A.N: Hello again, everyone! Here's a new chapter of this fic! It is slightly longer because it's a single scene and I didn't want to split it in two (especially since it's not very plot-heavy). I hope you like it!

Chapter Six: An Ultimate Mission

12th of March, 2011

"Well, it appears that everyone is here and accounted for. Young Ultimates, welcome to Hope's Peak Academy!"

The man's voice echoed throughout the gym as he began speaking. It didn't take any more for him to have the undivided attention of everyone – students and journalists alike.

"My name is Jin Kirigiri, and I am the Headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy," he said. "It is my pleasure to welcome the sixteen of you to this institution. I have no doubt your arrival here will mark the beginning of greater times for this school."

Makoto listened closely as the Headmaster carried on with a series of compliments for the upcoming class. Not that the boy felt very concerned. To be honest, he wasn't sure what he was supposed to bring to this school to heighten it even more.

"You shall be the 78th Ultimate Class in Hope's Peak Academy's history, and I am thrilled to welcome some new talents this school has never yet seen!" Jin stated, a smile appearing on his lips. "Now, you are still high schoolers, and you are almost all minors, so it goes without saying that there are some rules you'll have to abide by throughout there."

Wait, 'almost all'...? Does that mean someone here's over eighteen...? Seriously...? Discretely, Makoto looked around the room, trying to find out who that could possibly be. However, he was interrupted before his search could bring any results.

"I shall give you individual e-handbooks at the end of this ceremony. Those contain the list of school regulations you need to follow. I suggest you read them thoroughly and stick to them," the Headmaster added, making the other man beside him chuckle. He took one handbook and showed it to the crowd. "You will also find a map of school grounds installed on them, among other valuable applications."

Neat! We basically get a tablet for free! Makoto thought excitedly.

"Now, these are unbreakable, but they tend to break under extreme temperatures, so please pay attention to that." He rolled his eyes, adding, "No putting them inside the sauna, for example, although I don't see why anyone would do that."

A couple of giggles were heard around the gym. Yeah, that would be very dumb...

"One more thing before I conclude, if you will. Hope's Peak Academy isn't an ordinary high school, and for more than one reason," Jin stated, his expression turning much more severe. The mood inside the gym changed instantly. "This institution is a beacon of hope. Your talents are there to fuel this hope. For that reason, special facilities have been installed on campus for you to develop your abilities even further."

Yeah, I'm looking forward to working on my luck... Makoto thought ironically. Not that he didn't want to work, but there were limits to what he could do!

"Those facilities were dubbed 'Research Labs,' and you can access them across campus. Again, please refer to your handbooks for more information." With that, the Headmaster sighed. "Now... about classes..."

There was another chuckle from the man next to him. Meanwhile, the girl looked like she was about to fall asleep right there and then. Makoto felt the tension inside the gym increase and decided to pay even closer attention.

"I stated earlier that you are still minors, but you aren't small children, either. Thus, this academy has decided not to make any class mandatory for you, Ultimates."

"WHAAAAAT?!"

That statement was enough to cause a minor uproar inside the room. The students looked amongst themselves to confirm if they had heard this correctly. Even some journalists appeared to be surprised! Nonetheless, Makoto didn't notice even the most negligible reaction from the girl sitting next to him.

H-How are classes not mandatory?! The boy wondered, his eyes widening. He had already lost count of how many times the school had surprised him! B-But...

"However," the Headmaster's voice brought everyone back to reality. "I don't suggest you start skipping mindlessly. This school will not tolerate laziness, believe me," he said, giving the students a semi-dark stare. Makoto heard some gulps. "You are to attend class frequently, be it homeroom or other classes. Failure to do so will result in failing grades during exams."

I, uh... definitely didn't expect a plot twist like this one...

Makoto didn't consider himself either the most hardworking or the laziest student. He studied enough to pass each grade but made sure to have some free time. Still, he quickly understood this rule was there to judge the students' characters.

Don't attend class; the school implicitly expells you during exams. Pretty clever.

"Still, this rule was implemented so that you all have enough time to work on your talents. Indeed, in addition to the traditional exams, Hope's Peak Academy judges the worthiness of its students' talents through the Practical Exam."

I. Do. Not. Have. A. Talent! Makoto thought, his mind nearly screaming at this point. How in the world was he supposed to display something he didn't possess?! Last he checked, his luck had not improved since receiving the acceptance letter!

He still tripped as frequently as before, had not won the jackpot at the lottery – and more importantly, he still got bad items at Mario Kart! The Hope's Peak thing had been a fluke!

"In short, you are tasked with being mature enough to keep a balanced schedule," Jin told them, his tone ironic. "Now, to conclude, I would like to say that I put my most genuine faith in you. I have no doubt that you will be outstanding students who will allow this school to thrive," the man said with a smile. "Now, before I give the floor, are there any questions so far?"

"Yeah, got a question here!"

The students watched as Junko's hand went up almost instantly.

"Yes, what is it?"

The Ultimate Fashionista chuckled embarrassedly. "About the keys I got from the big guy earlier... How do I say that I kinda lost them...?"

Everyone inside the room facepalmed. Makoto wasn't the type to judge people based on first impressions, but there appeared to be a pattern of carefreeness from the strawberry blonde.

The Headmaster sighed. "That's a first... Alright, drop by my office after the ceremony, and I will ask for new keys to be made for you. Please be more careful in the future, though..."

"'kay! Sorry for the inconvenience, sir!" Junko saluted, making everyone sweatdrop. There was no doubt that she was charismatic, at least. The cameras were no sweat for her.

Makoto knew he would have definitely kept silent until after the ceremony...

"Anyway, if there are no other questions, I'll give the floor to my colleague, Mr. Kizakura."

With this, Jin removed himself from the podium, letting the other man with the white fedora take his place. The students quickly understood they were dealing with a... different character.

For some reason, this man appears to irritate the girl beside me... Makoto realized, seeing the girl's usually composed face rapidly filling with frustration.

"Hey, folks! The name's Koichi Kizakura, and I'm the Talent Scout here, formerly a teacher. You might have seen me before when I was scouting you. Good old days, right?"

Yeah, when you were scouting me... Makoto thought, his shoulders slumping. This is going to take time to get used to...

"Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that I'm the one you need to come to see if something important but not see-the-headmaster-important kind of thing happens," the man explained. "Either me or your homeroom teacher, of course. She couldn't attend this ceremony, but you'll meet the wonderful Yoshida-sensei soon enough."

Wait, Yoshida...? The gears in Makoto's brain immediately began to turn. Why does that name sound so familiar...? I mean, it's not a particularly rare name, but... The Ultimate Lucky Student searched and searched, trying to recall where he had last heard the name from. No dice. Guess I must have invented it.

"Before I give the floor, just one warning for you all." Kizakura pointed to the Headmaster, saying, "Try not to end up in his office. The man bites, believe me."

Some students laughed at that comment while others shivered in fear. Makoto was somewhere in-between. Not that he was worried he would end up in the Principal's Office, but the thought of it accidentally happening scared him a teeny bit.

"Anyway, you've heard enough old men for now. The floor is yours, Nanami-chan!"

The eccentric man stepped aside, leaving the half-asleep student to fill in for him. Makoto watched as she rubbed her eyes as if to wake herself up properly.

"Hey, hey..." the girl said, voice filled with tiredness. Makoto had to lean in a little to be sure he heard her. "My name is Chiaki Nanami... I'm the Ultimate Gamer and Class Representative for Class 77-B... I think..."

You... think...?

"I'm here to tell you that if any of you needs help with anything, your upperclassmen will be there to lend a hand..." She yawned loudly. "They're not all perfectly reliable, but except if you're facing a mighty boss, we should be able to help you... I think..."

That's probably kinda mean, but I'm glad to see there's a student who made it through one year here with such low confidence... The Ultimate Lucky Student thought, scratching the back of his head. T-Totally not because I was worried! N-Nope! N-Not me!

"Also... my class has prepared everything for you all to throw an orientation party tonight..." A few excited grins suddenly appeared on the students' faces. Chiaki quickly shattered their hopes, though. "You will be under the supervision of two of my classmates... They're high-leveled, so I don't suggest trying to fight them..."

Makoto smiled in amusement. I guess a few of my classmates already had some ideas that contradicted the school regulations...

"Well, I'll see you later... I have a big raid coming up soon, so I have to go... I think..."

With this – and under the Headmaster's disbelieving eyes – the Ultimate Gamer left the gym through the backdoor, her walking sluggish and obviously unfocused.

Good to see the upperclassmen appear to be as odd as my classmates...

Jin coughed into his fist. "Well, I suppose Nanami had other engagements..." he said, retaking the podium. "In any case, what she said is correct. Do not hesitate for even an instant to seek help from staff members, upperclassmen, or alumni if you find it required."

I'll, uh... keep that in mind... The boy thought. Considering the oddities the school had already thrown at him, this was some advice he would gladly remember.

"Now, students, it is time for you to receive your e-handbooks. You will then have plenty of time to get settled inside your dorm rooms and explore the campus before attending the party Nanami mentioned just now," the Headmaster told them. "I will proceed to call you all in alphabetical order. Please walk here to get your handbook when I call your name."

There it is... Makoto looked around him, noticing the journalists were still very much there. To think his parents may very well be watching him right now was more than a little embarrassing. Having to walk to the Headmaster in front of all those cameras...

His gulp may have been heard by everyone, to be honest.

"Well, let us begin! The Ultimate Swimming Pro, Aoi Asahina!"

With this, Makoto's days as a Hope's Peak Academy student were officially underway!

To be continued...

A.N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please leave a review, and I hope you all have a nice day!