PROLOGUE

Chapter 3: Plants and pranks

Day 1

Tartarus Keep

12:30

After exiting that creepy gallery and leaving behind my new-found friends to their own business, I entered what looked to be the throne room of this castle. Four sets of tables were placed at the middle of the chamber while two elaborate chairs stood at the far end of an elevated stage as if reserved for the king and queen. Banners were hung on each wall depicting the unmistakable insignia of Hope's Peak Academy, though the familiarity brought to me little comfort. That the school would go so far as to confound its students by locking them in an alien environment without their consent was unethical, regardless whatever educational purpose they were pursuing. The air here was much more pleasant than in the corridor and there was a soft smell of flower or perfume.

Sitting at one of the tables was a scrawny fellow wearing a lab coat, grey sweatpants and a pair of goggles on his forehead. The boy had blond hair and his skin was pale white. He looked sick, but unlike Inori's case, I had a strong feeling his sickness was man-made instead of natural; in other words, it was his choice that had led to deformity. I had heard of artists "devoured" by their own creations – perhaps some SHSL students had the same passion with the talent they were known for. The fellow's white lab coat had visible stains of multiple colours along with some evidence of damage including burns and corrosion. Noticeably, his hands were scarred and much of their skin had been peeled off like a banana, probably from handling unsafe chemicals.

The boy seemed to be dozing off and when I approached and greeted him, he nearly jumped.

"Who are you?" The fellow lashed out at me like a taunted beast that had been shackled. "What do you want? I am not making that shit again if that is what you are looking for."

"Sorry, I did not mean to disturb you," I apologised, trying to keep calm. I reminded myself the situation was in part to blame for this; getting trapped in a completely unknown place really got people's paranoia up. "It was imprudent of me to sneak up on you." I instantly regretted my tactless decision to get to know him. The poor fellow looked to be recovering from a heart attack and I could see he was breathing heavily.

Fortunately, he quickly calmed his nerve and replied, "Yeah, I am…okay. It's my fault, actually. I was….deep in my thoughts. Didn't see you were coming."

"In any case, I should not have startled you like that," I insisted. "My apology."

The boy gave me a weak reassuring smile, saying, "No problem." Then his smile faded and he became flustered. "And I should not have shouted at like that. Oh, God. What was I thinking? You must think like I am some sort of maniacs. Please don't have a bad impression of me."

I smiled back. "I won't. I have been dealing with some really awful people in the past, people with good intents but absolutely horrible manner, people I want to just put a fist into their faces. I am used to it. I am Amelda Mason, the Ultimate Accountant," I introduced. "Nice to meet you."

"S-sorry for my…rambling," he said. "My name is Inu Kagyuu and I am the Ultimate Chemist."

Inu Kagyuu.

SHSL Chemist.

His talent was something I could have guessed just by looking at the way he appeared. However, what type of practice or field he was working on was clearly unhealthy, if not detrimental, to him.

"Your hands," I said, indicating the scars that covered his hands. "Are you all right?"

"It's f-fine," he replied quickly. "It's not a big deal. Some of the compounds I handled are…quite hazardous to make. I did not know this until…well, this happened. That is one of the disadvantages of brewing chemicals at home, I guess. You don't get the safety kit as you do in proper labs."

It took me a second to realise what he implied. From an article I read, Roraigi was a compound that had recently emerged as one of the most well-known and traded drugs in Japan. It was effective against stress, depression, insomnia and many other forms of mental disorder (something the Japanese really struggled to cope with compared to people from other countries), with very little side effect aside from the users growing more dependent on it. Whether it should be banned or not was still a matter of debate, but one thing made clear was that the individual creator owned the full monopoly over it and all the Roraigi available on the market right now was made by them. This and the fact some components in it had been deemed hazardous made Roraigi infeasible to produce by any other party.

Some of my friends coaxed me into using this compound, which I refused on religious ground.

"Wait, don't tell me you are the creator of Roraigi, the drug they are all talking about nowadays," I spurted out.

The boy sighed. "Well, yes. I intend to keep it a secret, but...since you have proven to be quite good at deduction, I will spill the beans right here."

"It is quite successful," I remarked. "You could become an entrepreneur with that."

"No, no," Inu denied. His eyes roamed the chamber, staring soullessly at anything except mine. "I am…not proud of it. At all. I wished it were not something I created."

"Why?" I asked. "Is it imperfect? As far as I am concerned, they have not banned it yet. And even if they do, they will have no charge against you."

"It's not like that," he nearly lost his patience at this point. "I have…personal issues with it. I'm sorry but…it would be better if we do not discuss." I had no intent to push it further. This poor fellow must have been traumatised by some event of the past, something not too different from what kind of man my father turned into after much of his financial investment evaporated.

"In any case, you should be more cautious when dealing with chemicals," I said. "I know it is your passion, but don't push yourself."

"They are long ago," he claimed. "I am more careful around dangerous stuff now. I have some gloves in my pocket and I have been using them." From his rather frantic complexion, I could not tell whether he was lying or really had no idea, but I knew for a fact that some of the scars were quite fresh and had only incurred recently. Nevertheless, I was aware that it was not nice of me to put my nose into other people's business, so I spoke nothing about it. To exploit someone's misfortune was no different from bullying. "Thanks, for…caring about me, though. I really appreciate it."

"It's nothing," I shrugged.

"No it's not," said Inu. He trembled like an old washing machine as he spoke, the ghost of his past present in his cyan eyes which were mostly covered by his messy blond hair. "I cannot remember when was the last time anybody showed concern for my well-being, anybody who…noticed these scar and asked whether it I was all right, not even…not even my parents."

"Well, we are classmates now - friends," I told him cordially. "It is only natural that we watch each other's back, don't you think so?"

"I am sure of it," he agreed. "It's just…I have never had somebody to care for. And now I suddenly end up with a bunch of people who want to be my friend. I have met some others. They are very nice, like you. Forgetting the fact there might not be any way out, I am…I am just happy to be here."

"Awesome." At least somebody was having the time of their life in here. I supposed his happiness being around a company of friend should give me the motivation to be less depressed at my situation.

"Hey, I have something for you. You want to have a go at it?" He produced a bottle of green liquid from his coat and brought up to me. "It's a special compound I made."

"What does it do?"

"It makes smoke coming out of your nose and ears like fireworks," he explained. "After a while, the chemical releases its explosive content and knocks your sock off. I tried it on myself once and it was pretty good. Well, if you don't want to then,…I have no reason to coerce."

Of course, I could not refuse such an offer from a friend. And besides, turning into a human locomotive did sound like fun. So I took it and took a slip. It tasted like jelly. I could drink jelly juice all day. The moment I swallowed, I could feel a surge of heat building up on my throat and my body started to shake. The compressed air within my head grew more and more intense and, coupled with the hotness from my throat, turned it into a coolant chamber.

I sensed it overloading me!

It was coming!

It came!

It was…nothing.

Really, nothing happened. I felt normal again as quickly as it sounded. I looked at my feet and found my footwear was still on.

"Now this is peculiar," Inu commented as he checked on me. After failing to find anything wrong, he shrugged. "I…have no idea why it did not work. That amount should have been enough. Something within you must be…out of the ordinary, that's my explanation."

"Out of the ordinary?" I asked, not knowing whether to take it as a comment or an insult. Though I was the SHSL Accountant, I never thought I was physically or biologically different from the guy you met across the street.

"Sorry I did not mean to," he stuttered. "Please forgive me. What I am trying to say is…is..."

"How about you tried it?" I suggested.

"I did it yesterday," he said. "Repeated intakes in short intervals are…not very good for your health."

"No problem," I told him. "Can I borrow the bottle for a moment. I am meeting up with the others. Perhaps I could try it on them and see if it works or not." The way I emphasised the word try should have given him some clue as to my true purpose, but he seemed to be unable to catch the cue and was genuinely excited.

"Yes, that would be great," he said. "Thank you very much. Please tell me about the result."

Item acquired:

Jelly juice of Doom (or whatever Inu called it)

This liquid was supposed to make smoke coming out of people's nose and ears. However, since it did not work on me, I was sceptical whether anyone would be affected. One way to find out. Let's see if I could pull out some pranks on unsuspecting victims.

The path branched into three directions from here. To the left was the botanical garden, straight ahead the kitchen and the right storage room. Which should I explore first?

Botanical garden.

Kitchen.

Storage room.

As I reached the threshold of the entrance from the throne room to the botanical garden, I noticed a noose of rope and a bucket of water lying on the floor. The rope was connected to a network of pulleys hung from the ceiling. The design was completely out of place in a medieval castle, which gave me the impression someone, most likely one of the students, had recently set it up.

The purpose of this contraption was obvious: the unfortunate fellow who stepped on the noose would be pulled upside down and have their head dipped into the bucket of water. For all the wrong reason, I found myself admiring the person responsible for this. Whoever did this was a meticulous genius. My prank with the jelly juice of doom could not ever compare to this set before me.

Perhaps not that admirable. The trap was too obvious and any fully functioning human would be able to see it from a mile away.

I took my steps avoiding the noose. As I did so, I completely neglected the banana peel painted in red to match the colour of the carpet that just happened to be there. Of course, I stepped on it. What happened next defined incredible.

I slipped.

I flew to the sky.

I did a 180-degree backflip.

I saw my whole life flashed before me.

And landed on the ground on my two feet like a kung-fu master.

"Wow," I exclaimed, my mind scattered in a thousand direction. Immediately, I pulled out a chewing gum from by pocket. Having something in my mouth helped me calm down, and this called for it. Before I could put the gum into my mouth, a hand snatched it from me.

"That was NOT supposed to happen," the culprit who made this trap showed herself, took away my nerve food, put it in her mouth, and reprimanded me. With my shocked state rendering me immobile, exacerbated by the lack of gum, I was once again subject to a full body search. After finding nothing of note aside from the bottle of green liquid, she let me go. "What are you? Which planet are you from? Is one of your associates a bald man in a wheelchair who can read other people's mind?"

"I am just a normal human," I retorted, though what Inu said earlier made to somewhat uncertain about my claim. "And no, I have no idea who you are talking about."

"Don't lie to me," the girl barked. I took in her appearance. She had a red shoulder-length wavy bob on top of her head. Her eyes were blue and her skin slightly tanned. Her clothing consisted of blue jeans shorts and yellow t-shirt with a red hoodie. The t-shirt bore the theme of the popular video game The last of Them known for its light-hearted and cartoonish nature.

"Why do you insist that I am lying?" I retorted.

"This trap is perfect," she claimed. "I spent the last hour making it with my own sweat. Any normal human slipping on that banana peel would have fallen on their face in a morbidly comedic manner, broken half of their bones, lost their pride and started crying out to their mother or whatever maker they believed in."

"Holy God," I spurted out in dismay.

"Well, at least you got the last part right," she sighed.

"That is cruel," I announced angrily. "Were you trying to kill someone here?"

"Of course not," she answered. "Does my description look like death to you?"

"Were you trying to inflict permanent and crippling injuries on someone?" I corrected.

"Don't worry," she assured me. "I know what I am doing. For I am the Pranking Queen Ashley Wiltarrow and Tartarus Keep is my dominion." Her claim sent a shiver down my spine. It was tough enough stuck in this place without booby traps wired all over.

Ashley Wiltarrow

SHSL Prankster

"I am Amelda Mason," I said. "The Ultimate Accountant."

"I knew it," Ashley chimed. "It's either that or one of those disciplinary talents. They are always so boring, which is the reason why my traps are less effective on them. Although I must say, you don't look like an accountant."

"Appearance can be misleading," I told her.

"Well said. What is this?" she asked showing the bottle with its green content.

"Jelly juice," I replied.

"Nice." Ashley spat out the gum she confiscated from me and took a big swig from the bottle. I was going to coax her into doing it anyway, but the way she just drank a strange-looking liquid from a stranger made me question how this girl went to the dentist.

No sooner did she put down the bottle than her body started to vibrate. The next thing that happened, smoke poured from her nose, her ears, her mouth, and her…goddammit Inu, that was TOTALLY uncalled for. I seized the bottle before she could drop it. Then, all of a sudden, a loud noise shook the room and the Pranking Queen was sent flying through the air. She missed the ceiling my a margin, dropped down like a sack of potatoes and landed her head into the bucket of water which she placed earlier as part of the distraction trap. Ashley stood up wobbly and tried to pull the bucket from her head, only to ram into a suit of armour and went down again.

Another person, another place, another time, I would have shown my sympathy. But her, here, now, the only thing I could say was, "Serves you right."

"What the hell was that?" she asked as she finally removed the bucket from her head. Despite such fall, she was mostly unharmed. The bucket had apparently been situated in a way that injury was minimal to whoever falling for her trap. Perhaps she was merely exaggerating about the whole breaking half of their bones thing. Nevertheless, that did not make me have any change of heart about my verdict.

"Consider it my greeting gift," I told her.

"I took back my comment on you earlier," she said, rubbing her head. "Never thought I would have to taste my own medicine one day."

"He who lives by the sword shall die by the sword," I replied. "Better get used to it."

"All right, all right. Stop lecturing me. By the way, that stuff is good. Is that from that Ultimate Chemist guy over there? Can I have another?"

"Inu made this. And I am afraid you can't do it again. It's not healthy drinking too much at one time."

"I see," she conceded. "Anyway, didn't see you earlier. You just woke up didn't you?"

"That's right."

"Come then, and let me introduce you to someone I have decided to be my future wife."

I really hoped she was kidding. To live forever after with a queen that wanted you humiliated at every turn was…unsettling to say the least. Nevertheless, I could not waste the opportunity to get introduced to another classmate, so I followed her.

The two of us entered the botanical garden. For a room within a fortress, this was huge. Plants of a multitude of colours infested this place in a way no one could expect like the Zerg Swarm on Char, sprouting not from pots but the ground itself which was covered in dirt and even from each other. To address this a garden would be an underestimation, for it almost felt like a real jungle in here. The air was well-conditioned and the artificial light shone brightly.

"Oh, there she is," Ashley pointed at the girl napping on the carpet of grass like some animal in the wild. The sleeping girl had green curly hair in a side ponytail tied adorned with yellow feathers, giving me the impression of an Indian if not for her bizarre clothes. She wore a dark blue flowery dress which opened around the right leg area, its abdominal area laced with a golden trim. She had golden chains around her waist and wrists, as well as yellow flower bracelet on her girl was barefooted. Lying next to her was a shoulder bag full of books, test tubes and herbs. "Isn't she just adorable?"

Beautiful, gorgeous, breathtaking, all of these expressions would have been better. But adorable? I did not like this. The hair on the back of my head told me this was not going to end well, the leering eyes which Ashley gazed upon the sleeping girl further confirming this. This napping girl, whoever she was, looked like the perfect prey for a prank.

But then who was I to blame. Being in front of such lovely specimen, not all people could withhold their emotion.

"You are worrying me," I remarked, frowning.

"Don't be such a wet blanket," Ashley swiped her hand impatiently. "Meet Minako Yuza, the Ultimate Herbalist."

Minako Yuza

SHSL Herbalist

"Is it okay to leave her sleeping out like this?" I asked. Minako was probably sleeping soundly even as the two of us were having our little conversation. Her breathing was even and her dirtied toes twitched lightly. "She might get sick."

"I don't know," Ashley shrugged.

"Should we wake her up?"

"I'll do it then." The Pranking Queen approached the herbalist and shook her in the shoulder. "Hey, wake up sleepy head. This is not a nice place for a nap."

"Five more minutes, please, Hanako," the girl babbled in her sleep. Was she really that deep in her slumber? I thought she was just napping on the spot out of exhaustion or some other explicable reason, but apparently, she truly considered this a good idea. However, given what I had seen so far, there was nothing to be surprised here.

"I'll give you a candy if you get up now," Ashley coaxed like a mother to a child.

"No, thank you," Minako refused. Her tone carried purpose despite her state of being completely contradicting anything resembling coherency as if she still believed this was all just a dream. "It's not healthy. You taught me that, remember?"

"Well there goes the easy way," Ashley conceded. Her eyes gleamed with mischief as she went on, "Now for the hard one."

"I don't like the sound of that," I said, feeling helpless at the atrocity that was about to unfold. Despite having been in courts numerous times presenting evidence to condemn others of business crimes, I was always the passive person and would never have tried myself to stop any wrongdoing by myself. For some reason, I felt no more disgust seeing wrongdoings in front of my very eyes than just reading about on newspaper. In one word, I let her do as she desired.

"You don't have to."

With that, the Ultimate Prankster sprung into action and pounced at her helpless prey like a ravenous tiger. Still sleepy, Minako let out a yelp before her eyes dark blue eyes opened wide and she burst into uncontrollable laughter as Ashley raked her fingers on the poor girl's sides.

"Ahahahaha! Stop that, Ashley-chan. It tickles."

"That's what you get for not answering earlier," claimed Ashley. "Now, you will face the consequence."

The herbalist shook her body violently to escape from the grip placed on her midsection, but as she did so, the Pranking Queen seized the ankles of her feet and began to work on the soles, never minding how dirty they were.

"Hihihihihi! Tha-that's even worse," Minako moaned as she struggled in vain. The Pranking Queen continued her deed for a few moments until tears flooded the eyes of her victims. I knew for a fact it must have hurt like hell when tired eyes were flowing with water like that. The prank might have gone too far. However, just as I was about to intervene, Ashley stopped, apparently knowing the limit as to what she could go. Perhaps this prankster was not some incurable disease after all, though still a disease nevertheless.

"Well, I guess that I one way to get the job done," I said mostly to myself, reminded of the many unscrupulous methods companies had been employing to hide their shady transactions.

"By Mother Earth, you are so cruel," Minako complained.

"This is a cruel world we are living in," Ashley said, helping the barefooted girl get up. "Get used to it. And cut it out with those crocodile tears."

"I guess you are right," said Minako. Her quick acceptance to the statement Ashley came up with for excusing her recklessness made me wonder if this herbalist were the morbid type of person. She checked her bag and slung it over her shoulder. As soon as her feet touched the floor the wriggling toes dug firmly into the soil like a tree planting its root.

"Nice to meet you," I said, catching Minako's attention. "I am Amelda Mason, the Ultimate Accountant."

"Oh, hello there, friend," Minako replied in the most flowery voice possible. Seriously, listening to her was like getting lectured by one of those hippies who called themselves environmentalists. "I'm Minako Yuza. Blessed I am to make your acquaintance. Pardon me for asking, but are you a believer?"

"In what?" I asked.

"In a greater power," she said. "Something above and beyond us."

"I see the face of God every morning on my bread," I replied.

"Oh, yes. Then I pray you will continue to meet him every morning." Even for someone who had faith in God, I could not take that comment seriously, not matter how much heart she put into making it as if thinking the almighty one truly visited me often in the form of breakfast. "If you have the time and will to listen to a new religion, then come to me. I am happy to talk to you about Mother Earth."

"I look forward to it," I said half-heartedly.

"You can talk to me anytime you want," Ashley chimed in.

"Also, please tell me this isn't the greatest thing ever?" Minako said, arms extended to gesture at her surroundings. "A whole jungle in this fortress. Whoever live in here must be the most admirable people ever, for only those fully embracing Mother Earth would accept her gifts with such open arms."

"I am reluctant to give credit to the people imprisoning us," I said. "However, this place is indeed quite the splendour. It's quiet and peaceful. The air is cool too. I could always go here to relieve stress."

"Yes, I see," said Ashley thoughtfully. "So much material I could use for my pranks. Look at those entangling vines, those slippery fruit peels, those colourful disgusting puddles of goo. I could surely use them." The fact this was the first thing that went through her mind seeing this made me wish that bucket earlier had been full of acid instead of water.

"I am glad to hear that," Minako beamed happily, oblivious to the malice Ashley was capable of. "Nature is Mother Earth's greatest gift. Let us all pay our due and express gratitude and respect."

I thought about having her try the jelly juice of hell, but decided against it seeing she was already barefooted. If other clothing articles on her were to be removed following the reaction, it would cause a scene which landed me the title Ultimate Pervert or something like that. There were others to be tested on, anyway.

Tartarus Keep

13:00

Leaving the two girls with one another, I proceeded to look for the rest of my classmates. As I was about to exit the botanical garden, the presence of someone caught my attention. The fellow had a tall and muscular body that looked like it belonged to a model. His overall build was quite attractive, and, though he did not possess the hefty biceps like I did (not sure when I got so much all of a sudden), he was naturally more handsome in almost every respect. As a man, I was fully conscious of the way my gender should appear and this boy looked as though he could charm an angel with a wink.

His choice of clothing could be described as fashionable for he wore a brown cardigan over a blue V-neck t-shirt and denim ripped jeans with three cut on both thighs. In terms of footwear, he had brown rubber shoes with white sole, the laces also brown but the aglets white. He had a shade on his face, amplifying his style and character.

"Hello there, didn't see you earlier," he greeted me warmly. Despite his beauty and charm, the fellow seemed very friendly. "You are a Hope's Peak Academy student as well?"

"We all are, aren't we?" I responded in kind. "I am Amelda Mason, the Ultimate…"

"Wait, let me guess," the boy cut me off. "I am quite good at this. People are just like books. Much of what make you on the inside is revealed through the cover. Let's see. Judging from your clothes and the athletic strength you display, I would say, the Ultimate Basketball Player."

"Not really," I said. "I am the Ultimate Accountant."

"Wow, you are the first one to get past my radar," he said, excited rather than disappointed by his wrong guess. "I am amazed."

"A lot of people keep saying I don't look like one," I told him. "But honestly, here I am, so what are you going to do about it."

"You are someone who defies stereotypes. You should be proud of that. Oh, by the way, my name is Akihiko Kazuhiko. Now is your turn to guess what my talent is."

"Do I get three chances?" I suggested.

"Just one," he refused. "I only got one when I guessed yours, so make the best out of it."

My first impression would definitely be the Ultimate Model given the way he looked. However, since my own appearance was misleading enough, it was not impossible that his might be as well. Now that he asked for it, it was obvious his talent was not something that could be deducted by judging a book by its cover like the way he did. Otherwise, there would be no point in…

Wait a minute, judging a book by its cover? One talent rang a bell and he gave that away in his speech.

"The Ultimate Librarian," I guessed.

"Ugh, you got me," he raised his hands in concession. "In retrospective, I should have expected this from you. Accountants come to my library all the time. I know for a fact they are some of the most meticulous and calculating people you will ever see. Not to insult anyone, though."

Akihiko Kazuhiko

Ultimate Librarian

"No hard feeling," I assured. "In fact, that is exactly what people think of us. But we know better than to be influenced by others."

"Then we are in the same boat here," said Akihiko. "Most of my friends kept saying I was too handsome for this kind of job, but they never realised it was my passion all along. Of all what mankind creates, few can be as wonderful as books, can you agree?"

"Of course," I said. "I am a fan of reading myself."

"That's even better," he cheered. "What's your genre? Finance, Business, Politics?"

"Fairy tales and classic literature. Knowledge regarding my profession is better acquired through papers and articles than books."

"Ah, good taste. Well, it's a shame there isn't any library in here, but if there were, I would give you some help should you require."

"Excellent," I smiled. The door to the other side of the corridor where our rooms were remained locked as we speak. Who knew what was behind it. But if this were indeed modelled after an old castle, Tartarus Keep should have some place for the lords to study or entertain through reading. "I have something for you here." I pulled out the bottle of green liquid from Inu and showed it to him. "Try some. It's good."

"I might not be able to correctly guess your talent, but your intention is clear to me," Akihiko replied. "It's not good. I think I will pass. There is an Ultimate Chemist nearby. Whatever liquid that you are holding should cause undesirable effects to its drinker." He got that part right. Where was the smoke that was supposed to come out of my body when I drank it? I wanted to have the first-hand experience of what it was like to be so full of air as the Big Bad Wolf.

"It's just jelly juice," I took a drink from it. Like before, nothing out of the ordinary happened. I did not even feel any heat or air being built up this time. "Very good stuff. If you sneer on this gift of friendship, then I will not force you to."

"Wait," Akihiko blurted. "Sorry for my lack of manner. Of course, I would like to have a go at it." His charisma was really wearing me off. Perhaps for another person (probably female), he would come out as polite and charming, but a calculating and meticulous person like me only saw it as acting no more no less.

The moment he took his swig, the exact same thing happened to him as it did to Ashley. Unlike the Pranking Queen, however, he flew into the air with his footwear still on (too fashionable to go without them I guess), and got stuck on the top of a tree.

"That was TOTALLY WICKED," he cried, his voice tiny from all the way up there. "You should have told me what it was in the first place. I would surely have drunk it."

"Sorry for putting you up there," I bellowed so he could hear. This was the definition of a joke going too far, and I was to blame for this. But in all honesty, what kind of drink that could turn someone into a human rocket like that? A locomotive was cool, not a rocket. Besides, we all had fun and it wasn't like someone had gotten injured, yet. From now on, I should be more careful about where I should be having others drink this stuff. "Don't worry, I'll go get some help."

"Be quick. My clothes are getting stained by this."

It took me a few seconds to find Ashley and Minako. The two girls were observing some flowers blooming and closing in the middle of a grass field when I asked for their help. Without a moment to waste, they followed me to the scene of the crime where I left Akihiko high and dry up the tree and more than twenty meters above the ground.

As it turned out, Minako deserved the title Ultimate Tarzan, for she climbed up that tree with no problem and managed to bring a pretty shaken up Akihiko to the ground. Seeing how the Ultimate Herbalist put her skill to use gave me further hope in this desolate place. Every one of the students here had a talent, a speciality that distinguished us from the rest of the human race, a reason to feel proud being apart and different. To each of us fell a role to play. And if we could all work together and combine our strength, nothing could stand against us.

At least that was what I hoped for.

Author's note: That's three-quarters of the roster revealed. I hope you all enjoy my portrayal of the characters you sent me so far. The remaining four will show up in the next chapter. The SYOC is closed as at this moment.

Tell me which character do you like best and which shipping would you like to see. Thanks for reading and I will see you next time.