Every eye in the room locked onto Hifumi, and he looked straight back at each and every one of them. His panicked eyes darted between them, his irises trembling, his pupils like pinpricks. As Makoto watched, the stress and disbelief coursing through him made the world seem almost hyper-realistic, and likewise two-dimensional. The situation was perfectly clear and yet impossible to comprehend. Twisted music befitting a nonsensical rave began blasting from the monitors in the courtroom, just as the doors behind the accused flew open.

A chain flew out from the now-open doorway a steel band snapping around Hifumi's neck instantly. His hands rose up to try and pull it off, but his efforts were completely in vain. Just as that realisation seemed to hit him, the chain was pulled with immense force and, at a ridiculous speed, the Ultimate Fanfic Creator was dragged out of the courtroom and down an impossibly long hallway, screaming all the way.

Makoto wasn't sure when he and the others had found their way to the scene that had been set up for Hifumi's demise, but here they were, watching as Hifumi was instantly strapped by chains to a large wooden chair less than 20 feet away from them. The monitors, still blaring their awful music, flashed up with a colourful title card that looked like it belonged in an anime. Its letters, bold and imposing, read clearly:

EXECUTION NEON CANDY DESPAIR!

For a second, nothing happened. Hifumi remained strapped to the chair. The music seemed to come to a halt. The title card remained on the screens.

And then it began.

Long, thin robotic hands came from seemingly nowhere and held Hifumi's mouth wide open, while a colourful chute was lined up with his lips. The chute was emblazoned with bright images of a certain anime character. Princess Piggles, of course, from the hit show Demon Angel Pretty Pudgy Princess. Hifumi had mentioned it earlier. It seemed to be a favourite of his.

At the end of that chute was Monokuma, smiling as always, a giant glass orb akin to a gumball machine filled with what looked like bubblegum and all sorts of other candy placed next to him. What looked like a remote control, complete with a giant red button, lay in the teddy bear's paws.

The music began to pick up again, slowly building up note by note. Makoto's stomach churned once more. The sound induced anxiety within him, as if it were a crescendo leading to something unspeakably awful.

And it was.

The chorus hit, Monokuma hit the button, and the chute's purpose was revealed. A single piece of candy rolled into Hifumi's mouth and straight down his throat.

And then came another piece.

And another, until candy after piece of candy was rolled into Hifumi's mouth, each one as bright and colourful as the last. Bright flashing lights went off around him, like something from one of those magical girl anime, the happy face of Princess Piggles painted onto the chute continuing to happily smile as the candy kept on rolling. More and more and more, without end.

Hifumi's stomach, already sizeable enough, was beginning to swell.

His body shook, trying to get away from the chute, but he was firmly held in place. He had no choice but to endure it. He wasn't going anywhere.

More candy fell down his throat, the music blaring loud, the neon lights flashing every colour imaginable. Hifumi's stomach swelled up more.

And so it continued, rapidly picking up speed as unimaginable amounts began flooding into his mouth now, Monokuma swaying side to side with delight, Makoto and his classmates watching on in astounded horror.

Hifumi's stomach had swollen up even further, until he looked more like a balloon with a head and limbs attached than a human being at all. And still, it continued. More candy. More lights. More music. More, more, more.

He had swollen to almost cartoonish proportions now. His head seemed tiny compared to his body, which only continued to grow and grow and grow in size, with no end in sight. If he hadn't already looked like a balloon a minute ago, then he most certainly did now.

More candy came rolling at him. More lights flashed. More music blared, starting to reach another crescendo.

And then, as the last of the candy from the gumball machine fired down his throat, it happened.

The music came to an end.

And Hifumi's entire body burst like the balloon it had become.

Pieces of him rained down over the spectators forced to watch the event. Paste-like slop from his body, along with the obvious eruption of neon-pink blood soaked the crowd. It landed in hair. It landed on the floor. It covered the walls.

He had quite literally burst.

Hifumi Yamada was dead.

And his body was now splattered all over his classmates.

Asahina let out a scream that practically turned Makoto's blood to ice.

Mukuro staggered, only to collapse in a heap on the floor.

No one said a word. No one was capable of speaking. Not anymore.

Their eyes, peering out from faces covered in Hifumi's flesh, could only stare at the scene ahead in shock.

Monokuma shook with silent laughter.

Someone else joined Asahina in her scream.

Makoto vomited.

Kiyotaka Ishimaru's day had gone perfectly, and now, as he entered the control room of Hope's Peak Academy, he couldn't help but feel gleeful. His hair, still wet from the shower he'd just taken (he was hardly going to walk around covered in the sludge of Hifumi's body, now was he?) was quickly remedied with the towel in his hand, which he rubbed against his head firmly. A calm smile rested on his lips, and he sighed.

Approaching the monitors, freshly dressed in his usual attire, he took up residence in his usual seat. Comfortable, as always. More comfortable now that he felt so... fresh. His eyes scanned over the same monitors he had viewed earlier, right when he had noticed the body in the locker room. Just like earlier, most of the students were crying or sitting around in silence, but this was different. They had been forced to vote a fellow student guilty, knowing fully well he would die. They had been forced to watch as he was force-fed before bursting over them. They weren't as calm as they were earlier. Wide, shaken eyes and zombie-like movements indicated that they were now above and beyond frightened. Disturbed and disgusted. Unsure of how to process... well, anything.

They were entirely traumatised.

Thankfully cleaned of the mess that had soaked them earlier, yes, but absolutely scarred all the same.

Kiyotaka let out a chuckle at how ridiculous they looked right now. Even the esteemed Byakuya Togami, sitting in his room and staring off into space, appeared shaken to his very core.

How was it possible that today had gone so despairingly well? Was this really the reality Kiyotaka had created? Was it really this wonderful?

"You really did a number on 'em today, lemme tell ya," said a familar voice, and Kiyotaka turned to see a certain black and white bear waddling towards him. "They were passin' out, throwin' up, screaming... talk about a party!"

"You were a wonderful judge," the mastermind replied with an affectionate little pat to the bear's head, still watching the screens.

"And you were great at acting dumb," the bear replied. "At least... I think you were acting."

Kiyotaka removed his hand.

"Hey, hey, hey, I'm just messin' with ya! Geez, don't get all angry brows on me! Those things are like caterpillars – they scare me!"

It was times like these that Kiyotaka considered reprogramming the bear, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. The machine's insubordinance was one of his most endearing qualities, and the prefect didn't have the heart to change it. Besides, the others would notice.

"Look at them all!" Monokuma laughed, eyes turned to the monitors. "You'd think they've never seen a guy burst over them before!"

"And to think... that was nothing," he said, dizzying grin strapped to his face. "Compared to what I've got in store, that was only a taste. There's so much more to come."

He turned to his creation, looming over the side of his chair, shadow cast directly over the ursine menace.

His smile was as polite as it was inhuman.

Even with that permanent grin etched into his face, there was something about Monokuma that genuinely seemed intimidated.

"So much more."

His eyes turned to the clock.

It was almost 10pm.

Night had come to Hope's Peak Academy.

Today had been filled with madness. Introductions, explanations, murder and execution... mental scarring, twisted plots and rollercoasting emotions. This was, perhaps, a first day of school that would go down in the history books. Well, if there were any history books left in the abandoned libraries of the world, that was. Two students dead already, and all without the need for a motive!

As footage of crying students filled his eyes, Kiyotaka yawned, arms stretched casually over his head, as if he hadn't a care in the world.

This was fun, but it was time for bed. Still, what a gloriously eventful day this had been!

But tomorrow, he told himself, was a new day.

And it was a day he promised to saturate with misery, for the sake of order and despair.