'll just die instead of becoming one of them! That sort of thing. I think she traps herself into her own persona, no matter how hard she tries to improve, because Monaca is a child who internalizes until she breaks.

So when Kotoko and Monaca meet coincidentally at high-school age. Ho boy. Kotoko who still sort-of blames Monaca who blames herself, and neither of them completely aware of how to comfort a person or how to hate a person in a way that isn't lethal...oh the GROWTH. The Strawberry Wine by Deana Carter of it all

#asks #anon #im sorry this wasnt about their relationship it got too long T_T #you can send me another ask if you want me to talk more about their actual interactions as teens! i just started talking about the backstor #and then all of a sudden it was. So Much Text #monakoto #headcanons #monaca towa #kotoko utsugi #udg #dr3 #talk to the mod

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yanderecrazysie · 6 months

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Yo! I was wondering if I could perhaps request a Yandere Nagito x Reader who happens to be Junko's little sister or smth.

This. This is the ultimate pairing

I got writer’s block in the middle so this turned out kinda weird, sorry.

Title: Almost

Pairings: Nagito Komaeda x Reader

WARNINGS: Yandere themes, spoilers, self-mutilation, self-deprecation

Summary: Nagito finds love in a very unexpected place.

“I wouldn't know where to start

Sweet music playing in the dark

Be still, my foolish heart

Don't ruin this on me”

-from “Almost” by Hozier

Nagito’s heard of you, of course. Junko Enoshima and Mukuro Ikusaba’s little sister. Even the Future Foundation doesn’t know if you’re a third Ultimate Despair or a victim of your sister’s cruelty as well.

He just didn’t expect to see you here.

He had planned, ever since watching Junko’s death on TV, that he would take a part of the Ultimate Despair and attach it to him. By taking a part of Junko, he would absorb a part of her power, he hoped. He would become one with despair so he could overcome it with hope over and over again.

To be honest, even he wasn’t sure entirely why he wanted to do such a thing. Maybe he was just as obsessed with her as his former classmates. He hoped not. After all, Junko was against everything he stood for.

Nagito pushed those thoughts aside and focused on his goal. He’d have all the time in the world to consider why he so badly wanted to become one with the person he hated most later. For now, he had to go see what was even left of her body.

Hope’s Peak Academy stood proud and tall against the wrecked city- easily the tallest building that remained. The round once-deadlocked entrance was just a hole in the front of the school now, open for Nagito to walk inside.

He obliged the silent invitation, soon finding himself walking the halls of his old school. Maybe it would be nostalgic, if he could feel that sort of thing anymore. Instead, it’s a dull ache in his chest that he easily ignores.

He traversed through the school, looking for the scene he saw on his TV- the execution room where Junko had met her end. He doubted anyone had tried to move her body after the show had ended.

Sure enough, he soon spotted the machine that had crushed the mastermind. To his surprise, it was reset in the “up” position instead of down, smashing Junko’s body, like it had been left. He hurried over, worried that someone else had gotten to her before him, only to stop and stare at the girl crouching at Junko’s side.

It was you, (Y/n) Enoshima. Sister of the twin Despairs. The last living Enoshima child.

Nagito watched as you scurried away from Junko’s body, giving him a worried look. He couldn’t blame you. After all, you seemed much too sweet and pure to be an Ultimate Despair. He could tell that from just looking at you.

He sat down next to the body and pulled out a knife. It was time to get to work, to combine the Ultimate Despair with himself, a servant of hope.

Nagito began to saw through his arm, biting his lip as the pain washed over him. He tried to hold back the screams of agony, but they still escaped his mouth. Finally, the severed hand fell to the ground with a sick thud.

He grimaced as he looked down at the stump. It was sick of him to do this, but he needed to. To his surprise, a white cloth was wrapped around it immediately. He looked up and found you dutifully wrapping it around his wrist.

It must have been disgusting, as his blood soaked through the thin white handkerchief, but you still did your best with it. Nagito stared at you, heart pumping in his chest.

Oh, you were so full of hope, weren’t you? How precious, how beautiful you were! To lower yourself to care for trash like him was simply incredible!

Nagito forgot about Junko’s arm and, maybe even for a moment, he forgot about despair.

He grasped your arm with his remaining hand and grinned from ear to ear, hyperventilating from the excitement he felt. “To think, an Ultimate Hope born from the same womb as the Ultimate Despairs!”

You looked at him, confused, but he frightened any potential words from your mouth. Nagito was crazed, creepily staring at you as though you were the answer to everything he had been searching for.

“I don’t need to combine myself with a Despair. No, no, I need to subject you, a being filled with such unimaginable hope, to my despair and watch you win, over and over again!”

#yandere #yandere x reader #yandere one shot #one shot #yandere nagito #nagito komaeda #super danganronpa 2

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danganronpasurvivoraskblog · 2 months

Text

Mukuro Ikusaba VS Kaede Kayano [Danganronpa Survivor VS Assassination Classroom]

[NOTE: This is a scheduled post.]

Hifumi: Kaede Kayano, the tentacled terror from Assassination Classroom!

Leona: And Mukuro Ikusaba...The sixteenth student, lying hidden somewhere in this school. The one they call the Ultimate Despair!

Hifumi: ...

Leona: Oh yes I did...Oh YES I did...

Hifumi: Ahem...Never underestimate just how far some people are willing to go to protect or avenge the people they care about. Be it their family or their friends...Their sisters or the one's they love...

Leona: Apparently, choosing to stop dying your hair is one thing those people do! He's Hifumi and I'm Leona!

Wiz: And it's our job to analyze their weapons, talents and skills, to see who will win a DEATH BATTLE!

Leona: Take your seats folks...We're about to get into one of the most complicated histories of our line of characters right from the god damn start...

Hifumi: To get started though, as we've explained many times previously, and will most certainly explain many times in the future of this series, Ultimate Students are those scouted by Ultimate Academy's, like Hope's Peak, because they excel in a certain area of expertise. And for Mukuro Ikusaba, that area just so happened to be military conflict and terrorism! And would eventually be crowned with the title of the ULTIMATE SOLDIER!

Leona: When she was a very young age, the quiet, and rather notably deranged girl, Mukuro Ikusaba, took a keen interest in this career path. She won survival game tournaments and writing for militaristic magazines. She eventually decided to CHOOSE a life of conflict, pain and tragedy, and joined up with the infamous elite mercenary group known as Fenrir, symbolized by the symbol of a wild howling wolf. Funny 'cause...most people are kind of forced into that stuff...Hey, I never actually met Mukuro. Makoto talked a lot about her, but what's her deal?

Hifumi: Well, when looking at Mukuro Ikusaba's history, a very important thing to keep in mind is that she is the twin sister, and for the longest time, closest compatriot and aide, to the Ultimate Despair, Junko Enoshima. Imagine how twisted you could become when having someone like THAT joined at the hip with you...Figuratively speaking, of course. The girls spent a few years together homeless on the streets, but then didn't see each other for the longest time until middle school, as Mukuro went off to join Fenrir.

Leona: And how did that work out for her?

Hifumi: Well, suffice to say that when Hope's Peak finally scouted her, that talent was rightfully earned. Being quite possibly the most powerful superhuman soldier in history, Ms Ikusaba had a completely spotless record when it came to battles. And when I say spotless, I MEAN SPOTLESS. According to her school profile, during her three years with Fenrir, she never once received a scratch or wound on the battlefield. In fact, this was a damning piece of evidence in the Final Trial of the First Killing Game to prove that she and her sister were not the same person.

Leona: Plus, as a result of her passion, her training and her skills, unlike our previous combatant, she was BORN a FIGHTER. She is naturally capable and powerful, and has a thorough understanding of all firearms and explosives, ranging from pistols, rifles, RPG's, machine guns, and even nuclear bombs, marking her territory as one of the most deadly fighters in our universe. She can use all of the following with deadly accuracy and aptitude. Even aside from that, she never goes anywhere without her trusty combat knife; a tool that allows her wrangle with any enemy and tear them to shreds! Like Kuripa's sword! But smaller...Actually, when you think about it, that's really what a sword is! Just a very big knife!

Hifumi: But a knife is equally as deadly, especially when in the hands of Mukuro Ikusaba. She's arguably as proficient, if not more, in hand-to-hand blade combat that Kuripa is.

Leona: And lastly, she's also a master in medicine, ammo and defense mechanisms. She even...Um...Wait, hang on a second...Am I reading this right!? She has BULLETPROOF PANTIES!?

Hifumi: Indeed! Her undergarments are made of sturdy enough fibers that bullets and blades can't scratch them! Yor Forger probably needs to take lessons.

Leona: How do you even...?

Hifumi: That's for me to NOT know and you to NEVER find out. But even in a hypothetical scenario where she DOESN'T have her weapons by her side, anything the Ultimate Soldier touches could become the exact tool she needs to assert her dominance. For example, in Danganronpa IF...

Leona: What's that?

Hifumi: Alternate timeline where she turned to the good side a lot earlier than she did in our universe, you don't need to worry too much about it.

Leona: Hold on. If it's an alternate timeline, are we really allowed to take it into account.

Hifumi: Technically...no? But the truth is we don't have much information of Ms Ikusaba's early capabilities within our own world. However, source materials have stated her power and capabilities are the same in both canons. Besides, Ms Ikusaba has displayed similar feats in the current timeline, so there's proof of that; so I think we can count it here.

Leona: Well I'm not gonna argue so long as it makes the fight better.

Hifumi: As I was saying, in Danganronpa IF, Mukuro is forced to fight against an army of Monokumas, and she defeats them armed with nothing but the pole of an IV as an improvised polearm. Not nearly as effective as a real one, but still deadly enough simply because SHE'S the one wielding it.

Leona: And that's barely even scratching the surface of her strength, speed and power. She's so incredibly combatively, she's wrangled and matched numerous other Ultimate Students or people of similar power and capability, including Sakura Ogami, Peko Pekoyama, The Madarai Brothers, Yukari Koime, and possibly even stronger opponents...Though her limit seems to come in the form of Hajime Hinata/Izuru Kamukura. But come on, what do you expect? That guy outmatches EVERYONE.

Hifumi: This is possible due to an innate ability Mukuro Ikusaba possesses called her "Battle Trance." While capable on her own without even having weapons, armor or anything else by her side, Ms Ikusaba can also enter this state eerily similar to that of Son Goku's Ultra Instinct state from Dragon Ball Super. When she's in this stance, she becomes one with the battlefield around her, and her perception of the flow of time nearly comes to a stop. It's impossible to catch Ms Ikusaba off-guard in this state and sneak attacks are completely impossible. Stated in her own words, it's like "every inch of her skin gets covered with eyes that analyze everything going on all around her."

Leona: That's...creepy...Cool but...creepy...

Hifumi: This is the former one half of the despair sisters we're talking about her. And she's the less crazy half. Ms Ikusaba's speed in the Battle Stance state becomes HYPERSONIC. She can run so fast that it appears she's teleporting, can effortlessly dodge military grade turrets while fighting a hundred Monokumas without so much as losing focus or batting an eye from her target, can easily defuse a nuclear bomb before it hits the ground, dodge a point-blank explosion, and can travel from Japan to Prague in only a couple of seconds!

Leona: Ok, that's all well and good, but that last one feels a little odd compared to the rest.

Hifumi: Even more odd than disarming a mid-air nuclear bomb or dodging bullets?

Leona: The Matrix and Top Gun had desensitized me to that kind of stuff, and I kind of expect it from a super powerful soldier/spy. Running at the speed of The Flash or Sonic the Hedgehog seems a little...out of place is all.

Hifumi: Well, the canonicity of that one is questionable at best. Still though, it's undeniable that she's overpowered. In terms of power scaling, Mukuro Ikusaba and Sakura Ogami-

Leona: i.e. The woman who's widely considered to be the strongest human on earth, has won 400 martial art matches in a row and was easily able to knock out Genocide Jack who has her fair share of superhuman and ridonkulous feats, including slicing missiles apart mid-air.

Hifumi: -are almost dead even, with any discrepancies leaving Sakura ever so slightly stronger. However, that gap in power is so minimal, it might as well not exist. In fact, in several points of time, the two HAVE fought. Though these days it is mostly casual sparring practices, during the IF timeline, they did have a serious fight where Sakura tried to restrain Mukuro so the 78th Class could question her.

Leona: According to the information I have here, that fight lasted for around 10 minutes and was so intense that it caused the gym they fought in to quake with the pressure. Not only that, but Mukuro was handicapped in that fight. With Makoto Naegi having been rendered unconscious after being stabbed with the Spears of Gung-Hang on a second! Why didn't we mention the fact that Makoto survived this execution in our previous analysis!?

Hifumi: Well, we don't really NEED to. Makoto was left unconscious and bleeding profusely due to that execution. He only survived it because his Ultimate Luck prevented the spears from damaging any internal organs.

Leona: Fine, whatever, this is only semi-canon anyway. As I was saying, she had an unconscious Makoto dangling in her arms the entire time and Mukuro was still able to end the fight and escape by causing a quick distraction.

Hifumi: Ms Ikusaba also defeated Peko Pekoyama with her knife in a swordfight, survived a casual blow from Izuru Kamukura, who can casually destroy steel walls and sink 41 battleships by himself, and killed all 8 Madarai brothers with brute force alone, all of whom are separately strong enough to break down walls with their own raw strength.

Leona: And remember what we said earlier about Mukuro taking on 100 Monokuma's alone? Let's go back to that for a second, since that's one of her earliest, most impressive feats.

Hifumi: It's important to keep in mind that taking out this version of Monokuma is a BIG DEAL. You've no doubt seen us fight Monokuma's and Kerokuma's and everything in between, but there is a big difference in power between the Monokuma sentries shown in Survivor and Ultra Despair Girls, and the Monokuma's from the main Killing Games, 1, 2 and V3.

Leona: Killing Game Monokuma is equally as capable of matching Sakura Ogami blow for blow. They're shown having a toe-to-toe battle, in which the bear is easily able to keep pace with her. In the case of Mukuro who had to fight hundreds of these things at once, while ALSO dodging machine gun fire, she took all of them out in a SINGLE HIT EACH, launching some of them into the air!

Hifumi: Monokuma's suspected weight, based on his size and make, is about 15kg. If we calculated it, the amount of energy you would need to use THAT much strength at THAT much speed would require an energy equivalent to between 30 to 90 kilotons of TNT.

Leona: And to top it all off, she's hella sturdy too! Monokuma claimed that Mukuro could have possibly survived The Ultimate Punishment; the death trap that killed her sister Junko, which involved feats such as being electrocuted with enough force to liquefy, being hit by speeding trucks while being burned alive, getting hit by countless baseballs at machine-gun rate of fire, pounded by a bulldozer, sent into space and forcefully brought down again, all before dying under a crusher.

Hifumi: See, the thing about that is that it's not consistent. Mukuro's power and speed are naturally always that above every other person around her, but in terms of defensive capabilities and survivability, it's not certain whether Monokuma's claim holds water. For example, Mukuro possesses enough vitality to survive Yukari Koime's knife straight to the heart long enough for her to get medical help and slip into hiding. However, the knife pierced her skin easily and rendered her innate abilities damaged. Same applies to when Junko caught her off-guard and killed her the first time around using the Spears of Gungnir.

Leona: Wait, hold on a second. What actually ARE these "Spears of Gungnir?"

Hifumi: Regrettably, being the sister and most trusted ally of the most evil woman in every universe doesn't render you safe from her antics. And it's because of Junko herself that Mukuro's weaknesses really start to come to the surface. Her biggest flaw is that despite her prowess, power and almost unrivalled danger, she's little more than an emotionally abused young lady, that has barely any autonomy of her own. In fact, based on our old information, due to Junko abusing her older twin sister both verbally and physically, it got to the point that she found pleasure whenever Junko insulted her, seeing it as her loving little sister acknowledging her presence.

Leona: Wow...That's a YIKES!

Hifumi: It's not only Ms Ikusaba's emotional stern nature and maturity that gets severely diminished by her sister. Her skills as a solider are also halted in their entirety by Enoshima playing on her emotions. It was in fact Junko who betrayed and killed Mukuro in the canon timeline with the Spears of Gungnir, a trap designed to use Mukuro's loyalty against her.

Leona: But...that's not how things are anymore, is it? She came back to life and...changed, right?

Hifumi: Well...yes...and also no. See, when the Future Foundation discovered these special machines that could revive people from the dead, they used it to resurrect those that had died in the First Killing Game, and give them a second chance at life; of which included myself, and also Ms Ikusaba.

Leona: But wasn't it established by this point that Mukuro was dangerous?

Hifumi: Yes, and naturally, everyone was very opposed to the idea of bringing her and her sister back to life...That is everyone except for the ever kind Makoto Naegi. He was the only one who saw more to Ikusaba than simply being a terrorist nutjob, and saw that there was still an emotionally damaged girl underneath that was repressed as a result of Junko's cruelty. He figured that because she had never had a chance to experience the feeling of Hope over her life, she didn't know how it felt, nor did she understand the true weight of her actions.

Leona: So he figured that if he gave her a taste of that stuff, she could be reformed?

Hifumi: And lo and behold, he was right. Curious to see where things would go, Mukuro accepted the offer to reform, and her vision on life became clear. She saw the world's beauty and natural power, instead of the military power and despair-ridden view her sister had painted over her eyes. It took some time, but eventually, she became the greatest friend and classmate that we needed her to be...

Leona: It's amazing how that all worked out so well.

Hifumi: I agree. Though looking back, it most likely had to do with Ms Ikusaba's attachment TO Mr Naegi that served as the crux. She may be an unstoppable force in war, but a rather weak foundation in love. It was even stated in prior documents that Makoto's smile was enough to gift Ms Ikusaba interest in the world outside of her dedication to Junko. However, despite choosing to join the good side for the sake of her crush, not everything about her changed.

Leona: I think I see where this is going. Even though Mukuro's Despair focus disappeared, her need to be of use to others didn't. Though he was fighting for the complete opposite ideal, Makoto basically took Junko's place as that figurehead.

Hifumi: Mr Naegi obviously never abused Ms Ikusaba like Junko did. He'd rather jump into a ditch and let himself rot away and die before he ever tried to hurt her. But without someone to fall back on, Ms Ikusaba is an indifferent would-be killer who doesn't feel any sadistic pleasure when killing her victims in battle, and a socially awkward girl out of touch with her emotions that hide her uncertainty under a very well reserved personality. Which wouldn't be a problem if that didn't cause her endless emotional stress and repressed anxiety.

Leona: And WITH someone to fall back on, like Junko or Makoto, she's a spiritually broken, basically masochist of a girl that does whatever she's to do with no questions asked, be it aiding in a scheme that would cause the entire world to go bonkers with Despair, or saving the same world with the power of friendship, passion and Hope. Even after her switch to the light of Hope, just mentioning Junko's name or seeing her visage can cause Ms Ikusaba to enter a state of PTSD that she's unable to break out of without support.

Hifumi: These feelings of companionship, while helping to make Ms Ikusaba a more approachable and dependable person, GREATLY diminish her aptitude as a soldier. While still undeniably capable, Ms Ikusaba is more willing to take risks for the sake of others, some of which land her in a lot of trouble.

Leona: For example, she turned her back on the Future Foundation to aid Makoto Naegi when he was forced on the run. She was willing to mentor and teach Maki Harukawa, despite barely knowing her. And as we said already, she almost sacrificed her life for Kuripa Kurafto, by taking a deadly knife for him straight to her heart. It was only because of her unrivalled vitality, as well as some mysterious outside help that she even survived. But these newfound feelings didn't make Mukuro weak. Instead, they gave her a NEW kind of strength. The kind to never give up, even when life puts you through the ringer over and over again, and to pursue what matters to you. Chasing a dream has never felt so important.

Hifumi: As an Ultimate Despair, Mukuru Ikusaba is a tool of destruction, mercilessly cutting down any foe that comes her way and putting everyone to shame. As an Ultimate Hope, she is an unlikely hero who struggles every day to protect what she loves and stand for what she believes in. Regardless of where she stands, or what timeline she follows, whether she lives or whether she dies, the wolf-shaped mark of the Ultimate Soldier will continue looming over us for now and forever.

Hifumi: Kunugigaoka Junior High School is a HELL ON EARTH for Class 3-E, the end class of the academy. It's infamously filled with rejects, losers, and people who aren't expected to amount to anything in society. As of such, the students in said class are berated, bullied, and belittled by EVERYONE.

Leona: With the tacit approval, and in fact MOTIVATION of GETTING RID of these kids. These students were brought together for the sole purpose of fulfilling Chairman Asano's educational value of his variation of the 20:20:60 worker ant ratio, a social science which states that 20% of people are exceptional, 20% of people are worthless, and the other 60% are ordinary-Oh god that's a lot of numbers...*gag* Ahem...Long story short, the class exists purely as a punishment for students who let their grades fall below a certain threshold, and the chairman goes out of his way to prevent ANY of these students from succeeding academically. What a jeeeerk!

Hifumi: And I thought HOPE'S PEAK was oppressive! But anyway, the lives of this classroom changed dramatically on the day something bewildering happened. The moon was DESTROYED, with only 30% of it's overall mass left drifting in space!

Leona: Not long after, Class E were paid a visit by a STRAAAAANGE creature: who claimed HE was the one who destroyed the moon, and would eventually destroy the world...if the class didn't stop him first!

Hifumi: And that was how the game first began! The class tried everything they could to murder the monster that would eventually become known as Korosensei. Aside from wanting to protect the earth they live on, many of these students all had their own unique motivations for killing him, though most of them mainly consisted of making money from a hit, restoring the hierarchy to normal, or sticking it to the society that made them out to be weak...However, ONE person in particular stood out among the rabble...

Leona: Kaede Kayano...Or more accurately, Akari Yukimura, the younger sister of the very reason why the yellow octopus bastard was even here in the first place!

Hifumi: Akari Yukimura was a child prodigy when it came to acting. Though it was a fairly lonely life, she was still glad to have the company of her older sister Aguri, Class 3-E's homeroom teacher. They had a rather pleasant life, except for one little thing...

Leona: Aguri was the fiancé of one Kotaro Yanagisawa, a complete and total douchebag human and a mad scientist, who made her work as his lab assistant. On one fateful day off of her acting career, little Akari came to visit her sister at the institute where she worked, when suddenly... KABOOM!

Hifumi: The building exploded! And when Akari finally got inside and found her sister, her dead body was lying at the foot of this mysterious and conniving looking monster, which then proceeded to take off while leaving a note behind, claiming he was the one who killed Agari.

Leona: As you might have already guessed, that monster, known at the time as "The Reaper" would eventually take the form of Korosensei himself. Fueled with a burning desire for revenge, Akari chased Korosensei to the school, dyed her hair green, took up a new name, and joined Class E as a transfer student to help them with their shared goal of killing Korosensei. She even went as far as to become protagonist Nagisa Shiota's "sidekick" of sorts as to not draw attention to herself.

Hifumi: Through her determination and drive for vengeance, Akari Yukimura, now Kaede Kayano, set about training to enact her revenge against the monster that took her sister from her. Like all the other students in the class, the government who put out the hit on Korosensei provided her with her own arsenal of weapons, including, but not limited to, M1911A1 Pistols, M4 Carbines, smoke bombs, poisons and explosives. Not to mention a special uniform made from a unique cloth, which allows her to easily camouflage, resist shocks and burns and hardens in response to strong physical trauma.

Leona: Like NANOMACHINES, SON!

Hifumi: Wrong series! But effectively, it means that so long as she has the special uniform on hand, she can't be wounded by knives, and she has the durability and force resistance of a solid wall.

Leona: Speaking of knives, it should be noted that combat knives appear to be the weapon which Kayano is most proficient in. And this is mainly because her small size makes it very easy for her to run circles around opponents with similarly high agility, stamina and precision, which includes Hinata Okano, a speedy and athletic gymnastic prodigy, and even the ever-powerful Korosensei. And given that Korosensei can reach speeds of Mach 20-

Hifumi: Which by the way, would allow him to completely run around all of planet Earth in approximately 3 hours and 12 minutes!

Leona: THAT'S not something to sneeze at!

Hifumi: Not only is she fast, agile and perceptive by nature, Ms Kayano is a master of several unique styles of fighting, like Judo, Sumo, Aikido and several others, all of which culminate into one to make her obscenely deadly. Her raw strength allows her to completely obliterate a shelf full of heavy trophies and take out a trained mercenary with a knee to the head.

Leona: But the deadliest skill in Akari's arsenal for a large portion of her series was the innate talent she was born with. A lot of the students of Class E were able to take their natural talents and apply them in their killing methodology, like how Chiba was able to become a really good sniper due to his fascination with angles and mathematics. But Kayano's special talent, as we already mentioned, is her ACTING.

Hifumi: Among all his other insane powers, Korosensei has the ability to perceive one's true thoughts like he's reading their mind; an ability that has allowed him to constantly foil Class E's traps to kill him. However, Ms Kayano's innate ability to play a role and deceive any audience she comes across rendered the overpowered octopus's ability...COMPLETELY USELESS!

Leona: Kaede's ultimate goal was to lie in wait, observe Korosensei's movements and find a way to take him out for good, and initially, she had this tunnel-vision focused only on putting this murderous monster to rest...But the more time she spent with the rejected class, the more at home she started to feel. She gained many friends, close acquaintances and began to have more fun than she'd ever had during her lonely life as a prodigy, with just her sister as company. She even ended up falling in love with Nagisa, and saw a side of Korosensei that she thought was very respectable. However...it wasn't going to last forever...

Hifumi: Turns out the reason Korosensei was on the scene of Aguri Yukimura's murder is that he was captured and used as human test subject in an experiment of Yanisagawa's, her fiancé. The goal of Yanagisawa's experiments was to create anti-matter without massive energy requirements by generating it in a living body. When antimatter particles and regular matter particles come into contact with each other, they annihilate one another, leaving behind pure energy, which results in an explosion that NOTHING can survive. (As seen in DB's official episode Frieza Vs Megatron)

Leona: It's this exact science that triggered the REAL reason the moon blew up! Concerned with what would happen to the anti-matter cells if the living host were to age and die, Yanisagawa injected a mouse with the same cells as Korosensei, and sent it in a capsule to the moon to observe any changes. The result was catastrophic. As soon as the mouse died, the cells began to multiply and turn into matter. This mixed with the anti-matter of the moon and caused a giant explosion that almost destroyed the entire thing, leaving it as a permanent crescent.

Hifumi: Why are we bringing all this up you may ask? Well, the truth is Korosensei was injected with a special serum that changed his body to better house the antimatter inside him, which gave him his tentacles and his cartoonish yellow form. And as part of her plan to get revenge and kill him, Ms Kayano took this same serum and implanted herself with these SAME TENTACLES!

Leona: THIS is Kaede Kayano's DEADLIEST weapon! Pure antimatter and all the strengths that come with it reside on the tentacles in the back of her neck, and she can move and attack with them at above hypersonic speeds. In addition to this, the tentacles come with abilities like secreting a special mucus to counter their weakness to water, regeneration on a cellular level, the power to melt metal, and even set them on FIRE!

Hifumi: That last ability actually comes from the high temperature caused by the metabolic abnormality that happens to tentacle transplant recipients. Her body temperature is very high, and by channeling all that excess energy into her tentacles, she can light them on fire.

Leona: The tentacles only serve to boost Akari's power to an insane level, which makes her almost undefeatable coupled with the abilities she possesses as a regular human. She, as well as her classmates, have shown that they're able to tank explosions up to 2 tons of TNT, possibly several times that with all their special gear and training.

Hifumi: With the tentacles, we can scale Ms Kayano to another tentacle wielder, Itona Horibe, who was able to destroy tanks, jet fighters and demolish buildings all by himself. As a matter of fact, when Ms Kayano's true nature was revealed, Mr Horibe blatantly stated that "she's far stronger than I ever was."

Leona: But it's not all sunshine and rainbows...Not that it really was ever...According to Korosensei, and this was also shown with Itona, if human flesh hosts the power of tentacle cells, they get tortured by a nightmarish rejection response from their body that, if not consistently cared for with the right treatments, will cause them to die from madness in up to 3 days! And how long did Kaede Kayano have these in for?

Hifumi: AROUND A WHOLE YEAR! The energy required to keep Mr Horibe in check for so long required energy of around 665,407.77 Megawatts, tantamount to the average energy of 3 thermal power plants! Yet Ms Kayano showed no signs of any pain, nor did she ever falter, despite constantly in a state of slowly dying for such a long time!

Leona: Not just that, but the tentacles also took over Kayano's mind and body, since they're fueled by her lust for blood and desire to kill. In a suspiciously Doctor Octopus kind of way, when she began to have doubts about herself and her revenge plan, they did just that, and turned her into a bloodthirsty insane maniac of a girl.

Hifumi: And as we've already mentioned before, using her tentacles, Ms Kayano was able to match Korosensei blow for blow, and damn near killed him! Korosensei, who by the time the class fought the Grim Reaper, another powerful assassin who shared a code name with the original Korosensei, was capable of dodging a laser that he didn't notice until it was fired at him, blocked point-blank beams of light by kicking up some dirt, and created a tornado powerful enough to part the clouds as wide as a mountain! Throughout their whole confrontation, Ms Kayano had him on the defensive, and completely overwhelmed him.

Leona: The downside was that while she was fighting him, the tentacles were on the cusp of killing Kaede herself. In order to rescue both Kaede AND Korosensei, those tenta-bitches HAD to go! Fortunately, Nagisa was able to save her...With the power of a true love's kiss! ...I-I'm not joking by the way, that's ACTUALLY what happened.

Hifumi: With the tentacles gone, the pain subsided and now able to learn the truth about her sister and her weird octopus lover, Kaede gave up her aspirations for revenge and officially turned to the side of good. She was able to live the life she wanted with her friends, her now possibly-more-than crush, and her beloved sensei...But remember what I just said about there being another Grim Reaper assassin? Yeah, so long as he was around, the peace wasn't gonna last.

Leona: By the way, if the feat of living a whole year in intense agony and surviving attacks from Korosensei was somehow not enough to prove Kaede's insurmountable level of stamina, she's also survived an uppercut from this Grim Reaper, who destroyed a room filled up with stone through a casual kick, and created a huge crater in the ground, both of which would have had a max energy output equal to at least 2.44 tons of TNT.

Hifumi: And this was AFTER the tentacles were gone, i.e. her greatest weapon. In order to protect her friends, her teacher and everyone she held dear, Ms Kayano sacrificed her life in the battle against the Reaper.

Leona: From start to finish, Kaede Kayano and Korosensei were tied together by a strange tentacle of faith, and their story ended when Korosensei gave up both his previous life, as well as bringing back hers by regenerating her on a cellular level, allowing her to spend the rest of her days in peace.

Hifumi: As a girl, Kaede Kayano was willing to sacrifice her life and her future if it meant destroying a monster from her past...But now, she stands for her own future...

Leona: Once she decides on something, she moves straight towards it. That's just how she is~

Hifumi: And with that, the combatants are set! It's time we end this debate once and for all!

LEONA: IT'S TIME FOR A DEEAAATH BAAATTLLLLLLEEE!

The scene opens in a second-floor Japanese apartment home. With a group of Branch 14 soldiers behind her. They surround the door and Mukuro makes a signal with her hands. The soldiers all nod and she kicks open the apartment door, weapons at the ready.

Mukuro: ...

Despite the heavy force, there is little sign of anybody home. However, Mukuro is still able to sense a presence.

Mukuro: Akari Yukimura AKA Kaede Kayano, correct? Former student of Kunugigaoka Junior High School? I'm Mukuro Ikusaba, Future Foundation 14th Division. Would you be so kind as to come out of hiding?

Kayano: What do the Future Foundation want with me?

The soldiers are alerted by the sound of a voice, yet can't see glean where it's coming from. Mukuro doesn't seem phased.

Mukuro: A few years ago, you were at the center of an incident involving the antimatter tentacles experiment. Our division was tasked to investigate.

Kayano: Those tentacles were removed a long time ago. You've wasted your time.

Mukuro: Perhaps...But...it's common fact that octopi can regenerate their limbs if they get cut off...Please, just come with us...

Kayano: ...!

Mukuro: ...!?

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Kayano suddenly appears from behind a doorway and opens by throwing a grenade straight at the Future Foundation. Mukuro parries the grenade, but it explodes, blasting her accompanying soldiers back.

Kayano: Get out! Or it'll be more than jacket that gets a little dirty!

Kayano, though acting condescending, quickly becomes displeased as Mukuro pushes through the cloud of smoke, slipping off her charred jacket and unholstering an MP5-K from her back.

Mukuro: No need to worry...If this is coming to blows, I'll just sew myself a new one with your SKIN...!

Mukuro grabs her firearm and and opens fire upon Kayano. The ex-assassin dives through a doorway for cover. As Mukuro halts fire, she pokes back round again to shoot her with a pistol. Mukuro however, easily slides out of the way of her bullets.

Mukuro: Hi...

Kayano: Go AWAY!

Mukuro: Tch!

*SHING!*

Kayano unholsters a combat knife from underneath her skirt and tries to stab Mukuro, but Mukuro pulls out one of her own and blocks the blade. Kayano tries to attack again, but Mukuro grabs her arm, swings her into the wall and kicks her in the chest, the force which is enough to break the wall itself down, bringing the fight into the apartments kitchen.

Kayano: Ngh! Gragh!

Mukuro: Hmph!

Kayano quickly jumps back onto her feet and spars with Mukuro, the two of them clashing blades. However, it isn't long before Mukuro's strength is able to overwhelm Kayano's, and she knocks the assassin off balance, flourishing her combat knife for a finishing blow.

Kayano: Eh!?

Mukuro: RYAGH!

*CLINK!*

Kayano: ...

Mukuro: ...

*CLINK!* *CLINK!* *CLINK!*

Mukuro tries to run her knife through Kayano, but it just bounces off her.

Mukuro: Huh...That...usually works-

Kayano: HIYAGH!

Mukuro: GUH!

Kayano flip kicks Mukuro backwards, then tears off her shirt to reveal her reinforced PE uniform underneath.

Mukuro: Ah...That explains a lot...You came PREPARED...!

Kayano: BUHAGH!

Even though her blade can't cut through her chest, Mukuro is still able to land a heavy hit with her fists, knocking Kayano back.

Mukuro: What's the matter? Feeling out of your element?

Kayano: You don't want this fight...!

Mukuro: I don't...But I DO want what it's going to bring out...!

Kayano whips out an M4 Carbine and hails bullets on the Ultimate Soldier. In a flash, Mukuro breaks off the door to the fridge and uses it as a makeshift shield to block the fire. As soon as Kayano has to pause to reload, she throws the door at the green-haired girl. Kayano avoids the door by flipping to the side.

Kayano: Huh!?

Mukuro: ...

*BOOOOM!*

However, just as she lands, Mukuro, without showing any expression or remorse or caring, suddenly pulls out an RPG, and aims it at her. Kayano rolls out of the way of the rocket as she fires, and braces for impact as the rocket explodes! The apartment is blown to smithereens and a large gaping hole is left in the side of the building. Kayano herself it flung back and smashes into the wall.

Kayano: HNNGH!

Mukuro: Too easy...

Kayano: UHUGH! OOF! AAAGGH!?

She doesn't stay down for long. She lunges straight at Mukuro by flying at her through the hole made with her body earlier. Mukuro reads this attack a mile away, parries Kayano's blade hand with her fist, then trips her over and throws her into the wall. Mukuro then grabs Kayano by the scruff of her clothes and throws her through the large window onto the roof of the building next door. Mukuro gets a run up and leaps out after her, rolling onto the roof.

Mukuro: Ah...!? Where did she...?

Kayano: ...!

Mukuro: !!?

Upon landing, Mukuro loses sight of Kayano, and she barely reacts in time as the assassin appears behind her. Having used her uniform to camouflage, Mukuro just barely catches her wrist as she thrusts at her with her knife. The speed is more than the soldier expected, and her face gets cut, but fortunately, not fatally run through.

Mukuro: Is this the extent of what you can do? Trickery won't work on me forever!

Kayano: BLUEAGH!

Yet again, Mukuro blocks Kayano's ensuing attack and tosses her backwards. Simultaneously, both girls pull out their rifles and fire on each other. A mad dance of bullets ensues, with the area around the rooftop being laid to waste. However, despite the extra protection of her uniform, Kayano takes more fire than Mukuro and her arms become gradually more grazed and tired. In the split second she drops her guard, Mukuro attacks.

Mukuro: Hmph...

Kayano: GRAGGH! AGH!

Mukuro rushes forward and knees Kayano in the jaw, then punches her in the stomach, though due to her uniform it doesn't have much effect other than knocking her back. She grabs the green-haired girl, throws her upwards and rams her fist straight into her spine, causing Kayano to scream out in pain. The blow is strong enough to send her rocketing up into the sky.

Kayano: I...told you...!

Mukuro: Hm?

Sensing something amiss, Mukuro glares up at her opponent.

Kayano: I warned you...Leave...Me...ALOOOOOOONNE!

*CRACK!*

Mukuro: Grrgh!?

Though she attempts to dodge, the speed of the next attack is lightning fast, and a large mark is left across the Ultimate Soldiers face! A pair of green tendrils burst out of the back of Kayano's neck, and smash straight through the roof of the building! The floor underneath Mukuro comes away, and she retains her focus bounding off the falling debris to safety. When she's safe enough, she looks back up at Kayano, who bares a maniacal, evil glare on her face.

Mukuro: There you are...

Kayano: I'll kill you...! YOU'RE DEAAD!

Before she even falls back to the ground, Kayano's tentacles once again lash towards Mukuro. The soldier girl is only barely able to dodge the incoming attack as the ground next to her is cut straight through like butter. Mukuro continues to dodge the whipping tentacles while she reloads her rifle!

Mukuro: Alright, play time is over...!

When Mukuro gets half a second to react, she aims her rifle at Kayano, who just now lands back on the ground, and fires an array of bullets at her. Kayano responds by spinning her tentacles around like a fan, blocking every single bullet and melting them into nothing! Mukuro is then unpleasantly surprised as the tentacles wrap around her rifle and disintegrate it.

Kayano: You BITCH!

Kayano's body language and screams are angry, despite the homicidal joy on her face! Mukuro is caught off-guard as the girl launches herself forward with her tentacles, and throws an uppercutting punch at the soldier! Mukuro catches Kayano's fist, but the force of the blow is so strong, she still feels the effects shoot through her body!

Mukuro: Gagh! D-Damn...!

Kayano: RRRRGGHGGERRRGGGHH! RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGHH!

*CRACK!* *SMACK!* *CRACK!* *SMACK!* *CRACK!* *SMACK!* *CRACK!* *SMACK!* *CRACK!* *SMACK!* *CRACK!* *SMACK!* *CRACK!* *SMACK!* *CRACK!* *SMACK!* *CRACK!* *SMACK!* *CRACK!* *SMACK!* *CRACK!* *SMACK!*

Mukuro: Shit...! GAAGH!

Kayano's initial blow sends Mukuro sliding back across the ground, and in a split second, Kayano lunges forward again. Mukuro is too dazed and the girls movement is too fast for her to dodge, so she ends up bracing herself to receive several thousand blows from the whipping tentacles within the span of a few seconds! The speed, power and sheer force of the clash is so powerful, steam starts to emit from Kayano's tentacles and Mukuro's hands; the soldier biting her lip the whole time to retain her focus.

Mukuro: That's ENOUGH!

Kayano: Gagh! RRGH!

Mukuro: AHAGH!

*CRASH!*

Mukuro finally gets a chance to deflect Kayano's tentacles and she drops to the ground, roundhouse kicking the girls legs to trip her up. This doesn't work. Kayano simply holds herself up with her tentacles and kicks Mukuro in the chest with both her legs, sending the soldier smashing through the wall onto the street outside. Mukuro pants, struggling to catch her breath. She lazily raises her head to see Kayano hoist herself up onto the remains of the building, glaring down at her, tentacles wiggling behind her neck. Mukuro stands up straight, rolls her shoulder and cracks her neck.

Mukuro: Looks like I made a mistake not going for the kill immediately.

Kayano: And I will make sure...you REGRET it...!

Mukuro: Well...if there's one thing I've learned in these last few years, it's that no matter how dire things get, it's never too late to see things to the end...

Kayano: Spare me your GROSS PLATITUDES!

*CRACK!* *SMAAASH!*

Kayano angrily whips at Mukuro full power, hoping to slice the soldier in two...But to her horror, Mukuro bends back and dodges this attack perfectly, despite it's speed. She becomes even more nervous as the soldier lifts her head. Her expression and disposition have both changed dramatically, and there is a menacing, red tint to her pale eyes.

Mukuro: So...let's finish this...!

Kayano: I despise you so much...! I'LL BURN YOU ALIIIIIIVE!

Kayano uses every limit of her power, and sets her tentacles ablaze!

*CRASH!* *SMASH!* *CRAASH!*

Mukuro: ...

Moving even faster than they were before, the tentacles cut through the area, leaving almost no room for survival! However, even at their unfathomably fast speed, Mukuro still jumps and slides out of the way, showing no emotion and not breaking focus.

Kayano: HAAAAAAAAAGH!

Mukuro: ...

Kayano: DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEE!

Mukuro: Tch...

However, it's apparent that Mukuro is still struggling to retain. Sweat rolls down her face as the flaming tentacles lash around her. She's only narrowly able to dodge them, suffering slight burns on the tip of her hair and the end of her elbow!

Mukuro: ...!

Kayano: NO YOU DON'T! HAAGGH!

Mukuro leaps up towards Kayano, but using her tentacles, Kayano leaps away onto the building on the other side of the street! She brings the tentacles down on Mukuro, who just weasels her way through them as the ground beneath her craters open! Kayano whips at her again, sending the rubble of the building flying into the air, which the transcended soldier uses as platforms to get in closer!

Kayano: UUUUUUGH! GO TO HELL ALREADY!

*CRASH!* *CRASH!* *SMASH!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!*

As Mukuro gets in closer to deliver what one could assume to be the final blow, Kayano's tentacles kick into overdrive and whip around the entire area! The rubble Mukuro rides on is destroyed one by one, and all the buildings within several miles start to crumble to dust, save for the one Kayano is using as a platform! When she runs out of footing, Mukuro launches forward, pulling out her RPG launcher again!

Mukuro: ...

Kayano: DIE! DIE! DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEE!

Mukuro: ...!

Kayano: AAH-!?

Mukuro: So long...!

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMM!*

Kayano thrusts her tentacles out once more, hoping to grab Mukuro mid-air and end the fight there, but Mukuro reacts faster than anticipated. Within a single moment, she grabs the tentacles and uses them to hoist herself forward, grabbing her RPG launcher, and aiming it point-blank at Kayano's face! She pulls the trigger, and a huge explosion engulfs her.

Mukuro: Hmph...H-Huh...!?

Kayano: Kegggh...

However, Mukuro is horrified to see that in the nanosecond before the rocket could hit her, Kayano uses her tentacles as a barrier to block the explosion. The tentacles come away to show her gritting her teeth with a face of violence and death.

Mukuro: No...!

Kayano: DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEE!

Mukuro: HURUGH!

Mukuro lands on the roof of the building, which is now crumbling to pieces. In light of her false victory, she drops her guard, and just before she can reenter her battle stance, Kayano thrusts the tentacles forward, plunges them straight into the soldiers chest and completely rips out her heart, crushing it between them!

Mukuro: Aah...Aah...ah...

Kayano: Hah....Haah...Huh?

Mukuro: Ah...Ngh...

Mukuro slowly trudges forward, sliding along Kayano's tentacles which are still embedded through her chest, and approaches the green-haired assassin. She reaches up and gently strokes her face, which has calmed down significantly.

Kayano: You...

Mukuro: Nrrgh!

Kayano: AAGH!

With Kayano's guard down, Mukuro reaches behind her head and pulls out the tentacles from her neck. They retract into a much smaller size, pulling back through her chest, and tightly into Mukuro's hands before turning into nothing. Mukuro chuckles.

Mukuro: ...you're...welcome...

She then collapses to the ground, dead. Kayano hurries over to her, takes her head in her hands, and rests her forehead against hers, crying.

Kayano: I'm...I'm sorry...! I'm...sorry...

Leona: Oh come on! She JUST came back to life! Ugh...She's not coming back from THAT one, is she?

Hifumi: Surviving being stabbed in the heart is one thing...Surviving your heart being ripped out and crushed...Yeah, no...She's not getting out of THAT one safe and sound...

Leona: Don't worry though! This is a simulation! They're all fine, really! But uh...onto more important matters-WHAT HAPPENED!? Mukuro has god levels of attack power and mobility! How did she lose!?

Hifumi: Because ironically enough, Kayano had everything she needed in order to put the Wolf of Fenrir down. But let it be known that for at least the first half of any confrontation, Ms Ikusaba would have had the upper hand.

Leona: First and foremost, at their base levels of power without the use of any of their innate special abilities, Mukuro's sheer power and ability blew Kayano out of the water. Many of the Future Foundation's strongest fighters, like Sakura, Peko, Nekomaru or Akane; Mukuro could either overpower easily, or at least fight on an equal level with.

Hifumi: Ms Ikusaba also had far more combat training than her opponent. Kayano was no slouch, but the Ultimate Soldier gained that title for a reason, having been into military tactics and fighting in wars since she was only a child, and never ever gaining a scratch on her body in all that time.

Leona: There is actually another advantage that Mukuro possessed as well for this fight: No matter what, her respective martial arts prowess would have been too much for Kayano to deal with, especially when compared to her own skillset.

Hifumi: With her own martial arts prowess, Kayano is by no means weak. The fact that she was able to use her skills to take down that armed soldier is proof of that. However, part of why she was able to do that is because she was trained to as an ASSASSIN. Assassins by nature are trained to go for the kill immediately, and physical confrontations aren't typically their strong suit. Ms Ikusaba on the other hand, is a SOLDIER, and she has spent most of her life training in hand-to-hand combat, self-defensive and brutal killing, and she's much more physically fit and strong.

Leona: In fact, in Danganronpa Survivor, Maki Harukawa, who is an assassin herself that would have had similar training to Kayano, even admits this. And the two even dueled one on one shortly after Maki joined the Foundation, and this was after she defeated both Peko and Akane. You know, it really feels like Mukuro SHOULD have won this.

Hifumi: Be that as it may, Kayano had just the right defensive capabilities that would allow her to eventually wear Ms Ikusaba down.

Leona: Well, for one thing, she's a fair bit faster. Mukuro could easily match Korosensei's Mach 20 speed, possibly higher with the Battle Trance, but the truth is, though Assassination Classroom states that Korosensei can reach speeds of Mach 20, he would have to be moving and reacting faster in order to achieve that laser feat.

Hifumi: And if Kayano can keep up with him and put him on the defensive, it means she should realistically be able to achieve similar levels of speed, which would make her several times faster than Ms Ikusaba's max speed. Even with that in mind, the special cloth of Kayano's uniform made her resistant to attacks from blades, bullets and tasers...Which...is effectively most of Ms Ikusaba's arsenal.

Leona: What about the RPG then?

Hifumi: I'm sure that could have done some damage, but again, speed is a key factor there. If Korosensei can effortlessly catch grenades and RPG's, who's to say Kayano can't do the same thing?

Leona: So basically, Mukuro's real only option in the end was to fight with her bare fists. Which, let's be real, are a deadly weapon in their own right, but still, it wouldn't have been enough.

Hifumi: Not only is the uniform also shock-resistant and hardens when faced with physical blows, Ms Ikusaba really had no way to get around the tentacles. Even if she was somehow able to rip them out, they can just regenerate again. There was also no chance of tiring Kayano out to gain an opening due to her immense stamina. Plus, even if Kayano didn't have her reinforced uniform, the tentacles can melt metal, which is ANOTHER way to counter Ms Ikusaba's vast arsenal.

Leona: And in comparison to their overall defensive capabilities, Mukuro's defensive prowess just does not compare. Sure she can withstand explosions or attacks on an even more immense level, but she is still easily hurt by things like knives and bullets when they actually DO hit her.

Hifumi: The last thing to consider is power. As we mentioned, Ms Ikusaba was more than a match for Kayano in their base levels; in fact, she would have been quite a challenge, possibly as dangerous as opponents like the Grim Reaper.

Leona: As we said before, Mukuro's feat of fighting against the Killing Game Monokuma army, and the fact that she was able to easily dismantle them with her makeshift weapon, proves her strength is equivalent to 30 to 90 kilotons of TNT. For reference, that's between 2 to 6 times the power of the atomic bomb, like the one dropped on Hiroshima during WW2.

Hifumi: In contrast however, Korosensei's feat of parting the clouds on the scale of a mountain would require a force of about 3 MEGATONS of TNT, which is about 30 TIMES the Ultimate Soldier's feat. Of course, it's not DEFINITIVE strength, especially since power levels and feats of strength in both Danganronpa and Assassination Classroom aren't exactly grounded in human logic, despite the fairly standard setting of both series. However, Kayano's feats of fighting stronger opponents in her universe than the likes Ms Ikusaba fought in hers proves that Kayano's maximum strength just outclasses hers. Though it's a hard pill to swallow, in the end, Kaede Kayano was just the perfect opponent to take down the infamous Ultimate Soldier.

Leona: She outmatched her in speed, power, durability and stamina, and had just the perfect tools to kick Mukuro Ikusaba in the...Fen-REAR...!

THE WINNER IS KAEDE KAYANO!

Next time:

#danganronpa survivor #danganronpa #mukuro ikusaba #death battle #warriors of other worlds arc #Youtube

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tobiasdrake · 8 months

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First boss fight. Masaru Daimon.

The Hero, Masaru Daimon, is our introduction to what fighting the Warriors of Hope even means. Like I said before, this set of villains is designed to be supremely unsettling. These are abused children, weaponized by Ultimate Despair.

Junko may have put the guns in their hands. But she didn't do this to them. The adult world did this to them. Junko merely took what was already there and filled it with cruel purpose, as befits a charismatic manipulator archvillain.

Nobody becomes a subscriber to Junko's mailing list because their life is good. The nature of Junko as a nemesis necessarily means that most of Junko's followers will, in some way, be victims of society. Like a true social predator, a proper cult leader, she recruits the vulnerable and the downtrodden.

The Warriors of Hope are that taken to its ultimate extreme. Junko took in five children so beaten down by society that they'd made a suicide pact, and she turned them into ideological weapons. We come to truly understand what this is when we fight Masaru.

It's horrifying, watching Masaru suddenly break down in the middle of his big monologue and start reflexively beating himself. This kid is like ten years old and he has a learned behavior that he needs to be beaten for showing weakness. A behavior he learned from his alcoholic father.

The thing about the Warriors of Hope is that, much like the Remnants of Despair, they are guilty of heinous crimes. But there's a limit to how much you can hold it against them, because they're victims who were wound up by Junko and then pointed at the world.

It doesn't feel good to defeat them. Especially when the game teases that their own ranks turn on them and kill them afterwards. It's a tease the game doesn't follow up on, however, as the kids turn up alive and well later on. That is, honestly, for the best.

We literally just spent a whole-ass Core Danganronpa Title asserting that even the Remnants of Despair, the most devout of Junko's followers, are deserving of mercy and kindness. That they aren't truly bad people; They were led astray. It would be wrong for UDG not to extend that same kindness to suicidal elementary school children. Because they're in the same boat as the Remnants.

UDG takes the position of, "Their actions are horrible. But they aren't the monster here. They're abused kids taken advantage of by a cult leader. She's the person you should really be mad at." And I think that's consistent with how the Remnants were handled too.

#danganronpa #ultra despair girls #warriors of hope #masaru daimon #junko enoshima #revisiting udg #cw: child abuse

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simkjrs · 1 year

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I scour the internet daily for Junko content and your analysis is the best and most comprehensive understanding of her philosophy and character that I've seen. Love your work, would love to know what relationship you have towards her as a concept and her brand of despair! 💘

thank you!! always nice to meet another junko fan. well i played danganronpa in middle school and ever since then she has been like a near and dear friend to me. my main blog's url was always so variation on junko for the better part of a decade before a different guy swallowed my attention LOL so well she is just very special to me forever.

i liked her destructive ennui. it was, in a way, cathartic to see her act out her inner problems so disastrously and so destructively that it brought everyone down with her -- it's like the polar opposite of people's tendencies to bottle up their problems to try and avoid affecting other people. junko was really the opposite of that. she made her problems so big and so disastrous that no one could look away. she was so catastrophically selfish that she caused the apocalypse and destroyed everything she might have cared about. that was kind of a release.

but also for all that junko made everyone look at her she also denied anyone the ability or the right to understand her, or to know her completely. the inner sanctum of her mind was for her alone and not for anyone else to breach, even if it would have helped her become better... and i found that really satisfying too! when she denies naegi's attempt to reach out to her at the end of danganronpa 1, that's one of the most satisfying moments in her character arc for me. i don't think i would have liked junko as much if she hadn't chosen her own tragic end with such vicious and cutting certainty. there's kind of a beauty in creating your own tragedy, because it is, of course, yours.

these days i don't blog much about danganronpa anymore because my attention has moved to other places, but she will always have a special place in my heart. <3

#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #ask #danganronpa #junko enoshima #meta #sort of.#please feel free to share your junko experiences everyone also. i love hearing about her

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rainisawriter · 9 months

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Like My Own (Shibaman)

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Genre: Fluff, slice of life

Word Count: 6,504

Pairing: First Person, Shibaman

World: High&Low

I worked on this fic for about a week lmao but I finally finished it weee~

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Shibaman was a young man in his second year at Oya high school. Despite his young age, he had one desire in the back of his mind that always remained with him – he wanted to be a father. Now, he may not be the smartest kid at Oya, but he knew he was too young, too immature, to have a child. That didn’t mean his desire for one waned.

His own father had never been in the picture, leaving his mom to raise both him and his sister on her own. He grew up seeing her struggle to do her best for them and he grew up longing for a father figure to look up to. A lot of people don’t realize just how important having a father can be to a child, whether it’s their biological father or someone who was just willing to step up and take on the role.

Statistically speaking, children who have father figures in their lives tend to perform better in school and, ultimately, in life. That’s not to say that single mothers are to blame or are bad parents. Mothers are important, as well, as they are generally the ones that teach us to be kind and teach us skills that we need to survive.

However, there’s just something special about the relationship between a child and their father. It’s almost surreal, like magic.

Despite how badly Shibaman wanted to become a father, he also didn’t want his child to grow up in a broken home like he had. He wanted his child to be loved and supported by both his mother and father. He wanted his child to have a stable home and, most importantly, he wanted to give his child everything he or she wanted in life.

Shibaman stepped into the Itokan Diner, his eyes scanning the inhabitants. He was the only Oya student allowed in the diner because his sister, a member of Ichigo-Milk, was always there with her friends. Being the older of the two, she often bossed him around and employed him to help them out. Because of his large size and natural strength, he was a good person to have around.

Ichigo-Milk was sitting in the back corner at a round table beneath the dart board. They were leaning toward each other, talking in hushed whispers as they stared at the Sannoh boys. He followed their gaze and paused, his brow furrowed.

The Sannoh boys were gathered around the tables in the middle of the diner, as they typically were, but something was different. Or rather, someone was different. A young boy sat among them, no older than five or six years old. His hair was as black as night and his eyes were a striking green, an uncommon color among Japanese children.

Where had he come from? Why was he here?

His protective instincts kicked in and he felt annoyed by the boy’s appearance at the diner. Though things rarely went down there, it was always a possibility. Everyone knew that the diner was Sannoh’s HQ and if someone were to attack, the boy would be in danger. He shouldn’t be there, but what right did Shibaman have to say anything? He didn’t know what the boy’s relation to Sannoh was and, honestly, it was none of his business.

“Oi, get over here.”

His gaze met his sister’s and he approached their table, flopping into the chair beside her. His gaze kept flickering to the boy, he just couldn’t help it. The boy was just too adorable and tiny, his instinct to protect the boy was in high gear.

“Hey,” he nudged his sister’s arm, jerking his head in the boy’s direction. “Who is that?”

“His name is Syo,” answered Shiba as she sat back in her hair, folding her arms over her chest. “Other than that, your guess is as good as mine.”

“Huh? You don’t know?”

“They won’t tell us anything,” complained Junko with a scowl. “He just started showing up a couple of days ago.”

Oshiage nodded, resting her chin in the palm of her hand. “We asked several times who he is, but each one says something different. One minute, he’s Tettsu’s cousin, and the next, he’s Cobra’s half-brother.”

“The kid won’t talk either.” Shiba clicked her tongue. “I tried asking him, but he just looked at me blankly. He couldn’t even be bothered to lie!”

Oshiage giggled at her best friend’s annoyance. “You wanted him to lie to you?”

“Of course not, but if he’s not gonna tell me the truth, the least he can do is at least try and make something up! It’s like I wasn’t worth the time to do so,” she huffed, a pout coming to her lips.

Shibaman rolled his eyes at his sister’s behavior.

Naomi approached the table, setting a glass of water in front of him. She offered the group a smile before turning to leave.

“Ah, Naomi-san!” Shiba leaned forward, grabbing the woman’s attention before she could leave.

“Hm?” Naomi looked at her curiously. “Did you decide to order some food?”

“I was just wondering if you could -”

“Before you ask,” the woman cut Shiba off, hand on her hip and a knowing smile on her lips. “I won’t tell you anything about Syo. It’s not my story to tell and it’s not your story to know.”

Shiba pouted again as the older woman walked away. “Seriously, what’s with all the secrets? Why’s this kid so important? I don’t get it.”

Shibaman smirked at her. “It’s driving you crazy, isn’t it?”

“Shut it!” she snapped, punching him in the shoulder.

“Huh, did you just punch me? I didn’t feel anything.”

“You’re such a brat!”

Shibaman just snickered.

Several weeks passed by and Syo continued to stay at the diner. Shibaman found himself making excuses just so he could visit more often, if only to check and ensure that the boy was safe. He still wasn’t entirely convinced that Sannoh hadn’t kidnapped him.

The first time he interacted with the boy was a week and a half after first seeing him. The Sannoh boys were off doing their own thing except for Tettsu, who had fallen asleep in the booth. He was supposed to meet with his sister, but he got there earlier than her.

Syo was sitting at the table, reading a book that looked too advanced for his age. He looked up when the bell above the door chimed, his green eyes locking with Shibaman’s. Syo would be lying if he said he wasn’t at least a bit intimidated by the high schooler, what with his height, broad shoulders, and resting bitch face. He was quite the intimidating guy and he had the strength to back it up.

Shibaman wasn’t dumb. He figured his large size, especially compared to the small stature of the boy, was probably scary for him so he did his best not to seem quite so big. He smiled at him warmly, choosing to sit across from him instead of at his usual table at the back. He could feel Naomi’s eyes on his back, but the woman said nothing as she continued preparing lunch.

“What are you reading?” he asked, lowering his voice so as not to startle the boy.

Syo lifted the book off the table, showing him the cover.

His dark eyes scanned the words, brow furrowing. It was in English and, though he recognized a couple of words printed there, the majority of the title was lost on him. Is that why the boy never spoke? He had lifted the book when asked about the title, though, so he at least understood what Shibaman was saying.

“Do you speak Japanese?”

Syo nodded, setting the book back down.

The older male felt relieved at not having to attempt speaking in broken English, leaning forward and crossing his arms on the table. “You’re not much of a talker, huh?”

Syo glanced over his shoulder at Tettsu before leaning forward and lowering his voice. “I’m not supposed to talk to strangers.”

A smile tugged at his lips and he nodded. “That’s right. Strangers can be dangerous.”

Naomi approached the table, setting down a rice omelet in front of Syo and a glass of water in front of Shibaman. She smiled at the boy, brushing his hair away from his forehead. “Shibaman isn’t a stranger, though. He’s the younger brother of Shiba.”

Syo’s nose wrinkled cutely. “Shiba and Shibaman? That’s weird.”

“Syo,” Naomi scolded, hands on her hips but Shibaman just laughed at his honesty.

“Don’t tell anyone, but I agree.”

Syo grinned at Naomi as if to say, ‘See?’ She just shook her head and returned to the counter to clean up the mess she had made. He took a bite of his food, savoring it for a moment before looking up at the older male. “If you’re not a stranger, that means I can talk to you… right?”

“If you want,” nodded Shibaman. He was surprised by just how happy the boy seemed about this revelation.

“I only get to talk to my older brothers,” he frowned, sending another look to Tettsu. “They don’t let me talk to other kids…”

Shibaman mirrored his frown, his brow furrowed. That kidnapping theory was beginning to look more possible. “Why?”

He shrugged a shoulder, stuffing his mouth with a spoonful of omelet. “They’re really overprotective.”

“They don’t let you talk to your friends?”

Syo lowered his head, frowning. “I don’t have any.”

The words tugged painfully at Shibaman’s heart, his head swirling with so many questions that it was beginning to give him a headache. He didn’t even think before he spoke, though he rarely ever did. “I’ll be your friend.”

Syo’s face instantly brightened up and he nearly jumped out of his face. “Really? You mean it?”

The older male nodded, his eyes following Syo as he ran around the table. His body tensed up when the young boy threw his arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

“Thank you, Shibaman-san!”

His heart melted, large arms easily encasing the small boy. “You’re welcome.”

He caught Naomi’s eye, expecting her to be upset over this development but, to his surprise, she looked happy. Just a few months ago, the female had been uncomfortable with an Oya kid being so close in proximity to Sannoh and the diner, especially after the incident with the White Rascals, but he had slowly grown on her. She could tell he was a good kid and he seemed genuinely interested in Syo.

Naomi understood the need for the overprotectiveness of the child, but she also understood his desire to socialize and have friends. Being constantly under lock and key was no way for a child to live. She sometimes wondered if the alternative was any better. Sure, he would get the freedom he wanted so desperately, but he would also be putting himself in harm’s way.

Nothing in life is guaranteed, though.

There was no guarantee that the boy would be harmed or even recognized, something she had tried to convince Syo’s mother of to no avail. The woman had seen the darkest depths of humanity in her years and she wasn’t willing to risk her only child seeing it, too, especially not because of her. Naomi was sure the woman would never be able to forgive herself should any harm come to him simply because they share the same blood.

Maybe an Oya kid wasn’t the best influence in Syo’s life, but Naomi was sure this would be good for him. Because of that, she decided to keep it a secret from the Sannoh boys, even Yamato. After that day, she even started convincing the boys to leave Syo with her, giving both of them a break from their overprotective asses. In the time they were gone, Shibaman would arrive to spend time with Syo.

Most days they would just talk, sometimes they would play with cards or play a board game. Shibaman even downloaded games onto his phone for the boy to play and often brought him snacks or ice cream. There were even a couple of occasions when Syo taught him a bit of English. It was basic stuff, just introducing himself, but he felt excited to be able to pass knowledge on to his new friend. Shibaman had nothing against learning from someone younger, either.

He was impressed by just how smart the young boy was. He picked up on things quickly and was able to sense subtle shifts in someone’s mood. He knew an argument was about to break out between Dan and Tettsu or between Naomi and Yamato. Shibaman had seen the young boy stop the fight before it even began multiple times, something that surprised both him and Ichigo-Milk.

Syo rarely spoke, after all. He acted more mature than half the adults in the room, something Shibaman admired about him. It was also concerning and he couldn’t help but wonder what had made the young boy mature so quickly. He never talked about himself or who his parents were. Whenever the subject was brought up, usually by Ichigo-Milk, he would always shut down or simply walk away, much to the amusement of Chiharu and Tettsu.

Shiba was determined to learn the truth about him, though her brother wasn’t sure why. Maybe she had a suspicion of who his parents were and she just wanted to prove to everyone that she was right. He didn’t know and he really didn’t care. Syo clearly didn’t want to talk about it and that was enough for him to leave the subject alone.

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“Where are you off to?”

Shibaman looked at his best friend as the blonde appeared at his side. “To see my sister.”

“Again?” Tsuji quirked a brow, dark eyes knowing that the brunette was hiding something. “You’ve been going to see her a lot lately.”

“You know how my sister is. She’s a pain in the ass.”

Tsuji hummed, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his baggy jeans. “Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for one of the Ichigo-Milk members.”

Shibaman’s lips curled back in disgust at the thought. Sure, the girls were pretty, but he couldn’t stand them. They were way too much like his sister and it annoyed the hell out of him. It was like having four Shibas to deal with. One was more than enough.

“Not a chance.” He hated lying to Tsuji. They had been best friends since they were young boys, having grown up in the same complex. They’ve gone through hell together and always came out the other side because they had each other’s back. He felt guilty for not telling him about Syo, but he had no idea how to even bring up the subject.

I met a young kid and I’m his only friend so I keep going to see him and not my sister like I’ve been saying doesn’t really have a nice ring to it. If anything, it sounded wrong to him and he had to ponder the situation itself. Was it weird for a second year in high school to be friends with a six-year-old? Maybe if he was a family friend it wouldn’t be so strange, but Shibaman didn’t even know who the boy’s parents were. He just knew that Sannoh was super protective of him.

Tsuji could read his friend like a book. He knew that Shibaman was lying and he also knew that he felt guilty about lying. He chuckled, resting his hand on the taller boy’s shoulder. “I’ll catch up with you later, then. It’s supposed to rain this afternoon, don’t get sick.”

Shibaman nodded, grateful that he didn’t press the issue.

After parting ways, the taller of the two headed to the convenience store near the diner. To his chagrin, his sister and her best friend were working that day. They stared him down from behind the counter as he approached.

He motioned toward the clear case holding various pastries. “Give me two cupcakes. The ones with sprinkles.”

Oshiage nodded, moving to grab them from the container while his sister leaned over the counter, eyes narrowed suspiciously at him. “You’ve been buying a lot of sweets lately.”

He scoffed at her. “Is that a crime?”

“It’s suspicious.”

“Tsuji’s had a sweet tooth lately.”

“Bullshit.”

The two siblings stared each other down, silently challenging the other to back down.

“Here you go,” Oshiage smiled, handing him a clear bag. The cupcakes had been placed in a paper container to keep them safe, set at the bottom of the bag. “That’ll be $2.50.”

Shibaman dug into his pocket, dropping the money against her palm before taking the bag, blatantly ignoring his sister’s look. When he got close to the diner, he was stopped by Yamato who was leaning against the building across the street. The older male slowly approached, hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans. He was only taller than Shibaman by an inch so the two were level when he finally came to a stop in front of him.

Shibaman bit back his smart remark, not wanting to cause problems.

“Stay away from Syo,” Yamato ordered, dark eyes narrowed.

“What?” he narrowed his eyes back, jaw tensing at the order. Who the hell did he think he was, ordering him around like that?

“I know you’ve been spending time with him when we’re not around. That stops now.”

“Who are you to decide that?”

Yamato’s eyes flashed with annoyance and he took a step closer, getting into his face. “Do you think you’re helping him? He knows you’re a delinquent. He’s gonna grow up thinking you’re cool and he’ll want to be just like you.”

“You act like you’re better than me,” he spat angrily, his hand tightening around the bag.

“I am,” confirmed Yamato. “Because I don’t fight for the hell of it. I fight to protect my family. I don’t fight for fun like you do.”

He wanted to deny the accusation, but he couldn’t. For as long as he could remember, he lived for the thrill of fighting. It may have begun as a means of survival, but now it was just a way to pass the time. He enjoyed fighting. He enjoyed winning fights.

“If you actually care about Syo, you’ll stay away from him. He doesn’t need a thug like you corrupting him.” And then Yamato turned on his heel and headed into the diner as if nothing had happened.

Shibaman stood there for several minutes, his body tense as he glared at the ground beneath his feet. He was pissed, not just because of the way Yamato had spoken to him, but also because he knew the older male was right. He wasn’t a good influence for an impressionable six-year-old, even if they never spoke about what his life was like at Oya.

Did Syo know about Oya Koukou? Did he know that Shibaman went there?

He closed his eyes, nostrils flaring as he exhaled sharply.

Thunder rumbled overhead, the sky darkening as thick, gray clouds started to roll in.

Shibaman didn’t even notice, too lost in his own thoughts. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew that Yamato was right. A high school kid had no place befriending a six-year-old, especially not when said high schooler came from Oya. He would only corrupt the boy. He knew that and yet…

It felt as if his heart cracked when he turned and walked away from the diner, vowing not to see Syo again. The sky opened up, pelting him with ice-cold rain, but he didn’t care that it was soaking through his hoodie, weighing him down.

Why did the thought of never seeing the boy again hurt so badly? He knew it wasn’t right to consider himself a father figure to the boy, especially not knowing if his actual dad was in the picture. Part of him hoped he could fill that role, though, even if was just partially.

“Someone like me doesn’t deserve to be a father,” he muttered darkly, slamming the cupcakes into the trash.

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Syo tapped his fingers on the tabletop repeatedly, staring at the words of his book. He had been reading the same page for about five minutes, the words simply not sinking in. It had been a week since he last saw Shibaman. Had something happened to him? Why had he suddenly disappeared without so much as a word? He was worried and, more than anything, he was sad.

The tall male was his only friend, the only person he could talk to openly. He wasn’t so ungrateful as to not appreciate the love of the Sannoh boys, but they were family. They loved and protected him as if he were their own child, something he was grateful for, but they weren’t his friends. Plus, he saw them every single day. Even if you love someone dearly, you need a break from them sometimes.

Syo was growing anxious and frustrated. It didn’t help that he hadn’t seen his mother in a couple of days because she’s been so busy with work. He felt like a caged animal, ready to snap. He found himself being short with the Sannoh boys, trying to avoid them or ignore them, and they had taken notice.

Tettsu pouted at the boy from across the table, head resting on his folded arms. “Oi, Syo-chan~”

His fingers twitched at the corner of the page.

“What’s wrong with you? You’ve been acting so weird lately.”

Dan glanced at the young boy from where he sat at the island. Only he and Yamato knew about Shibaman’s visits to the boy and only he knew about Yamato confronting the Oya student. The others hadn’t even picked up on his secret visits. Some guards they were. Of course, Shibaman had help from Naomi, something Yamato took personally.

She was still visibly annoyed by the argument the two had after he found out. Every time he tries talking to her, she either glares at him or just outright ignores him. Not knowing why they were fighting, the others found it to be amusing. Their tone would no doubt change if they knew it was concerning Syo.

Chiharu frowned from beside the young boy, reaching over to poke his cheek. “What’s wrong, squirt? You can talk to us, you know.”

Syo didn’t feel like he could. The Sannoh boys shared everything so nothing he said was private. What he told Shibaman stayed between the two of them, something he felt grateful for. He could tell the older boy anything and not have to worry about everyone else knowing it, too. If he wanted everyone to know, he’d tell them himself.

“Come on~” Tettsu kicked his foot lightly under the table. “Tell us.”

Syo smacked the book down hard on the table, standing up. The diner fell silent, surprised by the boy’s reaction. He was usually quiet and reserved, rarely getting angry. No matter how much control he had over his emotions, he was still just a child and he had a breaking point like everyone else. His green eyes locked on with Dan’s, surprising the older man by how intense they were.

“I want to go to Oya Koukou.”

The diner was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop from a mile away.

Chiharu and Tettsu stared at the boy with wide eyes, sputtering as they tried to formulate a reply. Chiharu got there first, tugging at the boy’s arm to try and get him to sit back down. “O-Oi, you’re too young to be thinking about high school!”

“Y-Yeah!” Tettsu nodded furiously. “You should focus on getting through elementary school first!”

Syo scowled at the misunderstanding. “I don’t want to enroll there. I just want to visit.”

There was a visible relief in the room, though it was still quite tense.

“Why would you wanna go there?” frowned Tettsu. “It’s not a place for kids.”

Chiharu nodded quickly. “Trust me, I used to go there. It’s not a place for kids, at all!”

Syo’s gaze didn’t wave from Dan’s, making the older male shift in his seat. He ignored the two as he stepped around the table, moving closer to Dan. “I want to visit Oya Koukou.”

“Buy why~?” Tettsu couldn’t wrap his head around what had gotten into him. Why the sudden interest in going there? How did he even know about Oya?

Without Yamato or Cobra around to shut him down, Dan knew he had to step up. Clearing his throat, he stood up and turned toward the boy. “You know we can’t let you do that.”

His fists clenched at his sides, his body trembling from how tightly wound he was. “I want to see Shibaman-san!”

Tettsu and Chiharu exchanged a confused look. They had no idea what the hell was going on.

“You did something, didn’t you?” accused Syo. “You threatened him or… or…”

“Or maybe he just decided he didn’t want to hang out with a little kid.” Dan’s reply came out harsher than he meant it to and he felt guilty when the young boy flinched. He softened his gaze, squatting down in front of him. “Listen, Syo. Shibaman isn’t a good guy. He’s dangerous and unpredictable. He’s not your friend, he -”

“You’re wrong!” cried Syo, tears welling up in his eyes but he fought against them defiantly, not wanting to look weaker than he already felt. “He’s my friend! You did something, I know it! I want to see him!”

Dan was growing frustrated, mostly because he didn’t know how to solve this problem. Where the hell was Yamato when he needed him? “You’re not seeing him ever again. That’s final.” His voice was firm, leaving no room for discussion.

“I hate you!” Syo snapped, running from the diner, tears sliding down his cheeks.

Dan was frozen to the spot, his eyes wide and heart clenching painfully. Is this what it felt like to be a parent? It made him grateful that he had no kids of his own.

Naomi rested her hand on his shoulder, a frown on her lips. “He didn’t mean it, he’s just upset.”

He nodded hesitantly, swallowing hard. “We… We have to find him.”

The words snapped the boys awake as they scrambled out of the diner, screaming the boy’s name.

━━━━━━༻❀༺━━━━━━

Syo had no idea where Oya Koukou was and he knew Sannoh would be hot on his heels, trying to find him. He could faintly hear their yells echoing through the buildings as they searched for him. When he spied an older man sweeping the ground outside his shop, he decided to stop and ask for directions. It was better than running around aimlessly hoping to get lucky.

“Excuse me, sir.”

The older man looked up, a smile coming to his wrinkled face. “Yes?”

“Can you tell me how to get to Oya Koukou, please?”

“Oya? Why, I don’t think you want to go there. It’s not a place for children.”

Syo felt annoyed at hearing that for the third time, but the old man had done nothing wrong. He took a deep breath, pushing down his frustration. “My brother attends the school but he forgot his keys.”

“What a good little brother,” the man chuckled, gently ruffling his mess of black hair. He wasn’t the least bit suspicious and gave up the directions without a fuss. “Do be careful, young man.”

Syo bowed, thanking the man for his help before taking off in the direction of the school. It didn’t take long to reach the school since he ran the whole way. He was surprised by the way it looked, resembling something he might find in one of his horror books. It hardly looked like a school at all and he was sure it had to be haunted. At first, he wasn’t even sure it was the right place because it looked abandoned, but he could hear students yelling and laughing through the broken windows.

Syo took a few deep breaths to steel himself before stepping through the archway. His shoulders were tense and he tried to ignore the strange looks he was getting from the students. They crowded around him in the courtyard, amused by the small child.

“Eh, eh, what’s this? You lost, kid?” A boy with gravity-defying hair stopped in front of him, smacking his gum loudly as he towered over Syo.

“Maybe he came here to challenge us,” snickered a snake-like boy with greasy hair.

“I -” Syo’s voice cracked and he winced at how vulnerable he sounded, especially when they started to laugh like hyenas.

“Aw, is the wittle boy scared?” mocked a large student, his shoulders shaped like a square.

“He’s so mesmerized by us he can’t even speak!” giggled another, flipping his long hair over his shoulder.

“What should we do with him?”

“Maybe he wants to join Oya!”

“A squirt like him wouldn’t last a minute here.”

Inside the school, students were racing toward the windows to see what was happening. They wanted a front-row seat, seeing nothing wrong with bullying an obviously frightened child. They found it hilarious.

Tsuji and Shibaman exchanged a look as students rushed past them, laughing like maniacs.

“What do you think that’s about?” questioned Tsuji, approaching the window.

The taller male just shrugged a shoulder, not really caring. He was still feeling down about the situation with Syo despite having tried to forget about it all. No matter how many people he beat down, he couldn’t stop thinking about it and that just pissed him off more.

“What the…” Tsuji’s brow furrowed in confusion, leaning closer to the window. “What the hell is a little kid doing here?”

Shibaman’s head snapped toward his friend and he rushed over, feeling his heart drop into his stomach. He recognized the boy instantly, wasting no time to dart down the stairs. He shoved several students on the way, ignoring their angry cries. Tsuji was confused as he rushed after his best friend.

“Get the fuck away from him!” Shibaman growled, shoving his way through the crowd that had gathered around him.

Syo recognized the voice instantly, darting toward him as he broke through the crowd. His arms wrapped tightly around the older boy’s waist, burying his face in the male’s hoodie so he didn’t have to look at the other students anymore. Shibaman put his arm around the boy’s shoulders, glaring daggers at the others.

Tsuji was surprised by how protective his friend was being over the boy but he knew it was important to him. He stepped up, putting himself between the group and Shibaman. “Take him inside.”

Shibaman leaned down, bringing Syo into his arms before heading back into the school. He glared at anyone that dared look at him, a silent warning to stay away, though no one was dumb enough to attack one of the strongest guys at Oya.

━━━━━━༻Elsewhere༺━━━━━━

I stifled a yawn as I sat atop Oya Koukou’s roof, stretching out against the couch. Jamuo sat across from me, playing a game on his phone while the others watched, cheering him on. Tsukasa was sitting beside me, his head leaning back and eyes closed. I’m not sure when it started, but I love spending my free time here at Oya. It feels strange to say, but it’s actually quite peaceful. Not only that, but the other members of Sword won’t venture here which means they won’t be bothering me.

It’s like a mini-vacation.

My phone vibrated in my pocket and I tugged it out, checking the ID. It was Dan. “Hello?”

“Hey,” he breathed out.

The shakiness of his voice put me on edge immediately and I stood up, eyes narrowed. “What happened?”

Tsukasa lifted his head, watching me curiously as I started to pace back and forth across the roof.

“Don’t get mad… I, I’m so sorry… you trusted me and I let you down, I –“

“What the fuck happened, Dan?” I demanded. “Spit it out.”

“I got into a fight with Syo and he… he ran away. We’ve been looking but we can’t find him.“

“Jesus christ, Dan.” I ran a hand through my hair, feeling panic beginning to bubble up inside of me. My mind was running a mile a minute, trying to determine where he might have run to.

“I think… I think I know where he went.“

“Spit it out, then.”

“I think he went to Oya…“

I stopped dead, my brow furrowed. “Why would he come here? For me?”

“No, he…” Dan went silent, clearly trying to determine how best to say whatever was on the tip of his tongue.

Takasa, a first year that’s part of Fujio’s faction, stepped onto the roof with his arms filled with plastic bags. He was the errand boy, often going out to buy snacks for the group, a role he took seriously. He looked confused as he approached. “You guys won’t believe this! Some little boy came here to Oya.”

Tsukasa’s eyes snapped to mine, realizing what was happening.

My heart skipped a beat as I ended the call, looking at the younger male. “Oi, where is he? The boy.”

“The guys were surrounding him like hungry sharks,” he frowned, beginning to hand out the food, completely oblivious to the tension around him. “But Shibaman and Tsuji came and took him away. Maybe he’s their kid brother or something.”

Shibaman and Tsuji? Why the hell would they protect Syo? I tossed my phone to Tsukasa who caught it easily, instructing him to call Dan back and let him know that Syo was with me. He agreed without hesitation and I hurried off the roof, pushing through the throngs of boys. I knew the duo spent their time in the broadcasting room so I made a beeline to it.

Tsuji was standing outside the door and when he noticed me rushing toward him, he held a finger to his lips. My brow furrowed in confusion, my steps slowing as I reached him.

“What are you doing here, Syo?”

It was Shibaman’s voice, slightly muffled by the door. I moved closer, careful not to touch the door since it was cracked open.

“I wanted to see you…” replied Syo, his tone laced with sadness. “I got into a fight with Dan-nii.”

“Just because you disagree with him doesn’t mean you should run away. They’re probably really worried about you, ya know.”

“He says you’re a bad man but I know you’re not!”

Shibaman was silent for a moment. “I’m… not a good role model. He’s right about me.”

“No, he’s wrong! You’re a good person and… and… you’re my friend!” Syo started to sniffle, barely holding back his tears.

My heart clenched in my chest and I swallowed hard, hating the sound of him in pain.

“I’m going to take you back to the diner, okay?”

“No! I don’t wanna go! I wanna stay with you!”

I pushed the door open, stepping inside the room. Both of them turned to look at me in surprise, though Syo’s quickly morphed into guilt as he scrubbed at his eyes, tears streaming down his red cheeks.

“Mama…” he cried.

Shibaman’s head snapped to him, eyes wide.

“Dan’s pretty upset,” I told him softly, resting my hand on his head.

“I’m sorry…” he threw his arms around my waist, burying his head against my stomach.

“He said you guys got in a fight. I’m guessing it was about Shibaman.” I glanced at the boy in question and he quickly lowered his head as if he were somehow guilty.

“He’s not a bad person!” Syo lifted his head, looking up at my with determination. “He’s my only friend!”

“The Sannoh boys aren’t your friends?” I quirked a brow at him and he shook his head.

“No, they’re family. Shibaman-san is nice to me. He’s kind and he plays with me because he wants to, not because he has to. I love my nii-chans, but… they only spend time with me because I’m your son!”

“You’re wrong.” I squatted down in front of him, wiping away his tears. “It’s true that it started out that way, but they view you as their own little brother. That’s why they’re so protective, because they love you and don’t want to see anything happen to you.”

“They’re too protective,” he muttered. “I can’t even go outside and play.”

I sighed deeply, rubbing the back of my neck. “That’s my fault, not theirs. I told them to protect you. I’m sorry, Syo, I didn’t know you were suffering so much. I’m sure they didn’t, either.”

“It’s okay,” replied Syo softly. “I’m sorry for running away.”

“You’re too much like me, kiddo,” I chuckled, ruffling his hair.

Syo glanced at Shibaman before looking back at me. “Please, mama. I don’t want to stop being friends with Shibaman-san!”

Standing up, I turned to look at Tsuji. “Can you take Syo up to Tsukasa? I’d like to talk with Shibaman alone.”

Tsuji glanced at his best friend before nodding, holding his hand out. Syo took it hesitantly, frowning at us.

I waited for them to be out of earshot before turning toward the taller boy, but he spoke before I could.

“I’m sorry for the trouble,” he said quickly, bowing at the hip. “It’s my fault.”

“It’s not your fault that he’s like me,” I laughed, patting him on the shoulder. “No need to apologize.”

He slowly straightened up, nodding his head. Even with a hoodie on, I could tell his body was tense and stiff. “I’ll stay away from him.”

“Is that what you want?”

“Huh?”

“Are you saying you’ll stay away from him because you don’t want to be around him or because you believe it’s for the best? I imagine one of the boys had a talk with you, yeah?” I quirked a brow, folding my arms over my chest. “If I had to guess, I’d say Dan or Yamato.”

Shibaman shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he considered the question. “I… enjoy spending time with him.”

“Good.” I fell onto the couch with a sigh, stretching out my legs. “Syo is clearly attached to you, he’d be pretty upset if you didn’t want to be his friend.”

“You’re… okay with it?” his brow furrowed in confusion as he searched my eyes.

“None of us are perfect, Shiba. We’ve all done stupid shit. Hell, I still do stupid shit. You’re not a bad person for making poor decisions and if you want to spend time with my son, I’ll know he’s in good hands.”

“I’ll protect him with my life.” His expression was dead serious, eyes burning with determination.

“He’s a handful, ya know.”

“We can handle him.” Shibaman bit his lip before slowly moving closer. “I promise you, I won’t let anything happen to him. I’ll treat him like my own.”

A smile tugged at my lips. “I’ll be counting on you, Shibaman-kun~”

━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━

#high&low #high&low the worst #high & low #shibaman #fanfic #writeblr #Rains ficography

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