-Hiro's POV-

The walk back to the hotel was awkward. Narutoya was a total gaming nerd. Taka kept quiet like the Omega we kept calling him, and Akira wouldn't engage me in any real conversation. She considered me a dumb kid, and that pissed me off. Why'd she act so mature? She's our age... Tch, what a shitshow. I couldn't even get a good fight out of these people. Maybe Aya, but hitting girls unprovoked isn't gonna look good. If she'd agree to sparring, maybe...

We were finally outside of the towering structure of Hotel Towa, and damn, it looked fancy. Hadn't been to a place looking this good since that trip to Dubai...

"Looks comfortable. Guess that's a plus," I said half-assedly. I felt like we were in for a painful, wild ride.

Akira walked forward and opened the door with a single push to the side, "What are ya waitin' for, an invitation? Move your asses!"

"The softest can go first," Narutoya shot back, smirking.

Akira grabbed Narutoya's shirt collar and hustled him in first, "If you say so, pillow princess."

When the four of us were inside, we were greeted by Kicho, Sho, Michi, and Mario.

"About time someone else got back," Mario smiled a bit, "Afraid you all got lost or... worse."

Narutoya scoffed at the idea, "Us, injure ourselves? As if."

"It could happen..." Kicho replied coolly, "Someone as amazing as you would be a prime first target."

"You know, I know what you're trying to do here... But I'll allow it," Narutoya shot back, toying with the 'huntress' himself.

Michi raised her hand meekly, "Did any of you see the o-others?"

"If we did, we'd have brought them, obviously," I angrily replied, "I... I'm sorry. We're just... Tense. This is a new kind of dread. Like awaiting a champion fighter in a match... My heart keeps pumping... Haha... ha..."

Akira nudged him with her shoulder, "Don't have a heart attack on us now."

I gave her a courageous grin, "Me, no way. I'll be here to see this through, I promise!"

That was when the door opened.

-Ryuu's POV-

If it wasn't obligatory for me to hold the center stage, I wouldn't. I know better than to play such an important role in a game like this. I have to be obscure, background enough to not be popular, but prevalent enough to be a mock puppet. Like Hagakure.

I remember watching that game... It fucked me up real bad as a kid. Being here wasn't good for my anxiety. Ryoji, Aya, and Honoka were off talking to the others about our findings, or lack thereof. Part of me wanted to go side questing...

I noticed there was a back alley behind the hotel, and there was a question mark nearby. After much self-motivation, I silently pressed my face against the door, listening for sounds. When I heard nothing, I opened the door and headed out into the alleyway. It was darker back here, the sun's rays obscured by the buildings. I walked down and took a left, hoping to find the question mark. I found several bodies along the way... Recent. I should have just fled then and there, but something compelled me to move forward. I could bail if it got too bad. The destination was just up and around the bend... In a building, no less. I hoped it was lit up.

Around the corner, I found a small donut shop. It was abandoned, the windows were mostly broken with a few untouched, and a couple of bodies were left, on a table or hiding under one. Nothing boney. The city had been repaired since the Towa City incident... So was Monaca Towa behind this? Her name was in the news at least. For Towa City, and the murder of Miaya Gekkougahara...

Wasn't she at Hope's Peak, though? Or should be... Damn.

Stepping into the restaurant, I heard a yelp, and a girl fell from the closet door. She must have been leaning too close to it and fell out. She had long white hair, like the snow. She wore a yellow blouse, a lighter yellow like the sun, and a black belt above her red skirt, adorned with roses and other flowers I didn't recognize. She had blue eyes and a frightened look on her face.

"Who are you?" She asked, tentatively.

"Ryuu Nomoya, Ultimate Game Designer. Class 83 of Hope's Peak..." I answered it plainly and concisely.

She jumped up, "Really!?" She jumped onto me, "Thank god!"

I pushed her off of me, gently but firmly, "Calm down. I'm not here for a knife in the back. Name."

"Sheena... Sheena Midoriko. I was... am the Ultimate Biologist. I think... I was in the city for a project I was working on at the science hall when the city was attacked... My friends, my comrades, they..." She jumped towards me again, grabbing my shirt, "We have to go save them, please! They can't all be-"

I grabbed her hands and told her simply, "They're likely... The rest of your class, our class. We're in the hotel. Did you get a handbook?"

She nodded and held it out, "Some odd bear handed it to me directly. Told me I'd be playing... Is this some sick joke?"

"Ask the bodies you've seen on your way here," I grimly replied, "I'm not going to sugarcoat this. We're actually in a fucked up killing game... Like the 78th class had..."

Sheena started to tear up, "B-but... the world is... was safe."

I wished that were so, I bitterly thought to myself. If it had been, I'd... My friends...

"It's going to be okay, now," I assured her, talking softly, "We'll go back to the group and just... keep ourselves together. Okay? We'll stick together now, for better or..."

Or worse. Much, much worse... I introduced her to the others hastily, but before much talking could be had, we were interrupted by something slightly more important.

-Michi's POV-

Shiori, Kojiro, Naoya, and Kotoko, the last of us to return, burst through the door and blocked it with their bodies.

"Monokumas are... in the...subways..." Naoya breathed out in between drawn out breaths.

Kotoko plopped down next to him, breathing a sigh of relief, "That was... close."

I tentatively walked up to Naoya and handed him my handkerchief, "Here. You're bleeding..."

He noticed his arm and looked up at me, "You sure? This looks important..." I nodded and he pressed it against the fresh wound, "Ah... I didn't think those things got me. Hope it's not contagious, whatever they have... Haha..."

Kojiro pulled out his handbook and scrolled through it, "We did get some decent information out of someone... But nothing conclusive."

Shiori shrugged, "Better than nothing, right Detective Sensei?" Kojiro blankly stared back at her excited expression.

Everyone else eventually gathered, and when we were midway through discussing their encounter with Daisuke, the front door opened, and another gentleman walked inside.

-Akira's POV-

The new guy looked tough. Nearly six feet tall, scars across his cheek and across his nose, red eyes of crimson that seemed to suck in the light around them, short black hair with bangs covering the left half of his face. He had a handbook in one hand and held it loosely, as if he could do without it. He wore a red coat and a black tank top, extra thick and with a pocket for a blade he had, a knife that looked like a dragon made of gold. His black pants were thick, as if camo pants painted black.

He looked over each and every one of us. Was he assessing us? Gauging our reaction time?

Hiro spoke first, "Hey, who the hell are you?"

"Muay Thai Fighter," The man had a cold voice; somewhat raspy, "Don't be so brash. That kind of stuff gets you killed. And I'm older than you newbies, so show respect."

Older than us? "So you're... what, 20? How old? What's your name, kid?" I asked.

He turned his attention to me, "My name is not important to you, right? You suspect me because I came in late. Maybe I'm the mastermind, or maybe I'm just some nobody. What does it matter to you all?"

Narutoya asked, adjusting his shades again, "What title are you known by?"

The man shook his head, "Ultimate? I never fit into that system well..."

"Just tell us," Mario followed up, growing ever more suspicious, "Or else."

"You'll never understand what I went through because of that title," he spoke up at last, "And now we're here."

A giant monitor lowered from behind us, hooked up to a small crane on the side of the tower's entrance way. And guess what appeared on it...

Monokuma's smirking face, "There's our last friend. Sheena, sorry for the lacking introduction. But escorting you here wouldn't have been fair. You'll be fine..."

Sheena shouted, "Leave me be, you sick monster!" She was practically in tears, "Where are my friends!?"

"Where they belong. In the ground," Monokuma harshly answered her, losing that mocking tone for a moment, "And Shinji... For you, it's a welcome back, huh!? But unlike last time, this game is real... Amazing, right?"

The guy, Shinji, replied, "Monokuma... Where I come from, Future Foundation exterminated you. This time... I'll oblige myself."

Monokuma laughed at his threats, "Oh, Mister Kizami... What can an Ultimate Romantic like you really do to me!? Hahaha! Now, enough time wasting! It's time to reveal... the theme to this killing game!"

"Theme?" I asked, curious what else he'd throw at us, "What else could there be?"

"This is going to be fantastic, if I do say so myself! Our theme is something personal and intimate... It's revenge!" Music played in the background like the introduction to a bad carnival, "That's right! Every single one of you is responsible for ruining the life of a classmate of yours. And we'll be able to work that out through a killing game! Think about the worst experience in your life... Someone else here caused it!"

Shinji snarked, "Oh, is Junko here and I don't know it?"

Sho laughed, "Worst experience? I had some bad spicy food once..."

Monokuma ignored the idiot, "That's right! You're all connected! Someone here has ruined the life of another. And that goes for all of you! Maybe in ways you can't expect... Hehe! Now, of course, I won't spoil that all at once, but... Let's just say it'll be quite interesting to see how you'll react!"

"Revenge is the best you got?" Mario raised his fist at the screen, "Good luck with that, assface!"

"I'm not Togami!" The bear happily announced, "Calm yourself, Maria. Before I let the cat out of the bag! Or... whoops, too late!"

We all stared at Maria?, who cursed, "Fuck you, Monokuma!" Her? voice was of a much higher pitch now, the ruse ruined, "Why you gotta out me like that!?"

Monokuma chuckled, "'Cuz it's a game!" He looked over us, his smug face scanning over us, "That's right. You all have bones to pick with each other. Trapped in such a large city like this... Aren't you all excited!? I know I am!" Monokuma pointed to Shinji, "And as for you, Mister Kizami... This is the real deal. Not one of your girlfriend's petty simulations... Try not to let me down. Make this game an interesting one..."

And the screen turned off, leaving us alone in a darkened room. The lights to the hotel turned on, and we just now noticed it was evening.

Taka awkwardly asked, "So... Who wants dinner?"

"I'd kill for some... I mean, I could live with some hamburger steaks..." Sho realized what he was saying and corrected himself.

And like that, we eventually split up. Some of us had dinner together, myself included. I'm old enough to know when free food is good; almost always. Especially since I cooked with Taka. Surprising he's a chef, huh? Guess he cooks at home because his mom works late. Others went to their rooms, all identified by our name, to check out the locks and the rooms themselves. They were actually catered to us. I had some packs of cigarettes in a drawer, along with some flasks and other stuff. I wondered how well the mastermind had to know us to do this, but it was common knowledge for me. I got kicked out of many a dancing contest for my habits; not that it did them any good. More people would go to see me than their little morality pow-wows. So someone here ruined my life, huh? And I ruined someone else's?

Kojiro stressed for us to ignore Monokuma's prodding. It was likely to sow dissent among us and not the truth. But still, I wondered. I had heard of and even met one of these people before... But to ruin their life? Who could it have been, and why?

I suppose I'd find out. I took a small drink of whiskey and put the shot back on the wardrobe by my bedside. It would come to us eventually. For now, I just had to survive. My door was locked, I had just showered in the divine warm water in the decorative shower, and was ready to hit those silk sheets. As I lay down to sleep on my back, one passing thought entered my mind... Was he safe without me? I hoped so... If anything should happen to me... No, I can't think like that.

I'll come back to him alive. No matter the cost.

-Naoya's POV-

Eventually, Kotoko and I were left alone. The others splintered off one by one, even the new guy, Shinji.

"Naoya, something wrong?" Kotoko sat across from me in the lounge of the hotel, where I was looking up through the skylight at the night sky.

I shook my head, "Kotoko... You were here in years passed. Do you think... we have a chance of getting out safely?"

Kotoko folded her arms and thought about it, "I'd like to say yes, but... Well, that might be lying to you... I think all we can do is our best. You know?"

"Hmhmhm.. Yes, that might be a good idea. If we can't escape... we can at least make our last moments worthwhile..." I agreed, putting my hands on the table in between us.

And that was my resolve. We weren't going to lie down and die.