Act 1-3
Pages As White As Snow
Irja did a head count for the third time, looking openly pale, despite her efforts in keeping calm and composed. "Twelve… Thirteen… Fourteen…" She grimaced, looking about. "I suppose, for now, we should all split up into groups and look for the missing person."
Everyone murmured their agreements, the normally rowdy group unusually subdued. They split up quietly, Irja leading out Kasumi, Yuhei, and Celinel.
They checked the dorms first, knocking on each door, and when no one answered, peeking inside. They repeated this for all eighteen rooms, finding no one in any of the above.
"…Perhaps they're… in the bathroom…?" Celi suggested. No one answered, all hoping for that to be true, but knowing somewhere in the backs of their minds that it was not to be the case.
The foursome had just closed the door to Ray's room when there was a crackling of a hidden speaker.
"Bing, bang, bahng, bong~!"Monokuma's voice sang cheerily, and everyone in the lodge froze where they stood. "Everyone please head to the lobby~! I have an announcement to make!"
The four looked at one another, a feeling of uneasiness arising between them. Of course, they couldn't do much but follow instructions.
They were the last to arrive, Monokuma grinning more than usual.
"What happened?" Several people looked startled as Kasumi spoke, as if just realizing she was there.
"Who are you?" Mikala gave her an inquisitive look, bordering on suspicious, and Kasumi sighed inwardly.
"Kasumi Nikki, Ultimate Diary Keeper," she replied monotonously, but her response seemed to be forgotten in favor of Monokuma.
"Well, I'm sure you all know by now, but Aimi Chieko was killed." His leer seemed to grow in size, much more threatening than before, some of the more timid of the group cowering under his gaze.
"But… who killed her?"
The bear laughed gleefully, a sound that added further to the shock and terror permeating the Lodge. "Oh, I'm sure you know~!" He sang, putting on an innocent pose and tone of voice, though somehow or another it was more terrifying than innocent. "The killer is among you all!"
If there had been any noise, it would have been silenced, as the realization for the first time truly sank in. All fourteen students looked amongst themselves, not quite wanting to believe it.
After all, one of them… a killer?
"What's wrong?" Monokuma asked, shattering the silence with the sharp anvil of a bark of laughter. "Y'all look like Bigfoot just ate the last piece of pie. Isn't like I said from the very beginning? In order to leave, someone in this group killed Aimi Chieko!"
"But that's…" Rie murmured, hand cupped over her mouth as if in an attempt to hold in the shock.
"Horrible? Malicious? Dastardly? Evil?" Monokuma suggested, and if he had an eyebrow, he would be raising it. "It's in the rules, so there's nothing wrong with that."
"So then… Someone really is…?"
Irja pursed her lips, pale but still keeping her calm. "So then, what happens now? Does the killer get to graduate?"
Instead of answering, Monokuma burst into laughter, holding his stomach and throwing his head back.
"Upupupupupupupupu~! Naïve! Do you really think it's so easy to graduate? That all you have to do is kill somebody?" Everyone looked taken aback, some physically stepping back.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Monokuma laughed some more before abruptly glaring at the speaker. "I mean, the main event is just starting!"
"Main event…?"
Monokuma sighed exaggeratedly. "Haven't any of you read the rules?" When he was greeted with silence, he shook his head. "Fine, let me explain the supplementary rules regarding Graduation. the fact that someone must kill another to graduate remains unchanged, but…"
"There is another clause that must be checked." Alex finished quietly, and Monokuma gave a toothy (or rather, toothier) grin.
"Correct!" Monokuma pulled out an ElectroiD from midair, tapping a few buttons before holding it out before everyone. A holographic screen popped up, and the bear spun it around so everyone could see it.
Rule 6
Anyone who kills a fellow student and becomes "blackened" will graduate.
However, they must not let any other student know they are the culprit.
"See?" Monokuma said, pointing it out. "It's no good just killing. You gotta hide what you've done from everyone else!" He became extremely animated as he said this, waving his arms about for a moment before calming down. "So, in order to judge whether that was accomplished or not is a 'Snow Trial' session which will be enacted a short time after a killing occurs! This Trial will commence a few hours after a murder takes place! It'll be a battle between the 'Blackened' who committed the murder and the 'Whites' – the rest of you lot!"
Monokuma snickered, tossing away the ID in his hands, where it landed in some unknown corner of the lobby.
"During the trial, you get a chance to debate amongst yourselves who among you is the hidden killer. The result is decided by a vote held at the end of the trial. And if the answer you reach is the correct one…" He paused in a suspenseful way. "The culprit that disrupted public order will be punished, and the rest of you can go on living your lives!"
"And if we vote wrong?" Irja was the only one brave enough to voice the question.
"Upupupupu~! Then the real culprit who committed the crime stays alive, but the rest of you will be punished!" Monokuma beamed. "Those are the rules of the Snow Trial~!"
Irja frowned, contemplating something for a moment before speaking up again. "What exactly does this 'punishment' entail?"
"Upupupupu~! Why, it's an execution of course! Zap-zap in the electric chair! Choke-choke from poison gas! Maybe I'll throw your body down a cliff or bury you alive in an avalanche! To summarize, our court is just like the jury systems in world courts. It is up to you to decide who the culprit is! But don't worry! I've added everything I just said to your list of school rules."
System message posted:
The list of school rules has been updated. They can be checked from the ID Menu screen.
"Well then, you all understand, right? I'll see you lot at the Snow Trial~!" Monokuma disappeared laughing, and it took Kasumi to startle everyone back into action again.
"He's giving us several hours to investigate. We need to see Chieko-san's body." Her words took a few moments to sink in, but several nodded after awhile, shifting in place.
"I-I'll take you there." Ray seemed shocked out of his shock, steps faltering before he moved. He was a deathly pale, and looked unsteady on his feet, but no one said anything, too absorbed in their own thoughts.
They stopped in front of the doors to the library. No one was willing to open it.
So, slightly abrupt ending and no bloody scenes quite yet. Sorry about that, but I completely forgot about explanations, and it's a lot harder than it looks coming up with just the right murder. :P When I do, though, things will go by a lot faster. ^^
For now, though, I hope you enjoyed! Things starting next chapter will be much, much more exciting~!
Kasumi Nikki, Ultimate Diary Keeper, female
Yuhei Kuza, Ultimate Lip Reader, male Courtesy of Reapergenesis32
Raymond "Ray" Bishop Stark, Ultimate DJ, male Courtesy of Oscar – The Undead Brony
Ruiza Maria Andrade (El Torbellino Dorado), Ultimate Luchador, female Courtesy of dashunterman
Rie Hayaikawa, Ultimate Circus Performer, female Courtesy of SpectralTriangle
Amelia (Von) Ebers, Ultimate Classical Composer, female Courtesy of TheLaughingStone
Alex Nagamine, Ultimate Bookworm, male Courtesy of Alex The God Killer
Jonathan Junmaru, Ultimate Procrastinator, male Courtesy of Mechblade007
Makoto Kudou, Ultimate Forensic Scientist, male Courtesy of Starnightking
Irja Sari Kokkonen, Ultimate Investigative Journalist, female Courtesy of Lupus Overkill
Aimi Kimiko Chieko, Ultimate Acrobat, female Courtesy of SatoIchinose
Mikala Kaimi Nuri, Ultimate Cosmetologist, male
Vergil, Ultimate Friend, male Courtesy of lVergil
Celinel Frischt, Ultimate Choir Conductor, polygender Courtesy of my friend Frankie (who's too lazy to get an account, apparently)
Jack ?, Ultimate ?, male Courtesy of RestinDarkness