Fanfic / Harmonic Souls An Alternate Continuity

Harmonic Souls: an Alternate Continuity by PetildaFan is a Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony Alternate Universe Fic, part of the larger Ultimate Virus AU, where Kaede proves her own innocence in the first class trial, and the true culprit is executed. She remains the protagonist for the rest of the killing game, and the entire story is told from her POV.

Compare and contrast Three-Point Shot, which has the same premise, but is told from a third-person perspective, and was written before the English dub of Danganronpa V3 was released.

---

Tropes in Harmonic Souls: an Alternate Continuity include:

• Adaptational Angst Upgrade: Shuichi. His insecurities and self-esteem issues are more front and center in this killing game. The author dives deeper into his backstory than V3 did, and gives more elaborate diagnoses of Shuichi's conditions. They aren't as easily resolved either, causing him to completely break down multiple times throughout the course of the story. Kaede's love keeps him going more than anything else.
• Adaptational Context Change: All over the place in this fic, but the most notable would be Shuichi’s exclaiming his resolve to believe in himself below. In the original, it was to carry on Kaede’s wish after her death in Chapter 1. Here, it’s during the Divine Souls Celebration as what can be assumed to be a love confession to her.

  Shuichi: No...I'll do it! I have to believe in myself... I won't be afraid anymore. I will face the truth...for everyone. I won't give up... For your sake, Kaede... I promise. From the bottom of my heart, I promise you, Kaede.

• Adaptational Heroism:
  • Kirumi. While she does set up the murder plot to kill Ryoma, she doesn't go through with the plan and lets him live. When Ryoma is found dead during Himiko's show, she takes it very badly, and tries to take the blame for it. After the second trial, she resolves to protect the other students no matter what.
  • Angie. She doesn't try to start a cult, she doesn't try persuading her classmates to give up on escaping, and she uses her religion for more altruistic purposes. After the first two trials, she gets the class and the Monokubs to hold a ceremony to honor their fallen classmates. Even when she destroys the flashback light in Case 3, it's for a more heroic reason. She claims Atua spoke to her, and warned her that the flashback lights are implanting false memories in everyone.
• Aloof Ally: Maki. She recruits Kaede to combat train with her every night with staffs.
• Ascended Extra:
  • Part of the premise. Kaede goes from Decoy Protagonist to remaining the main character throughout. Beyond that, anyone else who died early on but lasts much longer here counts as well.
  • The Monokubs have this in spades, due to not dying like they do in canon. For example:
    • Monophanie becomes best friends with Angie, helping her with her Cheerful Funeral (see below).
• Cheerful Funeral: Angie's Divine Souls Celebration.
• Death by Adaptation:
  • As per the premise, Tsumugi is executed as the first blackened instead of Kaede, where in the original, she was one of the last to die.
  • Downplayed with Tenko, as while she dies in the exact case of the original, she dies in Angie's place instead.
  • Himiko is the victim of Case 4 instead of Miu, making her the only survivor of the original to die here.
• Expy: Kokichi is turned into one of Persona 5’s protagonist, Joker. In turn, his organization, D.I.C.E., is turned into full expies of said game’s Phantom Thieves of Hearts.
• For Want Of A Nail: Kaede is proved innocent in the first trial, and remains the protagonist from there.
• Hope Bringer: Kaede is this for many of her classmates, Shuichi most of all.
• In Spite of a Nail:
  • Ryoma is still the victim of Case 2, though this time, he is the one who did it himself.
  • Even with the changes made, Kiyo and Gonta are still the culprits of Case 3 and 4, respectively.
  • Shuichi and Maki survive the Killing Game like they do in canon.
• Mr. Fanservice: Shuichi from Kaede's POV, when he's training with Kaito at night, or when she gets to see him shirtless in the locker room.
• Named by the Adaptation: Korekiyo’s sister, who didn’t have a name in the actual game, only being referred to as “Sister” in game, is given the name “Miyadera”. Likewise, Shuichi’s uncle is given the name “Daiki”, and Professor Idabashi has the given name of “Isas”.
• Pep-Talk Song: After the first trial, everyone is shaken up from losing two classmates, especially Shuichi, who is unresponsive. Kaede takes him back to her lab, and keeps her promise to play Claire De Lune for him. It brings him to tears, and he opens up more to her, trusting her with more about his past.
• Posthumous Character:
  • Rantaro, even moreso than the original, considering the story begins some time after his body was found.
  • Tsumugi is this as well, as more of her story is revealed the further into the story we go.
• Spared by the Adaptation: More than 3 students escape the killing game alive, including Kaede, Kirumi, Angie, Miu, Kokichi, and Kaito.
• Stations of the Canon: Unlike many other stories of this premise, this one stays relatively close to the original in terms of events and dialogue.
• Switching P.O.V.: While the story is told primarily from Kaede's perspective, in chapter 81, the story is briefly told from Shuichi's POV.
• Triumphant Reprise: Clair De Lune, like in the original, served as a leitmotif used during tragic or heartbreaking moments, case in point, after the first trial as seen above. Later on, during the Divine Souls Celebration, it becomes the backdrop of Kaede and Shuichi's Dance of Romance.
• Wham Line: While many of the original's are still in play, this retelling adds more amongst them.
  • During the Argument Armament in Case 2, the conclusion Kaede gives to Kirumi shows exactly the nature of Ryoma's death.
    Armament Conclusion: IT-WAS-SUI-CIDE
  • When trying to convince Angie not to proceed with the resurrection ritual, believing it to be dangerous, Angie only has this to say.
    Angie: You don't think I know that?