When Akamatsu Kaede woke up in a classroom with a cute brown-haired senpai, she didn't expect to be dragged into a killing game. And for her room to be the very first crime scene, where another senpai named Hagakure Yasuhiro was killed, stabbed in the bathroom with a knife.

Of course, it didn't seem good when all three occupants of the bedroom, Kaede, Makoto (the cute senpai from earlier) and Hajime (she was introduced to him later on), were accused of killing him. It was a bad thing, and it definitely didn't mean anything good for them.

Well, that was until a girl who looked around their age spoke up, "I don't think that they're the killers. None of them are."

Kaede had not met her before, so consider her shell-shocked when she heard those words. So were Makoto and Hajime too, since it was clear that they didn't know this girl either.

It was surprising, yet she also felt a bit warm. This girl was defending her despite not knowing her. It was a nice feeling.

So when it was time to investigate, she went up to this girl and offered to team up.

At first, she had seemed mildly surprised. But then, the smile was obvious. As they moved around, they got to know the other better. Apparently, the other girl preferred to be called Ficmata or Fam or Fic, and she was the SHSL Unstable Person. When asked why, she could only sigh and reply that Kaede would know in time. But she had divulged that she loved anime and was part of a lot of fandoms. In fact, she had promised to show Kaede some amazing ones when they got out of here.
Kaede couldn't help but notice the "when" that Ficmata had used, but she didn't feel the need to point it out. After all, it was a sign of optimism and hope beyond their cage.

The investigation didn't change much. She did what she had to do, and then it was time for their very first class trial.

She had to admit that she was nervous, but she knew that she had to do it for their sake. When they got to the trial room, Rantaro, Gonta and Maki sat it out after the avocado-haired male threatened Monokuma with it. Safe to say, she didn't want to see that guy's dark side ever again.

It started off real hot. She had to refute, fight, and keep up her beliefs in everyone so they could get out of this trial alive. She had to save them all.

But then Monokuma announced that this was the end because it was a demo game, which surprised everyone. What was he talking about? He wasn't making any sense at all.

Suddenly, though, a small voice, one she knew very well, called out, "You messed up, Monokuma. You showed who your mastermind was."

All heads swivelled over to the girl who was even shorter than Makoto. She gripped the railings, her grey shirt and black jacket leaning forward. Sweat fell down her head, yet it didn't seem to faze her.

Instead, she looked up, eyes burning in determination, "You make it sound like this is fiction, but I don't believe so. Even in fiction, there is a speck of truth. Of reality."

Her next words would take them all by surprise, even Kokichi.

"After all, I'm not from this world. And by seeing your answer, I know that you're just trying to hide the true mastermind. Am I right..."

Her eyes moved slowly, before they landed on someone, her blue hair nearly reaching the ground.

"Shirogane Tsumugi."

The other's eyes widened, and she began stammering, "W-What are you talking about-"

"In the Original Dimension, you worked with Enoshima Junko to bring the world to despair. I know that for sure. And now, here you are, pretending to be someone you're not. You know more than anyone that you're not plain, and yet you maliciously stay in the shadows, cackling at all their efforts to beat you. I've had enough of that. Why do you think I came down here in the first place? Why do you think I came back to the fictional world even though I had promised my friends that I would only come back once I was mature enough to handle it again? To beat you. I won't let another world fall into the depths of despair. No way."

Tsumugi went quiet, and for a minute there, Kaede felt like she had to defend her.

But then, out of nowhere, it came out. Starting off as a small chuckle, it escalated to a full-blown sneer and chortle as she struggled to keep her breathing together, "Y-You are one interesting girl, for sure."

"I've heard that a lot of times," she coolly replied. "But that's fine. I don't mind. All I need you to know is that you have to stop now. This is wrong."

She cackled, "Ohhhh, isn't that sweet? But where's your evidence that I'm the mastermind?! Where's the proof that I killed that spineless idiota who had his meaningless death coming?! He deserved to die for being stupid enough to think of girls as weak!"

A smirk graced her face, and she turned to Kaede, "Kaede-san, I leave this in your hands. You know that she can be stopped."

Her eyes widened, but it soon clicked to her.

Upon seeing the nod, her eyes met Makoto and Hajime, who nodded back at her. It looked like they agreed with Ficmata.

Facing Tsumugi, she finally found the power to speak, "Tsumugi... She only accused you of being the mastermind. She never said anything about killing Yasuhiro. And we didn't even know that he lured a girl out... Also, you... you said that he had it coming for him. And you... you called it meaningless. Doesn't that mean... that you don't actually respect the dead? Doesn't that mean that you... you killed him?"

At that, Tsumugi's eyes widened, and realisation finally dawned on her face as she looked at Ficmata, "Y-You tricked me!"

"I didn't," she rose her hands in surrender, yet there was a smile that showed. "You just took it the wrong way. I didn't even have to force it out of you. Arrogance is a villain's downfall, after all, SHSL Cosplayer-san?"

Her eyes went wide, and she soon fell to the ground, screaming murder towards her.

For her title, the SHSL Unstable Person didn't seem fazed at all. Instead, she looked at the three Protagonists, a smile on her face, "End this, you three."

Hajime and Makoto shared a glance before they nodded, looking at Kaede for confirmation.

She nodded as well. To end this, they had to sentence the mastermind.

The three then faced the mastermind, ready to end this.

The statements that came out were blunt, cutting through every defence she had. None were safe. They worked together for this.

And once the final statement was given, about the words she had just uttered not too long ago, Shirogane Tsumugi couldn't say a thing. All she could do was stay there, eyes blank.

"Well then, I suppose that this is the end," Ficmata suddenly stepped down from the podium, walking towards the mastermind.

She got a glare in response, "I-I will kill you!"

"You can't do that if you're dead," Ficmata looked back at them, and smiled at them sadly before looking up to Monokuma, "End this already. You've lost. Fiction or not, this is the end for Danganronpa."

"Upupupupuupupu~" the bear seemed at a loss of words. His children couldn't even say anything.

Ficmata closed her eyes, and sighed as out of nowhere, she climbed up to the throne and pressed the execution button gently, "Good bye, everyone."

"W-Wait!" Kaede screamed. Did this mean what she thought it did? Was this... her death?

"No!" Makoto yelled.

"Please, no!" Hajime pleaded.

As the chains slowly descended, chaining Monokuma, his kids and Tsumugi up, she looked at them, "I've killed people, guys. The reason why I'm the SHSL Unstable Person is because I've caused suffering for my friends. This... This is the only way to atone."

A smile appeared once more, "I'll miss you all, but I know I'll see you again. So keep on hoping. And let us meet once again, not as fictional persona and fictional characters, but as friends."

The chain then got her, and she was dragged up along with the horrified scream that escaped Kaede's lips. She had only met the girl today, yet something in her heart felt as if she had known her forever. As if... she was a close friend, someone she knew very well.

However, it was too late. She was gone. The chain had dragged her to a room where knives stabbed her no matter where she tried to hide. For some reason, it felt like it was mocking her since it was using daggers and punches from faceless.

The painful screams that exited her lips, and the pure suffering that she was bound to be feeling only made her feel bad.

They had ended the game. The monitors were dead.

But was the price that was paid worth it? Kaede didn't know. She just hoped it was.