Author's Notes: For this introduction, we're using four different perspectives. The actual main character will be selected later. Any could be, though. And if anyone wants to put in their two cents, should free time events occur once a protagonist has been selected, or should that be left til post-game?

Upupupupupupupu!

A laugh rings out in the distance, giving me shivers. I heard it every time I had a nightmare, as gruesome images flashed through my mind. Those of murders, of trials, of tears...

Then that face... That awful, evil face... One eye, a lightning strike, red against the black and white mug that split down the middle, his other eye a black dot. His grin, one side horrific teeth sharpened to many points, the other lacking in sharpness but also refined.

Every word sends chills rocking through my body, and I sweat profusely, desperate to escape... I, the Ultimate Dreamer... Naoya Himura...

Prologue: In the New World

I'm getting ahead of myself again, aren't I? I should probably explain more to this...

Hope's Peak Academy was an internationally-renowned Academy until the... Incident. The entire world was brought to its knees by some woman, Junko Enoshima, and her brainwashed compatriots.

That was about five years ago... Guess we didn't solve the problem all that well if we're in this situation, though...

Makoto Naegi, the Ultimate Hope, survived the destruction of the Future Foundation and rebuilt Hope's Peak alongside his vice-principal and later wife, Kyouko Kirigiri.

I was a member of the 83rd class of Hope's Peak Academy. We were all heading our own ways there, when we were abducted. Men in strange bear-headed costumes kidnapped us and stole us away; from trains, off of planes, even from boats.

At least, so I presumed... Here I was, chained to an empty desk in an old classroom. The walls were molding, and vines grew in from the nearby windows. The place smelled musty and unwashed. I was likely in an abandoned school building, but I couldn't guess where. The windows were all boarded up by wood and giant metal plates.

If my classmates had actually been taken as well, where were they? Who did this? And why would they transport us here, to such an out of the way, abandoned locale?

I didn't feel injured. My body was just the same as it always was; lanky and taller than I'd wanted. My head hurt a bit, but that might have been when I hit my head against the bottom of the luggage racks on the bus I was traveling on.

I looked into the bottle of water I'd opened with my free hand, seeing my green eyes and small, pointed nose in the reflection. When I sighed, it shook, and my face faded into splashes as I capped the lid back on.

Then I heard the sound of a door shuffling. It was in the hallway outside this room. I tensed up. Was it another student, or one of my captors?

Footsteps echoed throughout the adjacent hallway, and a shadow was cast onto the wall to my prison, the shadow of another person that I couldn't grasp any details out from. My eyes were hurting; this was common after a nightmare.

The one detail I could make out, though, were two devil horns. Were they wearing some outfit, and if so... why?

Just then, they stopped at the door. I felt my heart pounding in my chest; my entire body screamed at me to run, to flee. But if I so much as moved my wrist, the chain would rattle, and I'd be found out. The clock ticking was audible in that painful, drawn out silence.

Clunk... Their hand gripped the side of the sliding door, and it began to move to the left as they pushed their way inside.

"I'm not trying to escape, honest!" I shouted out to my potential captor, nearly slamming my head into my desk. I wasn't the smartest boy around, that's for certain.

A loud, rambunctious, teasing voice rang out, "That's not a very good strategy, dumbass! Hahaha!"

Looking up, I realized my captor wasn't one of those bear-wearing kidnappers. She wore pink, plastic devil horns on her head, a bow with pink dots all over the white material. Her long pink hair was done in twintails, and her black blazer covered her arms. Her white blouse was covered by interweaving pink strands. Her black skirt ended with pink underlining, her stockings a light pink and a hot pink alternating in horizontal stripes down her legs. Her dark purple boots were laced with pink as well. If it wasn't for the oversaturation of the one color, I might have considered her to be cute. Adorable, even.

"What, cat got your tongue? That wouldn't be good. They say cats will eat their owners if they die. Did you leave your mouth open when you died? Say 'ahhh'!" She walked up to me and poked me in the chest, "Come on, do it..."

"N-no..." I struggled to find my words, "I...don't have a cat."

She nodded to herself, puffing her cheeks out, "So you can talk! Good; we've broken the communication barrier! Step two is to... Uh... What did Nagisa say step two was again...?"

Nagisa? Who? I shook my head. I couldn't begin to wrap my head around my situation, and she only complicated things further. "Hey... Are you a student of Hope's Peak?" I asked the million dollar question, a bead of sweat sliding down my cheek.

The girl gasped, "Whoa!? How did you know!? Are you psychic!?" She seemed excited by my obvious observation, but she continued babbling excitedly, "That's so cool! I found the Ultimate Psychic, how lucky can a girl get! Yatta!"

"I'm not..." I stopped myself short. No unnecessary details, not until I knew she was safe, "My name is Naoya. I was supposed to be a member of Hope's Peak, the 83rd class... I was on a bus, and I woke up here... What about you?"

"My name is Kotoko Utsugi, the Ultimate Actress!" She cheered, while an icon appeared above her, moving to the left and right while a small beep played in the background, "Aren't you delighted to meet me!?"

I quietly silenced myself for a moment, "I'm the... Ultimate Dreamer..."

Kotoko's eyes widened before she quickly lost interest in the subject, "Oh, that's it? So you're not dangerous. Good to know..." She walked over and pulled a small metal key out, putting it in my handcuffs and unlocking them.

As I stood up and rubbed my aching hand, I asked, "Uh... Where did you get that?"

"I stole it from the guy that locked me up. I wasn't going to stay out for long. I've been drugged and kidnapped before, haha!" She said that so openly, with a gaping smile on her face... What was this girl!?

"That's... disturbing. Are you alright?" I asked, trying to gauge her true intentions.

Kotoko shook her head, "That was a long time ago, Naoya. Things have changed... Hey, we should find the others, don't you think? This place looks pretty worn down, huh? What if it collapsed on us? Haha!"

Why was she laughing at such morbid things!? "The... others? So what I feared... We're all stuck here?"

"Maybe. I've only found you so far. Let's find out, eh?" She smiled, twirling the key in her hand. It flew out of her hands and I caught it when it hit my chest, "Whoops..."

"I'll hold onto them, okay?" I offered, pleadingly.

She shrugged and turned back to the door, heading to the doorway, "Let's gooooo!"

That was how my journey with Kotoko to find our other classmates finally began...

We walked through the hallways. In the center, there was a large botanical garden with flowers running rampant. We walked around the corners and kept peering into rooms. We soon came across another door, and Kotoko burst in, "Hey, what's-"

She was cut off mid-sentence when someone grabbed her from behind, "Explain, now. Why did you kidnap me?"

I followed her in, freaking out to myself, "Wait, she's not bad!"

The guy looked up at me, his heavy black eyebrows matching his hair, which seemed unwashed and fell to either side of his head. He wore a black shirt and green camouflage pants, though he definitely wasn't well-hidden in the classrooms coated in brown wallpaper and white-tiled ceilings. His muscles were rippling as he held Kotoko by the throat, "No way! What if you're one of them, too!?"

I showed him my wrist, bruise and all, "I was handcuffed to a desk. She sprung me... Please, don't hurt us!"

The guy softened his grip, and Kotoko interjected, "You'll have to squeeze me waaaay tighter to get me to choke now... Haha!"

Sighing, he dropped her. She landed daintily on her feet and jumped over to just in between the two of us, her head moving quizzically between us.

"Name's Hiro Satoru. I'm the Ultimate Muay Thai Fighter. Born in Thailand, raised in downtown Fukushima. I was intending to attend the reopened Hope's Peak Academy, but now we're in this mess," he introduced himself, and the same icon appeared, though catered to him.

"I'm Naoya Himura, Ultimate Dreamer. I... And this is..." She naturally forced her way into the conversation again.

"Kotoko Utsugi, Ultimate Actress at your service!" She grabbed for his hand and shook it wildly, all while he just glared at her, too exasperated to resist her, "I'm impressed you broke out yourself!"

Hiro sneered, "Tch. That cuff was no match for me. Now, what about the others?"

I chuckled, though it sounded disingenuous, even to me, "We were here to free the others, actually..." I held up the key, "She got it from the guards."

"And you're certain she's not in on it? Luring us into a false sense of security?" I had considered that, too, but had I left her, I'd be alone. I was terrified at the prospect, "Well?"

Looking at Kotoko, she gave me an inquisitive stare, waiting for me to answer, "N-no... I don't think she'd do that."

Hiro observed the two of us further, finally giving in, "Fine. I'll hang in the back. No one behind me. Understand?"

The two of us nodded, and we continued down the hallway.

At the end of that hallway, a figure awaited us. She was dressed in a business suit, black and white lines, her black dress shirt underneath. She was taller than Kotoko, who was just smaller than me, but she even towered over me. Hiro himself looked somewhat intimidated as he also had to look up to her, and he was at least six feet.

She had spiky, shoulder-length blond hair and red eyes, a dark crimson. Her dress shoes were black, and she wore stockings that just barely covered her socks on the bottom. Noticing us, she approached us, "So there are others. After lock picking my way out of those cuffs, I could use a drink."

Kotoko observed, "But we're high schoolers!"

"Yeah?" Pulling out a small golden lighter, she lit a cigarette from her pocket and put it in between her lips, taking a deep breath, "I need a fix every now and then..." She blew out the smoke and stepped through it, "Name's Akira Sanada. Ultimate Dancer. I've been around the block. And let me say... From what I've learned, this situation we're in isn't looking pretty."

Hiro concurred, "Agreed. This is pretty suspicious, if you ask me. Like we're in a cage match, or somethin'..."

I didn't like how he said that. Visions flashed through my head, and I gripped my forehead as pain traveled through my nerves. I stumbled a bit, barely able to keep myself from falling over.

"You okay?" Kotoko asked me, a hand on my back to steady me, "You look pale."

"I'm... I'm fine. Sometimes my dreams... They make me ill. I have a bad feeling in my gut right now..." I admitted to my three comrades.

Akira shrugged it off, "Don't worry too much, kid. We have our way out," She pointed to the exit sign above the hallway passage she just came from, "Big red oak doors. Perhaps the front door to this place. We can get out through there."

Hiro folded his arms, "That so?"

Akira turned back, unamused by his suspicious activity, "Yeah, I did scouting. Didn't just wait and hide to attack strangers like you did. That how you became Champion? Strangling unsuspecting girls?"

Hiro raised his fist, "What'd you say, bitch!?"

"Do you have hearing aids, too? Let's get on with this before things get ugly..." Taking another long drag off of her cigarette, we continued following her out to the oak doors. We didn't yet know our fate was about to change, once and for all.

If we had, I think we might have chosen never to open those doors. At least, I'd like to think that... But in truth, none of us were willing to give up, to say die... And that would be the catalyst for the greatest trials we'd ever face...

-?'s POV-

Where was I...? I remember being on a train, looking out the window. I was writing down all the birds and animals I'd been observing. The world had been so full of life, so beautiful. And now I was alone, my leg chained to a large metal ball, leaving me in a chair in some scary abandoned building. It was a school; I deducted as much from the rows of desks arranged in the familiar setting. Hope's Peak wouldn't have degraded this much. So where was I?

My name is Shiori Tojiko, the Ultimate Meteorologist! I don't use my talent often, though. Instead, I try to be a detective like my great-grandmother! I have adorable short black hair that reaches far behind me. My black eyes and small nose don't stand out, and I'm not nearly as gifted as some of my female classmates... Sigh. But I'm spunky and I'll outrun, outpace them any day! I've been told I have more energy than puppies! Wait, that's not important right now...

I needed to find a way out of here! Especially considering my uniform... I wore a white blazer with my old school's insignia on it. My great-grandmother went there, too. Her clothes were too stained and worn, but I was even her same size. My skirt didn't bother me; there were no breezes in these hallways.

Just then, a sound from the hallway grabbed my attention. Then I heard it again. It was as if a door was being slammed into. The third time, dust rose from the hallway, obscuring my view of the garden through the small window. And then I saw a figure running down the hallway. They reached my door and burst through the doorway, "Breach and clear!"

A man with black hair in strands covering his face and grizzled features glared at me from the doorway. He had a blue suit on, a red tie, and white shirt underneath. His nose was short and blocky, but the attitude he carried with enthralled me.

"Excuse me... My name is Kojiro Keigo. I am... was a policeman. And you are?" He asked, walking over to me cautiously, a baton in hand.

I tried to stand up and showed him my chain when I nearly fell over, "Shiori... Shiori Tojiko. My last name is actually Tokorizoka, but everyone just says Tojiko-chan instead..."

Kojiro lowered his gaze and nodded, "Alright. I don't have anything too useful, but a nail file might cut through that. It's not as new as it looks. Like they coated it in paint to make us feel intimidated trying to break it." He handed me the file, and I started cutting through the chains on my ankle.

"Thanks... You're an Ultimate, right?" I asked him, wanting to know his super cool talent as fast as he would say.

"Police officer... I told you... They said I was the best, but it... it never feels that way..." He said this with a grim tone, but I picked up on his words more than his delivery.

Finally sawing through the last of the rusty chain, I started on the bracelet around my ankle, "Really!? Are you like a detective!?"

Kojiro shook his head, "Can't reveal classified information."

"Please..." I begged, giving him the best puppy dog eyes I could manage as I handed him his nail file back.

"Absolutely not," He barked, standing up as he placed the file back on his person, "I've been clearing every room. You're the first person I found. I suspect we're each being held in a room, one per hallway. Four per wing, since this is a square..."

My eyes sparkled, "You figured all that out so fast!? You really are a detective!"

Kojiro sighed, shaking his head, "I need my morning coffee... Stay behind me, kid. Our captors could still be anywhere, and I won't have you taking any risks. You hear me?

I saluted him, "Loud and clear, Senior Detective Sensei!"

"Don't call me that," he said, a serious tone as he started walking into the next hallway, "Let's continue."

I followed Detective Keigo-Sensei further down the halls, entering each room quietly and stealthily, except for when I opened the janitor closet and a mop fell towards me. I screamed so loud before he grabbed my mouth and shushed me, like a good detective would.

Eventually, we rounded a corner and found two men walking towards us. One was holding his wrist, handcuffs holding them together, "This is really starting to chafe..."

Keigo-Sensei approached them, pulling out his badge, "Stop, police. Identify yourselves, now."

The boy on the left started, "Mario Nobutsuna. Ultimate Cartographer. Not that my talent is worth much when the whole world's been explored... or still in ruins," he spat to the floor, quite disgusting and uncouth of him. He wore a blue jean jacket that seemed too large for him, and his dirty blonde hair reached down to his back. He had a slightly effeminate face, but his body type and voice assured me that he was in fact a man. He glared at me when I looked over him, "Keep your eyes to yourself, princess. Last time someone said I was pretty for a boy..."

The other boy had short black hair and a black eye to match. He was rubbing his face under his pupil, desperate for the swelling to subside. He was a bit stocky, but nothing too noticeable. He wasn't breathing hard, so they must have worked it out. Maybe? He wore a grey sweatshirt, unzipped to show off his 'I like traps' shirt.

Before I could ask, he cut me off, "Ryuu Nomoya. I'm the Ultimate Game Designer... And this is my joke shirt. I wear it when I'm designing Dread Souls IV: B-Team's Best Bullshit."

"You like Dread Souls!?" I exclaimed. Then I realized how annoyed both of our companions looked, "Oh, right... No yelling."

Sensei must have been thankful I quieted myself, "Mario, Ryuu. If we're not in danger, I'm bringing you both in for questioning. Assault is a crime, and it will not be tolerated on my watch, understand?"

Mario scoffed, "You and what army, police dick?"

He stepped forward, placing his hand out, "Calm yourself, civilian. I don't wish to scuffle now. We have no idea who captured us or why. Come over here. I'll file through your handcuffs."

Ryuu mouthed 'Thank you' but Mario held fast, "Get over here and make me! I just realized... He's my ticket outta here!" Mario grabbed Ryuu and held him in a full nelson, "Don't move or I'll snap his arms, I tell ya!"

I grabbed the nail file from Kojiro's pocket without him noticing, "Then let me! I won't betray you... I'm too weak. You can even use me as a hostage... Instead."

Sensei glared at me, daggers flying towards me, but Mario smirked, "Fine... I'll accept that trade."

Slowly, I walked over in his direction, hands outstretched above me to prove I would make no sudden moves. And when I was near enough, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me close. As I filed through the handcuffs, I asked, "So, Mario... Please... Don't hurt him. He didn't mean to. Right?"

Ryuu grumbled something about meaning it next time, but I guess Mario didn't hear that, "I'll do what I want." The second the handcuffs released from his hand, he grabbed me. The file dropped to the floor, and Ryuu scrambled for it, beginning to saw his own off.

With me held tightly, Mario started walking down the hallway with Kojiro and Ryuu in sight. As we hit the corner. I stomped down on his big toe. I was hoping he'd see reason, but now I had to act. I drove my elbow into his stomach and launched my steel-toed boot into his crotch, sending him to the floor.

Sensei reached him in mere seconds and handcuffed him again, behind his back, "You're under arrest for assault in the first degree, taking a hostage, attempting to bribe a police officer, attempted kidnapping on two counts, and evading arrest. We'll get you to the nearest station, understand?"

I walked up to Sensei, who ordered Mario to march at the head of the pack. He grabbed me and pulled me aside, "Did you like that?"

"This is my job. I am the officer here. You will not endanger yourself like that again. Do you understand me?" He said sternly, never talking so seriously in my short time with him.

"...Yes, Keigo-Sensei..." He growled when I said that, but didn't correct me this time. I mentally celebrated as Ryuu caught up to me, holding his wrist, "Are you okay?"

Ryuu shrugged, "Hey, could be worse. We could be trying to kill each other... Haha... Ha... Sorry. Bad joke. Ancient Dragon's return messed me up."

I nodded, "Right... That. Good thing I clipped through the ground. Can't hit me from down there."

"Gods damn it! They said that was patched!" Ryuu nearly punched the wall in anger, but controlled himself,

At the end of the hallway we found two red doors made of what might have been mahogany. I'm not a woodsman, just so you know.

Keigo-Sensei pointed to the door, "Open it, Mario. Slowly."

Mario cursed under his breath about the damn pigs and slowly pushed the doors open, revealing to us our next great mystery...

-?'s POV-

I awoke in a shower... What the hell? Why a shower? Wait, no, just fantasizing again...

I actually came to... Hehe... In a classroom. I was bound by rope. I bit at the rope in my mouth and tried to spit it out, but I couldn't move my body. I was tied up quite tightly, the rope putting pressure on my chest. It was a sight boys might kill for...

My name is Honoka Asai, and I am a producer of eroge. You heard me; I produce all the lewd games. I write the scripts, draw the characters, create the animations, script the program, and even provide my own voice acting talents. I've also had experience with being tied up, and I reached into my back pocket with my tied left hand to grab a small knife I had per pocket, just in case. As I slowly cut through the bindings on my hands and started freeing myself one rope knot at a time, I wondered if I could start my next game like this. It was terrifying for me, sure... but it was also exhilarating.

The last of the bindings hit the floor and I finally got up, only to fall onto the table. Right. My legs had been bound to each leg of the chair. Whoever did this must have enjoyed it... I cut the last rope and finally got up, dusting myself off.

I ran a hand through my red hair. It wasn't crimson, just middle ground red. I was wearing what I had on when I was on the boat; a red miniskirt that showed off my stockings and my light blue blouse. I shook my legs a bit to return the feeling to my extremities and headed to the doorway.

Should I clean this up? Eh, we pay a janitor for that, don't we?

Looking around my new environment, I casually headed down the hall, observing the broken windows. There were no sounds, none that stood out to me. How...droll.

I heard some muffled noises coming from a classroom in the second hallway and opened the door slowly. And I found my jackpot.

A girl with long, blue, beautiful hair was bound to a desk, just like me. The muffled noises were her screaming through the tightly bound rope and struggling to break free from their confinement. I smirked to myself before breaking out in shock, "Oh, you poor thing! I'll help you out!"

I ran to her side and used my handy knife to cut through the rope binding her head back. As it fell, she could finally speak, "T-thank you... My name is Kicho. Kicho Taika, the Ultimate Store Manager."

"I'm the Ultimate Game Producer, Honoka Asai..." It technically wasn't a lie, "I specialize of course, but I'm notorious for my quality."

"Nice to meet you. Will you please untie me now?" She asked, her beautiful purple eyes fixated on me. She wore a long white dress, but it was ruffled by the red rope binding her down. I could trace every curve of her right now, but... Hands do so much more than just my eyes, right?

I chuckled, "Maybe I just wanted to hear you resist."

She eyed me, not with fear or disgust, but anticipation, "Is that so? I would be rude to not ensure a good show if you've gone to this trouble for me..."

If I were a weaker-willed woman, that might have... Oh shit, nose bleeding. Fuck! I turned around and stuffed my nose with a tissue. Turning back around, I smirked, "I'll untie you now."

"Oh? How... unfortunate. I was willing to experience something...new," she said seductively, practically eroding any control I had over myself.

Right as I moved to caress her succulent body, the door behind me opened, and a fierce looking girl with a fang peeking out from her left side of her mouth stepped into the room. She was small, lithe, and her toned abs showed because her shirt was only covering above her belly button, "Stop right there!"

I sighed to myself, cursing my awful luck, "I was kidding... Mostly. Probably."

The girl stepped forward. She had slightly darker skin than us, a slight tanned look, and her arms and legs were stronger, thicker than ours in muscles. Good thing I liked strong girls, too...

Taika-Chan, as I would affectionately refer to from here on, agreed, "Yes, we were making the best of a bad situation."

"Unless you'd join us..." I offered, mostly kidding.

"Aya Nakajima, Ultimate Football Player. And none of that shall occur on my watch, got it!?" She sprayed us both with a bottle on hand, "I broke out through sheer will and determination, but I knew I had to save the others, too!"

I cut through the remainder of Taika's bondage rope and hid my knife away, "There? Taika-Chan... May I call you that?" She nodded, "Taika-Chan and I weren't doing anything wrong. And we were both merely teasing the other. Just a mind game, I promise."

Taika whispered to me, "I wasn't kidding... Hmhmhm."

Alright, Honoka-chan! Operation Lose Aya and Get Laid Go!

"Aya-chan... Did you find them?" In walked classmate number four. He was a pale dude, square glasses on his face. He had a small frame, and didn't look intimidating in the slightest. He wore a white shirt and black slacks, the most basic thing imaginable, "...Uh... Hi. Taka. Taka Suzuha. Ultimate Academic Prodigy..."

Great. A doormat guy... Why couldn't I get some enthralling tough guy? I'd settle for a nerdy mangaka artist, at this point... Sigh.

"Honoka Asai, Ultimate Game Producer. Taika-chan, first name Kicho, is the Ultimate Store Manager. She's good with money and organization, right?" She nodded, "And you know Aya. The party pooper."

Aya blushed, "Wh-what!? I was just obeying school rules!"

"Who would know we broke the rules, Aya?" I walked up to her, giving her a sly smirk, "I won't tell if you don't..."

Aya started blushing even more, so she turned around, "Hurry! We found a way out, but wanted to clear these rooms first!"

Perfect... She was one of those kinds of girls, hehe. I'd love teasing her.

The four of us girls (I know what I said) eventually made it to two large doors, made of what appeared to be iron. Aya pushed them, but when they refused to budge, she got a running start and drop kicked them open. And that was when my hellish paradise truly would begin...

-?'s POV-

Ow, my achin' head... Where am I?

I was in a chair in a classroom. I guess? I don't know man... This is weird, though. I was just on a plane, enjoying my burritos los tacos from Burrito Ding, and next thing you know... Ah, man... Where's my food?

Someone stole my food, but I wasn't held here against my will at least. Now I had to get up... and leave. Bummer.

Introductions? What a bust... My name is Sho. Sho Takeda, Ultimate Volunteer. You may be thinking... I don't do that often. I go with what I like... And I like cats. And dogs.

And seals. And people, too. Mostly the homeless. And the hungry... I volunteer for them.

Anyways... Just have to... Ugh! Get up... Okay, now for the door... Step, step, step... And the door slides open. Not locked. Nice. I don't have to rig a trap to open it again.

The hallway was... like... Dark. Not like what I imagined it would be... Was it because I was thinking of sleeping again? No way, maaan...

I started walking down the hallway towards my final destination. Or was it next? Uh... I get it confused, haha. Best not to sweat it, though.

I reared a corner and nearly slammed into somebody. They jumped back and raised their arms in self-defense, but I just chilled out against the wall, "Sup, dude?"

The girl was short and frightened. She had long orange hair and a notebook in her right arm clutched to her chest. She was wearing blue jeans, a purple belt, a yellow blouse with frills near the bottom going around in a circumferential fashion, and she had a small gold ring on her right finger, index.

"D-don't come any closer!" She shrieked out, terrified.

"...I wasn't planning on that, dude..." I said, smirking. I didn't think I looked scary. I wore a black sweatshirt,a white shirt stained by many a pepperoni or sausage pizza, and my tightest dress pants. I could slide right out of them into bed... Or not. I usually forgot. Ha...

She looked me over for a moment, "Who are you?"

"Sho Takeda, duuuude..." I admitted, hating this part, "Can you tell the others for me? I need sleep..."

She ran to my side and checked my forehead, "Sho, are you sick? Were you feeling like this before? How's your body? Your temperature?"

I stepped back, "Woah, man. I'm... okay. Just a bit... loopy, nyaha! I'll get back into it after a while... I charge slowly... Like a bunny battery..."

Not understanding my drift, she introduced herself, "Michi-no Cheisa. Call me Michi-chan if you'd like."

"Sure thing... Michi-chan," I said it slowly, to memorize that for later. Girls hated when I said the wrong names to them. My last girlfriend hit me and dumped me... Sucks that I call mom by her first name, but what are you gonna do?

And that was how... Michi-chan and I... joined up. She didn't mention her talent, oddly enough. Said she analyzes old documents. Did she say genie? Genealogist? Yeah, that... Haha! I always get them mixed up. Jafar ain't no genealogist...

Eventually... We found a guy. He was... in a business suit. Looked professional. Slicked back black hair, black shades. Not very tall. He wore a small chain around his neck. Had a cross. Was cool, man. Should have been there.

"I am Narutoya Nobunaga. I'm a telemarketer. I'm the Ultimate Telemarketer, that's all. I get sales, guaranteed. It's mind numbing at this point, but it pays..." he explained himself, and I nodded in understanding.

Michi-chan shook his hand and introduced me. I waved.

Narutoya sighed, "He's not a bright one, is he?"

"Says the guy dressed like a multi billionaire. Tell me how telemarketing, a job that usually pays dead ass minimum wage, gets you that mad cash? Methinks you're lying to Michi-chan and I. And Sho don't do liars. Or manual labor. Get that straight, fam."

Michi turned to me, eyes wide, "You can speak normally?"

I shrugged, "Gotta feel it, man."

Narutoya adjusted his shades, and i saw his cold eyes as he observed me, "You are more than meets the eye, young Sho. I'll be sure to remember that."

And that was how the three of us became...life partners. Or wait, no... That sounds weird... Right! We became companions... Yeah... Except not werewolves this time...

Then we met a second guy. He was uh... Awkward, too. Had glasses, a history book. A hoodie, kinda like me, but it was cleaner... Not stained. Had a shirt with that one anime... Twelve Piece. Sponsored by WcDonalds... Normal jeans, ripped at the knees. A short mustache, and somewhat nasally. Dude got a cold day one. Sucks to be him, am I right?

Ryoji Iwasaki was his name. Ultimate Archaeologist. Had a fear of snakes. Not much else to say.

And the four of us found these doors. Big. Red. Smelled like redwood trees. Narutoya pushed them open. And the other side... I wondered... Who did this? You wouldn't believe what happens next. We opened the door, and the unthinkable happened. Narutoya walked inside, but what he did next would shock you.

Read more... In the next chapter... Hah.

-Naoya's POV-

Twelve other people entered this room from the other three doors. It was a large open room with a giant monitor hanging above us. The screen was dark. The room darkened as every light went off and a spotlight centered on the screen.

"Upupupupupupupupupu! Guess who's baaaaaack?" The annoying, nasally voice tore at me. I heard it in my ears, and in my nightmares.

Monokuma appeared on the screen. Fuck me, but hadn't we all had enough by now!?

"Welcome, Hope's Peak Class of 83! Are you excited!? To attend the best school around the world is such an honor!"

Hiro shouted, "What!? Fuck that! Why'd you trap us here!?"

Monokuma smirked, "Trapped you? In Towa City? I'd never... Upupupu! You see, I'm not the one who set this game up. I'm just a lonely animatronic bear... But someone found me... Restarted me... And lured you all here. Which means... I get to play another game!"

He started laughing insanely, like it was the funniest joke he'd ever told.

"You damn bear!" Some girl with red hair shouted, "I have games to make myself, you selfish meanie!"

"So... There are sixteen handbooks. One for each of you. Find yours, and take it. You'll need it. All of Towa City is at your fingertips. The ruins, anyways... Although one of you is certainly much more familiar than the others... Right, Despair?" He laughed to himself giddily.

Some businessman removed his glasses, "You mean one of us is in that awful organization a few years back... That nearly ended the world?"

Monokuma nodded, "Gladly. They killed hundreds with their bare hands... And spoke proudly of it to their four little friends... Oh, but then things changed. Now, I'm not here for Hope or Despair... That old battle was played out. No, we're here about legacy. About our future..."

"Whatever do you mean?" Some short, thin man adjusted his square glasses through his weak, shaking voice, "You're just endangering our future!"

"The world was an awful place before Junko. Sure, people suffered. They died. But now the world's right as rain. I began to wonder... Could these games be inspiring young people to succeed? To chase their dreams fully? To realize our potential!? Well, many others wondered this, too, and that's why you're here. This is an... experiment. To see if we can create a utopia... A true paradise... Through murder!"

"That's insane!" Hiro shouted back at the top of his lungs.

Monokuma's eye flashed, "Perhaps... We'll find out, won't we? What's the cost of ten, twelve, maybe fifteen lives... If the world becomes a better place? Upupu... Consider this a second chance... To reach what you always strived for... Covered in the blood of friends and foe alike!"

The businessman adjusted his glasses, "A social experiment lacking morals. These handbooks... They will have maps. They will be key cards. They will grant us limited access to the city. And they will administer the rules for your game, correct?"

"Exactly! There are... other surprises in store, but they will come when they need to! So get ready... We're gonna have motives and traps... It's going to be the best killing game we've ever had... sponsored by Towa Corporation itself!"

And the screen shut off, and the sixteen of us all looked back and forth at each other. This was unreal... Right?

...I felt afraid. Not because we'd be getting murdered, not because I might be betrayed... I feared what my dreams would become in this nightmare we'd entered into...