"You're the Ultimate Runner-Up?"

"Yeah. What's it to you?"

"How's that a talent?"

Koji pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed as Dulcinea snapped at Momoko. The two girls lagged behind him, Fay, and Jackie, who hadn't said a word since they found Fay and Dulcinea, while Antonio walked at a pace that kept him in the middle of the group. His eyes were basically glued to the girls, however, leaving Jackie, Fay, and Koji to themselves.

"You two heard that person on the intercom, didn't you?" he asked, drawing a pair of nods from Momoko and Dulcinea. "Then shut up and help us find the courthouse. We don't have much time."

Fay brought her hand up to her chin and struck a thinking pose. "That's true. It was said to be opposite our cells, correct?"

Everyone, save for Momoko, nodded.

"Then we should continue on through that door up ahead, and quickly."

She picked up her pace considerably, leaving them all in the dust except for Koji, who matched her stride for stride. The two of them reached the door in no time at all and they each pulled a handle, revealing a grand hall with a marble floor and stone columns on either side of the room.

Jackie appeared a moment later and studied the grandiose room quietly. Why is this place so much nicer than the rest of the facility? Her investigation didn't last very long since there wasn't much to look at, and at the same time Antonio sauntered in with Momoko and Dulcinea.

"I wonder when the others will get here," Jackie said to no one in particular.

Antonio raised an eyebrow. "How can you be so sure we aren't the only ones?"

"The announcement came a few minutes after we found Fay and Dulcinea, and since the speaker claimed 'everyone's in a group' I imagine there's at least one more group," Jackie said while moving her hands about for emphasis.

Momoko began to jump up and down, drawing confused glances from the others as her watermelon-pink hair bounced with her.

"Hey hey, Jack-Attack, should we go look for them?"

Dulcinea answered in her stead. "No way. That person on the intercom gave us twenty minutes to get here or else we'd die."

Still jumping like a kangaroo, Momoko tilted her head. "Oh yeah! JEEEEEEEEEZ! That's pretty harsh, don't you think?"

"What an astute observation," Koji muttered while Fay rolled her eyes at Momoko.

As the group continued to talk, Dulcinea took the time to give the room another look over. She weaved between the stone columns and eyed the wall behind them silently until she stumbled upon a large pair of wooden doors. Etched into a gold plate hanging above the doors were the words "TRIAL ROOM" that made it nearly impossible to miss. Dulcinea stood there in front of the doors and didn't move an inch. Her stomach twisted, the hairs on her arms stood up, and seemingly every fiber of her being was telling her to get as far away from the room as possible as soon as she could. The aura radiating from inside the doors paralyzed Dulcinea.

And then they swung open.

The Runner-Up's eyes shot wide open and she tried to run away, but her legs refused to budge. She could hear something walking towards her at a leisurely pace, almost as if it was toying with her.

C'mon! Move, you fucking legs! Move already! she thought, lowering her gaze to her legs. They were trembling, as was the rest of her body, and sweat rolled down her brow as the foreign steps grew louder one after another until, finally, two faded gray eyes emerged from the darkness. Then a young man stepped out of the pitch black room holding a pair of black shades, and the evil aura vanished.

"GET BACK!" Dulcinea blurted out all of a sudden.

While everyone else jumped at her sudden outburst, the young man's eyes slowly looked up from the ground and directly into her's. He looked like he was wearing a black cape, when in actuality it was just his jacket hanging from his shoulders, which accentuated his white dress shirt.

"What's wrong, beauti-" Antonio's voice cut out before he could finish speaking when he laid eyes on the young man standing just outside the Trial Room doors. "D-D-Don't worry, b-beautiful, I'll protect you."

"How convincing," muttered Fay as she rolled her eyes. A second later, she locked her sights on the unfamiliar young man, who just stood there and scratched his spiky silver hair like a monkey. "Who are you?"

He stopped scratching his head, but kept staring at each of the Ultimates before him.

"Maaaaybeeeee he doesn't understand us. OOOOH! Wouldn't that be kinda cool?"

Nobody responded, prompting Momoko to jump up and down as she studied the unfamiliar person.

"Heads I tell you my name, Tails I don't."

"Huh?"

The young man suddenly flipped a coin with his right thumb and snatched it as it fell to his eye-level. After opening his hand, he looked up at the group and dropped the coin in the right pocket of his black slacks.

"Gin Arashi, Ultimate Lawyer," he said monotonously. His facial expression remained neutral as well.

"When did you get here? We should've seen you walk in," Jackie asked, drawing Gin's attention.

"Over an hour ago. This is the nicest area I've seen, so I figured I'd hang out here. Then that guy on the intercom said for everyone to come here."

Jackie nodded, appearing content with Gin's answer, but when she turned to walk away she rolled her lower lip over her bottom teeth and crossed her arms. That sounds too convenient. I'll have to keep an eye on him.

She continued walking towards the other side of the hall, sat down, and leaned against one of the columns after resting her backpack on the ground by her side. She then pulled out a PS Vita and began playing it while still listening to the ongoing conversation the others were having with Gin.

"Have you seen anyone other than us?" Dulcinea inquired.

"No. You're the first people I've met since I was let out of my cell."

"You were in one TOO? JEEEEEEEZ, those sure were gross!"

Gin started to scratch his head again and stared at Momoko blankly. "Mine was rather nice. Certainly not somewhere I'd like to sleep, but it was bearable."

The doors to the grand hall swung open, prompting everyone to turn towards them. Seven people - including Cash, Enji, and Chiharu - stood in the doorway and gaped at the sight of the grand hall until they realized they weren't the only ones there. The moment they did, they closed the doors behind themselves and approached the other group of seven.

One of the girls, who was in a wheelchair, covered her mouth and gasped when she saw the stone columns on either side of her. "It is like we are in a different world!" she exclaimed, generating a pair of nods from Enji and Chiharu.

"You can say that again, darling," a short guy said. He looked to have a similar style to Koji as he wore a white vest over a pink button-up shirt. "The designer's taste is remarkable."

Unlike the others, a girl in an oversized greenish-yellow knitted sweater refrained from making any comments about the courthouse and instead approached the other group. She greeted them with a smile and waved.

"Hi! I'm Otoha Noguchi, the Ultimate Astrogeologist. It's a pleasure to meet you all." Otoha proceeded to bow her head, unaware of the shocked expressions on Fay's and Koji's faces, but when she looked up Antonio was standing just a few inches away.

He pulled a rose out of nowhere, much to everyone's confusion, and took Otoha's hands in his.

"Where have you been all my life?" he asked, putting on his most charming face and voice.

"What are your names?" Otoha pulled her hands away in a flash and continued to smile at the others while ignoring Antonio's flirting.

As introductions were exchanged yet again, Cash, Enji, and Chiharu looked around.

"It doesn't l-look like Claire's here y-y-yet..."

"Do you think she got eaten by that panther?" Chiharu turned to Enji with a devilish grin, then Cash. Neither of them laughed, however, so she crossed her arms and pouted. "Shee~eesh! Tough crowd."

"Doubt it. Dulcinea an' Fay are here."

Enji spotted the aforementioned girls and looked at everyone they were standing with before returning his attention to Cash and Chiharu. "W-Where did Siyana and Isei go...?"

They looked at the other side of the hall opposite Otoha and spotted the duo in question introducing themselves to Jackie.

"What's the best part about being the Ultimate Explosives Engineer, Siyana?"

The aforementioned girl smiled. At least, that's what Jackie thought she did - it was hard to tell since Siyana's face was mostly covered by a worn out, full-face, two respirator gas mask that looked even duller when next to Isei's bright pink shirt and shoes.

"There is nothing more pleasant than doing what you love, especially when it all falls apart and you rebuild it to become bigger and better."

Isei's jaw dropped, and then he took his pink glasses of. "Honey, if that isn't the most magnificent thing I've heard, may God strike me down right now." He, Siyana, and Jackie paused to look up at the roof for a few seconds until the coast was clear.

"What about you, Isei? Being the Ultimate Photojournalist sounds fun."

"It sure is. I've traversed the world and taken in all of its beauty. Earth truly is a magical place." He seemed to be holding himself with his eyes closed, clearly enjoying the thought of traveling.

"By any chance, did you capture an image of a magical creature?" a soft, delicate voice inquired.

The three Ultimates turned around and each of them lowered their gazes to a girl in a wheelchair.

Similar to her voice, the combination of her emerald green eyes, freckled cheeks, and pale, almost porcelain-like skin was cute. There was a twinkle in her eyes that exuded a kind of childlike innocence despite her age. The twinkle went out, however, and her smile vanished. She tightened her grip on her teddy bear and shrank in her wheelchair underneath the frightening, demonic glares.

"O-Oh ahm h-hello. I am sorry I... d-did not see you there. Erm... what is your name? And are you an U-Ultimate as well?" the delicate-looking girl stammered after briefly making eye contact with Jackie.

"Hm? Me?"

The girl nodded. "Ahm... please forgive me, I... I-I get a little nervous meeting new people..."

"Oh, there's no need to worry. I'm Jackilen Ruben, the Ultimate Game Reviewer, but you can call me Jackie," she said with a smile. "What's your name?"

"M-My name?" the girl stammered, biting her nails. "Oh, I-I am Frances Blackwood, and I am considered the ahm... U-Ultimate Alchemist. Have you heard of that? A-Alchemy, I mean?"

"It's nice to meet you, Frances. I don't know much about alchemy, but I'd love if you told me about it."

All of a sudden Frances' eyes lit up once again, and the childlike aura she previously exuded returned as well.

"Time's up, maggots! Shut the fuck up and direct your attention to the Trial Room!"

Everyone went silent at the same time as the doors to the Trial Room swung open. They all gathered around the doors and peered inside the pitch black room until, finally, out came a tiny bear decked out in a warden costume. The bear's left side consisted of black hair and a demonic-looking red eye, whereas its right side was strictly white fur and its eye was a black dot. The only areas of its body that weren't split by color were its stomach and snout, both of which were white.

While the fourteen Ultimates stared and gawked at the tiny creature that stood at their knees, it surveyed the room and counted off how many of them there were. In a matter of seconds, it let out a sigh and placed its paws on its hips after shaking its head.

"Down three already? I expected more from you so-called Ultimates," the teddy bear said, trying to make air quotes with his paws.

The group remained silent, and most of them looked at each other - the only ones who didn't were Fay and Gin. There was a combination of confusion and shock plastered on all the others' faces as the news sank in. Four of them had already bitten the dust... why? How? Those were the first two questions to enter their minds while the teddy bear maintained its stoic expression and took their reactions in without a sounds.

The quintet of Cash, Enji, Chiharu, Fay, and Dulcinea looked over the room in search of Claire, though no matter how many times they did she never turned up. If what the teddy bear had said was true, then she had to have been one of the four to die in the shithole the found themselves in.

"There's no way that panther got her... is there?" Chiharu asked no one in particular, though Cash still responded by shaking his head.

"Of fuckin' course not!" he snapped. "Sure, Claire's an idiot, but she had her moments."

The teddy bear let out a maniacal laugh. "Are you sure about that, Mister Moneybags?"

Cash bulldozed through his fellow Ultimates and grabbed the tiny creature by its throat. "Say another fuckin' word and I'll snap your goddamn neck!"

"I dare you." The teddy bear stared him dead in the eyes and cracked a devilish smirk when Cash released him. "Good choice. If you hadn't let me go, you would've ended up like your idiot friend."

Despite his face burning red out of fury, Cash slowly returned to the back of the group and ignored all of the glances as he walked by everyone with his head hanging. Once he was back in his original position, Cash crossed his arms and glared daggers at the teddy bear, though he was ignored due to Jackie raising her hand.

"Excuse me, why are we here?" she asked.

The teddy bear hid its face behind its paws. "Pufufufu! Looks like someone here doesn't beat around the bush. I'll answer your question with a question: why do you think you're here?"

As soon as its words left its mouth, the teddy bear watched everyone exchange speculative glances for a few seconds until, finally, Isei spoke up.

"Well, based on the environment we've been placed in, I believe it's safe to assume we're prisoners of some sort. Am I correct?" he inquired, lifting his gaze to meet the teddy bear's.

"Right you are, pinky!"

"Pinky?"

"As the warden, I welcome all fifteen of you to Kuma Penitentiary! May your stay be plagued with despair, you pieces of shit!"

Murmurs of confusion spread throughout the group of Ultimates as they looked around and counted heads. There were fourteen of them, that wouldn't change no matter how many times they re-counted.

The teddy bear's laughter grew louder each time they double-checked. "You idiots know counting over and over again won't do anything, right?"

"So you misspoke," Siyana retorted, only for the teddy bear to shake its head.

"M-Maybe it is a person who... uses magic." Frances made note of the befuddled reactions on her fellow Ultimates' faces before bringing her teddy bear closer to her chest.

"Oh yeah, that has to be it... not," an unfamiliar voice said a moment later. It sounded as if it came from behind the group, so they all turned around and immediately spotted a young, strawberry blonde-haired woman leaning back against the wall with her legs crossed at the ankles.

She wore a white vest and a knee-length white ruffle skirt, which made the pair of mismatching stockings on her legs all the more noticeable - the left one was black and the right was white.

Her blank, almost disinterested expression remained in spite of suddenly becoming the center of attention, but it did prompt her to uncross her legs and approach the group. Unlike the other girls, she had noticeable curves and a svelte figure that attracted unwanted attention from a few boys and girls.

"Well he~llo there."

"¡Díos mío! Her beauty burns brighter than the sun!"

The young woman ignored both comments and eventually came to a stop despite there being more than a yard of empty space between her and the next closest person. An awkward silence ensued as nobody said a word for what felt like hours until, finally, the young woman cleared her throat.

"Ayeka Shinrigaku, Ultimate Psychologist. It's so... not nice to meet you."

The teddy bear chuckled at her greeting, and then lowered its paws so that the Ultimates could see its face. "As I was saying, I'm the warden here, and you're all inmates! Isn't that fun?"

"Not once did I ever imagine I'd be arrested," Siyana said as she held her left arm. "Pardon me, Warden, but may you please inform me of my crime?"

Fay rolled her eyes. "We weren't arrested! And you..." She pointed at the teddy bear. "Do you truly expect us - Ultimates, mind you - to believe we're inmates? Stop wasting my time and arrange for someone to pick me up this instant."

The teddy bear slowly tilted its head as it stared Fay dead in the eyes, only for her to do the same in return. It became apparent to everyone that Fay wouldn't cave to such simple intimidation tactics like Cash had a few minutes earlier. She didn't wait for a response either, and instead made her way towards the grand hall's entrance at a lightning-fast pace. Fay grabbed the handle and, when she opened the door, she was greeted to the sight of Claire and Toto bickering in the middle of the empty hallway while Kaguya sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"I told you we should've rode Black! We weren't the first ones here!" Claire shouted while pointing at Toto.

He tried to bite her finger before retorting, "Yet we are here, Human, and without riding Black like a horse!"

The two chirped back and forth a little while longer until Kaguya dragged Claire into the grand hall by her hood, thanking Fay for holding the door open in the process. Toto followed the girls while ignoring Fay in favor of muttering to himself. Then Black strolled in, and he caused Fay to freeze in place with just one glance. Rather than maul her, he hurried after Toto and stuck to the young man's side once all eyes were on them, Kaguya, and Claire.

Fay placed a hand over her chest and sighed in relief as she felt her heart nearly leap out of her chest. Once she turned around she made sure to keep Claire in her line of vision. She was with that monster... How did it not kill her?! she thought before walking back towards the group.

"What the-" the teddy bear exclaimed at the sight of Claire, Toto, and Kaguya. "Everyone's here?"

"You sound surprised," said Otoha.

"Pufufu! I am surprised, and also excited! Everyone being here means this game will be a whole lot more interesting!"

Claire's eyes lit up in an instant. "A game? What kinda game? Is it fun? How do we play?"

"It l-looks like she's okay..." Enji whispered to Cash and Chiharu, both of whom nodded.

"Another straight-shooter, huh? I like it!" the teddy bear exclaimed. "Here in Kuma Penitentiary, we handle sentences a little... differently than other prisons. In fact, if you play along, you can get your sentence lifted and head on out in no time at all! How does that sound?"

Jackie raised her hand again, and the teddy bear pointed at her.

"What's the catch?"

It paused for a moment and rubbed the back of its head. "You all have been sentenced to life in prison, and will spend the rest of your days here in Kuma Penitentiary!"

The teddy bear eagerly shifted its eyes from one Ultimate to the next, except its smile disappeared after not getting a single noteworthy reaction. It then lowered its head, sighed, and kicked the ground.

"You guys are no fun. Can't one of you at least be a little freaked out?"

"Just tell us how to get out of he~eere!" Chiharu yelled from the back of the group.

"Oh... okay then. If you can get away with killing one of your fellow inmates, you're free to leave. I guess you could call this a Killing Game," it replied dejectedly, kicking at the ground while hanging its head.

This time, the tiny creature got the reactions it was looking for. As a flurry of objections and horrified screams suddenly filled the air with Despair, the dejected expression on its face was replaced with one of pure joy.

"Seriously? A 'Killing Game'? Sounds like one of the dumb ideas my fans'll send in to talk about on my show," Koji mused.

The teddy bear ignored Koji.

"Since you all like getting straight to the point, I'll do that... kind of. This Killing Game is officially underway and its rules are effective immediately!"

The tiny creature ran into the Trial Room and returned a second later, dragging a bag of tablets along the floor before laying it in front of the Ultimates.

"There are only enough Nomopads in there for each of you, so try not to lose or break them!"

"Oh yeah? What's stopping me from putting holes through all of these?" Kaguya countered, reaching for her empty holster.

A maniacal laugh followed her question, and then came an answer. "You'll be put to death, so be a nice girl and follow instructions. That goes for all of you, too! Take one and turn it on!"

Despite a few complaints here and there, it wasn't long before everyone had taken a Nomopad from the bag and turned them on. When they did, the Ultimates saw their names displayed on the screen in big, bold letters for a couple of seconds before being replaced by several little icons. It was obvious what they were for - the letter icon was for messages, the bell icon for an alarm, and a phone icon for making calls - but two of the icons tucked in the top corners of the screen were grayed out and impossible to make out.

"Don't worry about what those do for now, you'll find out soon enough," the teddy bear announced after seeing everyone's confused expressions. "You should look over the rules first. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some warden stuff to tend to. Happy killing!"

"Wait!" Dulcinea screamed as the teddy bear took off at light speed and exited the grand hall. The doors swung open and then shut in less than a nanosecond, causing the Runner-Up to stomp in frustration.

"M-May we play a different game, l-like... hide and seek?"

Momoko and Claire quickly approached Frances as she began to chew on her fingernails. They each then placed a hand on the younger girl's shoulders as the Fire Breather said, "Now THAT'S a game I'd play... not that I'm nervous about the Killing Game or anything, haha!"

Ayeka twirled her hair around her index finger and shook her head while she watched Momoko fake laughter.

"Aaaaand it sounds suuuuper fun!" added Claire.

Frances stopped biting her nails a little after she noticed Momoko and Claire smiling at her. Their smiles proved contagious as one graced Frances' face. "Oh, you are b-both too kind!"

"Wow, was that Shakespeare? I'd love to hear more," Ayeka inquired before yawning.

Even though she sounded genuine, nobody could tell whether or not that was the case given the underlying passive aggressive nature of her words. What truly made it impossible for anyone to find the answer was her face, which was devoid of emotion.

While some of the Ultimates traded befuddled glances and a few others whispered about who knows what, Claire left Frances' side and approached Ayeka.

"Ummmm... noooo, that guy's dead. You're pretty stupid for asking that."

"That's true! She sounded like a HUGE idiot!" Momoko exclaimed, tapping the toe of her sneaker against the ground faster than a jackhammer.

All of the bystanders glanced at Ayeka, then at Claire and Momoko, and back at Ayeka every few seconds.

Ayeka let the insults roll off her back and studied Claire's body language. Chin's lifted, feet are shoulder width apart, and shoulders are pulled back. She's overconfident, probably posturing for those two. This shouldn't take long.

No less than a second later Claire stopped grinning as she inched backwards, the sight of which caused Momoko to slump her shoulders ever so slightly and shift all of her attention away from Ayeka. Although no one saw the subtle change in Ayeka's body language, they were aware of the effect: she instantly exuded power that was downright oppressive.

"Enough o' this shit."

Cash attracted Ayeka's stone-cold glare, though that didn't stop him from sauntering towards her with his hands buried in his pant pockets. Everything about his body language suggested he'd be laid back, yet the confidence and frustration he exuded said otherwise.

Meanwhile, Otoha offered Claire a hand and helped her stand up. A warm smile accompanied it shortly thereafter, and because of that, those who were affected by whatever Ayeka did came back to their senses. She noticed as much, so she looked around at them.

"Cash is right, we need to focus on more important matters - like finding a way out of here."

"It's presumptuous of you to say we need to, don't you think?" Gin retorted.

"Why would I when the alternative is staying here and being forced to murder each other?"

"Because leaving the premises is against the rules and punishable by death. Look for yourself, if you don't believe me."

Gin spoke with so little care that those standing around him backed away as quickly as they could, though he didn't seem to care in the slightest as he held his Nomopad up for everyone to see and pointed at the rule he'd mentioned. Otoha pulled out her Nomopad, as did a few others, before she cleared her throat and rattled off the rules.

"Rule One: Inmates must complete their 'job' - if assigned one - by 'nighttime.'

"Rule Two: Inmates must be in their cells by 'nighttime' - or 10:00PM - unless given perks for good behavior.

"Rule Three: Sleeping anywhere other than your assigned cells will result in the death penalty.

"Rule Four: Violence against Warden Nomokuma is strictly prohibited, as is destruction of surveillance cameras and Nomopads, and will result in the death penalty.

"Rule Five: Any inmate(s) who attempt to escape Kuma Penitentiary will be given the death penalty.

"Rule Six: Anyone who kills a fellow inmate and becomes 'blackened' will be released, unless they are discovered."

The Astrogeologist paused as she read the sixth rule over a few more times until the reality of the situation finally started to sink in. To think that sleeping anywhere other than the assigned cells was punishable by death was crazy, and if that wasn't enough, their only way out of the prison was by getting away with murder. She wasn't alone in rereading those two rules either, everyone did. While doing so, most of them shared the same stunned expression as Otoha.

"How is not sleeping in our cells punishable by death? This has to be a joke, right?" Jackie asked, surveying the room.

Nobody dared to look her in the eye, save for Antonio. "Of course it's a joke! This whole Killing Game thing sounds like the plot of a crappy horror movie, there's no way it's real."

"It's foolish to assume that's the case, darling. Consider how difficult it must have been to place eighteen innocent people in prison, let alone Ultimates, such as ourselves," Isei rebutted with a hand on his hip.

He had a point. Surely the world, or at least a large sect of people, would've been up in arms over an unfair sentencing. Now if eighteen such instances were to occur to Ultimates, of all people, something would've been done about it.

"You said you're the Ultimate Lawyer, right? Have you ever heard of this place?" Dulcinea asked Gin, who shook his head.

"Some lawyer you are," Ayeka said.

"I'm the Ultimate Cop and I haven't either, so it's likely that 'Kuma Penitentiary' isn't the actual name of this place."

Kaguya started chewing on the end of her pen and stared into space, oblivious to the fact that she'd become the center of attention.

"W-What do you suggest we do then...?" Enji stammered, only to cover his face with his arms after drawing Kaguya's intense stare.

"Why're you asking me?"

Chiharu tilted her head from side to side. "Cops investigate and solve crimes, so~ooo you're in your element here."

"True, true," Kaguya muttered. She reached into one of her duster's pockets took out her notepad, and tore off the top page that was covered in writing. "We still need to investigate this fucking place, even if escaping isn't an option. Groups of three works best since we can cover more ground, and there's always safety in numbers."

"Ooooh! Do we get to pick our groups? I pick-"

Kaguya stopped scribbling furiously and glared at Claire. "Shut it. That's an order."

The Etch-a-Sketcher slowly lowered her hand and pouted while Kaguya went back to scribbling notes down.

"I need to know everyone's name and Talent so I can group some of you together based on how well your Talents complement each other. Then I'll fill the rest out based on your personalities."

"That won't be necessary. I have no intentions of working with any of you," Fay proclaimed.

"The same goes for Black and me," Toto added.

Kaguya glared at them just like she had Enji, but neither crumbled under the intensity of her glare. "Hmph, do what you want. But you will give me your names and Talents."

Fay nodded. "So long as I'm not forced to collaborate, I will," she said, generating a nod of agreement from Toto.

With that, Kaguya went around taking notes of everyone's name and Talent, starting with those two - who left the grand hall right after providing the necessary information. That took the Cop no time at all, nor did making the groups.

"Group One: Cash, Ayeka, Frances, and Dulcinea.

"Group Two: Otoha, Gin, and Antonio.

"Group Three: Myself, Momoko, and Isei.

"Group Four: Koji, Siyana, and Chiharu.

"And Group Five: Jackie, Claire, and Enji.

"We'll meet back at our cells in ninety minutes to talk about what we found."

Kaguya put her notepad back in her duster pocket and clapped as if she was trying to speed up the grouping-together process, which actually seemed to work. Despite some unfamiliarity with each other's names, everyone eventually settled into their assigned groups.

After pulling up a map of the prison on her Nomopad, Jackie showed it to Claire and Enji. "Which part do you guys want to investigate?"

The building was shaped like an 'X' with the center forming a square of sorts, and there were four outdoor areas marked as such.

"Ooooh! Let's go over here!" Claire exclaimed, pointing at the top right section of the building.

"Do you have somewhere you'd want to look, Enji?"

The Boxer simply shook his head, prompting Claire to bolt out of the grand hall without another word. He noticed Jackie had turned to him, and all he could do was sigh.

"Is she always like that?"

"Y-You have no id-d-dea."

As those two headed after Claire, Chiharu looked on and shook her head. Too bad Enji got stuck with her again. Oh well, at least I didn't.

With the thought in mind, Chiharu shifted her attention back to her group-mates but kept quiet as they determined which area they wanted to investigate.

"I agree with Miss Kaguya's sentiment: our best course of action would be to search as many areas as possible."

Koji stared blankly at Siyana for a moment. "Okay, so where should we go?"

"If we investigate the southeast wing quickly, we could have enough time to look at the right-most outdoor area. Do you have any objections?" the Explosives Engineer inquired while holding her left arm.

Her eyes glanced back and forth between Chiharu and Koji. The former shook her head while the latter marked both areas on his Nomopad before uttering, "No." On that note, they left the grand hall in silence and with Koji leading the charge.

"Then we'll take the northwest wing," Kaguya stated as she, Isei, and Momoko followed them.

"Aye aye, cap'n!" Momoko exclaimed while saluting, generating a laugh from the Photojournalist.

For the remaining two groups, there weren't many options left to pick from - those being the three other outdoor areas and the southwest wing of the prison. Nobody cared about where they'd investigate either, so the decision was left up to Cash and Otoha.

"So you guys don't care either, huh?"

Cash shook his head. "Nope, but we can cover more ground since there're four 'o us. Then again..." He glanced at his group-mates, specifically Frances, before meeting Otoha's gaze. "I'm thinkin' it makes more sense for us to get a smaller area, if ya don't mind."

"Of course not," the Astrogeologist replied with a smile. "Are you sure nobody cares, though? If they do-"

"We don't," Dulcinea interjected, tapping her foot against the ground with her arms crossed.

Both Otoha and Cash froze for a moment before ultimately nodding.

"We'll take the southwest wing, then. See you guys soon." Otoha waved as she, Antonio, and Gin headed for the exit, leaving Group One alone in the grand hall.

The quartet stood there silently, taking in their stunning surroundings until Dulcinea helped snap them out of their trances.

"So all that's left to investigate are the outdoor areas, right?"

"N-N-Not quite," stammered Frances. "Group F-Four may visit the... easternmost area."

"Then that leaves us with the other three. I vote for North."

Ayeka yawned, drawing each of her group-mates' attention.

Cash couldn't help but scowl. "Does that mean ya wanna say something?"

"Hm? No. I'm just bored, is all," she said flatly while twirling her hair and yawning once again. "But since you asked: I don't feel like walking that far. I'm too tired."

Dulcinea blinked slowly. "You're kidding."

"Am I?" Ayeka retorted with an expressionless face.

If it was physically possible, steam would've been coming out of Cash's ears as the Psychologist yawned yet again.

"I'm not wastin' my time with this. Do you two wanna get going?"

A pair of nods from Frances and Dulcinea was all it took for Cash to put an end to the conversation as he and the aforementioned girls exited the grand hall, though when they stepped foot outside they noticed Ayeka was still with them.

She frowned at each of them, especially Cash, but in such an over-the-top manner they couldn't tell if she was serious or not. "Didn't your parents tell you to never leave a girl alone in shady places?"

The vein in Cash's head suddenly became visible, and his face turned red with rage. Chill, Cash. Ya dealt with Claire before, and nothin' this chick'll do can top that. After slowly exhaling, the vein disappeared and Cash's face returned to its normal color.

He then turned his back to Ayeka and asked, "You guys know there're four floors, right?"

Frances and Dulcinea glanced at each other, then back at Cash, and nodded in unison.

"If the grand hall's marked on our maps, d'ya think there're three more floors above it? We could check those out instead o' the outdoor places."

"Good idea. I'll check down here, and you check down there." The Runner-Up jogged down the left hallway - if you were to face the grand hall's doors - while Cash and Frances headed in the opposite direction at a much slower pace due to Frances having to push herself around in her wheelchair.

Cash repeatedly glanced at her out of the corner of his eye without moving his head, making note of how much effort it took her to keep the wheels churning. Frances must have noticed - not that he was sure how - because she looked directly at him while pushing herself forward.

"You... D-Do you think I am a... b-burden?"

He recoiled while she stopped dead in her tracks and stared at him, waiting for an answer. Frances spoke loud enough for Ayeka, who had sat down with her back against the grand hall's doors, to hear from over twenty feet away. Even she was visibly taken aback by the sudden question.

"O-Of course not! I just..." Cash paused and hung his head ever so slightly.

He should feel bad right now, Ayeka thought. She then eyed Frances, who'd tightened her arms around her teddy bear. You clearly hit a soft spot, you jackass.

Cash cleared his throat and lifted his head. "I didn't know if I'd be an ass for askin' if ya needed help. Sorry."

Now it was Frances' turn to feel like a jerk. Her face burned red in embarrassment while she stuck her arms out and shook her hands like mad. "N-N-No, do not apologize! I should be the one to do that for jumping to conclusions!"

Ayeka shook her head and sighed at the awkward interaction, though it wasn't long before Dulcinea returned and pulled her attention away from it.

"You were right! There is another floor above this place!" she shouted, tapping her knuckles against the wall. "Did you find anything?"

Frances and Cash tensed up for a moment and laughed awkwardly.

"No, they told me they didn't." Ayeka rose to her feet with a yawn and dusted the dirt off her ruffle skirt. "Anyways, let's get this 'investigation' over with. I want to get to sleep as soon as possible."

She walked down the hall next to Dulcinea, prompting Cash to grab the back handles of Frances' wheelchair and speed after them with the Alchemist until they reached a winding staircase tucked into the wall perpendicular to the grand hall's doors.

Frances soon found herself in the spotlight and blushed as the others stared at her and the obstacle.

"So uh..." Cash scratched the back of his head while glancing back and forth between the stairs and Frances. "How the fuck are we gonna do this?"

"I–I... I can-"

"Can't you carry her and the wheelchair?" Dulcinea asked.

Cash shrugged. "Probably, but the staircase is really narrow so it'd be hard. I don't wanna run the risk o' droppin' her," he stated, pointing at Frances as she tightened her grip on her teddy bear.

The Runner-Up sighed. "Fine, I'll drag the damn wheelchair; you carry her."

"I am able to walk!" Frances shouted all of a sudden, causing both Dulcinea and Cash to jump. The Alchemist's eyes went wide and she covered her mouth immediately before bowing her head about a dozen times. "I–I... I am sorry for my ou-outburst."

"Ya sure you can go up these? It's not a big-"

"If she says she can do it, she can do it." Ayeka started up the staircase, ignoring the looks from her group-mates. "But be a gentleman and take her wheelchair," she added.

The Entrepreneur pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath to compose himself.

"I can't tell if that was a joke or not," muttered Dulcinea, drawing a shrug from Cash as he helped Frances out of her wheelchair and folded it up. Dulcinea then offered her an arm, which Frances took, and together they scaled the winding staircase one step at a time.

Frances' legs shook like gelatin the whole way up, though that became more pronounced the closer they were to the top. Fortunately for her she had Dulcinea there as support, and because of that she reached the second floor with just enough energy left to wait for Cash, who quickly unfolded her wheelchair. She almost fell into it and exhaled deeply upon doing so, causing the Entrepreneur to smile.

"Awesome job, Frances," he said while holding his hand out for a high-five.

The aforementioned Ultimate beamed and eagerly slapped her hand against his. They continued to smile and ride the wave of happiness they were on even as they turned their attention to the room they'd be investigating.

It was a massive space with curved walls - giving it a cylindrical shape - that were covered with bookshelves as far as the eye could see. The bookshelves were like trees in a seemingly never-ending forest, towering over them by at least twenty feet, and hanging overhead in the center of the room was a fancy chandelier made entirely of glass.

There were even a second floor and third floor, which were accessible by two sets of winding staircases to the left and right of where they all had just come out of, and there seemed to be no shortage of options when it came to seating. The area directly across from them had dozens of beanbags laid out, though there were also desks and tables scattered across the room for individual and group work, respectively.

While Cash stood there slack-jawed, Frances' eyes lit up when she spotted the fantasy section and she wheeled herself over there as quickly as possible.

This can't be real... can it? Why would a prison have a library?!

Cash sat on the thought for a moment, though he was brought back to reality when Dulcinea snapped her fingers right in front of his face.

"Yo! The hell are you standing there for? We're supposed to be investigating."

"Oh... right. My bad."

She'd already walked away by the time he responded, leaving Cash to explore and investigate the library at his leisure. The very first thing he did was take the stairs up to the third floor and walk all the way around it, leaning over the railing to get a better look of the first floor. He laughed to himself when he saw Frances with her nose buried in a book and a stack of them resting in her lap, and then he searched for, and spotted, Dulcinea examining a bookshelf in the nonfiction section. Like Kaguya, she also had a pencil and notebook that she was writing things in - presumably clues or anything of interest - though the speed with which she did so paled in comparison to the Cop.

Cash continued to lean over the railing as his eyes drifted from Dulcinea and glossed over the rest of the floor in search of something interesting, though he came up empty-handed.

Guess I better do some investigatin' of my own, he thought while turning his back to the railing. He approached the nearest bookshelf, which was comprised of one-half mystery novels and one-half psychology textbooks, and he took in a countless number of titles before finally reaching his hand out towards one in particular.

"Serial Murder and the Psychology of Violent Crimes? Really?"

"Jesus!"

Cash recoiled and the aforementioned book slipped out of his hands, hitting the ground with an eardrum-shattering thud. He first looked at the book, and then at Ayeka as she stood a yard or two away with her arms crossed, before he placed a hand over his chest and slowed his breathing down. While doing so, he bent over and picked the book up.

Ayeka raised an eyebrow at Cash and glanced at the book in his hand.

"I'm guessin' ya read this before."

"Naturally." Her eyes remained glued to him. "Why did you pick it?"

Fuck me. Now I look suspicious! the Entrepreneur screamed mentally, though on the outside he remained composed.

He sighed and put the book back where he found it. "If we're gonna hafta kill each other ta get outta here, I wanna learn about murderers ta stop that from happenin'."

Ayeka scoffed at the response. "Wow, you're so noble."

"I'm glad ya noticed," Cash retorted with a slick grin. "Seriously, though, there's no point lyin' ta the Ultimate Psychologist. You'd be able ta tell right away."

She didn't respond or react. Instead, she stared at him blankly as he tucked his hands in his pockets and sauntered past her.

"Or would ya?"

Ayeka unfolded her arms the moment she heard Cash's provocation and fiddled with the gold, question mark-shaped pendant on the front of her silver necklace. She didn't bother analyzing his body language, however, as the slightest of grins graced her face.


Change of plans: there'll be one more prologue chapter before we finally get to Chapter 1, because showing all five of the group investigations in addition to everything that's already happened would be overkill. I apologize for that, but I promise the pace will really pick up soon.
The next update will mark the conclusion of the prologue (I swear) as the four remaining groups investigate the prison and everyone gathers to discuss their findings.
Thanks for reading!

BouncingFish: There were a few who seemed like clones (Claire and Momoko, Fay and Dulcinea), so I intend to highlight the differences between them very soon. I like all of your thoughts on the characters, especially Fay, who's clearly the worst. I mean, who'd ever make such a bottom-tier character? :P

dougcupcake: Lol. I feel kinda bad for Cash too, but at least Enji and Chiharu have shown they're normal (or can be), plus there's Jackie and Otoha. Like you said, there are a lot of oddballs already, and thanks! I love writing Kaguya! Those big-sister-type moments she had with Claire, plus her trying to kill Black came about organically because I got so into highlighting a few of her most major characteristics

pokemansuperallstar: Well, recklessness and intelligence aren't mutually exclusive. I liken her moments of competence to the saying "even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while," which should become more apparent as time goes on. Chiharu's 15, she just looks like she's 5 (I did a terrible job getting that across last chapter); and thanks for letting me know about Jackie's attire not being described. I didn't want to overdo the details with everyone's clothing since I never remember what characters in other fics wear, but in Jackie's case I just forgot so I made sure to include something this time around. Thanks again for pointing that out!

Warrior of Hope: Glad you like 'em. Kaguya and Claire's relationship is a lot different than what I had planned, and I'm happy it turned out that way. I intend to rotate characters in and out of the spotlight every few chapters, so to speak, though I'll make sure to keep tabs on how often Kaguya and Claire are seen so I can flesh out the others. Thanks!

HoppsHungerfan: Thanks for the kind words and letting me know that I overdid it with Dulcinea. I rewrote and toned down all of her scenes/interactions this chapter, but let me know if I misrepresented her again! Kaguya was definitely on edge when she cuffed and tried to kill Black (who wouldn't be?), though y'all will see different sides not only to her, but to everyone else too once things settle down

Crimson Spider Lily: I'm glad you saw Claire's actions in that light! She's extremely obnoxious, and I tried conveying that through the other characters' reactions, especially Cash's. I did an awful job of portraying Dulcinea, but I made sure to get help/advice from her submitter (HoppsHungerfan) so you'll see a "new" Dulcinea going forward. Jackie's a much needed source of reason for this group, and so are Momoko and Antonio when it comes to keeping things lighthearted. Kaguya's such a badass, which accentuated Toto's strange behavior, and vice versa - but I agree that he's too edgy right now. Black's a panther, not a lion (sorry if I didn't clarify that!)... Toto has some explaining to do. Not every explanation/hypothesis will be correct, so what Claire said about Black may be wrong. Hopefully a few characters showed they're deeper than just their personalities. Thanks for the support!


Characters Met: 18/18

1. Claire Fleener - Ultimate Etch-a-Sketcher
2. Cash Bach
- Ultimate Entrepreneur
3. Enji Tsukamu - Ultimate Boxer
4. Chiharu Shimizu - Ultimate Mimic
5.
Fay Kingsley - Ultimate 3D Printer
6. Dulcinea Cervantes - Ultimate Runner-Up
7. Jackilen "Jackie" Ruben - Ultimate Game Reviewer
8. Momoko Fujimori -
Ultimate Fire Breather
9. Antonio Ordoñez - Ultimate Matador
10. Koji Nakajima - Ultimate Radio Host
11. Kaguya Akise - Ultimate Cop
12. Toto Shishigo - Ultimate Lion Tamer
13. Gin Arashi - Ultimate Lawyer
14. Otoha Noguchi - Ultimate Astrogeologist
15. Siyana Ognianov - Ultimate Explosives Engineer
16. Isei Uehashi - Ultimate Photojournalist
17. Frances Blackwood - Ultimate Alchemist
18. Ayeka Shinrigaku - Ultimate Psychologist