A New Despair:

Chapter 1 Act 3:

Despair Beneath the Star Spangled Banner


Date: Tuesday, April 21st, 2021

Location: Grand Auditorium: Classical Arts Building First Floor [HHPA]

Time: 6:00 PM

Team: Killer Gophers


The Grand Auditorium looked vastly different now. What was once a place where students could show off their talents and skills, was now a place of despair. A bitter reminder of what the academy had put them through. The stage was eerily lit, the chandelier having been turned down so that only a few lights were visible. All of the plush seats had been folded up, leaving only the frames. Rows upon rows of empty seats, once filled with spectators, now lay empty. The desk where the Members of the Headmaster's Cabinet had been was vacant, only large computer chairs being left behind. Another bitter reminder of their current predicament.

Yet, despite everything that was happening, some people found it their priority to keep order. To pretend like nothing was going on. Cleavance was one such man, he was on top of the stage, doing his routine. His movements were quick and precise, his large hulking body flowed with the music from his speakers, his tail scraping the wooden floor of the stage, sending wood shavings in all directions. He didn't seem to care, being lost in his own world.

"Oh yeah! I got this shit in the bag, whoo! I got a feelin!" the man cried, as he continued dancing.

"Jeez, I haven't heard that song since 2009." Hermione said, shuddering a bit. "I feel old, do you feel old yet Zal?"

Zalicka grimaced a bit at her given nickname. She wasn't too particularly fond of it. She was currently playing with her snakes, Veeza and Seath. It served as a nice distraction from what was currently happening. She ran her finger down Seath's underside, a small smile on her face. "I do not feel old, though I understand why it would feel so nostalgic. 2009 was a simpler time."

"Pfft, like hell it was… we were in a recession back then. I was young but I clearly remember my parents throwing a hissy fit whenever NasDaq was down." Ernest said, frowning.

"Well of course," John said, causing Ernest to shudder. He glanced over his shoulder, spotting the Thanatologist standing beside him. He was slightly hunched over, reminding him a bit of Igor, Victor Frankenstein's most trusted friend. It was rather off putting. "The global economy would suffer should the United States suffer a catastrophic collapse."

"Excuse me, Ladies and Gentlemen, may we speak about more important matters? Like say, our escape from this institution?" Louise said, glancing around the room. She was leaning back against the edge of the stage, hat tipped back slightly so that her vision wasn't obstructed. "I understand that cyborg told us we couldn't leave, but there must be a means of escape here."

"Escaping is nigh impossible desu. We would just be risking our lives. We'll be daijobu desu if we keep our wits about us." Clara said, earning an odd look from the raven haired woman. She sighed, looking down at her feet. "Sumimasen, Loiuse-senpai, I didn't mean to confuse you."


Supreme Confessional: Killer Gophers

"Clara-chan is a simple girl of simple means desu," Clara said, as she stared into the camera. She gave it a single languid blink, a rather slow and deliberate one. Every single one of her movements was gentle and precise. "It is becoming rather apparent that conveying my thoughts with speech is becoming harder, desu. Gomenasai, mina-san. I do not mean to confuse you… Clara-chan is a good girl, desu."


"In my many years of practice, I have not met a specimen like Clara," Louise said, as she leaned back against her seat. She was in her dorm room, which she had already decorated. The lights had been turned off entirely, and various candles had been lit. The room was filled with a thin layer of smoke, coming from some of the incense sticks she had placed by her nightstand.

She reached into the pocket of her dress for a bag, pulling out a pinch of tobacco. Once she filled the pipe, she placed it into her mouth, flicking the tip of a match. She took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the delicious smoke that came from the burning dried leaves. She exhaled, her gaze returning to the camera.

"This… serum… I truthfully wish to procure some. The reports that were coming in from London were vague. But it seems it was something that was poured into the water supply. Those that consumed it, ended up being turned into a wide number of things, from simple vampires, to even ogres. Could that mean that the human race truthfully descended from said creatures? That at one point, the Fairy Tales that were read to us were in fact, truth?"

Louise took another drag from her pipe, the smoke turning from bright green to a deep lavender. "It is possible that everyone who turned had genes that facilitated this transformation. For people like Clara, it is less obvious. I do not believe people have realized she isn't human. I wish to study her, but I doubt she will let me… by the tone of her voice, I can tell her changes were a lot more… drastic… she can enunciate words perfectly, but her countenance seems frozen. Hmm… perhaps some leeches will do her good. Once they process the blood from that young man, I shall have them latch onto Miss Clara-chan… I'm certain it shall be totes desu…"


"Miss Langdon, are you alright?" Ninian suddenly asked, causing everyone to shift their gaze toward the professor. The woman was standing near the edge of the stage, back facing them as she stared off at the wall.

"I'm… alright," the woman spoke, after several moments of silence. She took a deep breath, slowly turning to face the group. "I… don't exactly know what to do. I'm not your professor, yet I've been given this role. I want to protect you, but as far as Killing Games go, the adults are completely powerless."

"It's quite alright Miss Langdon, we don't particularly blame you for this," Lyonel said, giving the woman a smile. "We must work together, remain calm and see what this game is about. Penny already explained how it works to us. Standing around and worrying will cause unnecessary stress."

"Even still… I'm part of the Staff here! I should be able to do something, anything to ensure your safety, but goddamn it, I'm powerless." she exclaimed, rubbing her arm. "I'm standing here before all of you, and while a part of me wants to help you all, another part of me wants to say fuck you, and worry about my own family."

"Understandable. In games like this, worrying about one's family is important… I'm quite certain most if not all of us have had people close to us captured." Louise said, frowning as she emptied her pipe. "Makes me wonder if this is some sick social experiment, if it is, then they shouldn't use conventional means. Dropping us in the woods with nothing but a bow drill and a knife should suffice."

"Jesus, what backwater town did you come from?" Cleavance asked, having stopped his dancing. Louise looked at him, tilting her head a bit.

"I'm from the deep south, can you not tell by my southern drawl?" the woman asked.

"It's rather cute, I will admit." Hermione said, closing her eyes. She adopted a pensive look as she tapped her chin with her finger. "Are you from… Baton Rouge?"

"New Orleans, as I said before, I lived very deep in the south, quite aways away from people. Not a lot of people fancy my practices, even though they are grounded in history as factual and have been proven effective,"

"Might we move on from this?" Zalicka asked, regaining everyone's attention. Her snakes rested on her shoulders, twisting around each other, looking almost like a scarf. Their heads rested on either side of her's, looking directly at the teacher. "Kaguya was given a role far higher than yours, yet she hasn't been around. Could it be possible she is working with the Mastermind?"

"It's not out of the realm of possibility. The Mastermind seems to be interested in her for some reason or another. Why she gave her the role that she did baffles me. I'm certain she could have given it to any one of us."

"Hmm… perhaps there is a reason for that… but let us not fret, friends. We need to focus on the matter at hand here, this game. Normally, I would be against such blasphemy… being forced to kill each other, what a horrible passtime. Nevertheless, we have been unfortunate enough to find ourselves in such a predicament. However, we must join forces and stomp out any opposition. For only then can we get out of this game alive,"

"Stomp out any opposition? Lyonel are you alright?" John asked curiously. The man gave him a nod, a small smile on his face. "I do understand that people will die, that is a given but shouldn't we be working together?"

"I don't think working together with the other teams is going to be possible. I mean think about it, if they wanted us to work together with each other, they wouldn't have split us into teams, would they?" Ernest asked, glancing around the room.

"Broother is right… the Mastermind is a scary woman… I do not know if if working together with our other broothers and sisters is a wise idea. We might end up seeing the big lamp in the sky if we do." Ninian said, looking down in shame. "It's horrible… I wished to make friends with people and show everyone my love for Moths, but this…"

"Hey, don't worry!" Hermione said, placing a hand on Ninian's shoulder. "Just because we're in a killing game, it doesn't mean we still can't be friends. It's not like we aren't allowed to make friends with the others here."

"It might prove beneficial now that I think about it."

"How so?" Clara asked, tilting her head slightly. "Why would making friends with people who could potentially kill us be beneficial, desu?"

"Loose lips sink ships, my dear Clara-chan." Ernest said, a small smirk on his face. He reached into his sleeve, pulling out some paper flowers. The young woman seemed entranced by them as he moved them about, turning them into confetti. "You see… things change quite easily. The status quo is likely to change as well… which is why we need to have all the cards we can. That way we can build the right hand." he continued, reaching behind her ear. He pulled out a Queen of Hearts, which he flipped over, handing it to the young woman.

"Spying on them, you mean?" Louise asked.

"That is correct, Louise."

"Doctor, if you'd please."

"Not a bad strategy really." Ashe said, a frown on her face. "If we want to play it safe, and survive as long as possible, then we have to win. That means playing an underhanded tactic… we're gonna have to do what Ernest suggests. Get to know them, and if we can prod information out of them, we will. I'll be goddamned if I die in this game, especially since I have a child!"

"Hell yeah B! Ain't no one going to fade my sorry ass, Imma fade them before they even pull the trigger. Gotta line my shots up, PA PA PA! Like a fuckin' machine gun!" Cleavance said, a grin on his face, though it was hard to tell since he was always grinning.

"We must be careful though," John said, appearing next to Ashe, making her scream in terror. The man sighed, giving her a frown. "Apologies Miss, I didn't mean to startle you."

"It… it's okay, try not to do it anymore… what were you going to say?"

"I was going to say that we must be careful. Any one of these challenges could end in a loss, and we would have to sacrifice someone. It would be prudent to prepare a plan of action, if any. It would help us… just in case," he said firmly.

"Scary-kun is right. We need to be careful desu… I don't want to die, I have too much to live for. Onegai… we have to win. Exclamation Point." the pink-haired girl said, bowing her head slightly. Ashe adopted a smile, giving her a pat on the head.

"None of us are going to die, Clara. We're going to fight, and we're going to win. After all, this is a game show, what's the worst that can happen?"


Supreme Confessional: Killer Gophers

Ashe chuckled nervously as she stared at the camera. She was standing by the entrance to the Grand Auditorium, voice being heard coming from inside. She rubbed her neck in embarrassment, briefly glancing away. "So, I get that invoking Murphy's Law is probably the worst thing that I could have done. I mean, we're already an uneven team, and the students I got sacked with are… interesting, at the very least."

She peeked over her shoulder, through the door which was slightly open. She could see the students near the front of the room, by the stage. She cleared her throat, looking back at the AR Camera. "I think we have a good team here, all having their own charms and qualities and… oh who am I kidding, I got sacked with the worst of them. Ninian is only interested in lamps, Hermione bounces everywhere, Zalicka threatens everyone with her snakes, Clara is just fucking weird, I mean… have you seen her face?"

She peered over her shoulder again, sighing when she realized no one was behind her. "It's just… Why couldn't I have gotten some of the more athletic students? I wanna have a chance to get outta this school alive you know? Why the fuck did I agree to come here? I could be at home, taking care of my child, safely in my husband's arms, but no… no! I just had to come back to HHPA… fuck me."

"Miss Langdon, the others are wondering where you went." the voice of John said, causing the woman to jump. She turned around, glaring at the young man.

"You… you need to stop fucking doing that!"

"I apologize, I didn't mean to startle you, honest… if I may… speaking ill about the others will not benefit you. It will only cause a drift between us. They all trust you, try not to break that trust, will ya?" the man said, slipping back into the auditorium. Ashe spared a glance back at the camera, a lopsided smile on her face.

"Hehe… sure. Of course…"


"What are my thoughts on my team?" John asked, as he sat at the edge of his bed, an awkward look on his face. "Well… there are some genuinely good people there. They all seem nice, and I don't sense anyone with antagonistic characteristics. Though I must admit, Louise is giving me the willies."

The Thanatologist shuddered a bit as he glanced at the other side of the room. His lips twitched slightly, his eyes looking back at the camera. "Anyone who practices medicine the way she does should be barred from practice. I'm convinced she's a Voodoo Priestess in disguise."

A loud shattering filled his ears, making him look at the back of the room. A mug, which had been placed on his window sill, now sat in pieces on the ground. He frowned, shaking his head. "I suppose the air conditioning unit is on high again… I should get that fixed, that's the fourth mug I've had to replace… Oh well, nothing I can do about it now… this concludes this confession, for now I guess."

If the man bothered to look behind him, he would have seen a shadow reflecting off of the glass window, just before he shut the camera off.


"You know, Miss Langdon, maybe saying that phrase is a bad idea." Hermione said, earning a chuckle from the woman. She balled her fist, tapping it lightly on the wooden stage.

"Knock on wood then. Whatever the case may be, we shall fight hard, and we will win. One thing I noticed was the mention of bobbles. Perhaps if we each find one we can barter for our escape. They seem to hold some significance after all."

"Yes, but you must remember, the others know about them too. Who's to say they aren't searching for them as well? Nay, we should all try to remain calm and be happy. Only with true peace will we be able to beat this horrid killing game." Lyonel said, a calming smile on his face.

"Right… sure… let us tread lightly then. There is a venomous snake in the Headmaster's Office, and if we truly wish to be free, we're going to have to wrestle with it. Perhaps I should send Veeza and Seath to pay her a visit?"

"No, Zalicka… that isn't a good idea… that could have repercussions. Besides, I'm sure if the Mastermind dies, Penny will keep the game going. I'm certain they have contingency plans… no, we need to work quietly, from the shadows. Act normal, play our part and win the challenges. The more immunity we earn, the easier it becomes for us to act, and potentially, get out of this game." Ernest said, earning nods from the others.


Supreme Confessional: Killer Gophers

"Ugh… working together with these idiots is going to be hard," Ernest said, as he flicked a strand of his onyx colored hair out of his eyes. "I don't trust a single one of them, but I must keep appearances. Right now, working together is the only means of our potential escape. Just as long as no one stabs me in the back… I'll have to keep an eye on Snake Girl, while she cannot harm me in conventional ways, there is a chance that she can figure me out. I must be careful." he continued, glancing around the room in a rather frantic manner.


Date: Tuesday, April 21st 2021

Location: Presidential Hall Male Dormitory #5 [HHPA]

Time: 6:30 PM

Team: Screeching Eagles

Peter was a bit nervous. It wasn't often that women approached him out of the blue, in fact, he had a hard time interacting with them normally. Having spent his time with only his sister, he knew how to understand them. But interacting with them on a personal level… it took time. Even dealing with the likes of Katalina and Maribelle had its challenges, especially the latter. She seemed hellbent on drilling etiquette lessons into his head. Because "Uncouth Mongrels such as yourself will not get far in this world," or so she said.

He missed that woman… over the short time he had known her, she had become a close friend. Had she not been dating another man, he likely would have tried his hand at courting her. Though dating an Elite Duchess would likely get him into an early grave. If the politics didn't kill him first, Maribelle certainly would have. That parasol of hers was legendary.

It was odd really, for him to attract the attention of attractive women. He really didn't know much of Ezekiel, but he had read one of her novels. He was certain she had been related to the famous author Stephen King, but she had debunked those theories. Still, she had a way with words that even he didn't understand. She was capable of weaving stories together with grace, poise and of course, mystery and intrigue. It was perhaps why he had accepted her offer, despite her blatant sexual advances.

"Tell me, Miss King, why have you adopted an interest in me?" he asked curiously. He was sitting at a round table, one he had purchased with some of the funds Katalina had let him borrow. Thankfully, the school had allowed him to bring his own belongings with him, so he had made himself at home in the few days after the Showcase. He poured a cup of tea for her, but she politely refused, making him frown. "Do you not like tea?"

"No… that isn't it. I prefer other… liquids… if you will," the woman replied, further confusing the man. He said nothing, instead taking a sip of the cup he had prepared. He hadn't gotten a chance to pour a second, so he was instead going to drink the one that was meant for her. She looked around this room, a neutral look on her face. "Your quarters are surprisingly clean,"

"Um… why wouldn't they be? I pride myself in keeping a clean room. Especially if I'm going to be meeting with people. As the Supreme Showman, I must be ready to convene with potential members at all times."

"Hmm… I see… I was led to believe young males of your age group kept messy rooms. I was told they often times take their garments off and leave them on the floor. Then come morning, they give it a single whiff and don them as if they were freshly out of the dryer. Perhaps this is a misconception," Ezekiel said, her face shifting to a look of realization, though it only lasted for a brief moment.

"W-well… I'm certain some young men do that, but I do not. Even when I was out on the streets I made sure to stay well groomed. My sister was always there to remind me, she always gave me this sour look whenever I tried to-" the man paused, shifting his gaze down at his tea. Ezekiel remained silent for a moment, unsure of what to do. She cleared her throat, making him look up.

"Do you feel ill?"

"N-no… I'm just thinking of Veronica. I managed to get her out of this shithole, but I'm worried. I'm not sure if she managed to flee. She's… the only family I have left, Zeke. I'm scared that something happened to her,"

"Family…" the woman said, rolling the word around her mouth. She bit her bottom lip, glancing away from the man. "I too have a family… though I shall not divulge more than that. Let us instead speak about why I requested this audience with you."

"Audience? Sheesh, you treat me as if I were royalty." Peter said, chuckling. He set his tea cup down, giving the woman his full attention. "Well then, speak. Are you perhaps looking to join my circus? Another renegade in search for a new home?"

"Nay… though your attempts to recruit me into your little show are intriguing. I doubt someone like me would fit in. Nevertheless, that is not what I came here to discuss. You are an intelligent man, are you not?" she asked firmly.

"I… suppose I am. I don't fancy myself a genius or anything of the sort, but I am smarter than the average man,"

"Indeed… which is why I am… swallowing my distaste of humanity to work with you."

Peter's brows furrowed, his lips pursing a bit. "Distaste of humanity?"

"This world… it disappoints me. Time and time again, humans have fallen victim to plague, pestilence, famine, war. It sickens me to think that something so destructive could continue to live on. Humans are nothing but stupid creatures, who are unable to come together to stop the spread of hatred and despair. It doesn't exactly please me to find myself in this situation…" Ezekiel said, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. Peter was honestly surprised with how blunt the woman was being. "You would think after so many killing games, so many people dying, murdering, raping and pillaging, it would stop… but history always repeats itself."

"I will admit, I myself am not happy with the current state of the world." the man said, taking a deep breath. "I've lost friends, family, loved ones… all because of a single academy. If anything, I'd blame talent itself… the academies and talent institutions are at fault, after all, this started in Hope's Peak Academy's Reserve Course… between people who wanted talent, and those who had talent."

"We are but goldfish, Mr. Burnett. Goldfish that swim in the freedom of a tank, we have the ability to swim, but are still a caged animal. I can see it in your eyes… you loathe talent as much as I do." she said, making the man chuckle.

"You misunderstand me, Miss King," the man said, smirking. "I do not hate talent, nay, I enjoy it. I like seeing what others can do. I like seeing them express themselves on the stage, on the side of the street! Anywhere! My Great-Great-Grandfather started our circus for that very reason, to show the oddities of the world. For everyone to see just how special they all truly are."

"And yet, you feel betrayed." the woman said firmly. Her lip twitched a bit as she leaned forward in her chair. "You mentioned being rejected by Versailles Academy… how many academies have you applied to?"

"What does that have to do with this?" Peter queried, a frown on his face. The woman shrugged her shoulders.

"It's all a matter of perspective." Ezekiel said, bowing her head slightly. "You were rejected by many talent schools in the past, what's so different about this one? The answer of course is nothing. You would have been rejected by the people of this academy as well, the reason you were accepted has to do with the Mastermind."

"Oh? You genuinely believe that?"

"Indeed… this was all a ploy. Everyone who survived the initial onslaught yesterday, survived for a reason. The Mastermind selected each and every one of us to be in this killing game. Regretfully, I didn't perceive this happening when I chose to come to this academy." she said, further confusing the man.

"Zeke, I'm going to ask you a serious question here… why did you come to this academy? What is your purpose here? Is it because you wanted to show the world your talent, or are you here for another reason?" Peter asked. The woman let out a dry chuckle, her face returning to its former neutral look.

"I came here because I wished to show the world my talent. I truly do enjoy writing a good mystery, after all." she replied, a small smile on her face. "Writing a good mystery is hard work. One must consider all the factors carefully when constructing a mystery. Is the narrative crafted in a satisfying manner? Can the reader divine the conclusion on their own if they pay enough attention to the clues laid out? Do all the pieces of the puzzle fit together? But perhaps the most important question is: does it make sense? These, and more, are all factors one needs to consider when crafting a good mystery."

"I… never thought of it that way,"

"People hardly do. Do you enjoy puzzles, Mr. Burnett?" she asked, earning a small nod from the young man. "Excellent… then that means you shall enjoy solving the puzzle that has been laid out before us. Who is this Mastermind? Why did she choose us? Most importantly, why is she here? What is this academy hiding that would drive this woman to turn us all into her victims? That is a mystery I wish to solve. Suffice it to say, I am quite intrigued by all of this. Which is why I came to you, I have a proposal for you."

"A proposal?" the man said, brow quirked in curiosity. He took a sip of his tea, finishing what was left in the cup. "The Supreme Mystery Novelist wishes to propose something to little old me?"

"Indeed, you are an intelligent man… though I'm certain you dumb yourself down a bit among your peers. You are… different, to the others. I cannot fathom why that is, perhaps you detest talent more than I, perhaps you came here because you wanted to send a message-"

"I came here because I made a promise," the man said, sitting up in his seat. "I promised someone I deeply cared about that I would bring my family back. That I would open our circus in her homeland. She regretfully passed on before she got to see that dream come to fruition. That is why I am here. Call me sentimental, but promises mean a lot to me."

"A sentimental man? Not many of you left in this world, it seems. My proposition stands nonetheless… our team is made up of able bodied people, athletic and smart. But I do not believe Riyo has what it takes to lead us to victory. Look at what happened with Anton… that man got himself injured and put us under a penalty. What I wish to say is simple… we must work together as a pair."

He tilted his head, looking rather confused. "Work together… as a pair?"

"Indeed. We have a need to work together, you see. You have a sister you yearn to get back to, and I have my own business to attend to. By working together, we ensure our survival. In whatever challenge presents itself before us. The others on our team listen to us much more than they do our Team Leader. We need to establish our dominance in our group, and make use of each and every one of their abilities. The thought of that disgusts me more than you believe, but for my sisters, I will do anything."

Peter remained silent, pondering the young woman's offer.


Supreme Confessional: Screeching Eagles

"Ezekiel is quite bold," Peter said, as he looked at his cane. He ran his fingers over the glimmering diamonds, glancing up at the camera. "I do not seem to understand this woman. How can someone like her approach me of all people, and with such a proposal? There's something… off… about her."

The young man closed his eyes, a small chuckle leaving his lips. "Yes, yes! It must have to do with her passion for mysteries! She must be trying to figure out why all of us were chosen. But there's something about her that is amiss… that distaste of humanity,"

Peter grabbed a hold of his hat, twirling it around for a moment before placing it atop his head, a small smile on her face. "There's this fire about her that seems to radiate from her person. She tries so hard to hide her emotions behind that mask of hers. But I can see through it, this woman is passionate about her writing. She's passionate about mysteries… this may be a business venture that may prove fruitful. After all, my previous one did bear fruit…"

He closed his eyes, his smile shifting to a frown. "Katalina, what fate has befallen you? My dear Avocado Princess. Your empire may have crumbled, but I know that you are alive. I yearn for the day where we can meet, so that I may repay your kindness… another reason why I have to get out of this academy. I have promises to keep…"


"It is rather odd for me to approach a man like Peter Burnett, especially in this setting," Ezekiel said, as she wrote in a notebook. "Given my past experiences, I would have chosen to remain by myself, not needed to approach anyone in this academy. I am of course, self sufficient."

Her pen became still as she peered up at the camera, her beautiful mask glinting off the light in her bedroom. "There is a rather odd feeling in my chest. Perhaps this has to do with my true purpose here. I cannot divulge that, of course. I am merely here to improve my writing skills. And yet… hmm.. Perhaps there is something else at play here. It could be these Augmas are interfering with how we perceive things,"

She continued writing in her notebook, her gel pen flowing across the paper with grace and poise. The camera of course couldn't see what she was writing, but due to how fast her hand was moving, it must have been something important.

"After surveying my classmates for the past few days, I have learned a few things about them. No longer are they a mystery… they are just humans. Senseless humans, idiots all of them. They care not about their own safety or the safety of others, that Supreme Chosen One is a fool. Because of his hubris, all of us are at risk of death, and I am not going to die here." she said, clicking her pen. She snapped her notebook closed, looking up at the camera.

"For now, I shall remain quiet. I have no idea if the others can see these confessionals, nor do I truly care. However, for those Government Officials who survived the destruction of Washington D.C. I have this to say, you will reap what you sow. Because of your own choices, several innocents will die, not that I care of course. At the end of the day, the less humans exist, the happier I will be."


"Miss King, I shall accept your offer. But I have one condition."

"That being?"

"We will not sacrifice a single soul to the gallows. I cannot find myself capable of sentencing someone to death. I do not wish to cause the other teams strife either, but we must focus on our group. At least until we survive the merge, if it comes to that. I have faith that no one will die… we'll all work together to be free of this game," he said, holding his hand out. The woman rolled her eyes beneath her mask.

"You are a fool for believing so much in these people, but I accept your condition. Perhaps if you earn my trust, I will tell you more about myself. I do not care much for the others, but as I have said before, you are different." the woman said, shaking his hand. The man shrugged her statement off, wondering what exactly set him apart from the others.

"Perhaps that is because I am used to dealing with talented individuals. I may have only led my circus for a single performance, but I trained with everyone before every show. Even now, I can imagine those routines in my mind. My best friends… I yearn to see their smiles, but even now that eludes me."

Ezekiel remained silent, staring at the man before her. She could tell he was stressed, just by body language alone. Being stuck in a game, not knowing where his sister was, if she was alive or not, not knowing if he would survive. She could tell the man was suffering. Which was why she thought about her next offer carefully.

"After observing your behavior all day, I have come to the conclusion that you are in need of sexual relief. If you would like, you may partake of my body in order to relieve these urges."

The man, who had served himself more tea, sputtered, spitting the amber liquid that had pooled in his mouth. He set his tea cup down, giving the woman a firm look.

"Ezekiel, as interesting as your offer sounds, I am gonna have to decline. Not that you aren't attractive or anything, you are very attractive! But I don't want to just use your body like that you know? Ah…. .what I mean is… you make a good offer but uh… I would rather not-"

"There is no need for nervousness, it was just a joke." the woman said, holding her hand out. He sighed, sinking a bit in his chair. "For the most part. The offer is still open if you ever need to relieve yourself… you are one of the few who I would allow,"

The woman rose to her feet, turning away from the man. "I had an interesting time speaking with you, Mr. Burnett. May our future endeavors bear fruit, Au Revoir."

With that, the Supreme Mystery Novelist exited the room, leaving a rather nervous and blushing Peter behind.


Date: Wednesday, April 22nd, 2021

Location: Headmaster's Office: Traditional Building 4th Floor [HHPA]

Time: 7:45 AM

Team: N/A

Kaguya swallowed the lump in her throat as she sat before the Headmaster's Desk. This experience was entirely different from the one before. The office was the same. Filled with accolades, trophies and medals won by the students. The carpet was still a royal blue, and the crest of the academy was still printed on the center of it. The only difference was the one sitting in that chair. The Mastermind, the one responsible for this game, though this was just an Augmented Hologram of the woman. Kaguya was nervous.

Thanks to her new role, she had been successfully alienated from everyone. The previous day, she had decided to spend most of her time in her dorm. But when she went to the cafeteria, it was thrown into silence. She just made her way toward the kitchen, grabbed some instant noodles and some water and left. She was certain after today, someone would hate her even more.

"Miss Kagami, I'm certain you know why you are here." the woman said, voice distorted as she spoke. Kaguya gave the woman a nod, remaining silent. "This week is going to be a bit different, since we started on a Tuesday, we couldn't establish a proper motive. So we're going to do a quick one, at least until the first challenge is issued."

"I see… and why do you need to speak with me personally? I would have thought you would send everything directly to my scroll." she said, gesturing at the woman with said device.

"What? Can I not give my pawns orders directly? I quite enjoy seeing your emotionless face. Besides, we both know you are enjoying this. This is one big social experiment for you. And as the Supreme Sociologist, you wish to see what this game does to your fellow students," the woman said, a smirk on her face. "You are just as sadistic as I am, my dear."

"Tch… do not compare me to you. While I do wish to see how this game affects them, I do not wish to be the one giving them motives."

"You're not! You are only issuing things attached to the motive to the Team Leaders. This one is a simple one, and they only have until Friday to kill someone. Who knows? They might actually make it. Though I'm sure there are some people who are willing to kill, given the right push."

"Whatever. Just give me the information so I can present it to the Team Leaders… I don't want to be near you anymore than I have to." Kaguya said. The woman chuckled, pressing something on her lap. Kaguya's scroll beeped, a brand new Private Message appearing on the screen.

"I wish you luck, may the killing begin in earnest!"

xxx

Kaguya frowned as she looked at the details on her scroll. She wasn't exactly pleased with the motive she had been given. Of course, since she was part of the Student Council, she would abstain from participation, like the other Team Leaders. That would certainly paint a target on her back, if what Penny had said the day before hadn't already. She reached the Teleportation Pad on the First Floor, stepping onto it. In seconds, she was in the Gymnasium, where Riyo, Ashe and Tanzo stood, waiting.

"What is the purpose of this call?" Tanzo asked, a bit apprehensive.

"Yes, I do not appreciate being awakened this early in the morning, especially when we aren't even teaching!"

"Remain calm guys… I'm certain Miss Kagami will tell us the purpose of our summons," Riyo said, forcing a smile onto her face. She turned to face the young woman, peering up at her. "Isn't that right, Miss Kagami?"

"You are correct. I've spoken with the Mastermind, who has issued the first motive. I'm here to deliver the details. I'm certain Penny and Nicky are going to call them here and issue it personally. What you do with this information is up to you." the young woman said, holding her scroll out. The others tapped theirs to hers, accepting the message she had prepared for them. Ashe tapped on the message, her eyes widening a bit at what she had been given.

"What the hell is this?" she asked, looking up at the teenager. "What kind of motive is this?"

"How would I know? I'm just here to deliver the information. What you do with it does not interest me in the slightest. What I am interested in is how all of you handle this situation. I've gotten some interesting data so far. So keep it up, I'm certain we'll get out of here soon."

"If I didn't know any better, I would say you are working with the Mastermind. Hand in hand, as it were," Tanzo said firmly.

"This is rather disappointing, but we'll have to work through it. Let's… just get this over with." Riyo said, a frown on her face.


"AAAAAAALLLRRRIIIIGHT! Ladies and Gentlemen the time has finally arrived!" Penny cried cheerfully, as she jumped around on the stage. The cameras were focusing on her as she moved about, catching her every single movement. "The time has finally come for us to issue our first Motive! A real shame sadly, since I want to issue out a challenge, but it isn't Friday, so I can't complain."

"Nyahahahaha! It is such an honor to kick things off right!" the animatronic feline said.

"Well… are you going to tell us what the fuck this shit is or are you gonna keep raving about finally doing something?" Kevin snapped, glaring at the two. "Because I have a lot of important things to get to."

"Rika Nyan Nyan doesn't see what's important about fingering a violin. Ah, is it because Kevin-kun is never going to get anyone special in his life?" Nodoka asked, a childish smile on her face. She was decked out in her idol get up, and was acting far different than normal. "Rika apologizes, she didn't think there was someone out there who would never get a woman in his life,"

A few people started laughing while Kevin glared at the idol. Lyonel stepped up, holding his hands out. "Everyone please, let's just remain calm. Let's not start throwing petty insults at each other, alright?"

"Lyonel is right, we may be on different teams, but we can at least be on friendly terms." Peter said, earning nods from the others. "Now, let us see what this motive is about. No matter what it is, all of us will be able to power through it." he said confidently.

"Stop stealing the show goddamn it! Sheesh, let the feline speak!" Penny cried, causing everyone to quiet down. The mascot giggled, patting the woman's leg.

"Relax Penny, let them speak. This motive is surely going to make them a lot closer than before! Let us introduce our first motive for the game! Kaguya if you'd please!"

Kaguya said nothing as she flicked her Scroll open. She pressed a single button on the screen, the sound of whirling filled the room a moment after. Everyone watched as several white and black bracelets rained from above them, shooting all over the room. They started latching onto the wrists of the participants of the Killing Game. They only had a second to react before the bracelets sparked to life, pulling them in all sorts of directions.

"What the hell is going on?!"

"These stupid bracelets! They… won't stop pulling!"

In an instant, everyone was pulled toward another person, their bracelets clicking loudly. A holographic chain appeared between them, keeping them together. During all of the chaos, Penny and Nicky were watching on, with looks of amusement on their faces.

"So… I see you are all acquainted with your new partners!" the cyborg said, her smirk widening.

"This is a motive I like to call; the Handcuff Motive! Though we wanted to put you together with people from other teams, we eventually settled on keeping you all together. For the next few days, the person you are latched to will be forced to spend time with you! Eating, drinking, sleeping, bathing, you'll have to do it all!"

"Not only that, but you will have to go through your Challenge paired up as well. Even if there is a murder, all of you will still have to take that challenge come Friday. Make friends with your new partners, or start hating each other. Whatever works right? As long as we get a stiff one, that's all that matters to us!" Penny said.

"Ahem. Are you going to explain the other part of the motive, or will you force me to do that as well?" Kaguya asked, a deep frown on her face.

"What do you think sweetcheeks?" the cyborg asked, causing the ravenette to frown. She took a deep breath, standing firm as she addressed the students.

"Each of your bracelets has a secret relating to the person you are attached to. The aim of this game is Truth vs Fiction. Half of you have fake secrets, while the others are in fact real. These can range from simple things, to even murder confessions. Will curiosity get the best of you? Or will you trust the person you are handcuffed to wholeheartedly. Furthermore, will this secret anger you enough to kill, or will you remain pacified until someone else pulls the trigger? You have 3 days until the Challenge Motive is issued. Once the Challenge is completed, this motive will end, and you will regain your freedom."

"Any questions?" the redheaded hostess asked, causing Yoshi to raise his hand. She gave him a nod, placing a hand on her hip. "What's good Kabuki? You got a question?"

"Indeed I do… Why is it that I am paired up with Miss Ogwen? She belongs to the Killer Gophers after all," the man said. Ninian had a look of hurt on her face, as if she genuinely thought the man didn't want to be paired up with her.

"Your team is down a player thanks to Anton the Grey getting his arm sliced off. Ninian's team also lacks a 10th player. So the two of you have been paired up. When the challenge comes on Friday, the two of you will not be participating for your teams, rather you will be on your own." Penny said, giving him a smirk. "I said your team would play with a penalty, and this is it. Now then, I wish you all luck! Let's start seeing some bodies drop. After all, we know all of your secrets, and I know some of you want nothing more than to keep said secrets hidden."

"The Longer we go without seeing a body drop, the more secrets we will reveal. You got three days, and if you want those skeletons to remain in your closet, then grab a knife and start shanking! Nyahahahahaha!"

The two ended up leaving, letting the participants of the game remain behind in the Gymnasium. The Augmented cameras continued filming, making sure they were getting everything one of them. They remained silent for several moments, no one wanting to say a single word, until finally Lyonel stepped up, a smile on his face.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we have been spared. I was thinking we would get something far more cruel, but being stuck together isn't so bad. If we work together, we will be able to make it through the next three days!"

"Tch… easy for you to say!" Hermione cried, trying to pull the bracelet off of her wrist. She tried to move away from the man, but was pulled back to his side, the chain giving her about three feet to work with. "I can't even leave… this thing isn't connected by anything and yet it pulls me back!"

"It's using magnetism," Lugh said, looking closely at the bracelet that now decorated his wrist. He examined every single detail, seeing the thin glowing lines on the edges of it. "They're programmed to connect to its sibling bracelet. Using a highly powered magnet, it keeps the two together. It seems to activate when the person is only a few feet away,"

"HHPA truly does have some nifty trinkets, don't it?" Ophelia asked. She peered up at Briar, the man who she had been cuffed to. The man glared at her, making her shift her gaze elsewhere. "I can tell this is going to be a tough three days,"

"You and me both, sister." Alessia mumbled. She had, of course, been paired up with Kevin. She was certain the Mastermind had done it for her own amusement.

"The motive has been issued, it would be wise for you all to have a team meeting. I'm certain things are going to get rougher from here, for all of us." Kaguya said firmly.

"Easy for you to say, you aren't even participating in this game. It's total bullshit!" Rin cried angrily. Naveen placed a hand on her shoulder, hoping to calm her down.

"Now now Rin, let's not take it out on her. After all, her role was given to her before this game even started. She is an unwilling participant, I'm sure." he said. The young woman grabbed a hold of his wrist, squeezing it tightly. "R-Rin?"

"HOW DARE YOU TOUCH ME?!" she shouted, throwing a punch to his stomach. The man coughed loudly, only to find himself airborne a second later. He cried in pain as his body was slammed into the ground with great strength. Everyone winced, some even swore they heard the floor crack. "Do not touch me ever again you pervert!" she cried, trying to walk away, only for her bracelet to pull her back to Naveen's side.

"Oh yeah… this motive is going to be hella interesting," Cleavance said in an amused tone.

"You are telling me, desu." Clara said softly.


Date: Wednesday, April 22nd 2021

Location: Cafeteria [Traditional Building First Floor: HHPA]

Time: 8:45 AM

Team: Screeching Eagles

"Ugh! This fucking sucks man, what the hell!" Nodoka exclaimed, trying to ignore the augmented reality camera currently floating around their team. She stabbed her sausage with her fork, shoving it roughly into her mouth. "How the hell are we supposed to last three days cuffed to each other? I like my privacy you know!"

"I-I'm sorry, Miss Nyan Nyan!" Joel said, bowing his head in shame. The blonde woman sighed, scratching the inside of her ear with her pinkie. She adopted a peppier smile, her demeanor changing in the blink of an eye.

"Aw, it's alright Jo-Jo! It isn't your fault that you were attached to Rika without your consent! We'll just have to work around it. She's already used to skipping showers, but using the litter box is going to be a lot harder for Rika, especially if a boy is watching!"

"You know, her personality is impressive," Aaron said, as he looked up from his own breakfast. He was trying to ignore the cuff on his wrist, thankfully, Ezekiel had been focused on her notebook so she had barely said a word since the motive had started. "I don't think I've quite met someone like her before."

"She's certainly something," Sasha said, a smile tugging her lips. "Nodoka is… special. She loves being an idol, but she's trying to keep her real self separated from her idol career. She's developed this weird flip-flop personality. Getting used to it was rough at first, but after awhile you tend to get used to it."

"Is it true she doesn't shower?" Freyja asked curiously. The Paparazzi sighed, giving her a nod. Freyja's nose scrounged up a bit. "Gross."

"Hey! Stop filling the Squirt's head with bullshit Sasha. I take showers! I'm just too lazy to do my laundry so I only shower every two days. If I'm not leaving my house then I'm not sweating, the fuck am I gonna need a shower for?"

"I.. suppose that is an interesting take on the matter," Peter said, taking his eyes off of Heather's figurine. The young woman had been busy crafting a new one. This one was a Half Pony, half Spider statuette. It wasn't hard to guess who it was going to. "However, we need to focus on the matter at hand here. Being cuffed together is one thing, but how exactly are we going to handle the Challenge on Friday?"

"Peter raises a good point, being stuck next to a person I care little about is one thing. But we cannot risk losing that challenge. The cyborg already warned us… and now we're down two people. We cannot afford to lose, I cannot stress that enough," Ezekiel said, finally looking up from her notebook.

"Then what do you propose we do?" Riyo asked, setting down her very tiny tea-cup. She brushed her hands over her shirt, smoothing it down a bit. "I'm here to guide you along, and lead you to victory, but Team Leaders aren't allowed to participate in the challenges. We're just observers."

"How about you share with us the information you were given?" Heather said, setting down her wooden statue. "We have to do what Twilight Sparkle does. Review every piece of information until she finds the correct spell, only then will we be able to win!"

"Can we please not start with that Friendship is Magic bullshit? It is too early for that fru-fru kiddie bullshit."

Heather gasped rather loudly, her face becoming paler as she did. She narrowed her eyes, glaring daggers at the idol who just looked at her like she had grown a second head. "How dare you call Friendship kiddie bullshit?"

"I'm… I'm sorry?"

"NO! You are not!" she snapped, slamming her fist onto the table, cracking it slightly. Their trays bounced a bit from the shockwave, making everyone jump a bit. "Don't you see? In the midst of despair and in the middle of the shitty times, friendship brings us all together! If we work together as friends, nothing will stop us."

"A knife, a gun, a fist, food poisoning, coronavirus, carbon monoxide, arsenic poisoning, and drug overdoses can stop us." Freyja said, causing everyone to look at her. She swallowed the last bit of her ice cream, scraping the bottom of her bowl with her spoon. She looked up at everyone, suckling on her spoon. "What? I'm not wrong."

"Oh, for fuck sakes," Sasha said, rubbing her temples. "Look, forget this bullshit. Right now, we have to prepare for anything that may come along. Being strapped to each other isn't so bad, what is bad is the supposed secrets our bracelets carry. So let's all make a vow right now not to look at them."

"I concur… these bracelets were created with the sole purpose of baiting us. The Mastermind wants to sow discord among us, make chaos sprout and eventually, let despair take over. By avoiding it entirely, we will be able to stop the spread of despair." the Mystery Novelist said firmly.

"Aren't you a little curious though?" Nodoka asked, tilting her head a bit. "I mean, if the Mastermind went through the trouble of doxxing us and finding our deepest darkest secrets, we may as well expose them. Think about it, if we all know our secrets, then we won't have a reason to kill."

"That… is a good point, Miss Nyan Nyan. B-But I'm afraid there are things that I want to keep a secret. I don't trust any of you yet, so I'd like to keep those things to myself, if possible." Joel said firmly.

"Whoa… that's an interesting thing to say. What are you hiding from us Joey? Did you do some fucked up shit for the Mouse? Were you the one who gave Demi Lovato cocaine? Or was it you who discovered Disney's frozen head?"

"No! Of course not!" he cried, a fearful look on his face. "Why would I bring Demi cocaine?"

"So you aren't denying the existence of Disney's Frozen head, I see. I see… another topic for me to delve into, I suppose." the meteorologist sighed. Sasha grit her teeth, slamming her forehead into the table.


Supreme Confessional: Screeching Eagles

"I honestly have no idea how Freyja functions in her day to day life," Sasha said, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. "I've been watching her practically since we've met. She seems like a sweetheart, but goddamn is she a handful. She was screaming about Sonic the Hedgehog of all things last night. She bounces in her seat, and ate an entire bowl of ice cream for breakfast. Christ… if I didn't know any better, I'd say she drank crack water."

The camera zoomed out a bit, showing a rather annoyed Freyja standing right next to Sasha, hands at her hips. Sasha cleared her throat, forcing a smile on her face. "No offense of course,"

"None taken, friend."


"This is going nowhere," Peter mumbled under his breath. He glanced up from his plate, noticing the look on Ezekiel's face. It was hard to discern what she was truly thinking, due to the mask on her face. Her expression was neutral, but he could see the corner of her lip twitching. He could tell she was just as upset as he was. He tugged on his vest, clearing his throat. "Everyone, please… let us try to work together."

"How do you propose we do that? It's like Ezekiel said, we're down two players. Without knowing what the challenge will be on Friday, we're all screwed." Aaron said, shifting his gaze toward the other table, where his sister Alivia was sitting. She was drawing something in her tablet, trying to ignore the others around her.

"I'm afraid Aaron is right… we're just gonna have to wing it. " Sasha said, a sigh escaping her lips. "We'll just have to stay on our toes and prepare for anything. If we can keep tabs on the others, then let's do that as well. This is a competition after all. Let's just hope Yoshi can handle that, I don't know about you, but there's something up with him."

"Let's not start mistrusting our teammates okay? We're gonna have to stick together, like it or not. We'll go about our daily business as best we can. It's all we can do."

"Mhmm! Now then, since we're done breakfast, I'm gonna go back to my dorm and paint these figurines I made! See you all later!" Heather cried, shoving all of her wooden carvings into her satchel. Peter sighed, forcing himself to stand up, he was not looking forward to the next three days.

"I feel bad for him," Nodoka said, holding back the urge to laugh. She watched as the Supreme Showman and the self proclaimed Supreme Pega-Sister left the cateria, the latter talking excessively about her show, to the point where Peter was blocking his ears with his hat. "Ah well, better him than me I suppose."


Date: Wednesday, April 22nd 2021

Location: Cafeteria: Traditional Building First Floor [HHPA]

Time: 8:45 AM

Team: Ghastly Ghouls

"This is a fucking nightmare. Out of everyone I could have gotten stuck with, it just had to be you? What the fuck is this? Does life fucking hate me or something?" Alessia cried, grabbing a handful of her hair as she rested her face on the top of the table.

"Hey sweetheart, this isn't a walk in the park for me either. Do you actually think I want to be stuck with someone like you?" the violinist asked, taking a sip from his coffee mug. He licked his lips, making sure to get every dribble of blood that fell from the corner of his mouth. "I would rather walk into a church than to be stuck with you."

"Complaining isn't going to change things you guys. We must make do with the hand we were dealt. Think about it this way, we're well off. The Screeching Eagles are down two teammates, and the Gophers are down one. We still have every member of our team. I would say that's a win in our book." Naveen said cheerfully.

"A cheap win," Rin mumbled, arms crossed as she glared at the man. "I would rather fight fair if I'm going to fight at all. Taking on two incapacitated teams feels pointless. I'm sure there are better ways to win than that,"

"What's the point of playing fair, Midget?" Briar asked, earning a glare from the redhead. "We're in a killing game. Who the fuck cares what happens to the others? As long as we win, that's what matters."

"And condemn others to death? That's low, Briar. Really low… all of us came to this school because we thought our talents would help the world, didn't we?" Ophelia asked, glancing around the table.

"Tch… I didn't come here for that, I didn't want to come here at all. I was promised a snack if I made that stupid audition tape." Alivia snapped, feverishly drawing on her tablet. A light tapping could be heard from how hard she was pressing the stylus to it. "I don't care about anyone here, save my own brother."

"W-we have to at least try," Robin said softly. He looked up from his breakfast, forcing a smile onto his face. "We all have people we care about right? People we wish to return to when we get out. Shouldn't we fight for them?"

"N-normally, I would agree with you, Robin. But the opposite is true for me. I'd rather remain far away from Egypt if possible." Jamila said, swallowing the lump in her throat. She decided to speak, before they started asking questions. "I must concur with Ophelia, we can't just stop caring about our fellow classmates. That would make us no different than Ultimate Despair."

"Heh… if you say so. What about you Elric, what's your opinion on all of this?" Kevin asked, directing his question at Lugh, who just furrowed his brows.

"Elric? Whatever. My opinion doesn't exactly matter, I came to this academy for something, and that mission hasn't changed. However, we do have to work together if we wish to get out. This is merely a minor setback. As long as you all trust the person you are attached to, there shouldn't be a problem."

"Mighty fine words coming from you, Survivor." Briar said, running his thumb over the blade of his axe, as he looked at the green haired man. "The Mastermind mentioned you surviving another killing game eh? You must be used to this, at this point."

Lugh remained silent for a moment, before nodding. "Yeah, I am. I am not going into details about what happened in my previous game. However, know this, this game we're in is dangerous. If we stop caring about our fellow man, then we'll become shells of ourselves. Nothing will matter, it's why we have to fight. Keep hope alive, as it were,"

"Ah… such powerful words! The Loa are quite pleased with you, Lugh. They will keep not only yourself, but all of us safe. Do not fret, I shall help out in keeping hope alive. I am planning a little Puppet show in the coming days. I'm certain a performance is what everyone needs to decompress and unwind."

"Not a bad idea, I will admit. Oh! Maybe Jamila and Robin can perform? They can do a whole fire and ice routine, it'll be super cool to see!" Rin said, a small smile on her face. The two flushed a bit in embarrassment.

"I… I'm not sure. I've never tried to dance with someone cuffed to my wrist, my movements may be hindered."

"Oh… I'm sorry Jamila… I don't mean to intrude in your talent,"

"No no no! You aren't intruding at all… we'll uh… work around it. I'm sure it's going to be a wonderful performance. Belly Dancing isn't the only thing I can do, I'm trained in classical dancing as well. With a little bit of fire, any dance becomes a fiery performance!"

"Whatever, can I go back to my room yet? I don't want to be here anymore." Alivia snapped angrily. Lugh sighed, giving her a nod.

"Yes, we can head to your room now."

The young woman said nothing as she started packing her things up. She didn't bother saying goodbye to the others. Lugh gave them a wave, only to be tugged as the Webtoon Designer continued walking.

"So, how long before she's sucking his cock?" Kevin asked, earning a slap to the head from Alessia.

"Keep talking shit and I'll hit you with my first the next time!"

xxx

"You know Alivia, acting like that isn't winning brownie points with the others. We're supposed to be a team after all," Lugh said, trying to speak with the brunette. She continued to ignore him as she moved toward the other side of the Dorm building. "I get it, you are out of your element here. You are probably used to being inside always, working on your toons and what not. But sometimes you gotta step outside, smell the roses and enjoy the light."

"I prefer darkness, thank you very much. And I don't exactly appreciate you starting a conversation with me. If we could, I would appreciate it if you didn't speak to me for the next three days. It's bad enough I gotta share my room with you!" she snapped angrily.

"Trust me, sharing my room with a woman is something I myself wasn't prepared. But at least that woman is fairly beautiful and talented to boot. I could have gotten stuck with Briar after all,"

"Tch."

Lugh sighed as they continued walking. Thanks to the magnetic links of their cuffs, they had a few feet between them, three at most. He wanted to walk a little closer to the young woman, to see if he could comfort her, but he knew she wasn't going to let him. He could tell Alivia's attitude was going to be a hindrance, not just for this motive but for the game itself. In the short time he had been attached to her, he realized two things.

She hated people

She was a brat

Even a normal conversation with her went nowhere. The walk from the Gymnasium to the cafeteria had been hell, but he had at least convinced her to let him address her by name. Rather than by Miss Baird as he had been calling her. It didn't take long to reach her dorm. She scanned her scroll on the reader, opening the door. She said nothing as she stepped inside, glancing over her shoulder for a brief moment.

"You touch any of my plushies, my tablet accessories or sketch books, and I will end you,"

He nodded, not saying much. She bent down in order to unlace her sneakers, mumbling things under her breath. Lugh hastily looked away, trying not to focus on her very round bottom. Alivia was a cute girl, if he cared to admit. One of the things he wanted to do in life was get himself a wife, which is why he flirted with as many girls as he could. Alivia was different, she didn't react to any of his flirtatious comments. It made him wonder if he was off his game.

"Maybe I can give her a bit of gold? Girls usually like when I turn things into gold."

He looked around for a brief moment, taking only a few steps away from the brunette as he looked around. She kicked her shoes off, turning in time to see what he was looking at. She quirked a brow, noticing his eyes had fallen on one of her styluses, a decorative one that her brother had given her. It was made out of stainless steel and was far longer than her other ones, mimicking a pencil. It was one of her most used accessories, one that she couldn't part without. It was why she didn't take it out of her room. She walked forward and took it into her hand, holding it out to the man.

"Did this catch your eye?"

"It did… is it made of metal?" he asked curiously.

"Uh… yeah? It was a gift from my brother. It's supposed to mimic the feel of a normal pencil, I've used it a lot over the years."

"I see… may I hold it for a moment?" Lugh said. Alivia looked a bit nervous, but decided to trust him. After all, what could he possibly do to a stylus? She placed it on his hand, watching his reaction closely.

"See? Nothing special."

"For now, but after this, it shall be far more valuable." he said, smirking as he closed his hand on the stylus. It started glowing a brilliant yellow, blinding the young woman for a moment. It only lasted for a second, but when he opened his hand, the previously chrome colored stylus was now a brilliant shimmering gold. Alivia's jaw dropped, eyes widening in surprise.

"What… what the fuck did you do to it?"

"I turned it into gold. I'm an Alchemist, you see, and one of my many skills is turning any type of metal into gold. I got the Midas Touch, if you will."

"Yeah… but why the hell would you do that? I didn't want my stylus to be turned into gold! Do you know what this thing means to me? You just ruined it!"

"H-huh?"

"Give me the damn thing back!" she cried, swiping the stylus from his hand. "Just for that, you get to sleep on the floor instead of sharing the bed with me. You idiot! Don't talk to me and don't touch anything!"

Lugh sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.


Supreme Confessional: Ghastly Ghouls

"If there is anything that pisses me off, it's when boys show off." Alivia said, not looking up from her tablet as she continued drawing. "It's so dumb! Do you know how many boys have tried showing off to me in the past? A lot! And I don't appreciate it, especially when they show off in such a way that it changes something that I truly enjoy!"

She took a deep breath, looking up from her tablet at the camera. Her violet eyes glimmered a bit in the light. "I've… had bad experiences in the past. Those are things I won't divulge here but… it's just tough. I just want to stay in my room all alone, and I can't even do that! I've had to pee for the last hour and I've been holding it in! I don't want Lugh's lecherous eyes looking at my private parts!"

"You know," the alchemist said, causing the camera to zoom out. The green haired lad was sitting on the ground, cross legged. Alivia, who was sitting at the edge of her bed, flushed, since she had forgotten he was there. "If you wanted to use the restroom, I could have just put my headphones on and put a blindfold on. I wish to respect your privacy after all."

"Ew no! It's so weird!"

"Well, we're gonna have to do it at some point. I've been holding mine in because I didn't know how to ask you. I can't begin to imagine how we're going to shower."

"We aren't! I'd rather turn into Stinky Pete than get naked in front of you!" she shouted, cheeks turning red. "We are not showering until the challenge is over!"

"Fine, fine… can I at least sleep on the bed? I apologized for your stylus already,"

"NO!"


Date: Wednesday, April 22nd 2021

Location: Cafeteria: Traditional Building First Floor [HHPA]

Time: 8:45 AM

Team: Killer Gophers

"I am telling you, you are one hundred percent wrong you imbecile. Leeches are not disgusting creatures, they have many curative properties. How else do you think I am able to cure those who have ailments? My practices are grounded in history and are backed by facts!" Louise exclaimed, glaring at John who had an annoyed look on his face.

"All I am saying is mixing voodoo with medicine is a bad idea. Haven't you heard of those shamans in Haiti? Who end up creating zombies and reanimating corpses? Don't you think it's an aberration to use black magic to heal others?"

"Aberration? You call yourself a Thanatologist and claim that my practices are an aberration?" she snapped in anger. "How many people have you dug up? How many bodies have you defiled? I at least try to keep my patients alive and healthy, I don't even know if you've killed people for your sick studies!"

"Death is part of life, it is the natural biological end of all living things. My fascination with it has nothing to do with our current discussion. However, we can continue talking about your disgusting treatments!"

"So… how long before those two hook up?" Hermione asked, poking her carrots with a fork as she glanced at the other end of the table. "I give them three days."

"Two hours over here girl. I can tell those two gots chemistry!" Cleavance said happily.

"They would make a totally kawaii pairing, desu. Perhaps she can give him a taste of those plump lips. I'd like to see how she goes down on him, uwu~"

"Jesus Harold Christ, you need therapy… or psychological help." Ernest said, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Do not use the lord's name in vain friend, he will not grant you entry into the Kingdom of Heaven if you keep doing that. As a matter of fact, all of you should stop cursing as well. It is unbecoming of God's children,"

"Pfft… why the fuck would I do that homie? I grew up in Detroit, that's way down in the slums of Michigan. You ever been on 8 Mile Road? You ever seen what a fuckin shithole it is? Ain't no one gonna tell me I can't speak the way I speak. I grew up on the streets brosef, so don't tell me what I can and can't do!" the Xenomorph spat, throwing a glare at the Guru who just gave the man a smile, a very forced smile.


Supreme Confessional: Killer Gophers

"I am a very calm individual, I myself try to spread positivity and peace. I truly believe that my calling in life is to ensure God's children enjoy their lives. By doing that, all of us will be granted passage into Heaven. It's a joy to spread my doctrine across the world…"

The man's wings moved slightly, feathers ruffling as he sat up. "I do not, however, appreciate when someone reacts in that manner. Is it wrong of me to become angry at the man? I only wish to ensure his salvation. Speaking ill of the Lord, straying from his light, swearing, these things will lead people right into hell. That is the last thing I want for anyone of my new friends,"

"Have you ever wondered that maybe not everyone wants to be forced into a religion?" Hermione asked, causing the man to glance at the young woman. She was picking her nails, legs crossed on the floor out of the view of the camera. Lyonel cleared his throat, his eyes shifting back to the augmented camera. The two of them were of course in the handicapped stall in the bathroom, as it had been the biggest one of them all.

"Of course! I cannot force someone to believe in something they don't wish to believe in."

"Right, then why do you think it's right to force someone to change themselves when they are content with who they are?" she asked firmly. "It isn't right you know."

"I… only wish for their salvation,"

"I get that, but you have to put yourself in their shoes. If some random guy you've known for less then a week, started asking you to change who you are, all because of some invisible man in the sky, how would you feel?" the young woman asked.

"I… suppose I wouldn't feel well." the man said. "But I've made a promise to myself and to the Joyful Chorus. I have to preach my beliefs, only then will we be able to live in peace, harmony and of course, joy. Would you like a pamphlet? It explains everything you need to know about my doctrine." the man said, reaching into his suit.

"Nah, I'm all set. I don't believe in God… well I don't believe in your god. I believe in Zeus! King God of Olympus! He's capable of flinging lightning and shit. Not only that, he can turn into a giant mecha!"

"I'm… I'm sorry?"

"God, have you never played FGO? What have you been doing this entire time? Brainwashing people with some stupid pill with a false promise of happiness?" Hermione queried. Lyonel tugged on his tie, his face turning pale.

"Of course not! I have only been preaching the Lord's gospel."

"Right sure…" Hermione said, standing up from the floor. She reached for the button of her shorts, quickly undoing it, pulling her zipper down. "You gonna get off that shitter or am I gonna have to push you off? I gotta piss like a racehorse."

"How uncouth! Are all children in this generation like you?"

The camera feed ended a moment later, though the audio kept going, allowing everyone to hear a rather loud dribbling noise..


"I apologize, Cleavance, I don't mean to push my teachings on you." the angel said, bowing his head apologetically. The Xenomorph said nothing, as he continued eating his food.

"This is certainly an interesting turn of events," Zalicka said, finishing the last of her oatmeal. She reached for her purse, unzipping it loudly. From within, she pulled out a small sack which was wriggling around. "I wasn't expecting all of us to be cuffed together. I can tell this is going to be an interesting team building exercise."

"You seem unaffected by this," Ashe said, setting her empty glass on the table beside her tray. "Aren't you at all annoyed by the fact you'll have to share a room with another person? A man of all things?"

"Hmm… not really." the Snake charmer said. She clicked her tongue, extending her arm outward, allowing Veeza and Seath to slither down onto the table. She reached into the small sack, pulling out a small white mouse. It gave a little squeak as she held it out to Veeza. "You see, I am well protected. My darlings will kill anyone who even dares threaten me. Everyone in this school is but a mouse to my beautiful snakes,"

Veeza clamped her jaws on the mouse, pumping the small creature full of venom. It gave one final cry before slowly falling still. The snake wrapped its body around the creature, squeezing it slightly before it started ingesting it. She did the same with Seath, a smile on her face as her friends enjoyed their feast. "There you go, procuring these two was a bit of a challenge, so I hope they're delicious!"

"Yeah, that's not scary at all." Hermione said, shuddering a bit as she watched the two snakes consuming their meal.

"S-sugoi," Clara said softly, her eyes focused on the two snakes as they continued eating. "Zalicka-senpai is totally awesome desu. The way she handled her prey was cool… Clara-chan wishes she had that much control with something so dangerous,"

"Years of practice, and lots of trust. My darlings would never harm me, catching these two was a bit of a challenge, but thankfully I come prepared. Be that as it may, it doesn't change our current predicament, does it?"

"I thought we agreed on remaining passive," Lyonel said, causing everyone to look at him. "We shall sit back and observe the others. As much as I wish for peace, it isn't going to happen. We have been attached to people at random, but I can already tell our differences are starting to come out. Case in point," the man said, gesturing to Louise and John, who were still in the middle of an argument.

"Those two? They're just super into each other, nothing more nothing less!"

"Hermione, Louise is 15 years old, I doubt that's what's going on there." Ernest said, shaking his head. "What's going on between those two is a clash of ideals. They'll settle down soon enough,"

"For their sake and ours, I sure hope so. I fear things are going to get harder as we continue this game, and this is the first motive! Who knows what else the Mastermind has planned for us." Lyonel added, a frown on his face.

"Hey Ashe, have you heard anything from Kaguya? Do you know how she's doing?" Cleavance asked curiously. Ashe sighed, shaking her head.

"Fraid not. Kaguya left once all of the teams had left the cafeteria. She didn't address us, all she said was that she patiently awaited the results of this social experiment. It makes me wonder, if she was a part of this game like the other students, would she still have a passive role?"

"Who knows really? We're just gonna have to wait and see how things are going to go. Let's all just hangout today. We'll get to know each other, and hopefully work through our problems. It's the only good suggestion I have right now," the Supreme Environmentalist said, poking the last of her salad. "I'll teach you all about conserving the planet, I've got some really neat things that I won't be able to do with this game going on. It would cheer me up if I got to do my presentation."

"That sounds like a lovely idea, perhaps hearing about nature will help keep our minds off of this stupid game."

"Yo, Snake Girl is right. We gotta follow her suggestion and talk about the planet and shit, it's our home. We gotta take care of it, ya feel me? Maybe we can start by knocking down half of Detroit."

"Baby steps, Cleavance, baby steps." Hermione said, giving him a wink.

xxx

"And that is the story of Byakko." Yoshi said, earning a clap from Ninian. The young man couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. "I'm quite glad you enjoyed that, despite it being a Spark Notes version of the story."

"No no! I quite enjoyed it, Broother. It was very entertaining, my only gripe with it was me not having a handheld lamp." she said, a frown on her face. "Why is it that idols have those neat little lamps? Why can't all performances have lamps?"

"Lamps? Oh, you mean those neon wands?" he asked, earning a nod from the brunette. He scratched the back of his head, fixing his wig slightly. "Well, the reason Kabuki Performance don't have them is because they would be a distraction for the performers. Not only that, but those wands are used to hype up the idols, get them excited to sing their songs."

"Oh… I see." Ninian said, sighing. "Oh well… I can't really bring neon lamps with me if they would distract you. I wouldn't want to disturb your act."

"Well… if it was just one person, I wouldn't mind it. As long as you are having fun, that's all that matters to me," the man said, rubbing his wrist. The magnetic cuff was painfully tight, to the point where his wrist was beginning to chaffe. "Say, Ninian… back during that battle that Anton had… why were you so worried about him?"

"Why wouldn't I worry about Broother? He jumped the gun and fought that mean cybernetic Sister. He ended up getting hurt, and now the Eagles are at risk of potentially having a member die."

"Well… that is true…" Yoshi said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I can't exactly blame you for worrying, Anton was a fool to jump into the ring with that woman. What's done is done, there's no use in going back… I am curious though. Isn't the Sword of Selection only able to be lifted by those that are worthy?"

"Y-yes? That is what the legends say."

"Hmm… then how were you able to hold it?" the man asked. Ninian tilted his head, slightly confused.

"Me… hold the sword? You must be confused, I didn't hold the sword. I merely used my friends to lift it and ferry it to the Nurse's Office." she said. She snapped her fingers, holding her arms out. Thousands of moths flew around the young woman, pouring out of the ventilation shafts and other exposed openings. She giggled as some of the larger ones landed on her shoulders. "You see? I am not alone here, my Broothers and Sisters were able to lift it up with ease. Even if I am trapped here, my friends are capable of leaving… I am… grateful for that,"

"That's… really cool, Ninian. I didn't think you'd be able to control moths like that."

"Control? No… I merely ask. They are my friends… my broothers and sisters… I protect them, and they protect me. Alas, I cannot ask them to remain here. They are in danger, so for now I've asked them to take refuge in the Conservatory on the 4th Floor."

"I see… well, I guess that answers one question… I still have many more, though they revolve mostly around this institution. There's something fishy going on here… but I can't center in one what that may be."

"It's no use fretting on it… it is much better to enjoy the little things… I fear we won't be at peace for long. Something in my heart is telling me tragedy is around the corner. This motive is the start of it, I am not sure how much longer it'll be, before someone will die," Ninian said, wrapping her hand around her necklace. "I only wish he was ready to bear the burden of the world,"

"Bear the burden of the world… he?" the Kabuki actor asked, tilting his head. "Who are you talking about?"

Ninian shrugged her shoulders a bit, giving the man a smile. "Broother! We should go to my Dorm! I have so many lamps there, it's nice and warm. My friends back in Scotland gave me a lot of comics to read… come on! It'll be fun!" she cried, wrapping her hand around his wrist. He sighed, giving her a nod.

"Alright, lead the way then,"

Yoshi allowed himself to be tugged along. Though in the back of his mind, he kept asking himself questions. Who was this woman and why was she saying such cryptic things? And of course… was her premonition going to become a reality… or would it remain a premonition. He had little to do but wait… wait for an absolution, he knew wouldn't come.


xxx(End of Chapter 1 Act 3)xxx

Surviving Students: 29

Surviving Staff Members: 4


xxx(Omake)xxx

Supreme Confessional: Screeching Eagles

"So… I don't exactly know how am I going to survive these next three days," Aaron said softly, as he tried to remain quiet. "I will admit, I wasn't expecting to be cuffed to Miss King. After our first meeting, I decided it would be best not to bother her but… well here I am, in her bedroom."

"There's no use in being quiet you know, I can hear everything you are saying," the woman said firmly. Aaron stiffened a bit, as the camera moved over slightly, getting the two of them. The man turned around, a firm look on his face.

"Ezekiel! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to- WHY ARE YOU NAKED?"

The Supreme Mystery Novelist tilted her head, glancing at her body. She was stark naked, her entire body being visible to the young man and the camera. The only garment she seemed to be wearing was the mask on her face. Her face remained neutral, as she crossed her arms beneath her chest, giving them a slight bounce.

"I sleep in the nude at night, it helps me relax. Is this not to your liking? I assumed men enjoyed seeing naked girls." she said, making Aaron turn around.

"They do! But not in a setting like this! Ezekiel please, put something on!"

"Hmm… I don't think I will, this is how I have slept since I was cre… younger," the woman said, hastily fixing her mistake. She climbed on top of the bed, ignoring the fact her entire backside was exposed to the camera, giving everyone a good view of her private parts. "You are welcome to share the bed with me, Aaron."

"NO! I'll sleep on the floor! Goodnight Ezekiel!" he cried, shutting the lamp off. He grabbed a hold of the blanket she had set down on the corner of the bed and threw himself to the floor, covering himself entirely by it. Ezekiel frowned, holding back the urge to yawn. She stretched her arms above her head, sighing contently.

"Here I thought boys of his age group wouldn't waste a second to ravish a well rounded woman. Perhaps this is also a misconception…"


"Fucking end me," Peter said, rubbing his temples as he looked at the camera lens.

"My Little Pony!

I wonder what Friendship could be!

My Little Pony~"

"I thought I would get away from this show when Veronica turned fourteen, but it seems to haunt me. Heather has been watching this all day… we haven't even made it to season 4 yet… she told me there are 9 seasons of this… 9… I don't think I'll survive the next three days,"

"Oh, don't be such a baby, Peter! You were watching it intently when I started episode 1."

"Because I loved the first two episodes, but I've outgrown this show! Heather can we please watch something else? I'm two seconds from shoving this carving chisel into my eye socket."

The young woman sighed, pausing the show. She set down the Playstation controller, grabbing a hold of her backpack. "I did bring a selection of movies from my house before I came here, so I've got some things to watch. What are you into?"

"Anything but My Little Pony."

"That rules Equestria Girls out… you know what, I'll just list them. Thank Celestia Bluray movies are a lot thinner than DVDs… Okay here we go, we got Misery, Titanic, Pokemon the Power of Us, Project X, RWBY Volumes 1-7, Backdoor Sluts 9, I also have the Peanuts movie-"

"Wait… what was that last one?"

"The Peanuts movie?" the girl asked.

"No, the one before that one."

"Oh, Backdoor Sluts 9."

"Why the hell do you have that?" he cried, eyes widening in surprise. The young woman pulled it out, looking at the case closely.

"Iunno… looked interesting to me. I was told Backdoor Sluts 9 makes Crotch Capers 3 look like Naughty Nurses 2. So why not?" she asked with a shrug. "I may be a Pega-Sister, but even Pega-Sisters need some stress relief."

"I cannot believe this shit… we are not watching that, understood!"

"Prude." she said, tossing the case aside. "We're watching Pokemon then, now hurry up and change out of your clothes! We can snuggle beneath the sheets!"

"No, Heather. We went over this… we are not snuggling."

"But we're friends! Why can't we be like Twilight and her friends? They snuggle when they have sleepovers!"

"WE AREN'T PONIES!" he shouted, causing her to cringe from the loudness of his voice. He sighed, shaking his head. "I'm sorry Heather, I've got boundaries that I don't want to cross. There was only one girl I could have done that with in the past, and she's gone… I'd rather not do such things… okay?"

"I suppose… sorry for being difficult… I'll just put the disc in." she said, shuffling off the bed. Peter stood up as well, getting closer to the dresser as she fiddled with the console. Peter sighed, closing his eyes.

"What a mess…"

"Hmm?"

"This whole killing game… I'm so done with it. I used to think my life was a tragedy, but the more I think about it. The more I realize, it's a comedy,"

"What do you mean? Why would your life be a comedy?" Heather asked, clearly confused.

"My life is shit. I spent my entire life training for a future that fizzled out of existence. My parents are dead, my circus is gone! Every school I went to so that I could get a title rejected me. My friends? They were shoved in a killing game. My first love, Miyaki… she was killed in a space station! And just as I was starting to move on from her, I met Maribelle, but she was in love with someone else! She got killed too… burned alive… and now, after all of this suffering, I finally get the chance I've yearned for just to have it ripped away from me as well. I… just want this all to end."

"You… shouldn't say that." the woman said, becoming rather serious. She took a deep breath, turning to face the man. "I've been through some things myself… all of it is horrible. I was a naive person, when I became an Ultimate."

"Huh? You're an Ultimate?" Peter asked curiously.

"A story for another day… I used to be just like you. And just like you, I lost people dear to me, and my friends are gone. But I have hope… because I know some of them survived the last game we were in. I came here because I'm searching for them. I'm not giving up, and neither should you. Princess Twilight never gave up, when Tirek was released from Tartarus, and he was stealing everypony's magic, she fought back and imprisoned him. She didn't give up in freeing everyone from Starlight Glimmer. And most importantly, she never gave up on the magic of Friendship. So keep your chin up, Peter. Things will get better… now, let's watch this movie okay?"

"I… alright I guess." the man said, glancing over his shoulder. His eyes widened a bit in surprise. "Oh shit, this thing is still on!"

The feed ended moments later...


AN: Hey guys! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! It was really fun to write. Things have been a bit hectic but nevertheless, I was able to bring you all this update. I am going to be taking a bit of a break while I plan the next few chapters. I got a surge of motivation, so I'm going to use it to further this project a bit. With things the way they are, I've got to do something to keep my sanity.

So now that the first motive has been issued, things are going to start getting interesting. Our students have been paired up with people who they'll befriend, find annoying or outright loathe. Let's see how this turns out, shall we?

If you didn't see it last chapter, I would like to thank SqualinaTralala for the awesome art of Peter, which is the new cover for this story. Her art is awesome! Not only that, she's the mastermind behind Freyja! I've had lots of fun writing her, but I must develop everyone else to. Don't wanna focus on a set of characters because that would be a bad thing. Regardless, things are popping and I can't wait for you all to see what's next! See ya next time!