Seventeen in all with no apparent means of escape. Will they be able to obtain wondrous hope? Or will they succumb to eternal despair?

"Hey... Can you hear me...?"

The white-haired teenager with the long, dark green coat attempted to wake up the brown-haired student, who had an ahoge.

The student then slowly opened his eyes, the eyes squinting for a brief instance due to the exposure to sunlight. Though his eyes were not closed anymore, it didn't look as if he had his bearings straight. All he could see was the boy with messy white hair above him and a blue sky. Was... was he also hearing the sound of ocean waves crashing?

"Are you okay? ...You seem pretty out of it."

That was an understatement, considering what transpired moments ago. It was understandable, however.

"To be honest, I'm also... No, everyone else feels the same, too. Since we suddenly... got put in this weird situation."

The student with the ahoge didn't respond back. It didn't seem like he was giving the person who was standing above him his full attention.

"...Hey, are you listening?" The white-haired teen asked him.

Meanwhile, a black-haired male was quietly observing the two of them from a short distance.

'I think he's trying to process the recent events. I don't blame him, honestly. Even I'm having a hard time comprehending our situation,' the black-haired teen thought to himself as he saw the one-sided conversation take place in front of him.

He took his eyes off the two boys and then began to stare at the clear, blue sky above him, beginning to recount where and when things got so out of hand.

The black-haired teen let out a sigh. He remembered what happened, but it still boggled his mind. How was it all possible?

'And here I thought my life would become more quiet and lucid when I came to that place...'

Shadows of Despair

Beta

"In the end, hope always wins! That's what I believe!" — Komaeda Nagito

Game Start

"You can't be serious..." Kirigaya Kazuto muttered aloud and in exasperation as he sat in the living room of his house, holding a letter he received in the mail just recently.

Kazuto was a seventeen-year-old male and one of the 6,147 survivors who experienced and survived the Sword Art Online incident. Specifically, it was Kazuto, whose in-game SAO username was Kirito, who ended the two year-long game of despair by defeating the game's development director, Kayaba Akihiko, who was also the person responsible for the ordeal in the first place, in a duel.

Now, it has been nearly one and a half years since then.

"Hmm? What's wrong, Onii-chan?" Kirigaya Suguha asked her brother as she walked into the living room, having overheard him. Actually, Kazuto and Suguha were cousins, but the black-haired boy's biological parents died in an accident when he was only a year old; then he was adopted by Kirigaya Midori and Kirigaya Minetaka, his aunt and uncle respectively, soon after that, promptly becoming an older brother to Suguha.

Pulled out of thoughts by his sister's voice, Kazuto turned to his sister and said with a small smile, "Oh hey, Sugu. Done with kendo practice today?"

"I've been done with practice since this morning, Onii-chan!" Suguha pouted and glared at her brother. "I just came back from shopping with Asuna-san. I told you I was going to be with her hours ago!"

Kazuto sweatdropped. He had forgotten about that fact due to him being half-asleep at the time and not paying close attention to his sister, ready to take a nap. As of late, he had been excessively immersing himself in Alfheim Online, usually playing past midnight. As much as Kazuto loved playing VRMMORPGs, even he needed some shut-eye like any other normal person. He really needed to re-adjust his sleeping schedule.

"Haha... Sorry, Sugu," he apologized while rubbing the back of his head.

Suguha sighed. "Apology accepted," she said with her arms folded beneath her chest before asking, "So, what's that in your hands, Onii-chan?"

"This? It's..." Kazuto trailed off.

"It's...?" Suguha raised an eyebrow, waiting for a more complete answer. Her brother then cleared his throat.

"Apparently, it's an acceptance letter from Hope's Peak Academy," Kazuto explained, his eyes focused on the letter.

"Really?! From THE ACTUAL Hope's Peak Academy?!" Suguha exclaimed with a gasp and eyes widened. "That's amazing!"

Hope's Peak Academy... It's a widely known institution that's funded by the government for exceptional and unique members of society. The school goes out of its way to search for all kinds of students in order to spark hope, and in doing so, shape the future. Allegedly, if someone goes there and manages to graduate, then he or she will be set for life. That was no exaggeration, either. Several successful leaders of various industries today have actually attended this school and completed their education there. Hope's Peak had proven itself in the eyes of many.

All in all, it was the Academy of Hope.

There are two key criteria a person must meet in order to attend Hope's Peak: One, they have to be a student currently in high school. Two, they have to be the very best at what they do.

Also, there weren't any entrance exams given out by the school. The only possible way to attend the school is if the school goes out to scout an individual. Of course, if an individual was to be scouted, they have to have a special talent to even be considered worth searching for. The students of Hope's Peak Academy are called Ultimates.

And Kazuto was one of these "Ultimates", surprisingly.

"If... If you have an acceptance letter from Hope's Peak, then what's your talent, Onii-chan?" Suguha wondered curiously, although she had a good feeling she knew what her brother's talent was. After all, she witnessed it firsthand when she first met "Kirito" in Alfheim Online, and she sees it regularly when playing the popular VRMMORPG.

"My 'talent'? Interestingly enough, I'm the Ultimate Virtual Swordsman, according to this letter," Kazuto answered with a light smile while showing Suguha his letter.

"The Ultimate Virtual Swordsman, huh? That does kind of sound fitting," Suguha said in amazement as she started to read her brother's letter. "Let's see..."

Dear Kirigaya Kazuto-san,

How have you been faring since the Sword Art Online incident? We hope that you are well. We're aware that you possess a talent when it comes to playing virtual reality massively multiplayer online video games. Due to the information given to us through an associate of yours, we know of your exploits, specifically you being the one who ended Sword Art Online and your sword-wielding prowess during the third Bullet of Bullets tournament in Gun Gale Online, a game where guns are heavily prevalent.

Because of your notable and evident talent, we invite you to join Hope's Peak Academy as the Ultimate Virtual Swordsman.

Along with this letter, we included an orientation guide for Hope's Peak Academy.

We hope to see you join us.

"Wow... This is really cool, Onii-chan!" Suguha cheered as she finished reading the letter. She then gave it back to Kazuto. "Now you'll be set for life!"

Kazuto smiled wryly.

"Yes... I suppose I could be..." He said in a sad tone. He tried to put on a smile, but there was a hint of sadness in his eyes, something Suguha noticed immediately.

"What's with that look? Do you... not want to go to Hope's Peak?" Suguha questioned, concern evident in her voice. Was Kazuto considering about not attending Hope's Peak Academy? If her brother didn't want to go, she supposed she would be fine with that decision. He would be, however, passing up a grand opportunity that could guarantee him success in the future. After Kazuto was freed from Sword Art Online, he idly mentioned here and there about his aspirations and becoming a creator of sorts in hope of pushing FullDive technology to the next level. It's plausible that becoming a student at Hope's Peak would help Kazuto achieve his dreams, so why was he being hesitant?

"Eh... It's not that I don't want to go, Sugu. It's just that... Well, I wouldn't be around Asuna, Lisbeth, Silica, and everyone else at school anymore if I went to Hope's Peak Academy," Kazuto explained.

The black-haired teenager was right. Ever since he beat SAO, he attended a school where survivors of SAO, like himself, went to that was specifically meant for them. Nearly every day, Kazuto spent time with his girlfriend, Yuuki Asuna, and sometimes with Lisbeth and Silica, whose real names were Shinozaki Rika and Ayano Keiko respectively. The four of them played SAO and survived two years inside the game and were quite comfortable with each other. Sure, Asuna and Lisbeth were going to be third-year students once the school year began this coming semester, meaning that Kazuto and Silica had one more year before the two girls graduate and attend a college or university, but there was still time to be spent with them. There was no price for time being spent with close friends.

Needless to say, Kazuto would miss being with his friends at school if he went to Hope's Peak since he had close bonds with them. Transferring to a new school would make him feel uncomfortable about making new friends, at least at first maybe. He was thoroughly interested in what Hope's Peak had to offer when it came to their curriculum and other Ultimate students. Some new experiences could prove to be beneficial for Kazuto.

"Hmm... I do get what you're saying, Onii-chan. Maybe you should talk to Asuna-san, Lisbeth-san, and Silica-san about this and see what they think," Suguha said to her brother. She understood his concern, but she knew that it was ultimately his decision to make whether or not he would seize an extraordinary opportunity.

"Heh... You're right, Sugu. Thanks," Kazuto replied, giving his sister a thumbs-up.

"No problem. Whatever you choose to do, I'll support you all the way." She proceeded to go to the kitchen to find something to eat, leaving her brother alone for now.

With that, Kazuto pulled out his cell phone and selected his girlfriend's number to call, putting his phone to his ear as it began to ring.

"Hello? Kirito-kun?" A familiar, feminine voice—one that Kazuto knew all too well—answered.

"Hey, Asuna," Kazuto responded kindly. "You'll never guess what I just found out."

Some Days Later

'So this is Hope's Peak Academy, huh? It's a lot bigger than I imagined,' Kazuto mused to himself, completely wearing black attire on his person and gazing at the massive edifice that towered above everything else in the vicinity and standing in front of an entrance.

Today was going to be Kazuto's first day at Hope's Peak Academy and the start of his second year in high school.

He could hardly believe that he was actually attending this school now and how supportive Asuna, Lisbeth, and Silica were about him transferring to a new school.

When he called Asuna a few days ago, he talked with her about his acceptance to Hope's Peak. Initially, Asuna was super happy for her boyfriend when she heard the news, but she soon realized where the conversation's direction would be going. Kazuto's brief and awkward pauses convinced her of it, too. So when Kazuto finally talked about his indecisiveness about enrolling at Hope's Peak, Asuna merely sighed.

Asuna thought that Kazuto was blowing things out of proportion. Yes, she did understand why he was conflicted and would be sad if he wasn't with her almost every day, but she believed Hope's Peak Academy would do her boyfriend a favor in his pursuit to making his dreams a reality. If he did go, he was going to commute to the school, anyway. It wasn't like he would be staying at a dorm there, so she could still see him every now and then.

In the end, Asuna said that it was all right for Kazuto to transfer to the prestigious, government-funded school. Lisbeth and Silica gave their support for Kazuto going to Hope's Peak as well. Apparently, the two girls were with Asuna when the black-haired boy called her, so they overheard the conversation when Asuna decided to put her phone on speaker. The three girls did express their sadness of their favorite bishōnen leaving them, but they were considerate about his aspirations nonetheless.

So, surprisingly without much difficulty in dealing with paperwork, Kazuto officially became a student at Hope's Peak Academy. Starting today, he would be also known as the Ultimate Virtual Swordsman to people associated with Hope's Peak.

That title did leave a weird taste in Kazuto's mouth. It did technically define him, describing his impressive status when using swords in VRMMORPGs. He never ceased to confound and defeat other highly skilled players with his talent, such as Sinon in Gun Gale Online.

Even though his talent title described "The Black Swordsman" to a T, he felt that he had a somewhat disappointing talent when comparing it to others', and the only reason why he thought so was because it was only applicable in VRMMORPGs, like Alfheim or Gun Gale. Outside of virtual reality games, it wasn't one worthy to be compared to titles such as "Ultimate Programmer" or "Ultimate Musician", both of which are very notable and influential in reality.

Well, if Hope's Peak Academy believed that being good with a sword in a video game was a legitimate talent, then Kazuto couldn't argue with their logic.

'I wonder what the other Ultimates will be like. I know for sure that they're all going to be interesting in their own ways,' Kazuto thought. Before coming to the Academy of Hope, he had done a little research about some of the Ultimates online. There were seriously forums dedicated to talking about the Hope's Peak attendees, and, surprisingly, there was a decent amount of people who loved to gossip about them. Kazuto believed that it was no different than talking about celebrities. Although, Ultimate students were technically celebrities among average students, so it made sense. He even found out that he was mentioned in the forums too, with people regarding him as one of the winners of the third Bullet of Bullets in Gun Gale. Although, most people believed that he was a girl, due to the rare error that occurred with his in-game avatar when he first entered Gun Gale. Kazuto wondered how people were going to react to him actually being a guy. He hoped no one would ridicule him on taking on a female appearance when he had no intention whatsoever of looking like a girl in the VRMMORPG.

'I shouldn't keep standing here like an idiot.' Kazuto shook his head to snap out of his daze. He had been admiring the very tall building in front of him for a while now, but he had never been inside of it yet. He wanted to take the time to explore the large academy before his classes began. He definitely didn't want to get lost or be late to class on his first day!

With a clear mind, Kazuto took his first step toward Hope's Peak Academy. It was also his first step toward starting a new life at a new school, one where "hope" would be ignited in him.

"?!"

Without warning, Kazuto then felt a sudden and an intense amount of dizziness, as if he was just injected with a powerful anesthetic. He didn't know why he was feeling like this suddenly, but he felt like he was ready to collapse. Why was this happening to him? He felt fine moments ago!

'What... What's happening... to me?' He thought weakly, progressively becoming unable to think straight as his vision was distorting.

Then, for Kazuto, everything went black.

'...Where am I?'

That was the first thought that came to Kazuto's mind. He didn't know what happened to him, but he seemed to be somewhere that wasn't Hope's Peak Academy's entrance.

His mind felt sort of... distorted, as if his thoughts were tampered with akin to a hangover.

Trying to get his bearings straight, the black-haired boy made an attempt to focus. Where was he?

He looked in front of him and noticed a wooden sliding door, one that looked like it belonged to a classroom's.

It was literally the only thing he saw.

'A... door?' He noted inwardly. 'I... should get a move on. I have to... enter through this door.'

Before he could go open the door, Kazuto paused.

'...Have to? Why... do I have to?'

For a short moment, Kazuto contemplated this urge he was experiencing. Why... did he want to do this so badly?

He then pushed his doubt aside by shaking his head.

'No... I should go inside already,' Kazuto affirmed while slowly making his way to the door ahead of him.

After taking a couple of steps, ultimately coming to stand in front of the door, he then opened it.

When he looked inside, what he saw made his eyes slightly widen.

"Huh...?" Kazuto unknowingly murmured.

There was a simple-looking classroom-like room inside. Desks, seventeen in total by Kazuto's calculations, were laid out in an organized fashion with a podium at the front of the room, probably reserved for teachers. There were two chalkboards in the room: one in the back, and one at the front. A set of small lockers was placed in the back in a corner, mostly likely there for students to put their belongings inside of them.

There was also someone else in the room besides Kazuto, sitting at the center in a desk.

"...Ah, are you a student here, too?" A girl with marginally curly, short and light pink hair asked the black-haired boy, a brief and awkward moment of silence passing after her eyes met his. She wore an unzipped, dark green hoodie and a white buttoned shirt underneath with a pink ribbon, along with a pale brown skirt, white shoes, and black thigh highs. She also had a cat-like backpack with her that she carried on her back.

"Uh... A student?" Kazuto asked, confused. "Are... Are you a student of Hope's Peak Academy, too?"

"Yup," the girl responded calmly, nodding her head. "I was wondering if anyone else was going to show up besides me."

Kazuto raised an eyebrow. "You were the only person in here until I came?"

The pink-haired girl nodded again. Another awkward pause occurred as the only two people in the room began to stare at each other.

"...Why don't you come in and take a seat?" The girl asked the black-haired student after a few seconds of silence had passed.

Kazuto blinked. "O-Oh... Right," he said. He then took a seat next to this pink-haired girl, glancing around the classroom and analyzing it. When he was finished with that, he looked at the female student, who was staring at him in a rather strange way. It wasn't a look of longing. It was more of an analytical look, one that Kazuto saw often on a player's face in the VRMMORPGs he played when trying to figure out an enemy or a strategy.

As a result, it unnerved The Black Swordsman.

"So..." Kazuto began, wanting to make small talk, "is this your first time being a student at Hope's Peak?"

"...Uh-huh," the girl replied. "I am a new student. Are you also new?"

"Yeah, I'm in the same boat as you," Kazuto responded kindly.

Yet another moment silence went by, but then the girl smiled at Kazuto. "...Well, I hope that we get to know each other well. My name is Nanami Chiaki, and I'm the Ultimate Gamer," the girl introduced herself. "...Nice to meet you."

The black-haired male had to admit, he was a bit surprised. He just remembered that students of Hope's Peak had talents of their own, which of course made them particularly special among normal students. And this girl, Chiaki, was apparently the Ultimate Gamer! It actually impressed him. Obviously, he did know of girls who played video games since he actually knew a few in real life, but he never imagined that a female could be THE best video gamer.

Well, now he had something to talk to her about. He couldn't think of anything to talk about before because he ran out of ideas and did not want to seem uninteresting.

"It's nice to meet you too, Nanami-san," Kazuto said with a smile. "I guess I should return the favor and introduce myself as well. I'm Kirigaya Kazuto, the Ultimate Virtual Swordsman."

"...'Virtual Swordsman'?" Chiaki queried with her head tilted.

"Ah." Kazuto realized her confusion. Considering that Chiaki was the Ultimate Gamer, he made the assumption of her knowing about VRMMORPGs, so he decided to be straight with her. "Well, my talent basically lies in virtual reality games. Any game with a sword as a weapon, and I'm supposedly the best sword-wielder." He then shrugged. He wasn't going to take too much pride in his "talent." It was mainly built upon his experiences in Sword Art Online as a means for survival.

"Really, Kirigaya-kun?" Chiaki asked. She appeared to be very interested in what Kazuto was saying, if her leaning closer to him and looking excited were any indications.

"Yeah, and Hope's Peak thinks that counts as a talent, so here I am," The Black Swordsman said casually. "Have you ever played any VRMMOs, Nanami-san?"

Chiaki puffed up her cheeks. "No, but I wish I could play one," she pouted. "I... never had the chance to play one. Oh well. Could you tell me more about VRMMOs, Kirigaya-kun?"

Kazuto smiled. "Sure, Nanami-san."

Admittedly, Kazuto was having a fun time. Chiaki did have a few odd quirks to her that he noticed, but she seemed to be a pleasant person. At least now he had someone to talk to about VRMMOs at Hope's Peak.

Before Kazuto was about to explain some things in virtual reality video games to Chiaki, the door to the classroom opened once more.

Kirigaya Kazuto's Report Card

Height: 5'8"

Weight: 130 lbs

Chest: ? inches

Blood Type: ?

Date of Birth: October 7th

Likes: Teriyaki chicken burgers, Yuuki Asuna's cooking, computers, VRMMORPGs, dark-colored clothing

Dislikes: Spring onions that aren't cooked by Yuuki Asuna

Special Notes: Ultimate Virtual Swordsman

A/N: I know some may be upset as to why I have not updated any of my Persona 3 crossovers, but hear me out for a bit. This idea has been on my mind for almost half a year, and I was really eager for it to be released. I do like writing for my Persona 3 crossovers, but it does get a bit... repetitive at times. My Persona 3 stories are coming along, but as a writer, I want to expand my horizons. I'd like to experience things in a new light so that I may improve myself. And that's why I decided to make this.

So, moving away from my explanation, I'm quite surprised no one has made a Sword Art Online and Danganronpa 2 crossover in the past. Once I finished my first playthrough of Danganronpa 2, I was instantly hit with inspiration for this. Why? Well, that's spoiler talk for the game, so I'm not going to divulge my reasons.

For those who are wondering, this story takes place not too long after Mother's Rosario in Sword Art Online.

This is sort of a test, hence why it's a prologue. I want to see how it fares with people. If people like it and want to see more, then I'll continue. If not... well, it was worth a try to attempt to do something else.

That's all I have to say for now. Questions or concerns? Have them included in your reviews!

Thanks for reading!