Blessed messiah and the tower of ai AU
Found the song again recently. Remembered how good the story is, so I, as the danganronpa fangirl I am, made a danganronpa au of it.
Characters: Kaede Akamatsu, Kaito Momota, Maki Harukawa, Tenko Chabashira, Himiko Yumeno, Korekiyo Shinguji, Angie Yonaga, Kirumi Tojo, Shuichi Saihara, Kokichi Ouma
Side ships: Shuichi Saihara x Kokichi Ouma, Tenko Chabashira x Himiko Yumeno, Maki Harukawa x Kaito Momota
Major Character Death
-------------------

In a land on the blink of its demise, there were ten wretched children left behind.

Little hands holding on to dear life and each other.

Trusting that in sickness and health, no matter what happens, for whatever may comes...

"We will face all our fortune and pain as one!"

-------------

We have all been told the story.

Foolish arrogant men overstepped the boundaries of God.

Seeing this, God decided to punish humanity.

Heaven sent their judgement and then all was lost.

God ruined the world, just barely keeping it alive.

In the midst of all destruction, shielding the world from ruin is the Tower of Ai.

That is where the life of the earth still lives on.

-----------

Kaede sat in her house, reading a book while waiting for her dad, the village's lumberjack, to come back home.

She heard the doorbell ring unexpectedly.

Kaede stood up and answered the door.

From another distant kingdom, came a messenger bearing a letter to the youths.

The words of prophecy.

It was prophesied that the lumber cutter's daughter would receive the high honor.

The next messiah's role.

The messiah was the person who allowed the world to continue living on. The sacrifice that humanity made to God.

Kaede wasn't quite sure how she felt about it.

After telling her friends, they all decided without her knowledge to accompany her on her journey.

Shuichi, Kokichi, Tenko, Himiko, Kaito, Maki, Korekiyo, Kirumi, and Angie.

They were true friends.

And so we will accept that fate!

Standing in front of the Tower of Ai, Shuichi recited what they knew about the tower.

"Within the tower, hidden far away, the blessings reside."

Her friends crowded around her, "With the nine of us,"

Kaede sighed, interrupting them, disappointed, "Only the messiah can retrieve the glory inside."

Kaito pouted, grabbing her hands, "So we will go with you."

"To the tower," Maki continued, grabbing onto Kaito.

"As we all search for the way," Himiko and Tenko told Kaede.

"So that our town," Korekiyo exclaimed, throwing his hands out to the side.

"So that the world!" Angie sang, hugging Kaede with one arm, throwing a hand out into the air.

"On the brink of death can be saved!" Shuichi, Kokichi, and Kirumi finished.

Maki walked up, grabbing both of Kaede's hands, "If you wish to bring blessing to the land,"

"Go forward with all your heart!" Kaito encouraged, sending her a thumbs up.

Himiko grasped her sleeve, "Try to hold onto glory in your hand."

Tenko made a karate pose with her hands, "With all of your strength!"

Kirumi grabbed her shoulder, rubbing it comfortably, "Pressing onwards alongside your trusted friends,"

"Helping one another," Angie added.

"And the fear that you feel," Shuichi glanced at her fondly.

"Will all come to an end!" All of them finished.

Kaede smiled.

They were so amazing.

What did she do to deserve them?

--------------

Kaede walked into the tower, the door shutting behind the ten of them.

Kaito tried the door, "It's locked."

Kaede looked down the hallway they were in. There were two doors.

The one closest to them opened.

Inside was a podium with a blue tinted transparent sphere with a wave design on it.

The very first blessing will be, inside a swirling pool of light, the {Blossoming Wave of the Sea}.

Kaede looked at all her friends behind her, sending an encouraging smile,and she entered now.

She reached to grab the blessing, but another hand reached out, overlapping hers.

Kaede turned to the hand's owner.

Kaito?

And the young man then sung as he pushed her out of the room, claiming the blessing for himself,

"We will face all our fortune and pain as one!"

The doors slammed shut.

The messiah could do nothing, watching as the first blessing was quickly taken away.

From that moment, friendship would turn into hate.

The second door opened, revealing a set of stairs.

The group walked up them, finding an identical floor to the one below.

As Kaede entered the second chamber, bloody red began burning within the assassin's eyes.

Maki pushed Kaede back with a crossbow she had taken with her, as she took the {Firey Feast} by her side.

The doors slammed shut.

Kaede stood there shocked. The second door on that floor opened, revealing another set of stairs.

The third floor was identical to the first two. Kaede was starting to see a pattern.

Next they found the {Graceful Sunlight}. Tenko walked forward, waving goodbye to the group, especially Himiko. The blessing was won over by the taller lesbian's open hands.

As Tenko grabbed the blessing, she turned around, as she smiled happily.

The doors slammed shut.

Himiko took off as soon as the next door opened, running up to the next floor.

Kaede shared a concerned glance with the rest of the group, before they all ran up to follow.

As she ran off in irritation, the smaller lesbian moved towards the {Restful Darkness}, and she would never be seen again.

Kaede and the others only found a locked door and a stairway on the fourth floor.

"But the prophecy said," Kaede whispered to herself.

Tenko's voice echoed in her head, "Keeping it to yourself.."

"The chosen one is me." Kaede gripped the friendship necklace around her neck.

"We will not allow!" That was definitely Kaito's voice.

She shook her head to get rid of her thoughts, "How much can someone truly be altered by greed?!"

As they found the fifth floor's blessing, Korekiyo walked into the room containing it, throwing his hands off to the side.

The anthropologist began to chant a prayer to the almighty {Trembling Earth}.

The doors slammed shut.

As they reached the sixth floor, Angie hurried into the room holding the blessing.

She took out a sketchbook and a pencil, and the artist drew to the {Ambient Thunder} her most powerful words.

The doors slammed shut.

"If you wish to bring blessing to the land!" Shuichi's voice rang around the stairway up to the seventh floor.

"Then you must sharpen heart and mind," Kokichi told Kaede, being the closest one to her.

"Try to hold onto glory in your hand!" Kirumi repeated Himiko's advice from before.

"Quickly as you can," Kokichi advised Kaede.

"Where have you all gone off to my trusted friends?" Kaede asked quietly under her breath, both sad and angry.

"Who is your enemy?" Kokichi asked back, being the only one to hear her.

Kaede felt tears in her eyes, "Could it be that I was wrong about our kindness all along?"

As the group reached the seventh floor, Kirumi twirled her way into the blessing's room.

Now the {Whirlwind Rondo}'s taken by the maid swaying in the air.

The doors slammed shut.

The remaining three teenagers made their way to the eighth blessing.

The door to the blessing was open.

'Because why wouldn't it be?!' Kaede thought angrily, tired of her quote unquote 'friends' betraying her.

Kokichi glanced at the two best friends.

The taller male leaves his lover's side, earning a shocked look from Kokichi, pushing him away.

Shuichi claimed the {Silver Garden}, holding it in his arms, with joyful tears streaming down, and they freeze on his cheeks as he turns around.

The doors slammed shut.

Kaede took a shaky breath.

The betrayals of everyone before had hurt, but this?

From her very best friend?

It stung.

The remaining two walked up the stairs in silence.

New floor, same design.

It was starting to get tiring.

With the very last blessing in front of her, the {Quickening Magma} is about to stir.

Kaede and Kokichi stood in the doorway.

Kokichi turned to her, "I promise I won't steal it. Just let me inspect it."

Kaede stared at him.

Should she trust him?

All the previous people had already betrayed her.

...

But they were friends.

And friendship was built on trust.

She nodded.

Kokichi turned to the blessing, before immediately pushing Kaede out of the room, giggling his signature giggle as he reached for the blessing.

The shorter male pretended, but in the end the messiah was lied to.

Laughing, the boy seemed to glow in his pride.

The doors slammed shut.

Kaede felt tears streaming down her cheeks.

Betrayed by the companions that she had believed in, all nine of the blessings in this world have been stolen now!

She noticed a torch on the wall with a sign next to it saying 'For the Messiah'.

Holding up a torch whose flame has long gone away, she walked up towards the alter.

Kaede stood on the roof, letting the wind blow her hair around.

Around her were nine kneeling statues, each holding some red liquid in their cupped hands.

They were surrounding one statue that seemed to be missing what they were holding.

Kaede put the torch on the ground, before deciding to go back downstairs.

Why?

Who knows.

She made her way to the first floor.

Kaede blinked.

The door to the first blessing was open.

She made her way to it, getting ready to lecture Kaito's ears off.

Kaede stood in front of the room, about to walk in, but somehow getting pushed back by something.

She placed her hand on the air.

An invisible barrier?

Kaito was holding the blessing. He turned back to wave at her.

"Hey Kaede!" He greeted cheerfully.

Kaede's face scrunched up in anger, "You-"

She was cut off by water suddenly flooding the room Kaito was in.

"W-What?" Kaede asked in disbelief.

Kaito simply stared down at the water quickly rising up to his waist, "Oh."

Kaede was quick to pound her hands on the barrier, "No! How do we get you out?! Kaito!"

Kaito stared at her, making eye contact, "I want you to know. I truely am sorry."

Kaede had tears in her eyes, "What does that mean?! Stop worrying about that! Help me get you out!"

The water was around Kaito's neck now.

"I'm sorry."

Those were the last words that left his mouth before the water flooded the rest of the room, leaving no room to breath.

Kaede took a step back, covering her hands in disbelief.

Kaito stared at her, his last air bubbles floating up.

He gave her one last encouraging thumbs up, before his body went limp, and the blessing floated up.

The doors slammed shut.

A panel in the wall flipped over, revealing a necklace with a charm shaped like the {Blossoming Wave of the Sea}.

Kaede took it and placed it around her neck, staring in disbelief at where the room used to be.

She slowly walked up to the second floor, holding the charm in her fingers.

Kaede looked up, noticing the door to the {Firey Feast} was open.

She tried to run into the room, but got stopped by the same invisible barrier.

Maki was standing in the room, crossbow abandoned on the ground and holding the blessing in a similar manner to Kaito.

Kaede paled. How was she supposed to explain to Maki that her boyfriend was dead.

"Oh. Hey Kaede," Maki stated, looking down at the blessing held in her arms.

Kaede tapped the barrier, trying to find a weak point.

Maki gazed at her, look filled with pity.

As Kaede tapped the bottom part of the barrier, she jumped back.

It's not like you culd blame her. A jet of fire had shot up in her face.

However, it was only contained in the room.

Kaede blinked.

The same room Maki was in.

She noticed there was more fire than before.

"Maki!" She shrieked, banging on the obstacle.

Maki was staring down at the fire as it burnt her body. She winced, obviously trying not to scream out in pain.

"Maki!" Kaede shrieked once more as Maki fell to the ground, the blessing melting into the flames.

The doors slammed shut.

A secret hatch in the floor opened up, revealing another necklace. However this one had the {Firey Feast} as its charm.

Kaede also picked it up, placing it around her neck.

She glanced at the stairs.

As Kaede made her way to the third floor, what awaited her?

An open door.

She rushed towards it, only resulting in her smacking her face on another barrier.

Kaede growled, alerting Tenko, who was sitting on the ground, poking the blessing.

"Heya Kaede!" Tenko waved energetically.

Kaede stared at her, before trying to knock the barrier down.

If this pattern keeps up, then Tenko's gonna di-

"Kaede?" Tenko asked, causing Kaede to look at her, "I feel hot."

Tenko was now sweating buckets, panting softly, "I need water."

She tried to stand up, only to collapse to the floor again.

There was a bright light coming from the corner of the room. It only continued getting brighter until it engulfed the entire room.

The doors slammed shut.

Kaede bit her lip. A necklace dropped from the ceiling and hit her in the head.

Kaede barely noticed the pain.

Same necklace, but wth the {Graceful Sunlight}.

She narrowed her eyes, also putting it around her neck.

Fourth floor.

Himiko was inside the room, waving her hands around the blessing which was still on the podium.

Kaede simply placed her hand on the barrier, giving up on trying to save the person inside.

Himiko smiled and waved, walking towards Kaede.

Halfway through, she screamed and fell to the ground, holding her head.

Kaede stepped back as the screaming continued until Himiko stopped moving.

The doors slammed shut.

Another necklace.

Same place.

Next floor.

Korekiyo was standing in the room, giggling.

He had taken off his mask, revealing...

...

Lipstick?

No point worrying about it now.

Korekiyo giggled, waving at Kaede.

Kaede simply waved back, tears in her eyes.

The floor beneath Korekiyo was cracking.

Huh?

Large chunks of the floor began falling as well, revealing a dark black abyss underneath the floor.

Korekiyo waved one last time before the chunk of floor he was standing on fell as well.

The doors slammed shut.

Same necklace.

Different Charm.

Same place.

New floor.

Angie was praying on the ground with the blessing inside her sketchbook.

She perked up once she noticed Kaede.

"Yahoo!" Angie waved.

Kaede braced herself for the execution.

Strikes of lightning flew down from the ceiling and hit the room around Angie, but never directly hitting her.

The strikes stopped for a moment.

Angie was covered in small burns.

One giant strike hit her directly in the back, slamming her into the ground.

The doors slammed shut.

Same chain.

Different charm.

Same placement.

New floor.

Kirumi was twirling around the podium. She stopped in front of Kaede with a pitiful face.

"It is nice to see you again," Kirumi stated, folding her arms in front of her.

Kaede stared at her, tears threatening to fall.

The wind in her room started to pick up until it became so fast it could cut.

Unfortunately, Kirumi was still in that room.

The wind slowly shredded her clothes and skin.

All the while, she continued staring into Kaede's eyes.

When Kirumi finally collapsed, Kaede raised a hand before lowering it.

The doors slammed shut.

Same necklace.

Different Charm.

Same placement.

New floor.

...

Kaede blinked as she looked at Shuichi's room.

It was entirely covered in snow, and it continued to snow.

Shuichi stood next to the podium, holding the blessing.

He was in the exact same position from when the doors closed the first time.

Shuichi placed down the blessing, moving towards Kaede.

"Kaede, is that you?" He asked, shaking and voice trembling.

Shuichi hugged himself, pulling down his hat, "It's so cold."

He removed his hat, looking up, "Why is it so cold?"

Shuichi collapsed due to the temperature, falling into the pure white snow.

From this angle, it looked like he was just sleeping.

Kaede knew better though.

The doors slammed shut.

It was now that Kaede started wondering why there were necklaces.

And why was she collecting them??

To remember her friends?

But they all betrayed her...

...

In the end, she really couldn't bare to disown them.

She finally reached Kokichi's room.

He was sitting on the podium, smiling brightly, kicking his legs with the blessing in his lap.

Kokichi giggled, "Nishishi! Wassap, Kaede?"

They shared a quick glance.

Kokichi's smile fell.

Kaede blinked, looking down.

Magma was slowly rising, much like Kaito and his water.

Kaede bit her lip, pressing a hand onto the barrier.

Kokichi winced when the lava reached his legs, but never dropped his smile.

He kept smiling all the way until he couldn't anymore.

His eyes told a different story.

A liar to the end.

The doors slammed shut.

Kaede walked back up to the roof after collecting the last necklace.

She stared at all the kneeling statues.

Each of them was a different tint.

Kaede walked over to the dark blue one, and removed Kaito's necklace.

She placed it inside the red liquid and stepped back.

The liquid turned into a dark blue color and started dripping down into the ground. In the ground was a small pathway for the liquid to reach the middle statue.

Kaede gazed at all the other statues.

Maki's necklace went with the bright red statue. The liquid turned even brighter than before. It slowly made its way to the center.

Tenko's went to the yellow one. The liquid turned into the same color as the statue.

Himiko's went with the purple.

Korekiyo's with the brown.

Angie's with the neon green.

Kirumi's with the mint.

Shuichi's with the icy blue.

Kokichi's with the dark red.

Kaede watched all the liquid flow to the middle statue which was a metallic gold.

She picked up the previously abandoned torch and placed it in the statue's hands.

The torch caught on fire.

Kaede stood there, watching it.

Within the tower, sealed far away, the blessings await

To explain the meaning of the penance that the messiah had paid.

Carrying what you have lost to the tower, the messiah made it this far.

With the single hope, we will see the day our beloved world will restart!

Kaede kneeled down in front of the center statue, crying.

Voices started singing behind her.

Ones she recognized without turning around.

"Even as I was swallowed by the sea!"

Kaito.

"Dancing, the flames surrounded me!"

Maki.

"Even as I fell down to my knees in the drought!"

Tenko.

"Even as I lost my mind to the dark unknown!"

Himiko.

"Devoured by the great earth!"

Korekiyo.

"Did you think that we would let you go on all alone?" All five sang at once.

Kaede lifted her head up, still refusing to turn around.

If she turned around, she would see it was all an illusion.

Despite how much she desperately wished for her friends to be there.

"Screaming out as the lightning struck me down!"

Angie.

"Shredded in blades of wind!"

Kirumi.

"With my body and heart froze to the ground!"

Shuichi.

"Crawling through fire!"

Kokichi.

She turned around, tears blurring her vision.

Kaede gasped.

Her friends were all standing there, despite the fact they were all blue transparent ghosts.

Shuichi was holding out a hand to her while holding Kokichi's hand with hid other.

Kaito and Maki stood behind them, smiling fondly, the latter leaning on the former.

Angie, Tenko, and Himiko all held their fists up in the air, in a 'You can do it!' vibe.

Korekiyo and Kirumi stood at the back of the group, smiling.

"Knowing that in sickness and health, no matter what happens, for whatever may come," They all sang to Kaede.

"We will face all our fortune and pain as one!"

They disappeared, leaving Kaede by herself.

She stood up.

"Now I stand to pass on the cursed torch!" Kaede sang to no one in particular, nine sacrifices in her hand, "And the cycle's completed once more!"

"We are not the last," Kaede sighed, glaring at the statue.

She touched the torch's handle, "With this flame I received from my dearest friends,"

Shuichi appeared for a second, placing a supportive hand on her shoulder, "Anything to help you."

He then vanished.

"I will honor their lives, and bring this to an end!"

Bells could be heard in the distance. Kaede turned her head to look at where the noise was coming from.

"Now the morning bells mark the brink of dawn."

"The sound of glory echoing!" Kaito appeared, pressing a hand to his chest, before disappearing again.

"The messiah who has taken on all of God's will!" Kaede kneeled down in front of the statue again.

"Stands there all by herself and she laughs to the sky!"

Kaede tilted her head back, laughing, voice cracking every second.

Tears flooded out of her tearducts and onto her face.

For the blessings were nine sorrows in disguise

And she raises her hands up towards the shrine!

(A/N: not proofread at all.)