The Ultimate Killing Game

by Lionaxel

This is a fanfiction that details what would happen if the cast from the Killing School Life and the Killing Field Trip were both put into Hope's Peak Academy.

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My name is Makoto Naegi and I'm a freshman at Hope's Peak Academy. What's Hope's Peak? Well, it's a school that researches talent and hope and it only accepts the best of the best. There are two requirements to get in. One, you must be a high-school student. Two, you must be the best at what you do. In other words, Ultimate. What's my talent, you ask? Well, it's really nothing special. I won a lottery and got accepted as the Ultimate Lucky Student. Like I said, nothing special.

This isn't just my story. It's the story of thirty-two students who each got accepted into Hope's Peak Academy for one reason or another. Our lives took a massive turn the moment we stepped through those doors.

Now here I am, sitting at an unfamiliar desk having just woken up. My surroundings are that of an ordinary classroom, but it's a bit dark. There's metal sheets bolted to the walls where windows would be in normal classrooms, giving the place a creepy atmosphere, almost like a prison and there's no one else in the classroom. I look up at the clock. 8:00. Orientation! I scramble out of my seat, forgetting my current predicament and bolt out the door. Immediately, I stop. The area is... strange. A purple glow lights up the room and I take cautious steps forward. Am I even in Hope's Peak Academy? I see an open door and take a peek inside. It's packed. Saying there's a lot of people is an understatement. Maybe thirty or so students are crammed into the small area.

Behind the pack of people, there's a vault door, but... That doesn't seem right. Regardless, my thoughts are shoved aside as people begin talking.

"Woah-ho. There's another one!"

"Do we even need anymore people!? Jeez!"

"That makes thirty-one. An odd amount, I guess."

I raise my voice, "So... are you guys students of Hope's Peak Academy?"

One person steps forward. He has short black hair and intense red eyes, accented by bushy eyebrows. He looks a little mad and I shrink a bit under his hot gaze. He's wearing a white uniform with gold buttons and a band on his arm with the Kanji for 'Public Morals'. When he speaks, his voice is loud and commanding, "We are. And you, sir, are late! Orientation is set to begin at 8:00 sharp."

"Leave him alone. Does it even look like anything is happening?" Another person speaks up. As I turn to look at her, I immediately recognize her as Junko Enoshima, a popular fashion model. She has light pink hair tied up into ponytails and bright blue eyes. She's wearing a black top, a short red pleated skirt, and a long white tie.

"Hmph." The first guy steps back and looks back at me, "Well? Who are you?"

"Um, I'm Makoto Naegi." I say, feeling a bit awkward with so many pairs of eyes trained on me. I laugh awkwardly, "I'm sorry I'm late."

"I think it's safe to say that this is it." Another person pipes up. He has long white hair that sticks up in various angles. He's wearing a long green coat and a white shirt with a red design underneath. "So, should we begin introductions?"

"Do we even have time for that?" The first guy yells back.

"If we're going to talk about this, shouldn't we at least know each other's names?" Yet another person speaks. This time, it's a girl who's appearance leaves me at a loss for words. She's wearing a fancy black dress and has long black hair that curls in a drill-like fashion. Her eyes are red, like the first guy's and her skin is so pale, she looks like a ghost. A ghost that stepped out of a European castle, that is.

The first guy doesn't respond and the group begins to move around, leaving the space in front of the vault with only a few people. I look at the person on the far left. That being the person who had first spoken.

"H-hello," I say, a bit nervous. I'm a bit afraid that he'll scream at me.

"Makoto Naegi, right? That's a good name. A strong name. I am Kiyotaka Ishimaru, but you can call me Taka. I am the Ultimate Moral Compass." He grins widely, revealing pure white teeth.

That's right. Kiyotaka Ishimaru is the student who got top of his class each year and performed numerous feats on his Public Morals Committee. He truly is the Ultimate Moral Compass.

I move to the next person, a tall, strong looking man with a black jacket and white shirt. He has dark hair and a goatee and some sort of energy is crackling off of his eyebrows. Perhaps the most striking thing about him is the scars on his face, though. Is he really in high school?

"Hello there! My name is NEKOMARU NIDAI! It seems like something brought you to me. Are you interested in becoming stronger?" He looks dead into my eyes.

"Um, maybe?" I'm not sure how to respond. He's so... forceful.

"Are you eating right? Sleeping? How about shitting?" Nekomaru's face is completely serious. "Eh, we'll pick this up later."

"Why are you so concerned?" I ask genuinely.

"I'm the Ultimate Team Manager, NEKOMARU NIDAI!" He shouts, his voice rising above all others.

"Alright..." I back away from him slowly before turning to the next person. She a girl with long brownish, purplish braids. She's wearing a sailor uniform with a long skirt and has large, round glasses and a mole under her chin. "Hello... I'm Makoto Naegi. What's your name?"

"Y-You'll just forget it if I t-tell you, but it's Toko. Toko Fukawa." She looks away.

Toko Fukawa is a name I recognize, "You're the Ultimate Writing Prodigy, right?"

"Hmph. Wh-what of it?" She's glaring at me now. Did I say something wrong? Regardless, Toko wrote a romance novel so great that fisherman became the 'catch' of the season. Her books are consistent best-sellers. "Wh-why are you staring at me? I-Is it because I'm s-so ugly? Get th-those nasty th-thoughts out of your head!"

"I wasn't- No!" I stammer, surprised by her sudden outburst and I turn away from the girl. I see the next person, another girl with spiky brown hair, a white shirt, and a red pleated skirt.

"Hey there, uh... um... Michael?" She scratches her head.

"Makoto." I correct. "Makoto Naegi."

"Ah! I knew it was like that. My name is Akane Owari and I'm the Ultimate Gymnast." She smiles a happy smile and I get the sense that she's very carefree.

I turn to the next person, someone I already know. With blue hair, a sailor uniform, and skin like a doll, there's Sayaka Maizono, a famous pop idol. She sees me and smiles, "Hello, I'm Sayaka Maizono, the Ultimate Pop Sensation." She suddenly frowns, "Hey, Makoto... Did... Ah, never mind. I'll say it later."

I couldn't even begin to think of what Sayaka wanted to say to me, because even so... She probably doesn't remember me.

The next person I speak to is a short haired, red-headed, freckled girl wearing a greenish-olive school jumper and plaid tie over a white short-sleeved shirt. She's holding a camera and when she see's me, she speaks, "Huh. Makoto, you said, right? I'm Mahiru Koizumi. I'm counting on you to protect me and the rest of the girls. After all, it's a man's duty."

"Ultimate Photographer?" I guess, motioning towards her camera.

She nods, "Yeah. All I'm good at is taking pictures, I guess. But that's no excuse. I'm gonna do my best, just like you ought to!"

"Yeah." I reply before going to the next person, a red-haired boy with a goatee. He was wearing a white shirt with a red, spray-paint like design and a white jacket overtop it all.

"Yo. I'm Leon Kuwata. What's up?" He casually says, looking at me with a small smirk on his face. "I'm the Ultimate Baseball All-Star."

"You? The Ultimate Baseball All-Star?" I spurt without thinking. I mean, I saw the picture on the internet and he just look so different!

"Yeah, that's me. But lemme tell you a secret. I hate baseball. It's the dumbest thing since all-nighters! In actuality, I wanna be a rock star! Yeah, you heard right. A rock star!" Leon rubs his head as he says it.

"Maybe you should talk to Sayaka. She might be able to help you out." I shrug, looking towards the blue-haired girl.

"Maybe..." Leon turns away from me and I move to the next person.

He doesn't seem to notice me at first, but when I clear my throat, his deep gaze snaps to my own. The first thing I notice is his heterochromia, but whether it's real or contact lenses isn't something I can tell by just looking at him. He has a tattoo over one eye and slicked up black and gray hair. He's wearing a jacket and a long purple scarf. Underneath his jacket is a whitish shirt with a purple design. "A foolish human dares approach me? You have guts, that's for sure. Do you not know who I am?"

"Uh... Isn't this the first time we've met? Why would I know you?" I sheepishly smile.

"I am Gundham Tanaka! The Dark One. The future Supreme Overlord of this world. Together, with my Four Dark Devas of Destruction, we are greater than any human filth on this pitiful planet." The man has a powerful voice and as he speaks, four creature creep out of his shirt. Are they...

"Hamsters?" I articulate my thoughts rather poorly.

"You dare refer to the Four Dark Devas of Destruction as mere hamsters? You are either brave or extremely foolish. Beware, if my Devas get annoyed at you, you may never see the sun again!" Gundham's voice is low, but loud. "Humans call me the Ultimate Breeder, but in actuality, demons and gods alike call me the Supreme Overlord of Ice! Fwahahaha!"

His laugh is menacing for sure, but it also seems fake somehow. Maybe overacted? Regardless, I smile weakly and turn away from Gundham to meet a new person.

This guy is on the large side, with hair that sticks up in a point, small round glasses, and a gray suit. He also wears an orange tie with blue arrow-like designs and seems to have on a backpack. "Finally! Someone approaches me. I am Hifumi Yamada, known to some as 'The Alpha and the Omega'. Free free to call me either. I am the Ultimate Fanfic Creator or, for lack of a better term, Doujinshi Artist. Those are like fan-comics if you aren't aware."

"I... know what doujinshi is... I also live in Japan," I try to say it as politely as possible and thankfully, Hifumi doesn't take it the wrong way.

"Well then, you must also be familiar with the art of the 2D world. It is my dream to one day make it my reality, if you get what I'm saying," Hifumi pushes up his glasses, smiling smugly. "Anyway, pleased to meet you, Mister Naegi."

"Pleased to meet you, too." I nod and turn. Jeez, there's still a ton of people to meet. How on Earth am I supposed to get all of these names and faces sorted out!? Slowly, I make my way to the next group.

"Hey there! Um... What was your name again?" The girl who's speaking to me is wearing a red jacket, and brown hair with a ponytail that sticks up. Under her jacket is a white shirt.

"Makoto Naegi." I respond. I don't blame her for forgetting my name. There's so many people here that it seems impossible to remember everyone.

"Makoto... Naegi... Makoto... Naegi... Anyway! I'm Aoi Asahina, but you can call me Hina." The girl grins, "I'm the Ultimate Swimming Pro."

"Alright, Hina. Nice to meet you." I smile back at Hina, before moving on to the next person.

He's short with a young face, but his expression is hardened as if he'd been exposed to years of trauma. He has short blonde hair and green eyes that hold some sort of anger and he's dressed up in a pinstripe black suit.

He glares at me, "What do you want, bastard?"

Shocked by his hostility I can barely reply, "Uh... Um, I'm Makoto Naegi."

"Yeah, I gathered that already." The boy turns away. "Get lost."

"But you haven't introduced yourself yet!" I protest, trying to get anything out of the boy.

"Me? Fine. Jeez. I'm Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu. Are you fucking happy, now, bastard?" The boy smirks a bit as he says it. Hold on... Kuzuryu? Isn't that the famous Yakuza group? Then that makes this kid...

"You're the Ultimate Yakuza!" I realize.

"Do you have a problem with that?" Fuyuhiko challenges, "Listen, I'm not here to make friends, so fuck off."

I get the feeling that nothing will go right for me if I keep talking to Fuyuhiko, so I move on to the next person.

It's a small girl with layered, light brown hair and greenish eyes. She's wearing a dark green jacket and a brown skirt. I open, "Hey. I'm Makoto Naegi."

"Makoto... My name is Chihiro Fujisaki and I'm the Ultimate Programmer. Hang on... Have we met before?" The girl looks up at me with a confused expression.

"I don't... think so..." I respond slowly, frowning at the thought of that.

"Ah! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you mad!" Chihiro quickly says, eyes wide.

"You didn't make me mad," I smile, hoping to calm her down.

"Oh... Okay then. I hope we can get along and become friends." Chihiro smiles and I'm overtaken by how cute she is. No wonder she has a lot of fans.

I take myself to the next person in the group and can only gape at her appearance. Her hair is absurd, sporting blues, pinks, blacks, and whites. Her hair is styled like horns at the top and her outfit is absolutely outrageous. Looking past the colors, I can see that it's just a sailor uniform, but her limbs are decked out with all sorts of colors of stockings and such. She has intense, pink eyes and her expression scares me a bit.

"Give me an 'I'! Give me a 'Bu'! Give me a 'Ki'! Give me a 'Mi'! Give me a 'O'! Give me a 'Da!' I! Bu! Ki! Mi! O! Da! I!Bu!Ki!Mi!O!Da! Ibuki Mioda! Ibuki Mioda! IbukiMioda! IbkiMida! Woah! Woah! Too fast! Too fast!" The girl clenches her jaw hard before gasping, "Hey there! I'm Ibuki Mioda! The Ultimate Musician! Hehe!"

"Ibuki... Mioda... Got it." I say, a bit fatigued just from watching her.

"Ooh. Ibuki doesn't sense very much energy from you. We'll have to fix that up later!" Ibuki grins a wicked smile before pointing off to the side, "Anyway, I'll be seeing you!"

"Y-yeah..." I say, now a bit scared. Looking around I walk to the next person.

Another girl eyes me. She has a mysterious expression on her face and her purple eyes hold little emotion. She has flat cut lavender hair, a purple jacket, a short black skirt, and knee high black boots. Also noteworthy are the gloves covering her hands.

I approach her, but she says nothing. We end up staring at each other for a bit before I finally break the silence, "Um... hi. Who... are you?"

"...My name is Kyoko Kirigiri." The girl's expression doesn't change.

That's it? She's awfully quiet, no mistaking that, and I've never heard her name before, "So... Kyoko... Aren't you an Ultimate something? What Ultimate are you?"

"Am I required to tell you? If not, then I won't." She's blunt and with those dismissive words, she walks away. It was strange, though, she didn't feel hostile, just... cold. Though perhaps I just want to see the best in everyone. There's no way to know for sure until I get to know her better.

The next person in line is an odd, short, and plump man decked out in a chef's uniform. He's wearing a tiny chef hat over a massive pompadour of slick brown hair and when he catches sight of me, his beady eyes narrow, "Hmhmhm, what have we here... I see... You could be an interesting specimen... Do you mind taking off your shirt for me? Then your pants?"

"W-what!?" I can barely respond to his odd request. "No!"

"Hmm, a pity. My name is Teruteru Hanamura and I'm the Ultimate Cook. Though to be honest, I'd prefer you call me the Ultimate Chef. It sounds so much more sophisticated for a big city person like me." The squat man waves two fingers.

"I'm Makoto Naegi..." I say, still reeling from his previous statement. It seems to me like the Ultimate Cook, er, Chef is hiding a weird personality under his 'sophisticated' attitude. Or perhaps he's not hiding it at all.

I move further down the line and there she stands. Junko Enoshima. She smiles an almost scary smile when she sees me, "I'm Juuuuunko Enoshima! Ultimate Fashionista, though I'm sure you already knew all that. Why are you looking at me like that?"

"O-Oh! It's just, something seems... off. You look different than I expected." The words tumble out without my real processing of them.

"Eh, you're talking about my cover photos and stuff, yeah? Sorry to break it, but those get the good ol' treatment. They're Photoshopped the crap out of, y'know? Making the eyes all huge and the skin all porcelain... I would hope you're not disappointed though. That would totally bum out my day!" Junko smiles more softly as she explains. Now that I'm closer, I can see freckles adorning her face and the heavy makeup is a lot more evident. But she really doesn't look bad, in fact, she looks really good.

I realize that I'm staring for a lot longer than I should be, but thankfully, Junko doesn't seem to mind. With a quick apology, I move on to the next person, a small, young looking girl... Wait-

"You're a high-schooler?" I say, stunned. The girl is tiny! She can't be much taller than four feet. She has blonde hair tied up into two massive ponytails and is wearing an orange, floral kimono. I can't say I've never seen her before, though. If I recall she's a famous dancer and attracts young and old audiences alike.

When she hears my words, her golden eyes go wide, "Ah! You wiiiieeerdo! Of course I'm in high-school. My name is Hiyoko Saionji, the Ultimate Traditional Dancer!"

Well, I can say for sure that her voice fits her appearance. She continues to speak, her voice taking on an even harsher tone, "Stop staring at me like some creepy pedo! I'll stomp all over that ugly, barf face of yours if you don't!"

While her voice and appearance are that of a young girl, her words are something else entirely. I can't even respond and instead, I slowly back away, Hiyoko's expression getting scarier by the second.

I go to the next person. He's a bit intimidating with curly orangy-yellow hair styled in a perm. He's wearing a long black jacket with a big collar over a white shirt with a low neckline. "I am Mondo Owada. Nice to fuckin' meet you. I'm the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader and I'm over the Crazy Diamonds."

I choose my words carefully, one wrong move and this guy'll punch me into next week, "I'm Makoto Naegi, the Ultimate Lucky Student."

Mondo doesn't respond, so I continue on my way to the last group of people. The group is pretty scattered, with the only people talking to each other being two almost identical people arguing. I guess I'll talk to them later.

First, I decide to talk to a meek looking girl who's dressed in a nurse's apron. She has black hair cut into chunks as if someone has fun chopping at her hair. Her arm and leg are bandaged up and her light purplish gray eyes dart around the room as if expecting someone to jump at her. She catches sight of me and immediately whimpers, "I'm sorrrrryyy!"

"Woah! What's wrong!" I hold up my hands in an attempt to calm her.

"I'm sorry for looking at you without permission. Please forgive me!" Her voice is squeaky and full of fear.

"You don't need to apologize for that!" I quickly say, "Just introduce yourself."

"O-Okay... My name is Mikan Tsumiki... I'm the Ultimate Nurse. If you don't mind, I can help you if you get hurt... Oh! I'm sorry for being so presumptuous! I didn't mean to assume-"

"Mikan. It's. Okay. Caring for people is totally normal!" I can feel sweat beginning to form on my forehead and when Mikan does nothing but whimper again in response, I turn to the next person: A large, hulking... woman?

"My name is Sakura Ogami." Her voice is deep and her dark skin is contrasted by her white hair and ripped sailor uniform. Her muscles are huge and ripple under her skin. I wouldn't want to get on her bad side, "Hmm. Your body seems perfectly average. What a shame, you won't do as a training partner."

"I'm... sorry?" I say, not really feeling sorry. To be perfectly honest, I don't want anything to do with her. She's known as the Ultimate Martial Artist and people online call her the Ogre. They warned to stay as far away from her as possible.

Scrambling away from Sakura, I nearly bump into the next person. I look up to see a beautiful girl. She has long, flowing blonde hair and clear blue eyes. She gives off an air of power and I immediately apologize.

"It is perfectly acceptable, but we have yet to be acquainted, correct? My name is Sonia Nevermind. I am known as the Ultimate Princess." She smiles and I feel a little better.

"I am Makoto Naegi." I say, unsure of what else to say.

"I am pleased to meet you, Makoto! I hope we can get to know each other better!" Her voice is suddenly filled with force and I suddenly get an urge to kneel in front of her. I guess that must be why she's the Ultimate Princess.

The next person, no, people, are the ones who were arguing. They're still at it, anger clearly evident on their faces. They look nearly identical, with one of them clearly weighing more. The skinnier one had a black overcoat and the other wore a white, but other than that, even their outfits were identical.

"Leave me alone. Anyone who feels they must impersonate someone of my importance clearly has inferiority issues." The skinnier one says.

"Who's really impersonating who here?" The other says.

I get the feeling that unless I interrupt, nothing's going to get done, "Uh, hey. I'm Makoto Naegi."

"Hmm, introductions? If I must," The skinny one looks at me, apparently forgetting about the larger man standing near him, "My name is Byakuya Togami. You'd do well to remember that. After all, I'm the Ultimate Affluent Progeny."

It took me a bit to get what 'Affluent Progeny' meant, but looking at Byakuya Togami, it should have been obvious.

"I am actually Byakuya Togami," The one in the white coat says, "Do not be fooled by this mere commoner."

"Er..." Confused, I quickly decide what to do in my head. Pointing to the one who had just spoken, I say, "Okay. I'll call you 'Byakuya' and you," I turn my hand to the skinnier one, "are Togami."

Togami nods, "Alright. The family name is where the importance is. After all, without the name 'Togami', you are just mindless filth."

Byakuya shakes his head, "I have no more need to speak to you anymore. Clearly, this is a waste of my precious time."

Sighing, I leave the two Byakuya Togami and head to the next person.

The silver haired girl seems to be focused on something, though what, I can't tell as her eyes are closed. Her hair is tied into braids, held in place with white ribbon and she wears a black sailor uniform. Strapped to her back is a sword bag and I hope, with all my heart, that there isn't a real sword in there.

As I approach the girl, her eyes snap open and I immediately freeze. Her intense red gaze locks into my own and a chill runs down my spine. "Um... uh..."

"Did you need something?" She asks, snapping me back into reality.

"Introductions?" I offer, hoping that she isn't as cold as she looks. "I'm Makoto Naegi. It's nice to, uh, meet you."

"Hmm, very well. My name is Peko Pekoyama. It is nice to meet you, too." Her words seem carefully strung, as if she isn't used to introducing herself.

"I'm gonna take a guess and say you're the Ultimate Swords...Woman?" I eye the bag on her back.

"That is correct. I am the Ultimate Swordswoman." Peko nods, her eyes still trained on me.

"That sword... it's not... real, is it?" I ask cautiously.

"It is a practice sword. However, keep in mind that even a wooden sword can inflict lasting pain when used correctly... or incorrectly." Peko's expression doesn't change.

"I'm just gonna... go, then." I say, still wary of her. I'm afraid she'll snap at me or something. Kind of like how you feel nervous around a gun even when a police officer is the one holding it.

I leave Peko and go to the next person. He's a tall guy with crazy hair that sticks out in multiple directions. He's wearing a greenish jacket on top of an unbuttoned white shirt on top of an yellow shirt. Around his waist is a haramaki and a rope holding his baggy pants up.

"Hello," I say when he sees me.

"Ahh... I see. You are this Makoto Naegi I have heard so much about!" He clasps his hands together.

"Um, yeah. I just introduced myself earlier, so how..." I'm not sure what to make of him.

"Hmm, yeah... My name is Yasuhiro Hagakure, but you can just call me Hiro for short," He smiles, "Oh, hang on. I'm getting more... Woah! Woah! You came from space?"

"Huh!? No!" Suddenly more confused than I've ever been, I raise my hands as if in defense of Hiro's silly remark.

"Hmrr. I'm sure that's what it was..." Hiro turns away, apparently deep in thought. I guess it's best if I just leave him be for now.

The next person is a girl with light pinkish hair and a cat shaped hood pulled over her head. She's wearing a black hoodie over a white buttoned shirt and she's got a pink backpack on her back.

"Um, hey there. I'm Makoto Naegi." I call out, smiling a soft smile.

She looks up at me, her wide eyes full of fatigue and maybe boredom. She doesn't respond for a while, "...Hi. My name is Chiaki Nanami. I'm the Ultimate Gamer and I love all types of games. Even the bad ones."

"Ultimate Gamer, huh? I wouldn't know too much about that." I smile more sheepishly and Chiaki smiles back, not saying anything.

I get the feeling that she's soft-spoken, "Not much of a talker?"

Again, she takes a bit to respond, "I really need to think about what I say before I say it, but I'm sure with time, I'll get more used to you."

I nod and turn to the next person. I'm almost done at the very least, only two people remain, both of them having been people who spoke earlier.

The first one is the gothic dressed ghost girl with red eyes. She addresses me before I can even open my mouth, "Hello there, Makoto. My name is Celestia Ludenberg. Call me Celeste."

"Celes...tia...? What?" I've never heard a name like that in my life. "Is that your... real name?"

"Of course. Why? Do you suggest that I'm lying to you?" Her tone seems sweet, but there's a threatening undertone, so I decide not to question her.

"N-No. Of course not. So, what's your Ultimate talent?" I say, hoping to change the topic.

"Hmhmhm. I am the Ultimate Gambler." She closes her eyes and somehow, manages to look even more sinister. "But you... What's your talent?"

"I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student." I reply. I guess it's only fair to tell her my talent.

Her expression suddenly becomes more serious, "Curious..."

Suddenly overwhelmed by a desire to get away from Celeste, I look to the last person. The white haired boy.

"Hey. Makoto Naegi! Isn't it just lucky that we managed to meet here?" His grin is big.

"Wha- Why?" I'm nearly at my edge. So many people here have just blown my mind in terms of personality.

"My name is Nagito Komaeda. I overheard you talking to Celeste and, well, I just couldn't just push it aside because, as far as I know, my talent. My Ultimate talent is also the Ultimate Lucky Student." I can barely process what he's saying and as he utters those last three words, my brain just goes haywire. He continues to talk and all I can do is stare wide-eyed, "But I think we're different, you and I. Surely there can't be two lucky students with the exact same talent. Although..."

"How did you... get accepted into Hope's Peak?" I don't really understand my own words, but looking back on it, it was probably the best thing I could've said.

"By winning a lottery. Yeah... I know. Compared to all these real Ultimates, I'm just a normal person. My talent is nothing compared to some of these people." Nagito shrugs and I'm left in shocked silence, "Why? I mean, you didn't win the lottery too, did you?"

"Y-yeah..." That's all I can manage to say. My head is swimming with a dizziness unlike anything I've felt before. This guy, just who is he? Could he be lying about his talent? But before I can get far in my thoughts, I'm interrupted by the sound of crackling static.

The monitor sparks to life and the low bumble of voices falls silent. Something's coming through the monitor speaker, like a voice.

As it clears, I realize that it is, in fact, a voice. "Ahem. Ahem! Testing! Testing! One, two, three! Can you all hear me? Yes? Good! If you would all gather in the gym, we can begin!"

Slowly, the group gets smaller as students disperse. I hear a couple voices as they leave.

"Finally, I can get out of this stuffy room. Why did I even stay in here?"

"Damn. I was looking forward to a nap..."

"Whoever trapped me here is gonna get the beating of a lifetime!"

"What a fucking nuisance."

I look back at the remaining people and I notice one person that is still unfamiliar to me. He has short, dark brown hair with a lock that sticks up, similar to my own, a short-sleeved white shirt and a long tie.

"Hey..." I say, approaching the boy.

He looks up at me, confused. "Hello..."

"I'm Makoto Naegi." I offer, hoping that he'd respond in a favorable way.

"I'm Hajime. Hajime Hinata." He replies and stops there. I'm about to ask his talent but he cuts me off, "I know what you're thinking and I'm sorry, I don't remember my talent... It's strange, I know, but I promise I'm not lying."

"Hajime... Huh." I've never heard the name Hajime Hinata before, which I find odd. I heard of almost everyone here at least once, but not Hajime.

"It's okay. Nagito said he's never heard of me either." Hajime says out of the blue, accurately guessing my thoughts.

"Don't worry, Hajime. I'm sure you'll remember soon enough," I say, in an attempt to cheer him up and he smiles in response.

"Thank you, Makoto. Now let's go, before we're late." Hajime says, walking away toward the entrance.

I follow Hajime out the door and together, we find the doors that lead to the gym. Past the doors is a sort of hallway, adorned with trophies and prizes from various sports. There's a camera and monitor in here, too, and I can't shake the feeling that I'm being watched.

Hajime opens the door to the gym and I am once again overtaken with the sheer amount of people. The gym is a wider space, so everyone can fit with room to spare, but still... I'm not used to large crowds, coming from a normal family and a normal town.

The voice from the monitor comes back, the laid-back, happy voice contrasting with the situation, "Well, well, everyone. Welcome to the orientation! Please direct your attention to the front of the gym!"

There's a shuffling sound as people turn to face a singular podium where something jumps up. Something black and white.

"Is that a bear?" Chihiro asks, her soft voice ringing clear among the silence.

"I am not a bear. I am Monokuma!" I hear the voice. But there's no way it's coming from the bear, right?

"It speaks! I repeat, the teddy speaks!" Ibuki screeches, pointing at the bear.

"It's probably got a voice box. Like the monitors," Taka doesn't sound very confident, almost as if he's trying to convince himself, too.

The bear, Monokuma, turns to face Taka. It actually moves! "Don't compare me to a TV! I am Monokuma, not Monitorkuma!"

"Puns. He's seriously making puns at a time like this!" Junko hisses off to the side.

"It's moving! What a seriously advanced technology!" Kazuichi says, breathless. He looks to be in a state somewhere between amazement and fear.

"What a stupid looking toy! The red eye is ugly, ugly, ugly!" Hiyoko whines.

"I am not a toy. For the last time, I am Monokuma! Your headmaster! Principal! What have you. Come on, if you don't accept me, I might not be able to 'bear' it!" Monokuma feigns crying.

"Seriously. Stop." Junko crosses her arms.

"If you are the headmaster, would you mind terribly telling us what's happening?" Sonia pleads, her voice soft, but the force from earlier still there.

"Yeah. That's something I'd like to know, too!" Akane shouts.

"Now. Now. All in due time-"

"Just answer the fucking question!" Fuyuhiko cuts Monokuma off before he can even finish.

"Jeez! Fine!" Monokuma raises his arms as if in submission, "You all are here at Hope's Peak Academy to live out your life! No more worry about outside threats or mean people!"

"Live out our life? Are you crazy!?" Hina retorts almost immediately. "What about my family? My friends? My life!?"

A buzz grew through the gym as people began to spout off their opinions. Hajime turns to me, "What do you think, Makoto."

"I mean, I have a family... There's no way I could stay here forever. But he can't be serious, right?" I shake my head to clear the thoughts. "Even if you think about it, what about food and necessities. There's no way we could get that stuff without outside support!"

"You're right." Hajime nods, "I'm sure this is just some sort of bad joke or something."

Monokuma clears his throat and the gym quiets down again, "Okay, fine! There's one way you could go home, I guess. And that would be if you disrupted the peace of this community!"

"The peace of this community? Ridiculous. What are you saying?" Togami's voice is filled with spite.

"Well. I've got a little rule here. If a student is to, say, kill another student and get away with it, they'd be able to graduate and leave!" Despite the horror of Monokuma's words, he says it with an undeniable sense of cheer.

"K-kill another student." Toko turns away, presumably in fright. "N-no way!"

"That would never happen! Who here would be stupid enough to kill another person?" Byakuya adds in, crossing his arms.

"Of course, when a killing happens, a trial will be held to find the 'Blackened'. Guess correctly, and the Blackened gets executed. Guess wrong and everyone besides the Blackened goes kaput!" Monokuma's happiness doesn't fade or falter.

"You can't expect us to kill each other!" Nekomaru shouts.

"Oh really...? Can you say with certainty that anyone here wouldn't kill? Do you know everyone that well?" Monokuma's voice suddenly got sinister and I realized what he was saying.

I met everyone here barely a half-hour ago. I don't know what anyone's really like or if they are capable of something like murder.

"Well then. I'm sure you all would enjoy a little present from me. It's called the E-Handbook and contains all of your Student Information, a map, and, of course, the rules. So please look over it later." Monokuma says, "Now then. Ta-ta! Puhuhu!"

The silence lasts, each of us looking among each other, suspecting each other. I look at Hajime and he looks back at me. We're both thinking the same thing, I'm sure of it. There's no way anyone here could kill, right? And we could only hope that we were right.

"Okay! Everyone! First, we need to explore this place." Taka says, moving to the front of the group.

Nekomaru joins him, "How about we split into groups. It would be more effective that way."

"I agree with this. If we are in groups, it would be less likely for an untimely murder to occur." Celeste pitches in. Her words are dark, but very real and a shudder of uncertainty curtains the room.

"Hmph. I refuse to work with any of you," Togami spits, a condescending tone in his voice.

"That's my line." Byakuya argues, "It just doesn't fit in the mouth of someone like you."

Hina worms her way to the front, "I'll lead a group. Who wants to come with me?"

I see a couple of feet shuffle forward, but that all stops when Sakura steps forward,

"I'll go with you, Hina." Sakura says in her deep, menacing voice. "Who else will come?"

"I can handle this!" Akane jumps forward, pumping a fist forward. "Yeah!"

The group slowly forms, consisting of Hina, Sakura, Akane, Mondo, Nekomaru and strangely enough, Hiyoko.

"I'll take a group," Comes another voice, Leon.

His group, once complete, consists of Hiro, Junko, Ibuki, Mikan, and Chihiro.

"I will also take a group!" Sonia raises her hand and there was no hesitation from those wanting to join her.

Joining Sonia is Kazuichi, Gundham, Taka, Mahiru, and Teruteru.

"Makoto, do you want to come with me?" Hajime asks and when I nod, he raises his voice, "Makoto and I will be a group if anyone wants to join us."

Surprisingly enough, people do come to us, and at the head of it is... Sayaka. Also around us is Chiaki and Nagito.

I catch a glimpse of Sonia and her group leaving and I look at Hajime, "Should we go then?"

Before Hajime can open his mouth, Nekomaru's loud voice rings through the gym from his position near Hina, "Who doesn't have a group yet? Hifumi? Celeste? Toko? Fuyuhiko? Peko?"

"Hmhm. How about I keep a group here?" Celeste pipes up. "We'll all stay here."

"Fuck this shit. I'm not staying here playing friends with you bastards." Fuyuhiko says before charging out of the gym. Nobody makes a move to stop him, though.

"Right. Guys, let's go." Sayaka says, leading us out of the gym.

"So where are we going first?" Nagito asks.

I look around before my gaze settles on a hallway, "Maybe over there."

"I think that's where the dorm rooms are." Hajime responds, "There was a sign last time I checked that said as much.

"...That would be a good place to start," Chiaki adds, adjusting her backpack.

"Then let's go." Sayaka says, and we begin to move forward. Before I get far, I can hear the idol whisper, "Makoto."

I stop and turn to Sayaka. She continues, "I would've liked it better if Hajime and Chiaki weren't here, but now I can ask you. Do you... remember me?"

"Remember you?" My heart skips a beat. There's no way Sayaka just said what I heard, right? "Y-you mean..."

"Middle school? We went to the same school." Sayaka smiles, "I always wanted to talk to you... but I was always surrounded by people and I couldn't get away long enough."

There's no way. Sayaka wouldn't have noticed me. Just a simple, ordinary middle school student.

"You weren't ordinary to me." I blink at Sayaka's statement.

"Did you just..."

"I'm psychic." Her face is completely straight. I can't tell whether-, "Just kidding. I just have really good intuition! Just... Makoto... I want to be there for you so, please, let me be your assistant!"

"H-huh?" I'm at a loss for words. Sayaka's sweet face is full of confidence and happiness. Seeing her warms my heart and I realize, I can't deny her, "Yeah. Sure. I'd love it."

"Than you, Makoto. Now, let's hurry and catch up to the others before Hajime realizes we're gone." Sayaka says, charging forward towards the hall. I chase her, and I almost forget the situation we're in. Almost.

Through the hallway, there's an expansive space. I see signs for a kitchen, a bath, and a couple of hallways. Hajime leads the way into a red hallway, where there's a plethora of doors.

"Hang on." Nagito suddenly says and runs down the hall. When he comes back, he reveals what he'd been doing, "There are only fifteen rooms, but there's thirty-one of us."

"Look at the nameplates." Chiaki speaks up, "It looks like we'll be sharing rooms."

"Sharing rooms!" Sayaka exclaims, "That's a little... weird..."

"See, this room has me on it... As well as Kyoko." Chiaki said, pointing to a door. "Although... That leaves one person out..."

We all exchange glances before checking each door. Across from Chiaki and Kyoko's room is Taka and Nekomaru's room. Next to that is Mondo and Fuyuhiko's room. Across there is my room, which I'm sharing with Hajime and next to that is Sayaka's room, which she's sharing with Mikan. Across Sayaka's is Byakuya and Togami. Honestly, I can't see them staying in a room together. What will come from that? Next to the Byakuyas' room is Junko and Ibuki's room and across there is Toko and Peko's room. Next to that is Chihiro and Hiyoko's room and across is Celeste and Sonia's room. The last room in the hall belongs to Hina and Akane and then there is a sharp turn. First door is Sakura and Mahiru's room and the second is Leon and Gundham's room. The third door is Hiro and Kazuichi's room and the last room belongs to Hifumi and Teruteru.

"Wow! The only person who doesn't have a room is... me!" Nagito says, "But it's okay. I'd gladly give up a room for anyone here."

Suddenly, there's a shuffling sound and we turn to see the bear from earlier, Monokuma. "Puhuhu! I see you've found your rooms! Good thing I came to give you all your room keys!"

"Why are we sharing rooms?" Hajime demands, "And where is Nagito supposed to sleep?"

"Huh? Oh, well, you see... The school only came with fifteen rooms so I had to split them between thirty of you somehow. Tough break for the Ultimate Lucky Student, though, huh?" Monokuma giggles a bit as he says it. "Don't worry, each room has a wall through the middle that will automatically lock an hour after Nighttime begins. It would just suck if everyone died at once in the middle of their sleep. Oh, and Mister Komaeda, I guess Rule 3 just won't apply to you. It'll be a little exception. Of course, Rule 2 still applies."

"Man, I'm so lucky! That means I can sleep anywhere, right?" Nagito asks.

"Hmm, I may run into problems there..." Monokuma tilts his head, "Maybe... Nagito's rule three will be... You have to sleep in a classroom! Alright! That'll work. I'll update your E-Handbook to reflect this change, Nagito."

"I see. I see." Nagito takes out his E-Handbook. "So as long as I'm in a classroom... I can sleep. Alright."

"But, isn't that dangerous? What if someone kills Nagito when he's asleep?" Hajime protests.

"For crying out loud! You children are so needy! The classrooms have locks on them so it doesn't even matter!" Monokuma screeches, "Now, take your stupid keys so I can leave."

Monokuma hands out small objects. When I get mine, I see it is, in fact, a key. Written on it is 'M. Naegi'. When he's done, he waddles away.

"Nagito..." I start, unable to finish my sentence.

"No, no. It's really okay!" Nagito smiles, "With this, I have access to the classrooms. I honestly think it's a stroke of luck that I didn't get a dorm room."

"If that's how you want to view it, then good for you, Nagito!" Sayaka claps her hands together. "I want to check the inside of my room, so hang on for a second."

Sayaka unlocks her door and we all take a peek inside. True to Monokuma's word, there's a large wall with a singular door in the middle. The room is fairly small, presumably from being split in half, but the bed looks nice for sure. After a while, Sayaka backs out of the room and relocks it.

"Hey! You guys left before Nekomaru was finished." I turn to see who just spoke and am greeted with Mahiru, "Anyway, I came to tell you guys that Nekomaru wants us to meet in the Cafeteria when we're done. Jeez, now I have to find Sonia. No doubt those boys pushed her out the door..."

Mahiru doesn't stick around and Chiaki speaks up, "Well then.. We should probably go to the Cafeteria. We're pretty much done here."

Hajime nods and leads us to the Cafeteria. He opens the door and we file inside. It's another pretty big room, so I have no worries that there will be any trouble fitting us all and I take a seat at a table. Celeste, Hifumi, and Toko are already in the room and, when she sees us, Celeste greets us, "Hello, Makoto, Hajime, Chiaki, Sayaka, Nagito. Was your exploration fruitful?"

"We explored the dorms and found out quite a bit." Sayaka nods.

"Ah, yes. The dorms. Monokuma brought our keys earlier." Celeste says.

Before anyone can say anything else, another group enters the gym. It seems like both Sonia and Hina's group had come together and just a few minutes after, Leon's group came in followed by both Byakuyas.

"Alright everyone. It's time to report what you found." Taka says at the head of the table.

Hina opened her mouth, "We explored the area just outside the gym. There's a shop and a infirmary, but both aren't accessible. There is also an A/V room and two classrooms, but not much was inside."

Sonia speaks next, "Our group explored the kitchen and the main entrance. Apparently, the kitchen restocks every day according to Monokuma."

"There's not much to the entrance, but there's definitely a big gun on that vault door, so I don't think we'll be escaping anytime soon." Mahiru adds.

Nekomaru begins talking in his loud voice, "We explored the bathrooms and the Cafeteria for a bit. Not much there. Heh. There's also a laundry room, so go nuts, girls."

Hajime speaks for our group, "We investigated the dorms. There's fifteen rooms and each of us is sharing a room with another person."

"With another... person?" Chihiro squeaks in surprise. "Really?"

"W-who's left over?" Toko asks.

"I am. But it's okay, I get to sleep in a classroom." Nagito smiles a broad smile.

"Is that really okay?" Akane asks, picking at her ear.

"Monokuma said so." Nagito answers.

"What about you three?" Taka points to Celeste, Toko, and Hifumi.

"We stayed in the gym for a bit and then relocated here. In short, we did nothing." Celeste said, bluntly.

"What? You got to sit around while I had to search around like a dog!?" Hiyoko huffed, "No fair."

"I-It's not like anyone o-of you asked m-me to come along." Toko turned away.

"Well, you didn't exactly ask to come, either!" Junko retorts, huffing.

"I-I can't just go around a-asking whatever I w-want. I'm not a dirty whore l-like you!" Toko growls, not even bothering to look Junko in the eye.

"Dirty whore? Just what is going on in your head!?" Junko's eyes flash with anger.

"Where's Fuyuhiko, Kyoko, and Peko?" Byakuya interrupts, "Weren't they supposed to be with Celeste?"

"Fuyuhiko ran off on his own, remember?" Junko points out, her tone a bit harsh. Not doubt from Toko, "But Peko and Kyoko aren't anywhere to be found."

Just as she says that, someone appears at the door, "I found a map of the school. It only details the first floor though."

Kyoko places a paper on the table, saying nothing more.

"Where were you, Kyoko? I don't remember seeing you in the gym." Nekomaru asks.

"I left once Monokuma was done to conduct my own investigation. It seems it was worth it." Kyoko answers.

Then another person enters the room. Peko. "It seems I am late. I apologize."

"And where were you?" Taka demands.

"Investigating. Also, don't expect Fuyuhiko to join us. I ran into him and he said something along the lines of 'I don't plan to join you guys anytime soon.'" Peko closes her eyes and folds her arms, "Albeit with a lot more swearing involved."

"That's awful! Do you think he feels left out?" Mikan's voice is filled with fear and compassion.

"I doubt it. It seems like it was his own choice to be a loner." Leon yawns, "Besides, if that jerk wants to be alone, see if I care."

"Don't you think you should be a little bit more caring?" Hina refutes, hands curled into fists.

"C-calm down, Hina! For now, I think we should all focus on the matter at hand." Sonia holds out an arm towards Hina, "What do we do now? It seems as if there's no way to get out."

"I checked all the bolted windows, but there wasn't a single loose bolt or unblocked window," Sakura grumbles.

"If I could find a tool or somethin', I could maybe find a way to get those windows off," Kazuichi suggests.

"Even if you could, I doubt Mr. Teddy Bear would let you get out like that." Hiyoko is smirking slightly, "Looks like you'll just be useless."

I take a glance around the room. For now, it seems like we're all present with the exception of Fuyuhiko. Honestly, I'm a bit worried about Fuyuhiko. If he's all alone, that could make him an easy target- No! What am I thinking? No one here could actually kill someone, right?

"Are you worried about Fuyuhiko?" Sayaka says from beside me.

"Wh- Yeah..." I look up into her big blue eyes.

"Don't worry, then. Remember, he is the Ultimate Yakuza. He can take care of himself." Sayaka nods as she says it.

"How did you know I was worried about Fuyuhiko?" I asked, slightly stunned.

"I'm psychic." Just as before, Sayaka's face is completely straight.

"Huh?"

"Just kidding. Like I said before, I just have good intuition. Although, I think most people here would be concerned," Sayaka scans the room a bit.

The next person to speak up is Celeste, "Well, it's getting late and I had something I wanted to propose."

"Propose?" Mondo looks up, "Whaddya mean, 'propose'?"

"A new rule." Celeste says, utterly calm, "I read over Monokuma's rules and there are rules about how ten o'clock PM is nighttime and that rooms will be locked. There's also a room that states that you can only sleep in the dorms. So I feel we should further prohibit nighttime actions and say that you can't leave your room at night altogether."

"What would be the purpose of restricting something so foolish? Is it to prevent a sneak attack? Anyone who would dare attack me has a deathwish." Gundham bellows.

"But even so. Do you want to sleep in fear of someone plotting your demise?" Celeste argues.

"I agree with this. It is a strong rule." Taka nods. "Anyone in disagreement?"

Nobody says anything and Celeste continues, "Thank you for your support. Now I must go. I wished to take a shower before nighttime came since apparently the water doesn't run at night. Please excuse me."

"Please wait! I will come as well!" Sonia calls out and her and Celeste disappear out the door.

"Someone will need to tell Fuyuhiko..." Chihiro pipes in, "About our new rule."

"Leave that to me," Peko answers, "And after that, I shall retire to my room as well."

And with that, Peko leaves the room.

"She's so cool!" Ibuki gasps. "Just like a ghost ninja!"

"I think... we should end our meeting for today! It is getting late and we must get sleep." Taka's voice is forceful, as if he were ordering us.

"Do we... really have to sleep here?" Chihiro squeaks uncertainly. "With other people?"

"Hmhmhm. I don't think we have a choice," Teruteru smiles. It almost seems like he's happy with the notion, though, judging by the time I spoke with him, he very well may be.

"Then let's go. I'm getting tired." Junko yawns and slowly, the crowd disperses, leaving just me, Hajime, and Sayaka.

"Come on, Makoto. We should really be going," Sayaka says, looking at me.

"I guess." I reply, still unsure about my situation. Will I really be sleeping in a place like this? It's not just some bad joke or something?

"Makoto." I turn to look at Hajime, "We'll be sleeping together, right? We should at least go before Ten rolls around."

And with that, the three of us leave the dining hall. Sayaka leaves us to go to her room and Hajime and I unlock our door. It looks mostly the same as Sayaka's room had, complete with the wall and door.

"So not that it will matter since Celeste imposed that rule, but whoever's on the other side of that door won't be able to leave since Monokuma said it locks at night." Hajime points out, "Well, actually, there's a button here..."

"Hey!" A voice interrupts Hajime and I turn to see Monokuma. Where the hell did he come from, "Have you shown interest in the big red button? There's one on both sides of the door, so in case of an emergency, both buttons can be pressed to unlock the door. It prevents both an accident from being locked in and the unlikely likely event that your dormmate will try to kill you in your sleep."

"Where did you come from?" Hajime asks bluntly.

"No, no. That doesn't matter. As the headmaster, I have access to anywhere. Anyway, there's one other thing I need to tell you guys. On the other side of that door is the shower room. You see, you guys got the finicky one that requires a little extra work to open. Just pull up on the knob when you twist it and it should open fine! Now, then. That's all from Headmaster Monokuma!" With that conclusion, Monokuma was gone. He was just... gone.

"Um. Well then..." Hajime looks back at me, "Do you want this side? Or the other?"

"I don't really mind," I reply. It's not like it matters either way.

"Then I'll take the shower side." Hajime responds, and he pushes open the door. Before he can get far, though, yet another thing interrupts him.

Ding dong, bing bong...

The monitor in the corner of the room flickers to life, showing Monokuma yet again, "Mm, ahem, this is a school announcement. It is now ten PM. As such, it is officially nighttime! Soon the doors to the dining hall will be locked, and entry at that point is strictly prohibited. Okay then... sweet dreams, everyone! Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite..."

Then the monitor switched off again, Hajime turns to me from the inside of the door, "Well then, Makoto, good night."

"Good night, Hajime." I respond dully. It's not that I was trying to be rude, mostly because I was just both physically and mentally exhausted from what had happened. I lay down in my bed and it didn't take long for sleep to overcome me.