The dining room was filled with all the Ultimates. All stood at sundry places throughout the room, but no one stood behind the counter at which one might order food. It was a bit overwhelming to see all these people in one place, especially when a few of them had come off as quite unwelcoming, but the upside was that it was a constant reassurance that he was not the only one in this odd situation. If he were alone, he would certainly worry, not having a single clue as to what he should do.
"Wow, pretty amazing, isn't it?" Sorao said relaxedly. "This whole ship's meant to be part of an amusement park. Kind of creative, don't you think?"
"Yeah, so many places to explore!" Kumi answered, beaming, who seemed unaware of the situation's gravity. "But it also means even more hiding places for pixies!"
"R-Really?" Arashi said, looking oddly interested.
"This is no time to think about fantasies, you wretched fools," Abraham said, arms crossed. "Has it not fucking occurred to you to think about why we're even in this ship?"
"For starters, does anyone remember anything strange last night?" Mari asked. "I remember falling asleep in my bed, but that's all."
"Likewise," Murphy answered. "Well, in my case, I felt quite tired and so decided to sleep earlier than usual."
"But that's only you, right?" Tanjiro said. "I didn't feel anything weird."
"Yep, neither did I!" Haruka said, as blithesome as always. "I hit the hay without any problems!"
"Mayhap we have been kidnapped," Atsushi suggested, pondering. "The mastermind behind this waited for us to go to bed before kidnapping us. But an overnight kidnapping of eighteen teenagers that live in different places must have required much manpower, I trow."
"Indeed," Futaba said. "And that is not to mention how the mastermind obtained control of this ship, which I assume is owned by a great company. After all, if this is truly part of an amusement park, then the expenses to maintain this ship must be quite dear."
"Yeah, I can't imagine this being done by a small gang of thugs," Sorao said. "I guess we're all victims to a great conspiracy, huh?"
"G-Great conspiracy?" Hikari said, her face looking a bit paler than it already was. "Wh-Why did it have to be me…"
"Now, now, let us not assume the worst," Sister Hikari said gently. "Perhaps the one behind this has better intentions than we think."
"What the hell makes you think that?" Sayua said, frowning. "You seriously think the one who's kidnapped us is well intentioned?"
"If this has been done out of goodwill, our kidnapper certainly has an interesting way of showing it, yes?" Haruyuki said, sounding too delighted at this.
"And moreover," Maiha said, looking as if she had had enough of this already. "where is the one that told us to come here?"
All the Ultimates looked around the room, but a few seconds later, everything turned pitch black. The lights had been turned off. Some of the others began to cry out in terror, but then a voice rang out.
"There's no need for concern, passengers!" It was the same voice that had made that announcement earlier. "This is simply part of how things work here!"
A spotlight then suddenly shone on the counter, at which all now looked with bated breath. There was a door right behind the counter, so Masashi assumed that the one that had spoken earlier would appear from there. Instead, from underneath the counter jumped up a stuffed bear of all things. It wore a white peaked cap along with a white suit that had golden buttons and golden epaulettes as well. The bear's lower half, however, had no clothing. What was odder than the bear's black-and-white appearance was the red mark on its left eye; it struck Masashi as rather menacing.
"Wh-Whoa…" Sorao said, startled. "What the heck is this?"
"Hello, everyone!" the bear said, its voice matching the one's that had given the announcement. "Welcome to Brightmere Mirthyard, a shining sea in which you lovely men and women will have all kinds of fun! I am Monokuma, the captain of the ship that makes up this wonderful dreamland!"
"Wh-What the…?" Masashi said without thinking. No one could fault him; after all, the bear seemed able to move and speak all by itself, and he had never seen a bear that called itself a ship's captain.
"Wow… A talking bear!" Kumi said, his eyes glinting. "This must be a mighty wizard's work!"
"Uh, I'm pretty sure that it's nothing but a toy," Haruka said, though she looked quite unconvinced herself.
"Yeah, I agree as well," Murphy said. ""It must be controlled by the captain right now."
"Wrong, wrong, wrong!" Monokuma said, raising his paws in protest. "Didn't you hear me the first time? I am this ship's captain! Unlike all the other captains out there, I have my very own built-in A.I.! And as the captain, I am to be addressed as Captain Monokuma!"
"Well, then, Captain Monokuma," Sorao said, "are you the one that put us on this ship?"
"Ah, such obedience… It makes the job all the more worth it!" Monokuma said gladly, cheeks reddening. "To answer your question… yes! I'm the one responsible for your being here!"
"You are?!" Sayua said, scowling. "Then explain to me what the fuck's going on here!"
"Yeah!" Arashi said, angrily pointing at him. "I want answers now!"
"I'm getting to that, my passengers!" Monokuma said back. "First, as you're all well aware, we're out here at sea. There's no escape for you!"
"No escape?" Masashi said. "What do you mean, 'no escape'? Are you saying that we're trapped here?"
Monokuma covered his mouth with his paws. "Of course you're trapped here! No one's coming here to get you high schoolers! You'll be living here forever!"
The Ultimates gasped, eyes widened. Had he truly just said that?
"N-No way..." Hikari said. "Th-This has to be a joke… right?"
"I refuse to believe otherwise," Abraham said, scowling while clenching a fist. "What kind of fucking idiocy is this, if not a greatly unfunny joke?"
"I too cannot see any purpose in being penned up in this ship forever," Futaba said. "The number of resources needed to maintain this would be incredibly high."
"Oh, I assure you, you don't need to worry about that!" Monokuma said, touching the rim of his cap. "You'll all be given room and board as long as you're here, so you should be happy about this!"
"But I don't want to be here forever!" Masashi said. "I want to be back home!"
Monokuma looked askance at him. "Why do you still complain about this? Not only will your basic needs be met, but you'll also be able to do whatever you want here! Go ahead, go crazy and have fun all day, all night if you want! I'll be doing all the cleaning and replacing, so you're free to go wild!"
"Hmph. I have far more important things to attend to than pointless partying," Atsushi said, nettled.
"And for me to stay here a long while with these commoners will simply not do!" Maiha protested. "Hence, I demand that we be released at once!"
"Do you truly want to leave this paradise?" Monokuma asked.
"Of course we do!" Tanjiro said, with which a few others then agreed.
"Well… all right. I can see that you're pretty keen to leave," Monokuma said dejectedly. "You win. I'll tell you how you can get out."
"All right!" Arashi said, smiling.
"At last, some decency," Maiha said.
Many of the others too expressed relief that their kidnapper had suddenly had a change of heart. And yet, even though this was something that someone in Monokuma's position ought to be sad about, he instead looked glad as if he had been waiting for this moment.
"Now, then, you're all wondering how you can get out," Monokuma said. "Well, it's something that I'm sure any of you can do!"
"Well, what is it?" Tanjiro asked, eyeing him warily.
"Puhuhuhu… It's nothing too great, really," he said. "All you have to do is… kill someone and get away with it!"
"Wh-WHAT?!" Masashi exclaimed. "What do you mean, 'kill someone'?!"
"There's nothing deeper than that!" Monokuma said. "Stabbing, poisoning, strangulation… Any method's fine! If you kill any of the others here without getting caught in the end, I'll deem you the winner of this killing game and let you go back to civilization!"
The others also stared at the captain either with horror or with bemusement. Not only had they been welcomed to this unfamiliar facility by a robotic bear claiming to be the captain, but the same bear had also said that this was all part of a killing game. It must be a great lie meant to amuse them, but from the looks of things, no one was minded to believe it.
"Y-You've got to be kidding!" Faye said.
"I do not understand what you mean," Futaba said. "A killing game? What a ridiculous notion."
"This must be naught but a jest," Atsushi said, sweating. "No man would do us such a thing."
"Ah, but you see, I'm a bear! I don't follow the standards that you humans have!" Monokuma said. "Of course, that doesn't mean I don't care about them! To see you go against your moral code for survival's sake… a bear like me can get behind that!"
"But there's no way we're behind this!" Red Mask protested. "Killing's wrong!"
"Oh, sure, but thievery's all well and dandy!" Monokuma said, grinning. "Why's that all right for you?"
"That's different!" she replied. "I've never killed anyone, and I don't plan to any time soon!"
"And neither will the rest of us, I'd like to think," Haruyuki said.
"But how do you know for certain?" Monokuma asked, fiddling with one of his white suit's golden buttons. "Sure, you might not think of killing any of your family or your very best friend, but none of them are here with you, are they? Instead, you're stuck on this ship with others you don't know, and suddenly, that barrier doesn't matter!"
"B-But still, I'd never kill anyone, even a complete stranger!" Hikari said. "I-If I were to kill someone, the spirit w-would haunt me forever!"
"Oh, but you're assuming that everyone here follows your standard," Monokuma said. "Haven't you ever thought about the possibility that not all of you are as morally clean as you?"
"Don't be ridiculous!" Sayua said. "Who the fuck can do that stuff?!"
"Unfortunately, Monokuma's right," Mari said, looking particularly contemplative. "I don't like to think about it, but keep in mind that we don't know one another really well. Perhaps some of us have fewer reservations about the killing game than we may think."
"And that doesn't change the fact that we're all still stuck here," Sorao pointed out. "If killing's our only way out, I'm sure some of us will seriously think about it."
Masashi stayed silent, not knowing how he could gainsay any of that. However much he hated to admit it, the two had a point; under normal circumstances, he would be certain that none of them would think about killing. But given the conditions that Monokuma had put them in, he felt tempted to think otherwise now.
"Now, then," Monokuma said, "let's go to the next part—"
"Free us now!"
It was none other than Arashi, who looked all too angry at what had been told the Ultimates. He marched up to the captain, fists clenched. Already, Masashi had a bad feeling about where things were headed.
"What's the problem here?" Monokuma asked, puzzled.
"I told you, free us!" Arashi screamed. "I don't give a damn about your stupid killing game! Send us back to our homes now!"
"Wh-What?" Monokuma said, looking at him inquisitively. "I don't understand what you're saying."
"You don't?!" Arashi scowled even more. "Then maybe you'll understand this!"
"No, stop!" Atsushi yelled, but it was too late. Arashi grabbed Monokuma by the neck and raised him up such that all might see him. Masashi gaped at the sight, not only shocked that Arashi had done such a thing but also surprised that he even could do it; for someone who looked a bit like a little boy, he had much more strength than looks might suggest.
"L-Let go of me at once!" Monokuma said, most of the other Ultimates gazing speechlessly at this. "As your captain, I order that you release me!"
"Hah, and yet you won't do the same for us, your passengers!" Arashi said, smiling a wicked yet childish smile. "Maybe I should just blast you into the heavens! You'll make for some wonderful fireworks, and—"
"Silence, you fool!" Atsushi said. "Can you not hear that sound?"
"H-Huh?"
It was then that all could hear a beeping sound coming from Monokuma, who no longer resisted and instead looked lifeless as if he were a doll.
"Uh, what's going on?" Tanjiro asked.
"That… doesn't sound good," Sister Hikari said as the beeping grew faster.
"Holy Mother of God!" Arashi exclaimed, all anger replaced by worry on his face. At once, he threw the captain up into the air, after which he exploded, covering parts of the area behind the counter with soot, the smell of gunpowder traveling through the room.
"Wh-What the hell?" Masashi said, eyes widened. Of all the things that he had expected, an explosion had not been one of them. "What the hell was that?"
"That must've been magic cast by the evil warlock controlling that bear!" Kumi said. "Yes, it was explosion magic, whose might is so fearsome that men tremble upon seeing those that walk the path of explosions—"
"That was a bomb, you fucking imbecile!" Abraham said, his face a mix of shock and outrage. "The damn thing didn't need magic to try to kill us all!"
"More importantly, is anyone hurt?" Faye asked, who looked among the more frightened of the group.
"N-No, I don't think so," Tanjiro said as he looked about the room. "I think we're all right."
"How wonderful this is!" Kumi said. "We're all safe and sound, and the evil warlock's servant is now gone! We've nothing to worry about now!"
"Hah, you wish it were that fucking simple!" Sayua said before eyeing Arashi. "What the fuck were you thinking, grabbing him like that?!"
"You almost had us killed," Maiha said, looking at him judgmentally. "Even for a commoner, you astound me with your sheer recklessness and witlessness."
"I… I… I was only trying to help!" Arashi answered. Surprisingly enough, he looked rather dreary and gloomy, tears already falling from his eyes. "Wh-Why do you have to pick on me like that?! Can't you see that I'm sorry?!"
"To be fair, I highly doubt that he could have foreseen that," Haruyuki said, looking unfazed by the explosion.
"Yeah, I definitely didn't think the bear would explode, you know," Sorao said.
"Still, it was quite unwise to suddenly assault our kidnapper," Futaba said, a little flustered. "I should imagine that if things had not gone the way they had, we would have suffered much, much worse."
"Well, things should be all right now!" Red Mask said. "Monokuma's gone, after all!"
"Now that you mention it…" Masashi looked around the room, seeing whether there were any signs of Monokuma. All he could find were his mechanical body's charred remains, the bear's face eerily expressionless.
"Yea, I see naught of him," Atsushi said. "Forsooth, he is become no more."
"No more? Now that's just plain wrong!"
The childish voice shook Masashi right to the core, and Monokuma rose from behind the counter, looking not at all damaged and wearing the same outfit that marked him as the captain.
"What the?!" Masashi said. "H-How are you alive, when you exploded a few moments ago?!"
"Well, it's nothing too complicated, really," Monokuma said. "See, I have copies of myself throughout the ship! That way, if anything unfortunate should befall me, I can get back to work all nice and easy!"
"You!" Arashi said, angry once more. "You tried to kill me earlier!"
"Well, that's what you deserved for attacking me like that!" Monokuma responded, showing off his claws. "Passengers aren't meant to attack the captain, you know!"
"But the captain isn't meant to explode, either, so aren't you both in the wrong?" Mari asked.
"Well, when you put it that way… Ah, whatever! As I am a kind and understanding captain, I'll let this one go, so think of it as a warning of what'll happen if you try to attack me again!" Monokuma replied. "Now, as I was saying earlier, there's more of the killing game to cover. Haven't you been wondering what I meant when I said 'kill someone and get away with it'?"
"You're... talking about the latter half, aren't you?" Tanjiro asked.
"That's right! If someone dies, how shall we tell whether the crime's been gotten away with?" Monokuma replied. "And the answer to that is… the class trial!"
The eighteen students were then told how the class trial system worked. It seemed rather simple; if someone were to be murdered, the remaining members of the "class", which the group was now called, must debate with one another to determine which of them was the blackened, the one that had murdered. The class trial's outcome was determined by popular vote, and if the vote were correct, then only the blackened would be punished.
"But… by 'punished'," Haruka said, "what do you mean?"
"Puhuhuhu! It's the moment that we all can't wait to see!" Monokuma said. "Simply put, the punishment is… execution!"
The whole class gasped.
"E-Execution?!" Faye said, covering her mouth. "But why?!"
"Well, it certainly won't do if the blackened are not punished for their misdeeds, yes?" Monokuma answered. "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a paw for a paw! That's why there'll be a punishment at the end of every class trial! And I have very special punishments for each of you, so I can promise you seafaring students that you'll enjoy them very, very much!"
N-No way...
Masashi could not believe any word of it. Everything that the bear had said must be lies. There was no mind so twisted that it had decided not only to force them to kill but also to punish the wrongdoer with death in return. It was all so horrible that it must be something out of fiction, and yet, the bear wearing the captain outfit still stood right before them, explaining to them the rules of the killing game of which they were now players. And the worst part was that there truly was no escape; when he was a ship in some undetermined part of the sea, there was little chance that he could try to swim away.
"This... can't be happening, right?" Sorao said, nervously fiddling with a fringe of his red hair. "This all has got to be a nightmare."
"Y-Yeah, it's a spell that the evil warlock has cast on us!" Kumi said, holding onto the hood of his light-brown cloak. "It has put us in an everlasting nightmare from which we can wake up only if someone makes us drink a potion of water blessed with the elven queen's magic!"
"Death will have come by the time you awaken, I'm afraid," Haruyuki said, adjusting his gray scarf. "There's no awakening from this one."
"If only everyone here had the same mindset as you, everything would go so much more smoothly!" Monokuma said, holding in his laughter. "Now, one last thing before I tend to my captainly duties: I've already updated your Monopads, the tablets that you have on you, with the rules of the killing game! If you don't want to be punished, then be sure to follow them! Now, if you'll excuse me—"
"Just a moment, please."
It was Futaba, who looked quite troubled by something.
"Why are you doing us all of this?" she asked. "What is the purpose of this killing game? Is it for sheer entertainment? Or it is for something else?"
Monokuma chuckled a most detestable chuckle. "I'm afraid that's a secret, missy! The killing game wouldn't be fun if I told you everything about it, would it?"
Huh? So the reason's a secret as well? Masashi thought. If it were not important, then he would simply tell them. But what reason could there be to force us to kill?
"I see…" Futaba answered. "Well, then, I'll be sure to look at your rules later."
"Oh, you've already accustomed yourself to this? You've no idea how much that gladdens me!" Monokuma said. "Well, then… remember, everyone! You're at Brightmere Mirthyard, a shining sea in which you men and women will have all kinds of fun! Enjoy your time here before you start killing one another!"
With that, Monokuma moved downwards, disappearing under the counter and leaving the eighteen students here. For a short while, no one said anything, having been made speechless by not only the bear's appearance but also the terms that he had forced them to follow.
"So, uh, what's our plan?" It was Sorao. "You've heard Monokuma. We're trapped here, and there's no escape."
"I-I still think that this whole thing isn't real!" Haruka said. "It can't be… Why would someone make us do this?"
"That's the question we all have in mind," Mari answered. "But… I don't think that it's that important right now. There's something more urgent to think about."
"Wh-What is it?" Sister Hikari said.
"Well, it's simple: now that we know the conditions to win the killing game, how many of us are now thinking about winning it?"
It was that very question that made all the students look at one another warily. There was no denying that she was right about this; however outraged and horrified they appeared, surely some of them had already accepted the fact that if they wanted to escape, they must do the evil deed of murder. And with how little they knew of one another, there was no telling which of them were harmless and which of them were dangerous. It was all a game full of uncertainty, and even one misplay might come with a dear cost. Even though he was trapped on a ship with seventeen strangers, Masashi would never try to kill any of them. But which of the others could he say the same for?
The killing game had begun.
Prologue: Relaxation from Death - END
Surviving Students: 18
1. Masashi Kousaki - Ultimate Lucky Student
2. Atsushi Morokuzu - Ultimate Archaeologist
3. Faye Nirigiri - Ultimate Patissier
4. Maiha Hanazawa - Ultimate Competitive Ballroom Dancer
5. Takumi Takamitsu - Ultimate Storyteller
6. "Red Mask" - Ultimate Phantom Thief
7. Abraham Zargari - Ultimate Waiter
8. Futaba Inoshishi - Ultimate Figure Skater
9. Arashi Seiya - Ultimate Pyrotechnician
10. Hikari Fey - Ultimate Spirit Channeler
11. Sayua Tomi - Ultimate Cheerleader
12. Tanjiro Urata - Ultimate Historical Novelist
13. Hikari Shinto - Ultimate Nun
14. Haruka Minami - Ultimate Clown
15. Murphy O'Hagan - Ultimate Potato Farmer
16. Haruyuki Kanagawa - Ultimate Art Critic
17. Sorao Mineta - Ultimate Celesta Player
18. Mari Anzai - Ultimate Phenologist
And that's the end of the prologue! The killing game has started at last. Now that you've seen all the characters, what are your predictions on what will happen throughout the game? Which ones do you think will be the victims, killers, or survivors? Which characters are you most interested in? It'll be pretty interesting to see how your answers change over time, so I'm definitely keen to see what you guys say in the reviews!
