Himari Yamauchi was an Ultimate. A strategic prodigy, able to predict an enemy's actions before they even thought of them. At least, that was what they called her.

In reality, she barely counted. There weren't many uses for a strategist who was still attending school. She had formulated a lot of plans, but she wasn't able to be there to work on the spot. Himari knew that she wasn't an ultimate, not like the people who came from Hope's Peak Academy

Not that they were looking very ultimate now. Himari tended to keep her TV on the news, and currently everyone was covering the same thing; the reserve course riot. She lived close to the academy, so her middle school had canceled for the safety of its students. She'd opted to stay in her uniform: A mint button up, a red tie, a dark green skirt, and her own touch, pigtails in green ribbons. Her hair was a bit childish, but it kept everything but her bangs out of her face, and looking childish made people made people underestimate her ability.

She had been debating whether to turn it off (It was like watching a train wreck, she couldn't look away), when there was a knock on her door. Probably just a neighbor or salesman. However, behind the door, she found three boys in suits.

"Are you Himari Yamauchi, the Ultimate Strategist?" The guy nearest to the door asked. The three of them seemed to be her age, maybe a bit older, and in school uniforms. Himari looked at them closer and saw some worrying things. The boy closest to her had a pink stain on his uniform. One of the boys in the back seemed to be concealing a weapon, and the other was holding a bat.

Whoever the boys were, they were up to no good. It would be best to cooperate.

"That's me. Why do you ask?" The sooner that she could make an excuse to get inside, the sooner she could call the police. The best thing to do in this situation was to stay calm and-

Her quick reflexes were the only thing that saved her from a knife to the stomach.

All three boys began to attack seemingly at once. The one closest to her had a knife, the one on to his right had pulled out a crowbar, and the one with the bat seemed ready to swing. Himari ran back into her apartment towards her landline. She had barely dialed 110 before the bat embedded itself into the wall right next to her head.

"Eek!" She moved in the opposite direction too fast, and she fell to the floor. Himari saw all three boys above her. She had to think of a way to escape, to survive. After a second that seemed like forever, it occurred to her that if all three of them were here, then no one was at the door. She shot up and bolted to the door. She got through the door, but it wasn't fast enough. A hand grabbed her and pulled her back in.

Then, the world faded into darkness.

Even with her eyes closed, Himari could see a blue glow. She didn't want to open her eyes, but there was no use prolonging the inevitable. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw movement. Himari sat up, prepared to move, and this time, to fight whoever was here. She looked forward into the blue glow and saw…

A fish.

What?

She looked around to see that she was in front of a large fish tank in a dark room. The floor was cold, like cement, and she was wearing the same clothing. Even her hair was still perfect, like nothing even happened.

Himari stood up and walked towards the fish tank. She touched her hand to it and started walking to the darkness next to it. She reached forward, and her hand touched another wall, one she couldn't see. She began following that wall, turning when she reached a corner, until she felt a door way. She felt around the door. When she found the doorknob, she turned it.

"EEEEEK!" A girl's high-pitched scream came from the other side and Himari jumped back away from the door as it opened all the way. Through the doorway, she could see the source of said voice. A girl with pink hair in a braid, a pink hoodie that seemed to be too big for her, and black pants was on the floor in front of her. For a long moment, they just stared at each other.

"Hi! Uhm, I'm Masuyo Saitou. Do you happen to know where we are?" The girl, Saitou, was picking her self up from the floor. Himari couldn't help but be disappointed that she met someone else, only for her to not know where they were either. Saitou was holding her hands together and rubbing her finger with her thumb methodically. "Um, we're not the only one's here. I need you to come with me."

Saitou grabbed Himari's hand, not actually touching her due to the overlarge cuffs of Saitou's hoodie, and dragged her quickly to a room filled with people. They all seemed to be around Himari's age, and all of them were dressed differently.

"I found someone else, and it seems she's the last one!" Saitou called out. Everyone turned towards Himari, and she felt herself being analyzed. One of the girls in the room approached Saitou.

"Masuyoooooo! You're safe! You were gone for so long that people were theorizing how you died!" The girl tackled Saitou and knocked her to the ground. Saitou looked sheepish and quietly apologized for worrying the girl. The girl nodded, and popped up off of Saitou, leaving Saitou to pick herself up off the floor.

"What's your name? I'm Shika Takenaka, and you can call me Shika! Masuyo said that she thinks you're the last one but the last one of what? Are we throwing a party? Setting up a terrorist attack? Maybe it's a battle royale and I'll have to fight for the right to smash in Ena's head!" Shika didn't seem to be talking to her, more talking at her than anything.

"If anyone gets the right to slaughter Miyamoto mercilessly, and watch the demonic light in her eyes die, it should be Yoshida. After all, she's the one who tried to talk to her and got bitch slapped." A boy in the back said. He seems a bit unhinged, thought Himari. If this is a battle royale, he's the one to watch.

"Like you people can kill me, dirt can't bring down gold, obviously." Said a girl in the back, presumably Ena Miyamoto. Shika suddenly grabbed Himari's arm, shocking her immensely.

"Ignore her, do you know anything about what's going on?" Once again, all eyes were on Himari. She shook her head, and there was an air of disappointment in the room. Before she could say anything, there was a voice behind her.

"Heya, kiddos!"

She turned around and saw a podium. On top of that podium was a bear.

…What the fuck?