Welp, we're only at Chapter 1 and I already broke my preferred weekly schedule. Unfortunately, due to circumstances in my personal life, I do expect uploads to occur a little slower than usual. Still, I'm going to remain ever vigilant and keep working at it. It also doesn't help that I got a little greedy with this chapter, trying to include both Maki's general introduction as well as the beginning of the Killing Game. Speaking of, Maki says her talent once she meets Hajime, which happens further down, so until then, feel free to play the guessing game and tell me how close you were!
Also, because I'm forgetful, I didn't say this in the previous chapter. However, credit to CannibalisticApple for aiding me in ironing out some of the more confusing or vague plot elements involved with Danganronpa 2, as well as some of the consequences of Maki's inclusion. Sometimes, having someone to bounce ideas off of really helps. So if you're into Naruto fics then go and check out CannibalisticApple. Got my recommendation, even though I know like, nothing about Naruto.
Anything else... Well, I also have a poll set up on my profile. Just for fun, I want to know which characters from V3 you guys think would get along with Albert.
Alright, I've been stalling long enough. I hope you enjoy the chapter.
Chapter 1
Under New Management
After being dropped off on the island by Usami, the various students of class 77-B scattered to explore the islands available to them.
Nagito had opted to stay with the unconscious Hajime Hinata. Ibuki and Mikan both went for the Rocketpunch Market first, hoping to see what kind of things they had to work with on the island. Akane and Hiyoko headed for the Usami Corral, though neither seemed to have any real goal in mind. Chiaki, Fuyuhiko, Mahiru, Nekomaru, Peko, Sonia, and Teruteru all went to check out Hotel Mirai, which seemed to be where the group would be staying for the trip. Byakuya alone headed across the bridge leading to the Central Island. That left Gundham, Kazuichi, and Maki to investigate the airport, to see if they could use any of the many vehicles there to escape the island.
As the Ultimate Mechanic reentered the building from the airfield, tucking his wrench into his jumpsuit pocket, he let out a deep sigh. It was clear from his expression what kind of answer she'd get, but Maki decided to ask anyway. "How does it look, Soda Pop?"
He laughed a little at the nickname. "Uh, don't call me that. Anyways, it doesn't look good. The plane didn't even start. I dug around inside, hoping it was something I could fix, but the thing was missing its engine. Nothing I can do about that."
"And the others?"
"Haven't checked yet, but I'm guessing it'll be the same. Whoever brought us here really must've thought of everything." He let out another sigh, this one devolving into more of a whimper.
"At any rate, it seems our exit will not be through the path of the winds." Gundham noted.
Maki shook her head, scanning the airfield. "Couldn't you make like, a boat or something out of their parts?"
"Sure. But the boat wouldn't have an engine or motor, so we're back to the main problem..." Kazuichi explained. "Even if I could build a makeshift engine out of spare parts, I doubt there's any fuel on this island."
"I presume your mortal vehicles don't run on the blood of virgins?" Gundham suggested, seemingly half-serious.
"Uh, no, they don't." Kazuichi squinted at the other boy for a second. "Hey man, do you think you could cut the act? I mean, this is kinda serious, right? We don't even know where we are, or anything."
"Hmph. What you perceive as an act is simply the grandeur of the Tanaka Empire!" He outstretches his arms, and four hamsters jumped from his scarf and made their way down his arms. "You cannot silence us with mere words!"
Maki scratched her head as she turned to Kazuichi. "I think it'd just be easier to let him talk how he wants. At least, that's what I gleaned from that."
The Breeder frowned at her. "I assumed someone like you would be more readily able to understand my tongue, given your sinister aura..."
"Are you referring to my name, or my talent? Because neither of those give me the power to understand your weird, um, dialect."
"Well, he does raise a good point." Kazuichi said. "Er, not your aura, I mean, that's stupid. But your name is pretty uncommon."
"I guess so. But hey, I guess Yugami would sound pretty weird to someone with a name like Tanaka."
Gundham's face twisted slightly. "Tanaka may be an ordinary family name, but it's far better than Sato or Suzuki!"
Maki shook her head as she turned toward the door and started walking off. "Anyway, the only reason I came here was because I was expecting a plane ride. If we're going to be staying here for a while, I think I'm going to go check out the hotel."
Kazuichi pulled out his wrench once more. "Yeah, alright. I guess I'll check out the rest of the planes. Not like I have anything better to do. But I do want to see what kind of stuff this resort has to offer."
As the two walked off, Gundham grunted, staring down at his Four Dark Devas. "Tiring company, are they not?"
As Fuyuhiko exited his cottage and stepped out onto the boardwalk, he caught sight of Maki entering the hotel grounds. He averted his gaze and ignored her, but she called out to him, "Hey, Boss Baby!"
He turned to her with a glare. "What the fuck did you just call me!?"
She paused for a moment. "Uh... Boss. Just Boss."
"Tch... Sorry, but you don't exactly strike me as the yakuza type."
She raised her hands in surrender. "Well, I'm not, I just thought I'd show some respect, you know?"
"Yeah, right..." He started walking toward the pool area, and suppressed a groan when he saw Maki was following him. "You went to check out the airport, right? How's that lookin'?"
"According to Kazuichi, the planes don't have engines. So they're basically just for show."
"Well, shit. I guess if there's anyone who'd know how the planes are doing, it'd be the Ultimate Mechanic..."
"Yeah, even if he is, uh... not the sharpest tool in the shed."
"Hey, looks like that's something we can agree on. Stay outta my way, and maybe we can get along. Oh, and don't call me Boss Baby."
"I didn't in the first place, but sure thing." Maki agreed as the Yakuza walked off. She turned to who was now the nearest person to her. "He's a bit prickly, huh?"
Mahiru fiddled with her camera for a moment, perhaps a nervous tick. "He's probably just insecure. You know, trying to act tough when he's just as scared as everyone else."
"Yeah, probably. But I guess he wouldn't be a big fan of me, either way, given my talent. Anyway, how do the cottages look?"
"See for yourself. Your's is at the end of the boardwalk." She pointed Maki in the right direction. Sure enough, between Ibuki's and Mahiru's cottages, placed somewhat sloppily at the end of the walk, was Maki's cottage. It appeared almost like it was added after the rest of the area was constructed, as the fence and the plants beyond were cut out in a square shape large enough for the building to fit. Maki turned and examined the boy's side. There was a similar cottage, but it appeared to be unoccupied. Which made sense; there were only eight boys, but nine girls.
"It's just my luck to end up with the cheapest one. But I guess I can't complain too much, a resort is still a resort." She grasped the key that was lodged in the keyhole, with a keychain attached that read "M. Yugami." She turned the knob and pushed open the door.
Inside was what one may expect to find at a luxury hotel. There was a large bed with a canopy hanging over it, and HD television, a nice sofa and end table, blackout curtains for the windows, various potted tropical plants, a rug adorning the center of the floor, and a large bookcase in the corner of the room. The bookcase contained an assortment of psychology textbooks, many graphs listing crime rates in certain areas, as well as twelve binders, containing details of different killings, and the motives behind the crimes. Each binder had almost 500 cases in them.
"Yeesh, that is a lot of reading. I guess I'm going to have a lot of time on my hands, though. But I have to say, the murder cases look a lot more interesting than a simple psychology textbook." She looked around, unsure of what to do. She didn't quite feel like reading at the moment, given recent events.
She considered taking a nap, but she wasn't tired. She considered taking a bath, but aside from the sand in her shoes, she was perfectly clean. Finally, she decided there wasn't anything to be done in her cottage, and left, being sure to lock the door on her way out.
As she made her way down the boardwalk, she ran into Hajime and Nagito.
"Oh, hey, you're looking a lot more conscious than when I last saw you." She remarked. Nagito gave a light laugh.
"Uh, yeah. Sorry, I guess..." The boy said. "Anyway, we haven't introduced ourselves yet, right?"
"No, I suppose we haven't." Rather than introduce herself, she simply stood and waited for him to go first.
"Ah, my name is Hajime Hinata." He gave a slight bow, not too polite, but not too informal, either.
"Noted. And your talent? Everyone I've met so far is a student of Hope's Peak, so..."
"Oh, um... Th-The thing is, I honestly can't remember." He said, somewhat ashamed.
"Huh, I've never met an amnesiac before. Retrograde amnesia seems to best fit what we're talking about, since you still remember your identity, but given that you've specifically forgotten memories relating to your talent, it might be that someone purposely inflicted you with it... Though since I'm not a neurologist, I don't know of any techniques that could cause that..."
"Um, if you don't mind me asking... Could I have your name, too?" Hajime asked.
"Ah, sorry. I tend to get off track when I think about the human mind. It's a fascinating thing, y'know? Anyway, you can call me Maki Yugami. As for my talent, I'm the Ultimate Criminologist."
"Criminologist...?"
"Let's see... Criminology is the scientific study of crime and criminals. A criminologist studies the causes, effects, and social impacts of crime, and try to find ways to predict, deter, and prevent further criminal behaviour. So, basically, I'm like a detective, but I focus more on the psychological side rather than the physical."
"Oh, I guess that makes sense."
She stared at him for a moment, a smile on her face. "You seem interesting. I'll see you around, Hajime."
She walked off to continue exploring the island, leaving Hajime alone with Nagito, who the former noted had remained uncharacteristically quiet throughout the whole exchange.
The Imposter stood on the beach impatiently as the other student began to arrive. Only a little while ago, that Usami thing had played an announcement calling them all to the beach. He wasn't sure what they were called for, but he had a bad feeling about it.
Soon, Maki arrived, taking careful steps so as to not get more sand in her shoes than was necessary. Right behind her was Hajime and Nagito.
"You guys are the last to arrive." The Imposter scolded. "What are you dilly-dallying for?"
Nagito shrugged. "Sorry to keep you all waiting." He sounded sincere, at least.
"Well, it's all right... More importantly, this is our only chance to talk between ourselves before that rabbit returns."
"Kyahaha! Let's talk!" Hiyoko said enthusiastically.
"Now then, let me hear your initial impressions of this island." The Imposter decided.
"I happened to notice numerous blocked off bridges on the central island..." Peko noted.
"Oh, those are there so everybody doesn't get lost!" Ibuki explained. "I tried to cross one of them and that rabbit showed up and told me, so I'm telling the truth!"
"So we don't get lost...? Is this island really so big?"
"But if you look at it in depth, it's just a normal island, right?" Kazuichi asked. "It's got a resort and everything! Well, not that I've ever been to a resort before, but..."
"Also, there's a biiiiig ranch!" Hiyoko said.
"Um... there's also a large supermarket, too... It looks like it stocks everything from food to living amenities." Mikan explained.
"The hotel was really nice, too." Mahiru noted. "It'd be great if we can stay there."
"The restaurant inside the hotel was also very nice." Sonia said. "It seemed to cater to a more plebian taste."
"Can you guys listen to what I wanna say, too?" Teruteru asked. "I... found something very important on this island. Girls! Very, very cute girls! Aha! All over the place!"
"Grooooooss!" Ibuki whined, backing away. "I'm getting goosebumps!"
The Imposter shook his head and sighed at this display. "All of you are fools... I can't believe nobody has mentioned the most serious truth."
"...The most serious truth?" Chiaki repeated.
"If no one here realized it, you're all bigger fools than I thought."
"What did you say, you fat bastard?" Fuyuhiko snapped. "Don't be talkin' all big and shit!"
The Imposter scoffed and, channeling the persona he was impersonating, simply replied with, "Small dogs shouldn't bark so loud."
"Hey, what's the most serious truth?" Hajime asked. "Did... did you find something out about this island?"
"...Have you all gone to the park that's across the bridge?" He asked.
"The park with that weird bronze statue of all those creepy animals, right?" Hajime recalled.
"When I saw it, I remembered a story I'd heard before. There's an island in the Pacific Ocean, a beautiful island paradise where summer never ends... It consists of a central island surrounded by five different islands... It's also said that five holy animals symbolize each of those surrounding islands."
"Eh...?"
"That island's name is... Jabberwock Island." He finished dramatically. He looked around to see each of the students' reactions.
Nagito looked around uneasily. "Could this island be...?"
"Jabberwock Island?" Hajime finished. "Is that... the name of this island?"
"Still, there is something on my mind." The Imposter continued. "In fact, according to what I've heard, Jabberwock Island is already... Never mind."
"Hold it right there!" Nekomaru insisted. "That's a rather incomplete story you've told us."
"No need to shout. I'll let you know once I obtain more information."
"Meh, I don't care what this island's called." Akane decided. "Nikoniko Island or Papua Island or whatever... Doesn't chance the fact that we all gotta live here, right?"
"Living together on this tropical island sure is exciiiiting!" Ibuki cheered. "I'm super looking forward to it!"
"Right on!" Kazuichi said, seeming calmer than he was at the start. "This ain't a bad school at all!"
"H-Hey? You guys?" Hajime, having only woken up a little while ago, had very little time to adjust.
"Hmm, I like this island too!" Hiyoko decided. "...Can't say the same about the rest of you cretins."
"Huh? Did I hear something?" Teruteru asked her.
"I'm still worried," Mahiru admitted. "but I don't feel as worried as I did earlier... Yeah, since there won't be any danger or inconvenience, I feel like this won't be a problem!"
"Hey, listen to what you guys are saying." Hajime insisted. "We need to stay calm and think about this...! We're all here to attend Hope's Peak Academy, right? But we're living on an island like this instead... No matter what, it's completely weird!"
"Why don't you stop talking for a while?" Gundham suggested coldly. "Go cool your head off or something."
"...Eh?"
"P-Plus even if we wanted to leave, there's no way we can..." Teruteru pointed out.
"There's no ship, and the planes are just for show..." Kazuichi agreed.
"From what I've discovered, there's no way to contact the outside world, either..." Peko said. "In conclusion... it would be impossible to call for help."
"Then, why don't we just swim home?" Akane suggested.
"There's no way we can swim that far...!" Mikan gasped.
"SHOW SOME SPIRIT!" Nekomaru shouted. Ever the source of inspiration.
"I'm telling you, that's impossible!" Mahiru insisted. Ever the voice of reason.
"Th-Then... what if we cut down some trees and make a raft...?" Hajime suggested.
"Nuh-uh!" Usami showed up out of nowhere, causing several students to jump back. "You can't do that! That's the biggest of no-nos! Please recall the guidelines of this school trip! "Littering is not allowed. Let us coexist with this island's bountiful nature in mutual prosperity." Got it? I want everyone to get along and live peacefully on this beautiful tropical island."
"Wh-What's with these rules?" Hajime asked. "Who cares about that...!"
The Imposter raised a hand to call attention. "Stop. This rabbit seems to be rather finicky about these so-called rules. Based on that, what if your actions place everyone here in danger?"
"Th-The word "danger" is a bit much!" Usami argued. "I wouldn't do something like that!"
"Hajime... I understand how you feel, but you need to calm down a little, okay?" Nagito eased.
"F-For now... as long as we don't do anything weird, it seems there is no danger..." Mikan observed.
"And as long as we gather the Hope Fragments, we'll be able to get off this island soon." Chiaki said.
"Y-You're all just gonna believe that...?" Hajime asked, exasperated.
"There's no other choice but to believe... for now, at least." The Imposter explained.
"Anyway, Usami!" Ibuki approached the rabbit excitedly. "What's this present you mentioned in your announcement earlier?"
"Ah, that's right! Well, of course I didn't forget... Love! Love! This is it!" She reached behind her and pulled out a bunch of small pieces of merchandise. "Don't be upset! I've prepared one for you all, so don't worry!" She went around passing them out.
Nagito inspected his. "What is it...?"
"Pfft, teehee! It's an Usami Strap! If you squeeze the tummy, it talks." To demonstrate, she took one of her own and pressed the tummy. I'm Usami... Magical Miracle Girl Usami. I'm an itty bitty girl who's sweet like milk! It said. "Isn't it cute? Love, love!"
The Imposter shook his head. "...What a waste of time."
"Man, and I got my hopes up, too..." Ibuki said, tossing her's to the sand.
"I'm ashamed I even had my hopes up!" Teruteru cried.
"Really?" Chiaki was the only one who seemed content. "I think it's pretty cute. Especially how the ears look like a rabbit's..."
Maki chuckled. "Doesn't take a lot to please you, huh?"
"Well, Usami does mean "rabbit," you know!" The rabbit in question slowly looked around, and noticed that Chiaki was the only one who was still holding her strap. "Hey! You can't taint nature with trash!"
"See? Even you think they're trash!" Ibuki said.
Usami sadly went around picking up the straps. As she did, she muttered to herself, "Ugh... and I even prepared one more present, too, but now I don't wanna give it to you bad kids..."
At that, everyone perked up. Peko asked, "Hm? You have something else?"
"Well, compared to the Usami Strap, it's not that big of a deal... Basically, I've prepared a motive for everyone."
"A motive...?" Hajime asked, paling at the choice of words.
"That's right. A motive for everyone to get along. We've come all this way to a tropical island, so I thought it'd be great to do something island-themed."
"Like what?" Akane asked. "Are you thinkin' of throwin' a big party or somethin'?"
"Coooorrect!"
"Is it a festival? Or maybe a miniature shrine? How wonderful!" Sonia marveled.
"Excuse me, Miss Sonia..." Teruteru looked up to the girl with a mischievous grin. "My loins are still full of poison, and I'd appreciate it if you could suck it out with your mouth."
"Knock it off, Teruteru!" Nagito said, getting between them.
"Oh, your tenderloins? You betcha."
"Just ignore him, Sonia!"
"If we're talking about fun parties on a tropical island, maybe it should be a barbecue or something?" Ibuki suggested.
"Ah, a campfire sounds fun, too." Mahiru said.
"Let's find a hoop snake and kill it!" Hiyoko said excitedly.
"Is looking for one not enough for you!?" Kazuichi asked.
Usami stared out into the distance. "It seems everyone has different ideas, but if we're gonna be at the ocean, then first... Taadaa! This is what it's all about!" She pulled out two swimming bags out of nowhere, one blue, and the other red.
"A swimming bag?" Nagito observed.
"Coooorrect! Love! Love!"
"Whoaaa! Then that means..." Kazuichi dove for the bags and pulled them open.
"That's right. I have swimsuits for everyone! Well, school swimsuits actually. I hope that's okay."
"A-Are you telling us to go swimming...?" Hajime asked. "In a situation like this...?"
"It's not like I'm ordering you guys to swim or anything. It's just, if you wanna go swimming, you can..."
"Th-There's no way I'm going swimming! There's no way anyone would be so thoughtless as to go swimming in a situation like this..." A few feet behind him, Maki was counting down on her fingers, mouthing Three, two...
"YAAAHHHOOOOOO!" Ibuki cheered as she picked her swimsuit from the pile.
"Eh?"
"Aw yeah! That's what I'm talking about!" Kazuichi said, picking his trunks. "With weather this nice, there's no way I'm gonna pass on swimming!"
"I agree!" Teruteru picked a pair of trunks his size as well. "Even my loins agree! See?"
"Your tenderloins? I understand!" Sonia nodded to him as she also grabbed her swimsuit.
Nagito was still standing between then. "S-Seriously, don't try to understand!"
"How long has it been since I last swam in the sea?" Mahiru wondered aloud as she grabbed her's.
Maki picked one up as well, and seemed to consider it for a moment before shrugging. "Why not? The weather calls for it, either way."
"Allllllll riiiiiight!" Nekomaru announced. "Let's go change!" And everyone who took a swimsuit ran to the hotel to change.
The Imposter remained firmly planted in his spot on the beach. Not only was he less than enthusiastic with the idea of removing his disguise, but this whole situation seemed odd to him. He was expecting something bad to happen any minute now. Until then, he would observe the events from a safe distance, he decided.
Whether they shared his reasons or not, there were a handful of others on the beach with him. Nagito was the last to pick up his swimming trunks. He turned to Hajime, who remained still. "What are you going to do, Hajime? I understand how you feel, and I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do... But if you feel up for it, I'd be happy if you came along, too." With that, he took off toward the hotel as well.
Hajime stood, stunned, unsure of what to do.
"Hmph." The Imposter looked around at the other remainders. Akane, Chiaki, Fuyuhiko, and Hiyoko. Oh, and of course, Usami. The Imposter stared down at the little rabbit, wondering just what it was, what was its story, why did it take them to this island?
Usami, however, seemed to be watching the road. After about a minute, she interrupted the conversations the others were having. "Ah! Speaking of which, everyone has returned!"
As she said it, eleven bodies clothed in swimsuits ran into the water, cheering and shouting in joy.
"YAAAAAHOOOOOO!" Kazuichi screeched as he ran in.
"Yaaaay! The sea!" Mikan shouted, trying to match everyone's excitement.
"Aaah, the water is so cool." Sonia remarked. "It feels great!"
"Uah! Too salty!" Ibuki whined, refusing to close her mouth. "This water's too salty! It's not going easy on me!"
"Heeeey, I got some suntan lotion from the supermarket." Teruteru waddled around pointing it out to everyone. "Would anyone like a rub down?"
"Oh! You're quite considerate!" Nekomaru knelt down so the Chef could reach him. "Now then, will you apply it right away?"
"Eh? Rubbing lotion on a muscular man...?" Teruteru was stunned at the prospect... for about two seconds. "All right, no problem! My tastes are pretty open, you know!"
"You seem a little too open... Like you're covering too many bases by yourself." Mahiru teased.
"Mmhmhm... I'll make sure to slather you with lots and lots of oil."
As he was being rubbed, Nekomaru had a horrified expression. "Wh-What is this feeling of intense bloodlust!?"
As the Imposter rolled his eyes, Usami spoke up. "Yep yep! I'm very happy. Everyone seems to be getting along with each other, so I'm very happy. I thought this would be hard until everyone got used to this, but they're all acting like Ultimates! Let's keep up the pace and all do our best to peacefully enjoy this heart-throbbing school trip!"
After another few seconds, Hajime said, "Fine... I just gotta do it, right? Then... I'll do it! That's right, I'll do it!"
"Hajime? Did something happen?" Usami asked.
"Hey! Hand me one of those swimsuits!" He turned and called out to the water. "Heeeey you guys! Don't forget about me! Hey hey! Wait for me! Let me join in the fun!... Wait, huh?" He stared up at the sky, stunned. One by one, the other students looked up at what he noticed. The sky grew grey with clouds, and intense storm wind filled the area and pushed the waves. "What's happening...? These strange clouds... This doesn't look natural at all...!"
"Eh? Huh...?" Usami looked just as shocked as everyone else.
Hajime turned on her. "Hey, what's going on? What did you do!? This is obviously not right! It was sunny just a few moments ago!"
"Wha... Wha-wha-wha... Wh-What is this!?" She shrieked.
"...Huh?"
"I didn't do anything... What is all this...? There's no way! Something like this shouldn't be happening!"
As she said that, the monitor on a nearby palm tree sparked to life. Static filled the screen, causing whoever was speaking to sound choppy. Their gleeful, twisted voice announced to the students, "Ahh, ahh...! Mike check! Mike check! Ah, ah! Ah, ah! Can you hear me, can you hear me? Puhuhu... Surprised? You were totally surprised!... Riiiight? Now then, sorry to keep you all waiting for so long. Let's leave all this worthless entertainment behind... It's time for the main attraction! You guys better hustle over to Jabberwock Park!"
"Could it be? This voice...! I-If this is... Oh, this is very bad. I gotta do something... It's all up to me!" As she said that, Usami disappeared from the students' gazes.
"H-Hey! Wait!" Hajime demanded.
The Imposter stared up at the sky. "It seems that... was an unusual occurrence..."
"It's best if... we go, too..." Chiaki suggested. "Jabberwock Park, was it? Let's hurry." She turned and dashed off toward the bridge, faster than anyone had seen her move yet.
"H-Hey! Wait!" Akane followed her, quickly catching up.
"B-But what about everyone who's swimming?" Hajime asked as said students began to exit the water.
The Imposter shook his head. "There's no time to wait for them to change. I have a bad feeling about this... I'll head over first." With that, he dashed off to follow after the girls, leaving the others to follow behind him.
Usami was leering around desperately at her surroundings as Hajime, Akane, Byakuya, Chiaki, Fuyuhiko, and Hiyoko all arrived at Jabberwock Park behind her. She stood at the center before the great statue, looking in every direction as if her enemies were everywhere. She knew, due to Future Foundation intel, to expect the worst, but she legitimately hoped that it wouldn't come to this. "Wh-Where are you!? Where are you hiding!?"
"H-Hiding? Who are you talking to?" Hajime asked.
"Puhuhuhuhu!"
"...Eh?"
"Hey-hey!" Usami turned toward the direction of the laughter. "Where are you? Show yourself!"
"Ahhhh-hahahahahahaha!" Everyone's attention turned toward the large Jabberwock Statue. That's when he finally showed his face. That's when... Monokuma appeared.
The visage of a teddy bear, one half black, the other white, leaped up over the massive statue in a single bound, landing before the animals but still upon the podium. Everyone stood in stunned silence for a moment.
He took it upon himself to speak first. "Why, hello there! Thank you all for waiting! Long time, no see guys! I am Monokuma! I'm the headmaster of this academy! Ahem, now that I have made my dashing appearance, the first thing I need to say is... This is so friggin' lame! Lame, I say! Lamer than the lamest lamesauce! Oh, wait. Lamesauce!? Is that tasty?"
"Just as I thought... It was you!" Usami stood between Monokuma and the rest of the students, her Magic Stick in hand, ready to defend them if necessary. "But... how...? Why is Monokuma here!?"
"Aw shaaaadup! I'm livid, you know... And I'm about ready to barf thanks to your lukewarm attitude! Just what's with this "heart-throbbing school trip" crap anyway!? I'm bored! So hopelessly bored! This just ain't fun at all! You better knock off this farce right now! You've gotta make this, y'know... meet the demands of the world. Nobody wants to see high school students living clam and peaceful lives. What everyone wants to see... Other people's misery... and despair..."
Usami knew that wasn't true, since her favourite genre besides romance or comedy was slice of life, but she assumed Monokuma wouldn't care about that. Fuyuhiko was the first student to speak. "Wh-What the hell is up with this stuffed animal...!? Nothing he's saying makes any damn sense...!"
"What... what is going on?" Byakuya asked. "What is that thing?"
Usami stepped forward, waving her Stick menacingly. "Be careful, everyone! Stay back and leave this to me! I don't know why Monokuma is here, but as long as I have this Magic Stick..."
"Yah! Opening!" Faster than any stuffed toy with his figure should be able to, Monokuma jumped at Usami, and the two of them started wrestling. Before any of the students could react, Monokuma stomped on her Stick, snapping it in two."Dun-dun-dah-dahhhhh! Victory!"
"Noooooo! My Magic Stick!"
"Now then, what to do after my flawless victory..." Monokuma wondered aloud. "First of all, you're too plain. White rabbits are faaaar too plain. Soooo, I'm gonna make you in my image! Aaah-hahahaha!" He grabbed her and started fighting with her again. "This is what happens when you defy me... I'll crunch ya! I'll bite ya! I'll rip you apart!"
Once again, before anyone could do anything, the dust settled, and Usami's right half was bright pink, and she was wearing a diaper. "Taaa-daaa! ALL DONE!"
"Wha-...? What is this!? I'm not supposed to look weird like this! Change me back to normal!"
"My, my... Defying your big brother's fashion sense. Is Monomi a little troublemaker?"
"...Big Brother? Monomi?"
"Your current position is too wishy-washy, so I'm setting you to be my little sister, Monomi... Though it's only an external setting, after all."
"Wh-Why do I have to be your little sister!?"
"...Big sister, then? You wanna be the older sister that got separated at birth? Hmm, that doesn't really feel right... Yep, you're definitely more like a little sister. Soooo that's how it's gonna be... Monomi! From now on, if you ever disobey me, I will never forgive you!"
"H-How...? Even the display changed to Monomi!?" Monomi said. "H-Hey! I won't let you make up your own settings!"
In response to her defiance, Monokuma reeled back and threw a heavy punch straight into her cheek. "Stupid fool! Do you think you can win against me!?"
"Owww! It hurts a lot when you punch me!" She pointed out, flying back.
"How about that!? Now you've learned your lesson!"
"Ugh... if only I still had the Magic Stick, I could have totally beaten that awful Monokuma..."
"Puhu! It's your fault for leaving yourself open! Even a one-second opening is life-threatening on a battlefield."
"Hey... what's with this stupid performance...?" Fuyuhiko asked.
"Wh-Who friggin' knows...!" Akane shouted.
"But... it's obvious something bad is happening." Chiaki decided.
Just then, the other students began showing up. "Whaa-!? What is this!? What's goin' on!?" Teruteru asked.
Monomi let out a sob, and Mahiru's attention turned toward her. "Huh? Now she's all weird-looking!"
"Weird-looking...?" Monokuma repeated sadly. "She matches me now, you know! How insensitive..."
"There's more of 'em!?" Ibuki screamed.
"Wh-What does this mean?" Peko asked. "What is that black and white tanuki...?"
"I'm not a tanuki, I'm a bear! I'm Monokuma!"
Kazuichi shook his head. "I-I don't understand it myself, but... a new stuffed animal appeared? I mean... why is that stuffed animal even talking...?"
"Seriously, I'm not a stuffed animal, I'm Monokuma! The headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy!"
"Monokuma...?" Nagito repeated.
"Did you say... headmaster!?" Nekomaru asked.
Monomi heard a quiet sigh come from Maki as she wrung saltwater out of her twintails. "Looks like he really is useless, after all..." She spoke quietly enough that no one else could hear her, only Monomi on account of her keen ears.
"Regardless... it appears everyone has gathered. Now then, as the headmaster, I shall make a formal declaration! From this point onward, the killing school trip will now commence! A school trip where everyone gets along has no stimulation at all! And that's so damn boring! Nobody wants to play a game like that! You guys agree with me, right!? Sooooo, let's begin our killing school trip! Naturally, you guys are the contestants!"
"K-Killing... contestants...?" Teruteru repeated.
"Wh-What are you saying!?" Monomi snapped. "I will absolutely, positively not allow such bloody events!"
Monokuma stared at her for a second, before twisting his body and angling a kick straight into her cheek, the same spot he hit her before.
"Owww! It hurts a lot when you kick me, too!"
"Jeez... Your brain sure is tiny, Monomi. How many times do I have to tell you? Pay attention this time. Except in manga, a little sister is never smarter than her older brother! Now then, we got off topic for a while, so let's go back to the explanation of the killing school trip!"
"Wh-Wh-What do you mean, "killing school trip"...?" Mikan asked.
"Isn't it obvious? You guys are going to kill each other!"
"Kill each other... I see..." Kazuichi scratched his head for a moment before his eyes widened. "K-KILL EACH OTHER!?"
"Wh-What are you saying!?" Teruteru asked. "That's impossible!"
"Well, don't you think it's kinda lame and boring that you can't leave the island unless you all get along? So I'm changing the rules! If you want off this island, then please kill one of your friends! And then, make it through the class trial without getting caught!"
"...Class trial?" Chiaki asked.
"That's right! The class trial is the real charm of this killing school trip! If one of you gets murdered... The surviving members must participate in the class trial! At the class trial, there will be a showdown between the blackened killer and the spotless students. During the trial, you'll present your arguments about who you think the blackened is. The outcome will be decided by popular vote and if you arrive at the correct answer... Only the blackened killer will be punished. The rest may continue their school trip. However... if you choose poorly... then the one who got away with murder will survive, and the rest of you will receive your punishment. As far as the class trial rules go... that's all there is to it! Which means, if you kill someone and make it through the class trial, you get to live and leave this island. However, if you are found guilty during the class trial, then you will be punished. Puhuhu it's a familiar but simple rule, right?"
"You... keep repeated that word "punish" over and over." Kazuichi noticed. "What's the deal with that?"
"Basically... it's an execution!"
"E-Execution!?" Sonia shrieked.
"The pleasing punishment that follows the class trial! This is one of the perks of the killing school trip. Puhuhu, what sort of spine-tingling punishments will we see? I can't help it, I'm already getting excited! There may even be some unique punishments, like impaling you through the head with a Thingamajig Claw! Ahem, any method of killing is fine. Popular ones like bludgeoning, stabbing, strangling, and poisoning... To shooting, beating, running over, burning, bombing, slashing, drowning, electrocution, crushing, cursing... Please, choose whichever killing method you prefer. No time limit, so you can kill as you please... It's an All-You-Can-Murder Buffet... A theme park of murder... That's what this killing school trip is all about!"
"D-Don't fuck with me..." Fuyuhiko spat.
"Th-That's right! Who on earth would kill someone?" Kazuichi asked.
"I'm not ordering anyone to kill. Whether or not you kill someone is entirely up to you. But be careful! Youth doesn't last forever! It'll be too late if you guys wait till you're in your forties to start killing each other!"
"I-I don't believe any of this..." Teruteru said firmly. "I don't believe any of this... I don't believe any of this..."
"Wh-What if nobody ever gets murdered?" Mahiru asked. "Does that mean we'll never leave this island?"
"Who knows!? Anyway, I'd like for you all to go through with this killing school trip in a healthy and positive manner."
"W-Wait just a minute!" Mahiru snapped. "Why do we have to do this!?"
"Well, it's obvious. There's a reason you all need to kill each other."
"Hold on..." Nekomaru stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. "You've been running your mouth for quite some time now... I don't want to get violent, but if I do, I have no idea what might happen!"
Akane stepped up to join him. "What, a fight? Do I need to beat the crap outta that black-and-white bear?"
Peko reached for her sword bag as she stepped forward as well. "Who would dare try to kill...? I'll put a stop to it, with force if necessary."
"If you keep saying stupid stuff, the athletes in our group are prepared to lose their patience!" Ibuki warned.
"Ah, is that so...?" Monokuma looked around. "Well, I guess I expected this reaction... If you guys wanna do things by force, then I'll have to fight back with a little force of my own..."
"Force?" Monomi repeated. "What are you gonna do...!?"
"Surge... O gods who dwell between light and darkness... In accordance with our contract, I summon thee now... Come forth, Monobeasts!"
The statue that he had been sitting on suddenly shattered, revealing beneath its exterior the bodies of five massive robots. All five jumped down and got into position to defend Monokuma from the students. Everyone jumped back, and various screams filled the area.
"Huh... huh...?" Sonia gasped.
"Wh-Why... did the statue move?" Mahiru asked.
"That's no statue! They're Monobeasts!" Monokuma laughed.
"M-M-M-M-Monster!" Kazuichi screamed.
"No, I just said they're Monobeasts!"
"N-No... this can't be... This is just... too weird...!" Mikan cried.
"Am I... having a nightmare or something...?" Fuyuhiko asked aloud.
"Kyahaha!" Hiyoko simply laughed. "A nightmare, he says! He just admitted his brain is a total flower patch!"
"Jeez... You guys sure are a skeptical bunch... If something doesn't fit within your narrow notions of common sense, you just deny it outright... How stupid. Ignorant cavemen are better than you all! Classifying events according to their genre is a disease of the modern age."
'Everyone! Please stay back!" Monomi jumped up and tried to stand between everyone at the 'beasts. "I-I will protect everyone! Even at the cost of my own life... I will protect everyone!"
Monokuma started miming vomiting motions. "Hurk!... Huh? What's this? Blurgh... Ugh... Ah, I know! This is nausea! Your sickly sweet sense of justice makes me wanna puke! All righty then, it's decided! You'll be my example to everyone!" With a single bound, he jumped upon the back of the bird Monobeast.
He gripped a control stick, and machine guns shifted out of the robot. He gave the word, and the machine started firing at Monomi, fulling her with dozens of bullets every second. It tore through her stuffing, and through the tree behind her, knocking it over. The students cowered as bullets ricocheted throughout the area. When the bullets finally stopped, all that was left of Monomi was her bullet-riddled bow, which drifted to the ground slowly.
As the initial cowering from the gunfire ceased, the students all stared up at the robots. Teruteru was shaking. "Wah... Waaaaah... WAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
"Wh-What is that!?" Kazuichi asked.
"A-blub-blub-blub-blub... It's only the first stage... and Monomi is already dead...!" Ibuki screamed.
"I-Is that a demon...!?" Gundham asked. "Or perhaps it's... a weapon from the future...!?"
"Monobeasts are dreadful weapons of destruction!" Monokuma boasted. "Puhuhu... That's right, this is what I wanted. This feeling of despair! Giving an example was totally the right call! Ah-hahahahahaha! Now then, I believe I've made my point... Just so we're clear, you guys can't defy me. If you don't want to end up as fish food, you better not disobey me! Just so you know... I don't feel mercy or sympathy. Cuz I'm a bear, after all. An excuse like, "I got high off this tropical atmosphere," won't work on me at all! Also, in addition to the killing school trip, I've already updated the e-Handbook. There, the rules for the killing school trip are written, so you better read them thoroughly. Ignorance of the rules is no excuse, either. Well, that's also true in any society, really. Now then... Enjoy the remainder of this liberating and harsh school trip!"
With that, Monokuma disappeared, and the Monobeasts trudged off toward the different bridges.
Every student had a different expression, but they all conveyed the same feeling: Exhaustion. They were all mentally exhausted from trying to process everything that occurred in the last 24 hours.
"Wh-What just... happened...?" Nagito wondered aloud. No one was able to provide an answer.
"U-Um... Um..." Teruteru took some deep breaths. "I-I... just won't believe it... That's it... That's all there is to it..."
"It'd be one thing if we were up against a human or even an animal..." Nekomaru said. "What the hell can we do against a monster like that!?"
"I-It's impossible... Why is something impossible happening...?" Kazuichi asked desperately.
"Well it's not... really impossible." Byakuya said quietly. "Those Monobeasts or whatever they're called are machines. Thus, Monokuma must also be the same... As long as they're machines... It means someone made them, and is controlling them."
"Who could be responsible...?" Peko asked. "Why were we put into this unexplainable situation..."
"Hey, who is it!? Who!?" Mahiru demanded, her composure gone.
"Aha... haha, it could be anyone." Teruteru offered. "It's not like I believe it anyway. There's no way I'd believe something like that. More importantly, are you guys hungry? Let's stop thinking about this and just eat."
"...You can eat first." Chiaki told him.
Byakuya stepped up. "No matter how confused or upset you are, I don't mind. However, remember this... I don't know who in the world is orchestrating this but... We don't need to be cautious of those machines... or even of whoever's controlling them... More than anything, we must be cautious of... Ourselves. Being brought to a tropical island with complete strangers, and ordered to kill each other to escape... That creates fear in our minds, and the desire to escape that hopeless fear... is our worst enemy."
And that was the beginning of the Killing School Trip. A nightmare for its participants and its viewers. A game of hope and despair. A game for the past and the future. A game of life and death. A game of logic and faith. A Killing Game.
And there was much torment to endure before they earned their happy ending.
Alright, the Killing Game has finally begun. Okay, okay, I won't say too much down here. This chapter's already long enough. Hopefully the next one is a little shorter.
In the next chapter, we'll see Albert and friends react to these events, and see how well the participants respond to their new scenario.
