With a restless grunt, Ichijou Mitsuzi stirred in his bed. Throwing his blanket aside, revealing his black and white pajama clad body to the air, he locked his gaze on the ceiling. It wasn't even light out yet. Even if he got up, there wasn't much to do but wait until the morning announcement. But then again, this was a rare opportunity: to be up and awake with the Resort to himself...

Getting up, he dressed himself properly, before heading out, the chirping of cicadas hitting his ears as soon as he'd opened the door. It was still quite temperate despite the darkness, but Ichijou could still see the faint glow of an imminent sunrise. Getting an idea, he tried to remember the best, east facing cliff on the Mountain. It wasn't far off at all though: Ichijou just headed to the fence nearby, resting against it. As he leaned on the wood, he looked down the fence, seeing the still broken part he fell through a while back, and wisely backed off.

As the cicadas died down, the horizon over the forest began to glow light blue, the steadily turn to pink, then orange. For perhaps an hour, Ichijou waited by the fence quietly, simply watching the sun rise, coming over the forest and shining its light on the mountain. But even as he bathed in the sunlight, the mess stirring in his brain didn't right itself, even if he did feel a little better.

Sticking around for a bit longer, he waited until he heard the music of bugles playing, followed as usual by Monokuma's voice, "Good morning, Hope's Peak Students! Today is another day to enrich yourselves with the wonders of Arashimine Resort, so rise and shine! Nighttime restrictions have been lifted, so I implore you to have a nice day."

Stretching for a second, he headed over to the Resort Restaurant, finding himself to be the first arrival. He wasn't lounging in his seat for more than a couple minutes when Ishihara arrived, blinking in surprise when he saw the Luckster. Smiling, he greeted, "Morning!" Ichijou forced a smile and waved back as the Aeronaut went into the Kitchen as normal.

Over the course of the next couple minutes, the others gradually filtered in as normal, but there still wasn't much in the way of conversation until Ishihara came in with breakfast. As everyone got their plates, Ishihara requested, "Oh yeah, from now on, I'm going to take care of all the meals, so try to be here on time, alright? Let me know if you want anything first."

Raising an eyebrow, Minami asked, "Any particular reason?"

After a moment, Ishihara replied, "I just think it's best to not have people snooping around the Kitchen. The knives are still there, for starters. Even if I'm checking them, I don't really like having people in my workspace."

Uzatei noted, "Fair enough. I'm similar in that regard, but aren't you an Aeronaut, not a chef?"

Ganaha shrugged, "Eh, I'm not complaining."

Uzatei replied, "Neither was I."

Clearing her throat, Minami interrupted, "Anyway: I believe our plans for the day were to split up and search for the book?"

Ishihara nodded, "I think that's as good as anything. There's gotta be something somewhere."

With that proclamation and the end of the meal, the group split up to go give it a bit more searching, in hopes of discovering something. There was no order or logic in it; just those interested checking out the mountainous haystack for the needle.

Ichijou himself didn't have much of an idea of where to look. As he scanned the First Level, he did, however, wonder if it had been hiding under his nose the entire time. After briefly checking the flower bed in front of the Lodges, he turned to head over to the other side, where the Medical Building was. Figuring he'd give it a look anyway, he headed inside, not surprised in the least to see Saruta Bimaru there, reading. The Surgical Assistant looked up, smiling at the Luckster, asking without hesitance, "May I help you?"

Ichijou smiled back, before replying, "Well, I was wondering if Volume One was hiding in here somewhere."

As he looked over to the storage closet he had yet to see the inside of, Saruta insisted, "I did give this place quite a thorough look when we first arrive, if you recall. I do think I would have noticed the book if it were here."

Ichijou thought for a moment, before wondering, "Well, it might be really well hidden." Looking down at the boards on the ground, he suggested, "Like under the floor?"

Saruta blinked, before nodding, "Well, I doubt it...but I see no harm in looking. I'm not doing much productive sitting here I suppose."

The two proceeded to give the Medical Building a proper rundown, checking every floorboard. As Saruta predicted, nothing came of the search, but Ichijou felt satisfied that another location had been cleared off the imaginary list.

As they finished, Saruta returned to his desk while Ichijou found a seat on the bed. He began to recall some of his earlier words...there were some things he obviously didn't want to talk about, but that didn't mean he wouldn't talk about the rest.

Remembering an explanation of his earlier, Ichijou wondered, "So, how can doctoring work be, er, 'less than legal'? I mean, helping people is helping people, right?"

Saruta sighed, "In an ideal world. While I assure you, my own unlicensed work was justified, this is not the case everywhere. Regulation can be restricting, but if it means keeping snake oil salesmen out of things, then it's for the best, I'd say."

Ichijou blinked, before muttering, "Snake oil…" He knew full well it didn't come from snakes: that would be silly! He couldn't quite recall what it was though. Ichijou said, "That would be a…what's it called? Lubicant?"

Saruta blinked, before wondering, "Lubricant? Well, I suppose all oil is a lubricant, but-"

Ichijou nodded, replying, "Right, lubricant. For…your hands?"

Saruta sighed, "No, it's a term for something else."

Ichijou continued to ponder, thinking of what snake oil could refer too, before wondering, "It's sounds useless…"

Saruta nodded, "That sums it up, I think." As Ichijou blinked at him, Saruta explained, "It refers to something one might try to sell while they overstate its use or effects, like trying to pass off pills or bath salts as fat melting weight loss supplements, when they in fact are quite useless. This is more important with genuine medicine: without licenses, who would trust any doctor?"

Starting to understand, Ichijou nodded, "Yeah, that does sound really important. But…" Getting to the main point, he wondered, "Why'd you start doing unlicensed work then?"

Saruta sighed, "It was simply passion. No more of a compulsion, really. It is not as though I had much else. My family is fairly wealthy, and in growing up with everything I wanted, I naturally came to desire that which I did not or could not easily get. Er, and more importantly, I wanted to…earn it. Money can go a long way, and I had quite a bit. While I could have simply given it away to achieve my wants, I felt that doing so wouldn't be as satisfying as say, taking it with my own hands." Ichijou smiled, being glad for Saruta's ambitions. Ichijou himself hadn't really had much in his corner of the country, being worried less about ambition and being worried more about being forced into something he didn't want.

The Luckster nodded, "Yeah, I can see what you mean, even though I don't have much ambition."

Saruta insisted, "I'm sure you will find your passion at some point, after all, we are still young." Ichijou nodded, remembering that Tamura had once said something similar.

"Er, so, what's your family like?" Ichijou wondered. He knew exactly what he was getting into, and Saruta seeming to tense slightly only confirmed his worries.

However, Saruta was rather forthcoming, beginning, "They met through their respective businesses. My father ran a shipping company, and my mother dealt in home appliances. As their companies formed bonds, so did the two of them, for a time. However, before I can recall, there was something of a falling out between the two. They lost their love for each other and…well, due to the unison of their businesses, and, in a sense, their genes, they couldn't simply cut all ties, despite their desires. I recall being quite confused as to the identities of my true mother and father at times, as each of them never seemed to talk, simply passing me between each other, who would usually pass me on to a servant after a weak attempt at trying to be parently and that's without mentioning the other mates they would have with them on occasion." Ichijou frowned at the thought, but Saruta's tone was not so bitter. In fact, he said it with so little emotion he might have well as been reading a dictionary.

Once again thinking back to Tamura, Ichijou wondered, "Are you thinking of starting your own family?"

Saruta's eyes widened, and he stared at Ichijou for a moment, before letting out a shaky laugh. I smoothly shook his head, before explaining firmly, "No, I have no interest. I am quite methodical and stubborn in my daily lifestyle. I'm also not particularly attractive, and, given how I was raised, it shouldn't be any surprise that I have no fatherly skills to speak of."

Ichijou crossed his arms over his chest, pouting, "So you're not even going to try?"

Saruta replied confidently, "I wouldn't even know where to begin."

Ichijou scratched his head, before noting, "You know…I don't really know anything about relationships either, but I guess I'm going to have to learn quick, since I'm getting married in a couple years."

Saruta raised an eyebrow, before recalling, "Ah yes, I do believe you mentioned you betrothal, but you are you and I am I." Turning in his chair a bit, Saruta said with a tone of finality, "Thank you for your help in searching, Ichijou-san."

Taking that as a sign he was no longer wanted, Ichijou scratched the back of his head, before wishing Saruta farewell and heading out the door. Closing the portal behind him, he felt like he could do more somehow, but…why was he so distant? At the very least, he learned a little more about him.

Heading out from the Medial Building, he realized it was still a short while until lunch. If he could find another way to kill some time, that would be nice. Looking around, he spotted the two worn, unmarked Lodges at the edge of the row, and decided to make his way over. He knew that they wouldn't be able to open, but maybe it would be worth a look anyway.

As he made his way over, something caught the corner of his eye, slipping behind another set of Lodges Changing direction, Ichijou made to follow, turning the corner to find himself in an area he hadn't really given a good look before. The space behind the Lodges was fairly sheltered by the cliff side nearby and the backs of the buildings. He also spotted the white lounging chair that seemed to have gone missing. Standing in the clearing, however, was the pink haired Ganaha Eriko, striking a pose, or something to that effect. Blinking, Ichijou asked, "Whatcha up too, Ganaha-chan?"

At his words, the Producer snapped towards him, turning abruptly, one arm at her side and the other crossed over his chest. Relaxing her stance, she put her hands on her hips as she said plainly, "Dancing."

Ichijou blinked, before wondering, "Why?"

Ganaha frowned, before muttering dejectedly, "You called me fat earlier."

Ichijou's jaw dropped, and the boy quickly insisted, "I did not!"

Ganaha pointed her finger, stating, "You did!" Waggling her finger, she continued, "Remember? At the Shrine, when we met that douchey Priest?"

Scratching his head, Ichijou apologized, "Right, right, that. Sorry, though I probably would have said that about anyone…"

Ganaha turned away a bit, muttering, "Whatever, whatever, it's fine. I've been getting lazy anyway." At that, she quickly shot her hands about as she performed a couple swift moves. Unsatisfied, she stopped, grumbling, "These are not dancing clothes…"

Ichijou wondered, "Do you usually dance?"

Ganaha blinked, before replying, "Of course! I told you idols have to sing and dance on stage, right? Who better to show them the dance choreography than me? And if I know it I can see where they mess up and tell them to correct it. How do you think I got into Producing a friggin' idol group anyway?"

Ichijou wondered for a moment, before guessing, "Producer tryouts?"

Ganaha snorted, "Do you even know what a Producer is?"

Realizing he was way off the mark, Ichijou thought about how else one might be interested in idols, suggesting, "Were you an idol fan?"

Ganaha stared blankly, before her cheek puffed out in amusement. After letting out a few joyous giggles, she laughed, "Idol fan? Idol fan!? Do I look like a fat, sweaty nerd with a scraggly beard on his neck to you?"

Scratching the side of his face awkwardly, Ichijou guessed, "Then…idol…"

Ganaha sighed, "Yup, pretty much." Ichijou blinked, not sure where she pulled that from. She began, "See, my dad got lucky: super lucky, so lucky that you'd be envious." In other words, average, Ichijou figured. However, Ganaha continued, "He one a big fat pot in a lottery one day. He'd been using the same numbers for as long as I can remember, but one day it worked, and he won. Well, of course, the question is what to do with it, so he got advice from a rich friend, who suggested he invest. And well, I had a friend who had some infectious dreams, and I happened to be something of a daddy's girl myself and…"

Ichijou realized, "He bought an idol band?"

Ganaha opened her mouth, before closing it, correcting, "He bout an idol production group, 113 Pro. And of course, since he was now the producer, he was able to get me and my friend practicing to become actual idols. Favoritism at its best. Turns out being an idol is friggin' hard, and my dad didn't know jack. Anyway, I ended up helping with the paperwork one day, and it turned out I had a knack for it, so I began to graduate from doing the idol crap into doing more…what's the word? The producer and managery stuff, whatever. And since I'd seen both sides of it, I was able to manage the group with both points of view in mind, and eventually I got my name in with Hope's Peak after that TV documentary."

At Ichijou's curious gaze, Ganaha smirked, beginning, "You see, after I took charge, 113 Pro began to hit it big time, so much that there were these rumors that some bad things were going down, so some people wanted answers. I slated a TV crew to come in and show that nothing weird was going on except me, and for a brief time, I ended up being more popular than my idols!"

Ichijou nodded, replying, "Whoa, that's something…"

Ganaha smiled, "Isn't it? It helps that I'm cute, I'm guess."

Not wanting to risk the potential landmine, Ichijou said, "Hey, isn't it almost lunch time?"

Ganaha shrugged, "Eehh, nah, I'm sure I could go without a meal or two."

Ichijou frowned, "You have to eat."

Giving Ichijou a close look, Ganaha wondered ominously, "Do I?"

Grabbing her by the shoulders, Ichijou began to guide her to the Restaurant, insisting, "Yes." Ganaha seemed a bit displeased, but as the reached the building, she was back to normal again. As the two found seats, he wondered what would have been of the girl had those fateful lottery numbers been wrong once again? Would someone else be sitting there? Or would she have found her way into the realm of a Producer through some other method? Ichijou would never know.

As everyone gathered, the lack of books in anyone's hands made it clear the search thus far had been in failure. Hope's diminished for the day, in particular due to the anticipated incentive, the lunch was quite quiet, but relaxing somehow. Ichijou felt that quiet meals weren't always a bad thing: it wasn't tense, just peaceful.

After the meal had concluded, Ichijou made his way out of the Resort Restaurant like usual, wondering what to do with himself until the incentive, when he heard a voice from behind him ask, "Ichijou-san?"

Turning, he saw Nagasaki Ayumi behind him, arms handing at her sides. Smiling at her, Ichijou asked, "What's up, Nagasaki-chan?"

Scratching the side of her face Nagasaki asked, "Er, would you...could you..." Looking away, she reconsidered, "No, never mind, it's dumb."

Feeling left out, Ichijou insisted, "No, it's fine, you can tell me."

Nagasaki pondered for a moment, before asking, "Well, I wanted to try snowboarding, but I don't know where to start."

Understanding immediately, Ichijou nodded, "Well then, let's go figure it out!"

Nagasaki seemed a bit uncertain, but complied, "A-alright."

After taking a quick stop at his Lodge to get is cold weather gear, the pair ascended, reaching the Fourth Level changing room, where Nagasaki changed into her warmer clothes as Ichijou finally donned his hanten once more. Stepping out into the snowy Level, Nagasaki muttered, "Should we be going so far? Monokuma's going to call eventually."

Thinking about it for a moment, Ichijou shrugged, "You know what? I don't care. I'm sure Saruta or Jouji would tell us what the incentive was anyway."

Nagasaki considered his point, before nodding in understanding. The two began to head up to the slope, taking the Lift up to the top. As his chair rose and Ichijou got a view, he thought he saw someone on one of the paths, figuring someone had come up to explore.

Pushing that from his mind for now, he hopped off his chair when it reached the top, entering the Lift Store once again. He and Nagasaki began to go at the shelves, spending some time messing with the objects available, trying to figure out how to safely ride the board down the slope outside. Neither of them had actually seen snowboarding in action, but Nagasaki had heard about it from Yokozuna, the Survivalist talking about it excitedly: Ichijou hadn't seen her like in a mood like that before.

Finally, they seemed to get it working, swapping Ichijou into proper snowboarding boots and a board. Awkwardly, Ichijou waddled through the door, his locked feet proving difficult to maneuver in. As he approached the top of the slope, he looked down, seeing the entrance to the Level far below. Getting second thoughts, he turned to Nagasaki, saying, "Hey, didn't you want to do this?"

Looking aside, Nagasaki nodded, before admitting, "But I didn't want to do it first."

Giving a nervous laugh, Ichijou looked down the slope again, wondering if Nagasaki was crafty or just absent minded. As he hesitated, Nagasaki pointed out, "You'll be fine, right? I mean, you are Lucky..."

Ichijou sighed, he certainly didn't felt very Lucky. Throwing that aside, he took a breath and looked down the slope again, before aligning himself and giving it some force, flailing around a bit, trying to head down. It took a couple attempts, but he finally began to descend on his own. As he felt his stomach lurch, he waved his arms, trying to stop his descent, and return to the top of the slope, but it was too late. Trying not to panic, he shouted, "I changed my miiiiiind!" as his snowboard began to accelerate. The air blowing his yukata and hanten about didn't slow him, and it took all his effort to try and keep steady and not fall over. He felt his heart pounding as cold air assaulted him, the landscape blurring past him.

Finally, he began to slow as the slope leveled out, eventually coming to a stop on the flat ground. His legs shook from the adrenaline, and finally gave out, and he fell to the ground, lying still in the snow on his back. As he lay in on the cold ground, he waited for his heart to stop beating so fast. He'd never quite done anything like that before, and he suddenly had more of an appreciation for Yokozuna's Talent; Ichijou probably would have had another heart attack if he'd hit a ramp like professionals did.

After a few minutes, he heard something from the slope, and finally sat up, turning to see Nagasaki descending, on a board of her own. He couldn't really get a good look at her since she was moving, but at the very least, she seemed to have more of a grip on things than he had, coming to a stop a short distance away, having steered herself so she wouldn't come close to Ichijou. Reaching the bottom, she came to a stop, unlatching herself from her snowboard and approaching, quickly asking, "Are you all right?"

Standing properly, Ichijou remembered he himself could remove himself from his board, and did so, responding, "Er, yeah, I'm okay. It's just, I don't think I've moved that fast before. Except the one time I fell off the cliff..."

Nagasaki breathed out a sigh of relief, before apologizing, "I shouldn't have brought you into this..."

Ichijou shook his head, shrugged, "Nah, it's fine. But what about you? Did you have fun?" Ichijou hoped she wasn't too worried for him.

Nagasaki looked back up the slope again, before saying, "I...want to try it again."

Smiling back at her, Ichijou insisted, "Well, don't let worrying over me stop you! I think I'll just watch though."

Her eyes on the slope, Nagasaki nodded, "Alright." Taking her board, she headed back to Lift as Ichijou took himself over to find a good place to watch from, taking his own board to a tree and using it as a seat, his back on the cold wood. Leaning one the tree, he watched as Nagasaki ascended on the Lift, becoming a dot in the distance, before coming down the slope once more. As she kept going, she seemed to get a bit better, trying to do different things, though never daring to get any air quite yet. As Ichijou watched and relaxed, he drifted off for just a moment.

That was more than enough for a certain bear to arrive. Ichijou awoke to the annoying voice, monotonously droning, "Blatant rule violation incurred. Rule Three has been disregarded by 07, Ichijou Mitsuzi. Protocol: warning. Ichijou, you are not to sleep out of a non-designated area again." As he looked at the weird bear, he couldn't help but notice that his coloration had been flipped: his white right side had become black, while his left became white, the red eye and grin trading places as well. Ichijou blinked in confusion, not understanding what joke the bear was going for this time. At his hesitance, Monokuma asked, "Understood?"

"Y-yes?" Ichijou replied uncertainly.

Monokuma responded, "Very well, have a nice, Despairpairpairpairpairpairpair-" Like something had broken, Monokuma continued to repeat the same syllable over and over.

Getting a little freaked out, Ichijou stood, stammering, his voice raised, "Shut up already! I get it!"

To his surprise, Monokuma stopped, before laughing, his voice freakishly altered, sounding scratchy and high pitched, before he began to wave his arms and walk off, leaving few through the trees. Star struck Ichijou muttered, "...What just happened?"

Scratching his head, the Luckster stood, looking around again. Convinced Monokuma was gone for now, he looked up the slope, wondering if Nagasaki was gone or not. She certainly wasn't ascending or descending. Figuring he'd return the snowboard and boots at the very least, Ichijou made his way to the Lift, going up. He was starting to get the hang of it now, though it was a bit awkward with the snowboard in hand.

As he reached the top, the end of the Lift coming in sight, Ichijou brace himself to hop on, when the whole Lift suddenly ground to a halt. Ichijou's heart leapt as he slid in his seat a bit, floundering as he tried to keep his balance. He failed, and slid off the Lift, shouting out as he plummeting to the slope below. Luckily, the snow broke his fall, which wasn't very long in the first place, and he plunged into the soft powder head first. By the time he came to a stop, his sight was dominated by white snow, and his arms and torso were surrounded by the stuff. He felt the wind on his legs and feet, which meant they were still unburied. Flailing, he tried to recover, managing to plant his knees on the ground and give himself the leverage to climb up. Coughing and shivering, he looked around, spotting his dropped snowboard and watching the Lift chairs swinging lightly in the wind, also having stopped.

Before he could move, he saw a pair come out on the top of the slope, looking down at him: one was Nagasaki, and the other was Ganaha Eriko, now wearing her brown fur coat, which covered all of her body below the neck except her sleek boots. Nagasaki made to go down, asking, "Are you okay? I heard you scream."

Ichijou nodded, explaining, "I had a soft landing. How'd it stop anyway?"

Looking aside, Ganaha began, "Er..." Raising her hand, she pointed at Nagasaki, yelling, "She pushed me into the button!"

Nagasaki shook her head, "I didn't, you-" At her words, Ganaha took a defensive step back, rushing to Ichijou's side and hiding behind him, putting him between her and Nagasaki.

As Ichijou looked on in confusion, Ganaha howled, "She was yelling at me!"

Getting frustrated, Nagasaki looked between Ganaha and Ichijou before turning away, heading back up the slope and into the Lift Store. Still confused, Ichijou looked at Ganaha, begging, "Would you just tell me what happened?"

The Producer took a step away, before pressing her two index fingers together, explaining, "Well, we got into a fight, and I accidentally bumped into the button."

Frowning, Ichijou recalled, "I thought you said she pushed you?"

Ganaha muttered quietly, "She used her voice..." Looking around, she shook her head, before saying, "I thought she was gonna hit me!"

Letting out a sigh, Ichijou said, "Fine, fine..." He couldn't imagine Nagasaki picking a fight for a good reason, but at the same time, he didn't want to assume Ganaha was in the wrong either. Stooping down, he grabbed his fallen board, before heading back up the slope, Ganaha coming up behind him. Entering the Lift store, he saw that Nagasaki had left, her board and boots left by the counter. Ichijou did the same, swapping his boots for his tabi socks and geta sandals

Turning back to the Lift, he saw the once red button, now colored green, which read 'Resume'. Pressing it, he heard machinery as the Lift started back up, and the button changed back to red, reading 'Emergency Stop' once again. Understanding, he turned to Ganaha, noting, "It should be dinner time soon, right?"

Ganaha shrugged, "Probably." Figuring it would be best to start heading down anyway, the pair used the Lift to descend, stowing their clothes in the Changing Room, before taking the path down. Sure enough, when they reached the First Level, they could hear the sounds of the cicadas.

The next hour or so was pretty quiet, as Ichijou awaited mealtime, meandering about until finally heading to the Resort Restaurant. When Ishihara brought out their food (a mishmash of things, oddly enough), Ichijou noticed that Nagasaki and Ganaha seemed to be avoiding each other, sitting at opposite corners of the table.

As everyone began eating, Ichijou recalled, "Oh yeah, something weird happened earlier." He took a moment to explain his encounter with Monokuma, and the weird things the bear was saying.

Minami thought for a moment, before noting, "We haven't really questioned Monokuma, have we?"

Furugori nodded, "Yeah, I assumed he was a remote controlled animatronic. A really advanced one, sure."

Ishihara pointed out, "I think Monokuma's the least of our concerns though." Stopping for a moment, he realized, "Huh, where was the incentive?"

Saruta wondered aloud, "Perhaps the lack of incentive and Monokuma's strange behavior are related?"

"Perhaps," Minami nodded.

Uzatei leaned back in his chair, suggesting, "Well, we'll find out whenever we get our incentive, but that's one mystery I can't say I care about."

Ichijou concurred, "I don't disagree."

Minami nodded, "I'm far more interested in those books."

Ishihara suggested, "Let's look again tomorrow, okay?" Consensus reached, Ishihara grabbed the cleared plates and returning to the Kitchen as everyone began to split off for the evening. Still not in the mood to do anything much, Ichijou returned to his Lodge lethargically, lounging around until he finally drifted off to sleep an hour or so before ten.

The next morning, Ichijou Mitsuzi woke early, but didn't leave his Lodge until the morning announcement played. Despite having slept and rested so much, he still felt tired as he headed over to the Resort Restaurant. Counting the days, he realized it was their eleventh day here. The Game of Mutual Killing aside, he was glad he was stuck at a mountain resort instead of a single classroom.

After waiting for a short while, the other Students gathering quietly, Ishihara finally brought out breakfast. As everyone managed their food, Minami began, "So, yesterday was a bit of a failure in our search. We found two books on accident, but we can't find one more on purpose?"

Uzatei nodded, "Point taken."

Saruta suggested, "Perhaps there's a pattern we could follow?"

Thinking to where they'd found the books thus far, Ichijou stated, "Volume Two was on the Roof of the Fort on the Third Level, the Secret Volume was under the Auditorium stage on the Ground Level."

Ishihara mumbled, "One low and one high..."

Minami pointed out, "Well the Secret Volume was the first, it seems, thus 'Zero' was found on the zeroth level, so by that logic, Volume One should be around here somewhere, but the Supply Room, Kitchen, Medical Building...they've all been searched through several times. Someone would have found it if it were there."

Ganaha recalled, "There were those two Lodges, the ones with the scratched out nameplates and stuff. We haven't checked there, have we?"

Nagasaki responded, "Can we?"

Uzatei shook his head, "I doubt breaking and entering is in line with Monokuma's rules."

Minami nodded, "Then there can't be a book down here, unless it's on a hard to reach roof."

Remembering, Ichijou said, "Well, we haven't found a book on the Second or Fourth Level, so maybe we should focus on those two?"

After a moment, Minami shrugged, "I don't see why not."

Ishihara remembered, "What about the underground sections?"

After a moment, Furugori noted, "Well, those were already a secret, right? I don't think he would hide things in a secret area."

Uzatei nodded, "Agreed. Though, if we don't find anything, we can try giving them a comprehensive look another time. I've yet to see the upper underground complex."

"Sounds like a plan," Ishihara confirmed.

Finishing their meal, the eight of them split up. Ichijou, Minami, and Nagasaki headed to the Second Level, while Saruta remained in the Medical Building, the other four heading up higher.

Firstly, the trio went to the Shed, looking through the bathing suits, towels, and other such gear, but there was no luck. Minami postulated the idea of a secret compartment, but pressing and prodding did nothing. The Library was skipped, as the girls had already given it a good look some time ago. As they reached the intersection Greenhouse, Nagasaki made to keep going, when Ichijou asked, "Shouldn't we give it a look?"

Glancing down the path, Nagasaki insisted, "I'm there all the time though. And last time you were there..."

Ichijou admitted to his clumsiness, "Ah, right."

Minami pointed out, "You could have missed something. How many times did we go to the Auditorium?"

Nagasaki conceded, "Okay, just...be careful."

Warnings heeded, the three made their way over to the Greenhouse. Minami went to check out the Gardening Shed, while Ichijou and Nagasaki made their way to the Greenhouse proper. Splitting up, Ichijou carefully kept away from Nagasaki's reserved shelves while he began checking underneath the tables and pots. After a few minutes, he looked over to the Survivalist, who shook her head. Looking up at the glass ceiling, he began to pace, trying to think.

Then, it caught his eye: something red, sitting atop one of the rafters. He felt a rush of excitement, jumping up and pointing, "Ah! There it is!" It was about a meter above him, but that was still easier to reach than the one on the Fort. Stepping outside, he called to the Shed, "Minami! We found it!"

After a moment, the large girl exited the Shed, asking, "Really?"

Nodding, Ichijou returned to the humid Greenhouse, pointing as Minami entered. Looking up, the Contractor backed out for a moment, returning with a long shovel. Holding the handle, she tapped the book off of the rafter, knocking it down, snatching it from midair. Smirking, she held the book for the other two to see: 'A History of the Games of Mutual Killing: Volume One: Hope Versus Despair'.

Reading the title, Ichijou smiled, "That sounds like it'll turn out better than the last one."

Minami nodded, agreeing, before saying, "So, the Secret Volume 'Zero' was on level zero, Volume One on the Second Level, Volume Two on the Third..."

"Volume Three on the Fourth?" Nagasaki continued.

Ichijou frowned, "I hope not."

Coming at it from a different angle, Minami asked, "But why nothing on the First Level?" After thinking a bit harder, she suggested, "Perhaps...we found the first book in the first unlocked area, the second in the second, the extra one in the area we had from the beginning."

Nodding, Ichijou replied, "I see! That makes a bit more sense. So, the third area we unlock should have..."

Minami muttered grimly, "Three Killing Games. No: we make four, plus the original. That's far too much death for no perceivable, good reason."

Ichijou frowned, "There's no such thing as a good reason for death."

The two girls tensed, Nagasaki looking away sheepishly. Ichijou scratched his head, wishing he hadn't stepped on that landmine.

Excitement from finding the book having faded, Minami nodded, "I'm going to give this one a look, I'll see you at lunch." Leaving the pair, she headed outside, heading back.

After a moment, Ichijou changed subjects, asking, "How are your plants doing, Nagasaki-chan?"

Staring, Nagasaki glanced over, before waving for Ichijou to follow, asking, "Don't touch them...please."

Nodding, Ichijou headed over, watching the ground so as to not slip. Hands carefully behind his back, he leaned over at her potted plants. He couldn't help but smile as he saw a number of saplings sprouted out of the dirt. "Looking good so far! How long has it been again?" Ichijou wondered.

Nagasaki counted on her fingers, before answering, "A little more than a week."

Nodding, Ichijou said, "Well, let me know if you ever need help repotting them."

Blinking Nagasaki nodded, "Hina-chan mentioned something like that." Ichijou briefly felt a bit awkward at bringing up the Snowboarder, but as he thought about it, wasn't this the first time Nagasaki had brought her name up? At least, without looking so glum about it.

Stepping outside, Ichijou said, "I'm gonna go up and help the others search, okay?" Nagasaki nodded, and the two parted ways, the Survivalist staying put at the Greenhouse while Ichijou headed back to the Lake, turning and going to the Third Level.

After reaching the Changing Room after the elevator and donning his cold weather gear, he went outside, heading towards the Lift path. Not wanting to take the way up quite head, he headed down the path to the upper Cabin, reaching the cozy cottage nestled in the woods in a few minutes. As he approached, he could see a few people moving around inside. Entering, the first one he saw was Ishihara, checking under some of the chairs.

Looking up, the Aeronaut smiled, asking, "What's up, Mitsuzi-kun?"

Sharing the news, Ichijou explained, "We found Volume One!"

Eyes widening, Ishihara smiled, "That's great. Well, if it has some answers, that is. Should we head back then?"

Thinking, Ichijou reiterated, "Well, Minami-san might have figured it out. Volume One was in the first area Monokuma opened for us, Volume Two in the second."

Looking around, Ishihara followed, "Then if there were a Volume Three..." With redoubled intensity, Ishihara went back to the search. Ichijou went upstairs, finding Furugori searching the upper rooms. After sharing the discovery, Ichijou joined the Computer Engineer in searching the top floor.

After a few minutes, Ichijou was searching the master bedroom, when he noticed that smoke wasn't coming up from the connected fire below. Curious, he went back down, seeing the fire extinguished, though it had been alight when he'd walked in. Ishihara watched the cinders, a wet bowl sitting nearby. Ichijou watched, as Ishihara dared to peek in and up the fireplace. Worried for the cinders, Ichijou approached quickly, saying, "Careful!" Grabbing the bowl, he went to the Cabin kitchen, starting to fill it back up in the event of a worst case scenario.

As the water ran, Ishihara let out a laugh, "Aha!"

Turning back, Ichijou saw Ishihara peeking from around the corner, a blue book in hand. Flipping it over, Jouji read aloud, "'A History of the Games of Mutual Killing: Volume Three: The Entrance Exam of Mutual Killing'...it smells a little smoky though."

Hearing the voices from below, Furugori came down, seeing the blue book in Ishihara's hands, exclaiming, "Found it?"

Ishihara nodded, "That's probably it, unless there's a Volume Four underground."

Ichijou shrugged, "That can wait for tomorrow."

Furugori suggested, "Yeah, we should check out these two books for now."

Ishihara nodded, "It is about lunch time. I'm going to go ahead on that. You guys wanna make sure Uzatei and Ganaha don't get left behind?"

Ichijou smiled, "Alight, sounds like a plan."

Leaving the Cabin, the group separated, Ishihara heading down with the book, while Ichijou and Furugori found Ganaha and Uzatei at the Lift Station, explaining the situation before taking the Lift down, dropping off their clothes, and heading the rest of the way down to the First Level, where they could once again hear the cicadas.

Filing into the Restaurant, where Saruta and Minami waited, the two books in their hands. Minami was examining Volume One while Saruta simply stared at Volume Three. Ichijou couldn't help but noticed that Minami was a bit perturbed by something. Knowing she'd reveal it soon enough, the others simply waited until Ishihara brought out lunch.

As they sorted through their food, Minami didn't touch her plate, instead beginning, "Well, I suppose I should start with what I found. This Killing Game started with fifteen Students of the 78th Class being sealed in Hope's Peak Academy itself, with Monokuma demanding they kill each other. I have little to say new about the scenario itself: exploration, incentive, murder, and Trial: it's just as formulaic as our situation. However, during the sixth and last Trial, where 'every mystery was put on the table', there was plenty of information I couldn't get a hold of. However, Enoshima Junko makes a reappearance in two ways." Stopping she flipped two a certain page, before showing the others a grisly image of a freckled girl with two strawberry blonde ponytails being pierced by a number of long spears. "This was the fate of the first 'Enoshima Junko', however, it was a fake, a pretender by the name of Ikusaba Mukuro, working with Enoshima behind the scenes, the secret '16th Student'. It appears they were both members of Super High School Level Despair."

Confused, Ichijou asked, "Wait, but how did Ikusaba die?"

Minami said grimly, "She was slain by the mastermind, Enoshima. This girl is unhinged, and the last Trial, where she shows herself in full is more than enough evidence."

Uzatei blinked in surprise, shaking his head, "She's just a model, I don't..."

Minami interrupted, "But that's not the most surprising thing in here. Among the Students, we have this girl." Once again, Minami flipped through the pages, before showing it to the others again. There was a collective gasp of confusion at the image: Ichijou himself felt his heart spasm, his mind blanking for just a moment. The girl wore a dark purple jacket over a white shirt and tie, a black pair of gloves covering her hands. She wore a black ribbon in her pale purple hair, around one braided lock, and seemed to stare from the page with her sharp, purple eyes.

Realizing something, Ichijou calmed a bit, shaking his head, "It's not her."

Looking between Ichijou and the picture, Furugori stammered, "W-well, it looks a lot like her."

Ganaha nodded, "It's totally Kirigiri! Just look at her."

Ichijou shook his head, insisting, "She has different eyes. Kasumi's were softer looking, and blue."

Checking his ElectroID, Uzatei confirmed, "That does seem to be the case, but still, they could be sisters and I would hardly be surprised."

Looking at Minami, Ichijou couldn't help but be curious, asking, "Who is she?"

Minami looked stern for a moment, before answering, "Kirigiri Kyouko."

Ichijou felt his heart skip a beat. At the silence, a few heads turned to him, and he felt nothing but confusion.

Saruta recalled ,"It was you who named Kasumi, no? Ichijou-san, where have you heard the name 'Kirigiri'? It must be fairly uncommon. At the very least, I've never heard the name."

Ichijou shook his head, saying helplessly, "I dunno." He was being truthful, the name had just popped into his head during conversation, and he couldn't help but blurt it out. But he had to have heard it somehow, right?

Clearing her throat, Minami continued, "Well, as for Kirigiri Kyouko, her appearance isn't the only thing familiar about her. She claimed to have started the Killing Game missing more of her memories then the others, thought she only let on to the fact much later. Knowledge of her Talent as a Sleuth was removed in hopes that she wouldn't be able to have as much presence during the Trials, but it didn't seem to be too successful." As Minami looked around, Ichijou realized just how familiar this was sounding. No one contradicted it: the one who had the most presence in the Trials was undoubtedly Kirigiri Kasumi.

Minami finished, "That's where the similarities end, however. Her father, Kirigiri Jun, was the Headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy before he was killed by Enoshima, and her past with her father was part of what brought her to the Academy in the first place. There isn't much too notable beyond that however, though I imagine like before, some of the 'world famous' students might be familiar to some of us. I can't say I recognized any of them, however, except one..." Passing the book around, she turned to Saruta, asking, "Did you discover anything in particular?"

Saruta shook his head, "I only skimmed it beyond the beginning. Throughout, there were a number of references to former Hope's Peak Students, I noticed, from all sorts of Classes. During the beginning, there was difference in premise. Unlike the others, these Students were told that they were '80th Class Applicants', rather than being told outright that they're Students of Hope's Peak. I'm not sure what significance it has, but it's worth noting. As for the end, there was something a bit worrying." Turning the book to face the others, he showed and image of a chubby girl with curly, dark orange hair and a shirt colored black, white, and red. "The entire time, this girl, a member of Super High School Level Despair, Tachibana Chiyoko, was among them, acting as if she were stuck in the situation all the same."

Minami recalled, "A mole? Like the one mentioned in Volume 2?"

Saruta shrugged, "Your guess would be far better than mine. But the worrying thing is: all three Volumes have had traitors in the ranks: Enoshima and Ikusaba in the first, the mole in the second, Tachibana in the third...who's ours?"

The worrying thought hung in the air for a moment, until Ishihara finally grumbled, "It's him, that Priest, no doubt about it."

Furugori let out a strained sigh, wishing, "I sure hope so."

Turning to Minami, Saruta said, "I only skimmed it beyond the beginning. If you would like to give it a more thorough look, be my guest."

Minami nodded, taking the book and looking at the beginning as Ichijou got ahold of the First Volume, looking through the Students, but failing to recognize any beyond the passing resemblance Kyouko had to Kasumi, and the one other, Togami Byakuya, who was skinnier than he was in Volume Two.

Before he could say anything, Ichijou heard Uzatei ask, "Are you quite alright, Minami-san?" Looking up, he saw Minami staring at the blue Third Volume, a shocked look on her face.

Looking up, the Contractor shook her head, "Er, it's...nothing." With that, she passed the book along, as the others began to hope that they recognized someone.

As it quieted down, Ichijou wondered aloud, "That kid, Togami was in the first Killing Game too. He wasn't...a successful Culprit, was he?"

Minami shook her head, explaining, "Doubtful. Monokuma said no one has come as close as Kirigiri Kasumi. However, it's still something worth looking at. I'll see if I can't find anything."

There were a few other reactions, but not of recognition: in fact, it was the opposite. How the computer Programmer, Fujisaki Chihiro had escaped notice of Furugori was a mystery to the Engineer, while Ganaha was livid that Maizono Sayaka, apparently a golden Idol, had escaped her gaze.

She raged, "Monokuma! I'll have your head for keeping me in here this long!" Pouting, she whined, "I wanted to be the one to raise the first Idol to go into Hope's Peak..."

"For how long?" Minami asked.

Ganaha stopped, thinking for a moment, before answering, "Like, the day after I got my letter, so a few weeks ago? Excluding all the time we forgot."

Remembering the book, Minami noted, "Well, if it makes you feel better, she's dead."

Ganaha crossed her arms over her chest as she muttered, "Well that's no good! I wanted her working for me, not dead."

As she wound down, Uzatei muttered to himself, "78, 80...where's the 79th Class?"

Ishihara looked between the two books, saying, "Good question. Would that be the guys in the Second Volume then?"

"But why not say so? I don't see a reason to hide their Class number. Or ours, for that matter," Uzatei pointed out. Looking around, he muttered, "Strange, no?"

Ichijou strained to remember, thinking back to the day he got his letter, but there was a fog in his mind over that number. No one else had an answer either. Furugori suggested, "Well, going by the pattern, we'd be the 81st Class, right?"

"Man, Hope's Peak has raised a lot of Talent, huh?" Ichijou noted.

Before the conversation could continue, the playing of a bugle interrupted everyone's thoughts, the sound of reveille echoing, before being followed by the voice of Monokuma, saying normally, "Upupu~ Would the Hope's Peak Students of the Arashimine Resort Class Trip please come to the Auditorium on the Ground Level! We have some urgent announcements to make, so please, waste no time."

Standing from their mostly finished meal, the Students looked at each other, before leaving the restaurant, taking the path to the Auditorium once again. Intent on giving him some questions, the Students held their tongues as they filed into the Auditorium.

As they waited in front of the stage, the lights finally began to dim, and machinery could be heard as Monokuma rose from the center stage. Raising his arms, Monokuma laughed, "Nice to be seeing you again! I took a trip away, you see, so I had to have my mentally deficient double take over for me. Luckily, there was no killing, or else that would be one boring Trial. I mean, everyone knows this bear makes the Trials what they are: heart pounding, edge-of-your-seat thrillers!"

Ichijou shut his mouth, his question answered from the get go. Monokuma continued, "And I see you got more books! Well, good news! Your Side Quest Progress is now a staggering 133%! You've gone above and beyond, getting the books on all the Games of Mutual Killing thus far! Of course, that last 17% of blacked out material will never be revealed, unless one of you can get a bearing on things and get out. Hopefully someone will get some good ideas! There are some good ones in those!"

Minami grumbled, "But first, what's the relationship between Kirigiri Kyouko and Kirigiri Kasumi?"

Tilting his head, Monokuma asked, "Who?"

Minami grunted, "The girl in the book."

Monokuma snorted, "Of, I know plenty about her. I was wondering about the other one. Ka-who-mi?" Monokuma snarled, "Who caaaaares! You're only assuming anyway, "Kirigiri Kasumi was your name for her: mine is still 'Moé Moé Kyun Rikasu'."

Ichijou grumbled, "...What."

Monokuma sighed, "Plebeians. Besides, Kirigiri couldn't possibly be her name! Sure, her surname ended in '–ri', but there were only four nulled characters before that. If it were 'Kirigiri', that'd be six extra ones, right? Sheesh, 'World's Hope' my hairy bum. Don't forget how to breathe you guys. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale."

Furugori elaborated, "Oh, the name is too long, huh?" Ichijou faintly remembered seeing her ElectroID, but couldn't confirm it based on that.

Letting out a growl, Monokuma muttered, "So, are you done? Blah blah bunch of dead guys, blah blah, bunch of Class numbers, yes yes, the lovely mistresses of Super High School Level Despair: that's not what you're here for!"

Sinking below the stage, machinery rumbled before he began to rise again. He now wore yet another costume, this one a set of pajamas: predominately pink with green polka dots, and a white and pink sleeping cap. Launching an explanation, he began, "Love, hate, fear: next is 'security'! You guys have made your Lodges a home, but now, I'm afraid that will be coming to an end: until further notice, they are locked! No more entry: those ElectroIDs won't help either."

Remembering earlier, Ichijou asked, "What about the rules?"

Monokuma nodded, "Don't worry your ugly little head, I've gotten it all taken care of! You have new restrictions too! See, I can't just say 'use the beds' we barely have enough! Plus, it'd be no fun if you just spent all your time together, sleeping in the same room as the traitor. I mean, we don't want a murder to happen too quickly...oh wait, yes we do!"

There was a brief silence as the thought sunk in. Ichijou shook his head, muttering, "There can't be a traitor, can there?"

Monokuma shrugged, "Maybe! I haven't been paying too much attention to that kinda stuff, just you guys pouring over those books like nerds. You had some neat ideas, some I'm just riffing off of those! Anyway, let's get back to the main point of discussion!" Stepping away from the center of the stage, Monokuma readjusted his sleeping cap as the platform sank once more, before rising again, now with a wooden crate. Pulling a prybar from thin air, Monokuma cracked it open, letting a number of objects spill onto the floor. Holding one up, it appeared to be a small signpost, flipping it around, one side showed an image of his face, while the other had a few words.

Launching into an explanation, Monokuma began, "Now, what we have here are your 'Rest Point Markers'! Don't drop 'em! Here's how they work. Once you plant it on the ground, it'll stick straight up and stay stuck there until you've gotten a good night's rest, after which it'll fall over. During that period, you must sleep within 5 meters of it. To assist in that..." Monokuma waved his paw, and from the ceiling suddenly rained down a number of large, gray objects. Ichijou covered his head in his arms as one collided with him, bouncing off. Monokuma explained, "These are sleeping bags! There are other helpful things in the Storage Units to set up any camp. Depending on how long it takes for another murder, you might want to think on it. Well, there's another restriction though: you can't set up your Rest Marker in the same Level twice! So, if you sleep on the Ground Level tonight, when your Marker resets, you need to go somewhere up! First Level, Second, Third, Fourth...I don't care! The Mines and the Mall count as two separate Levels from each other and the rest of the resort, so the nine Students have seven levels to work with, with means at least two of you will be close, upupu."

After he finished, he began to pass out the Markers. Taking a look at the back, Ichijou read 'Time slept: 0 hours'. Curious, he asked, "What's this on the back?"

Monokuma answered, "Well, I've gotta make sure you get your proper rest now, don't I? You can't just cheat and snort coffee all night, that's unhealthy!" Looking around, he asked, "Any questions?"

Uzatei asked, "What did you mean about 'don't drop it'?"

Monokuma nodded, "Alright, see you next time!" Before anyone could say anything, Monokuma closed himself in the crate, which sank out of sight, leaving the Students alone in the Auditorium, signposts in hand.

As everyone stood in silence, Ichijou thought about the incentive: where would he sleep? Outside of his Lodge, anyone could potentially find him and...

Clearing his throat to break the silence, Ishihara suggest, "Alright, how about we take our things and discuss this back at the Restaurant? We can try to work out something, can't we?"

"We can try," Uzatei said, though with a lack of confidence.

The mood tense and uncertain, the Students left the Auditorium, sleeping bags and Rest Markers in hand. As they reached the First Level and passed the Lodges, a few attempted to enter, but unsurprisingly, entry was barred.

Returning to the Restaurant, everyone took a seat, setting their sleeping bags down and keeping the Markers in hand, being careful about how they put them down.

Minami began, "So, I believe the main cause of concern is: what a potential Culprit do with a sleeping target? And how can we stop that?"

Saruta answered grimly, "Well, the obvious would be to kill them with the assortment of weapons we have lying around. Luckily, many of them are locked in our Lodges, but that still leaves kitchen knives, gardening tools, anything in the Storage Unit and Medical Building, and then there's the underground areas..."

Ichijou said, "Well, Monokuma said sticking together was dangerous, but I don't think so. I mean: how could someone possibly kill someone else with everyone else nearby? Even if a traitor did try, whoever they attacked would be able to scream, right?"

After a moment, Minami nodded, "True, but you're not thinking about the Sixteenth Student. If a traitor and the Sixteenth Student were to work together to kill a straggler, we would be in dire straits."

Ichijou retorted, "And why would they!? We haven't really had to deal with the Sixteenth Student yet, even if he is Gold Dragon or the Priest of Despair! He's just been going around and messing with us, or trying to help, even if he hasn't done much."

Minami sighed, "Then why give them a reason? Him, or they, haven't been given a reason to act." Reaching her hand out, she grabbed the red book, the first Volume, continuing, "During this Killing Game, one of the Students, Oogami, was blackmailed by Monokuma, and told that she would have to kill if the other players failed to go through with an incentive, but there was no need." She added, "As for the second book...I'm not sure, but the traitor did not seem to be a foe. However, we can't presume that we are so lucky: at least one of the other Students here is against us. We can only hope it's the one out there. But in the worst case scenario, trying too hard to prevent a murder might just make them try even harder to make one occur. Monokuma is rushing, after all."

Saruta blinked, before nodding, "I think I see where you were coming from. I only skimmed Volume Three, but one thing that caught my eye was the Applicants attempting to disarm the place, locking the dangerous items in the rooms of one of the Students. Monokuma responded by giving everyone a pistol that couldn't be removed from their person without being left in their Dorm room. In trying to stick together, Monokuma might move his own pieces to dissuade us. It might be a bit...counter intuitive, but the safest course of action might be to split up and sleep separately, then Monokuma will have no excuse to act."

Ichijou looked between the two, before muttering, "Well, if Monokuma's going to do something he will..."

Uzatei sighed, "Not to say you're wrong, but I think of it this way: if we band together, Monokuma will likely act, but if we stay apart, Monokuma only may act. If Monokuma does act, we can expect a death, but if it's one of us, there's a chance a Culprit might make a mistake. It's a safe assumption that most of our dangerously competent Culprits have been taken care of."

Ganaha frowned, "Minami did most of the last one."

Saruta nodded, twirling his black hair curl, "Which is precisely why it would be wise for her not to try again." Minami grunted, but otherwise remained quiet.

Ichijou wasn't pleased with everyone ganging up on him, continuing, "But if Monokuma does try something, wouldn't it be better to together anyway?"

"I have an idea," Ishihara butted in. Elaborating, he began, "How about this: anyone who wants to stay with someone else can ask, then they can take their Markers to where they plan on sleeping tonight. Anyone else can find their own spot."

Looking around, Minami began, "Speaking of spots, how are we going to decide? We don't want everyone planting down in the dark Mines or in the same forest if we can avoid it."

Ichijou suggested, "How about we just grab our things right now and go to the first place we have in mind?"

Uzatei shook his head, "And risk being followed?"

Minami nodded, "And it will be obvious who has gone the farthest: they'll take longer to return."

After a moment, Nagasaki mumbled, "One at a time..." A few eyes turned to her, not hearing properly or understanding, and she reiterated, "We go one at a time. Set our Marker and come back, then someone else goes."

After a few moments, Ichijjou smiled, "That sounds like a good idea."

Minami shrugged, "Better, at least, but there are still issues. As I said, if one person takes ten minutes, and another takes half an hour, we can make presumptions about where they went."

Ishihara shrugged, "So? There's probably going to be someone on every Level, there's too many of us. And if you're worried about it, you can take roundabout paths: like going to the Third Level, then going through the mines to the forest on the Ground Level and putting your Marker there. There's multiple paths."

Ichijou suggested, "Well, how about we choose the order randomly?"

Ganaha blinked, "Drawing straws?" Pondering for a moment, she snapped, "You're just trying to cheat with that Luck of yours, huh!?"

Ichijou's jaw dropped from surprise, not having though about his Talent. Looking down, he said, "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I haven't really felt all that Lucky..."

Ishihara smiled, "I say we roll with it though!" Standing, he headed into the Kitchen, coming out a few minutes later with a number of straws, a cup, and a napkin. Punching a hole in the napkin, he placed it over the cup, before showing off the straws: one was untouched, but the other seven were each cut, with varying numbers of nicks in them. Dropping them in, they stood at the same height, the nicks hidden from view. Looking around, "You guys fine with this? Whoever gets the untouched straw will go first, then the one with the most cuts will go last."

Minami shrugged, "Fair enough." Reaching her hand over, she shuffled the straws about before taking one, after which the others took turns drawing theirs. After Nagasaki took hers, each one was revealed: Ganaha was first, while Ichijou was last.

Sorting things out, Ishihara said, "Okay, Ganaha, you can take your Marker and go first, then when you get back, I'll go, and so on."

Saruta suggested, "Perhaps, at least for today, we disallow the First Level?"

Minami shrugged, "I don't mind."

Ganaha smirked, "Same, I already know exactly where I'm going." Grabbing her bag, she made her way out of the Restaurant.

The next few hours were mostly spent loitering around the First Level until someone returned and the next person was sent off. Eventually, it even got late enough for dinner to be made, and a break was taken to eat even when two people still had their Markers to place: some of them had taken a while to walk around, either taking loops around the mountain or just going to its distant ends and back. After they finished the meal, Furugori went off to place his Marker, and when he returned, Ichijou went off.

He'd had a lot of time to think about where to place his Marker, and he had just the place. However, he'd also gotten an idea: he wasn't the brightest, sure, but if someone wanted to target him specifically, then he'd want to throw them off somehow, right? With that in mind, he went to the end of the Second Level, hid his sleeping bag in the trees, stowed his Marker in his yukata, and returned to the Restaurant.

When he returned, everyone began to go back to their places chosen so they could sleep, in the same order as before. Ganaha left first, and after ten minutes or so, the next person went. Finally, Ichijou was alone in the resort Restaurant, before leaving after ten minutes like planned. Heading to the Second Level, he grabbed his sleeping bag, before heading up. As he walked on the Second and Third Levels, he couldn't help but notice it was starting to get cloudy, which stripped him of some of his much needed light. After taking the elevator to the Fourth Level, he changed his clothes and stepped out into the snowy Level properly, finding his way to the path in the low light, whishing he'd brought a flashlight, especially with the wind seeming to pick up a bit, blowing snow about.

Finally, he reached his destination, the upper Cabin. Satisfied, he opened the door, stepping into the warmth and gleefully, before stooping down, planting his Marker on the ground. He watched as it leaned a bit, before sticking straight up and flashing white for a couple seconds, before stopping. Testing it, he slipped off his geta sandals before nudging it with his foot, but it seemed immovable. Looking around a bit more, he saw the chairs, a couch, and the corner turning to the small kitchen, all dimly lit by a weak fire, still low from after Ishihara nearly put it out earlier.

Suddenly, there was a noise from above, which made Ichijou's heart stop. Wondering what it was, he put his bag down, before carefully making his way to the stairs past the kitchen. As he rounded them, making his way up, he saw the silhouette of someone up top.

In her long fur coat, Ganaha shrieked, "Oh come on! Don't tell me you put your Marker here too!"

Grimacing, Ichijou repeated, "'Too'? Who?" Taking the rest of the steps up, he saw Nagasaki further down the hall, a scarf barely covering her embarrassed and ashamed look.

Ganaha groaned, "Why!? There were two here, how did you not see one?"

Put on the spot, Ichijou frowned, "Er, I, uh, only just put it down."

Bewildered, Ganaha grouched, "Huh? Why?"

Scratching his face awkwardly, Ichijou answered, "Well, I was trying to be sneaky-"

Ganaha slapped her forehead, moaning again. Ichijou asked, "Er, what about you two?"

Ganaha sighed, explaining, "I put mine down in the big bedroom there, so Nagasaki didn't see it, naturally, and put hers down right there." Ichijou looked around, leaning over, and seeing it just out of sight, in the door frame of one of the other bedrooms.

Approaching, Nagasaki asked, "Where's yours, Ichijou-san?"

Mitsuzi jabbed his thumb, explaining, "Near the door."

With another sigh, Ganaha mumbled, "Okay then, let's figure this out, I guess."

The three began to descend, when Ichijou heard something from the door: a rush of wind. Wondering if he'd closed it all the way, he made his way down, Ganaha grumbling behind him, "That better not be someone else."

Turning the corner to the living room, the three saw that the door was open, snow coming in from the outside. They froze at the sight though, another person taking up the doorway, a red cape on his shoulders, clad in a gold full body suit, a mask over his face. At the appearance of the other three, Gold Dragon quickly raised his arms, shifting his legs into a battle stance. Ichijou briefly saw a Rest Marker in his gloved hands, before it fell, slipping from his grasp.

Gold Dragon relaxed a bit as he saw the other students, briefly saying, "Oh, it's-"

He stopped as he saw the gaze of the other three, looking towards his dropped Marker, which had bounced off the ground. It began to land, point down, hitting the ground again and bouncing once more, looking to land face down, when it suddenly snapped back, reverting and sticking to the ground in a blatant violation of the laws of physics. The four stared in silence as it stuck, flashing white.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Gold Dragon gave a booming laugh, "Ha ha...ha..." He stopped, rejoining the silence as more snow seemed to blow in, tossing his cape about, as bugle music could be heard playing the dour tone of taps throughout the Resort.

Elsewhere, as the nighttime announcement finished, a hulking figure sat in the Library, which was unlit in the evening, except for the flashlight on one side of the room. The clouds blocked most of the moonlight, and a light rain began to pour, pattering on the glass roof. Minami sat by one of the pedestals, opposite the one with the phone on the other side. There was a slight difference in the pedestal from before, as Minami had discovered: on the wall behind it, four slots had opened up, one colored red on the right, one colored green in the center, and a blue one on the left. The first two were occupied by Volumes One and Two. The fourth slot was horizontal, being above the other three, and colored white, the Secret Volume contained within.

The third Volume was in Minami's hands, being illuminated by the flashlight, the page displaying some of the sixteen faces of the Applicants. Closing the book and turning off the flashlight, she returned it before going to her sleeping bag. Quietly she muttered to herself, "Why...why do you have that name?"

Rolling as she tried to rest, she couldn't help but look up at the pedestal again, muttering, "Of all names, why that one?"