Danganronpa F4: One-Way Ticket to Ride (Epilogue)

[SiRReN]

"Bzzt, it was an accident," V.A.L. pointed out neutrally. "It could have happened to anyone, bzzt."

[Southern Corn]

"Bzzt, it was an accident," V.A.L. pointed out neutrally. "It could have happened to anyone, bzzt."

James rolled his eyes, not even bothering to comment on his perceived ludicrousness of VAL's statement.

[CaptainPancakes]

"I-it's not my fault!" Urumi sulked. "How was I supposed to know there was a root there?"

She sat on a nearby log and tenderly rubbed her ankle now that the wackiness was over. "Great, someone probably grabbed it in the confusion..."

"You're quite right", James suddenly agreed. "That oaf who thought that 'bringing the fire to the book' was even a somewhat noteworthy idea is the one to blame."

"It seemed like a great idea at the time..."

[lcarus]

"The only upside to all this is that we didn't all go up in flames. Throw a burning log into a forest, certainly nothing could go wrong!" Oscar thows his hands up in exasperation.

[Southern Corn]

"I-it's not my fault!" Urumi sulked. "How was I supposed to know there was a root there?"

She sat on a nearby log and tenderly rubbed her ankle now that the wackiness was over. "Great, someone probably grabbed it in the confusion..."

"You're quite right", James suddenly agreed. "That oaf who thought that 'bringing the fire to the book' was even a somewhat noteworthy idea is the one to blame."

"It seemed like a great idea at the time..."

"Oh, and I'm sure the idea of simply bringing back the book to the campfire was too logical for your brain to think off", James scoffed.

[CaptainPancakes]

"Your words are saying sensible things, yet your tone is so fierce, I am on the verge of tears..."

Koichi's shoulders dropped, his head looking at the ground with shame.

[Southern Corn]

"Your words are saying sensible things, yet your tone is so fierce, I am on the verge of tears..."

Koichi's shoulders dropped, his head looking at the ground with shame.

"As you should be, you incompetent infantryman", James said coldly. "Perhaps you should cry. Admit to your idiotic mistakes. That is but the first step to atonement, no matter how far you are from attaining it."

[CaptainPancakes]

"Your words are saying sensible things, yet your tone is so fierce, I am on the verge of tears..."

Koichi's shoulders dropped, his head looking at the ground with shame.

"As you should be, you incompetent infantryman", James said coldly. "Perhaps you should cry. Admit to your idiotic mistakes. That is but the first step to atonement, no matter how far you are from attaining it."

"Understood, I shall attempt to cry."

Koichi buried his face in his hands and made exaggerated crying noises.

"...Well, a couple tears c-came out. Did I do it right?"

[Southern Corn]

"Your words are saying sensible things, yet your tone is so fierce, I am on the verge of tears..."

Koichi's shoulders dropped, his head looking at the ground with shame.

"As you should be, you incompetent infantryman", James said coldly. "Perhaps you should cry. Admit to your idiotic mistakes. That is but the first step to atonement, no matter how far you are from attaining it."

"Understood, I shall attempt to cry."

Koichi buried his face in his hands and made exaggerated crying noises.

"...Well, a couple tears c-came out. Did I do it right?"

"That was an admirable first attempt", James admitted. "I recommend trying daily, maybe hourly if you are up to it…though less embellished. No seasoned actor would accept those tears as real."

[CaptainPancakes]

"O-Oh, I see. T-Thanks for the advice!"

Koichi saluted, fake crying one more time.

"I feel myself improving..!"

[Southern Corn]

James had already stopped listening to Koichi, however, and gone over to see how the cabins were after the fire.

[Collin1002]

After seeing the little discussion between James and Koichi, Bryan shot a glare James's way as he left before merely facepalming. "Ay caramba..."

[Southern Corn]

James came back from examining the cabins to see the others again. "Alright, you useless lot, listen up. I have good news and bad news for you. Which would you like to hear first?"

[JesusMonroe]

"I suppose we could all use some good news."

[Southern Corn]

"I suppose we could all use some good news."

"Alright", James nodded. "The cabins are thankfully pristine and untouched by that idiotic inferno. Nothing has gotten burnt up there."

[Collin1002]

"And what's the bad news?" Bryan asked, crossing his arms.

[Southern Corn]

"And what's the bad news?"

"You're all still repugnant sinners who refuse to accept your flaws", James stated in a matter of fact way.

[KamiPanda]

"It is a shame there are no mirrors around here..." Keri said quietly.

"I am going to go look for firewood," she then announced. "I hope that there are still loose branches on the ground that were not burned up, I would really rather not have to resort to cutting trees down."

[Southern Corn]

"I agree", James replied offhandedly. "I haven't been able to view my beautiful visage in ages. It's quite overwhelming, really."

[Collin1002]

"And what's the bad news?"

"You're all still repugnant sinners who refuse to accept your flaws", James stated in a matter of fact way.

"Somehow I knew you'd say somethin' along the lines of that," Bryan dryly remarked with a roll of his eyes.

[Southern Corn]

"And what's the bad news?"

"You're all still repugnant sinners who refuse to accept your flaws", James stated in a matter of fact way.

"Somehow I knew you'd say somethin' along the lines of that," Bryan dryly remarked with a roll of his eyes.

"Well, perhaps if you made an attempt at changing your ways I wouldn't have to repeat myself", James rebutted calmly.

[CaptainPancakes]

"What is your suggestion, James?" Koichi asked. "How do we change ourselves that would fit your narrative?"

[Southern Corn]

"What is your suggestion, James?" Koichi asked. "How do we change ourselves that would fit your narrative?"

"I'm glad you asked", James admitted. "First, you should start by admitting you're completely useless, and then target in what ways you are so flawed. Then you must work on fixing those flaw and start becoming useful. Live up to your Ultimate talent, act your own age and soon, you may be redeemable." He sighed. "But, with you lot, it's looking quite unlikely so far."

[Cesar Zero]

"Why don't you listen to your own advice and start doing anything other than whining and throwing around childish insults?" Raul said, losing his patience with James.

He sighed and turned to Keri. "I guess I could help with that. See if we can find anything we can eat while we're at it too..."

[Southern Corn]

"Why don't you listen to your own advice and start doing anything other than whining and throwing around childish insults?" Raul said, losing his patience with James.

He sighed and turned to Keri. "I guess I could help with that. See if we can find anything we can eat while we're at it too..."

"Believe me, I wish I weren't", James said morosely. "You lot are just so utterly unprofessional that I cannot hold my tongue. Of course, you deserve it anyway."

[Franzise Deauxnim]

"Ugh, guess I'll go collect wood, too," Urumi grumbled as she stood up. "Just about anything would be better than sitting here having to listen to this dork."

[Collin1002]

"Count me in with ya, Urumi," Bryan said as he stood up as well, simply facepalming at James's statements. "Absolutely anything is better."

[Southern Corn]

"Count me in with ya, Urumi," Bryan said as he stood up as well, simply facepalming at James's statements. "Absolutely anything is better."

"Don't think you will be able to escape so easily", James suddenly announced. "I have decided to assist you in finding this firewood, mainly so that I can keep an eye on you all."

[Collin1002]

"Count me in with ya, Urumi," Bryan said as he stood up as well, simply facepalming at James's statements. "Absolutely anything is better."

"Don't think you will be able to escape so easily", James suddenly announced. "I have decided to assist you in finding this firewood, mainly so that I can keep an eye on you all."

"Ah, maldición..." Bryan murmured to himself before sighing. "Well, alright, then. You do that."

[Franzise Deauxnim]

"Count me in with ya, Urumi," Bryan said as he stood up as well, simply facepalming at James's statements. "Absolutely anything is better."

"Don't think you will be able to escape so easily", James suddenly announced. "I have decided to assist you in finding this firewood, mainly so that I can keep an eye on you all."

"Okay, I'll bite," Urumi sighed. "Keep an eye on us for what?"

[KamiPanda]

"It will be a fruitless endeavour anyway," Keri commented, briefly turning back to the others. "We will be splitting up and searching the entirety of the forest within our 200 foot radius, James cannot monitor us all."

[Southern Corn]

"Count me in with ya, Urumi," Bryan said as he stood up as well, simply facepalming at James's statements. "Absolutely anything is better."

"Don't think you will be able to escape so easily", James suddenly announced. "I have decided to assist you in finding this firewood, mainly so that I can keep an eye on you all."

"Okay, I'll bite," Urumi sighed. "Keep an eye on us for what?"

"You are all untrustworthy fiends", James explained. "I cannot let you out of my sight for long, lest one of you starts up another forest fire."

"It will be a fruitless endeavour anyway," Keri commented, briefly turning back to the others. "We will be splitting up and searching the entirety of the forest within our 200 foot radius, James cannot monitor us all."

"I'll try my hardest", James replied, undeterred.

[Cesar Zero]

"As long as you are actually helping with something, I don't care if you pretend to be 'watching' us. In fact, I may also use this as an opportunity to keep an eye on you." Raul walked towards James, intent on following him around as they searched the place.

[Southern Corn]

"As long as you are actually helping with something, I don't care if you pretend to be 'watching' us. In fact, I may also use this as an opportunity to keep an eye on you." Raul walked towards James, intent on following him around as they searched the place.

"Ah, perfect. You'll be much easier to watch then, rebel", James replied happily. "Thankfully so, you're one of the worst ones here."

[TheLetterF]

"Let's just all try to calm down, alright? Us panicking and fighting amongst each other is just what Otto wants..." Florian mumbles. "We're going to be alright." He says with a nod.

[Planetbox]

Spoiler: 11:00 P.M.

Everyone gathers around the campfire in the evening. The light from the fire dances across the lake and into the thickly knit line of trees on the other side. Everyone listens intently as Florian stands in front of them, speaking.

“Slowly, he snuck up behind his creator, and the last thing the creator ever felt, was a hot poker slowly pushed in through his eye…”

A few of the passengers grimace at the gory conclusion of the story, and many others look around nervously, unable to make out anything in the darkness. Florian smiles and sits down, and then James walks up to the front.

“I suppose that was well told, though I saw the ending coming from miles away,” James holds up the book of short stories from the pit under cabin one. “I found this particular tale elsewhere… Perhaps it will be more interesting.” He opens the book and smiles menacingly:

“There was once a child. They were always isolated from the world, caged inside their residence by their parents. Since they were a toddler, they had to study, study and study. There were many expectations placed upon them, and they had to meet them. That was what they were told over and over.

“As they grew, they realized they despised this reality. They needed nothing of this. Nothing.

“They thought they were smart enough to not need these stupid nonstop sessions. They were tired of being in a birdcage, and wished to escape it.

“One day, the breaking point was reached. They had never felt emotion beforehand, but they'd finally felt something. A swelling feeling of anger, knowing that they were nothing more than an object, and they decided they would cull the forces that imprisoned them.

...

“One fateful day, they called their first choice to their bedroom. Their mother.

“As busy as ever, their mother was quite abrasive. A usual characteristic, but it was irrelevant now that she was damned by her own child. As the woman made to close the door, the child drove a knife through their heart. Their motions were swift and premeditated, so much that nearly no blood was shed.

“The father soon followed the mother into the grave, and the child easily hid the ornate knife where it would never be found, nestled in a hidden compartment that only they knew about.

“In the end, the child got away with everything…” James closes the book. As fiendish as he is, he makes for a gripping orator.

“Some say his ghost is still stalking about this very forest, rage feeding his desire to destroy. He no longer understands the difference between the guilty and the innocent…”

“Perhaps some of you understand that feeling. After all, all you can really trust is yourselves…” James bows as he finishes his act. Of course, since it was James, it is hard to take him seriously, but quite a few people are fully awake and attentive through the whole thing.

After that, everyone decides to retire for the night. Keri takes the gas lamp and begins to lead them back to the cabins, the sound of crickets chirping all around them.

But things didn’t go according to plan. With only one light source, and nothing around them but oppressive darkness, they wound up divided into groups, all but one lost in the darkness.

But as the night dragged on, they would learn that the deepest darkness was lurking unseen beneath the surface, buried deep within the hearts of those lost within it.

Spoiler: Midnight

The shed sat in the dark clearing, surrounded by deafening silence. Eventually, with a low creak, the door swung open before slamming shut a few seconds later.

Raul and Irene stood at the edge of the clearing, staring at the shed. They were both fairly surprised, as they hadn’t noticed anyone standing nearby the door.

“What was that?” Irene says, “It’s as if the door opened on its own…”

Raul scratches his beard as he stares at the shed. “Whatever it was, it’s pretty suspicious. Come on, let’s take a look.”

Raul grabs his combat knife and holds it tightly behind him, slowly approaching the door to the shed. Irene follows him, and the two slowly pull the two doors open, filling the clearing with another dull creak.

The stench was overpowering. It was the same smell that had hit them on the roof of the waterpark: the smell of gruesome death.

A single lightbulb hung from the ceiling, covered in flecks of blood, casting light on little else but the wood chipper below. Hunks of unrecognizable meat lie in the trough, oozing strange juices, a mixture of blood, fat, and digested food.

His torso emerged from the wood chipper as if it was a tomb. His head rested on the bloodstained floorboards, one arm caught in the maw of the machine and the other reaching outward, red stains speckled across his gloved hand.

Florian Sunhilde, the Ultimate Butler, was dead.

The silence in the clearing returned as the two passengers stared in horror at the sight before them.

Eventually, they heard a message over their bracelets.

“Oh, egads! One of our passengers has been murdered! Please gather in the shed as soon as possible! The trial will begin in about an hour, so begin your investigations immediately. Good luck!”

Spoiler: A Little Less than an Hour Later, a Little Ways Underground

Droplets of water dripped down from the stalactites in the underground cavern. Droplets of sweat dripped down Irene’s face as she stared at the corpse in front of her. Droplets of blood dripped from the ornate knife with the feathery hilt hanging lazily from her hand.

Gradually others returned from the rock formations they were hiding behind. A few others were down in the cave, including: Jack, Urumi, V.A.L., Keri, and Bryan.

“I am impressed, Ultimate Irene,” V.A.L. cheerfully remarks. “I was not aware you possessed such skill at combat, bzzt.”

Irene turns to face her companions. She smiled calmly, despite the fact that her elegant dress was covered in deep, red bloodstains. “Indeed, I have been trained quite vigorously in self-defense. In my position, it has come in handy more times than I’d care to admit. …Though I’ve never fought against something like that…”

“What even is that thing?” Urumi asks. “It’s absolutely disgusting.”

Everyone gathers around the corpse. It can only be described as monstrous, with two heads topping obscenely long necks, more arms than should be necessary, and deathly pale skin. And now, numerous grisly cuts covered its corpse, oozing dark red blood.

“Hey, guys, over here,” Bryan says, “There’s something weird about this thing’s head… you know, besides the obvious.”

The group gathers by the head Bryan had indicated. Indeed, there seems to be something sticking out of its mouth. Irene holds the mouth open as everyone looks inside.

Inside the monster’s mouth was a long scrap of bloody white clothing and… a human hand, which had been mashed almost to a pulp.

“Oh my god… oh my god!” Keri shouts. It seems as if she’s about to hyperventilate.

A message comes over the group’s bracelets.

“Oh, egads! One of our passengers has been murdered! Please gather in, uhh… I’m not really sure, honestly! I think it’s underground somewhere? Geez, we really need to get back before we miss all of the excitement!”

Spoiler:

The fire flickered in the darkness. Another flame burst in the chamber of the gun, and a gunshot rang through the clearing. Someone collapsed with a painful thump.

“Oh my god… oh my god! Is he… he can’t be…”

“What have I done… Wh-What have I done?!”

“We need a medic! Where’s Rinea? Where’s anyone?”

“I-I’m the murderer, aren’t I? I’m the real m-murderer… I’m g-gonna get executed…”

“N-Now hold on… We can’t be- W-Wait!”

In a flash, the gunman sprinted from the scene.

Spoiler: The Next Morning

With a low hum, the airship approached from the horizon. It landed at the lakeside, met by a greeting party consisting of Oscar, James, and Raul. The three stood a foot away from the others, as if the blimp’s arrival was the only thing keeping them in the same area.

“Hello, everyone!” Otto shouts as he emerges airship. “Err… where is everyone?”

“As a matter of fact, we were hoping you could answer that for us,” Oscar says. “You’re already several hours late for your own trial, so it seems like the least you could do.”

“Alright, fine!” Otto says, “I may know where they are, actually.”

He zooms off into the forest, the others slowly following him. The group eventually gathers around the old well, which descends deep into the earth. Otto shines a bright flashlight through his eye and hovers over the maw of the well.

“What, you think they’re down there? I’m doubtful some of them could even fit down that hole.” James remarks.

“Mr. Clement, I’m afraid I must politely ask you to shut your trap.” Otto says, “Anyway, I’ll be right back. Toodles!”

Otto slowly descends into the well. Upon reaching the bottom, he discovers Urumi, Irene, Bryan, Keri, and V.A.L. in a large cavern connected to the shaft of the well. With some hard work, determination, and an airship with long tow cables, the five passengers are safely taken back aboveground.

“Oh, hey guys,” Bryan says awkwardly. “So, uhh… What’s been going on?”

The mood is grim, and no one seems particularly inclined to answer Bryan’s inquiry.

“Well…” Jack says, “I guess it’s time to start our investigati-”

“Absolutely not!” Otto shouts, “We’re already way behind schedule! And, to be quite frank, you already had several extra hours of investigation time! It’s not my fault you chose not to use them! Now, let’s return to the blimp and begin the trial.”

Investigation Teams:
Trial Room: Everyone

…

When the students arrive at the storage room, they notice a familiar face waiting for them.

“Ah, Koichi!” Raul shouts, “Where have you been?”

“R-Raul?” Koichi shouts, looking surprised. “Y-You’re… uhh-” Koichi cuts himself off and looks away, focused on the area of the floor that would soon allow them access to the trial room.

“Alright, everyone’s here!” Kyle says, over the intercom. “Err… mostly everyone… Well, come on in! That chicken fried steak I promised is waiting inside!”

“W-Wait… if that’s everyone, then…” Keri says, “Rinea and Florian are…”

Silence fills the room as the floor opens, revealing the spiral staircase leading down to the trial room. Everyone continues onward, the less chaotic clanging of their footsteps on the stairs another reminder of how many people they’d lost.

The large window in the trial room now displays a view of the forest far below interspersed with the various buildings, which seem much smaller now. Boetius, Rinea, and Florian’s podiums portraits had no joined the roster of the deceased. Everyone slowly filed to their podiums.

Florian… He had a personality as sunny as his attire. His dogged eagerness to serve the other passengers, had made him endearing and sweet. He was selfless, and that showed when he almost sacrificed himself at the water park. Even though it was probably very arduous work, he was like a bright light in this dark world.

Rinea… She always wanted everything to be wild and surprising, even at the endangerment of everyone’s lives. People were merely her playthings… Or at least, that’s how she seemed to everyone at first, but recently an ember of remorse had glimmered behind her eyes. Even so, the scars left by her actions ran deep, no matter how sweet she acted.

And the one who murdered them was… one of us?

(Please standby. You will receive your alibis shortly.)

[Collin1002]

(ignore this)

[Planetbox]

"Welcome to the trial, everyone!" Otto says. "Now before we begin... Kyle will you pull up the map you made?"

Everyone turns expectantly to the monitor, but nothing happens.

"H-Huh?" Kyle's voice comes over the intercom. "Crap, I totally forgot about the map! Uhh..."

"Oh, for pete's sake!" Otto shouts, "Just forget it! It's not important this time anyway!"

Otto sighs and puts two objects on his podium. The first is a book, and the other is a to-go box from a fast food joint advertising a two-for-one deal that ended about a year ago.

First, he lifts up the book. It turns out to be the children's book James read at the camp.

"While James performance of this tale truly was quite stellar, he did make up a lot of stuff near the end. However, you may be surprised to know that this book was actually written about someone in this very room! Guess who it is, and you'll win a prize!"

Kyle adds, "And the prize happens to be the chicken fried steak I promised! See, it's in that box right there!"

"Until then, discuss your alibis!" Otto says, setting the box inside. "Remember, you've got two murders to deal with this time, so don't forget those culpability rules!"

((Important Clarification: Everybody gets the steak, not just whoever gets it right.))

[Collin1002]

Bryan stared at Florian's empty podium, his eyes completely lifeless, lacking the vibrant energy they usually have. He noticably shook in anger, letting some tears leak out of his eyes before wiping them away. "... We're gonna find the hijo de puta who did this." He then looks at Rinea's podium before letting out a sigh. "Rest in peace, you two."

He clenched his fists and began to speak. "I'll go over what I did first. It was dark out, so we kinda got split up when we all went back to our cabins. I was with James, Raul, Rinea, and..." he sighs. "Florian. Florian tripped over James on accident, so I helped him up while Rinea and Raul helped James up, though James got up immediately before they helped him. After a little while longer, we noticed that Florian went missing. I decided to go and look for him, but I didn't find him."

He takes a breath before continuing. "Eventually, I stopped in the forest because I heard some rustling in the bushes. When I looked to my right, there was this small red light in between two trees that was a few feet away. Before I got to see what it was, though... I got knocked out. It felt cold--like it was made out of metal. When I woke up, I was in a cave with Keri, Urumi, Jack, Irene, and V.A.L. There was this weird monster thing, too..." He shudders.

"Anyways... That's all."

[CaptainPancakes]

Koichi's breaths were heavy as he stared at Raul, his hands shaking.

"R-Raul...isn't...isn't your chest..? I...T-Take your shirt off! That's a command! Necessary for the continuation of this trial!"