New Dogs, Old Tricks

Intro 1

You're worthless to the world…

Everything you do… everything you say…

If you can't contribute to our cause… then you're better off worshiping me.

After all, this world has no place for losers.

Champion Of The New World

I was destined to be great.

That's no exaggeration either, it's simply fact. As the Super High School Level Student Council President, I'm a cut above the rest.

My achievements, unmatched by my peers, made me who I am. They molded me into a leader that stood out against the rest of the competition in every conceivable way.

I've organized nationwide events, participated in tournaments for the student body, and even changed the way my school handles its curriculum.

It was my duty to do so, to bring up the rest of my colleagues into shining examples of the future. In a world where so many are content to blindly sit back, I picked up the pieces and got to work. Everything I've ever done, all the labor, sweat, and tears poured into my life... it was all meant to change the world... just like how a "Supreme Level" being would.

To have such a title is to be considered the elite of society, the curators of a new future, the pinnacle of talent. Anywhere they went the masses followed like sheep, and those people… those Supreme beings… they brought the world somewhere better each time.

Those beings are perfection itself, and I, Kokoro Takano, have no doubt in my mind that I can become just like them. Ever since I was little… I've known this. So if you'll only spare me a moment of your time. I promise to show you how I'm a perfect fit for the Global Hope Association's new Sanctuary Of Talent Development Program. I promise to show true work and dedication never before seen by the young and talented.

For I am destined to be great.

?

Her application was flawless.

Sitting at the desk, her form stood out amongst the rest as a true sign of dedication to her craft. Kokoro Takano. That was her name. Apparently listed as the Super High School Level Student Council President. Her achievements seemed too numerous to count, almost hitting the word limit of what was required for the essay, and she seemed to show an almost brilliant capacity to learn under exceptional conditions.

But none of this was what made the essay stand out.

Had it been any other overachiever, they would've simply tossed her application in the trash like the others. They've seen it all before. Potential lawyers, doctors, scientists… all clamoring their awards and successes into their faces, growing fat from attention. Such talent was soon to die out the second they stopped getting what they wanted, and that "want" was that selfish satisfaction of being seen, of feeding that insatiable ego. Such half-assed claims would never change the world.

No, what made Kokoro stand out from them… was the… desperation.

The other papers reeked of spoiled enthusiasm, but Kokoro, this girl, something about the words she had written, it felt almost real, like they could see the number of tears that stained the ink, or the edges of the paper wrinkled by a fearful grip. Of course to anyone else the paper looked perfect, crisp, almost glowing with proud achievement. Like how true leaders would present themselves.

But between the lines, they could see her desire as clear as day, the passionate, almost revolting emotion poured into the letter. Though it was masked with flavorful formalities… this girl...

...she'd be a perfect candidate for the game.

The figure then rose up and with Kokoro's paper, pinned it against the wall with seven other papers. The forms with bright youthful faces were connected by a simple red string and touched down on one particular location.

Golden Laurel Sanctuary.

Finally, it was complete. After months of scouting, the plan could be set in motion. They had to deliver the acceptance letters right away. And then… and only then…

…would the world finally ascend from this worthless noise.

You're worthless to me…

Everything you do… everything you say…

If you can't contribute to my cause… then you're better off dead.

Because I don't intend to carry around useless weight…

Guardian Of The Old World

"I was tired of having to deal with this shit.

Before you called, I told you, again and again, I couldn't do it. Whatever nonsense you're pulling over in that damn program makes me sick, and I'd rather continue ranking in my own dough for the casino. You know how I get when losing profits, and I didn't wanna leave Vicky to deal with that crap either.

But you had to talk about them, didn't you? Make the whole process harder than it had to be?

I don't know what you're planning, but seriously, I should be the last person to teach those damn kids. You know I can't be around their smiling faces without thinking about them, it's bothersome. Honestly more than that… it's just a pain. You got so many other suck-ups for the job, so why me? The fuck do I gotta do with any of this?

You really want me that bad? Do you really want me just cause of my title?

Well news flash, I stopped caring about that shit a long time ago. It's best you do as well, or else we're both gonna be fucked in a pickle after all the shit we pulled. I mean, you haven't forgotten, right? Tch- never mind, no, of course you haven't… or else you wouldn't have pulled out that trump card.

Fine, you want me to go there that bad, considering yourself a fucking deal.

Just don't come crying to me when the kid I'm paired up with gets a real rude awakening. If you have the memory to know how I play my cards, just know, I never hold back.

I'll topple the whole damn empire if I have to."

?

In another world, Eddie's confidence would've been inspiring.

The guy truly meant it when he said he never holds back. He's ruthless with his words, annoyed at every turn. As the Supreme Level Casino Owner, you'd probably have to be all that and more to survive... and Eddie was SO much more. But even knowing his skill, it was a little funny how he still sounded the same after all those years.

Again, it probably had to do with the gig he was in.

How some things never change, but oh... how everything also isn't even recognizable. I mean, how could you remember what was normal if you never even felt safe to begin with?

Well, they could feel safe. In their abode's high away from the common people, their titles made it so they never had to look down on the filthy masses that worshipped them. Their aura, their status, it was all they needed to achieve a new plane of existence.

But such power didn't come without drawbacks. None did without that power corrupting the soul to its very core.

With a sigh, the figure walked down the empty halls of the sanctuary, now turned into someplace unknown and cold. Before, they remembered the halls bustling with many students and mentors. It used to be glowing, a shining example of talent, and how exceptional human beings could be if they came together like Makoto Naegi's school from after that time.

Oh, how the mighty would soon fall.

Just like the tragedy, just like Junko Enoshima's despair, the horror would soon fill this place, so vile and wicked you could just suffocate in it as the world watched on with mad delight. But, to have such a despairing environment, one needs a cast, and soon, with that last phone call, he was sure things were finally done. Tensions were rising outside, and the Global Hope Association needed an answer quickly. How he approached it depended on the severity... and this was the best he could do under such short circumstances, even if Eddie wasn't exactly the most pleasing guy to be around.

For what was happening next though, it didn't matter whether you were a fucking saint or the literal devil. Eventually, all dues are paid for those that deserved them. And for the eight photos of the best of the best, the peak of society, they've long since gone unpaid in the eyes of the wolves that wanted them dead. He just regretted that… he had to throw his friend to the very same wolves.

"Sorry Ed…" the figure said, pushing down what little emotion he had left, "duty calls, and you rolled unlucky today."

Now all he could do… was wait.

{ Author's Note }

One of three things is going to happen.

1. Everyone's going to come into my home, put my head on a stick, and march me around the manor of Gold House screaming TRAITOR

2. I'm going to be hailed as a king among candles and be seen for the fantastic writer I am

3. The most likely option. Everyone will look at this and be like… "oh… another one."

Yep, I'm insane. This story idea has been on the back burner for awhile, and when I mean awhile, I mean… within this year, which already seems like a bad sign, especially since gold house is still on chapter 1, but I want to clarify a few things.

First things first, gold house is my main priority story. This story was something I wanted to do for a while now, but gold house is my baby and I want to see it grow, so in all likelihood, this story won't be past the prologue for a while until chapter 1 of gold house is finished at least. If I'm pushing it at least until chapter 2. I know a lot of people are still waiting for things to get started over there so just know this story will NOT interfere with that.

However, this isn't to say this story is an experiment or a side grade I don't care about. There's concepts in here I've been thinking of for awhile and I wanted to genuinely write them, so this story is something of another idea in the making I really wanted to do, and mostly have fun doing as well. It's been awhile since I've gotten into writing, but this story has changed that, and it's actually helped me write gold house a bit more than before.

But enough rambling, what's this story's deal?

This is a story clearly about the talents of society, but it's mostly about the younger talented generation Vs the older talented generation, and we focus on their ideals about how society can progress. This conflict is something I wanted to get into personally for a while now, and it's here with this story.

To give you a rundown, this world, after recovering from the tragedy which DID happen a long time ago (basically to the grandparents of this world), is now dominated by talent, and split up with normal Super High School Level (SHSL) kids, and Supreme Level adults. Both are put on a pedestal, but eventually many SHSL either fall out of grace or become Supreme Levels like the other graduates. The Golden Laurel Sanctuary then is the best program to teach SHSL's to become Supreme Levels, and they are taught personally by other Supreme Level mentors. This program has been going on for years with amazing success...

Of course, that's about to change…