Prologue: Welcome to the Ultimate Killing Game
Part 2
Surviving Students: 45
Known Students: 21/45
Day 1 - 8:32 AM
Courtyard, Central Area
Fountain Area
Hajime walked around the fountain, looking for students to meet. Nagito is apparently uninterested in meeting the new students, so he decided to sit down and wonder how everyone got here. His attention was caught by a group of students who is gathering around a short, red haired girl wearing a wizard's hat. Among the students is a boy wearing a long scarf, a girl with long, blonde hair, a man with sea urchin-like hair, a tanned girl who's a bit overexposed, and a girl with a pinwheel bow on the back of her head. They were all interested in the little girl.
"I swear!" the little girl shouted. "I-I can use magic! Yeah! I can use magic to get us out of here!"
"Alright then, Himiko," the girl with the pinwheel bow said. "Show me some magic!"
"I'd love to see what you can perform!" the long haired blonde girl said.
"...Okay..." the little girl said. "Stand back a little. This might blow up in my face." Pulling out her wand, the girl focused on the air in front of her and shut her eyes. Then, she pointed her stick forward and crouches a little. She made movements with her arm as she tried to release her magic. After a few seconds of anticipation, all that came out is a pull of smoke coming out of her stick. The girl opened her eyes, expecting to see results, but got none. "Nyeh?" she grunted.
"What?" the blonde girl reacted. "What was that?"
The boy with the scarf turned his head away. On his shoulders, four hamsters appeared from behind him. "Such amateurish display of your mystical powers!" he said.
"N-No, this isn't it!" the girl tried to convince the students around her. "It's real magic! It's just...I wasn't doing my best..."
"All this time just to waste our time?" the man with the sea urchin hair shouted. "Man, what a way to throw away time..."
"Nyahahaha!" the girl wearing nothing more than a bikini and a coat said. "There's no need to worry. You just need Auta's blessing and you'll gain real magic!"
"You're not helping, Angie!" the man shouted.
"I was just helping our poor magician."
Well that was an interesting sense. Hajime wondered who these people are. He took a step to try to greet them, but was stopped by a voice.
"You know, that's exactly the type of person you'll find in an RPG session," a boy said.
Hajime jumped in surprise. He turned around to find the source of the voice. He found two people; a far boy wearing glasses, and...is that Sayaka? What is she doing there? Isn't she supposed to be with Makoto? And why is she wearing glasses?
"Hey, are you paying attention to me?" the boy asked.
"Oh, sorry if I was distracted," Hajime said. "Who are you?"
The boy adjusted his glasses as he introduced himself. "I'm Hifumi Yamada," he introduced himself. "I'm the Ultimate Fan Artist, though I'm also known for my writing. I mostly self-publish my own work, but if I want I could allow another publisher to showcase my work. My pen name is 'The Alpha and the Omega', so if you like to call me that, I don't mind."
"That's a long pen name," Hajime said. "I think I'll stick to just your name, thank you." His gaze turned to the Sayaka lookalike. "Uh, Sayaka? What are you doing here?"
"Huh?" the Sayaka lookalike asked.
"And what's with those glasses?" Hajime asked again.
"Oh...that girl..." the Sayaka lookalike moaned. "Yes, I have seen her. She's a real superstar. I feel like I'm her twin sister, just stuck in her shadow..."
What?
"Uh, you didn't give him your name," Hifumi pointed out.
"Oh, how rude of me!" the Sayaka lookalike said. "My name is Tsumugi Shirogane. I'm the Ultimate Cosplayer."
At least that clears the confusion up. Probably, for now. Keeping track of so many students is bound to be hard work, especially if some of them appear similar to each other.
"So, who are these guys over there?" Hajime asked.
"I can explain!" Hifumi said. "Okay, so the little wizard girl is Himiko Yumeno. Her official title is the Ultimate Magician, but she insists that she's the Ultimate Mage and that magic exists. That sounds too strange to be real. That boy with the scarf and hamsters is Gundham Tanaka. I swear, he must've gave himself that name. His talent is taking care of animals, though I'm pretty sure that's made up. Oh, and that lady over there is Sonia Nevermind. She's a princess from a faraway country. She might be an exchange student. I think she has a 'Stand', don't you think?"
"What?" Hajime gasped. "What are you talking about?"
"Moving on..." Hifumi continued. "The one with the crazy hair is Yasuhiro Hagakure, the barely dressed girl is Angie Yonaga, and that girl is-" He is suddenly cut off when one of the girls surrounding Himiko jumped over and kicked Hifumi away.
"HAIYAH!" the girl shouted as she kicked Hifumi away. "Leave the introductions to me!" She then demonstrated her fighting moves in front of Hajime. punching the air and jumping and spinning around. She flung her open hand towards Hajime, causing him to flinch. Her hand stopped just over his shoulder. At this point, the girl introduced herself. "I'm Tenko Chabashira, the Ultimate Aikido Fighter!"
That's an interesting display of talent, if not, a scary one. She could've hurt him.
"Ow..." Hifumi groaned. "You...don't have to do that..."
"Why not?" Tenko asked. "I'm not letting some degenerate male introduce me to this...other..." It took her a moment, but she realized she made a mistake. "Wait, did I just introduce myself to-? Gah! Why did I let myself to be in front of someone like you? Time for your punishment!"
Hajime freaked out for a moment as he saw Tenko launched her fist into his face. He ducked under the fist just before he was punched. Tenko continued to move her hand forward, oblivious to the fact that she missed her target. She thought she landed her punch on her target when her fist suddenly stopped. Tenko opened her eyes, expecting to see a knocked out male, only to find that another male had stopped her punch with just one hand.
The man who stopped the punch is a tall man with a pompadour, wearing a long, black coat. He stared down at Tenko with his own intimidating purple eyes.
"Oh!" Tenko said. "You're Mondo Owada, the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader, right? W-why did you come here and defend this degenerate male?"
Mondo got agitated further. His glare became much more intimidating, as well as this tone of voice. "You dare talk shit about me and the other boys?" he growled. "I'll...I'll never forgive you!"
"Oh yeah?" Tenko asked. "Well, now it's time for me to show you how superior girls are compared to you gross males!" She then began to fight Mondo, pushing him back as she spins and twirls into her punches and kicks.
It wasn't long before somebody noticed the fight that was going on.
"Hey, cut it out, bro!" Kiyotaka shouted. "We shouldn't be fighting someone, especially on the first day!"
"Seriously, Tenko?" Mahiru scolded. "I get that you hate males, but can you please calm down? This is our first day here!"
Hajime didn't notice that Tenko was gone. He is still crouching from dodging the punch. For him to be able to stand back up, someone must give a nudge. Luckily for him, that's what he got. Someone walked up to him and gave him a nudge.
"Hey, are you feeling alright?" a calm, deep voice said.
"Huh?" Hajime said as he opened his eyes. "What?"
The boy who walked up to Hajime has hair that's colored like green tea. He is wearing a simple stripped sweater and baggy pants. He is wearing a belt around his waist, and hanging off that belt is a compass.
"W-Who are you?" Hajime asked.
"Oh, don't worry about me," the boy said. "I'm not here to hurt you, I promise. Here, let me help you up." The boy then lifted Hajime back on his feet before introducing myself. "My name is Rantaro Amami. I'm the Ultimate Adventurer. Nice to meet you."
"Uh...hi..." Hajime nervously said.
"I know; you're confused about this, right?" Rantaro asked. "We're all confused about this. We woke up finding ourselves trapped in this academy, with no way of escaping it. In short, we're trapped in this academy."
Trapped? In this academy? Hajime couldn't believe it at first, but looking around and seeing the massive walls beyond the buildings, it became clear that they are trapped. "So...uh, how do we handle this?" he asked.
"I believe I have the answer," a girl with a French accent said.
The two boys immediately turn to the Gothic girl with a pair of massive pigtails that said it. Her red eyes stare at the boys, watching their movements.
"Uh, who are you?" Hajime asked.
The Gothic girl smiled and giggled a little. She took a little time before saying her name. "My name is Celestia Ludenberg," she introduced herself.
The name alone struck out as unusual for Hajime. "Wait, isn't that European?" he asked. "Are you European? I swear, we're in Japan, so all of us must be Japanese, right?"
"Not exactly," Rantaro replied. "Some of us are foreigners. Take Sonia, for instance. Or Angie. They're both foreigners."
"Still, I swear she's Japanese..." Hajime said. He then turned back to Celestia. "So...what kind of name is that?"
Celestia smiled. "If you find my name to be difficult to pronounce, then Celeste is fine. I'll accept that as well."
Hajime doesn't know how to respond to that, and Rantaro is just rolling his eyes and looking the other direction. Before Hajime could say anything, someone started shouting behind them.
"Aww, no fair!" a boy shouted. This caused both Hajime and Rantaro to turn around and face the boy. Unlike Celeste, who's dressed in mostly black, this boy is dressed in mostly white. He also has a black and white scarf that in a checkerboard pattern. His hair and eyes are both dark purple. "I wanted to introduce myself too!"
"...Go ahead," Celeste said with a smile.
"I'm Kokichi Oma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader!" the boy introduced himself.
Okay, almost immediately, this boy is looking like a dangerous one. Who is he a leader to?
"Oh, so you're wondering what I'm a leader to, right?" Kokichi asked.
"...?" Hajime reacted. "How did you-?"
"I'm just a supreme leader of a super evil organization that has over 10,000 members," Kokichi claimed.
"W-What?" Hajime gasped. "That many?"
Rantaro rolled his eyes, groaning as he looked away. "We're going to be here for a while now, aren't we?" he asked. "I'm going away." He then left Hajime, leaving him alone as he argued with Kokichi. Celeste isn't helping either, only fueling the arguments by adding more things that need some explanation because they don't make sense.
Known Students: 33/45
Day 1 - 8:29 AM
Courtyard, Central Area
Fountain Area
While their new friends are going around meeting the new students, Shuichi and Kaede are doing the same to another group of students. The first few students that caught their attention are a blond boy wearing glasses and a girl who is also wearing glasses. The boy is wearing a black suit and dress shoes, both of which suggest that he came from a rich family. The girl has dark purple hair kept in two braids and is wearing a uniform with a very long skirt. The girl seems to be staring at the boy, but the boy doesn't look like he wants anything to do with the girl.
"Hey, can I get your name?" Kaede asked as she approached the boy.
The boy gazed at Kaede for a moment before moving his gaze away. "Get this nobody off my back," he asked.
"What?" Kaede reacted.
"I don't want to talk to a commoner," the boy said.
Calling everyone in Hope's Peak a "commoner" is not something anyone wants to hear. After all, they're highly talented, brilliant individuals who were scouted and brought over to this prestigious school. Well, except for the Ultimate Lucky Students, of course.
Meanwhile, Shuichi tries to have a conversation with the girl behind the boy. "So, who are you?" he asked. "Can I help you with something."
The girl stared at Shuichi with a nervous look. "What are you looking at?" the girl asked.
"Uh...you," Shuichi replied. "What's your name?"
The girl growled at Shuichi before telling him her name. "It's not like you'll remember my name after this..." she said. "I'm...Toko...Toko Fukawa...the Ultimate Novelist. And that man...he's the famous heir to the Togami Cooperation, Byakuya Togami."
"What? Him?" Shuichi reacted. "That Togami?"
"Just get her out of my life," Byakuya ordered. "She's just like a lobster, desperately clinging on to whatever it finds. I'm going away. I don't want that lobster clawing my leg." He then walks away.
"W-wait!" Toko shouted as she ran after Byakuya. "Master! Wait for me!"
"Master?" Kaede questioned. "Who is she? A servant?"
"Clearly, she's forgotten who the true servant is," a motherly sounding voice said.
Shuichi and Kaede turned around and look at the woman who said it. She is dressed in a maid uniform, with gloves and a headdress. Her bangs are covering her left eye.
"I am Kirumi Tojo, the Ultimate Maid," the woman introduced herself. "If you need my assistance, please let me know. I'm thinking about serving our resident heir, but then that neurotic writer girl came in and stole him from me. If you can help me get her off of Master Togami, then that'll be helpful."
"Sorry, but I'm not sure we can do that..." Shuichi said.
"We're going around meeting our classmates," Kaede said. "Do you know anyone that we missed?"
"We have a cook here," Kirumi said, "though he insisted that we call him a chef. Be careful not to let him get under your legs; he has a fetish for...you know..."
"Wait, what?" Kaede gasped.
"Did somebody call me?" a boy shouted as he ran up to Kaede, scaring her.
"Ahh!" Kaede shrieked.
"Hey, is this how you introduce yourself to people?" Shuichi shouted.
"Oh dear, speak of the devil..." Kirumi groaned.
The boy was short and plump, wearing a red apron and a white undershirt. There's a tiny chef's hat on top of his head. "Greetings my fellow Ultimate Students!" the boy greeted. "I'm Teruteru Hanamura, at your service! As the Ultimate Chef, I will serve up any dish you desire!"
"It's cook, Teruteru," Kirumi corrected. "You're the Ultimate Cook."
"Hey, I didn't ask you to talk!" Teruteru shouted back.
"But that's your talent," Kirumi pointed out.
"Well, if you're convinced, then why don't you give me a massage?" Teruteru requested.
"Quiet, you dirty cook," Kirumi requested, which only infuriated Teruteru further. "If you continue doing this, then I will purposely ignore your room the next time I clean...if we even have our own rooms."
As Kirumi and Teruteru continued to argue, Kaede leaned over to Shuichi. "I think we're done with these two," she said. "How about we move on?"
"Yeah...sure," Shuichi said. He and Kaede then left the maid and the cook alone to continue to argue, at least until Kiyotaka intervenes.
The next student that caught their attention was a boy with spiky hair that sticks out the top and goes down to just above the eyes. His most striking feature was his purple coat with a galaxy design on the inside. He is wearing it improperly, with only the left arm going completely through the sleeve.
"Hi there," Kaede greeted. "You caught my eye really quickly. I wonder who-"
The boy wasted no time introducing himself. "I'm Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars!" he said. "Even those who are feeling downed will the light from the Ultimate Astronaut! Or wait, was it Ultimate Astronomer? I lost track...those two are pretty similar. Wait, no they're not."
"Hey, that was rude!" Kaede shouted. "At least give me time to finish myself!"
"Oh...sorry," Kaito apologized. "I couldn't resist. I've been practicing my little speech ever since I got here. I've been waiting to pull that off...mostly."
"So, wait, which of your two talents is correct?" Shuichi asked. "Are you the Ultimate Astronaut, or the Ultimate Astronomer? I'm curious about that."
"Nah, it doesn't matter," Kaito brushed off the confusion. "Besides, the only place where my true talent will shine is at JAXA. Anyway, how is your day?"
"We should be going," Kaede said. "There are still more students that we need to talk to."
"Oh, you're meeting up with our classmates?" Kaito asked. "Oh, right, you've just got here. Well, I don't mind. As long as we meet together after the opening ceremony, I'm fine with that."
"Okay, see you later," Kaede said.
The next group that Shuichi and Kaede encountered are a trio of students. One is a tall man with black hair, the other is a girl with red hair, and the third is a man of average height that has brown hair. The two boys seem to be glaring at each other...
"Um...excuse me?" Shuichi asked. "Who are you guys?"
The boys seem to be ignoring Shuichi. It takes the girl to give them a nudge to make them notice.
"Oh, I didn't notice you right there," the tall boy said.
"It's all your fault," the brown-haired boy grumbled.
"Guys...this is an introduction," the girl said. "Why don't we...introduce ourselves?"
"Well resolve this another time..." the tall boy grumbled to the other boy, who growled in return. The tall boy then introduced himself. "I'm Yasuke Matsuda, the Ultimate Neurologist.
The girl in the middle seemed a little hesitant to say her name. She's a little busy collecting her thoughts. Her words only amount to this. "I'm...Ryoko Otanashi..." she said. "I...don't remember my talent..."
"So you're just like me, right?" Shuichi asked. "We don't remember our talents. You think we could...work together to figure out our talents?"
Ryoko said nothing.
The boy at the end was irritated by how long that took. He then proceeded to introduce himself. "I'm Soshun Murasame," he said, "The Ultimate Student Council President. I'm the head of the Student Council of Hope's Peak Academy. Or I would be, if there was a Student Council in the first place."
"Wait, this school has a Student Council?" Shuichi asked. "Since when?"
"Hush now," Yasuke said. "Now, would you please leave us alone? We're in the middle of an argument that needs to be resolved."
"What? An argument?" Kaede asked. "But all I saw was you two staring at each other for a few minutes!"
"Wait...how long was that again?" Ryoko asked.
"Get your act together, Ryoko," Soshun said. "Have you've lost track of time?"
They don't look welcoming at all. Shuichi and Kaede agreed to quietly leave the trio alone for now. Unfortunately for them, it didn't take long before they encountered someone who is in the middle of an argument.
"Anime is art!" a skinny, malnourished looking boy shouted to a boy with very long hair and a mask covering his mouth. "I'm telling you, it's a fact!"
"That's like saying animation or film is art," the masked boy rebutted. "Sure, they're the expression of the creative mind behind it. But, I'm looking for art made a long time ago. Think ancient paintings! Sculptures! Statues! Architecture! Yes, that's the kind of art I'm looking for."
"Isn't sculptures and statues kind of the same thing?" the boy wondered.
"Foolish young man!" the masked boy shouted. "You do not understand the difference between those two forms of art! You-"
"Hey, quiet down for a moment, okay?" Kaede shouted. "We're here to get to know your names. So, what's yours?"
"M-me?" the shorter boy asked. "I'm...Ryota Mitarai, the Ultimate Animator."
"He's quite the talented artist, isn't he?" the taller boy said. "Making any kind of motion media takes a lot of effort, doesn't it? However, I am not interested in such modern media. I am more interested in studying ancient art and learning about its history. Isn't that right?"
Shuichi and Kaede didn't bother to respond. They waited for a name.
"Oh, silly me," the tall boy apologized. "I was so caught up with explaining my interests that I've completely forgotten about introductions. Very well. I shall do that. My name is Korekiyo Shinguji, the Ultimate Anthropologist. If that name seems cumbersome for you, then may I suggest Kiyo?"
"Didn't we already have someone with the same first part of the name?" Shuichi pointed out.
"Yes," Kiyo replied. "Try not to confuse me with that hall monitor over there. Trust me, I've heard plenty of students mix up both of our names in just the first meeting."
"Uh, yeah...nice to meet you..." Shuichi said.
"Sorry if we're rushing a little bit, but we've gotta go," Kaede said. "We still have more people to talk to. I'm not sure how many people there are left to meet, but I'm sure we'll find them soon."
"Oh, is that so?" Kiyo said. "If I'm tracking all of you correctly, there should me two more students to talk to, like these two lovely ladies over there."
Shuichi and Kaede turned to where Kiyo is pointing. They saw two girls looking at each other. One has dark brown hair tied into two tails, the other has light purple hair that's down. The brown-haired girl is wearing a red uniform, the purple-haired girl is wearing a suit. Despite their different appearances, it appears that they're maintaining a stoic face.
"Oh, thanks," Kaede said.
"My pleasure," Kiyo replied.
Shuichi approached the two girls, about to greet them, only to discover that they noticed his presence. They stare at Shuichi for a while, waiting for him to say something. "Um...who are you?" he asked.
The two girls wondered which one of them should respond first. The one in the red uniform decided to respond first. With her red eyes, she stared at Shuichi.
"Maki Harukawa, the Ultimate Child Caregiver," the girl introduced herself.
That's it? That's all? What an underwhelming introduction, Shuichi thought.
The girl in the suit responded next. Her purple eyes gaze away from Shuichi for a moment.
"Hey, are you there?" Kaede asked as she walked up to the girl.
The girl signed for a moment before giving away her name. "I'm...Kyoko Kirigiri," she introduced herself. "I...don't remember my talent at the moment..."
"What?" Shuichi reacted. "Just like me?"
"Oh, so I'm not the only one who's forgotten their talent," Kyoko remarked. "It's good to know that I'm not the only one."
Shuichi chuckled for a moment. "Yeah..." he said. "My mind goes blank whenever I tried to remember my talent. Hey-"
Suddenly, bells began ringing sending their sound throughout the campus.
"Oh, looks like that's everyone met," Kyoko remarked. "Sorry about the interruption, but we must be going."
"Oh, that's alright," Kaede said. "I'm sure we'll have an opportunity to see each other again."
"...I'm not looking forward to seeing anyone again..." Maki whispered.
All Students Known
Prepare for the Ultimate Gathering
Day 1 - 9:00 AM
Courtyard, Central Area
Fountain Area
Forty-five students gather in front of the fountain, standing next to the flag that corresponds to their class. Even though things seem nice and cheerful, an eerie atmosphere consumes them all.
"Hey, why does it feel so cold in here?" Taka shouted. "It's sunny, yet the air feels so cold! Why isn't this warm?"
"Perhaps we are really standing in a magic circle," Himiko suggested.
"Well, if we're in a magic circle, it might be a cursed one," Kiyo replied.
Sayaka could feel herself moving her arm towards Makoto, clinging on to him as she is scared. "Um, Makoto?" she asked. "A-are we going to be okay?"
Makoto sensed something nearby. "This can't be good..." he said.
Suddenly, a voice shouted out from somewhere. It seems to be coming from the fountain. "Hey, is everyone here?" the voice shouted.
"Huh? What was that?" Ryota asked.
"It sounds like its coming from that fountain over there!" Ibuki said, pointing to the fountain.
"Hey! Whoever you are, show yourself!" Taka shouted.
"Puhuhuhu, that's great!" the voice said again. "It looks like everyone is here! Well, mostly everyone. Anyone who didn't showed up is dead to me. Okay, time to get this show running!"
Everyone stared at the fountain with a chill on their spines. Forty-five pairs of eyes are looking at the fountain wondering what might come out. The suspense is chilling, everyone is shaking, and everyone has the feeling that what's coming out isn't going to be good. Suddenly, something jumped out of the fountain, flying high into the air. Everyone kept their eyes on this flying object. It then landed right in the middle of the students; everyone is surrounding this thing, yet it doesn't seem to mind.
The object that flew out of the fountain is a teddy bear of some sorts. It's left side is black while its right side is white. On its left side, there is a sinister smile and a red mark in place of an eye.
"Huh?" Chihiro said. "It's a teddy bear."
Suddenly, the teddy bear began speaking. "I'm not a teddy bear," it insisted. It sounded like its male.
"Gaaaahhhh!" several students screamed.
"It can talk!" Kazuichi shrieked.
"This is madness!" Ryota shouted.
"What is this dark magic?!" Gundham screamed. "I demand answers!"
"Nyeh?" Himiko grunted in a confused manner. "Oh, I get it. Someone cast a spell on it to make it talk."
"That's not what I meant!" Gundham shouted back.
"I am not a teddy bear," the bear insisted. "I am Monokuma! And I'm the headmaster of this academy!" The bear began waving his arms up and down as he made his point.
"Gah! It can move as well!" Hifumi screamed.
"T-this doesn't make any sense!" Shuichi shouted.
"What the shit is this?" Miu asked. "Did somebody played a cruel joke on us? It looks like one of those remote controlled toys or something."
"I'm not a remote controlled toy!" Monokuma insisted. "I'm an advanced piece of technology stuffed inside this armored plating with fur on top of it! I'm so advanced, not even those eggheads at JAXA can understand me!"
"Hey! How dare you insult our national space agency?" Kaito shouted, feeling offended by the comment.
"Aww, the space boy is feeling insulted today," Monokuma remarked, laughing for a moment. "I feel like you need some pity. Just kidding!"
"Hey!" Kaito shouted again.
"I don't think we should shout at this bear anymore," Maki advised.
"Now, now, everyone," Monokuma said. "Let's begin with this opening ceremony. Look around, everyone. Take a good look at the walls around you."
Everyone took a good look at the walls beyond the buildings. It seemed to be very large, and quite far.
"Did you get it yet?" Monokuma asked. "Face it everyone, you're all trapped in this academy." This sends everyone into a gasp. "Well, its not like you're mad or anything. Look around you! You've got four buildings and a plaza to play around in during your communal life."
To everyone, living a life in Hope's Peak, the most prestigious educational institution in the world seemed like a great idea on paper. After all, having the title of the Hope of the World is something only a select few get to have. However, living in such a prestigious academy at the cost of the outside world...that seems less promising. It gets even worse once the headmaster reveals the conditions and rules the students must live under.
"I expect everyone to live in harmony," Monokuma said, "adhering to the rules and regulations of this school, up until...um...give me a moment." He hummed for a moment as he pretended to look through all the papers he's set out for himself. "So...you're living here for the rest of your life."
This does not go over well for most of the students.
"What? We have to live here for our whole lives?" Makoto gasped.
"We have friends or family that are out there!" Sayaka cried. "Are you saying that we're never seeing them again?"
"I'd rather live in a space station than live in here!" Kaito shouted.
"Um, space stations are rather cramped compared to here," Kaede pointed out.
"Shut up!" Kaito shouted back. "At least I get to perform scientific experiments while I'm up here!"
"Well, space boy, you'd better hope that you have a son who is the Ultimate Scientist!" Monokuma taunted, much to the dismay of Kaito. "Hey, how'd you get in this space station? Did your son augment you or something?"
Kaito was stunned for a moment. He was unable to find the words to respond.
"Well, at least I'm not in incarceration..." Ryoma grumbled.
Reaction to the news that everyone is stuck in Hope's Peak Academy are mixed. Some are horrified at the idea of not seeing their family or friends ever again. Some are in disbelief at the idea of being stuck in an academy. Others are a little concerned.
"Well, it looks like we are stuck in this academy for the unforeseeable future," Celestia said. "What a lovely life, spend the rest of time living in such a prestigious place. What's the catch?"
"Duh! You can't enter the outside world!" Monokuma replied.
"These massive walls at the edge of this campus are the last barriers between you and the outside world," Monokuma stated. "Its purpose is to keep others from breaking in, but also to keep you from getting out. Try all you can in getting help. There is no way anyone other than our fellow peers will be able to help you in your current situation." He then let out a laugh at the one thing he's about to bring upon everyone. "But, I will let you leave under one condition. As the headmaster of this academy, I get to decide on the graduation ceremony. For our communal life, this is your graduation condition. As students of Hope's Peak Academy, we are expected to live in harmony. If anyone ever disrupts that harmony, they'll be allowed to leave this school."
"Disrupt...the harmony?" Kaede gasped.
"Disrupt the harmony?" Taka repeated. "What do you mean by 'disrupting the harmony'?"
"Oh, you know, the usual," Monokuma said. "If you ever stab someone, strangle them, bash them until they stop breathing, crush them, drown them, or burn them down, anything goes." With each method of disrupting the harmony listed, the looks on everyone's face grew ever more horrified. "That's right! If you want to ever escape this academy, you must commit murder." And with those words, everyone went crazy.
"What the hell? This is bullshit!" Mondo shouted.
"To kill or be killed..." Tsumugi muttered. "Are we in a mountain or something? Where's that lady with the massive scissor blade? I want her to save us!" Toko is shaking at that remark.
"Really?" Maki asked. "Who manufactures giant scissor blades that are impractical to use?"
"I don't know, someone like the Ultimate Tailor?" Ibuki replied. "Or the Ultimate Hairstylist? Or maybe a metalworker who likes his things big?"
"...I don't want an answer to that question," Maki responded.
"You're...you're kidding, right?" Byakuya said.
"Everyone, calm down!" Mahiru shouted. "We must remain calm in a situation like this!"
During the ensuing panic, Mikan suddenly tripped, despite the fact that everyone is staying in place. They're panicking, but they're not moving, so how she did that is a mystery.
"And now, to close off this opening ceremony, how about I introduce you to this school's special device!" Monokuma said. "You did receive one when you enter this school, right? If you don't remember, then check your pockets! I have sent a message to everyone in this academy!"
At this moment, everyone felt a ringing in their pockets. They each pulled out a phone device. Curious, they turned them on. The first thing that they saw was the name of the owner of the device, followed up by several apps. The currently active app is a list of the rules and regulations.
"These are your Student Electronic Handbook," Monokuma introduced everyone to the devices. "Call them E-Handbooks, for short. Every year, Hope's Peak Academy provides its students with these advanced devices. They're an important part of a student's life in Hope's Peak, so don't lose them! Its state-of-the-art construction has given them many durable properties. Try to drown it, crush it, bend it, drop it, or anything you stupid people do with your smart devices. I have given you a list of rules and regulations everyone must follow. After all, we are a society, and without rules or regulations, society will fall apart completely...and also all of you might be dead before the first night passes. Now read the rules very carefully."
Looking at the rules gave everyone a chill. Every rule they read just raises their anxiety level further and further.
Rules and Regulations:
Daily Life
1. Students are expected to live on campus for the foreseeable future. Attempting to leave campus is an unacceptable use of your time (unless otherwise specified).
2. Every day is split up into Daytime and Nighttime. Nighttime is 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM. Daytime hours are the rest of the day. During Nighttime, some areas of the school will be closed and locked.
3. Students are only permitted to sleep in the dormitory rooms. Sleeping anywhere other than the dormitory will be seen as sleeping in class. The exceptions, of course, is made for involuntary sleeping, such as being knocked out or drugged.
4. Violence against the headmaster is strictly prohibited, as well as the destruction of surveillance cameras.
5. No littering in the outdoor areas. Students are expected to pick up after themselves.
6. With minimum restrictions, students may freely explore all accessible areas of the campus. More areas may be unlocked as the student body count drops.
Deadly Life
1. Anyone who kills someone is marked as the "Blackened". They are allowed to graduate unless they are discovered.
2. A "blackened" can only murder up to three other students.
3. Anyone who dies from natural causes will not have their death be marked for a trial.
4. If the "blackened" is discovered, they and they alone will be executed.
5. If the "blackened" is failed to be discovered, all surviving students will be executed. The "blackened" may save up to two other students and graduate with them. The maximum number of graduated students may decrease as the number of survivors drop.
6. The body discovery announcement will play as soon as at least five people other than the "blackened" discover a body. The threshold may decrease as the number of survivors drop.
7. Once the body discovery announcement plays, a trial will begin shortly afterwards. Participation in a trial is mandatory, unless the student is in a condition that prevents them from participating.
Additional rules may be added if necessary.
About groups
After the opening ceremony is completed, students are advised to form 6 groups of up to 8 students each. Failure to be in a group by the following morning will be seen as breaking a rule and will be punished accordingly. After a group is formed, members of a group must elect a Captain. Group Captains are people with the authority to perform many important decisions. If the Group Leader wants to do it, they may appoint one of their own members as a Co-Leader. Co-Leaders only gain authority if the Group Leader is unavailable for any reason.
Group Captains have the right to, during a Trial, sacrifice one of their group members in the case a trial reaches a dead end. Each group only has one chance to execute a sacrifice. Once a sacrifice has been called, it cannot be stopped by other Group Leaders. During Voting Time, only members of the group that called a sacrifice can vote. If the vote is unanimous, that person is executed. If not, the sacrifice is denied and the group is not allowed to call for a sacrifice again.
All Group Captains are advised to meet up every morning to discuss what happened. Co-Leaders are also advised to attend these meeting.
Choose your leaders wisely, as once the following morning passes, these leaders are locked and cannot be stripped of their position unless they've died. Co-Leaders, meanwhile, can change as the Leader pleases.
Additional information about groups will be added in the future.
Day 1- 9:35 AM
Courtyard, Central Area
Fountain Area
That was a lot of information to swallow. Everyone stared at each other wondering what to do. Already, some people are thinking about teaming up, such as Makoto and Sayaka. Others, however, aren't too keen on the idea of teamwork.
"That's it?" Mondo asked. "We're expected to cooperate?"
Byakuya adjusted his glasses. "I don't see how teamwork is going to help us," he said. "In the end, you're all nothing more than desperate people."
Mondo raged at Monokuma, building up anger with each word he spoke. "So...we're trapped in here, with no means of escape except to murder one of our own..." he said. "There is no way we're trusting each other in a situation like this..." His fists are shaking violently. "And...you expect us...to cooperate?"
"Look, buddy, forty-five students is a lot to keep track of, you hear?" Monokuma shouted. "With a cast this large, somebody's bound to get lost in the crowd. Or forgotten. That tends to happen a lot. That's why we don't have one protagonist; we have many. Also, that hair of yours looks stupid. It looks like corn and now my mouth wants to-"
"YOU LITTLE PIECE OF SHIT!" Mondo yelled as he rushed forward and grabbed Monokuma, much to the shock of everyone. "I'm gonna rip you into shreds for mocking me, you've got that?"
"You degenerate male!" Tenko scolded. "Didn't you read the rules?"
"Mondo, drop that bear now!" Kiyotaka shouted. "You hear me?"
"I can't look!" Tsumugi said as she covered her eyes.
"WAAAHHHH! It's going to explode!" Hifumi screamed as he dove to the ground. Soon, everyone else is backing off and covering their faces.
"What? Blow up?" Mondo questioned. "What do you mean it's going to blow up?"
All of a suddenly, the red eye of Monokuma began glowing, and he began speaking in a different, more unsettling tone. "YOU HAVE VIOLATED A SCHOOL RULE," he announced. "VIOLENCE AGAINST THE HEADMASTER IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN. PREPARE FOR YOUR PUNISHMENT." And suddenly, it began beeping.
"What the hell?" Mondo asked.
"What's it doing now?" Kaito asked.
"Hmm...if what Hifumi said is true, then that means..." Yasuke pondered for a moment, before coming to a conclusion. "Wait, Mondo! Throw that thing somewhere! It's going to blow up!"
Monokuma suddenly began glowing, sending Mondo into a panic. "Oh shit!" he screamed as he launched Monokuma into the air. He exploded in the air, causing everyone to shield their eyes. Shrapnel rained down on the students, though none of them were hit. After the explosion, Mondo panted in relief. At least his life was saved for now.
"Such foolishness," Byakuya criticized Mondo. "What were you thinking diving over there and grabbing our headmaster by the throat?"
"H-he...he insulted my hair!" Mondo tried to justified his actions.
Byakuya doesn't but it. "Stupid little piece of plankton," he scolded.
"What?!" Mondo reacted. "Who are you calling plankton?"
"So, we're safe, right?" Kazuichi asked. "I mean, that thing's gone now. Can we leave?"
Suddenly, another Monokuma leapt out of the fountain and into the crowd of students. "Jeez, what an impulsive little boy," he grumbled.
"Gah! It's back!" Kazuichi screamed.
"What the hell were you thinking?" Monokuma scolded Mondo. "Didn't you read the school rules? No violence against the headmaster; only towards your fellow students. Lucky for you, you managed to avoid death by tossing me into the air at the last moment. Brilliant! But I'm warning you. The next time you, or anyone else in this school, ever dares tries to fight me, I promise you, I will execute you in a way that's completely unavoidable."
"Um, didn't strange bear go boom?" Gonta wondered.
"Oh by the way, just to instill fear into you even further, I'm not the only one," Monokuma said. "All throughout the school, I have placed many Monokuma units, so there's never a place where I'm not present. Also, the security cameras placed throughout the school are tracking your every movement. If they caught any of you trying to break the rules or tampering with the cameras, prepare to face punishment!"
This was hammered into the students. Monokuma is their new headmaster now, and he's not willing to have his position be challenged in any way. They must either obey his orders, slay one of their peers, be killed by one of their peers, or be killed by Monokuma while trying to defy him. They have no other choice.
"And that concludes the opening ceremony!" Monokuma announced. "The Great Gathering of Ultimate Students begins...now! Enjoy your communal life while it lasts, because one of you will try to take it away. So long...for now." And then he disappeared.
A chill went down everyone's spines. This is the life they're expected to live for the foreseeable future? Sure, they're in the most prestigious academy in the world, but they're completely cut off from the rest of the world. On top of that, they'll have to live under the fear of being killed by someone else. Why would anyone accept a life like this? Well, their other options don't seem promising...
"Makoto..." Sayaka said as she cling to Makoto. "Are we going to be safe?"
"I don't know..." Makoto replied. "But...I hope we'll make it out alive without killing anyone."
Yasuke and Soshun are staring at each other with eyes filled with anger.
"What are we going to to do if someone dies?" Mikan asked. "Can't we just try to revive them?"
"If anyone dies, we must check the body first," Kyoko advised. "But even so, I highly doubt that anyone would survive in critical conditions for very long, even if we tried to intervene.
"I-I can help them recover! I'm the Ultimate Nurse!" Mikan said.
"Are you sure you can revive them?" Kokichi asked. "You're so clumsy, you might accidentally drop something while healing someone, thus being unable to prevent their death."
"You spit in the faces of doctors," Yasuke said. "I hate you."
"Don't say that!" Kiyotaka shouted.
"So, hold on a second," Maki said, as she is about to ask something that stuck to her mind. "What does Monokuma mean by 'teaming up' and 'cooperation'? Is he implying-"
"Oh, and one more thing for those who plan to go solo," Monokuma said as he suddenly appeared. "Since the number of participants is so large. I decided that the gimmick of this game is that people are teaming up into groups and cooperate together. I expect all of you to at least be in a group by tomorrow morning. If I discover that you are not a part of the group by tomorrow morning, then I will punish you as if you've broken a rule. I expect to be six leaders reporting to me their group members by tomorrow. No more, no less. Now then, everyone, form groups together! Once all the groups have been formed, then I can declare this killing game officially to have started! I would group you together myself, but I get that you need a sense of agency so, I'm leaving the groups up to you. Well, that should be over. Bye now!" And then he disappeared.
"...I...don't get what happened..." Toko said. "I'm...so lost..."
"We have to live in here together forever, or die trying to get out..." Tsumugi summarized. "It's like we're in Battle Royale or something."
"Is it really like that?" Hifumi asked. "I feel like if he's going for that route, he would say to kill each other until only one remains."
"I don't believe it's like that," Rantaro said.
"I-I like reading stories where the main characters have to fight to their survival," Sonia said. "But having to fight to survive...it's just not as fun when you do it. It's so scary having to survive knowing that there is someone who's willing to kill you..."
"This...this must be a trick!" Akane said. "This is no way this is reality!"
"I-I'm not liking the looks of this..." Kazuichi said as he pulled his beanie down.
"Everyone! Calm down!" Kaede shouted to everyone. "I'm not willing to put myself through this. I'm not willing to play this cruel and insane game. If you agree with me, then say along with me. We're ending this killing game together!"
"I agree!" Kiyotaka shouted. "Let's end this killing game together!" He's the only one who said it, aside from Kaede. "W-wait, so none of you are willing to agree with us? You don't want to end this killing game?"
"This is impossible..." Kaede said. "There's no way any of us is willing to form groups, right?"
"I don't think so," Byakuya stated.
Kaede and Taka stared at Byakuya in disbelief.
"W-what do you mean?" Kaede asked.
"Yeah!" Taka replied. "Why don't you believe us?"
Byakuya adjusted his glasses. "Face it, you two," he said. "We're all trapped in here, stuck in an academy locked out from the outside world. The only way out is to kill someone else, or die trying. So, everyone, I ask you this: are you plotting a murder right now? Or are you planning on plotting a murder in the near future?"
No one bothered to speak. They either are planning a murder, or not. It's impossible to figure out.
Byakuya faced both Taka and Kaede. "I don't care how much you try to force yourself into this role of a leader to everyone," he said. "We're all strangers. None of us know each other. Given that we are expected to group up, how much trust are you willing to put on these strangers?"
Taka and Kaede were stunned. They did not give a response.
"Very well," Byakuya declared. "I'll be going off on my own for a moment. Don't even bother to talk to me." He then walked away on his own, with no teammates whatsoever.
And so, the mutual killing school life has begun. forty-five students, three classes, one Killing game. They have two choices. To life their life in peace, never to go out to the outside world ever again, or to kill someone else and try to escape, risking their lives and everyone else in the process. Already, the students are distrusting each other, yet there are some that immediately put their trust into each other as soon as they can. Who will be killed? Who will be the killer? And who will survive? No one knows, but one thing they can agree on is this.
The Ultimate Killing Game has begun.
Ultimate Danganronpa X: The Great Gathering of Ultimate Students
Starring: Monokuma
Makoto Naegi, Hajime Hinata, Kaede Akamatsu
Sayaka Maizono, Chiaki Nanami, Ibuki Mioda
Toko Fukawa, Byakuya Togami, Kirumi Tojo
Chihiro Fujisaki, Kazuichi Souda, Miu Iruma
Shuichi Saihara, Kyoko Kirigiri
Hifumi Yamada, Ryota Mitarai, Tsumugi Shirogane
Leon Kuwada, Mahiru Koizumi, Himiko Yumeno
Celestia Ludenburg, Kokichi Oma
Mondo Owada, Ryoma Hoshi
Sakura Ogami, Nekomaru Nidai, Gonta Gokuhara
Yasuhiro Hagakure, Gundham Tanaka, Angie Yonaga
Aoi Asahina, Tenko Chabashira, Maki Harukawa
Korekiyo Shinguji, Rantaro Amami, Kaito Momota
Sonia Nevermind, Kiyotaka Ishimaru
Teruteru Hanamura, Nagito Komaeda
Akane Owari, Mikan Tsumigi
Yasuke Matsuda, Ryoko Otonashi, Soshun Murasame
Prologue: Welcome to the Ultimate Killing Game
END
Surviving Students: 45 (15, 15, 15)
(In addition to the Surviving Student counter, there is also three counters for each of the three classes. In order, these are for Class 78, Class 77, and Class 79)
To be Continued...
From the Author
When I entered this franchise nearly a year ago at the time of writing, I didn't know what to expect. All I've heard is that this is a murder mystery visual novel where you refute mistakes or contradictions by shooting bullets at them. The selling point of this franchise is even in the name.
As time passes, I became invested in some of the characters. I've never played any of games. I've only watched someone else play them. Even so, they have an impact on me. I've began imagining stories of how their live could've been, and how the killing games would've been affected by their deaths or survival. I know several people are thinking the same way, and have wrote stories about how the killing game would've gotten if they had survived.
However, I do not have the time or investment needed to make these stories come to life. I'm only able to create one story at a time. And so, this was the one that was picked.
You've may have noticed that within the cast, there are several canon characters that are missing. You may have also noticed that several canon characters that have never appeared in the games are participants in this killing game. Here is a complete list of the canon characters that aren't in this killing game. Note that I'm only including major game characters.
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
Fuyukiho Kuzuryu
Peko Kuzuryu (nee Pekoyama)
[NAME UNKNOWN]
Hiyoko Saionji
K1-B0 (Keebo Idabashi)
Huh. It seems like three of the names of these students are missing from our list. I know one of them is the Ultimate Imposter, hence why his name is completely unknown, but I'm pretty sure the same doesn't apply to two of the names here.
In total, there are 7 characters missing, but there are 4 characters who are present that are not in the games. So, that means that we have a net total of -3 characters.