"It's not fair..."

Why was he saying that again? And what was that coppery scent?

His vision blurred about, the shaded area being a bit hard to make out. There were other colors, other people about, but they weren't moving. No, all was quiet except for that black and white bear, laughing and laughing.

No, that was wrong, there was something else moving, on the ground in front of him, a sanguine liquid seeping from a pile of indigo and blue. He felt nauseous as he realized what it was.

As he took a reflexive step back, his blurry vision began to clear as someone took a step towards , suited in gray, with orange hair, pointing something at him...right, Ohtori Keiko. She said something, but the boy didn't quite catch it.

Feeling something in his hands, he raised his arms, spotting the piece of railing that had splintered off in the havoc resting in his hand, that reeking liquid visible near the end. With a shudder, he clutched his free hand to his face, raising the light piece of metal defensively as he stepped back.

"Drop your weapon, Urabe Shigeru!" Ohtori demanded, the girl having taken a bold stance, her fencing rapier in the air in front of her. He heard her that time.

"It's not fair!" Urabe repeated, shouting.

Hiiragi, her long navy hair blowing a bit in the wind swallowed, before stating, "Of course it ain't fair! Er, it's not, but..."

Uchida in her skirt pointed at the Luckster as she noted fiercely, "You're not helping it any!" Staff clacking on the ground, Shirakawa moved a bit closer, but seemed wary, hovering near where he'd likely heard the commotion, the Healer ready to act.

Fearing for his safety, Urabe didn't back down, holding his makeshift weapon at the ready. Ohtori shifted a bit closer, making him swallow in anticipation. He heard shuffling as he saw the small Furinji circling around to behind him, the Jujutsu Master at the ready.

Gritting his teeth, Urabe snarled, "See!? It's ridiculous! I...I'm not going to survive like this!"

The brown haired Hunter, Inami sighed, "Not with such poor self control, you aren't."

Picking at his teeth, the huge Kitano snorted, "Well, you are pretty runty..."

"It's not that!" Urabe roared, his throat cracking. Hands shaking he hissed, "All of y-you and y-your T-Talents... Is this supposed to be a joke!?" He felt his eyes moisten as tears of frustration came to him, the boy muttering, "Is my Luck supposed to help me out here, huh!? How so!?"

Swallowing, Ohtori glanced at her weapon, muttering, "So that was it..." Taking a step back, she sheathed her blade, before saying, "Shirakawa-san, please..."

"Katsuragi, by the sound of it, right?" Shirakawa nodded, heading over to the fallen body, his staff gliding across the ground, guiding him to the fallen Dreamer. Reaching him, Shirakawa crouched down, opening his bag and going to work.

Going to his side, Inami asked, "Let me know if I can help. I have a good deal of first aid knowledge..."

Hands clutching the sides of her head, tilting her brown spectacles, Miyamoto grumbled, "Everything was perfectly fine five mintues ago!"

The tall, tanned Rukawa somehow seemed unfettered, wondering aloud as if she were talking about what she was going to eat later, "Is he gonna die?"

The dark kimono clad Oomichi cackled, "There's so much blood! We might have a vengeful spirit on our hands..."

Barely keeping it together, the Kabuki Actor, Shimao, cried out, "Noooooo!"

"Keep it down," Furinji said firmly.

Hands still shaking, Urabe felt his breathing start to slow, but his stomach had yet to settle. Meeting his gaze, Ohtori began, "Monokuma was in the middle of explaining things."

Adjusting his frameless glasses, Zaizen spat bitterly, "Ah yes, the 'rules'."

Pressing her fingers together anxiously, Takanashi nodded, "There may be hope yet, Urabe-sama."

Glancing down at the metal in his hands once again, Urabe rushed to cover his mouth, catching some of his vomit, choking. The pressure from the situation having been too much, he slipped to his knees, coughing as he tried to recover, eyes still burning with moisture.

Letting out a sigh, Monokuma laughed, "Well, well, well, that was something~" Taking a few steps forwards, Monokuma began, "Well, you have no need to worry, this isn't like any of those Royal Battles, sorta. No, I want a controlled chaos!" Looking over to Katsuragi's fallen form, Monokuma continued, "I mean, stuff like this is super shocking the first time, isn't it? But it's just going to get tiring. Self defense is just going to paint the ship in blood because you're scared. I want to see you kill for better reasons, like those hopes you hold on to!"

Momentarily distracted, Inami blurted, "What?"

Hiiragi nodded, "Yeah, what are you on about!?"

Oomichi shouted, "Everyone must die!" With a stilted smile, she added cleanly, "...Or so you said earlier."

Monokuma nodded, "I did, didn't I? Oooops~ Well, I really meant, 'everyone must die except for the killer!"

Scratching his head, Kitano muttered, "Huh? But then wouldn't Urabe be lucky if Katsuragi died over there?"

Monokuma turned red as he snarled in rage, "Whaddaya mean!? Gosh, it's almost like I twisted my words to make you guys freak out or something. And look at that success, upupupu!" Waving his paw dismissively, Monokuma went on, "See, it's not enough to just kill someone! That's senseless and gets old quickly! No, you need to do it right! The perfect crime: disgusing true clues and planting fake evidence, all to get away with it! After your murder, there will be a Class Trial. All of you will have a chance to dissect any crime scenes and figure out the Culprit yourself. If you succeed, the murderer is banished! See what I mean now, Urabe? If Katsuragi died now, everyone would know you did it! No fun in that."

As if he hadn't already been enough of a wreck, he could feel his face grow paler, his heart seeming to sink into his gut. Shaking his head, he muttered, "I'm such an idiot..."

Monokuma swiftly replied, "Really? That's what you think? On the contrary, I admire your spirit! Man, you must really be afraid of all of your classmates if that's how you react."

Oomichi the Fear Monger frowned, "Oh, it's my fault..."

"H-hardly," Uchida replied.

Rubbing the chin with the back of his hand, Furinji seemed befuddled as he pointed out, "I don't understand: why would anyone kill under these circumstances?"

"Hopes?" Inami repeated the bear's line.

Monokuma nodded, "Of course! You see, the Culprit only dies if their discovered. If not, then they get to leave with their life! Of course, if the Culprit gets to go, then the failures who couldn't discover them get to die instead."

Clenching his fist, Kitano realized, "So, killing one guy is like trying to kill all of us?" Baring his teeth, he shot a glare at Urabe, snarling, "What the hell!?"

Massaging his forehead, Zaizen snapped, "Oi. If it's news to you, it's likely news to him as well, oaf."

As Kitano turned his gaze on the Puzzler, Hiiragi shouted, "Stop it!" Looking between the two, Kitano clicked his tongue, before turning away.

"Upupupu, I think I've said all I need to say. Of course, there are a few more rules, which you can find posted in the Mess Hall. And I'll be watching to make sure you don't break any! Things...happen, to people who break rules!" Letting out a satisfied moan, Monokuma mused, "This is going to be a lot of fun! I can bearly contain my excitement!" With that, the bear scampered away, leaving the students to themselves.

All that remained was a stark silence, as the situation began to sink in, excluding the occasional shuffle from Shirakawa and Inami's treatment. The sun had dipped below the ocean's horizon, though the faint glow still remained, partially obscured by the lights keeping the ship's deck illuminated.

Urabe was still trying to process everything. He'd panicked more than a little, which wasn't completely unreasonable considering the likes of Kitano, Furinji, or Ohtori. And Inami was a Hunter, right? What was he supposed to do if she made him her mark? But then...why did he attack Katsuragi Yaichi? Was it because he was closest? He certainly didn't hate him...

Looking down at the weapon still in his arms, Urabe clenched his teeth before tossing it aside, the hollow metal shard of railing clattering to a stop nearby, the noise making the nearby Uchida and Shimao jump.

The makeup laden Shimao roared, "Don't do that!"

Arms loose at his sides, Furinji suggested, "Give him a moment: his fate lies in the balance."

Swallowing, Urabe looked over at Shirakawa and Inami again, both of them having more than a bit of blood dabbed on them. After a few more minutes, Shirakawa let out a sigh, standing. Wiping his hands, he explained, "Well, it appears he made off with a light concussion, though the blood loss should take more than a bit out of him for a while, but he'll live. If the weapon was what I just heard being thrown, then it certainly sounds light."

Kitano nodded, "And you don't look too strong, kid."

A weight was removed from his chest at the news, but Urabe still felt a strong amount of guilt. There wasn't even a hint of smile on his face as he stood shakily.

The reasons for his guilt were brought up rather quickly however, Miyamoto swallowed, before wondering fearfully, "Why Katsuragi though? You were hanging out together when you explored, weren't you?"

Urabe flinched, before muttering, "He was just...right there..."

"Enough," Ohtori stated clearly. "For now, we'll make sure Katsuragi is situated, before looking at the rules over a meal. We'll discuss what to do about our situation then." With no room to argue, everyone began to filter downwards, Katsuragi being hoisted by Ohtori and Furinji with no trouble.

As the group reached the main deck and got to the Mess Hall, Urabe was part of the group that kept going to the First Level of the ship, he, Shirakawa, and Inami going to clean themselves up. Entering his own Cabin, he slipped through the other door into the nearby bathroom. Reaching the sink, he cleansed his sullied hand. As he finished, he couldn't help but feel relieved that they were had not been permanently stained.

After washing his face, he left his room, returning upstairs to the Mess Hall. Spotting the long table, seated for fifteen, there were only a few empty spots, so he took the nearest seat next to Takanashi and Miyamoto, doing his best to avoid eye contact. The next to arrive were Furinji and Ohtori, who simply took their seats, but Inami arrived and immediately went to the nearby counter, hissing, "Why is it taking so long for the food!?"

"Are you hungry too?" Rukawa asked, tilting her head.

Hiiragi sighed, "It might be hard to find..."

As Urabe blinked in confusion, he noticed a large piece of paper in the hands of Zaizen, tape hanging off the corners, Hiiragi sitting next to him and glancing at it. As Inami looked a little frustrated, Zaizen explained, "The rules. Rule Four states: 'Meals are delivered at 7:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 6:00 PM. Only at those times, one person may enter the Kitchen to collect the food, and they must bring out every prepared plate.'" Shaking his head, he muttered, "How pointlessly obtuse. We're being toyed with."

Takanashi explained further, "Uchida-sama offered to go fetch our meal, but-"

"H-here I am!" Came an anxious voice from the Kitchen. Holding a tray of about half a dozen plates very carefully, Uchida watched them tensely as she carried them over, going in speeds of only a few centimeters a second.

Inami made to reach for her as she came closer, grabbing the tray once it was within reach, Uchida visibly sighing with relief once she was stable. As she handed the tray off, she sighed, "There's still another one."

Kitano snorted, "Only one more!? How the hell is that gonna feed us What are we, pre-schoolers?" Glancing at the Tutor, he smirked, "Well, guess you do kinda look like one."

"I give that crack an 'F'," Miyamoto stated plainly.

The Bancho shrugged, "Pssh, a grade better that that would require me to work for it."

Miyamoto prepared to scold the huge boy some more, before stopping herself, leaning back in her seat and smirking, "Oho, a challenge, huh?" Kitano didn't seem too impressed.

A few minutes later, Uchida, having taken multiple trips just to be safe, arrived with the last dish just as Shirakawa finally arrived, leaving only Katsuragi's seat empty.

Zaizen began, "Now, I suppose we should start by going over the rules."

Taking the paper again, he began to read them aloud as everyone else settled into their meals. Urabe however, could only eat a few bites, not having the appetite.

Rule One: Students are to stay on the boat until the trip is concluded. Supplies have been provided for the voyage.

Rule Two: Keep our oceans clean! Dropping things off of the boat is strictly forbidden.

Rule Three: Sleep is only allowed in the Cabin rooms.

Rule Four: Meals are delivered at 7:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 6:00 PM. Only at those times, one person may enter the Kitchen to collect the food, and they must bring out every prepared plate.

Rule Five: Locked doors are not to be broken down or have their locks picked.

Rule Six: Damaging your Guide, Monokuma, is not allowed.

Rule Seven: In order to complete the Game of Mutual Killing, a Student must kill another and keep the crime from being discovered. Several hours after the murder, a Class Trial will be held.

Rule Eight: Rules may be added at any time by the Guide.

With a sigh, Hiiragi noted, "There's gonna be more?"

Shimao scratched his head, shrugging, speaking with his normal stutter, "W-w-well, th-th-those don't seem t-t-t-to bad." Shaking his head, his mane of hair shuffling, he added boldly, "Trivial even!"

Uchida agreed, "Exactly! I mean, didn't Monokuma say we'd die for breaking the Rules?"

As Shimao's eyes widened in recollection, Oomichi chuckled darkly, "Made to sleep with the fish for littering in the ocean? A fittingly ironic fate."

Shirakawa nodded, "That is a bit much..."

As he mulled over the rules himself, Urabe wasn't sure what to think: they couldn't leave, they couldn't attack Monokuma... Things weren't looking very good.

Ohtori began, "It seems our best bet is to wait for the voyage to come to an end, and hope we can change the situation from there. Out on the sea, we're at his mercy, but-"

"Good luck with that!" came a nastily familiar voice. Appearing nearby, Monokuma laughed, "The way I see it: no way we're getting to land until before a murder happens! I can personally guarantee it!"

Takanashi frowned, "That is not very kind."

Shirakawa shook his head, grumbling, "You intend to keep us at sea forever?"

Monokuma snorted, "Not forever, of course: I mean, the full cast isn't assembled yet!"

Urabe blinked for a moment, before recalling, "The...extra room?"

Monokuma nodded, explaining, "Yup! Think about it: we've got eight ladies and seven dudes. My shipping chart isn't a perfect square!"

"Because we're on a boat?" Rukawa wondered aloud.

Ignoring her, Monokuma continued, "Mr. 16 happened to already be at our destination, so we'll be seeming him later!"

Blinking in surprise, Ohtori nodded a bit tensely, "I...see."

Zaizen snorted, "That's hardly fair: if he's alone, he's out of harms way. He can't be a fellow target until we arrive."

Monokuma shrugged, "Eh, it goes both ways! He can't kill any of you either. He can't even participate in any seafaring Trials either, boo hoo. He can watch though! In fact, he already is! Say hi!"

A bit nervous, Miyamoto cringed, "He isn't watching like...all the time, is he?"

Monokuma shook his head, adding, "Of course not! Even though you don't see any cameras, this limited edition broadcast is tasteful television! No fanservicy shower scenes or the like. Well, unless you consider wonton violence, malicious murders, and the tears of teenagers in Despair fanservice like I do!" Breathing heavily, he panted, "Oh, just the thought is getting me all hot and bothered." Grin seeming to widen, he continued, "How is the first one going to die? Will they be bludgeoned? Stabbed? Burnt? Smashed? Hexed? Electrocuted? Drowned? Impaled? Disemboweled?"

Shimao swallowed, "I-if someone dies to a hex, I'm blaming Oomichi."

After a moment, the kimono clad girl smiled, nodding, "That's fair."

As Shimao recoiled in horror, Miyamoto rolled her eyes, sighing, "Don't agree with him..."

Ignoring then, Takanashi glared at the bear, hissing harshly, "Leave." With a shrug, Monokuma complied, sinking away. Blinking in surprise, Takanashi said nothing, simply looking on quizzically.

Swallowing a bit of food, Inami shrugged, "Don't worry. Just be glad he's gone."

After a few moments of grateful silence, Shirakawa noted, "You're being rather quiet over there, Urabe-san."

The Luckster blinked, before noting, "I'm just...not really hungry." Though the meal was nearly finished, the atmosphere because a little tense and awkward as Urabe was brought up.

After a moment, Ohtori sighed, standing up and beginning, "Well, it has to be addressed at some point. We've already had one incident but it's not impossible that another will occur. As has been pointed out, some of us are..." Ohtori trailed off, glancing down to her rapier, before finishing, "...more physically capable than others."

"Damn straight!" Kitano boasted,

With a disappointed frown, Hiiragi whispered, "Shoosh!"

"And mentally capable," Inami said, running her hand down her brown hair. Hiiragi waved her hand about in an attempt to restore order, her face pouty.

Ohtori continued unfettered, "With that in mind, if you have any ideas to make things safer, you are welcome to share-"

"Not carrying around weapons," Zaizen stated plainly.

Ohtori's mouth narrowed, and she nodded, "I'll consider it."

Jostling around his staff, Shirakawa wondered, "Does this count? I do need it, I might add."

Reaching over, Oomichi checked the firmness of Shirakawa's staff, smiling, "Oh, strong. It could smash a skull quite nicely!"

Miyamoto frowned, "Well, it is wood, so it'd be difficult to get any blood stains out."

Furinji added, "But a metal rapier? Quiet easy to clean."

Ohtori nodded, "I don't deny it. And yet, one more person who could keep Kitano in check would be appreciated."

The Bancho snorted, "Eh, keep your oversized toothpick. Doesn't bother me anyway."

Zaizen suggested, "I might be willing to make an exception should she prove trustworthy, but how to decide that, I'm not yet sure. However, I'm more worried about say, knives, box cutters, letter openers: who knows what's in those storage crates."

Shaking his bag, Shirakawa asked, "What about acupuncture needles?"

Getting tired, Urabe mumbled, "Well aren't you ready for anything..."

Hiiragi jumped in, "I think Shirakawa-san is fine, you know? He's a doctor! Kinda."

"Sure," Shirakawa shrugged.

Uchida suggested, "W-well, shouldn't everyone at least consider arming themselves? I mean, in self defense, you know?"

Zaizen snorted, "You most definitely aren't allowed to arm your self."

Shimao shouted, "But Ohtori-san is allowed!"

Zaizen shrugged, "If you wish, you may carry a weapon. Just not Uchida Hiyori."

Glaring, the plain girl stammered, "H-hey, that's not fair!"

Zaizen sighed, "Fine then, tell me your Talent, and I'll reconsider." Uchida bit her lip, but said nothing. Continuing, Zaizen said, "The same goes for you two: Oomichi, Urabe." Even though his reasoning was sound, Urabe couldn't help but flinch.

Scratching his chin, Shirakawa wondered aloud, "If everyone agrees that it's his place to give judgement, I won't oppose."

After a moment of silence, Zaizen added, "And I can assure you, I won't be carrying any weapons either, if only to keep the lot of you quiet."

With a bit of unease, Takanashi suggested, "Well, that might be acceptable for the evening: perhaps we can come up with an alternative by morning, after some time to let out situation sink in. Katsuragi-san might also have a suggestion to offer when he recovers."

After considering the point, Ohtori nodded, "Fair enough." Pushing her plate aside, she stood, suggesting, "It's late, so I think we should turn in for the night, and meet in the morning when breakfast is supplied."

Without any hesitation, Urabe stood, leaving is barely touched food where it lay, ignoring the eyes following as he made his way to the lower deck. Once he was back on the first level, he slipped into his Cabin, relieved to be locking the door behind him.

Standing by the portal, he remained silent, the only noise reaching his ears being that of the waves against the ship, still sailing in the night, or the occasional step of one of the others going to their own Cabin for the night.

It was almost too much to bear: the shame, the guilt. Kitano and Inami were right: he was weak, physically and mentally. His grades weren't the best in any subject, not even close, and he spent no time with any sports. He was the poster child of average, but he was still accepted to Hope's Peak Academy anyway. And how could he not accept? Was there ever a Luckster that didn't accept in the school's whole history? How Lucky he seemed right now. What hope did he have to get through this?

...Hope? Wasn't someone saying something about that earlier? Urabe never really considered himself much of a hopeful person, but...what choice did he have? If he couldn't fight his was out or think his way out, then maybe he could simply wait and hope to avoid danger...

Shaking his head, he tried to keep his mind off the situation, shuffling towards his bed, not even bothering to remove his blue flannel or jeans as he flopped into his bed, closing his eyes and doing the only thing he could: get some rest.

Monomi Theater II

Upupupu, I knew you'd be back, but I'm still surprised! I know a lot of things, but even I can never know why you'd be interested in such a boring story like the one of Monomi.

Even on her first day of high school...you remember yours, right? You didn't have a lot of friends so you were really nervous: couldn't even say your name in your first class! How did I know? Well, I know a lot of things!

Well, Monomi was really nervous too. After all, she really was nothing. She liked every movie and book she'd touched, because she had no taste. She always tried to help people, but no one ever tried to help her. She always smiled, but no one ever smiled back. Well, not being a real person may have contributed: I mean, it's not like I'm the only one who can tell when something's not real.

But Monomi couldn't understand it! She said they same things and did the same things as others had, but while they got what she wanted, she was left with nothing. So she showed them how good she was at copying others! Sure, some of her classmates were impressed, but then they realized how creepy it was! This person could kill and replace you! They could become you! Monomi was like an invading alien! And if someone showed you how easy you were to replicate, you'd be put off too, right? I mean, no one likes being told they're meaningless, no matter how true it may be.

Oh Monomi, if only you'd learned a way to be likable...

Grunting, Urabe twitched with discomfort as light from the other side of his eyelid disturbed his rest. As he felt the sunlight warming him, he stirred a bit more, before reluctantly sitting up, rubbing his eyes and glancing around, spotting the dawn sunlight beaming in from the window. Wiping his face, he threw his legs off the side of his bed, sitting for a moment.

He hadn't forgotten last night. How could he? That was no dream.

But that wasn't a concern of Urabe's right now. He was worried about Katsuragi. After a night of rest, the Dreamer was probably getting close to waking, if he wasn't up already. He could try to run: the ship was fairly large, after all but...the sooner he confronted him, the better. Perhaps he could dare to Hope for a good outcome?

After taking a moment to wash his face in the bathroom, he made his way out, not seeing anyone until he went upstairs to the Mess Hall, where most everyone was. A few were missing though, including Katsuragi, which only made him more anxious about the future encounter. Shirakawa, Kitano, and Rukawa were absent as well, but the others didn't seem to mind, simply eating breakfast.

Taking a seat, he began to realize how hungry he was, having not had a proper meal in ages. As he piled his meal onto his plate, the short Miyamoto frowned, "If you don't wake up on time, your whole life will get thrown out of order."

Before he could even speak, Inami nodded, "It's true."

Swallowing his bite, Urabe asked, "What makes you think this isn't when I normally wake up?"

Nostrils flaring, Miyamoto shrugged, "It doesn't matter when you usually wake up! You have to adapt!"

Seeing Inami nod, Urabe began to realize, "Oh, you're really talking about everyone missing, right?"

Hiiragi moaned, "We were supposed to meet! I'm gettin' worried..."

Ohtori stepped in, mentioning, "Shirakawa is tending to Katsuragi. I checked on him periodically, since his door was unlocked. As they only lock from one side, I had to leave him like that. Luckily, there were no incidents."

Shimao concurred, "Y-yeah, th-th-th-that's good." Shaking his head, he finished fiercely, "The mechanisms of the doors were unknown to me, however!"

Zaizen snorted, "Of course: I'm sure Ohtori and I weren't the only ones to realize it either. However, given that the rooms on the ship aren't soundproofed very well, with so many ears about it would be foolish to try anything there."

Uchida twitched, "Tell me about it." Giving Oomichi Homura a stern look, the girl asked fiercely, "What the hell were you doing last night!?"

"Reading," Oomichi said plainly.

Uchida grimaced, "Books don't make that kind of noise!"

Oomichi nodded, "It was very emotional."

"What kind of emotions were those?" Uchida frowned, clearly worried.

Oomichi nodded, "Lovecraft's works attempt to describe the unknowable, which instilled within me the unfeelable... It was very..." Oomichi made a quick series of bizarre noises consisting on tongue clicks, cheek pops, and teeth rattles. Uchida grimaced, but Urabe found himself trying not to laugh.

Inami frowned, "Well stop. I'm right next to you too. It's annoying. At least don't do it at night."

A dark shade crossed over Oomichi's face, the girl letting out a depressed sigh of, "Fine..."

As Urabe's sides began to hurt from forcing himself not to burst out laughing, a sobering stomp of footsteps prompted him to stuff another bite into his mouth. He didn't need to crane his head to hear who it was, because Kitano let out a yawn, interrupting it with a snarl of, "Hey! Don't you eat everything!"

A smug smile on her face, Miyamoto stated, "It's your fault for not waking up sooner." Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Kitano pass by, Rukawa coming up from behind.

As the two got their own meal, most of the others had finished, leaving their plates on the counter to the Kitchen before going back down or out the door to the deck. Ohtori was sure to keep enough of the food out of Rukawa and Kitano's hands for Katsuragi and Shirakawa should they be able, but otherwise, breakfast passed without another hitch. Once Urabe had deposited his plate, he felt like getting some sun, stepping outside.

Taking a deep breath as he stepped into the salty breeze, he couldn't help but feel a moment of pure healing. Of course, it only took him a moment to get dragged back into the weight of the current situation. Glancing around, he saw Uchida and Takanashi talking. As he moved around them, Urabe no doubt caught their eye, as Uchida asked, "Er, Urabe-san!"

Feeling meek as he turned to face the taller girls, Uchida offered, "Er, we were going to try to see if there's anything we can do about getting off the boat. Wanna help?"

Grateful that she wasn't shying away from him, Urabe nodded, "Sure, I'll help, somehow."

Uchida stated resolutely, "You're Lucky! If anyone can help us, its you."

Urabe cringed mentally at the proclamation, but could only respond, "Er, I suppose."

Takanashi nodded, "Thank you, Urabe-sama. There is strength in numbers."

Nudging forwards a bit, Urabe wondered aloud, "Where to start?"

Uchida suggested, "Well, it's against the rules to break down a door or pick the lock, but if one 'accidentally' opened..."

Takanashi added, "There is also the possibility of life boats being available. In fact, I believe it is a legal requirement, but I have not seen any thus far."

Urabe recalled, "Well, if there's anything to see, going up higher would help, right? If anything we can work our way down." He regretted his words almost immediately, recalling the events of last evening. Unfortunately, the girls didn't hesitate, making their way up. Figuring it was too late, Urabe simply swallowed, slipping his hands into his pockets, hoping they would stay there. As he climbed the stairs after the girls, he shook his head, trying to hope nothing bad would happen.

After passing the door to the Command Deck (though not before trying, and failing, to open it), the trio found themselves on the Upper Deck, which was just as much of a wreck as it had been. The railing was bent and twisted, the pieces that remained sticking up like gnarled spikes, the shattered bits of the rest scattered on the ground. Urabe averted his gaze from the dried blood on one of the sides.

Eyes away from the stain, Uchida headed over to the very back of the ship, opposite Monokuma's stage, saying, "We can't get down here, so maybe that's where they're hiding."

As Uchida craned her body through the remains of the railing, Urabe saw Takanashi looking over the debris with a look of disdain. As he noticed her fingers twitching, he began, "Yeah, it's horrible..."

"Indeed. I want to right this wrong somehow," Takanashi dourly.

Urabe nodded, "We all have to do our part, don't we? You shouldn't place so much on yourself."

Takanashi swallowed, "It's just...I cannot stand the Despair that could be incurred."

Urabe sighed, "We'll just have to be careful."

Takanashi's eye twitched, and she said, "But it is wrong! We should not have to be careful! We should be free to do as we please without worry of danger. This is all Monokuma's fault... Something must be done."

Getting a little scared, Urabe blinked, "Like what?"

Takanashi furrowed her brow, mystified as she stated, "'Like' having this mess cleaned up, naturally."

Urabe stared blankly, mind bending as the meaning behind her words dawned on him. Backpedaling, he asked, "Er, w-would you like a hand?"

Takanashi sighed, "I am not even sure where to begin. No broom, no dustpan, no garbage cans anywhere. And that blood is a biohazard: if it were on the floor of Berry Mart I would ensure it was dealt with post haste!"

Urabe nodded, "Oh, now I see."

Takanashi began, "Even the smallest spill or piece of litter could be a falling hazard."

"Umm," came a mutter from the railing. Glancing over, Urabe saw Uchida standing a few steps away, her arms crossed over her chest. Once she had the attention of the other two, she began, "Well, now that you two are done with your floor talk... I could really get a good view from here, and I don't think going lower will help: it's overhanging the rest of the ship, or something. But if we get a mirror and rig it to some sort of pole or something, I think we might be able to see."

Takanashi smiled, "Excellent thinking, Uchida-sama."

Urabe nodded, "Yeah, there might be something like that in Storage. We should try and find rope or something while we're at it too, if we need to get down there."

Satisfied with the planned course of action, Uchida made for the stairs down, before glancing at the mess again, saying, "Though I guess we could do something about this too."

Urabe frowned, "The easiest way would be to just-" The Luckster punctuated his sentence with a kick, knocking against one smaller piece of metal, sending it bouncing.

"WATCH OUT!" came a loud yell. Urabe jumped back as Monokuma appeared before the metal even came to a stop. As Urabe looked at the bear, the robot was watching the piece of metal Urabe had kicked as it bounced to a stop. Monokuma sighed. "Whew, that was close! If it fell off the boat, I'd have to kill you." Grasping his torso, Monokuma guffawed, "Gyahahaha, guess you really are Lucky! You'd be double dead right now if you weren't."

As Urabe groaned, Uchida swallowed, "You were serious?"

Monokuma shrugged, "Am I ever not?" The bear stopped, before adding quickly, "Don't answer that."

Takanashi pouted, "If we cannot do anything about this mess, than will you?"

Monokuma sighed, "I guess it can't be helped. When an unbearably plain and boring girl asks me something, I can't help but to laugh and do it anyway." Turning away, Monokuma chuckled 'upupu' too himself before grabbing a piece of metal, tossing it into the air and catching it with his jaw, swallowing it.

Uchida blinked, before stating, "Hey, Monokuma! Jump off the boat!"

Monokuma stopped, turning to look at her, before chortling, "But plain, boring girls who admit they are plain, boring, and ugly, just make me want to throw up." Covering his mouth with his paw, Monokuma hacked a few times, before the piece of metal came back, clattering onto the ground from Monokuma's snout with a shine of blue oil on it.

Uchida stammered, "I-I did not say I was ugly!"

Monokuma shrugged, "You said you were plain and boring though! Twice! Gyahahaha I can't take it anymore, you're killing me!" Laughing all the louder, Monokuma went back to his work, eating his way through the mess. Urabe was mostly just glad he kept his mouth shut, waving his hands toward the stairs downward, trying to avoid any further conflict.

Once the trio was out of range of the bear, Uchida whined, "He's so awful!"

Urabe couldn't help but notice, "You're pretty good at dealing with him though, Takanashi-san."

The Retail Clerk gave a weak smile, nodding, "Many in my position deal with their fair share of unruly customers."

Uchida wondered aloud, "Wait, would you sell stuff to bears?"

Takanashi gave an awkward smile as she insisted, "I would try to provide the best experience possible..." Urabe tried to imagine what one would do when a bear walked through the door...

After a brief walk, the group made their way past the Cabins to the second level, ignoring the set of stairs down to the mysterious red door and heading into the Storage. Urabe noted, "It'd be faster to split up, but this place is pretty mazey, so we might want to stick together."

Takanashi pointed out, "There is an alternate path around the edge of the area, but we should not hope what we need will be so conveniently placed."

Uchida blinked, looking over at the side, before grumbling, "O-oh, that would have been nice to know."

Urabe noticed, "You got lost in there too?" The girl with the ponytail nodded with a sigh.

Hoping such a thing would not happen this time, the three began to make their way through, checking each container that was opened. Many were packed to the brim with boxes fitted so tightly that they couldn't take anything, while others were nearly empty, and every state between empty and full being represented.

As they looked around, the wasn't much conversation until Uchida mumbled, "Hmm, Urabe-san, I was thinking..."

"Yeah?" The Luckster asked.

"Well...you said you were looking up who your classmates might be before the trip, right?" Uchida wondered. Urabe nodded, confirming her suspicious, so the girl continued, "I was just thinking about the guy who's waiting for us at our destination. You have any idea of who it is?"

Urabe blinked, before thinking back to the discussions he'd lurked in. Finger on his chin, he mused, "Well, if it were a girl, I might have said Ikegami Fumi, but if it's a guy, then it's probably Nakamura Ushio or Nishijou Daisuke." As both girls leaned in, their desire to know more plain, he noticed, "O-oh, you haven't heard of them, huh?" Unable to resist, he shared what tidbits he knew as the continued their search for their mirror rig setup.

That subject didn't last long, however, and soon enough, they were back to searching in silence. As they finally found what they were looking for, they got to an area and began to assemble it.

"Be sure to attach the mirror firmly: if it falls off..." Takanashi warned.

Urabe, who'd been holding the mirror to the pole, and Uchida, whom was about to bind it with tape, both became hesitant. A bit of sweat on her forehead, she asked, "Er, do you think you could do it, Takanashi-san?"

Tilting her head, Takanashi noted, "You seem to have it under control."

Swallowing, Uchida nodded, "Right, right." Taking a breath, the girl steeled herself, stooping down, tape in hand, Urabe bracing himself, holding it together.

After a couple more minutes, their work was complete. Uchida stepped back, studying the tape. Takanashi held a finger to her mouth in contemplation, while Urabe gently lifted it. Shaking it around a bit, it seemed to be holding, so he increased the force. Takanashi let out a gasp, and the mirror slipped from its unfitting tape bindings, falling to the ground and smashing, the reflective surface cracking in several places, the noise making Urabe cringe.

Uchida mumbled warily, "Oh, seven years bad luck..."

Urabe grumbled, "That was your fault!"

Uchida pouted, "I-I wasn't lifting it!"

Urabe frowned, "I don't really need any more bad luck right now."

Uchida retorted, "Well, I certainly don't want it!" Pointing her finger, she said, "You should have moved it with the tape, not against it!"

Eye twitching, Urabe massaged his forehead, muttering, "What does that even mean?"

Takanashi butted in, "Excuse me!" The two stopped speaking, allowing her to finish, "It seems this was not a very good idea. I shall clean up the mess..."

"Er, I'll help you, Takanashi-san!" Uchida said.

With a sigh, Urabe put down the pole, before saying, "I guess I'll go see if I we can think of anything else..."

Takanashi nodded, "Thank you for the assistance, Urabe-sama." Uchida said nothing, turning away. Not wanting to intrude any more, Urabe made his way out, making his way back upstairs. As he passed the Cabins, he was about to consider what he should do next, when he noticed one of the doors was ajar. Glancing at it, he saw it was Katsuragi's.

His heart froze as he came to a stop just beyond the door. Had the Dreamer seen him? As Urabe stood still, he thought he heard shuffling from the bed.

Swallowing,Urabe slapped his cheeks lightly, trying to get a hold of himself, before taking a deep breath, slipping his hands into his pockets, and turning to take a look inside, noticing that part of his blue hair was shrouded by white bandages. He managed to keep from looking away when he met that teal pair of eyes, Katsuragi's expression quickly shifting from one of recognition to one of concern.

Quickly trying to recover the mood, Urabe stepped in, forcing a smile as he said, "Glad to see you're back up, Katsuragi-san." When the Dreamer didn't reply, Urabe added, "So, er, I guess the others told you what happened?"

Katsuragi shook his head, explained, "Nope. Shirakawa just told me to get some rest for today." Urabe held back a grimace, wishing he had tried to make it a little easier for the Luckster. Katsuragi continued, "Monokuma was telling us about the Mutual Killing thing, then...I guess something hit me, and Monokuma mentioned you being unlucky..."

"It was me," Urabe blurted quickly, the words having been forced out of his mouth. He had to say it: he had to get it out now, or else it would no doubt get more and more awkward. "I panicked and thought we were all supposed to just do it, right there, so I grabbed that piece of metal, looked over to you, and..."

Swallowing once more, he averted his gaze from Katsuragi, moving closer to the center of the Cabin before dropping to his knees, bowing his head until it was just barely above the floor, finishing, "I don't know if you can ever forgive me, or if I can ever make it up to you, but I'm sorry! I made a big mistake!"

Urabe braced himself, waiting in silence for a moment, before Katsuragi finally spoke, "...It's alright."

Blinking in surprise, Urabe looked up. Katsuragi seemed contemplative, thinking for a moment. Urabe noticed his hair and clothes were still dotted with some blood from last evening, which started to make him feel even worse. "I don't..." Urabe muttered.

Katsuragi shrugged, "Well, you aren't going to do it again, right?"

Urabe narrowed his eyes, noting, "Of course not. If someone gets caught, that's it for them..."

Blinked Katsuragi wondered, "Er, I was kinda...asleep. What did Monokuma say?" Just as he asked, his stomach rumbled. A bit sheepishly, he asked, "Er, when's lunch?"

Standing hastily, Urabe said, "I-I'll see if it's ready yet!" Taking his leave, Urabe headed out the door, moving a few steps away before stopping.

Letting out a breath, he leaned a bit on the wall. As he let out a sigh of relief, he sank a bit.

Katsuragi didn't hate him, even though he'd nearly taken his life.

...

What an idiot Urabe had been.

Mood lightening, Urabe made his way up, finding out that plates had already been passed out. Gathering both his meal and Katsuragi's, he began to relax. He seemed to be taking the situation pretty well, considering he hadn't said much yesterday when everything was getting weird.

Returning to Katsuragi's room with plates, utensils, and a smile on his face once more, Urabe passed Katsuragi his food, before recollecting what he knew about the rules and that Trial buisness, and the last Student as well.

As it all sank in to the Dreamers head, Urabe got a few bites in before Katsuragi nodded, "Man, this whole thing is pretty weird, though I guess I should have figured that out as soon as Monokuma showed up. Or Monomono and Kumakuma, whatever." With a confident pose, he finished, "But I think we'll be fine though: I mean, we're all Super High School Level:there's no way we'll mess up in trying to solve a murder." With an awkward laugh, he added, "Well, I'd rather there not be a murder in the first place..."

"There won't be! ...Probably. You have a point though," Urabe replied. Thinking back, he thought about who the more intelligent ones here might be. Zaizen was a given, Miaymoto, of course...

Wondering about something, Urabe asked, "Hey, you think we'll be able to get out of this, right?"

Katsuragi smiled, "Of course!" Clenching his fist, he nodded, "My sister and I are bound by fate. We have to meet again, or the whole world will perish! Surely whomever is behind us must know that much..."

Recalling the name of the slightly younger girl, Urabe replied, "Katsuragi Yumi, right?" Stopping himself before he got distracted, he sighed, "And you don't say that 8th Grader Syndrome stuff a lot, right?"

Katsuragi laughed, "Er, well, I just thought is was kind of funny, even if that is kinda how I feel...but yeah, that's what I'm most worried about. She can take care of herself, but I swear something went wrong every time she needed to fend for herself, so I worry..."

Urabe shuddered, "You wouldn't be worried enough about her sake to kill, right?"

Katsuragi blinked for a moment, before shaking his head, "Of course not! She's perfectly safe a million miles away, so as long as we get through this, everything will be fine!"

Glad for his confidence, Urabe nodded, "Good to hear."

The pair finished their meal, and Urabe took their plates. As he made to leave, he bid farewell, offering, "Get well soon." Katsuragi waved as he left, Urabe being relieved that they could patch things up.

After returning the plates, Urabe returned to his own room, suddenly feeling drained. He could hardly believe Katsuragi could forgive him so easily: would Urabe have done the same had the positions been reversed?

Trying to push those thoughts away, he spent some time relaxing, eventually nodding off off a bit, achieving a half asleep state.

An unknown amount of time later, he rolled over, cracking an eye open, a dark blue one meeting his.

Jarring awake, Urabe scrambled away, bumping into the wall his bed lay against, getting a look at the eye's owner, the tanned Rukawa Yayoi, who watched with a mildly curious expression. "Wh-wh-what are you doing in my room!?" Urabe stammered, wondering how he'd left the door unlocked.

Rukawa blinked, scratching her head as she answered, "Well, Ohtori-san wanted us all there for dinner, and I noticed the door was unlocked, but people don't usually like being woken up, so I decided to wait."

"I-I think I'd rather be woken up," Urabe pointed out, to which Rukawa only nodded. This girl...

Geting up, Urabe stretched, before the pair headed out of Urabe's Cabin, heading upstairs to the Mess Hall once more. As he sat down, he took note that every seat had been filled for once. Food was already out as well.

Glancing around, Ohtori noted, "Glad to have you back with us, Katsuragi-san." The Dreamer, still bandaged, smiled at her words, but Ohtori continued, "Apparently, Urabe-san has already gotten him caught up with the exact situation. Now, it's been about a day: has anyone learned anything?"

Takanashi began, "Uchida-sama and I attempted to locate the ship's lifeboats, but had no luck."

Uchida frowned, "Well, I guess bad luck is still luck."

The Miko Priestess, Hiiragi began, "I was just in the Kitchen, but there was nothing. Just some cooking stuff and doors that wouldn't open."

Shimao Genya nodded, "And likewise for my search! Earlier at lunch, of course!"

Inami stopped eating for a moment, before stating, "I search every millimeter of that red door, but there was nothing to be found."

"If you really can't bear not knowing what's behind that door, you could've asked," Monokuma said.

As those close to the suddenly intruding bear recoiled, Furinji frowned, "It was a much nicer meal when you weren't here."

The small Miyamoto pouted, "I couldn't agree more."

Katsuragi frowned, "What do you want, Monokuma?"

Monokuma gasped, "Ah! The Dreamer has awoken! Now you're just a normal person. What are you doing on this boat again?" Katsuragi said nothing, simply shifting to an unamused expression. With him silent, Monokuma sighed, "Still, it's just a shame you have no guilt in holding everyone else back. If you'd died, everyone would know what was on the other side of that door! And yep, I'd totally do a full Trial even if the Culprit was super obvious, even if I won't say why, upupupu."

Zaizen pondered aloud, "Trial...then is that room a Courtroom?"

Monokuma chortled, "Oh, aren't you so smart. Come one, eeeeeeveryone knew what was behind that door from the moment they saw the color!"

Urabe furrowed his brow, muttering, "Yeah, red obviously means..."

"Meat!" Kitano nodded.

"Sale stickers," Takanashi said with unquestioning faith.

"M-makeup," Shimao stuttered.

"Nothing," Shirakawa smirked.

"Organs!" Oomichi cheered.

"Uh...jerseys?" Rukawa finished, clearly not sure what was going on.

"Guys..." Urabe said, trying to get everyone to calm down.

"Love," Katsuragi added intensely.

A clattering noise of metal rattling within metal stopped the noise. Eyes turned to Ohtori, her hands grasping her rapier by the sheath, the tall girl having knocked it against something to make the distracting noise. Glancing a Monokuma, she said, "I imagine you came to bother us for a reason?"

Monokuma sighed, "You know, you aren't cute at all."

Miyamoto snorted, "She's already at max coolness, don't take away from that!"

Katsuragi added thoughtfully, "But what about, like, gap moé? I mean, she can be super cool, which makes it more adorable when-"

Inami's eye twitched, and she asked, "Moé? What are you talking about?"

Urabe smirked, "Maybe you should cool it on the otaku speak, Katsuragi-san." Ohtori could only stare blanky.

Clearing his throat, Monokuma continued, "Anyway, I was just voicing my disappointment. I don't think even one of you has tried to work on something to kill each other with! Thought about it, I'll bet, but no one's moved. What gives? When are the bodies gonna start hitting the floor? Come on, at least one of must want to get off the boat."

Urabe swallowed, before pointing out, "We all seem to be getting along, actually..."

Monokuma gasped, "What!? How can that be!? Why would any of you place your trust in each other?"

Hiiragi frowned, "You're the only villain here, Monokuma."

Monokuma scoffed, "Ridiculous! I'm just your Guide after all. Jeez, if I had top seat, you'd be respecting me. Imagine it: Headmaster Monokuma! King Monokuma! God Monokuma!"

"In your dreams," Urabe rolled his eyes.

"Hmm hmm, doesn't that make you think though? If I'm not at the top then...who is?" Monokuma mused.

The once relaxed air suddenly seemed to become chillier, and the steadily lowering sun was not the cause.

"What are you implying?" Shirakawa asked warily.

Monokuma shrugged, "What do you think? Some Puppetmaster has to be pulling the strings, right? And if Zaizen is to be believed, it certainly isn't Hope's Peak Academy."

Zaizen snorted, "Of course not." Glowering at the others, he shook his head, "To think none of you even thought to call the school..."

Kitano shrugged, "Eh, free vacation. You think I'm gonna skip something like that?"

Inami frowned, "Did your consciousness lapse when he told us to kill each other?"

Kitano snorted, "Nah, I just don't care." Grinning bitterly, he added, "None of you could kill me if you tried, let's be honest here..."

Takanashi interrupted, "Er, I think Monokuma has a point...who is behind all of this?"

Monokuma cheered, "Oh, I know! And it goes higher than you can possibly imagine! Of course, what kind of mega organization wouldn't want to keep tabs on you at all times?"

Miyamoto glared, "Yes, there those hidden cameras you were talking about. And you..."

Monokuma tilted his head, "Huh? I was talking about even closer."

Urabe felt his heart pound, the boy muttering, "You mean, like...a mole?"

Monokuma laughed, "Perhaps even the Puppetmaster themselves! Oh, the potential is endless, but all I'm going to say is that some of you aren't as they seem, and if you take the smiles at face value, well, it might just be the last thing you see!"

"And why should we believe you?" Furinji stated boldly.

Monokuma mused, "I'm not the one you need to believe! Look around you! Fourteen perfectly capable Talents, and Uchida, all of whom, with the right opportunity-"

"Shut it!" Katsuragi shouted. Despite himself, Urabe felt his hands begin to tremble.

Monokuma chuckled darkly, "Upupupu. Say what you want, but opportunity will come, and those who've prepared themselves will be the most ready. Will you?"

Takanashi was pale as she asked, "You would not change our current situation to create more opportunities, would you?"

Uchida stammered, "D-don't go giving him ideas!"

Monokuma snorted, "Absolutely...not! Why should I? I want to see you kill because you want to, not because I forced you to! I'm just providing the setting where you can do almost anything you desire and get away with it if you're clever enough. Your Hopes to live overriding your desire to avoid causing Despair: that's what I want to see! And what's with the reaction, this should have been obvious! I know some of you must have considered it. Upupu. Upupupupupupu!"

Urabe felt pain from his arm, his fingernails digging deep in an attempt to stop their trembling. Glancing around, he couldn't help but wonder if Monokuma had some truth to his words: would someone here start the killing when ordered? Would they find themselves in the perfect position, and act accordingly?

More and more, he was starting to think that Hope was not an option.

Another chapter in hole. 1-3, on the 2nd, will have our Free Times, one with Uchida and one with Zaizen. Thanks to whoever voted! I'll see you next time! Thanks for reading!