Chapter 2
11:05 AM Day 1
Grand Lobby
"YOU SCALY TROGLODYTE!" On impulse, Mary grabbed Monokame by his hair and hoisted him up to eye-level. "I don't care how the other games turned out, we are NOT bending to your will!"
"Well said!" Shun spun his volleyball on his finger like it was a basketball. He's that good. "Things will be different, this time! We're gonna beat you, 24-0!"
Tamaki squeezed a part of his floral kimono. "Killing is wrong. Life is something that should be cherished. We can't take it for granted!" A few tears leaked out. "How could you ever liken it to a 'game'?!"
...sniff
Monokame began to sob. He fiercely hugged Mary's wrist, squeezing it like a child would with a teddy bear. "What a moving speech! You're right, Tam-Tam. You're absolutely right! Life is valuable!" He then blew his snout onto the wrist.
"EW!" She immediately flung the turtle into the air.
But instead of falling, he performed a mini Whirling Fortress. His shell spun like a tiny propeller, sending him straight towards Tamaki. By the time he landed on the effeminate boy's shoulder, his reptilian tears had vanished without a trace.
He then got real close to his ear. "But here's the thing. That is exactly why we're having this game."
Lumoi gave him a fierce glare. "Get off of Tama... Now."
"Sure thing, Fräulein! Just tell the sweet child here what I said. I don't think he heard me." With that, Monokame jumped off. After a few flips, he stuck a perfect landing with the floor.
"Show off," muttered Ivy.
Edwin moved himself between the turtle and the other Guests. "What exactly do you mean by that? How can you appreciate life, yet host a killing game?"
"A game isn't fun if there are no stakes to it. Otherwise, players won't put in their best efforts to win." With a snap of his clawed fingers, another blue-haired, blue-eyed maid pushed a service cart to the room's center. She had a red 78 on her uniform. Stacked atop the cart were small, portable devices with a single slim button on their sides. They looked like tablets. Each one had a different name printed on it. "Plus, this one is different from the rest. If you play smart, then ALL of you will survive!"
Yuzuki peered from behind Naraaki. "All of us?"
"Don't believe him, moth-dork!" the pink-haired Teuthologist said with an annoyed TCH. "These guys can't spread their dumb despair if nobody dies!"
"We will not fall for your ruse." Makika folded her slender arms. "Surely, you'll give us motives to make us kill."
Monokame tapped his foot while absentmindedly staring at the absurdly-high ceiling. He didn't speak until a few seconds of silence passed. "Are you chumps finished? Since you seem to be soooo familiar with how these games work, you should already know everything about E-Handbooks. So take them."
After a bit of hesitation, each of the Guests took a Handbook.
The moment Rumiko pressed the button on hers, the screen flickered to life:
Guest ID:
Rumiko Homura
Gender: Female
Age: 18
Birthday: February 13th
Nationality: Japanese
Talent: Ultimate Defense Solicitor
Blood Type: O-
Height: 5'4"
Weight: 115 lbs
Likes: Romance novels, formal Dancing, alone time.
Dislikes: Exercising, any sort of physical activity, swimming.
On the right side of the screen was a full-body photograph of Rumiko.
It was a mirror image of her, complete with her black-framed glasses, black front blouse, gunmetal gray ruffles, checkered miniskirt, white high-heels, and all other cosmetics. Even the diagonal crack on her left lens was to the detail.
"H-How did y-you get a picture this g-g-good?"
"Swipe the screen left to see the Rules page."
Without even bothering to beg the question again, she did as he told. The others followed.
Like an app, the Rules page slid into view, pushing the Report Card aside.
RULES:
1. Guests are forbidden from entering other parts of the resort until they can afford them.
2. "Nighttime" is from 10 PM to 7 AM. Some areas are off-limits at night, so use caution.
3. Sleeping anywhere is permitted, but is cautioned against.
4. The Employee Areas are off-limits. Besides that, Guests are free to explore the affordable parts of the resort at their discretion.
5. Violence against the Caretaker, as well as destruction of surveillance cameras or hotel property, is strictly prohibited.
6. There are Death Traps scattered everywhere throughout the resort. Be careful with where you step and what you touch.
7. Anyone who kills another Guest and becomes the "Robber" will be granted freedom if they win the trial.
8. The trials are timed. Once time runs out, all Guests will be forced to vote.
9. Failure to catch the Robber in a trial will result in execution for everyone except the Robber.
10. There will be no trials for those who cause their own deaths.
11. Guests can earn money through various mini-games. They can use this money to buy whatever is available at the reception booth, as well as gamble for more at the Casino.
12. Guests who can afford the more expensive areas are allowed to explore them after purchasing them through the Front Desk. However, only those specific Guests will be granted access.
13. Guests who successfully catch the Robber in a trial will be rewarded with enough money to buy access to the next area.
14. After five full days of no Robbery, a Challenge Event will take place. The event will end upon completing the challenge. Win conditions will vary, depending on the challenge.
15. The key to escaping is hidden somewhere on the resort. Finding it and unlocking the escape route is an automatic win for all surviving guests.
16. During a trial, you are free to try and determine the identity of the GM. Succeeding will grant you a big reward. However, the timer will still be ticking.
17. The only way to have a trial without a murder is to use the ultra-rare Trial Request Ticket, which can be purchased at the Reception Shops.
18. Additional rules may be added as necessary.
"Mini-games? Money?" Ashe pinched the bridge of her nose until the bulb in her silver-haired head burned bright. "Riku, isn't this like those Mario Party games we found?"
"Yeah, it is..." The baggy-eyed boy fidgeted with his wispy purple ahoge. "In fact, Monokame looks like one of its characters. Is there some sort of theme going on here?"
Sanani's eyes were closed the entire time, and they stayed that way, just like his smile. "Never heard of those games," he said while rubbing his wooden bracelet beads with his thumb. "But you hooked me with money and Casino. Care to say more?"
The bony Lepidopterist was a shivering butterfly at this point. "Can you, um, tell us more about the death traps? Please?"
Lumoi continued to give hand gestures to Tamaki, though her turquoise eyes never left Monokame. "What are... Challenge Events?"
"I take it this 'GM' is what you call the Mastermind." Kirika looked over every word carefully. "How useful is this 'reward' to us?"
Jaleh silently muttered to herself, not that anybody could tell. She had put her glass helmet back on beforehand.
Misham thrust a hand up like a preschool student. "Are the trials any different from those in the other games?"
"Finally, a good question! Round of applause for scuba-boy." The Koopa Kid hopped onto the cart. "Yes, there are two key differences. The first is that the vote does NOT need to be unanimous. All you require to catch the Robber is a majority vote. Second, Guests will earn more money depending on how much they participate in the trial. This is in addition to the set amount you all receive for winning one."
All 24 Handbooks vibrated for a few seconds. When the Guests peered down, the Rules page automatically swiped to the left, revealing a third page.
HIDDEN RULES (Page 1):
1. Hidden rules get revealed when a Guest applies them in the game, or after every Guest learns about it.
2. The Robber only needs a majority vote to lose a trial.
3. Active participation in the trial affects the amount of extra money you can earn in it.
4. ?
5. ?
6. ?
7. ?
8. ?
9. ?
10. ?
There were two more pages of this...
"There's about thirty of these!" Kuroko screeched. "Even more than the actual rules! Why in Heaven's name are there so many?"
"Most of them refer to the items and tickets at their respective stores. As Hidden Rule 1 states, when a Guest uses an item or ticket in the game, the rules pertaining to it will be revealed on that list. Alternatively, sharing the rule with everyone will do the same."
Shiki rolled her midnight-purple eyes. "So when we buy a thing, we can keep its rule secret until the right moment," she deadpanned. "Just great."
"Now, for your other questions." Monokame long-jumped to Riku's shoulder. "This is a currency-based game, one that takes a huge inspiration from Mario Party as a whole, so you're on the right track!" He jumped again; this time, he landed on Yuzuki's head. "You can say the Death Traps are like the Happening Spaces."
"BACK OFF!" Naraaki tried to swing at the turtle, who effortlessly dodged.
"Simple contact is enough to set them off, and almost all of them reset after use, so they're aaalllllways active!" He swung off Naraaki's arm, as if it was a monkey bar, and flew into Kirika's arms. "GM is short for the Game Master. Figuring out their identity will help you all escape in some way." He gently traced his cold-blooded palm across the side of her face. "But that's all I will say. The specifics of the reward is my little secret."
The Caregiver wordlessly tossed him towards the blue-haired maid beside the cart, who caught him with ease.
"Whew! Explaining a game gets so tiring! S-78, kindly cover the rest."
"Understood," said the maid. "The Challenge Events are essentially the motives. Each one lasts for a specific period of time, but they can all be beaten. All you need to do is follow its instructions. Committing a murder will prematurely end the challenge."
Sanani put his hands into his pockets. "First Ruru, now these chicks. Trust me, sounding robotic isn't that attractive." S-78 stared blankly at him until he said, "Please continue."
"None of these challenges are designed to outright force you into killing. In other words, there will be no motives involving starvation, illnesses, hostages, or any form of death against you or another Guest."
Ashe released the most relieved sigh in the world. "Thank God..."
"Money is everything," continued the maid. "At noon today, when the game officially begins, each of you will receive $1,000. It will go straight to your E-Handbooks."
"Think of them like mechanical debit cards!"
"The Reception Shops and the Casino will also unlock at that time. A docking station is at the main desk for each location. All you have to do is insert your device to make a purchase. At the Casino, the Cashier will exchange your transaction with either chips or tokens. Giving them back to the cashier will send money to your device."
"The Death Traps..." Kiet inched his way past Edwin, towards the maid. "Have they... have they been activated... yet?"
"No. Those will also activate at noon, today."
"Grahaha." From within S-78's grasp, Monokame's red eye burned brighter than a dwarf star. "There's always a stubborn idiot itching to fight the host at the start. I'm surprised it took this long for that to happen here."
"Don't bother, Kiet," Gai said while massaging his own neck. "You saw how he moves. Charging head-on will end as well as it has in the past. Horribly."
"I am... I am not those other guys." The brass-haired Vovinam Practitioner performed a few flicker jabs, before inching closer and readying his stance. The other Guests inched backwards.
"Sure, buddy. Keep telling yourself that."
Kiet thrust his fist straight towards him, but the maid dropped him in the nick of time. The punch collided with her stomach, sending all the air spewing out of her. She collapsed into a trembling fetal position.
After that, the red-eyed boy repeatedly tried to kick him, but all of them failed to connect. Even when he upped the speed, the turtle would dodge every attack.
He soon took a split second to catch his breath, and that made all the difference. Monokame swerved behind him, jumped, and swung his claws at his back. A vicious forward aerial, tearing through his green plaid shirt and adding a fresh set of scars to the collection on his darkened skin.
Then Kiet struck him with a fierce back-kick!
Everyone's jaw dropped, while S-78 was still writhing. Kiet hardly flinched; he seemed surprised, but the scratch clearly didn't phase him. He unleashed a few more punches and kicks; most of them connected. Monokame still hadn't touched the floor. After juggling him for a bit, he launched him higher with an uppercut.
"Let me get a spike in!" Shun leaped towards him, ready to deliver a serious smack.
"Go get'em, little bro-kun!" Shiri bounced like a cheerleader. One with two pom-poms tied behind her hips.
"I'm giving this freak a piece of my mind!" Mary charged to where she thought the reptile would land.
Said reptile... hit Shun with a back-aerial. The dropkick landed directly into his face. A perfect bulls-eye with his nose. With blood trailing from both nostrils, the tan Volleyball Player plummeted like a rag-doll. He was out cold.
Like most dramas, nearly everyone shouted "SHUN!", and a few winced at the display. Shiri simply went "NANI?!"
Mary stopped running to peer at him, but she didn't realize she was right below Monokame, who responded with a Ground Pound.
SLAM!
Another lost consciousness.
Monokame stood atop the Linguist's flat chest and pointed a finger extremely close to her throat. Everyone else stood still. Even Kiet stopped himself.
"Amazing work, Kiet! Had you fought against Monokuma, Monobuta, or any of the others, you MIGHT have won. But, it is as you said for yourself. 'I am... I am not those other guys.'" He mockingly mimicked Kiet's accent when quoting him word for word. "Now, since you chumps already broke Rule 5, I'm legally allowed to silence this girl for good... I won't do that, though. Wouldn't be fun. But I will DEFINITELY do it if any of you try anything rash again."
He glanced at the clock. 11:50 AM.
S-78 slowly got to her feet, still wheezing here and there.
"We've wasted so much time on this Q&A. Only 10 minutes left till the game starts, so I'll make this quick. On Day 4, regardless of what happens until then, I will send you all individual messages. I call them Truth Bullets, because each one reveals a truth about this game, the Game Master, or you Guests. Do whatever you want with the information. Share it with everybody, or don't. Doesn't matter to me. Just don't confuse it with the Challenge Event, which will be on Day 5."
"Woah, dude..." Hinata's sun-tanned skin turned pale in seconds. "I don't mean to be that guy, but... this isn't real, right? It's all an act... isn't it?"
Makika tried to put a comforting hand on his back. "I'm sorry to say, but it's all real."
"Mr. Monokame?" Mya kept her brown eyes on Mary's neck, and the blood-tipped claw hovering above it. "I've looked everywhere in the Handbook, but I can't find a map for this resort."
A grin slithered onto his face. "Tranquil Tower doesn't have a map."
"The fuck?!" Hearing that made Ivy really upset. "How the hell do we find this key, then? What's stopping us from getting lost!?"
"I have to agree with Goth girl," said Jaleh. "A map is a basic component for any game like this. We deserve to have one."
Ivy slumped her shoulders. "I have a name..."
"So reliant on easy tech! In the golden days, people did everything with their own hands. No crutches! No calculators! You're all smart people, and your Handbooks come with a Notepad app. You can write AND sketch into it."
The Nuclear Scientist removed her helmet, to show him her slight smirk. "Well... you're right about my intelligence, at least."
DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG!
The clock struck 12...
The Handbooks vibrated once more...
Sanani opened his to see a new page appear. Everyone except Shun and Mary did the same.
STATUS:
Time — 12:00 PM
Balance — $1,000
Challenge Event begins in 4 Days; 23 hours; 59 minutes; 48 seconds.
Room — N/A
Every page looked like this.
"Currently, you can access the Grand Lobby, Guest Rooms, Casino, Hospital, Reception Shops, Paradise Beach, Atlas Pool, Conference Hall, and Game Chamber. I've also unlocked Floors 4 through 20. All of them, like the first three, have Standard Rooms only. To secure one as your own, consult the Bell Guy at the Front Desk over there."
Riku glanced at the Front Desk. "...Is it a Shy Guy dressed like a bellboy?"
As if on cue, a small being appeared from behind the desk. It looked exactly like a Shy Guy. A stereotypical bellboy hat was firmly attached to its hooded head.
The Fandubber stared at it and its simplistic mask. Its pitch-black, empty eyes. He scratched his head, deep in thought.
"You're catching on quick. But yes, these lovely critters are in charge of the room bookings, luggage, shops, room service, and mini-games. You'll see them the most often during your stay here."
A couple more Bell Guys approached Shun and Mary to hoist them up and carry them away. Monokame hopped off her body.
"Not to fear, those two will get patched up into tip-top shape. Our hospital is so pristine, you'd mistake its rooms for hotel rooms! No, seriously, look it up. There are articles explaining how hospitals are NOT hotels! That's how blurred the lines have gone!"
"Can you get on with it!?" Jaleh drummed her fingers along her helmet. "For fuck's sake, I haven't got time for this pointless banter!"
"We're just about done, Your Highness. I just need to do one more thing."
"W-W-What w-would that b-be?"
"Show you chumps that I'm not bluffing... about the Death Traps."
Immediately, Monokame leaped towards S-78 and gave her a powerful shove!
As she stumbled backwards, her left foot touched a specific tile on the floor.
It looked just like the other tiles, but it shifted down like a button.
"Everyone!" Edwin shouted.
A millisecond later...
"Look away, NOW!"
...a crossbow bolt pierced through her skull.
It zoomed across the whole room; shot from one of the giant pillars.
The poor maid collapsed dead. Blood pooled around her, while bits of her brains floated in it, like letters in an alphabet soup.
Lots of screaming and life-drained expressions happened after that.
Yuzuki hugged Naraaki with all her might. She was shaking so much. The boy was gentle with her, but his bright blue eyes bore daggers at the turtle.
Kaz also glared at him.
Shiri paced in a little circle, babbling incomprehensible gibberish.
"Bò sát... Quỷ dữ..." whispered Kiet.
Tamaki was outright bawling. "Saya... *sob* I'm sorry... *sniff* I'm so, so sorry..."
Lumoi did her best to soothe him.
"Damn you..." Edwin wiped away a few tears with his sleeve.
Mya gripped her necklace. "Mama... Help..."
"What the fuck..." Ivy looked like she had been warped to another world. "What the actual fuck..."
Riku kept his head looking towards the floor.
"Shit! That's mank, man..." Hinata felt himself getting dizzy. "I think I'm gonna throw up..."
"I know this is frightening... but we need to calm down. We can't do anything reckless." Makika's words of wisdom got lost amidst the panic.
CLANG!
Everyone stopped.
Silas had jabbed his shovel against the tiles below him. Not a crack on them. "That woman... She has died before, hasn't she?"
"She has," said Gai. He had looked away and obscured his eyes with his hat. "She was one of the forty-seven from the Hope's Peak game, and one of its first victims."
A bunch of maids entered the hallway. Each one looked exactly like S-78, save for the numbers on their aprons. They all carried mops, wash-buckets, sponges, soaps, and other various cleaning supplies. One of them had a body bag.
Ashe watched them wash up the blood and brains. "My God, they're all clones of her. Every single one."
"Correctamundo! I have hundreds upon hundreds of them in my supply. They were my test dummies for each death trap, but once those all got greenlit, I hardly knew what to do with them. So, they are now the resort's cleaning staff. You can count on them to tidy your rooms every day!"
"Why... why are you doing this to her?" Tamaki had calmed down, but his eyes were still leaking. "Why subject her to this torture?"
Monokame gave a light shrug. "I thought you'd be happy to see such an important figure coming back."
"You dare disgrace her death?" Silas was squeezing the handle of his shovel. It's amazing that it hadn't snapped from the sheer force of his grip. "You dragged her from the afterlife, back to here, and made it so she'll live for an eternity?" He SLAMMED the blade a second time. "How DARE you commit such a heinous offense!"
"If you want, I can just kill all of them."
"NO!" Tamaki was slightly surprised at his own outburst. "They deserve to live..."
"Make up your mind, already! The world doesn't revolve on indecisiveness. Sheesh!"
"The problem is that you stole her self-worth." Kuroko folded her tiny arms. "If one dies, it doesn't make much of a difference. It's utterly deplorable."
"What she said," muttered Shiki.
"That's how economic inflation works, my dears. When more dollars exist on the planet, the value for each of them drops!"
The maids carried the bagged body away. They finished their work and did an excellent job; the floor was so clean, it was sparkling.
"Now then, I think we've stood here long enough, so consider this meeting over. We hope you enjoy your stay at Tranquil Tower. See you all later!"
With that, he got in his shell and spun out of the room. Another Bell Guy arrived to take the service cart.
"Confound it!" exclaimed Misham. "I still had more questions to ask him. They would've given us more progress!"
Everyone spent the next several minutes standing in silence...
"This blows!" Hinata stomped the floor once, then adjusted his beach blond hair. "I was lookin' real forward to relaxin' at this 5-star resort. Now I gotta worry 'bout death traps, and dudes tryin' ta kill me, and whatever these 'Challenge Events' are. Really harshes the mellow, ya know? Ruins the mood, man..."
"Doesn't have to be that way," said Sanani, who strolled by with his hands in his pockets. "We're cautious of our surroundings every day, aren't we? This is exactly that, but up to eleven. Plus, you can still do the things this place has to offer. Wouldn't make sense for this GM guy to rig them with traps. Speaking of which, I'm heading to the casino. Care to join me?"
"I'd love to, Fox-man, but not right now. I'mma go cool off by the pool. Not swim in it, though. Not yet, at least." After saying that, Hinata made his exit.
Gai headed towards the elevator. "I'm gonna check out the Game Chamber. Something tells me that these are good to use, now."
"G-G-Guys, wait!" Rumiko watched everyone go their separate ways. "Sh-Shouldn't we s-search the r-rooms, first? So we c-can find the k-k-key?"
Kirika gave her a soft smile. "The key might be in the Casino or the Game Chamber, so it's good that they're exploring them now. Plus, there's no harm in a little multitasking."
"I'm finding my damn ray-gun." With a huff, Jaleh stormed out.
"I'll go to the Hospital area," said Mya. "I wanna see if Shun and Mary are okay."
"And I will explore the Shops," explained Makika. "It's best we learn as much of these items and tickets as we can. The sooner, the better."
Eventually, Rumiko was the only Guest in the lobby. She glanced at the Bell Guy behind the Front Desk. It hadn't moved a muscle.
She took a deep breath, to let the reality of her new life set in.
Challenge Event begins in 4 Days; 23 hours; 31 minutes.
To Be Continued
Author's Notes: The game is afoot, now, ladies and gentlemen! I'm so excited to show you what I have in store. =D
Since this is a mystery story, I highly encourage you all to get a notepad (physical or digital) and jot down any details you think are important. I've already sprinkled several important clues throughout these first three chapters. Yes, I am counting the Cast List as a chapter, and there are some pieces of the puzzle hidden within it. I won't say exactly where, of course.
Now, for a question. Are there any specific Free Time Events that you would like to see? If so, then write them down and send them to me. You can post them in the reviews, or you can DM them to me. Either or is fine, as long as I have some way of seeing your suggestions.
Thank you again for reading, and I hope to entertain you again!
Author's Replies:
Trust Me the Spider
It's true that I love the Mario Party series. However, I have specific reasons for centering a killing game around it. I look forward to seeing you figure out what those reasons are. ;)
Glass-Lady-of-the-Opera
Thank you! I'm so happy you're enjoying the story. I hope I'm doing Mya justice so far.
logal
I'm glad you like Monokame. He's fun to write. Then again, every character is fun to write! Hope you like what I have in store for Ruru! xD
gamergirl101
Indeed, they do! The wild ride is just getting started. I hope you enjoy it.
bellatrixshine
Thank you, Bella. From the beginning, I wanted this story to feel unique, so that really means a lot to me. ^_^