The last thing I remembered doing last night was going to bed.

However, I find myself waking up from a desk in a strange classroom with blue walls.

My body feels sluggish and heavy so I can probably assume this is another one of my weird dreams.

As I took a glance to my side I spotted a piece of paper with shoddy writing that said "Hey there new kid! The next semester is about to start. Starting today, this will be your entire world."

Okay… That's an interesting way of looking at what I presume to be a boarding school.

When I tried to look out the window all I found were metal plates with comically sized steel nuts and bolts.

Curious of how sturdy they were I gave the thick slab a knock.

*Clunk…*

Seems to be pretty sturdy, looks like taking in the scenery will have to wait.

When I left the room and entered the hall I decided to get a better feel for the place.

The hall had monochrome checkered tiles, dark purple lighting, and pillars. Throughout it permeated a sense of isolation and almost otherworldly bewilderment.

While I was walking around I spotted an open door that seemed to contain a strong yet nonviolent aura that drew me in.

As I entered, I could feel the confusion coming from the occupants but before anything could be said I heard an announcement.

"Ahem! Ahem! Testing, testing! Mike check, one two! This is a test of the school broadcast system! Am I on? Can anyone hear me? Okay, well then…! Ahh, to all incoming students! I would like to begin the entrance ceremony at… right now! Please make your way to the gymnasium at your earliest convenience… That's all. I'll be waiting."

After the unnervingly whimsical voice stopped speaking I made my way towards what I assumed to be the gymnasium.

Beyond the first set of double doors lied trophies and what appeared to be a golden sheathed katana.

Beyond the second set lay what appeared to be an ordinary gymnasium decorated with red chairs and banners with the school's logo.

As I sat down to wait for the announcement I could hear a young man's voice behind me.

"Oh. It really does look like an entrance ceremony…"

"See? Told ya! It's totally normal entrance ceremony stuff."

Before I could hear the conversation continue a familiar voice from before interrupted it.

"Hey there, howdy, hello! Is everyone here? Good! Then let's get things rolling!"

Suddenly a monochrome teddy bear with an outie and a nefarious red eye popped up from the podium waving its arms.

"Huh? A… teddy bear?" a childlike voice said from behind me.

"I'm not a teddy bear! I...am...Monokuma! And I am this school's headmaster!"

I've had a lot of weird dreams before but this one takes the cake.

"Nice to meet you all!"

"Wh-? Waaaaaah! That teddy bear can talk!" a voice shrieked from behind me.

"Calm down! I'm sure there's just a speaker inside it."

"I told you already, I'm not a teddy bear… I'm Monokuma! And I'm your headmaster!"

"Waaaaaah! It moved!"

"Seriously man, calm down! It's prolly just a remote controlled toy or somethin'."

"How dare you compare me to a child's plaything! You've cut me deep. Deeper than the Mariana Trench… My remote system is so complex, even the folks at NASA can't recreate it or even comprehend it!"

So it is a robot. Good to know.

"Ah but don't make me say stuff that might destroy NASA dreams I just couldn't BEAR that!"

Seriously…

"'Bear' that? Really? You are…unfortunate."

I don't think that even begins to describe it.

"Now then, moving on! We really must hurry and get started…"

"Giving up already? No other stupid bear puns?"

Don't encourage him.

"Quiet down now, quiet down. Ah, okay, so…!"

"He has abandoned the gag…"

"Everyone, stand at attention and bow! And…good morning!"

"Good morning!"

"Y-You don't have to s-say it back…"

"Now then, let us commence with a most noteworthy and memorable entrance ceremony! First, let's talk a bit about what your school life here will be like. No, ah, make no mistake-you few students, so full of potential, represent the hope of the world. And to protect such splendid hope… you will all live a communal life together solely with the confine of this school. Everyone will live in harmony together, and adhere to the rules and regulations of the school."

Sounds like the premise of a weird dating sim.

"Ah, now them…regarding the end date for this communal life… There isn't one! In other words, you'll all be here until the day you die! Such is the school life you've been assigned."

"Wh-What did he just say? Until the day we d-die…?"

"Oh, but fear not! We have quite an abundant budget, so you won't lack for all the common conveniences."

At least I don't have to worry about starving to death.

"That's the least of our worries right now!"

"Yeah, what the hell? You saying I have to live here forever? You're screwing with us, right?"

"I am not screwing with you! I am no liar, of that you can be 100% sure."

You expect them to believe that when they're locked in here against their will?

"Ah, and just for your information…you're completely cut off from the outside world. So you don't have to worry about that dirty dirty land beyond these walls ever again!"

"Cut off? So all those metal plates all over the school… They're there to keep us trapped in here?"

"That's exactly what they're there for. No matter how much you may yell and scream for help…help will not come. So with all that in mind, feel free to live out your life here with reckless abandon!"

How contradictory.

"Come on, what the hell is this? I don't care if the school or whatever is behind it all, this is just a really bad joke."

"Yeah! Cut this shit out! It isn't funny anymore!"

"You keep saying this is a lie, or a joke. A bunch of skeptics, all of you."

You're a talking teddy bear. Excuse us for not taking you seriously.

"But I guess you can't help it, huh? You all grew up in an age where you're taught to doubt your neighbor…Well, you'll have plenty of time to find out whether or not what I say is true. And when that time comes, you'll see with your own eyeballs that I speak the undeniable truth."

"Having to live here forever would be…quite the problem."

"Come, now. What's the matter with all of you? You decided of your own free will to attend Hope's Peak Academy, didn't you? And now, before the entrance ceremony is even finished, you've already decided you want to leave? Oh, but you know… I guess I did forget to mention one thing. There *is* one way for you to leave the school."

I have a bad feeling about this.

"Really?"

"I've prepared a special clause for those of you who would like to leave. I call it…the Graduation Clause! Now, let me tell you about this fun little rule. As I mentioned, in order to maintain an environment of harmony here, we rely on a communal lifestyle. And if someone were to disrupt that harmony, they and they alone would be allowed to leave the school. That, my students, is the Graduation Clause!"

"What do you mean by 'disrupt the harmony'?"

"Puhuhu… Well, you know… If one person were to murder another."

"M-Murder!"

"Stabbing, strangling,bludgeoning, crushing, hacking, drowning, igniting, how you do it doesn't matter. You must kill someone if you want to leave. It's as simple as that. The rest is up to you. Give it your all to achieve the best outcome in the worst way possible."

He seems to have far too much enthusiasm for extinguishing life. From the way he describes it, he sounds like he's instructing an art class.

"Upupupu. I bet *that* got your brain juices flowing! Beats the heck out of a human catching a salmon, huh? Like I said before, you guys are the hope of the world. But you know… Taking that hope and seeing it get murdered creates a darkened shadow of despair. And I just find that so…darn…exciting!"

Is he seriously forcing a bunch of high-schoolers to kill each other for his fetish?

"What the hell are you talking about!? To kill each other is… It's…!"

"To kill each other is to kill each other. I'm sure there's a dictionary here somewhere if you need it."

"We know what it means, that's not the problem! Why do we have to kill each other!?"

"Yeah! Stop blabbering on with all this nonsense! Just let us go home already!"

"...Blabbering. Blabbering, blabbering, what do you mean by blabbering!? Stop blabbering on about blabbering on! You guys just don't get it, do you? 'Let us go, let us go!' You keep on saying the same thing over and over and over…! Listen from this moment on, this school is your home, your life, your world. Got it? And you can kill as much as you wanna kill! So go ahead, go on a kill-kill-killing spree!"

You do realize how crazy you sound right?

"Alright, come on… How long you gonna keep this up?"

I get the obvious feeling that he's serious.

"You got us, okay? You scared the hell out of us. So you can go ahead and reveal the trick now."

"Reveal the trick…?

"Yeah, cuz I mean… Y'know, this is all some kinda trick and all, right? So uh, like…"

"Dude, shut the hell up and get outta my way."

Taking his word as a warning I quickly moved my seat to the edge of the aisle.

"Listen up, asshole! This shit's gone way too far! What the hell kinda joke IS this!?" he yelled with a voice akin to rumbling thunder.

"Joke? What, you mean like your hair?"

Oh dear, you never insult a man's hair. Even if it does look like an orange vegetable…or a starch.

"FFUUUUUUUUUUUU-!" in response to Monkuma's words the delinquent roared in a blind rage.

With a BOOM he kicked his feet off the floor and headed straight for Monokuma. He then grabbed the robo-bear by the collar and raised it into the air while it flailed in futile resistance.

"Gotcha, you little piece of shit! I dunno if you're a toy or a stuffed animal or whatever the hell! Either way I'm gonna rip you to fuckin' shreds!" roared the delinquent!

"Waah! Violence against the headmaster is in violation of school regulations!" Monokuma screamed in protest.

"Shut the fuck up! Let me outta here, or I swear to Christ…"

*BEEP-*

"Shit! Throw it now before it explodes!" I yelled in panic.

Despite his defiant nature he did as I commanded and threw the beeping teddy bear.

*BOOM!* The bear exploded leaving only tension and the smell of gunpowder lingering in the air.

"The hell!? Th-That sure as shit wasn't a joke. It blew the hell up…"

Whether it be an unnaturally lucid dream or reality I couldn't stand the sensation a loud noise gives off. Due to my short distance from the blast the ringing in my ears almost drove me out of my seat.

"But you know… This means that the teddy bear's been destroyed, right?"

I get the eerie feeling that's not the case.

"I told you, I'm not a teddy bear! I'm Monokuma!" the devil responded.

"Uwah! There's another one…?"

"You son of a bitch! You seriously tried to kill me just now!" the pompadoured juvenile yelled with anger.

"Well, yes. I was serious about trying to kill you. You did violate the school regulations, after all. I'll let you off with a warning this time, but you'd better be careful from now on. Any naughty boy or girl who violates my rules won't get off with just a little swat on the butt."

From his tone of voice alone I could tell he was deadly serious.

"H-Hey… So does this mean there's like, a bunch more of you around somewhere?"

"Monokumas have been placed all throughout the school. Plus don't forget the surveillance cameras installed everywhere. And if you get caught breaking any rules, well… You all just saw what happened, right? Upupupu… And I won't be so forgiving with my punishment next time. So don't let it happen again!"

"Th-That's not even punishment. That's just…wrong…"

"Now then, lastly… To commemorate your joyous entry into our school, I have a little something for you…"

He pulled out an object the size of a smartphone.

"This is our official student handbook! Pretty cool, huh? As you can see, it's fully digital. So naturally, we call it… The e-Handbook!"

The creepy mechanical bear then passed out the e-Handbooks. As he approached me I backed up…to no avail.

"Ahem. Yes, well, moving on… This handbook is absolutely vital to a healthy school life, so don't lose it! When you start it up, it will display your name. Always make sure you have the right one! Now, this is not your everyday notebook. It has so many more uses than that! Also, it's completely waterproof, Splash it, wash it, drown it, it'll keep on ticking! And thanks to its space-age design, it can withstand an impact force of up to ten tons. Very resistant! It contains all of our school regulations, so make sure you review them thoroughly!"

I'll do so since my life depends on it.

"You'll hear me say this a lot, but any violation of school regulations will not be tolerated. Rules restrict, yes, but they also protect. Society, for example, would be utter chaos without laws. The same thing applies here! Which is why it's crucial we have strict punishments in place for violators. Okay, well…that brings our entrance ceremony to a close! Please enjoy your abundantly dreary school life! And…see ya!"

With that, the bear left as quickly as he came. Leaving us to dwell in the dreadful atmosphere.

"So, guys… How would you define what we just experienced?"

Terrifying yet so unrealistic it requires suspension of disbelief.

"How…? Why...? I don't understand any of this…"

"We have to l-live here forever…? Or...k-kill? Wh-What…? What just happened!?"

"Everyone, we need to just calm down. First, let's just take a second to summarize everything we just heard. Based on what Monokuma said, we essentially have two choices."

She was right. But I wouldn't dare consider the other far more heinous option.

"Choice number one is that we each stay here, living a "communal life" together until the day we die. And the other choice is…"

"If we want to get out of here alive, we have to kill someone. Right?"

You don't sound anywhere near unnerved by that option as you should.

"But…killing someone… That's…"

"We were abducted out of nowhere and stuffed into this place meant to look like a school. And now we're supposed to start killing each other? This is… This is…this is just…! What IS this!?"

The madness of a crazed possibly pedophilic sadistic lunatic who's seen far too much Battle Royale!

"A lie, is what it is. All these ridiculous things we've heard… This all has to be fake!"

I'm not so sure anymore. No dream I've had has been this unnerving or realistic in a long time.

"Right now it doesn't really matter if it's real or fake. What matters is… Is there anyone here who's seriously considering all this…?"

"Of course not…" I muttered under my breath.

Unfortunately my words fell on deaf ears as the tension grew too thick to cut with a knife.

I could feel the glares coming from behind me. A few even at my own back.

Unsure of what to do next I decided to review the rules on the e-Handbook clenched tightly within my sweaty palms.

'Jordan Nelson' my name appeared on the screen paired with a jingle as I activated the device.

'1. Students may reside only within the school. Leaving campus is an unacceptable use of time.'

'2. 'Nighttime' is from 10p.m. to 7 a.m. Some areas are off-limits at night, so please exercise caution.'

'3. Sleeping anywhere other than the dormitory will be seen as sleeping in class and punished accordingly.'

'4. With minimal restrictions, you are free to explore Hope's Peak Academy at your discretion.'

'5. Violence against Headmaster Monokuma is strictly prohibited, as is destruction of surveillance cameras.'

'6. Anyone who kills a fellow student and becomes 'blackened' will graduate, unless they are discovered.'

'7. Additional school regulations may be added as necessary.'

After I read the regulation more questions surfaced in my mind.

What did it mean by "minimal restrictions" and "discovered"?

And how did I even get here in the first place?

"So? What are you going to do now? Just stand around glaring at each other?" she questioned

"R-Right… She's right! Sometimes, even if you're nervous or afraid, you just have to step forward! To forget such a simple fact… I can't forgive myself. I'm so ashamed! Please, someone hit me! I can't forgive myself! Somebody hit me! Punish me!"

… No.

"Jesus. If you have time to yell about it, you have time to DO something about it."

He's got a point. There's no use in feeling sorry for myself.

"Perhaps, but…what is the mission, exactly?"

"Idiot! To look for a way out, duh!"

I doubt Monokuma would be stupid enough to leave a way out. Even if he did, if we tried to leave he'd kill us.

"And we totally need to find whoever was controlling that stupid bear and beat the hell out of 'em."

I'm pretty sure we'd die trying.

"…B-But before we do all that, maybe we should take a look at the handbook… It's probably best to check out the school regulations Monokuma mentioned before doing anything else."

Already ahead of you.

"True. If we stumble around with no clue what the rules are, something like that might happen again…"

"Shit…"

"Fine. Then let's hurry up and check out the stupid rules already."

For a moment all I could hear were several simultaneous jingles followed by silence as the students reviewed the rules.

"This is bullshit! What the hell kinda rules are these!? I'm not gonna let them control ME!"

This guy must really have a death wish. Few escape her cold embrace more than once.

"Well then, why don't you wander around the school without a care in the world and see what happens? Personally, I would love to see what happens when someone breaks one of the rules."

And I thought I was cold. Besides, I've seen enough examples of our headmaster's methods for dealing with delinquency for a lifetime.

"But if he got punished like what we saw before, I don't think there'd be a respawn waiting for him…"

"I… Ever since I was a kid, I grew up with my older brother pounding this into my head… 'When a man makes a promise he has to keep it, even if it kills him.'"

You can't keep a promise if you're dead.

"… So what?"

"I've made a ton of promises that I still have to keep, that's 'so what'! So I can't afford to die in here!"

If that's the case then you better not get yourself killed. I doubt I'll be able to save your ass next time.

"None of that made much sense to me, but you are saying you will follow the regulations, is that it?"

"Huh? Oh, well…yeah, I guess you're right."

"Hey, um…I have a question. For regulation number six…what do you think it means exactly?"

Don't get caught. But seeing as how Monokuma has cameras everywhere I doubt he wouldn't know who killed who. Unless…he's not the one looking for the culprit.

"You're talking about the second half, right? Where it says 'unless they are discovered'? I was wondering about that myself."

"It's saying that if you want to graduate, you have to kill someone without anyone finding out it was you."

"B-But why…? Why do we h-have to do that?"

I guess it would be too easy otherwise.

"I don't see any reason to worry about it. Just worry about following the rules as they've been explained to us. Frankly, I don't want to hear anything from someone who waits for others to decide what to do from them."

A bit harsh, but in situations like these we need people who take action over those who wait for direction.

"D-Don't jab at me…"

Either you two know each other or Monokuma isn't the only freak around. Not like there's anything wrong with that… Well besides the murder part.

"More like a full-on stab…"

"Well for now, let's forget all that silly junk about murders or whatever. Now that we know the rules, let's start exploring the school!"

I think that's the best thing I've heard all day.

"True. We need to find out where exactly we are. Is there any way out? What about food and supplies? There are tons of questions we need to answer!"

"Damn straight! Okay, then let's all start looking around!"

"… I'll be going alone."

It's a stupid idea to wander the halls alone when there's an incentive to murder you. But I know that even in a situation like this, I'd feel more comfortable doing the same.

"What!? Why? That's a pretty stupid idea, don't you think?"

"Someone here might already have started thinking about murdering one of us. Are you saying we should stand around with them in our midst and make it that much easier for them?"

As smart as that sounds, they would still have to get away with it first. And murder in broad daylight when everyone's grouped together is pretty obvious if not incriminating.

"W-Wait, hold on a second. That would never-!"

"Don't bother saying it couldn't happen. You can't deny the possibility. That's why you all seized up with fear when the graduation rule was made clear to you. Am I wrong?"

No, you're right. But going alone makes you that much easier to kill, no?

"B-But…"

I'm starting to feel sorry for this girl. It seems like no myriad of voices will convince the one that chooses to stand out.

"So, I'm simply acting in accordance with what I think is best for me."

Even so, you could at least phrase it in a way that doesn't make you sound like public enemy no.1.

"Hold on! Like hell I'm gonna let you run off and do whatever you want!" the delinquent said in defiance.

And this is why it's best to try not to sound like an ass.

"Out of my way, plankton."

I think it would be best for you if you didn't try to piss off the guy who threw a robot several feet in the air who's already in a bad mood.

"Wh-!? The fuck's that supposed to mean!?" the foul-mouthed teen questioned in anger.

That you're small, insignificant, and beneath him.

"One tiny bit of plankton, drifting across the sea. So miniscule, so insignificant, they couldn't possibly have any kind of influence on the boundless ocean."

This isn't going to end well.

"I'm going to kick your ass!" the muscular man threatened.

"S-Stop it! We shouldn't fight!" a weak voice said in protest.

"The fuck you just say? You some kinda goody-goody little bitch? Who do you think you are, talkin' to me like that? You think you're my fuckin' dad or something!?" the scary teen questioned threateningly.

Note to self: the delinquent has daddy issues and problems with authority.

"N-No, I wasn't-!" the brave yet quivering voice said before he was interrupted.

"Fuck you!" the orange pompadoured man said before-

*Wham* delivering what I assume to be a powerful blow.

At the sound, I turned around to see a brown-haired boy in a dark green hoodie and jeans with red sneakers mangled in the bleachers.

Before I knew it, I had walked past the menagerie of strange-looking teenagers to the young boy's body.

He doesn't seem to have any wounds besides the red mark on his forehead but he can't be left in a place like this.

I'd take him to the nurse's office but I doubt we have any sane staff and it was already closed. I guess that leaves one other place to take him. The dorms.

As I reached down to pick up the hooded boy's body a dignified voice questioned me.

"Who are you?" the blond jerk questioned.

I ignored him and continued to pick up the kid.

When I felt the warm sensation of his body followed by the soft complex texture of his hoodie I came to a realization.

I'm not dreaming.

Or at least this wasn't like any dream I've had before. People in my dreams feel like dolls rather than sacks of flesh.

It took me a minute before I responded.

"He needs to sleep in a proper bed. I'm taking him to the dorms." I responded.

His gaze intensified as his distrustful look grew into a sneer.

"That didn't answer my question." the prideful man said.

I don't have time for this…

I gave him a blank look before walking off, kid in tow.

"W-Wait!" a young bluenette wearing a classic Japanese highschool girl uniform said as she ran up to me.

"Do you need any help carrying him?" she asked me.

"No. I'm fine. But I could use some help opening the doors." I said.

"Okay!" she said with a chipper tone in her voice.

With that out of the way, we decided to take the kid to his room.

While we were on our way, she decided to make some conversation.

"By the way, I'm Maizono Sayaka. I look forward to getting to know you. What's your name?"

Oh yeah, in some countries it's family name first, then given name.

"... I'm Nelson Jordan. I look forward to getting to know you as well."

"Thanks. Are you from America?"

"Yeah, how could you tell?"

"I'm psychic." she said with a straight face.

I couldn't help but chuckle. And soon she joined me.

"Kidding. I just have good intuition."

"I figured as much." I said with a smile.

For some strange reason, this girl had a kind aura filled with light pink pastels. Just being around made my heart feel at ease. As nice as it felt to relax, I couldn't afford to let my guard down.

"Well, they do say that a good intuition is a sign of psychic powers." I informed her.

"Oh, really?" she questioned

"Yeah. Do you have any idea why we're here or where we are?" I asked.

She paused for a moment before raising her finger as if she came up with an idea.

"Well I was on my way to Hope's Peak for my first day of school. When I reached the main hall everything went dizzy then faded to black. When I came to, I was sleeping on a desk in a classroom. What about you?"

"I was in America sleeping in my bed before I woke up here."

She put her hands over her mouth in fright at my words.

"Wow! It must be scary waking up in a place like this, so far from home."

"Where are we anyway?"

"I think we're at Hope's Peak?"

This is getting me nowhere.

"What's Hope's Peak?" I questioned.

She then gave me a wide-eyed stare. It was as if she either couldn't believe what I was saying or thought it was so obvious it didn't need mentioning.

"You don't know? Hope's Peak Academy is the world's top school for nurturing talent. It's said if you graduate from this school you'll be set for life! In order to attend this school you need to be the very best at what you do and already going to high school." she said with enthusiasm.

"I've never heard of Hope's Peak." I said with a straight face.

She seemed to almost recoil in shock. It was as if I had said the unthinkable.

"How could you have never heard of the best school in Japan, if not the world?! What's your Super High School Level Talent?" she pressed.

"What's a Super High School Level Talent?" I asked with an even more confused expression.

She stopped. It was as if she'd just seen a rule of the very fabric of the world defied right before her eyes.

"They're only the best at what they do. For example, I'm the SHSL Idol. So my group and I are the top idol group in Japan."

I could feel the myriad of emotions mixing with the pastels. She felt pride in her friends but was blown away by my confusion.

"Oh. I guess you do have that aura that puts people at ease. I'm not sure what my talent could be. I guess I'm pretty good at guessing people's emotions and reading the room."

"Then maybe you're the SHSL Empath. Sorry for getting so excited, I've just never heard of someone who hasn't heard of Hope's Peak or Super High School Level Talents."

"It's okay, I'm pretty sure I would be shocked too." I responded with a sheepish smile.

Alright so either I'm surrounded by crazy people or I've stumbled into an alternate reality in my sleep. This time without having the pleasure of waking up.

I think it's best if I decide to go along with it for now.

Our conversation came to an abrupt stop as we arrived in front of a door with a pixelated caricature of the boy in my arms titled "Naegi Makoto".

A/N: I thought about this for a while and I've decided that I should probably try to have some form of communication with my audience. I'll do my best to continue writing the story with as much quality as I can while updating reasonably. I'll try to keep these brief so you all can enjoy the story with as little interruptions as possible. You're free to give a review if you feel like it, I'm open to criticism and am genuinely curious to see what you all think of my work. Thank you for taking the time to read my story and I hope you enjoy it.