Makoto Naegi was just another normal person, who lived a fairly mundane life, but that all changed when, by a stroke of extreme luck, a distant relative he had never met, had died. They had no close family of their own, so all of their inheritance went to Makoto, including a magnificent house. Life was breathed into fantasy, as the house built without hands, was like no other. Although Makoto's mundane life was turned into a whimsical story, he began to have strange dreams. Dreams that would keep him up, preventing him from having a night of rest. He figured he was homesick and invited all his old friends for a party to break in his new home.
"To my friends,
I have acquired a beautiful estate, from the death of a distant relative who I have never met. I thought it would be fitting to invite you to a dinner party on its grounds. It will certainly be a night to remember! However, the estate is quite peculiar and only exists within the year 1920. To enter its grounds you must be dressed entirely in the clothing of that era. If you are carrying anything with you from the modern world, the house will simply never appear for you. My driver will pick you up and take you on a road that can only be driven by her mysterious time-travelling auto-mobile, then, almost like magic, the place will appear
Sincerely,
Makoto Naegi
The Savant"
The limousine drove in and out of the house gates, dropping off the guests one by one;
Sayaka Maizono, The Idol
Mukuro Ikusaba, The Solider
Leon Kuwata, The Baseball Star
Chihiro Fujisaki, The Programmer
Mondo Owada, The Biker
Kiyotaka Ishimaru, The Moral Compass
Hifumi Yamada, The Fanfic Writer
Celestia Ludenburg, The Gambler
Sakura Ogami, The Martial Artist
Aoi Asahina, The Swimmer
Byakuya Togami, The Heir
Kyoko Kirigiri, The Detective
Toko Fukawa, The Author
Yasuhiro Hagakure, The Clairvoyent
They all gathered in the foyer as they arrived, discussing amongst themselves about the gorgeous house and its peculiar state in being in the 1920s, having to time travel to get there.
Makoto descended down the staircase, making his appearance and greeting his friends. "Hello everyone! Welcome, to my new home! Thank you all for coming! You all look amazing in your 1920s attire." Makoto smiled as his guests greeted him and clapped, making comments on how nice his home or outfit was. "I would like to introduce you all to my amazing staff that came with the house." He continued.
Two people stood just behind Makoto, one to his right and the other to his left. He motioned to the man on his left. He was tall and pale, with white hair, yet looked very youthful. He wore a black suit, and a black eyepatch over his left eye, with a red symbol on it. "This is the head of staff, Monokuma!" He wore a large toothy grin on his face as he bowed. "Welcome, everyone!" His voice was cheerful and almost childlike, but with a strange rasp, it was a rather odd voice that stood out.
"And this is Junko, the maid." He motioned to the woman on his right. She wore a traditional maid outfit, a red brooch that was in the same shape as the symbol on Monokuma's eyepatch. She wore her hair in a ponytail to keep it out of her face. "It's a pleasure to meet you all." She curtsied, her voice was much more soothing and polite compared to the quirky voice of Monokuma.
"Dinner is almost ready, but until then, let's just sit back, talk, get to know each other some more, and drink!" Makoto smiled and clapped his hands together. The group gathered in the lounge and did just that.
"Yeah, no technology works here, which is crazy," Makoto said to Sayaka and Chihiro, taking a sip from his drink.
"Honestly, it's rather refreshing. It's nice to get away from the stress social media can bring you, it's relaxing, it's like a vacation." Sayaka remarked. As an idol, social media was a big part of her career and the most stressful one at that. Dealing with haters and intense fans can take quite a toll, so to her, it was nice to get away from it all.
"It would be rather annoying to reach a friend though if you can't just text them. How would they even reach you here, considering it's in another time. I'm curious on how that time travelling automobile works…" Chihiro questioned.
"Honestly, I'm not quite sure either, but I agree with Sayaka, it is quite peaceful here, it's nice." Makoto said.
"You plan on living here your whole life?" Aoi had approached and joined in on the conversation.
"Why not?" Makoto asked.
"Well, wouldn't it be kinda lonely living here all alone?"
"I guess, that just means I need to find someone to live here with me!" Makoto concluded.
"I would love to live somewhere as beautiful as this!" Aoi said. "Wait. Do they have donuts in the 1920s? Cause I don't think I could live without donuts."
The group laughed at Aoi's comment.
Makoto broke off from the group to go chat with others. He approached Mondo and Kiyotaka, who were bickering over a game of darts. "You must throw from behind the line!" Taka sternly told him, pointing to the floor, which they marked by laying a napkin down.
"I did, you fucking bastard! Are you accusing me of cheatin'?!" Mondo snapped back.
"Yes! Because you did! Your foot stepped approximately half an inch over the line!" Taka stated loudly, still aggressively pointing.
Mondo grabbed Taka's collar and raised his fist. "I'll dislocate your jaw approximately half an inch!
"Woah, Woah, Woah!" Makoto stepped in, pushing the two apart. "What are you two fighting about?"
"He cheated!" The two yelled simultaneously.
"Ok, how about you two go play something else, preferable something without sharp objects." Makoto took the darts from Mondo and Taka's hands, and the two grumbled as they went over to the table to play cards with Celeste and Hifumi. Makoto was sure this would just end in more bickering, but he figured Celeste would be able to shut it down pretty quickly.
Makoto sighed. He looked around and saw Mukuro sitting in a corner by herself, sipping a drink as she observed the others. Makoto walked up to her and held up the darts. "Up for a game?" He smiled at her. He didn't want her to be left out.
Mukuro's stern and cold expression as she watched the others faded away and she smiled back at Makoto. "Why not?" She got up off her chair and followed him to the dartboard as the two went back and forth throwing them. Mukuro hit a bullseye practically every time, being far in the lead.
"Wow, you're good at this. I guess I'll never beat you." Makoto laughed, losing the third game in a row.
"Haha." Mukuro chuckled in response. "I guess that's what training does for you. We all have our strengths." She picked up her glass and took a sip. "This is a nice house, can I look around?"
"Oh, dinner's almost ready, so, I think it would probably be best to stay down here for now," Makoto said.
"I see. Well, thank you for inviting me." Mukuro smiled one last time at Makoto before walking off to another corner alone. Makoto smiled as he watched her leave.
Makoto went right outside the lounge back into the foyer and walked up a couple of steps before ringing a bell. "Dinner is ready!" He called out and went to the other side of the foyer where the entrance to the dining room was. The group started shuffling out of the lounge and across the foyer into the dining room, taking their seats.
Mukuro watched as they changed rooms, trailing behind the group, but began going up the stairs instead of into the dining room like the rest. Sayaka turned back and saw her. "Mukuro? Dinner's ready, what are you doing?" She asked.
"Ah." Mukuro turned, realizing she was caught. "I'm just looking for the bathroom." She lied. "I'll only be a second."
"Well, I'll come with you!" Sayaka smiled and followed her up the stairs. Mukuro had no choice but to let her, if she turned her down she might get suspicious. She just wanted to take a look anyways…
"This staircase is kind of creepy," Sayaka said as they made their way up it.
"I guess," Mukuro replied. As they reached the landing at the top of the stairs they saw a pair of legs from around the corner, and Monokuma dragging them away, as he came around, a streak of red on his pale cheek. "Ah, I believe dinner is ready down there." He said, motioning down the stairs, in his typical cheery voice and toothy grin, but it was rather unsettling considering the sight the two had just seen.
"Uh, we were just, um, looking for the bathroom…" Sayaka said.
"Let's go, you first." Mukuro motioned back down the stairs as Sayaka began going back down them, clearly apprehensive from what she just witnessed.
Before following her, Mukuro quickly leaned into Monokuma's ear and whispered. "I know what you are. I know what you're doing. Tell my sister her plan won't succeed. I will stop you." She then pulled away and quickly followed Sayaka down the stairs.
Downstairs, the rest of the group had seated themselves around the table.
"So, you own this house, huh? It's pretty big, I'd love to have a house like this." Leon said, putting his feet on the table.
"Were you raised in a barn?" Taka lectured him, swatting his legs off. Leon rolled his eyes and put his feet on the floor.
"Well, I don't actually have the deed yet," Makoto said.
"Oh, so you aren't rich?" Leon said, disappointed.
"Well, I never got any money. But, I am supposed to get the deed tonight." Makoto explained.
"Put it on the market, make bank off some snobby rich folk," Mondo suggested.
"No, I like this house," Makoto said.
"That Monokuma guy is kind of scary though," Aoi said.
"Yeah, he is, isn't he?" Makoto said as though he just realized it.
"It seems we are missing two guests" Celeste stated, pointing out the two empty seats at the table.
"Yeah, where is Mukuro and Sayaka?" Aoi asked.
"Tardy to a dinner? At someone else's home no less. How disrespectful! To keep everyone waiting like that" Taka stated, preparing to lecture the two once they finally arrived.
"Ah, I'm sure they're just in the bathroom or something, it's not a big deal, they probably won't be too long," Makoto said, not getting angry at his friends, despite Mukuro directly disobeying his wishes from earlier.
"So, Byakuya, how do you like the house. You know about fancy expensive homes, right? Is it impressive?" Makoto asked.
Byakuya scoffed. "Impressive? It is...small. It seems to be trying to be vintage, but instead, it feels dusty and out of date. It would work better as a cheap haunted house in a carnival" He said.
"I would hardly call this place small," Sakura stated in response. "I find your place lovely, Makoto, thank you for hosting such a nice diner here."
"Ah, you're welcome Sakura!"
Mukuro and Sayaka finally returned and the group looked up at them.
"There you guys are! I was getting worried! I'm starving, let's eat!" Aoi said impatiently.
"Where were you guys?" Chihiro asked.
"Oh, uh, just in the bathroom!" Sayaka said. She didn't want to panic the group and didn't want to set off Monokuma, so she figured it would be best to keep what she saw to herself for now.
"This food looks quite delicious," Mukuro said, avoiding the question.
"Hm." Kyoko didn't believe them but didn't question it, she would ask them privately later, it would be best not to cause a scene in front of everyone.
"Well, since everyone's here, let's eat, shall we?" Makoto said.
Monokuma entered the room and handed a telegram to Mukuro.
"Ooooo. What does it say?" Aoi asked eagerly. "You gotta read it out to us!"
Mukuro smiled fakely and opened the note and read it, but didn't say anything.
"C'mon!" Aoi insisted, as Junko came in with a tray in hand, a silver dish in hand with a dome top concealing what was on it.
All of a sudden, Mukuro began coughing up blood.
Most guests screamed and pulled back in horror.
Toko covered her eyes. "I-if I see b-blood I'll f-faint!" She said looking away.
Sakura guided Mukuro to the corner of the room and laid her down, giving her a napkin.
"I was poisoned…" Mukuro weakly mustered out.
"She said she was poisoned!" Sakura announced to the group. "Who would do such a thing.." She clenched her fist.
Kyoko was reading the telegram on the table that was handed to Mukuro.
"What does it say?" Chihiro asked.
"That she was poisoned." Kyoko reiterated what Mukuro said.
"She knew?!" Chihiro said in shock.
Kyoko read the letter in full out loud to the group.
"In 15 minutes you'll be dead, your lungs filled with blood, however, you know I love games, there is an antidote hidden on the first floor of the house.
If you and your friends are wise enough, they'll be able to solve the clues and save you.
The symbol of your cult marks the clues leading to the antidote. It all begins with your last dish of the night.
May you die in horrible pain, my cursed enemy."
"W-what does she have?" Toko asked nervously, pointing to Junko holding the tray.
"It's the last dish!" Chihiro said, putting the clues together.
Junko set the tray on the table for the group, not saying a word.
Makoto nervously approached the tray and lifted the dome off of it, revealing a severed head underneath.
Once again, a majority of the group began screaming.
"AH!" Toko's eyes rolled back as she fainted, falling backwards in her chair, landing on the floor with a loud "THUD!"
"Hmph." Byakuya approached the head, keeping calm and collected. "There's something in his mouth." He said and removed a piece of paper from it.
"Ew, that's so gross." Aoi gagged.
"Sh," Byakuya silenced her and unrolled the note.
"Something is not ok in this room. I like it in perfect order, but certain things have wandered around the table instead of finding their perfect fit. Can you figure it out?"
"What?" Aoi stated more than asked, confused.
"This symbol." Kyoko showed the group the symbol on the telegram she had. "We need to look for this symbol."
The group began looking around the dining room, underthings, flipping over plates and more.
Hifumi found a coaster for three glasses, with one glass sitting on it. He took the glass off and saw the symbol on it. "Aha! I, the Alpha and the Omega have found it!" He boasted.
"It seems it holds glasses," Celeste observed. "Perhaps that is the "perfect fit" we need to find."
The group began grabbing glasses off the table and putting them on the coaster, but not all of them fit within the circles. Eventually, they found all three that fit.
A chest behind Yasuhiro opened up suddenly as they placed the last glass. He jumped up and screamed as it made a loud noise flying open. "AHH! NO! NOT TODAY SATAN!" He backed up and pointed at the chest like he saw a ghost.
"Woah, what?!" Aoi asked, approaching the box.
"I dunno it opened up all by itself!" Yasuhiro exclaimed.
Kyoko looked in the newly opened chest. Within it was 4 parts of the antidote, however, each was sealed off by an iron grate and lock. She read the note attached to the inside of the lid of the chest.
"There are four keys to unlock life. In the first floor study, one key is as high as a mountain top. In the library is the second key, which lies hidden beneath the nine circles of Hell, described by letters and words. In the foyer lies the third key to life, which can be found easily, but no one person can retrieve it without a helping hand of a friend. The fourth key is within the lounge, which is clear to see, but just out of reach."
The guests broke off randomly into groups, except Mukuro who was laying on the floor, still coughing up blood, being monitored by Monokuma, keeping track of how much time they had left with his pocket watch, and Toko, who was still on the ground from fainting earlier.
Group one was Celeste, Hifumi, Sakura and Aoi, who were responsible for finding the first key in the study.
"Hm, high as a mountain top...what could that mean?" Aoi pondered. "There are no mountains! Just a bunch of paintings!"
"Considering all the other clues we received were riddles, it most likely isn't a literal mountain." Sakura pointed out.
"Well, there is this painting of a mountain." Hifumi pointed out.
"Aha! That's gotta mean something!" Aoi proclaimed. "Way to go Hifumi! You're on fire with finding stuff!" She encouraged him.
Hifumi pushed up his glasses as they flashed anime style and he smirked. "It is because I am the Ultimate Clue Finder, The Alpha and The Omega!" He declared.
"Don't push it," Aoi stated, looking displeased by the nickname.
"We still have to decipher how it relates to the clue," Celeste said.
"Agreed. Let's not get ahead of ourselves and think." Sakura concurred with Celeste.
"Hm." Aoi looked closer at the painting. "Well, there's a little man on top of the painting." Aoi pointed out. "He has a telescope. He's looking up at the sky."
Celeste took a look at what Aoi was talking about. "Look at where the telescope is pointing. If we follow it…" Celeste hovered her finger over the telescope and moved it in the direction it was pointing to the bottom corner of the painting next to it. "Ah, what's this?" There was a small string poking out of the corner of the painting, the same colour as the background, it would be hard to notice without guidance. Celeste tugged at the string.
"Don't wreck Makoto's nice paintings," Sakura warned.
A small hole in the corner of the painting formed as Celeste tugged the string out, on the other end dangled a key.
"Good job Celeste! You got the first key!" Aoi congratulated.
"Ah, well you were the one that pointed out the telescope that lead me there," Celeste stated.
"Well, I wouldn't have noticed it if Hifumi didn't point out the painting in the first place!"
"You all worked together as a team to solve it, no one person can take entire credit. Now, let's go assist Mukuro." Sakura said.
"Right." Aoi pumped her fist with determination and made her way back to the Dining Room. "We got the first key!" She announced to the rest of the group. She unlocked the first vial and gave it to Mukuro who drank it.
"We will need all the vials if we hope to save her!" Junko announced to the group, encouraging their urgency.
"10 minutes remain!" Monokuma announced.
Kyoko, Yasuhiro and Byakuya were responsible for finding the key in the lounge.
"Now, where could this key be? Hang on you guys, I got this," Yasuhiro closed his eyes and held his fingers to his temples, trying to use his clairvoyance to see where the key was.
"Right there." Kyoko pointed to a contraption of clear pipes on the wall going down, a key sitting at the bottom.
"Oh, yeah. That was easy, guess looking with your actual eyes rather than your third eye is better." Yasuhiro said.
Kyoko went over to the wall and inspected it, turning some of the pipe pieces.
"We will have to connect all the pipe pieces," Byakuya surmised.
"Then we will need a magnet or something similar to fish the key out," Kyoko concluded.
"Right then. Let's split up. You work on connecting the pipes, I will search for anything else that can help us." Byakuya ordered.
"What?! Splitting up is never a good idea! Haven't you seen horror movies, it always ends badly…" Yasuhiro worried.
"Splitting up tasks, idiot. We'll still be in the same room, unfortunately." Byakuya insulted Hiro.
"Oh, well that isn't that bad!" Yasuhiro perked up and began searching one end of the room while Byakuya searched the other.
"I found the magnet." Byakuya declared, holding it up as he walked back over to Kyoko.
"Perfect, because I just finished putting together the pipes." She said as she rotated the last pipe near the bottom into place, kneeling. She stood up and dusted herself off. "Have you found anything Yasuhiro?"
"Well, I found this really long rope." He held it up. "But I don't know what that's gotta do with anything."
"No, that's perfect. Tie the magnet to the end of it." Kyoko said. Byakuya handed the magnet to Yasuhiro and he tied it to the end tightly, before handing it back over to Byakuya, who dropped it down the pipe, shaking it past the slight twists and turns, before it landed at the bottom, attracting the key to it, before pulling it out.
"Awesome! Good work you guys!" Yasuhiro gave them a thumbs up.
"You hardly did any work, you tied a knot." Byakuya scoffed.
Kyoko sighed. "We all helped. Now let's go unlock the next part of the antidote."
Makoto, Sayaka and Leon's group were tasked with looking for the key in the library. "Described by letters and words...well that doesn't help us, there's a shit ton of books here." Leon sighed. "We don't have time to look through all of them." The group looked through the bookshelves of the library.
"Um, guys?" Makoto called out. "Do you think it's this?" He pointed to a book with a chain and lock on it displayed on the mantle.
"I can't believe we missed that, what does it say?" Sayaka asked as Makoto sat the book down on the table and their group gathered around it. The back of the book read a long riddle, where the guests had to decipher it to calculate the ages of the corrupted souls spoken about in the book.
"Aw shit, I suck at math. I can't do this." Leon swore, frustrated at the convoluted riddle.
Naegi read the riddle over and over, trying to figure it out, but you could tell by his expression he was very confused and had no idea what he was doing.
Sayaka sighed as she looked at her two group members, realizing that they would be no help and that she would have to do this herself. She began concentrating as she read over the riddle to pick out the math and do it in her head.
"7 Minutes remain!" Monokuma shouted out.
"Aw shit, we'll never do this is time," Leon said.
The final group, Mondo, Kiyotaka and Chihiro were in the foyer. In the middle of it, there was now a large box, inside was a 3D maze.
Mondo stuck his hand in the box from a hole in the side. "There's a box in here." He stated.
"Ah, we're going to have to figure out where to push it to get it out at this hole….." Chihiro looked around and found a different shaped hole, different from the armholes, at the end of the box. "Here." He stated.
The three stuck their arms into the box and began pushing it around. "Push it left, you idiot!" Mondo yelled.
"There is no left to push it too! It has to go right!" Kiyotaka retorted.
"Then it just goes back in a circle, are you even paying attention?!" The two bickered with each other.
Chihiro sighed. "Can you two stop fighting and focus, we have to hurry up and help Mukuro!" He said, trying to keep the two on task. It would work for a moment, only for them to quickly start bickering again at each turn within the maze.
"Push it left!" Kiyotaka yelled.
"That's the way we came, you idiot!" Mondo yelled back
"Yes, it's a dead-end we have to go back!"
"No, if you would just listen and push it ri-"
The two's bickering was interrupted by Monokuma's voice. "Time is up!" He yelled. "Mukuro Ikusaba...is dead." His cheerful voice now had a sinister undertone as he stated those words.
Makoto and his group looked up from the riddle they were reading. "I was so close to figuring it out…." Sayaka muttered sadly in defeat. She failed and now Mukuro was dead. It was all her fault. Makoto's eyes widened. He couldn't believe what he heard. One of his friends...was dead. He was just playing darts with her a few minutes ago and now she was on the ground lifeless.
The group congregated back in the dining room, mourning the loss of their friend.
Toko sat up and groaned, rubbing the back of her head. "What...happened?" She looked around seeing the others, Mukuro on the floor, and the house she was in.
"A-AAAHH!" She screamed and bolted up. "So it wasn't j-just a bad d-dream? This is r-real?!" She panicked, backing into the wall.
"Yes. Unfortunately, this isn't a dream. It is very real." Sakura said. Tears began to fall in Aoi's eyes as she looked at Mukuro, the others looked solemnly down at their feet, except for Byakuya who had something to say. "Well then, the question is, which one of us killed her?"
"What?!" The group exclaimed together in shock at the statement, that one of them, someone in their group of friends, was responsible for Mukuro's death. "I mean it has to be someone here, who else could it be?" Byakuya stated. "Sayaka was the last one with her."
"Y-yeah!" Toko agreed, pointing at the Idol. "You t-two were alone d-doing something s-suspicious! That's w-when you poisoned h-her!"
"W-what?! Me?! I didn't do it!" Sayaka protested. "I would never!"
"D-don't act all innocent. I k-know you idols are all s-secretly devious."
Makoto spoke up. "Now's not the time to point fingers! I refuse to believe any of my friends did this!"
"Perhaps it was Makoto," Celeste stated, twirling her hair in between her fingers. "It is his house after all, correct? He's the one who invited us all here."
"W-what?!" Makoto was shocked at the accusation turning to him. The group began to argue over who the killer was.
While the group bickered, Kyoko kneeled and inspected Mukuro's body. She removed her leather jacket, revealing a tattoo on her shoulder of the cult symbol that was on her telegram. She found a note within an inner pocket in her jacket. She stood up and cleared her throat. "Listen up, everybody." She stated and the group's bickering quieted down as their attention turned to Kyoko. "I found this." She began reading the note.
"If you are reading this, I have failed in my mission. My killer is not who you might think it is, it is the house itself, which is possessed of an ancient evil that has locked it in time. I came here tonight intending to destroy it. I am a member of a secret organization known as the Society Against Evil. We've been battling this wicked force for centuries. There are 5 artifacts, which the evil has hidden behind a series of puzzles and clues, each guarded by a former owner of the house. If they can be gathered, and a Binding Ritual performed, the evil will be locked away. However, to complete the final task to retrieve each artifact, the group must vote on two people who must undertake a dark challenge. Tragically, one of them will die. But to help you along the way, the Society Against Evil has marked the clues with their symbol. You have until sunrise to recover the artifacts before you are trapped here forever. What lies ahead will not be easy, but I'm afraid you have no other choice if you want to escape the night."
"Nuh-uh, no way. There's some evil ghost thing running around here, I'm not dealing with that!" Yasuhiro said.
"We have to vote each other to die?!" Aoi covered her mouth, her tears evolving to full crying.
"No! I'm not gonna let it happen!" Makoto said. "I think we should leave, I have a car that can take us out of here. Let's go."
Makoto and Kyoko lead the group outside as they stepped down the stairs and approached the car. "I have a bad feeling about this…" Yasuhiro said, in the back of the group.
"Wait," Kyoko said, putting a hand out in front of Makoto, stopping him and the rest of the group.
"What?" Makoto asked, looking at her.
"Duck." She said.
"Huh?"
BOOM
The car exploded.