A/N: Greetings people of Fanfiction! If you're reading this, that means you were able to overcome the admittedly generic summary (not entirely my fault, Fanfiction summaries have to be short but this story can't really be well-explained in just 384 characters) and have seen this story for the greatness it is destined to be! ...Or at the very least, it won't be set on fire by hatred from those who come across it. So either way, I'm grateful for you clicking on this story, Random Reader Person!

It's me, X, here with a new story! This time, I'm playing with the big boys and writing a story for none other than the Danganronpa series! Now, I've been pretty into it lately, starting out when a Let's Player I like to watch started to do a playthrough of the first game. But how exactly did it come to this?

Well, I was curious about what kind of fanfics have been written about DR, and I came across one story in particular, one that I highly recommend. It's called Despair's Last Resort, a story written by an author named ParadoxProphet on An Archive of Our Own. If you like Danganronpa (and don't mind spoilers for Trigger Happy Havoc and Goodbye Despair), I highly recommend it. In fact, since this story is very much inspired by Despair's Last Resort, it would be a good way to get a good idea of you're gonna be in for here. And once again, it's just a very good story.

Now, back to this. You're probably wondering something: "But X, what happened to Tale of Terraria?" Excellent question! I still plan to work on that story, but as of right now I'm deep into DR trash and I need to get this story out, lest I explode. And thus, here we are, with a Danganronpa (or should I say "Fanganronpa") story involving a cast of entirely original characters (save for a certain bear who I think needs no explanation)! Honestly, as nervous as I was about starting this story, I think I'm gonna have fun with this story! And not just because of all the opportunities I'll have to RIP the readers' hearts to PIECES with the powers of DEATH and FEEEELS. My only hope is that I can do this series justice with my story...but I guess time will tell, eh?

Anyways, for as much research as I did for this story, there may be some characters who share "Ultimate" talents with characters from the games/miscellaneous side material/other Fanganronpa stories, as my knowledge of DR is mainly limited to the main three games (THH, SDR2, and DRV3) and some other pieces of lore. So any similarities to other characters, canon or fanon, is purely coincidental. Thanks for understanding! Finally, there's the matter of spoilers: Since I'd like this story to be friendly to newcomers as well, spoilers for the games will be...minimal. If they do show up, it won't be until waaaaay later into the story. ...But that won't stop me from making simple references here and there, sometimes I just can't help myself.

Oh! One last thing: obviously this story is going to have quite a bit of blood and gore and such. If you're squeamish around that kind of stuff, then this story maaaay not be for you. If you think you'll be fine, though, then go right ahead!

And with that info dump and without further ado, enjoy the story!

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Prologue: Despair's Luxury (Part 1)

"Hana...?"

"Hana! Hey, can you hear me?"

"C'mon, say something, open your eyes! Hana!"

At first, her vision was dark. As her eyes adjusted, things began to brighten and become less blurry. The first thing Hana saw was the ceiling, and quickly after that she noticed the young man with wavy black hair looking down at her...Hiroshi.

"Oh thank goodness- for a split second I though something had happened to you too," the boy replied, his steel gray eyes full of worry as he stepped back a bit. "Looks like you just passed out, though."

Passed...out? Hana wondered, sitting up with a little groan. Why would I have-

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the pair of metal doors on the other side of the hallway that was slightly open. Through the crack in the doors, Hana saw something on the floor on the other side. It was crimson, a liquid...

Blood.

Hana let out a horrified shout as she scrambled away, the memory of what she had seen quickly returning. She heard Hiroshi talking, but tuned him out as she clutched her head and squeezed her eyes shut. No matter how hard she tried to block out the image of...that, she couldn't. She couldn't. Honestly, Hana didn't think she ever would. As of that moment, as more people ran down the hall towards her, all she could do was sit on the ground in a somewhat fetal position.

How...How did it come to this...? Hana thought as she clutched her head more tightly. And why...why...

Someone...please tell me...why...!?

Hope's Peak Academy. It was a beacon, a symbol throughout all of Japan. As the most prestigious school in the country, only a select few students were able to attend, but the academy still managed to send numerous young men and women out to become elite and productive members of Japan's work force. In fact, people say that those who were able to graduate Hope's Peak were essentially set for life no matter what they did afterwards. Many leaders in numerous fields and industries were apparently alumni of Hope's Peak, so they say.

True to its name, the school truly was an academy of hope.

There were only two conditions one had to meet in order to become a student at Hope's Peak: you had to be a high school student, and you had to have a specific kind of talent or profession. Such a talent could be nearly anything, from a sport to the most obscure professions- but you had to be the very best at whatever it was you did. Such students were referred to as 'Ultimates'- fitting for someone who was an expert in their field. There were no entrance exams needed, you just needed to be spotted by one of Hope's Peak's talent scouts.

Fortunately, 16-year-old Hana Amari happened to meet both of these requirements. Just by looking at her, Hana seemed just like your average high school girl. She wore a simple sky blue shirt with a gray skirt, along with a gold-colored pendant around her neck. Her physical appearance wasn't too eye-catching either; she was of average height, her skin was of a pale complexion, her eyes a simple hazel brown color, and her dark blonde hair that was rather neat (save for the prominent ahoge sticking upwards) and tied into a short ponytail. Just looking at her, one may not guess that Hana Amari was an Ultimate herself.

She was known as the Ultimate Surfer. The girl was known as a hometown hero- participating in dozens of surf competitions all over Japan since she was in middle school, Hana had made quite a name for herself as a surfing prodigy and champion. No matter the location, competition, or size of the waves she rode on, Hana would always come out on top and emerge victorious. With this in mind, it was only a matter of time until she was found by a talent scout at Hope's Peak and offered a position at the school. Of course, Hana accepted- and now, two weeks later, there she stood. The immense walls and towers of Hope's Peak Academy stared down at the urban area surrounding it, as well as all the people walking through the metal gates towards the building itself. As for Hana herself, well...

...She was currently sitting on a nearby bench, rapidly breathing in an out in a futile attempt to calm her crazed nerves. Two weeks...had it really only been two weeks? It seemed like only yesterday that she had encountered that talent scout after her last competition, how could time pass so quickly? The sight of the tall academy building wasn't helping to quell Hana's anxious feelings, as her head was filled with rapidly bouncing thoughts. No no no, this is wrong, it's too soon, I'm not ready, do I have the proper supplies? Pencils, pens, notebooks- did I even remember to pack spare clothes!? What if-

"Sweetie, calm down, you're spiraling," came the calming voice of her mother. Mrs. Amari put a reassuring hand on her daughter's shoulder and added, "Don't be so scared- you deserve to be here. You'll be fine!"

"Hey! C'mon, I wanna get a picture of us!" Mr. Amari eagerly called from behind them as he began to set up a Polaroid camera and a tripod. "We've got to immortalize this moment, the moment our daughter becomes a student at Hope's Peak!"

Seeing as there was no way to dissuade her always excitable father, Hana followed her smiling mother over to the sidewalk where Mr. Amari stood. The surfer couldn't be too embarrassed anyways- it wasn't every day someone's child became an Ultimate, so it made sense her parents would be so happy.

Mr. Amari soon finished setting up his camera and setting its timer, then ushered the two together before going over to join them. A few seconds later, the camera flashed as it captured the picture of the smiling family. Hana's father went over to examine the newly printed photo as his wife followed him. Hana stood back for the moment before hearing Mr. Amari exclaim, "Yes, it's perfect!"

Her parents walked over, Mr. Amari holding up the photo of the family for Hana to see. Mrs. Amari asked, "It's great, isn't it? And it's all yours, hun."

"Huh? You're just giving me the photo?" Hana asked as her father handed her the photo. "But I though you guys wanted to 'immortalize' this or something."

"Well, this is your day after all- if anyone deserves to keep this picture, it's you," her mother explained. "Plus, if you ever get homesick, you'll have something to keep me and your dad close."

"Besides, if there's some kind of Ultimate Photographer at this school, you could put in a good word for your old man," Mr. Amari added jokingly.

Hana chuckled and nodded, putting the photo inside one of the pockets of her pack. "You guys don't need to worry so much- I'll be alright."

"There you go, that's our confident girl," her mother replied, before she and her husband pulled the girl into a hug. Mrs. Amari then said, "Now remember to call us or write us at some point, okay? We'd love to know how you're doing at Hope's Peak."

"And don't go throwing any parties, you never know what things these kids'll be getting into!" Mr. Amari warned with a stern nod as they pulled away...before the man sniffled. "A-Alright, we'd best be heading home now, otherwise I might just break down right here."

Exchanging one last goodbye and 'I love you', Hana's parents headed off back to their vehicle and drove off, leaving the surfer standing at the gates to Hope's Peak Academy. She turned around, staring up at the immense brick towers and buildings that made up the academy. The massive building looked welcoming enough, and Hana was sure the inside looked just as nice...so why was she still frozen in place?

...Is this...really okay...? Hana thought, looking down towards the pavement as students filed in around her. 'Confident', yeah right...this is the best school in the country, I don't even know anything about my classmates or where my classes are or...ugh. Should I...should I really be here...?

Hana looked up and watched the numerous other students making their way into the entrance. They, too, were Ultimates...students, just like her...

...I'm being dumb. Hana told herself, giving herself a mental slap to get her out of this stupor. Heh, what am I thinking? I'm the Ultimate Surfer, I was scouted by the school too- I have just as much right to be here as everyone else!

With that, she took a deep breath and stood up straight and confident. So...let's do this! Look out Class 80, here I come!

She then ran ahead, joining the throngs of other teens making their entrance. Her anxiety had become a cautious excitement as she got closer to the doors to the school...at first, she didn't notice the edges of her vision becoming darker. However, second by second, everything started to become engulfed in darkness; however, Hana felt no different, no worse for wear...

Finally, just as the Ultimate Surfer was about to step into the halls of Hope's Peak Academy...her entire world went black.

...

When Hana opened her eyes again, she winced as brightness suddenly filled her vision. She was looking at a pure white ceiling, with some kind of ornate light hanging from the top. She quickly sat up- something was not right. Her brown eyes flew across the room as she tried to decipher her surroundings; she was sitting on a bed with pink sheets, inside a room with blue walls and a light blue wavy pattern to them, and the floor was covered in royal blue carpeting. To the left of her bed, a door; to the right, a door that was open enough to reveal a rather fancy bathroom within; in front, a desk of some kind where her belongings had been neatly placed; next to the desk, a closet. In one corner of the room was some kind of...surveillance camera? And in another corner...a TV monitor? That was new.

"Wha...? Is this...a dorm room...?" Hana asked herself as she slowly rose from the bed. It certainly looked like a bedroom indeed, and yet...it felt too high class, even for Hope's Peak Academy. Despite this, the girl wanted to believe this was a simple Hope's Peak dorm room- after all, she had just gone unconscious and woken up in a strange room, she wanted at least one thing to be normal. There had to be an explanation for this, right?

Maybe I just...passed out. Hana rationalized. Yeah...yeah, that has to be it! I was so worried I fainted, and someone carried me up to my dorm room! That makes sense!

With this as her accepted explanation, Hana turned to the left. She assumed that door one was the bedroom's exit, and so started to walk over to it...

In that instant, the door swung open, causing the surfer to yelp and jump back. This was followed by a male voice crying out in shock himself, before quickly responding, "Oh, sorry, didn't realize you were awake! I just thought I'd check up on you real fast and see if, uh...just, you okay?"

Hana took a moment to actually get a good look at the boy who had barged in. He was a fairly tall young man, his dark blue hair was cut short- in an almost buzz-cut fashion- and his pale green eyes were filled with worry behind a pair of glasses. He wore a simple white button-up shirt, along with gray pants and a blue tie.

"Uh...nope! Hah, sorry, just getting used to...all this," Hana replied with a sheepish smile. "Um...truth be told, this day's started out pretty weird, I'm just trying to process everything..."

"Pfft, yeah, 'weird' is an understatement," the boy replied with a little chuckle. "But real fast- shouldn't we introduce ourselves? Seems like we're in the same class- you are in Class 80, right?"

"Oh! Yeah!" Hana immediately replied. Finally, a fellow classmate- it was time to make a friend! "I'm Hana Amari, I'm the Ultimate Surfer, I was raised in Niijima where I learned to surf from a young age and then I won my first competition at age-"

"Okay, okay, slow down- we just met, it'd be better to tell me your life story when we're better acquainted," Hana's classmate replied, visibly surprised at the anxious response. "My name is Mikio Nakamura. Nice to meet you, Hana!"

"Mikio Naka..." at that moment, Hana gasped. "Wait wait wait. Like, Mikio Nakamura, the creator of Super Bread Girl? Developer of Finecraft? The creator of the Spelunker Story series!? Y-You're...!"

"The Ultimate Game Designer?" Mikio finished, raising an eyebrow. He then added jokingly, "So, you're a fan? Heh, wouldn't have expected to have a fan out of an Ultimate Surfer."

"Wh- Hey, I have hobbies!" Hana replied, before excitedly continuing, "Besides, I've played a ton of your games! They're really amazing, I can totally see why you're an Ultimate! Oh wow, you're actually here in front of me, in my class, I've got so many things I wanted to ask you!"

Indeed, Mikio Nakamura was the Ultimate Game Designer. He was a big name indie game developer, creating a whole slew of titles and series completely on his own. His games spanned multiple genres, numerous art and graphic styles, and plots that could be either simple and sweet or complete tearjerkers. It seemed he just made games based on whatever ideas pop into his head, but no matter what you could expect his projects to turn out like masterpieces.

"Yeah, that's cool, but- look, don't treat me as some kind of celebrity, okay?" Mikio responded with a little frown. "I'm a normal teenager and student, just like you, Ultimate status notwithstanding. Let's just leave it as that, okay?"

"Oh! Yeah, definitley!" Hana replied with an earnest nod. Mentally, though, she was chastising herself. Great job Hana, you just creeped out the guy you admire, and now he might just want to run away! First I pass out before I'm even in the building, now this! Why is day turning out so bad!?

Realizing she had to try and salvage this situation, Hana added, "Hey...wanna just head to class? I'd like to meet the others, since I kinda- what's with the grimace?"

"Uh...class, yeah...that might be a biiiiit hard to get to," Mikio replied, his face having a grimace indeed. "You see, we...don't freak out, but...I don't think we're at Hope's Peak Academy anymore."

"...What," Hana stated, dumbfounded by that sentence. They...weren't at Hope's Peak anymore? What did that even mean?

"It's..." Mikio began, before he sighed and gestured to the door. "Come with me. It's easier seen than explained, I guess."

A/N: There you go folks! The beginning of an amazing saga! Thus far we have Hana Amari (Ultimate Surfer and our dork of a protagonist) and Mikio Nakamura (Ultimate Game Designer)! And believe me, this cast is gonna get even bigger! ...Not that it matters much since over half of them will be dead by the end of the story. To any newcomers reading this: Welcome to Danganronpa, where the characters are neat and you cry when they kill off your favorite! Will this story be any different? Heck no, I love feels! ...But we'll get to that when we get to that.

Anyways, I hope you guys are as hyped for this as I am! I know things are only gonna get better and better as the story goes, so I hope you'll stick around for the ride! And don't forget to leave a review, so I know this story is acknowledged!

...Also don't bother asking about that mysterious opening sequence, all will be explained in due time.