All of the students, even Ayano, were trying to process this, but it was so confusing that it didn't really bother trying to. While everyone was still trying to figure out what was going on, the bear decided to speak up. Apparently, its voice was the same that was on the intercom before.

"Now, listen up, chumps! Before you all say, 'HUH?! A talking teddy bear?!' and 'Calm down, I'm sure it's just a remote-controlled toy!', let me just set the record straight with you guys. Please hold off those reactions for now because believe me, it's getting really predictable and old. Also, I know what you're all thinking, and no, I'm not a high tech Build-A-Bear reject! I am the principal of Glendale Preparatory Academy, and the brand new glorious headmaster, Monokuma! Pleased to meet you all."

What I heard and what I saw in front of my eyes was utterly incomprehensible, and I think I speak for the others here, too. The bear had such a bright voice and carefree attitude that seemed to be out of place. All of my previous anxiety I've been carrying with me turned into outright confusion. I'm honestly lost for words at this point. Our kidnappers seriously gave us a robot teddy bear as our principal? You know what, I need to stop thinking too hard about this for now. Haruto called out to Monokuma, just as confused as everyone else was.

Haruto: "Hold on. How come this little robot teddy bear is our headmaster? This can't be right!"

Ayano also entered the conversation.

Ayano: "Perhaps the bear is standing in as a replacement or a substitute for our current principal, which brings me to my point. I thought our headmaster at Hope's Peak was Jin Kirigiri, so what are you doing here?"

Monokuma listened to them both and responded to them. He pointed to Haruto first before moving on to Ayano.

Monokuma: "Young man, show some respect towards your new principal! And I'm not a teddy bear, or just a robot teddy bear, either! I am Monokuma! And I'm your headmaster! My remote control AI system is so advanced that not even the geniuses at Afton Robotics can figure out how to recreate it! Ah, but don't make me say anything that would crush William Afton's dreams! I just couldn't BEAR that!"

Ronin: "Who the hell is William Afton?"

Monokuma: "Never mind, that! You probably aren't even going to understand that reference, anyway! And you there, young lady, Ayano, very good observation there. But you're not in Hope's Peak at the moment, so I'm afraid Mr. Kirigiri isn't your principle anymore. He's...uh...taken a long vacation...somewhere high, I think. Anyway, moving on."

Ayano asked another question the moment Monokuma was done talking, which made him slighty angry.

Ayano: "And that's another thing. Why are we, students of Hope's Peak Academy, now inside of this so-called 'Glendale Preparatory Academy'? And why would our kidnappers put us in such a confusing situation?"

Monokuma was impressed by Ayano's inquisitive behavior.

Monokuma: "Ah, very good questions! Well, for one, I would say that 'kidnapped' would be a mean term, because you were all evacuated from Hope's Peak Academy and moved here! But I'm not saying who brought you here just yet."

What? But I wasn't at Hope's Peak Academy! Even so, the Reserve Course is a good walk away from it, so how did I end up in this situation? I have to ask this myself. Right before Hiroshi was about to speak, Isamu did it first.

I: "What exactly do you mean by evacuated? Did something happen to Hope's Peak?"

Monokuma: "Hope's Peak Academy is currently undergoing some very, uh, dangerous and odd circumstances at the moment. Full disclosure, you're all staying here in the meantime."

Hiroshi finally spoke up.

Hiroshi: "Wait, that doesn't make sense! I wasn't attending Hope's Peak Academy! I'm only a Reserve Course student! So how did I get here, then?"

Strangely, Monokuma seemed to be surprised at this news.

Monokuma: "A Reserve Course student? Among the Ultimates? This can't be right! They told me there were sixteen Ultimate students here! I can't have someone like YOU here! You don't meet the requirements to even be here! But I've already started the goddamn orientation! Wait...unless..."

Hiroshi: "Unless what?"

Monokuma: "Listen up, kiddo. I'm not going through all the trouble just to go out and find one more Ultimate student to bring here, because believe me, getting the other fifteen students here was hard enough! And besides, I've had a rough day! So instead, I'll make a deal with you, kiddo!"

Ayano and Isamu seemed intrigued by this.

Hiroshi: "And what kind of deal is that?"

Monokuma: "From now on, you'll be an honorary Ultimate student among the others! You will now on be known as Hiroshi Tanimoto, the Ultimate Lucky Student, but in name only. You won't actually receive any of the talent or powers of the Ultimate Lucky Student, thank goodness for that. The last thing I need right now is another Nagito or Makoto."

Wait, being lucky is a talent? Can he actually do this? I mean, I don't know why I'm not feeling excited about becoming an Ultimate. Maybe it's because I don't believe him at all. Is this just some kind of trick? My mind is full of so many questions right now.

Hiroshi: "That's a talent? And why that?"

Monokuma: "Because you're lucky enough to be here with everyone else, and besides, I don't know any other talents that could be related to you! Now, I've already spent too much damn time talking! Moving on to the orientation! We really must hurry and get this started..."

Most of the students were still confused about what was going on, so they decided to just go with it and see where it would lead. Monokuma continued his speech.

Monokuma: "Good morning, everyone! Or should I say good afternoon? Now then, let us commence with a most note-worthy and memorable entrance ceremony! First of all, let's talk about how your school life here will be like."

School life? You can't be serious, right?

Monokuma: "Now, you few students, so full of potential, represent the hope of the world. And to protect such splendid hope...you will live in a communal life together solely within the confinements of this school. Everyone will live here in harmony together, and obey the school rules and regulations, which you can find on your Monopads."

Suddenly, Kanon spoke up.

Kanon: "We have to live here?! Are you shitting me right now?! Where the hell are we going to sleep?!"

Monokuma: "Don't worry about that, feisty lady. You all have been assigned a single room, each with a special camera to keep watch of you. You will sleep there and only there. Sleeping anywhere other than the bedrooms will be seen as sleeping in class, and you will be punished accordingly."

Wait, were we really kidnapped, or were we just brought here from Hope's Peak? Because with all of this talk about the school environment and communal life, I can't tell anymore.

Monokuma: "Now before you head off to your new living quarters, you're probably wondering how long you'll be guests here in this communal life. It should be approximately...the rest of your lives!"

Everyone in the theater lounge gasped when they heard this. No, this can't be right. This has to be some kind of sick joke, right? A lot of students had very mixed reactions to this news.

Mariko: "You...you can't be serious, right?!"

Tenmon: "Are you saying we'll be living here...forever?"

Monokuma seemed to respond with a nice tone.

Monokuma: "Ah, no need to be afraid about that! We've got an astronomical budget, so you won't run out of any necessities like food or water anytime soon! Plus, there's plenty of stuff here to keep you entertained in the meantime! This theater lounge, the bistro, the gym, the TV, the Netflix and Disney Plus subscriptions, and much more!"

Atsuko: "That's not the issue here! What if we have families or loved ones?!

Monokuma: "Listen, in other words, you'll be staying here until the day you die! This is the school life you've all been assigned to! And be grateful that I'm giving you so much to do, too! Do you have any idea how much I'm paying for the bills to this stuff here?! I didn't think so!"

This is nonsense! There's no way I'm going to live here forever! This is so unbelievable. Many other classmates spoke out about this.

Myoki: "Wait, why do we even have to live here forever? I don't understand this!"

Connor: "Are you serious, you little bear?! I have to live here forever?! How am I going to release my new albums and get back home?! You are fucking with us, right?!"

Monokuma got very angry by what Connor said.

Monokuma: "I AM NOT A TEDDY BEAR! I AM MONOKUMA! And no, I am not...effing with you, Slim Shady! I am no liar, you can be one hundred percent sure of that! Oh, and just a quick FYI, you're all completely cut off from the outside walls. You can kick, scream and fight all you want, no one can hear you."

Hiroshi: "Cut off? So all of those metal plates over the school...they're there to keep us trapped in here?"

Monokuma: "Ding, ding, ding! That's exactly what they're there for. No matter how loud you scream or yell, no help will come. So with all of that in mind, feel free to live out your lives in reckless abandon!"

That would explain why they're there. But why is he trying so hard to keep up trapped in here? Just then, Mariko and Saburo spoke up, still not believing the bear's words.

Mariko: "Come on, what the hell is this? I don't who you are or if the school is behind all of this. It feels like a very bad joke."

Saburo: "Yeah, cut the bullshit already! This isn't funny!"

Monokuma: "Oh, will you two can it?! I always get this kind of reaction the first time I say this. That you say it's a lie or a prank or a joke. But I guess I can't blame you for that. It would sound very fishy to someone at first glance."

Jin: "Well, I mean, living out the rest of our natural lives here? Don't you think that's a little mentally unhealthy, Mr. Monokuma?"

The bear turned to her.

Monokuma: "Really? Before the entrance ceremony is even finished, you guys already want to leave? Oh, that actually reminds me of one thing. You see, I forgot to tell you something before. There actually *is* a loophole to this. In other words, there is one way you can get out of this school."

A lot of the students were eager when they heard those words.

Ronin: "There is? Why didn't you tell us this before?"

Monokuma: "I wanted it to be a surprise, and boy, am I going to have fun seeing the looks on your faces! As your new principal, I have made a special clause for anyone here who would like to leave. I call it, 'The Graduation Clause'. Now let me explain. In this school, you students are living in a harmonious communal lifestyle. If someone were to disrupt the harmony, they and ONLY they alone will be allowed to leave this school."

Kiyoshi stroked his chin, giving a sharp and intense stare at Monokuma. He seemed to be thinking about what this meant, and asked the bear to clarify.

Kiyoshi: "And what exactly is the catch? You said if someone were to break the harmony, only they would leave. But what do you mean by breaking the harmony exactly?"

Monokuma gave out a little happy giggle before he responded. His voice became a lot more sadistic, too.

Monokuma: "Puhuhuhu...well, you know...if someone were to murder another."

At that moment, those last terrifying words filled the entire room with silence and fear. Hiroshi could feel his face turn pale, sending goosebumps down his spine. The other students remained absolutely dumbfounded and shocked by what the bear just said. "If someone were to murder another..." It was at this point that I knew this bear wasn't joking around anymore. This can't be true, can it? That feeling, it left him feeling despair. He turned to see Atsuko, and she was pale with fear, too. Monokuma continued.

Monokuma: "Yes, you heard that right! The student who kills a classmate, and gets away with it, will be permitted to walk out of this place scot-free!"

Tenmon spoke up now, muttering his words because he was absolutely terrified.

Tenmon: "W-w-w-w-when you said murder, is this actual death-causing murder-"

Monokuma: "I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer, so here's a statement instead: KILL EACH OTHER! You are free to kill anyone you like, in any way you like! Feeling lazy? Try poisoning! Feeling a little blood-lusty? Try stabbing! Crushing, bludgeoning, strangling, drowning, hacking, burning, stabbing, electrocuting, suffocating, beating, slicing, extirpating! Maybe even crush them with a hydraulic press or use a seesaw method! Full disclosure, I don't care how you do it, as long as you kill someone in the process! Get as creative as you want, the possibilities are endless! If you want to leave, just kill someone! It's as simple as that!"

Just listening to all of those ways of killing each other made Hiroshi incredibly nervous to the point where he felt sick. This can't be real! He can't seriously be forcing us to kill each other! This is total bullshit! While everyone around him was freaking out, Monokuma was just laughing maniacally.

Monokuma: "Ha ha ha! I bet that got your juices flowing now, didn't it? Like I said before, you guys are the world's hope. And taking that hope, and watching it getting murdered creates a large shadow of despair. And I just find that so damn exciting!"

Haruto: "What the hell are you talking about?! You seriously expect us to murder our own classmates?!"

Myoki: "Exactly! What do you think this is, a game?"

Atsuko: "This is sick! Why do we even have to kill each other?!"

Connor: "Yeah! Stop with your murder bullshit blabber and drop the act already, you sick bastard! This practical joke's gone *way* too far!"

At that moment, it seemed like a nerve went off in Monokuma.

Monokuma: "Bullshit? Blabbering? Blabbering, blabbering, what do you mean blabbering?! STOP BLABBERING ON ABOUT BLABBERING ON! You guys just don't get it, do you? You all keep asking to go, but from this moment on, this school is your home, your life, your world! Understand?!"

Ronin: "Will you cut the act, already?"

Monokuma: "Huh? What act?"

Ronin: "Come on, am I seriously the only one who thinks this is just a bit too ridiculous? I mean, you want us to kill each other? It still feels like this is some sort of big prank or game. I have a very hard time believing it."

The bear only laughed some more before responding.

Monokuma: "Well, you got one thing right there, kiddo! It IS a game! A game of life and death! A game that you will all be playing, no matter what! No exceptions!"

At that point, Saburo got out of his seat and started yelling at the bear, cracking his knuckles.

Saburo: "You want a death game, Teddy Ruxpin?! Keep this bullshit up and the only one here dying is going to be you!"

Monokuma wasn't intimidated by him in the least.

Monokuma: "Sit down, already. This might be a murder game, but it is a civilized murder game. Did you really think I was going to let this be a free-for-all? No, of course not. Last time we tried that, things got way too violent. This is a game with rules and regulations that you must all follow if you want to survive."

How can the words civilized and murder even be used for each other? There's nothing civil about murder at all! Kiyoshi started showing much more interest.

Kiyoshi: "Well, go on. If this is indeed a game, then what rules are we supposed to follow?"

Monokuma: "I'm glad you asked! These rules can all be found on your Monopads and for the sake of the killing game itself, I'll be shortly adding the extra rules to the list! First of all, there is a limit to how many people a blackened, or in other words, the person who committed murder, can kill! For every round, a blackened can only kill a maximum of two students. Every time a body discovery announcement has been made, upon that three other students discover a dead body, after a certain period of time, which you may use however you like, the class trial will begin!"

Atsuko: "A class trial? What is that for?"

Monokuma: "The class trial is where you will all be the jurors and I will be the judge and executioner, literally! You will all make your arguments for who the killer is there!"

Jin: "Wait, so it's not enough if we just kill someone here?"

I was actually kind of shocked that Jin said something like that. So were a few other people.

Hiroshi: "Don't talk about it so casually!"

Monokuma: "Well of course not, young lady! Did you honestly think it was going to be that easy?! Not only do you have to kill someone, but you have to get away with it, too! I'll explain all the extra rules later. Basically, if the other classmates can find out whodunnit, I'll punish only the blackened. However, if the other classmates can't figure it out, I'll punish everyone *besides* the blackened and let the blackened go free."

Kanon: "You're seriously going to punish us all if we get it wrong?! What the hell?!"

Hiroshi: "And what exactly is this punishment you're talking about?"

Monokuma's giggling intensified to the point where it got incredibly creepy.

Monokuma: "Oh, don't worry! I'll be keeping that secret until a murder actually happens! I want to see how much suspense I can create with this!"

Ayano seemed to be calculating all of this inside of her head, and asked the next question.

Ayano: "There is something about all of this that doesn't make sense. What could possibly be your benefit for making us participate in such a violent game?"

Monokuma: "My payoff...is your despair! Hahahahaha!"

At this point, Saburo finally snapped and got out of his seat, preparing to walk up right to the front of the theater to teach Monokuma a lesson.

Saburo: "That's it, Jigsaw! I've had enough of your sick joke!"

Ayano: "Wait, Saburo, don't-"

Saburo: "Oh come on! This little shit right here thinks he can make us kill each other, but what the hell's he gonna do about it?! He's nothing more than a little robot teddy bear! He can't be that much of a threat to us! So I'm putting a stop to all this bullshit right now! Come over here, you asshole!"

Saburo started aggressively making his way towards Monokuma, but the little bear didn't flinch.

Monokuma: "Oh yeah? And what are you going to do about it, scar-face?"

That struck a nerve with Saburo, and in an instant, he picked up the little bear and held him by the throat. It turns out the bear was around two and a half to three feet tall, actually.

Saburo: "Here's what I'm gonna do, you little bitch! I'm gonna break you down until you're nothing more than a pile of scrap!"

Monokuma seemed to be heavily panicking.

Monokuma: "AH! STOP! The rules clearly state that no harm must come to the headmaster under any circumstances! So unless you want to become a bloody pink crater, let go of me right now!"

The bear's red demon eye now started glowing intensely, making a strange alarm noise. If Saburo had followed his gut and decided to try tearing the bear apart, he would've probably died right there and then. But luckily, Ayano warned him just in time.

Ayano: "Do as he says! He's not joking!"

Saburo: "What?! You're seriously believing this play thing?!"

Ayano: "I've seen what he can do! Now, put him down if you want to live! Hurry!"

After a strong internal conflict, Saburo finally decided to put Monokuma down. Normally, he wouldn't have done it, but if it was coming from Ayano, he knew it must've been true. The bear's eye stopped glowing and the alarm noises stopped, too. Monokuma quickly cooled down.

Monokuma: "You made the right choice, Saburo! If you didn't listen to her, you would be a large, messy pink smear right now! So I'll let that one slide as a warning. But if anything like this happens again, you will be immediately punished! And that goes for all of you here!"

Hiroshi: "Wait, Ayano, what do you mean by 'you saw what he can do'?"

Ayano: "I found out myself when I first woke up. A little afterwards, I found-"

Monokuma rudely interrupted her.

Monokuma: "I'm just gonna have to cut you off there for now, sweetie! Seriously, this introduction part is taking way too long to finish, so for today, I'll wrap things up quickly and then let you all go to your rooms. I'll explain more about your daily killing game lifestyle tomorrow morning. I heavily suggest you read over the rules on your Monopads very carefully, because ANY violation of school regulations from this point forward will not be tolerated. Rules restrict, yes, but they also protect. I'll know if you do, because there are cameras set up across the school. And I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want that."

Just then, the little trapdoor behind the bear opened up again, as the bear prepared to jump back in again.

Monokuma: "Now, that basically covers it for the Glendale Preparatory Academy entrance ceremony, kids! This now concludes the introductory portion of your orientation, boys and girls! Here's to you all enjoying a fun, fulfilling, but not exactly long, scholastic, enrichment-filled year at Glendale High!"

Monokuma jumped back into the trapdoor, disappearing from our sight, leaving us all in a state of shock and terror. Most of us were absolutely lost for words to describe what just happened. There was no way anyone could feel normal again after hearing this announcement. Several of the students were over-reacting now.

Mizuki: "So, guys...did you see and hear the crazy things I just did? I'm starting to question my own sanity."

Haruto: "Huh...why...how...what the...I don't understand anything..."

Kanon: "Do we have to live here forever? Or kill...what? What the hell just happened?!"

Ayano quickly took control of the situation. For some reason, she was acting weirdly calm about it.

Ayano: "Everyone, calm down. I know what we just saw was insane, but we won't get anywhere by panicking. First, let's take a second to summarize everything we've just heard. Monokuma said we have two choices: either we live a communal life together until the day we die...or one of us resorts to murder. One thing I can be sure of is that this killing game is no joke."

Kiyoshi spoke up, showing some interest in the conversation.

Kiyoshi: "A joke it may or may not very well be. What matters now is that if there's anyone who is seriously considering participating in this killing game."

With those words, no one had a response to that. They all stared at one another, trying to gauge into each other's thoughts. Those words, "if someone were to murder another", were engrained deep into all of our minds. My mind froze as I thought about it. Those words planted vicious thoughts into our minds, myself included. We all became suspicious of each other, wondering who would betray us first.

Before the announcement, we were all looking for a way out of here - one that didn't require murder. But now the disbelief of Monokuma's words were replaced with fear. Fear that someone, anyone, was going to turn on us. Fear that we might not all survive. Fear that we will be the first casualty. It's exactly what that sick bear wanted.

And's that how my first day of my new school life started. That is, if you could call it a life to begin with. I was feeling something strange inside of me, something very fearful. No, maybe fear isn't the right word. I think the word I'm looking for is much different.

Despair.

(16 Students Remaining...)