Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc ended up being a perfect fit for me, as I had been recently getting into visual novels. For any video game I find the characters to be my favorite part, and DR has an eccentric cast that anyone could love. Now let’s check out our roster for the Killing Game, starring the 78th Class of Hope’s Peak Academy. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is a visual novel adventure game developed and published by Spike as the first game in the Danganronpa series. The game was originally released in Japan for the PlayStation Portable in November 2010 and was later ported to Android and iOS in August 2012.

Part 139: Chapter 6 Deadly Life, Part 3

: The dining hall is usually where we find the others.
And suddenly, we were greeted with...
: Skrgh@yaGfew, anji&krakAW;! fzzlbRff#[]
: You again...
: Hrskzzzz_dat.; EgspllER103.2.1.255
: Is he...broken?
: I suppose his emotional instability reached its limit.
: aG^3. 4sum=(SEN|akt~____ 61! *leaves*
: Jeez... What the heck?
♪ Music fades out. ♪
: I wonder what that was all about...
I couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.
???: Ah--!
: Is that...Makoto?
: Y-You guys!
: It is! There's no two ways about it, that's Makoto!
: Huh? You s-survived?
: Jeez... You're like a stubborn little cockroach, you know that?
: I'm just asking to make sure, but...you're not a ghost, right?
Everyone was there. All my friends who had struggled together...and survived... As soon as I saw their faces, I couldn't help myself... I started to tear up.
♪ Music cuts out. ♪
: Wait...what's that smell?
: Yeah man, that seriously stinks!
: It's Makoto! He smells like a wet dog!
: G-Get away! Shoo! Shoo!
: ...
And in a flash, my tears dried up.
: Let's have a chat with the others before continuing the plot.
: Makoto! What was it like hanging out in the spirit world!?
: I...didn't go to the spirit world.
: Did you get to talk to her?
: Who?
: Miss Cleo!
: No, I didn't talk to her. I mean, I didn't go to the spirit world...!
I mean--who the heck is Miss Cleo?
: (This is a really weirdly timed reference to make considering Miss Cleo actually died a few weeks ago...)
: I still can't believe you survived.
: Yeah, me either...
: You do realize why it is you escaped execution?
: It was...Alter Ego. He...saved my life.
: Not too many people can say they had their lives saved by a computer program.
: I imagine it was a learning experience for you.
: So what have you guys been doing while I was gone?
: Well, we figured that since the trial was over, we'd have access to new places again.
: And?
: No dice. All the rooms that were locked before...were still locked.
So there weren't any new areas... Then where can we go to find new clues?
: Ugh, you s-stink...! Are you rotten!?
: Rotten ph-physically, mentally, every way you can b-be rotten!
: Sorry... I was rolling around in garbage for a while.
: This smell is s-so...smelly...!
: Ahaha! Super smelly! You smell even w-worse than me! Way worse than m-me!
: ...I win.
She seems...happy for some reason.
: With that done, let's tell everyone what we've agreed to.
: There's no time to indulge in an extended happy reunion. We need to explain to everyone what happened with Monokuma.
: Explain...? Explain what?
: But is it okay that you're here? What if the mastermind catches you?
: That's related to [what I have to tell you all].
> what I have to tell you all
: I need to tell you all about...the last class trial.
: Last class trial...?
: We're going to redo Mukuro's trial.
: What!? Seriously!?
: What's the point of redoing it? Makoto killed her, right?
: No, I didn't do it! Like I keep telling you...
: Makoto isn't the killer. And of course it's not me or any of you.
: Th-Then...who is it?
: What she's saying is, it was all the work of the mastermind.
: What!? You're saying the mastermind killed Mukuro!?
: That's right. It was all an elaborate trap contrived by the mastermind. Makoto spotted the trap in time, and did what he had to to stop it.
: But his decision meant that *he* would be the one to die.
: You spotted the trap, did you Makoto?
You make it sound like it was easy. I just, ya know...
: But executing Makoto, who *wasn't* the blackened, is a clear violation of the school regulations. The rules state that *only* the blackened is to be executed. The mastermind broke their own rules.
: Which is why I went and negotiated with them to have the trial one more time.
: And the mastermind agreed!? Does that mean they really did break the rules...?
: They had no choice but to agree. You used the TV broadcast to gain the leverage you needed, didn't you?
: Very observant of you.
: I recall what you said at the end of the last trial... When you said 'Now it's the mastermind that's ensnared,' that's what you were referring to.
: Hey! I'm totally in the dark here!
: For anyone who doesn't understand, you can ask Kyoko to explain it again. Later.
: So, knowing all th-this...what do we do now?
: It's about who killed Mukuro, right? So our job is to expose the mastermind...?
: But there's more to it than that, correct?
: Um, yeah... For us to win this time, we have to solve every last mystery surrounding the school.
: Every last mystery...?
: But we've been looking around all this time, and we still don't know anything, right?
: You've probably guessed already, but if we lose this time...everyone dies.
: E-Everyone!?
: H-Hey! Who said you could agree to those t-terms without talking to the rest of u-us!?
: I'm fine with things the w-way they are! I'm fine living here forever with M-Master!
: I, meanwhile, want to get out of here as soon as humanly possible.
: Anyway, at this point the only way for us to survive is to unravel the truth.
: In other words, one decisive final battle. A rather interesting development, I'd say.
: But figuring out who the mastermind is, AND how they killed Mukuro, AND all the school's mysteries...
: It's a pretty tall friggin' order...
: Maybe, but this time the trial is different. We know who our enemy is now. So if we work together and search as hard as we can, I'm sure we'll solve all those mysteries!
: I'm not so sure about that.
: ...Huh?
: I [can't agree] with the idea of working together with everyone.
> can't agree
: You...can't agree? Why not? I mean, working together with everyone seems like the most obvious way to solve all the mysteries...
: That's what I thought, too...at first. Until Monokuma gave us that little hint of his...
Hint...?
: Kehehe... It's a very polarizing approach, I know, but--okay, enough puns. Anyway, here's a hint... I'm sure I told you this already, but...this killing game began with sixteen participants, all of them high school students. And the only people to take a single step in Hope's Peak since the killing game began...are those sixteen students.
: Monokuma said that, did he? Then Kyoko's opinion is perfectly reasonable.
: Huh? But why...?
: If the mastermind really is the one who killed Mukuro, as Kyoko says...then the mastermind would have had to set foot in this school, right? Monokuma could probably murder Mukuro, but there's no way he could have disguised the scene like that.
: But according to Monokuma, the only people who have set foot in Hope's Peak...are the sixteen students who have been taking part in the killing game.
: Then...the m-masterming is...!
: There were fifteen of us in the m-main hall at the very beginning... Add in M-Mukuro, and you get sixteen...
: So the mastermind w-would have to be...one of them?
: And of those sixteen people we started out with, the only ones still alive...are the people standing right here. Need I continue, or do you get it now?
: You're saying the mastermind is one of us!?
: Y-You can't be serious!
: W-Wait! We can't say for sure that's true yet! Monokuma might have just said all that to confuse us...!
: It's certainly a possibility. But only one among many...
: The mastermind being one of us is *also* a possibility.
: And that is one possibility we can't ignore.
: Yeah! I mean, they're an u-ultimate, right? The Ultimate Despair. So they m-must be a high schooler!
: You can't say it's not p-possible...!
: But if one of us was the mastermind, they'd have to be controlling Monokuma somehow, right? But did you ever see anyone acting suspicious any time Monokuma was active?
: Maybe they s-snuck off and controlled him i-in secret...
: I don't care how sneaky you are, we would've noticed someone sneaking off that many times.
: Then maybe Monokuma was on autopilot! Maybe they loaded up all the dialogue and actions beforehand!
: In that case, there's no way he could have had all those back-and-forth conversations with us.
: Well...it wouldn't be entirely impossible, if they directed the flow of the conversation.
: W-Well, maybe...but still!
♪ Music fades out. ♪
*Ding dong, bing bong*
: Ahh, this is a school announcement. You've all probably figured this out by now, but at this point, the killing game has now entered 'True Ending' mode. So in the name of fairness, I will unlock every room in the school! Look wherever you want! Solve the mystery in whatever way you see fit! Puhuhu... Then we can all meet up at the class trial, okay? Gaahahaha! Ahahaha...!
: How very magnanimous of him to unlock all the rooms.
: The time for talk is done. Now we need to begin our investigation.
: B-But...!
: I was planning on working alone from the beginning anyway.
: At this point, I can rely only on myself, on the Togami blood flowing through my veins.
: I have no time to worry about the rest of you. Each of you must uphold your responsibility. Well then... *leaves*
After making his final statement, Byakuya left the dining hall.
: Gaah! M-Master! He didn't take me w-with him...!
: Do ya blame him?
: Without Master, the r-rest of you are like...coffee with cream w-without the cream! Or c-coffee!
: You're totally useless!
: S-So...bye! *leaves*
With that, Toko trudged out of the dining hall.
: And now *she's* gone... And you're gonna go off by yourself, right Kyoko?
: That's right.
: Which just leaves Makoto, Hina, and me...
: ...
: In that case, I'm gonna go by myself, too!
: Wait, how come!?
: Just wait and see! I'm gonna use my totally awesome spirit power to figure out the mastermind's identity!
: Hahahaha! *leaves*
Laughing loudly, Hiro left the dining hall...
: Everyone's really gonna go off by themselves...?
: What about you, Hina?
: Umm... I guess I'll do the same thing.
: I mean, it's not that I don't trust everyone, ya know?
: But...up till now, I haven't really been all that useful. I just depended on Sakura, and everyone else.
: You're not useless! If you hadn't been here, I woulda died!
: M-Makoto...!
: Nng...that's really nice of you to say...!
: But still, I know I've mostly been totally useless.
: So I figure, at least here at the end, maybe I can find something that'll help us all get out of here. So I'm gonna go off and do it all on my own!
: Okay, see ya later! *leaves*
Hina was in surprisingly high spirits as she dashed out of the dining hall. And once again...
: ...it's just us two.
: Indeed.
: So...you're gonna go off on your own too, right Kyoko?
: Well, don't misunderstand. Just because we're going to do our searches separately doesn't mean we can't still work together.
: That goes for all of us.
I think I see what you mean... Doing out own investigating doesn't mean we can't work together in the end. I should just see it as us splitting up to cover more ground. And then we can get back together and share what we found. Yeah...that's right!
: Well, I'd better get going. I have an endless list of things I need to check.
: Monokuma said all the doors in the school had been unlocked, right? So we should be able to investigate every nook and cranny in the school.
: We can visit all the places we couldn't go before...
: Makoto...no matter what it takes, we *have* to uncover the truth. By any means necessary... *leaves*
With that, Kyoko was gone. Leaving only me...
: I don't have time to waste, either. I have to begin my search...
I still can't believe the mastermind might be one of us. So that's what I have to prove...
I'll prove that the mastermind ISN'T one of us! I'll expose the mastermind's true identity, and solve the mystery of this school...
: ...and then we can all escape together!

Part 141: Chapter 6 Deadly Life, Part 5

: Last time we got an e-Handbook with no limitations. Maybe we can use it in the locker room.
Maybe only the locker's owner can open it. Which means none of us can do it...
: Wait, but...?
: What about that emergency handbook I found in the headmaster's hidden room? Okay, let's give it one more try...!
I took the emergency handbook and ran that across the card reader, and...
*Beep*
Alright! Just what I was hoping for! Now let's see what we've got inside.
: ...I don't see anything that might be a clue...
: Some of the intact lockers are empty, but this one...
*Beep*
Looks like the locker opened... Now let's see what we've got inside.
This thing is practically empty. There's just one thing--some kind of pocketbook. I don't see a name written on it, so I can't say for sure whose it is. But there's some writing inside. It could be important.
: I don't like violating the owner's privacy, but I'd better take a look.
It looks like a girl's handwriting... And all the letters are spaced out evenly, like whoever wrote them was measuring them. Whoever wrote this must have been really meticulous.
♪ Music fades out. ♪
: Huh...?
I was flipping through the pocketbook, but my hand froze when I got to a certain page. I saw something familiar written there, words I'd heard before.
???: 'There's a plan to turn Hope's Peak into a shelter, and isolate the students here in a communal life. I decided to talk to the one who came up with the plan directly. It just so happens to be the headmaster--and my father. He was willing to give me some more details regarding the plan. Here's what he said...
'The point is to keep our student prodigies safe, to keep them as our hope for the future. Only their genius can overcome disaster, and only their hope can overcome despair. For the future of our country, our world, it's not an exaggeration to call this our final hope. We must isolate ou superior youth from the corrupted world, to server as the foundation for a new era. This is the only hope we have. I hope that you'll be willing to go along with this plan...'
???: 'So that's what my father had to say to me. As usual, he made a selfish decision without consulting anyone else. I can't imagine a worse father.'
: This...can't be true, can it?
But I knew it was. And I knew exactly who the pocketbook belonged to. Kyoko... It couldn't be anyone else.
: But if this belongs to Kyoko...
...what was it doing in this locker? And what she wrote here completely contradicts what she already told me. She said she hasn't seen her dad since he left when she was little.
???: 'I decided to talk to the one who came up with the plan directly. It just so happens to be the headmaster--and my father.'
: What does this all mean...!?
I quickly scanned the remaining pages of the notebook. I must have been looking for something that would prove me wrong about this whole thing. But when I reached the last page, the question marks spinning through my mind just started spinning that much faster.
When I looked at it... Unlike the rest of the pocketbook, the writing here was messy, disorganized, scrawled.
: What is this...? What does it mean? I have no idea... How could this possibly make any sense?
*Beep*
Looks like the locker opened... Now let's see what we've got inside.
This locker is totally disorganized. Whoever it belongs to probably has organization problems in every part of their life...
Is this a deck of playing cards? No...they're tarot cards. But...wait... Aren't those used for telling fortunes?
: ...It's...just a coincidence, right?
This is...a crystal ball. Huh? A crystal ball...?
: No...it can't be...
There's no way he ever used this locker. It's just not possible...
: There's all kinds of textbooks and notebooks stacked up in no particular order. And dust everywhere... I have to assume whoever's stuff this is didn't do a lot of studying. ...Not that I can really talk.
Trying to act as casual and natural as possible...I picked up one of the notebooks I saw. But the moment I looked inside the notebook...any sense of easiness I may have had evaporated.
: ...What?
There was no denying what I saw. Inside the notebook was written 'Yasuhiro Hagakure.'
: Is this... *our* Yasuhiro?
The notebook also contained a large number of notes for a variety of different classes. Which would mean...
: He...attended classes here?
No...that can't be possible. I mean, Hiro came to this school at the same time as the rest of us. And we were all sucked into this evil world. We never had the chance to take any classes...
: So...what *is* this notebook?
But the more I see, the less sense it makes. Because these lockers... I mean, they had to belong to the previous students, right? So why am I seeing this...? Why are there things in the lockers that look like they belong to people here?
: A notebook that seems like it belongs to Hiro... And a pocketbook that seems like it belongs to Kyoko...
: ...There has to be some kind of explanation. But if I want to find that out, I have to keep moving the investigation forward. And I have to believe in everyone.
: Time to leave the depressing 2nd floor dorms and continue our investigation elsewhere.
: The Monokuma room in the Data Center should be open now.
: Ah, Makoto! Are you here to look around, too?
: Is that what you're doing here?
: Yeah. I can't help but wonder about that Monokuma door...
: So I figured...if all the doors in school had been unlocked, that one should be open too, right!?
: Although...I couldn't being myself to open it.
: Cuz it might explode, right!? And that'd really suck. So...you open it!
I'm sure she didn't mean it, but she made it sound like she was okay with *me* getting blown up...
: Okay, so...I guess I'll open it.
: Ah, wait! Lemme take cover first! I don't wanna get exploded!
Hina raced over to a nearby desk and hid underneath it.
: Okay! Go ahead!
: ...
Everything will be okay...right?
: Alright, here goes nothin'...!
I threw all my weight into it, but the door opened much easier than I expected.
♪ No Music. ♪
There was no explosion, thankfully. My first impression was...
: Whoa! This place is totally sci-fi!
: ...Yeah, I was kinda thinking the same thing.
: I mean, every part of this school leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but...
: ...this place is like number one gross! It's in a whole different league of creepy!
There's some kind of hatch on the floor... But right now I'm more concerned about that weird device...
What is this device? It looks like some kind of...control panel. It's really over the top, though. Like some kind of military installation or something...
: Yeah, it kinda looks like a mech cockpit, right? Hifumi'd probably freak out if he saw it!
: Cockpit...?
So the Monokuma room has a control panel that looks like some kind of...cockpit. Then could that mean...?
: Alright! Let's start poking at it or whatever! I'm gonna start pushing buttons!
: H-Hold on! You can't just 'or whatever' something like this!
But it was too late... Hina was already jabbing away at the control panel.
♪ Music cuts out. ♪
*Boing*
: Something I have failed to mention until this point, mostly because there's never been a reason to bring it up, is that every time Monokuma appears or disappears a very distinct 'boing' sound effect plays. It's at this moment that that very sound effect plays.
: Huh? Did you hear that?
: Yeah, I think it came from the other room. Hina...what did you push?
: I-I'm not totally sure, but...I think it was that one. The button that says Data Center.
: Data center...?
I took a good look at the control panel...and I saw a bunch of buttons, each with the name of a room next to it. And just like Hina said, there was one labeled Data Center. That must be the one she pushed. But the data center... That's right next door. The room we were just in... That's where the strange noise came from.
: I'd probably better go check it out...
: Yes please! I'm kinda scared out of my mind right now, so I'll just...cheer you on from over here!
Did I just hear what I think I heard...?
: ...
Is that...Monokuma?
: ...
: H-Hey!
: Graar! Groooar! Gimme all yer donuts!
: ...Is that...you, Hina?
: What!? Aw man, busted! How did you know?
: Anyway, what is this? Some kinda remote-control camera kinda setup?
: You don't even know what you're controlling...?
: Well I mean, I can't really see anything from in here.
: Ah, guess what I found! A self-destruct button!
: Whatever you do, don't push it!
: Aww maaaan!
: ...Were you seriously gonna push it?
A-Anyway...I guess that settles it. The room with the Monokuma drawing on it, and the control panel inside...
: Whoa! Hey Makoto, what the heck was that just now!?
: Monokuma.
: Huh? What do you mean?
: What you were controlling just now. It was Monokuma.
: Monokuma...?
: What!? For real!?
: Yup. It looks like that panel definitely controls Monokuma. Which means...the mastermind has been controlling Monokuma from this room.
Yeah...they were definitely in here. The mastermind has been controlling Monokuma from this room. And this control room is totally separate from the data center area with all the monitors. In other words...
: Maybe the mastermind can't monitor us and control Monokuma at the same time.
Kyoko's theory was right...
: But...if the mastermind's been controlling Monokuma from here...that means they've been inside the school this whole time, right?
: I guess that would have to be true.
But if that *is* true...
: Kehehe... It's a very polarizing approach, I know, but--okay, enough puns. Anyway, here's a hint... I'm sure I told you this already, but...this killing game began with sixteen participants, all of them high school students. And the only people to take a single step in Hope's Peak since the killing game began...are those sixteen students.
Then the mastermind, Monokuma's puppeteer, really is the sixteenth student...?
: ...
No, it can't be... There's no way...right?
: What's wrong, Makoto? I don't like that face you're making...
: Oh, no...it's nothing.
: O-Oh, okay...
: ...
: What about you? Is everything okay?
: Oh, well, it's just... This is where the mastermind's been hiding, right? Who knows if they set up traps or something...?
I can't say it isn't possible... But I really hope it's not true.
: So, like...
: You wanna leave soon? There's still lots of other places to check out.
: Yeah, good point. We can't waste all out time standing around here. Okay, you wanna get going?
: Y-Yeah...
♪ Music fades out. ♪
*Click*
As soon as the door to the data center was closed, I heard a strange sound.
: What was that...?
: Ah! The door! It just locked on its own!
: What!?
My hand shot out to grab the doorknob...
*Rattle rattle*
: You're right, it's locked. But...why?
: Of course it's locked! Because the data center is now restricted!
: M-Monokuma!?
: Hey, no fair! You can't just go around restricting whatever you feel like!
: It's for YOUR benefit! Cuz if that room stays open, I won't be able to move around.
: Imagine how depressed everyone would get if the school mascot just up and stopped moving!
: Then...that room...
: As you may have guessed, that's where my controls are!
: So...right now, you're being operated by someone in that room?
: Correctamundo!
: But that doesn't make any sense! We were just in there, and we didn't see anyone!
: Oh you didn't, did you? Puhuhu... Are you sure you were as thorough as you could have been?
: Did you happen to check...a certain suspicious hatch?
: N-No way...! The hatch on the floor...!?
: Puhuhu, too bad! That was your one big chance, and ya blew it!
: Of course, that hatch can't be opened from the outside anyway. So whatever!
: Now then, this room is officially restricted. So no more investigating! I'll be relying on you guys to tell the others.
: Puhuhu... Peace! *leaves*
: He's gone. But...
: ...was he telling the truth? The mastermind was hiding in there?
: In fact, if you think back to when we got locked out of the control room, that proves it for sure.
: Then...when I said we should leave...
: Well, that hatch couldn't be opened from the outside anyway, right? So it's not your fault.
: O-Okay...
: Anyway, we don't have to let it get to us. We have to stay positive and make the most of the time we have left!
: You're right... If there's one thing I'm good at, it's keeping my body moving...!
: Okay! I'm gonna go run around and tell everyone what we found here! Nice! You've got me all motivated again!
: Okay, I'm out! See ya later!
Hina took off at a full sprint.
: And I have to do what I can, too...!
That's the only way forward!