EDIT 08/10/2022: Mayor polishing in grammar, typos, and structure.
The Best Talent Possible for The Worst Scenario Imaginable.
"H-Hello, nice to meet you, I-I'm Chihiro Fujisaki" I couldn't help noticing that the person in front of me is probably the complete opposite of Owada, both appearance and personality-wise.
"Shizuka Shigaraki, greetings" Should I really keep saying the same introduction?
…
…
…I don't see why not? I'm almost done anyway.
"S-Sorry, I get embarrassed whenever I introduce myself like this…in any case, I hope we can get along!" Fujisaki replied, squeaking out that last part.
I gave a simple nod "Sure"
For some reason, the next thing Fujisaki did, was staring intently at me, almost as if gauging something. Before I could ask why he was doing that, she spoke first "U-Um…this may sound weird and it may be just my imagination, but…have we met before?"
What?
I was about to have a reaction similar to the one I had with Maizono, but fortunately, I managed to control myself just in time. If she recognized me for what I do, she would have done that question with at least a moderate amount of fear judging from what I have seen so far of her, but there was just shyness. She surely must've seen someone of similar appearance…
…Of course, I can't leave this to chance. I will remember this particular piece of information, just in case.
"I don't think so" For now, I decided to act casual about it.
"O-Oh okay…" Though it appears even that was too much for her. The tears beginning to form in the corner of her eyes were proof of that "…S-Sorry…"
"You don't anything to apologize for, it was just a simple question"
"Oh, right…" Geez, what a shy girl…
…
…
…Wait a moment…
…Something's off.
Chihiro Fujisaki, the Ultimate Programmer, and honestly, one of the most interesting Ultimates. How could she not? Her relevancy in the software world is so remarkable that in basically every area related to programming, Fujisaki is responsible for the most cutting-edge advances, it's gotten to the point where there are rumors about some progress in the development of A.I technology thanks to her, truly, it is no exaggeration to say that she alone has made revolutionary achievements that would change the world.
…But going back a bit.
About what felt off…could it be?
Her voice sounds kind of feminine, true, but at the core…
…Then the shoulders, though hard to see, they are somewhat off…
…Besides that, there is one thing I have to confirm.
Focusing discretely my sight on her neck…
! ! !
'I knew it! There is one. Even though it is actually hard to notice, I can see it' I had to fight the urge to widen my eyes. If it wasn't for my experience noticing these kinds of things I would never have guessed, crap, this is something, but I wonder why 'she' does―
"I-I'm really sorry" Dammit, I was that obvious? I thought I did it without being obvious about it.
"What are you apologizing for?" Before jumping to conclusions, though, I have to confirm that she's truly talking about what I'm thinking about.
"W-Well, because…you seem upset about something. You…you are mad at me, right?" said Fujisaki on the verge of tears, again.
Ah, 'she's' just being shy and got intimidated when I just keep staring at her, but 'she' doesn't seem to suspect I noticed 'that', good "…I am not upset, I was just deep in thought about something"
"H-Huh? Deep in thought?" Fujisaki shyly said.
"Mhm, don't worry, I don't have any negative opinion about you" If anything, I'm just kind of surprised, but that's about it.
"Oh, that's good. I was afraid maybe you didn't like me…Hehe, I'm glad!" Fujisaki said with a cheerful smile.
…
…'Her' disguise is pretty good, even I have to admit that.
Once I departed to meet the remaining students, I momentarily stopped myself as I began to look at the mounted electronic weapons. There's a high chance that they took measures taking 'her' talent into consideration…but if there's a breach in the security of this place, Fujisaki will become vital in having any kind of opportunity.
Maybe I should think of 'her' as a V.I.P? Perhaps, it will depend on how things proceed…
With those last thoughts put into consideration, I moved on.
Only being in her line of sight was enough for me to notice her overwhelming presence, and I didn't mean in a physical sense 'Though she doesn't lack a fitting body either, those scars and muscles are something else', her aura, if I had to call it in some way, promised me that I would be ultimately defeated if I were to have a direct fight against her.
"I am Sakura Ogami" the white-haired girl said.
"Shizuka Shigaraki, greetings" I will admit that there was a bit more enthusiasm than the previous times I said this.
Sakura Ogami, the Ultimate Martial Artist, is known for competing in martial arts tournaments all around the world, although America is the country that had seen most of her matches, there isn't a country where she hasn't fought, getting to the point of reaching her current record of 400 fights undefeated, making her also being unofficially called the Strongest Woman Alive 'Though I would personally consider her the Strongest HUMAN Alive, seriously, I have yet to see a guy that could claim to surpass her in pure raw power', another thing I discovered was the fact she also famously known as Ogre or some nonsense about close relative to primates.
Tch, bastards don't know how to appreciate a woman who is powerful enough to beat their asses without breaking a sweat.
Standing in front of her, I couldn't help but think how―
"Hey, you" Ogami said with an inquiring tone.
"Hm?" I hummed with a slight tilt of my head. I wonder what could she wan―
I couldn't help but widen my eyes as she started touching me all around my body, doing it so fast that even I lacked the opportunity to react.
W-What!? W-Why is she doing this? She's…she's not some kind of pervert, r-right? At least I don't think she looks like that kind of―'
! ! !
My thoughts were once again interrupted as I felt an enormous amount of killing intent. On instinct, I abandoned the flustered state of the moment, and my body tensed as my eyes scanned the area.
But…
…As quickly as it appeared, it was gone, I frowned at that
That killing intent…was directed in my general direction, but it wasn't specifically at me. Could it be at Ogami? It's in plain sight how powerful she is, maybe they see her as some kind of threat? But…to have suppressed such enormous murderous intent that fast, it seems that whomever that person is, it could become another problem, as if there weren't enough of them.
Joy.
Whatever the case it may be, Ogami was distracted enough checking out my body to notice anything.
…That sounded really bad, doesn't it?
"Fascinating..." When Ogami was done with…that, she turned to me with an approving look "…I must say, your muscular quality and quantity surpasses by much that of even well-trained high school students" …Ah, she was doing that "That is fortunate, you are more than fit enough to act as my training partner"
Well, I could give it a chance someday, maybe…but our current situation will keep that on hold for the unforeseeable future.
"Thank you, I'll keep it in mind"
She simply nodded and I did the same in response, thus, ending this introduction. With that done, I moved to find another introduction partner.
Pale skin, dirty blonde hair, blue eyes covered in white glasses that seem to look at everyone around him with disdain, his posture also signals an absolute belief of superiority and his black suit screams expensive.
Yep, I have a pretty solid idea of who this is.
Sigh.
"My name is Byakuya Togami" The tall blonde said.
A Togami…I really should have expected the current heir to attend Hope's Peak.
Byakuya Togami, the Ultimate Affluent Progeny, and as previously stated, the current heir to the Togami Corporation. Said conglomerate owns several businesses around the world and with their resources, it's no overstatement to say that their influence is such, that declaring them as leaders of the world is nothing but a fact. It doesn't end here either, as Togami's own merits go beyond his corporation. Not only he is the heir of his family business, but outside of it, he owns and manages multiple operations making his personal assets generously vast.
While to the average person or on a quick glance, he could only look like a spoiled brat 'You would be forgiven for thinking that, almost every Togami has the personality of one…', It is undeniable that he lived through his own hardships to get to the position he is in today.
If anything, the Championship his family holds every few years is a testament to that. I would know, the Togami family are regular clients of Theirs, and they become even more active clients during such an event…
"Shizuka Shigaraki, greetings"
The moment I completed that sentence, he began to ignore me. I have dealt with enough members of his family and other rich people 'Not that either group would know that; I always carry out my 'work' through anonymity or it is Them that get contacted and relay the information to me' to know that we are done here, so with that done, I simply left.
Two people left and I am done, finally.
The second to last student I needed to introduce myself to was a strawberry blonde-haired girl with light-violet eyes and pale skin, whose outfit consisted of a black cardigan over a white dress shirt and a white tie with dot points around said cardigan, a red miniskirt, mid-size black boots and she also had 2 hair ties, a rabbit face on the right pigtail and a large red and white bow on her left one.
As I approached her, I didn't think much of her. Even when she turned in my direction, I only―
! ! !
That previous predicament changed completely when I got to see her closer and saw her face and I locked eyes with her.
It was only for a second, but that small moment was enough for me to notice it. The aura I felt on her. It was similar to Sakura, in the sense that it belonged to someone really powerful, but that's where the similarities ended.
While Sakura gave a brutal and overwhelming feeling with her raw force, the atmosphere of the person in front of me was a refined one, a lethal one. Where Sakura promised an honorable defeat, the person in front of me guaranteed a swift execution should you make an enemy of her.
In that single second, I got to feel a presence that I have only met on―
Do you want to die?
Even after the second when I felt all of that had already passed, I couldn't suppress the shiver that ran through my spine and the slight acceleration of my heart rate, along with his hurricane of feelings as I just stood there, staring. I really hope I didn't have a stupid look on my face.
Thankfully, she took my silence as a cue to present herself "Hiiiii! I'm Junko Enoshima, charmed, I'm sure!"
…
…At least, that brought me out of my stupor "…Hi, my name is Shizuka Shigaraki, nice to meet you" I said with a slight wave.
Wait, what?
Get yourself together, dammit! I would have been dead long ago if I let…whatever that was, distract me. Focus…
Now, on what I know about her.
Junko Enoshima, the Ultimate Fashionista. She's as well known, if not more than Sayaka Maizono. Every magazine she is involved in becomes a trend around the globe, and everything she wears and promotes in those becomes an even bigger tendency. I took the liberty to look at a few samples in case there was something of interest…and for that same reason, when I remember the pictures of her and compare them to the Enoshima in front of me…
…Something felt off about her.
My instincts were right about Fujisaki, so a detailed observation would be necessary.
Although those eyes…
…I should do it with bigger care than what I took with Fujisaki, thinking as if my life depended on it. The last thing I want is for Enoshima to notice I'm checking her out.
…
…
…! ! !
…Shit, not like that!
R-Regardless, strange as it was, I couldn't help pointing out the discrepancy "…You look different"
…Huh, I don't know why but it felt like what I just said had more meaning than what I originally intended…weird.
"H-Huh? Do you…" There was a slight moment of panic, almost less than a second before she recomposed "…Oh! Are ya talkin' about my covers and junk? That's what ya mean, right!? Hahahaha! Those are, like, totally photoshopped!" Enoshima said with a grin and a peace sign.
"Photoshopped?" I echoed.
That's a valid answer, although…
"Yeah, you know…edited to hell and back. Using, like, computers and other related junk?"
"I see…" I almost snapped my fingers.
It is well put together, to the point it's almost unnoticeable, but for some reason, when I look at her hair, it just felt like it doesn't fit her, as if a whole different hairstyle would've looked more appropriate…and that's when I noticed she's wearing one of Those.
A Wig.
"Oh, don't be like that! You're gonna make me all sad and depressed. I mean, like, it's totally normal these days to photoshop the crap out of cover photos, y'know?" Enoshima commented while twirling a strand of her 'hair' "If you get surprised by that, you'd be so blown out of your mind by a certain dangerous little diva of ours. They make the eyes and junk super big, and tweak the skin so it looks all ceramic porcelain!"
What she said made sense, really. I am aware of how extreme and demanding the industry Maizono works in can be, so it's not a surprise the standards of beauty are even more taxing in a place where Enoshima, the Ultimate Fashionista, would work. If they made those changes she talked about to her image, they probably didn't like her natural hair and decided that a strawberry-blonde wig was necessary…
…It makes sense…
…Still, if we are talking about aspects of her that give her a charming image, there's one detail that confuses me…
"What about your freckles?" …Which I suddenly decided to point out, surprising myself for doing that.
"What about them?" She said with a dangerous edge and narrowed eyes, there was also something else, another slight emotion in the tone of her voice, it was filled with a slight tint of vulnerability, but I couldn't decipher what it was beyond that.
…
"…Well, you said that they made changes to your appearance to give you a better image…" What am I doing? "…So, why would they remove the freckles? They give you a cute charm, right?"
Huh!? Where did that come from!?
Enoshima's face shifted from one of suspicious to a surprised one…and then she blushed "E-Eh!? S-so…you think, like, my freckles…they look cute?" She asked with nervousness that you wouldn't expect from an experienced fashionista and also with some…expectancy?
I was not paying attention to those details If I was being honest with myself, which is why the only thing I did was give a stiff nod.
"I-I see, truth is…people usually don't like them, they prefer the other me…the one they see in those edited photos, but if you think otherwise, then…thank you, I appreciate it" Enoshima said with a smile, but not like the cheshire fabricated one from earlier, but a small and sincere one.
And I couldn't help but…for the first time since this fiasco, and who knows since how long ago…smile back at her.
"You're welcome. Goodbye, Enoshima" That's all I could say before leaving, I…I don't trust myself to not say another…weird thing, really, what the heck was all that?
It wasn't until I got away enough from her that I remembered a really important detail that made me slightly widen my eyes.
Enoshima was one of the only two people that paid attention to the weapons when my eyes were on them.
…Of everyone that I have met so far, she is the most…interesting one, yeah let's go with that.
I will have to keep an eye on her…to establish if she's more than what it looks in plain sight, of course, nothing else, no sir.
…
…Let's get this done with.
The last person that I needed to introduce myself to was a pale girl with long lavender hair with a single braid on her left side, tied with a black ribbon, and purple eyes. Her clothing consisted of a dark-purple blazer jacket over a zipped-up white blouse and a brown tie. She also was wearing a dark-purple short skirt and heeled knee-high dark-purple boots.
Hmm…maybe it's my imagination, but I think purple is her favorite color.
Anyway, I approached her.
"Shizuka Shigaraki, greetings" By this point, I managed to recover my blank face from before the previous…incident.
"…"
"…"
"…" …I guess I will be the one doing the talking for this introduction…that's really, really weird.
"…"
"…Can you tell me your name?"
"…My name is Kyoko Kirigiri" She's not gonna tell me her talent.
It's not a guess, but a statement.
Kyoko Kirigiri, Ultimate ? ? ?...that's about all I have on her, and seeing such is the case, it's likely that she's a similar case to mine, the mysterious and discrete way she acts, and refusing giving more information than necessary greatly increases those chances.
…Well, I say that's all there's to it, but in a way, there are two things worth pointing out about her.
Kirigiri…I feel like I have heard of that surname somewhere, but I can't place it where. The other was that she is the second person who followed my gaze on the weapons at the beginning.
The reason I put this much importance on that, is because when I did that, not only I was a relatively large distance away from everyone, but apart from tensing up, I really didn't make much movement, so to notice where my sight was…they would have to been paying very close attention to me.
That's something to take into consideration for the future.
Either way, I understood that I would not get anything from her, so it was futile to ask…unless I used more 'serious' and 'professional' methods of information gathering. Of course, I didn't have either the desire or the urgency to do any of that, and that's not even taking into account that we are surrounded by another fourteen people, it would be madness to try something like that in these circumstances.
As such, seeing that we are done here, I prepared to leave.
"You haven't told anyone your talent" Only to have Kirigiri interrupt that course of action.
"…I haven't…" I conceded, but… "…and neither have you"
Considering that I haven't put the same level of attention on Kirigiri as she has done on me, I had no solid evidence to know if my claim was true or not, but seeing how mysterious she has been acting so far, I was confident in my guess.
"That's true…" Kirigiri admitted "…before you leave, there's something else I would like to ask you"
"Hm?"
"The weapons mounted in the entrance…you think they are real, am I right?"
"They are" It's not a guess, I am one hundred percent sure they are real.
"I see…then what do you think of our current situation?" I have a feeling she's not usually this talkative.
When she finished that question, I started looking around to see my 'classmates'…some were having enthusiastic talks, others were laughing and apart from Byakuya and to some degree, Celeste, everyone else was fooling around.
…It almost irked me.
"…No one is taking this seriously enough, that could become a fatal mistake" I don't expect them to panic and start crying at their own shadow, but it's plenty obvious they haven't become aware of how dangerous our current situation is.
I am also aware that this sounds somewhat hypocritical of me, considering the…circumstances with Enoshima, and my own somewhat not-so-serious thoughts thus far, though unlike them, I keep all of that within my head, where I am capable of multitasking and react properly in case an incident happens. It is an essentialpart of My Talent to observe people and know when they let their guard down or are relaxed…and that's the case with most of them.
"So that is your view on this matter…I will take what you said into consideration" Kirigiri said while slightly lowering her head and putting a hand on her chin, making a thinking pose.
I simply nodded, neither of us had more to say and we both knew that.
With the introductions on all of my 'classmates' done, and annoying as the potential attention this position could get me, I moved to the center of the room, as it would allow me to have more freedom of movement, and be prepared for anything that could come next.
"Okay, time to get down to business" The moment everyone concluded their respective introductions, Togami didn't waste any time taking the lead on the next topic at hand "This is no time to stand around making friends like a bunch of dull-eyed baboons"
Weird comparison aside, he's right. As for me, I will only dedicate myself to merely observing, I see no reason to be part of the next conversation...for now
"Oh, right…" Naegi chimed in with what sounded like realization "…I believe someone said something about a bigger problem or something like that, what was that about?"
"Well, you see…Naegi, you said a bunch of stuff happened, and then just you were 'just asleep', right?" It was Maizono who gave the Ultimate Lucky Student an explanation "The thing is…the same happened to all of us"
"What!? Seriously!?" Naegi became understandably shocked at hearing that.
"Yeah, just like the girl said…" Leon confirmed as he awkwardly began to rub the back of his head "…After each one of us got inside the school, we lost consciousness. And when we came to, we were somewhere here in the school! That's what happened to you, right?"
Negi gave him a nod, though he wasn't any less nervous "B-But that's just weird! That every one of us would get knocked out like that…"
Well, at least they recognize that.
"Damn right! That's why we're freakin' out!" Owada shouted.
"That's not the only thing…" Taka began after the Gang Leader's exclamation "…You saw where all the windows in the classes and hallways were, right? But instead of that, it was a bunch of big metal plates! What's that about!?"
"Plus, all my stuff's missing! Even my cellphone…" Enoshima commented.
"Y-Yeah, I haven't seen my PDA either" Fujisaki added.
It makes sense, out of everyone here, 'she's' the last person you want to have with any kind of device at her hands for a successful kidnapping.
"And then there's the main hall here" Taka added while pointing at the highly advanced vault door "The front exit is completely blocked by some giant metal hatch…but I didn't see anything like that when I got here! What the heck!? What it's doing here!?"
Everyone began to have contemplative looks on their faces when he said that.
…
…They have completely disregarded the machine guns, haven't they?
"Hey…what if we are part of, like, you know…a crime, or something?" Enoshima said, a bit blue on the face, from nervousness, I suppose.
"Wait, like…a kidnapping?" Leon commented 'They are making some progress, I see…' "You think maybe someone grabbed us and hauled us off and we're not actually at school?" That's a very important point, are we or not in Hope's Peak right now…
In any case, it's kind of good that these people are beginning to take this seriously, maybe that―
"Come, don't think like that. Cheer up!" Hiro commented.
Eh?
"I bet this is all just part of the school's orientation procedure. Yeah! I'm sure that's it! So, I'm just gonna take it easy for a little bit!" He continued.
…
…I…I'm honestly not that surprised that he of all people is in denial, but at least not everyone is that stupid to―
"Oh…So you think they wanted to do something to surprise us?" Fujisaki replied before sighing in relief.
…
"Huh, really? Well, if that's all it is, it's nap time for me. I was up way too late last night, so I could use a bit of a little shuteye" Leon said while grinning and rubbing the back of his head.
…I looked around and saw…how everyone began to relax, their tension evaporating…
…
…Of course, take the comment of the biggest fool in the room at face value, sure, what could go wrong with that?
I wasn't interested in taking part in this talk, but they REALLY need a reality check or things could get chaotic when faced directly with whoever is in charge of all of this and reveals their intentions.
Not that I know them myself, really, but everything points to nothing good, that's for sure…
With that in mind, I prepared to speak "…Are you guys going to―"
Ding dong bing bong!
A bell-like noise interrupted what I was going to say, then the monitor in the room turned on, in which for a few seconds there was nothing but a buzz to be heard as static filled the now turned-on screen.
And then…
"Ahem! Ahem! Testing! Testing! Mike check, Mike check, one, two! This is a test of the school broadcast system!"
I couldn't help narrowing my eyes at that.
That voice… was way too…chirpy. Considering our current situation and everything I've seen so far, it's obvious that whoever this person is, they find absolute amusement in the threatening situation we find ourselves in.
Alarm bells were already ringing in my head.
"Am I on? If so…to all incoming students! I would like to begin the entrance ceremony at…right now! Please make your way to the gymnasium at your earliest convenience…That's all. I'll be waiting!"
Entrance ceremony, they say…plus that tone in this voice, they seem intended on keeping the farse that all of this is part of the school. Whomever our captor is, there's no doubt about it…they are extremely eccentric.
I should prepare for anything. The last thing their kind is known for is going by the norm.
"…What. The. Hell was that just now?" Enoshima said nervously.
Yeah, that's a way to put it.
"Well then, if you'll excuse me…" As soon as the broadcast ended, Togami left the hall.
"H-Hey! What, you're gonna take off just like that!?" Enoshima exclaimed.
"Ohh yeah, now I get it!" Ugh, I highly doubt he does "This whole thing was just to get us all pumped for the entrance ceremony! Man, thank God it was all a joke. I'd be totally freaked if this was real! Alright, guess I'll head out, too. Hmm, I wonder what they got planned for us next" Hiro pondered aloud as he left the room.
…I'm just gonna tune out whenever this guy talks. The chances of him saying something useful are as low as everything he has said so far has been the case.
"Damn, I was looking forward to that nap. Geez, why'd they have to go and kill the mood?" Leon grumbled while he left too.
"W-Wait for me!" The Ultimate Programmer quickly scurried towards those who already left "I wanna go with you!"
"That is that, then. I will see you all there" Celeste commented with a smile before calmly strolling out of the main hall.
By that point, almost everyone left the room, and except for Kirigiri, the remaining students stood there either in shock or wariness.
Might as well give them the required push-up.
"…We should get moving, we don't know what our captors are capable of if we don't abide by their orders" I commented.
"C-Captors!? W-What are you talking about…?" Maizono asked in a worried tone.
"I don't think we should jump to conclusions!" Naegi quickly chimed in "I'm sure this is just the wacky way Hope's Peak does these things as Hiro said!"
"…"
"Regardless of what is true, just staying here isn't going to help in any way. Besides, aren't you guys a little bit curious to find out what's going on around here?" Kirigiri inquired.
"If we do not move forward, we learn nothing. The only choice is to push ahead" Ogami commented in a serene voice.
"It's settled then" I said while turning to leave the main, with the remaining students following as well.
It's time to finally see what are the intentions of our kidnappers.
Once we left the main hall, our little group of Ogami, Kirigiri, Enoshima, Maizono, Naegi, and Me '…Alright, not so little if it's a third of the student body, I guess', turned to the left, in the same direction where that gate from before was, and headed in search of the gym.
Of course, just because I was surrounded by people, didn't mean that I stopped doing the same extra measure I was busy with on my way to the main hall…and that is checking the doors while we moved. Some of these doors included a Nurse's office and some restrooms, one for each gender…though just as in previous cases, they were all locked.
"Eh? What are you doing? Is that like, some kind of a weird hobby of yours?" Enoshima commented with a confused look on her face.
It also appears that my antics didn't go unnoticed or uncommented, not that I cared if I am honest.
"…I was just curious, and seeing as we are going in this direction, I decided to check if any door was open on the way to the gym" I said plainly.
"That's reasonable" Kirigiri commented.
"I don't think that's the case…" Naegi sweatdropped.
"You shouldn't say that, Naegi! Everyone has their own hobbies!" Maizono said.
It truly wasn't a hobby…
"Distraction or not, it matters not…we have arrived"
Weird moment aside, Ogami was right. We finally found the double doors that would lead us to the gym, at least the sign with the legend 'Gym' beside them indicated that much.
Without wasting time, I went inside.
Once inside, what greeted me was…not the gym but some kind of trophy room. On my left there were multiple display cases, showing all kinds of trophies and medals, the same was the case on the right side of the room but in addition, there was a surveillance camera. In front of me was a TV 'Definitely for those broadcasts we just saw on the main hall' anda double door, similar to the one I just came from.
This is the one that will lead to the actual gym, I guess.
"God, I had no idea this Hope's Peak Academy was going to be such a pain in my balls. It ain't that different from the time I spent in juvie. Hell, this place is even worse!" Owada growled.
"And why isn't there anyone here? Walking through the halls, I didn't see a single person…" Maizono commented.
"Isn't that like, seriously not good?" Enoshima added in a worried voice.
"Th-They're just trying to spook us! They'll take those metal plates down later, I'm sure of it…" Taka said nervously.
"What about the mounted weapons at the entrance of the school?" I don't know why, but it felt somewhat liberating finally pointing that out.
Strange.
"You shouldn't joke about that! It is clear they are fake! There's no way Hope's Peak would put such a dangerous thing for real, right!?" Taka commented…to convince himself as much as the others.
"…Just be ready for anything, for your own good" It's the only thing I can say if they are going to be in such denial.
"He is right, all we can do now is hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Nothing ventured, nothing gained" Ogami added.
"Well hell, it ain't like I'm scared or nothin'. Let's just get this over with! Hey! Where's the bastard who called us here!" The Ultimate Gang Leader shouted while storming off the room.
"Owada, stop! No running in the halls!" With Taka following after him.
"I too shall go" Ogami added before departing.
"H-Hey, wait! Don't leave me here all alone!" Yamada screamed in a very masculine way.
Save for Ogami, that left me with the group from earlier. They all had faces that showed their uneasiness with this whole ordeal…well, everyone but Kirigiri. She remained as stoic as usual, but that's the norm with her, I suppose.
Good for her, she will need it for what is to come...
…
"…Let's get this over with" With that, I finally left the trophy room, with my body prepared both physically and psychologically, for what the mastermind behind all of this has prepared for us.
Inside the gym what greeted me was what looked like a normal entrance ceremony, the entire room had flags on its left and right sides and ahead of me, there was a stage with a podium that had an emblem of Hope's Peak Academy, another detail was that before the stage, there were sixteen chairs, most probably to add effect to all this mockery of a ceremony.
"Oh, it does look like an entrance ceremony…" I heard Naegi pointing out.
"See? Told ya! It's just normal entrance ceremony stuff!" Hiro added.
The fact that all of this looks 'normal' when everything before this was a bad sign after bad sign, just shows this is where the real danger begins.
I have to keep my eyes open, and ears alert for anything.
Will they begin to shoot us? Or maybe close the doors and fill the room with poison…no, if they wanted to kill everyone right now, they had their chance when everyone was fooling around during the introductions, so…what does that―
"Hey there, howdy, hello! Is everyone here? Good! Then let's get things rolling!"
My attention and that of all of my classmates went to the stage, and that's when it happened.
From behind the podium, a figure jumped out of it to reveal itself.
It was…
…A bear?
What the…?
The left side of the…bear, was completely black, except for his nose and the center of his belly. It had grinning teeth and a strange jagged red eye '…Actually, doesn't that come from Hope's Peak logo?', the left side, on the other hand, was completely different. Instead of black, it was a contrasting white, lacked any teeth, and wore a simple black dot eye, this side was no different from a normal teddy bear.
Still…what is this? A toy? A robot? How is it controlled? By an A.I? 'Does the technology to achieve that exist?', it was a truly unusual sight…
…But it doesn't matter, I have to keep myself steeled, that's the only way possible to gather as much information as possible for now. I promised myself that I was going to be ready for anything our bizarre kidnapper would throw at us, and that's what I'm going to do.
"Huh? A…teddy bear?" Fujisaki asked with reasonable confusion on 'her' face.
"I'm not a teddy bear!" The teddy bear exclaimed "I…am…Monokuma! And I am this school's headmaster!"
…Huh, so it does have a speech formulation function. That sounds advanced enough to point towards it not being a teddy bear.
"Wh-!? Waaaaah! The teddy bear can talk!" Yamada screamed.
"Calm down! I'm sure there's just a speaker inside the teddy bear!" Taka nervously stated. 'That's also a possibility, true, but…'
"Can you people cut it with that!? I'm not a teddy bear…" It appears that the monochrome bear got tired of being mocked as he stood up and raise its paws in what looked like an attempt at intimidation "…I'm Monokuma! And I'm your headmaster!"
Well, those movements of his throw the teddy bear theory out of the window in its totality. Now the thing is, how is it controlled?
"Eeeeek, it moved!" Yamada screamed, again.
"Seriously man, calm down! It's prolly just a remote-control toy or some crap like that" Mondo commented, though he seemed a bit nervous too.
"How dare you compare me to a child's plaything! You cut me deep. Deeper than the Mariana Trench…" Monokuma commented in a most probably fake depressing tone "My remote-control system is so complex, even the people at NASA can't recreate or even comprehend it!"
! ! !
That's a very important piece of info. If this 'Monokuma' is controlled by remote control, then the chances are that whoever is in control of it, it's inside this place too.
Maybe that's why the stairs I saw on the way here were blocked by a gate.
"Ah, but don't make me say stuff that might destroy NASA's dreams, I just couldn't BEAR that!"
…
…
…
…Is he serious?
" 'Bear' that? Really? You are…unfortunate" Celeste lamented.
Yeah, that's a way to put it…
"Now then, moving on!" Ah, he already moved from it "We really must hurry and get started!"
"Giving up already? No other stupid bear puns?" Enoshima commented.
If this…Monokuma heard Enoshima, he didn't make it known "Quiet down now, quiet down. Ah, okay, so, where was I?"
"He has abandoned the gag…" Ogami stated.
"Right! Everyone, stand at attention and bow! And…good morning!"
I can only think of one person who would follow along with something that ridiculous.
"Good morning!" Taka shouted, more so than usual.
Yep, of course, it was him who did that…
…But putting that aside, what's our Captor's plan? What does he gain by following this whole gag?
The only thing it comes to mind is…does he want us to drop our guards? Everyone, including me, I must admit, has been following along in some way or another on this ridiculousness. Does he want us to feel a false sense of security and then drop a metaphorical bomb on us? If that's the case, I truly must steel my nerves more than ever.
"Y-You don't have to s-say it back!" Fukawa understandably snapped at the Moral Compass.
"With that finally said and done, let us commence with a most noteworthy and memorable entrance ceremony" Monokuma calmly stated.
I narrowed my eyes at that.
This is where things finally begin, don't they?
"First, let's talk a bit about what your school life here will be like. Now, ah, make no mistake. You few students, so full of potential, represent the hope of the world, and to protect such splendid hope…you will all live a communal life together solely within the confines of this school" He said in a chirpy tone.
The way he said that what does he mean by―
! ! !
…
…
…He can't be serious right?
Even if I succeeded in suppressing myself from showing any other reaction, I couldn't help but widen my eyes completely. If he's implying what I think he's implying, then…
…Shit.
My widened eyes should have been noticeable enough because the bastard moved his head slightly to look at me with a noticeable gleam in his red eye. How does he do that? I don't know.
"Everyone will live in harmony together, and adhere to the rules and regulations of the school…Ah, now then…regarding the end date for this communal life…" He paused for a moment "…THERE ISN'T ONE! In other words, you'll all be here until the day you die! Such is the school life you've been assigned!"
Discretely looking around, I could observe the panicked faces of realization of all the students around me, finally understanding what he meant by all of that.
"W-What did he just say? Until the day we d-die…?" Fukawa said, on the verge of tears.
"Oh, but don't worry! We have quite an abundant budget, so you won't lack for all the common conveniences, you have my word on that!" Monokuma said cheerfully while rubbing the back of his head.
"T-That's the least of our worries right now!" Not like that gave any reassurance, as shown by Maizono's concerned claim.
"Yeah, what the hell!? You're saying I have to live here forever? You're screwing with us, right?" Enoshima added.
"I am not screwing with you! I am no liar; of that, you can be one hundred percent sure!" Monokuma growled "Ah, and just for your information…you're completely cut off from the outside world. So, you don't have to worry about that dirty dirty land beyond these walls ever again!"
"Cut off…? So, all those metal plates all over the school…" Naegi trailed off.
Of course they realize until now the threat all of that represented. The integrity of any of them couldn't be any lower on my list of priorities even if I tried to, but…
"…Not only the metal plates…" I decided to make it as clear as it was possible for even the densest of them "…The security cameras, the mounted military-grade machine guns, and the vault door with high-end technology also work to keep us trapped inside this place. All of that should have been clues enough to give you all an idea of how dire the situation we were in was since long ago"
I was not someone who liked to rant, at least not verbally, but it was time for everyone to finally get out of their ideal world, and see the grim reality of our situation, I couldn't care less about the faces full of shock some of them were sending me.
"Upupupupu, of course something like that didn't go past you, Shigaraki! Yep! Everything he just said is true! No matter how much you may yell and scream for help…help will not come!" Is the school covered with soundproof material too? Well, with the walls reinforced with the right material it would do that while also keeping us trapped. It's not unfeasible "So, with all of that in mind, feel free to live out your life here with reckless abandon!"
"Come on, w-what the hell is this?" The nervous voice of the Baseball Star made it clear he wasn't a fan of the idea "I don't care if the school or whoever else is behind it all, this is just a really bad joke!"
"Yeah! Cut this shit out! It isn't funny anymore!" Owada added.
It seems some people are still in denial…
"You keep saying this is a lie or a joke. A bunch of skeptics, all of you!" Following that clamorous declaration, once again his strangely shaped red eye flickered in my direction "...Well, maybe Shigaraki not so much, does he?"
"…" Once, I could take it as coincidence, but twice? Not anymore, what is he planning?
"But I guess you can't help it, can you? You all grew up in an age where you're taught to doubt your neighbor…Well, you'll have plenty of time to find out whether or not what I say is true. And when that time comes, you'll see with your own eyeballs that I speak the undeniable truth!" Monokuma replied.
"Having to live here forever would be…quite the problem" Celeste said.
"Fuckin' understatement of the century…" Owada scoffed.
"Come, now. What's the matter with all of you?" Monokuma inquired "You decided of your own free will to attend Hope's Peak Academy, didn't you?" Weeell…no, not really. It would be quite amusing if mentioning that would be enough to let me go, though "And now before the entrance ceremony is even finished, you've already decided you want to leave? Oh well, if that's the case…" I narrowed my eyes, again, at the sudden resignation 'There's no way he has given up on this so easily' "…I guess I did forget to mention one thing. There IS one way for you to leave the school"
…
"R-Really…?" Fukawa asked with a hopeful tone.
"Really! Really! As headmaster, I've crafted a special condition for those of you who would like to leave. I call it…the Graduation Clause!" Monokuma commented.
…
"Now, let me tell you about this fun little rule. As I mentioned, in order to maintain an environment of harmony here, we rely on a communal lifestyle. And if someone were to disrupt that harmony, they and they alone would be allowed to leave the school"
…
"That, my students, is the Graduation Clause!" He finished spreading his arms, rejoicing in his own words.
…So that's what he wants, doesn't he?
"What do you mean by 'disrupt' the harmony?" Demanded Togami.
…That's why he's singling me out.
"Upupupu…Well, you know…if one person were to murder another…"
…He's waiting for someone to bite the bait and ask THAT question.
"M-Murder!?" Naegi half-asked half screamed.
"Stabbing, strangling, bludgeoning, crushing, hacking, drowning, igniting, poisoning, how you do it doesn't matter. You must kill someone if you want to leave. It's as simple as that" The protests some members of the group, told not everyone thought as such "The rest is up to you. Give it your all to achieve the best result in the worst possible way…especially You. Otherwise, it would be such a waste to have you here, don'tcha think so as well?" The bastard is not even being subtle about it.
Although seeing that nobody is pointing it out, it's possible that the shocking news was impactful enough to distract them from noticing that…probably.
Whatever the case it may be, the monochrome bear continued with his speech "Upupupu. I bet THAT got your brain juices flowing! Beats the heck out of a human catching a salmon, huh?" And he's back at the bear jokes "As I said before, you guys are the hope of the world. But you know…taking that hope and seeing it get murdered creates a darkened shadow of despair…and I just find that so…darn…exciting!" Is…Is he panting?
And here I thought he couldn't get weirder…
"What the hell are you talking about!? T-To kill each other is…it's…!" Leon stuttered, far from composed.
"To kill each other is to kill each other. I'm sure there's a dictionary here somewhere if you need it" Monokuma inquired with a tilted head.
"We know what it means, that's not the problem! Why do we have to kill each other!?" Hina exclaimed.
"Yeah! Stop blabbering on with all this nonsense! Let us go home already!" Yamada…roared?
"…Blabbering?" The deadly quiet tone in which Monokuma echoed that word put any following protest to an end as everyone waited with growing trepidation about what would happen following that.
They pushed a button, didn't they?
Before anyone could utter a word, Monokuma pushed his head forward with his red eye glowing intensely "Blabbering, blabbering, what do you mean blabbering!? Stop blabbering on about blabbering on!" Some of the students yelped at that "You guys just don't get it, do you!? 'Let us go, let us go!' You keep saying the same thing over and over and over and over! Listen. From this moment on, this school is your home, your life, your world. Got it? And you can kill as much as you wanna kill! So go ahead, go on a kill-kill-killing spree…it's not like that's different from your usual killing lifestyle, right?"
Tch.
…If he's gonna tease it that much, might as well say it himself instead of waiting for someone to ask.
"Alright, come on…How long are ya gonna keep this up?" Is Hiro's stupidity gonna come to my rescue, moving the subject completely? I don't hold any hope for that, but it's good wishful thinking.
"Eh?" Monokuma seemed genuinely confused.
Yeah, that's what this guy does to you.
"You got us, okay? You scared the hell out of us. So, you can go ahead and reveal the trick now" Hiro said casually…this guy is something else, isn't he?
"Reveal the trick…?" Monokuma said still as weirded out as the rest of the group.
"Yeah, cuz I mean…Y'know, this is all some kinda trick and all, right? So uh, like…" And he keeps going…
"Dude, shut the hell up and get outta my way!" Owada growled. Then, the next thing he did was push Hiro aside as he placed himself in front of Monokuma, with his voice rumbling like thunder "Listen up, asshole! This shit's gone way too far! What the hell kind of joke IS this!?"
"Joke? What, you mean like your hair?" Monokuma asked 'innocently'.
Ah.
"FFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-" Owada roared before lunging in Monokuma's direction, with the floor where the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader was standing made a sound as he kicked off and launched himself towards the Monochrome bear.
Huh, I guess he doesn't have his title for show.
With his target locked in his sight, Owada grabbed Monokuma by the collar while the bear began to flap with his arms.
"Gotcha, you little piece of shit! I dunno if you're a toy or a stuffed animal or whatever the fuck you are! Either way, I'm gonna rip you to fuckin' shreds"
"Waaaaah! Violence against the headmaster is in violation of the school regulations!" Instead of replying back to the gang leader, Monokuma's panicked voice cried out a declaration that made me frown.
Violation of school regulations?
"Shut the fuck up! Let me outta here, or I swear to Christ…!" Owada shouted.
Again, instead of directing any word towards Owada, Monokuma ignored him…though this time by going silent.
What? Why would he suddenly―
Beep beep beep―
! ! !
"What, no smartass comeback this time!?" The fool hasn't become aware of the danger he's in.
Beep beep beep
With Owada so relatively close to me and without knowing the range of that, I acted on instinct and dashed towards him.
"Stop that goddamn―" I didn't let him finish that sentence as I shoved him aside with my shoulder. As he began to fall on his ass, I picked Monokuma from his grasp at the same time.
Then, I threw the bomb as high and as far as possible.
"HEY! You fucker!? What is your―"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
As the following screams of horror from my classmates made themselves known, I couldn't prevent myself from grimacing.
If I hadn't taken the bomb from him, the radius would have been enough to get me…
So much for not wanting to kill us right now.
"The hell!? T-That sure as shit wasn't a joke. It blew the hell up…" I heard Owada say, and from the corner of my eye, I noticed how his skin was a few shades lighter from the near-death experience.
"B-But you know…this means that the teddy bear's been destroyed, right?" Fujisaki commented with hope in 'her' voice.
Hope that I was about to break.
"I wouldn't count on that…" When I said that, everyone turned to look at me 'Ugh, I'm not used to being stared at by so many people' "If he was willing to blow up this unit, then that means he has enough of them to spare"
As if on cue, another replica of the monochrome bear appeared out of nowhere.
"I told you, I'm not a teddy bear! I'm Monokuma! Additionally, he's right y'know?" Monokuma exclaimed while pointing a paw at me.
"Uwaah! There's another one!?" Leon gave a masculine scream.
"You son of a bitch! You seriously tried to kill me just now!" Owada snarled.
"Well, yes. I was serious about trying to kill you. You did violate one of the school regulations, after all. I'll let you off with a warning this time, but you'd better be careful from now on, I don't think you would be lucky enough to have Shigaraki save you sorry ass again!" He's singling me out again, though it feels like he's forcing it a bit at this point "Any naughty boy or girl who violates my rules wouldn't get off with just a little swat on the butt!"
"H-Hey…when you say that he's right, you meant, like, the part Shigaraki said about existing a bunch more of you around somewhere?" Ah, now Enoshima is joining him.
Regardless of that, the monochrome bear nodded in affirmation at the Fashionista "Monokumas have been placed all throughout the school, yes. Plus, don't forget the surveillance cameras installed everywhere. And if you're caught breaking any rules, well…You all just saw what happened, right? Upupupu…" Yeah, and feel it a bit too, but the point stands, I suppose "…And I won't be so forgiving with my punishment next time. So don't let it happen again!"
"Th-That's not even punishment. That's just…wrong…" Hina said, with the color completely drained from her face.
"Now then, lastly…to commemorate your joyous entry into our school, I have a little something for you…" Monokuma said while he put a bag out of…somewhere. Said bag full of what appeared to be a bunch of tablet-sized devices.
"This is our official student handbook! Pretty cool, isn't it?" Monokuma boasted while he handed a handbook to each of us "As you can see, it's fully digital. So naturally, we call it…" The bear paused a few moments, and then… "…The e-Handbook!" Monokuma said proudly.
"…" Well, that's his name, I guess.
"…Ahem. Yes, well, moving on…this handbook is absolutely vital for a healthy school life, so don't lose it! When you start it up, it will display your name. Always make sure you have the right one with you! Now, this is not your everyday notebook. It has so many more uses than that!" Yep, the guy is proud of this thing "Also, it's completely waterproof. Splash it, wash it, drown it, and it'll keep on ticking! And thanks to its space-age design, it can withstand an impact force of up to ten tons. Very resistant!" I will admit…that's impressive "This device contains all of our school regulations, so make sure you review them thoroughly!"
Monokuma then took a more threatening look "You'll hear me say this a lot, but any violation of school regulations will not be tolerated! Rules restrict, yes, but they also protect. Society, for example, would be utter chaos without laws"
Such a good speech…now if only it didn't come from him.
"The same thing applies here! This is why it's crucial we have strict punishments in place for violators! Okay, well…that brings our entrance ceremony to a close!"
Huh, so that's all. I guess I got lucky that nobody began to ask anything even with all the hints the bear threw.
…
…
…
…I just jinxed it, didn't I?
"Please enjoy your abundantly dreary school life! And…see―"
"Wait just a moment!" Exclaimed…Kirigiri.
Sigh.
…Of course, it was she who noticed it. She seems like she has a knack for these things.
Everyone felt silent at that, looking between the mysterious girl and the bear, curious about what was going to happen next, and even though Monokuma looked like he was already ready to leave, I could see his mouth inconspicuously growing into a smirk.
Did he also anticipate that Kirigiri was going to be the one to bite the bait?
"Hm? What is it Kirigiri, I'm a BEARY busy bear y'know?"
"I just need you to answer me about something I have noticed" If she got irked at the joke, she didn't show it…unlike the rest of the class.
"Oh?" Monokuma 'innocently' tilted his head "I guess I could indulge you on that…shoot!" Then he did a gun signal with his paws.
"…It is regarding Shigaraki"
This is it…
"…Shigaraki…?" Monokuma echoed, a tint of 'confusion' in his voice. Why he was playing dumb? I have no idea "…Why ask me about him? If you need anything from him, he's right there, y'know?"
"Not like that…" The silver-haired girl shook her head "…Since the beginning of this 'Entrance Ceremony', you have been making constant reference regarding one of us, with him being the only exception among our group. Besides that, whether it was on purpose or not, it didn't go unnoticed by me those weirdly specific commentaries you made, that while you didn't used his name in some of them, you at the very least did them while looking in his direction, so…" This girl…I have to be careful around her "…My question is why? Why this much interest in Shigaraki?"
After Kirigiri's detailed declaration was done, I could see that everyone began to contemplate on her words.
"H-Huh…?" Looks of realization began to show up among the group, beginning with the Baseball Star "Now that she brings it up…it's kinda weird, right?"
"Yeah, why would he do that?" Hina said while touching her chin with a finger.
Slowly but surely, everyone began to turn in my direction. Some with looks of curiosity, a few of them with interest, and others with caution.
There's no way the bear isn't gonna reveal it. It's too good for him to let this one go.
Even if it was only for a minute, an eternal-feeling silence was cast upon the room, nobody daring to utter a single word.
Finally, almost if calculated, when those exact sixty seconds passed…
"…Upupu…" …He laughed
Monokuma laughed.
"…Upupupupu...upupupu...pupu―HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, you bastards! I almost thought for a second that nobody was going to bring this up! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
In the short amount of time, we have met the bear, nobody has seen him in this much ecstasy. Among those not understanding where this despairful glee was coming from, there was no one seeing his reaction without uncomfortable anticipation, waiting for whatever it is Monokuma would say next.
Even if I know what he's gonna reveal, and though dread isn't a word I could use to describe how I was feeling about this 'I knew this was going to come up whether it was from my mouth or his. I never planned to keep it as a secret forever, it was just a matter of convenience at the beginning', I was admittedly curious about how he was going to go about it.
Finally, it was Owada who couldn't keep hearing more of the laughter "Oi, you fucker! stop laughing and tell us what's with you!"
As if for the first time listening to the Gang Leader, the laughter ended "Hahaha…ha…Sorry, sorry, it's just that I couldn't contain my excitement!" Then he made a sound as if clearing his throat "Ahem! You see, my dear students! As your Headmaster, it is my duty to be completely impartial in this environment of killing and being killed this school encourages! But the thing is…" He paused a bit for the sake of suspense 'He loves doing that, doesn't he?' "How do I say this...I got it! If all of you guys were horses, I would put all my savings on Shigaraki with no doubt at all!"
"H-Huh? I don't understand, is…is he saying we are horses?"
"I see…" Unlike Hiro, Celeste appeared to catch on to something about Monokuma's declaration "…Would you kindly explain why that would be the case?" While her face was stoic, I could see the calculating gleam of curiosity in the gambler's eyes.
"Hmph, such an irrational bet!" Togami sneered with a smirk. Then, he eyed me up a down, not impressed at all with what he was seeing "What does this commoner have, that I, the successor of the Togami family couldn't have?"
"Oh, that's simple! The answer is…Talent" Monokuma said.
That's a way to say it, I suppose.
"Talent?" Maizono repeated.
"But that doesn't make any sense! Everyone here has a Talent, that's how we got into this school, right?" Hina asked aloud.
Around the gym, more whispers and questions were heard, trying and failing to figure out what was the monochrome bear talking about.
"…Wait a moment, guys…" In the end, it seemed Naegi of all people who began to put together the pieces "…Shigaraki has never told his talent to anyone, right? Could it be that―"
"That's it!" Before the Ultimate Lucky Student could finish his sentence, though, it was Kirigiri who resolved the mystery behind Monokuma's cryptic clue, if the widened eyes in alarm as her gaze flickered towards Monokuma was anything to go by "Talent! You are talking about a talent that's effective in this killing environment of yours, right? That means…!"
"Someone should give the girl a cookie! Upupupupu! Yes! It's exactly what you are thinking! A talent perfect for this Killing School Life, the talent of Shizuka Shigaraki is…The Ultimate Assassin!" It was obvious the bear was enjoying every moment of their growing panicked faces of realization "Every single killing method I mentioned earlier…He has done it Dozens! Hundreds of times! Every single killing method you ask him about…The same! Dozens! Hundreds of times! I'm honored as a member of this institution, to have in my halls, the most talented Assassin in the entire world! Upupupupupu…!"
With the faces of every single one of my classmates turning my way, none of them with a positive expression, I couldn't but think a single thing.
The cat's outta the bag, huh?