I hung around to speak with Raiko to find out just a bit more information. Apparently, including the two of us, there were 16 total people in this place, all of them students of Cidea Academy. From what Raiko had also gathered, most of them didn't have any of their belongings on them, no phones or ways to contact anyone outside. And then there was the issue of this town itself. At the end of the road, as I had seen on the map, was a small town plaza that seemed to lead to other parts of this place. However, each of them were blocked off with a strong and locked iron gate, never budging no matter how hard you pulled at them. Other than that, there was no other way to get out of this small area we found ourselves in.

As I began heading off to meet the rest of the students, Raiko actually directed me towards a cafe not far down the road, where there were apparently three other students. "Although," he warned, "one of them is a bit….high energy. Even I couldn't keep up with her. Good luck dealing with her.". I thanked him for his help and left, as Raiko turned and began heading back towards where Jean and Edmund had disappeared to.

The cafe he mentioned, sure enough, stood nearly right at the corner between the street and courtyard. There were a few tables sitting underneath bright red awnings, a pair of menus folded neatly in front of the chairs. There was a small sign that simply said "open" in big, black letters, meant to swing around for when closing time arrived. I peered inside the windows before entering, seeing two people inside at a few of the tables.

One of them, a girl, was standing with her hands on her hips, seemingly speaking down at the other person, a boy, who looked like he was about to nod off into sleep at any minute. I couldn't see the third person Raiko had mentioned, but I quickly caught sight of a door all the way at the back of the room, most likely leading to the kitchen and where this third person was.

Both of them were equally strange, really. The girl was in a fancy dress shirt covered in black cow spots and covered by a black leather vest. There was a red neckerchief tied around her neck, tucked underneath her shirt. She matched her shirt and vest with a pair of brown chaps and a pair of jeans underneath. Finally, she wore a tan cowboy hat, resting atop her brown head of hair that had been tied back into a half-braid shaped like a heart.

As for the boy, he looked like he had just gotten out of bed after a night of tossing and turning. His hair was a dark hazel and stuck up everywhere, although one strand stuck up higher than the rest. It even reminded me of my own hair. He sat with his arms resting on the table, and his chin resting on those, looking at the girl with dark bags under his eyes. He looked just about ready to lay down and immediately fall asleep literally anywhere, considering he also was wearing navy blue pyjamas, the shirt's collar decorated with a little cat sleeping underneath a night sky. I also saw a gray strap wrapped over one of his shoulders, which I could only assume was a bag.

I had to mentally prepare myself for a minute before opening the door. It opened with a little bell jingle, but it was barely audible over the girl. She was seemingly talking at the top of her lungs, speaking with what sounded like a thick country accent that practically made her impossible to understand.

"-one person ta just hold the rope while I skitter on up and take a gander 'round!" She had been saying very animatedly. "Can't ya just keep yer eyes open for a few sec's?"

"Mmm...I-I'd love to help but….it's a-almost time…." The boy replied sleepily, his voice much more quieter in contrast. "...I have a-a little…." His words were punctured by a long yawn, before he simply fell asleep on the spot. The girl simply threw her hands up in frustration, turning only to see me standing in the doorway.

"Well, howdy there, miss! Didn't see ya there fer second!" She called, waving. "Thinkin' 'bout it...Haven't seen you yet 'round these parts! That pretty little face of yours got a name?"

"Er...Yes." I said, slightly taken back. "I am Denjii Tokunaga, Ultimate A.I. Developer. And you are?" The girl merely gave me an even bigger grin, reaching her hand up to tip her hat.

"Yer lookin' at Bonnie Matsushita, the Ultimate Cowgirl!" She said cheerfully. "Pleasure to meet ya, miss!"

Student Registered, Bonnie Matsushita.

"I wasn't aware that being a...Cowgirl was a talent one could have." I commented, blinking a bit as I walked closer. "How is that kind of talent even measured? And are you foreign like some of the other students here?"

"Not much to really explain. Cidea or whatever the hell that biggity place is called gave me the title." Bonnie shrugged. "But I ain't no blue belly! Born an' raised in this fine country, yes siree! Grew up far west, y'see, learned exactly how ta properly roundup bulls and such, raised on the finest ranch this side of the Pacific! Say, speakin' of learnin' the right skills….ya mind helpin' me out with somethin'?"

"Erm….I'm afraid I can't right now. I haven't gotten the chance to meet everyone quite yet." I replied, waving it aside with a small, awkward smile, until I remembered I was wearing a surgical mask and that she couldn't see me. "But, what are you exactly trying to do? I heard a bit of your plan when I first walked in, but I didn't catch all of it."

"It's simple really! I needed someone ta hold up this here rope," Bonnie held up a long cord of rope, which had been pulled into a loop at one end, "while I chuck it onto one of the buildings 'round here. I scramble on up and take a good looking 'round the caboose, y'know? Thing is, this barrell boarder here," She then jerked her thumb towards the sleeping boy, "can't be bothered to lift a figure to help a gal out!"

It completely dawned on me at this moment I literally had no idea what this girl was saying.

"Er...I'll keep that in mind. I'm...um...sure there's plenty of people out there who'd be happy to help." I said, trying to translate whatever she was saying as quickly as I could. "They should be out in the courtyard, if you're interested. Meanwhile...is there anyone else in here I should know about, other than you two?"

"Yep. Got one button in the back fixin' up some brown gargle or somethin', didn't quite listen after he told me he couldn't help out." She said, giving me a "Your loss then" kind of look. "Rubbed me the wrong way, he did. You be careful consortin' with him. I best be headin' out if I won't be gettin' any kind of help 'round here." I sighed and thanked her nonetheless, still not quite understanding exactly what she was saying. Instead, I began heading for the back room, while Bonnie began heading right for the exit. I stole a glance to the sleeping boy for a second, wondering for a second if he was going to be alright. Then again, there didn't seem to be any danger in the surrounding area, much less someone else other than us here.

Is that what's wrong here? I asked myself, frowning a small bit. It can't just be that. There's something else going on here….I just can't figure it out. The thought occurred to me as I opened the door that I probably should've asked Raiko about what he thought about this whole situation. Too late now though, I suppose.

The kitchen was fairly standard enough. All of the cabinets were probably stainless steel, while the counters were made out of some sort of marble. The appliances were all made out of stainless steel as well, and included the ones that had been missing from the apartments. I didn't check myself, but something told me that there had to be food in the fridge here. Pots and pans hung from the ceiling, just over a island in the center of the room. A knife block sat on the same island as well, some of the black handles of the knives glinting in the light upon seeing it.

Just as Bonnie had said, there was a boy standing not far from the coffee maker. He was leaning against the counter, keeping a close eye on the pot while running a hand through a literal tangled mass of ash blonde hair. He looked just as underdressed and rather sloppily dressed as the boy sleeping outside, wearing a pair of gray sweatpants and a simple white t-shirt. I noticed with interest that 1, his cheeks seemed rather red especially since he seemed rather pale in general, and 2, he was holding onto a coffee mug that he must've brought with him, or at least that's what I assumed. I stopped not far from the door, trying to quietly close it before he noticed me, only to have it slip just through my fingers and slam shut anyways.

"Ah...My apologies. I didn't mean to disturb you…" I said quickly, as he looked over to me, raising an eyebrow in question. "I….I'm just trying to meet everyone for now. May I know your name?"

"No need to be that formal, dude." The boy said, in a rather calm and relaxed tone. But just observing how he looked should've given me indication he even sounded like this. "Like, it's not really a crime to come in here, or at least I don't think so." He frowned for a moment, as if trying to recall something long forgotten. "...Bah, they didn't give us any rules for whatever kind of trip this is, did they? Whatever. You asked for my name a few seconds ago, right dude?"

"Yes, I did." I nodded, tilting my head the slightest bit. "And I'm not sure if you can see it, but I am female. Why are you calling me….er…."dude"?" The boy simply gave a grin, until he realized I was genuinely being serious.

"Oh...um….well, yeah I can see you're a chick, dude….I...er…" He rubbed the back of his neck, pausing for a second to recollect his thoughts. I figured no one had asked him that kind of question before, or at least not seriously asked him something like that. "...It's just that I….call everyone "dude", dude…? That work for you?"

"Hm….I'm sorry, I'm afraid I still don't quite understand but…." I said, before I shrugged. "I won't push it further. May I ask what your name is once more?"

"Yeah, 'course." He said, just as the coffee machine beeped. He instantly turned his back to me and began pouring the contents from the pot to the mug, all while still talking to me as if nothing was wrong. "You can call me Yuri Henajisan, dude. Or just Henaji if you're gonna get real formal. Then you don't have to say Henajisan-san. Hehe…"

Student Registered, Yuri Henajisan.

"I...see. Thank you, Henaji-san…." I said. "Is that what you want me to call you?" Yuri merely shrugged, pulling one of the cabinets and grabbing one of the containers, a simple white bottle with an open top.

"Doesn't matter much to me, dude." He replied, most likely pouring the contents of whatever was in there into his mug. "Call me whatever you like. But could you at least give me something to call you by, dude?"

"I am Denjii Tokunaga." I said simply. "It's a pleasure to meet you." Yuri nodded, finally turning towards me gripping onto his mug and leaning against the counter. He was looking me over, top to bottom, practically observing my every move. I merely tried to ignore it, instead silently beginning to look around the kitchen.

As expected, I couldn't find a thing that could explain what was going on. I did find an excess amount of food, enough to probably feed a small army. At least there was no chance we'd starve any time soon. As for Yuri, he just continued watching me with great interest while quietly sipping at his coffee. I could feel a small chill run up my spine as I stole a glance at him, understanding a little bit better what Bonnie had said before about him being a bit...creepy, to put it bluntly.

"Henaji-san, forgive me for being rude, but," I finally said, turning to him once more, "may I ask why you are staring at me? It feels a bit...unsettling. Is there something you need to ask?" Yuri blinked, as if he hadn't realized he was actually staring. He gave an awkward smile and rubbed at the back of his neck with his free hand.

"Heh….my mistake then. I was just...hmm….how do I put this without sounding like a freak?" He seemed to be musing to himself, frowning slightly. It took him a minute to find the right words, giving me a small shrug. "I was...just trying to get a read on you, dude. You're a chick like you said, but I can barely figure out what exactly turns you on and stuff, or just even what you're feelin' right now." I only raised an eyebrow in response, my mouth already opening to ask a question. "'Fore you ask or get angry, it's part of my talent. This school invited me and gave me the title of...Ultimate Pervert. Pretty out there, I know, dude."

"You are the….Ultimate Pervert?" I repeated. "I was not aware being a….'pervert'...was a talent. What would that talent even involve? How does one even become known for that talent?"

"Well...not too sure about that last question, dude, but I can totally answer that first one." He replied. "Lots of things excite me, putting it bluntly, dude. And I've gotten crazy good at reading other girls, again putting it bluntly." I felt my eyebrows come together in a sort of expression, possibly the same one I had pulled when Jean explained his whole situation regarding the apartments, and took a single step back. Yuri only let out a soft sigh, taking a long sip from his mug. "Yeah...I...get that a lot. I completely understand then, dude, if you just wanna go then. You've probably got other people to meet still…"

"I...think I do indeed need to go." I said, my tone neutral. "My apologies, but perhaps we can speak later?" Yuri just waved it off, muttering something I couldn't quite catch under his breath, which I took as a signal to leave.

I walked back out into the main dining area, not too terribly surprised to see the sleeping boy still sitting at the table, head still in his arms. I paused halfway through the room, watching him and trying to make a quick decision in case Yuri suddenly decided leave as well, before I began walking right for him.

"Excuse me….sir?" I asked, lightly tapping him. No response. "Sir, can you please wake up?" I tried tapping him again, and even snapping my fingers in front of his face. Still no response. I pouted a small bit behind my mask, before I gave him a final, small shake. "Sir, please wake up. This is important."

"Mmmm….h-huh?" The boy finally gave a long yawn, lifting his head up and looking at me with that same tired expression. "A-Ah….um...h-hello there….you're not that….that Bonnie person, right…? Mmm...W-Who...Who are you?"

"I am Denjii Tokunaga, a pleasure to meet you." I said, taking a step back to allow this person to stand, which he didn't do at all. Instead, he only looked up at me through heavy lidded eyes, almost looking as if he was looking right through me.

"...Mmm….It's n-nice to meet you….too, I-I guess…" He eventually said. There was another long pause. "...H-Have you seen t-this place….? I-It's very...pretty and open...Mmmm...I wonder w-why they would s-send us here for a f-field trip….I-I've never h-heard of this place…."

"You believe this is all a field trip?" I asked. Jean had said something about this being a field trip earlier, didn't he? I thought, thinking back. I...suppose that would make sense if all of us are indeed students. Something just doesn't feel right about this. If we were just on a field trip, then why would some of my own memories be missing? And some of the other students also said they don't remember how they got here in the first place….

"...hey...d-did you drift off for a second there….?" The boy suddenly said, snapping me suddenly out of my thoughts. I realized quickly he had answered my question, but I wasn't listening. "I-It's no problem….I-I can even help if y-you've been having trouble f-focusing…." He turned slightly, opening a gray bag, attached to that strap I had seen earlier, and digging around inside. "Mmmmm...m-maybe a r-rosemary and jasmine mix? T-The rosemary to help c-concentration a-and stimulate t-the brain….a-and the jasmine to r-relieve any added s-stress…."

"Huh? Excuse me, but what are you talking about?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. The boy glanced back up to me, pausing for a second.

"A-Ah….I guess y-you don't know…." He said, even more softly than before. "M-My name is N….Naoki Akatsuki….I-I was invited to this school to….to be the Ultimate Aromatherapist….I-I make oils and….and stuff t-to help people relax…."

Student Registered, Naoki Akatsuki.

"An aromatherapist….I'm guessing that also fits with your current attire?" I asked, pointing down to his pyjamas. Naoki nodded almost absentmindedly as he continued digging, eventually pulling out a small plastic bottle with a muted label that simply said "Rosemary and Jasmine". "Er...you said that rosemary can stimulate the memory, right? Could it help with amnesia?"

"A-Amnesia?" For the first time in this conversation, Naoki actually gave me a questioning look, even raising his eyebrow. "I-I….mmmm….I don't t-think it quite...quite works like that….E-even if it did….I-I don't think I would h-have enough to….to help you with that….I-I'm really sorry I can't help…." He still held out the bottle for me to take regardless, lowering his head almost in shame. "T-Take this anyways….i-it might help anyways….I-I hope so at least…."

"Ah, thank you." I said, hesitantly took it, almost immediately feeling a sort of calm radiating from the bottle. "And you don't need to worry about not being able to help, it's really fine. I'll...just have to figure it out for myself, I suppose. Again, thank you." Naoki still didn't look up at me, only muttering "It's no problem…".

I didn't try to force him into talking more, instead stowing away the bottle inside my coat. I also began walking back to the front door, glancing back over my shoulder just to be sure that he would be fine.

Naoki had already fallen asleep by the time I had started walking away.

Back on the street, I noticed at least two more storefronts further down. The closest one seemed to be some kind of general store, decorated outside by colorful flowers on the windowsills and a cheery store sign. Just like the cafe, the front also had a bright awning, although these ones were a green hue with white stripes running horizontally down. From what I could see from the outside, I could already see another girl inside, and from how she constantly glanced over towards the far back of the store there seemed to be someone else in there with them.

I pushed the door open, immediately understanding why this student seemed on edge. A loud clanking noise from the back, as if someone was shoving things off the shelf in an attempt to find...something. Instead of going to the girl, I decided to go right to the back and see what the fuss was all about.

It turns out there was a young man, surrounded by a pile of fallen pile of boxes from the shelf in front of him. His back was turned to me, probably trying to reach the very back of the shelf for...whatever reason. He was wearing a white overcoat, almost looking like some kind of scientist, and a pair of normal blue jeans. As he pushed away a carton of bleach, I caught sight of what looked to be white fingerless gloves. There seemed to be this sort of...aura around him. I'm not quite sure how to describe it. It just felt like there was some sort of malicious, overpowering being standing directly where he was, making me stop in my tracks and just watch him.

I stood there for what seemed like hours, just watching as this boy dug around and knock a few more products to the ground, before finally taking a deep breath and walking closer. He didn't even react at first, only turning around when I was directly behind him and about to tap his shoulder. In fact, he actually startled me into backing up into the shelf directly behind me.

"Ah! I'm terribly sorry, ma'am! I didn't startle you too badly, did I?" The boy said quickly, looking just as startled. "I-I was just trying to search for anything that c-could help us discover what's going on. I didn't even hear you coming, I'm really really sorry!"

"It's fine, don't worry about it." I said, steadying myself while also trying to wave it aside simultaneously. "Were you able to find anything of use?"

"I'm afraid not….Only...er...things you'd expect from a store." He said, scratching at his cheek nervously. "Disappointing actually...You'd think someone would be here to explain what's going on….I'm already preparing for at least one breakdown…."

"A breakdown?" I repeated, tilting my head a small bit. "What do you mean by that?"

"I-It's simple, really. Without knowing why we're here or who did this to us, people will begin panicking and fearing for their own lives….M-Most likely, at least." The boy said, giving a nervous smile. "I've studied it several times myself….I-In an unfamiliar and possibly dangerous situation, there's v-very few who tend to remain calm and rational. Fear takes over quickly and...A-Ah, I'm sorry, you probably aren't interested in hearing me ramble on like this…."

"Again, it's fine. I find it interesting you already are suspecting that." I said simply. "My name is Denjii Tokunaga, by the way. May I get your name and how you know so much about this?" The man again began scratching at his cheek, a clear habit at this point, laughing a small bit.

"Of course, of course….I'm Taizo Benkai." He said. "And...well, I've never paid it much mind, but….people would always call me the Ultimate Psychologist. It's the title this school gave me when they recruited me as well. I've just always been fascinated by human behavior….I even have some notes on me at all time!" He reached into his overcoat, revealing a bright red and green striped shirt underneath, before he pulled out a thick stack of notes and reports.

Student registered, Taizo Benkai.

"A psychologist sounds like a very interesting talent to have. And impressive as well." I complimented him, as he held the notes out for me. I didn't take it, instead noticing how his cheeks had become a bright red as well. It's also when I took notice of something across his entire face, a faint x-shaped scar that practically covered everything.

"Thank you, Ms. Tokunaga. It's a pleasure t-to meet you as well." Taizo said, eventually pulling his notes back and stowing them away carefully. "What about you? Do you have an Ultimate talent as well?"

"I've read I am the Ultimate A.I. Developer." I replied. "However, I can't say I properly remember it myself. I cannot remember anything past waking up in the apartment even." Taizo's gray eyes suddenly widened and he gave me a strange look, seemingly torn between fascination and worry.

"Amnesia then? S-Strange...You seem to be suffering a more serious version than what the rest of us have." He said, voice lowering as he began seemingly muttering to himself. "Could it be a head injury? Maybe for the rest of us….then perhaps some other reason for her...Brain tumors? A near fatal stroke before this? Lack of thiamin? What else...what else…." I bit my lip underneath my mask as Taizo only continued to talk to himself, scratching even harder at his cheek. I only saw one way out, muttering a small excuse under my breath and slowly backing away, only to have someone tap somewhere on my lower back.

I spun around, seeing only a short girl standing behind me who looked shorter than even Kasane. She had short, white hair cut into a bob and a small black ribbon that almost looked like a pair of little rabbit ears. She wore a formal white shirt underneath an equally formal black vest and green bow tied at her collar. Her skirt reached just a little past her knees and was monochrome in color, made to look just like a chess board. She made a small motion that said "follow me" before she ducked into one of the aisles. Taizo was still distracted trying to determine the cause of all of our amnesia, so I figured he wouldn't miss me much.

I followed the girl back to the front of the store, right by the checkout register and a display of pocket knives, lottery tickets, and cigarettes. She turned on her heel as soon as we reached the window, looking up at me with bright yellow eyes.

"I'm glad I got you away from him as quickly as I could." She said simply, folding her arms. "When I attempted to speak with him, he seemed normal until the topic of what he was searching for came up. He said he was looking for clues, which I could tell was a lie, and supplies for a...special experiment." Her eyes darted behind me, in the direction Taizo once was. "...There's something wrong with him. I can already tell. I'd suggest you stay away from him for however long we're here for."

"He...didn't seem like a bad person." I said, a bit unsure. "I'll be cautious, but I can't promise I'll avoid him entirely." The girl huffed, pouting slightly as well. "Er...I don't think I gave you my name, did I? I'm-"

"Denjii Tokunaga, Ultimate A.I. Developer." The girl suddenly finished for me. "I heard you tell him back there. And I think I've heard of your name before. Tokunaga specifically." It felt like my face physically lit up upon hearing that. I might actually get some answers!

"Then do you-"

"Hold it right there. I never said I definitely remember." She seemed to have a habit of interrupting me before I could finish a sentence. Or she was at least forming one rather quickly. "It's foggy, and your name sounds familiar, that's all. For all I know, it could've been a passing name my father mentioned from time to time."

"Then may I get your name as well?" I said, making sure to speak faster so she didn't get the chance to interrupt me this time. She only seemed to consider me, before stiffly adjusting her green bow.

"Nizu Magane." She said, equally as stiffly. "I'm called the Ultimate Auditor and I, as my talent suggests, am the auditor for my father's company, the Magane corporation. I suggest that if you find anything out about our current situation, you tell me immediately." A small flicker of a confident smirk passed her face for a moment. "We might be able to get out faster if you do."

Student registered, Nizu Magane.

"If you're looking for clues from me, then I'm afraid I don't have much to offer." I admitted, holding my hands up almost defensively. "All I know is we're all students from Cidea Academy and there's no other way of getting out of here. We're essentially trapped in this one area, right?" Nizu nodded slowly, frowning.

"That sounds about the same as all I had gathered." She said. "The gates are strong enough to stop even the Ultimate Kickboxer from breaking them down. And I've heard plenty of rumors that her kicks are strong enough to kick down a brick wall." Rurumi's seriously that strong?! I asked mentally, blinking in surprise.

"Er...what about that event at noon?" I continued, holding up my bracelet. "I was talking with one of the other students, I'm not sure if you've met him yet but his name is Raiko-"

"The overly casual hitman? Yes, I've already spoken with him."

"Er….yes, him. He said that everyone he had met had the same event registered in their bracelet….or smart watch...or whatever these things are." I kept going, trying to ignore the interruption. "I'm guessing you have it too, right? Have you found out what that is?"

"No, not yet. I have a few theories regarding the matter, but none of them feel quite right." Nizu replied. "This might just be a field trip and that event is the teachers explaining everything, but our school year just started so I find it hard to believe we're already on a field trip. Maybe it's orientation, although it's strange that it isn't being done in the school building itself and there's only 16 of us here...And the last may be the most likely." She paused for a moment, as the sound of Taizo searching through the back area of the store floated towards us once more. He must've realized I had left and resumed his search, thankfully not trying to find me again instead.

"And that would be?" I pressed, raising an eyebrow. Nizu didn't respond for quite a while, seemingly pausing only to create dramatic tension.

"We were kidnapped." She finally said.

Those three words rang through my head as I continued walking down the street to the final store. Like Nizu had said, that was the most likely reason. It would also explain why the others were missing memories and my own amnesia. But...it felt like too easy an explanation. Why would our kidnappers put us in a huge town like this and allow us to roam freely?

Is there seriously any other way for this situation to get more strange? I asked myself, barely even paying attention to the actual storefront and the people inside. I instead just pushed open the door only to suddenly be bombarded with various loud, rather annoying buzzing noises. What the….What is this place? Is it some sort of power generator? A computer room?

Turns out I couldn't be farther from the truth. I had actually walked into a laundromat, with at least two rows of dryers and washers all stacked on top of each other. There was a vending machine filled with various soaps and detergents rather than snacks. Benches filled the area in the front near the vending machine and in between the two rows of machines. There were two people over by the machines, one girl and one boy.

The girl had rather wavy blonde hair with various strange patches of black here or there. She was wearing a white tank top decorated with splotches of paint and various, colorful musical notes, leading me to believe she had some kind of music related talent. Her top also exposed a very pretty tattoo of a butterfly, with the word "Fire" written underneath in golden, wispy writing. Her shorts were black and rather tight-fitting, with a chain that wrapped around her waist and even had a keyring attached. I couldn't exactly identify what charms or keychains she had attached, noticing a few miniature scale buildings or even more musical notes.

As for the boy, he had sleek black hair where the tips just barely reached his shoulders, all of it mostly hidden underneath a black hat with a wide brim and fishing lures, as well as hooks, stuck inside the fabric. I even saw a few stuck to its brim as well. I could also already guess he had some sort of injury to his right shoulder, given how he was constantly shifting his position so as to avoid pressure to it. He looked like some kind of boater or fisher, as he wore a white shirt underneath a black vest that almost looked coated in pockets. I could even see a small salmon design on his shirt, hidden underneath his vest.

They both immediately looked to me as I entered, catching me off-guard a small bit. There was a rather long silence, broken only by the dull humming of the machines. Finally, the boy took a step forwards, giving me a calm smile.

"Hey. I don't think we were expecting anyone coming in after that last guy." He admitted, rather good-naturedly. "It's great to meet you. My name's Katsumi Ryoma, and they call me the Ultimate Fisherman. But…" He laughed slightly, adjusting the brim of his hat and expertly avoiding the sharp hooks. "That's just a title. You can just call me Katsumi. I don't mind."

Student registered, Katsumi Ryoma.

"It's...a pleasure to meet you as well, Katsumi." I said, nodding shortly. "I am Denjii Tokunaga, the Ultimate A.I. Developer. You say you are a...fisherman?"

"Yeah, one of the best they say." Katsumi nodded, his smile never fading. "I had to take a test to get in though, but I've won tons of other competitions and even broke the world record for most fish caught in such a short time."

"They say the record was 2,649 in one day. This guy managed to do that in a few hours." The girl suddenly said, leaning against a nearby wall. "Any time I've fished, I've literally come up with nothing. Of course….that doesn't happen often, but you know." Katsumi laughed, almost embarrassedly even, rubbing at his shoulder.

"Fishing's mostly down to luck, really. If I didn't take that exam to become the Ultimate Fisherman, I probably would've been the Ultimate Lucky Student instead." He admitted. "Both of your talents certainly require more work than mine. I'll be the first to state that outright."

"I would suppose that's true…" I said, before looking to the girl. "I'm sorry, I haven't gotten your name yet. Or your talent for that matter." The girl bit her lip, looking as if she thinking long and hard about her answer. Or maybe she was simply trying to find the right words?

"I'm….I'm Clara Odette." She finally said, giving a rather forced smile. "I was originally from San Francisco, all the way in the U.S….But I came here a few years before Cidea invited me. Oh, they also call me the Ultimate Modern Dancer as well, since you asked for my talent too."

Student registered, Clara Odette.

"See what I mean? You need real skill to be a dancer. And an Ultimate Dancer, no less." Katsumi pointed out. "And you need the brains to be an A.I. Developer. Fishing's super easy if you got the right equipment and just enough luck."

"Are you saying you…" I started, getting flashbacks to how Kasane and Akari felt about their own talents and titles. "Do you dislike your talent and title?" Katsumi gave me a strange look, before laughing and shaking his head.

"No, I'm proud of what I've accomplished. Fishing's my whole life." He said, waving it aside. "Besides, if I wasn't I wouldn't have taken the entrance exam, now would I? Maybe I could show you guys what I mean if there's a pond around here….Haven't found anything yet…"

"There's a fountain, but I don't think it's got fish in it." Clara said, jerking a thumb behind her, towards the other end of the road. "Besides...I...I think we've got bigger problems right now. This whole situation stinks...I don't like it."

"I'm just trying to make the best of it." Katsumi shrugged. "A little optimism would take you far in life, y'know?" Clara only shifted uncomfortably in response, only saying something quietly under her breath. "Lighten up a bit, will you? The teachers are gonna explain everything at noon, I can feel it."

"Ah, so you're one that believes this is all merely a school outing, correct?" I asked. "I've been making my introductions and have met a few people who do believe this is all a field trip. Or some sort of orientation."

"It just can't be that….you don't just wake up in a random apartment after thinking you're going to school for the day…" Clara agreed. "It's gotta be roaches….o-or someone who wants us all dead. It'd make sense considering they took a bunch of Ultimates…"

"I won't even ask who these 'roaches' are…" Katsumi said, holding his hands up. "But to stay on topic, if this whole mess is a kidnapping like you said, then I don't think we're going to be here long." Clara and I both gave him a questioning look, to which he responded with another shrug. "I mean...16 Ultimate students from the most well-known school in the world go missing and nobody bats an eye? The police would be here in a heartbeat. But they aren't….so I think we're good."

"Unless the police are in on this." Clara snapped back. Katsumi only huffed. "I'm just saying we don't know what's going on. For all we know, this could be something the government is doing, like some sort of sick, twisted experiment on a bunch of high schoolers!"

"Geez...paranoid much?" Katsumi muttered. "Let's just try to stay calm for now. Again, if there was a lake nearby or something, I'd totally just start fishing. I always got lines and lures on me, I'd just need the rod." The two began talking, seemingly resuming a conversation that my arrival must've interrupted. Instead of getting involved, especially since I still had two more people to meet and, as I had checked the time, it was already nearly 9 o'clock, I backed away and pulled the door open once more, back out onto the streets once more.

All that was left for me to explore was the courtyard at the end of the road. The last two students had to be there.

Students Introduced

Student 8 - Bonnie Matsushita, Ultimate Cowgirl (Orlando Butler

Student 9 - Yuri Henajisan, Ultimate Pervert (ObieSenpai

Student 10 - Naoki Akatsuki, Ultimate Aromatherapist (Abitat Eco

Student 11 - Taizo Benkai, Ultimate Psychologist (Deathtobuttersauce

Student 12 - Nizu Magane, Ultimate Auditor (Despol12

Student 13 - Katsumi Ryoma, Ultimate Fisherman (Trygve11

Student 14 - Clara Odette, Ultimate Modern Dancer (CandleFire45

Students Alive - 16

Students Dead - 0

Alrighty, 2nd part! I'm super sorry if this felt like it was taking forever. Halfway through I got sick and then immediately had to help out at a school event before I could start writing more for this again. But second part's out now and I probably was just worrying too much and it didn't take as long as I thought. Anyways, we got more characters and we only need two more!

Oh! And thank you for even more lovely reviews! I'm glad you guys are liking the cast so far and the story in general! Like last time, let me know if I got anything wrong and I'll be sure to fix it accordingly next part! I would also love to answer to a few of them but...hehe, the specifc reviews I do want to address would end up spoiling the story. Just know that I do have everything planned out already, down to the murders and the development I want to put Denjii through! In short, I got everything planned, so don't worry.

Anyways, next part we should also be getting to the ones planning this game, as well as the final two students and the end of the Prologue! That's when the real fun begins, am I right? Haha! Hope you guys enjoyed this part!