Prologue: 2

Welcome to the Academy of Despair

Location: Entrance Hall

Day: 1

Time: 9:30 AM

"Alright, that's enough standing around chit-chatting like a bunch of dull-eyed baboons." an arrogant voice said, his voice cutting through the murmurs. Akira opened his eyes, gazing around the room. He noticed it had been the Ultimate Affluent Progeny who had spoken.

"That's true… I think someone said something about a bigger problem? What was that about?" Makoto asked curiously.

"I'm sure you've become aware as you moved through the corridors but… Well… it seems all of us experienced the same thing. We all arrived at Hope's Peak Academy and the moment we stepped inside, we fell unconscious." Sonia said, glancing around the room for a moment.

"Yeah, it's really weird. One second I'm walking up to the doors and the next, I'm conked out. The quiet chick with the braids was the one who woke me up." Hiro said, briefly glancing at Peko who merely remained quiet. He scratched his neck, sighing. "I think that Esse put dust in my weed."

"Uh… forgetting about that for a moment, don't you find it odd that there are 23 of us here? And all of us experienced the same thing?" Sayaka questioned, a look of nervousness on her face. Junko shuddered a bit, twirling a strand of her hair around her fingertips.

"You don't think… we're all involved in some crime, right?"

"You mean like a kidnapping?" the baseball star said, shuddering. "Well… if we are then there's clearly someone who fits the bill among us."

"Tch… if you think it was me who did this, then you got another thing coming." Fuyuhiko snapped angrily. "Besides, why the fuck would I waste my time kidnapping the lot of you? 20 of you are worthless and the last two are Junko Enoshima and Sayaka Maizono. I do anything to either of them and I'm dead!"

"Perhaps instead of searching for someone to blame we should start thinking about everything else. You've all noticed the other thing that stands out, right?" Kyoko said, finger on her chin as she addressed the others.

"You mean the metal plates, right?" Makoto asked.

"I took notice of that too… It seems every window is bolted shut with thick metal plates. No matter how much I tried, I wasn't able to loosen the nuts up. The windows looked reinforced too." Kiyotaka added, crossing his arms.

"There's this big ass metal door here too," Mondo said, glaring at the giant slab of metal covering half of the entrance hall. "I don't remember this being here when I walked in. It's really strange."

"Hm… Most peculiar. We have quite the mystery in front of us, don't we?" Celeste said, stepping forward to look at the door. "There must be a reason as to why we are all here."

"W-well… The admittance letter said we would be greeted at the main hall." Chihiro said, her voice soft as she spoke. She shied back a bit, likely not used to so many people looking at her. Akira decided to step in, bringing attention to himself.

"My letter said the same thing. Orientation begins at 8:00 AM in the Main Hall. I was here at 7:25, but I didn't see anyone. No teachers, no staff, not even the Headmaster. There's also something else that's bothering me…."

"The Ultimate Lucky Student lottery, right?" Hikari said, earning a nod from the raven-haired boy. He crossed his arms, frowning. "I've been thinking about it too. All of us said the same thing when we spoke. That the Ultimate Lottery is drawn annually, but if that's the case, why do two of us possess that title?"

"Maybe three names came out instead of one?" Makoto asked.

"I doubt it. I distinctly remember sitting in my class and seeing the announcement on the TV. They didn't say Makoto Naegi. I remember them saying my name, Akira Yoshikawa, nothing else." he noted, narrowing his eyes. "The only other thing I remember was that the Headmaster told me I was the first confirmed student for Class 79-A."

"That isn't the only weird thing. I can't find my cell phone," Junko announced. This seemed to throw everyone into a slight frenzy. Akira never bothered checking his pockets, but he didn't feel his phone in any of them. His admittance letter hadn't been the only thing missing, it seemed.

"My pockets are empty too!"

"I can't find my PDA either," Chihiro said softly.

"Great…. So someone drugged us the second we stepped into this place, and now our shit's gone. That's fantastic." Fuyuhiko snapped, tightening his fist. "I swear, if it was one of you bastards, they'll be hell to pay."

"Why would we steal your stuff man? Seriously, use your head. Besides, if any of us had stolen it, we'd have it, wouldn't we? My pockets are empty!" Kazuichi said, pulling his pockets out for emphasis. "See? Not even lint."

"Oh… I was supposed to send an email to my mother and father once I arrived at Hope's Peak. They must be beside themselves with worry," Sonia said, clasping her hands together.

"Maybe someone brought us here with plans to harvest our organs," Ibuki said, causing Leon to jump a bit.

"Hey, come on man don't talk like that, shit. You're gonna scare the hell out of someone." Leon said. Hiro merely laughed, shaking his head.

"You guys… you are all freaking out over nothing. This is probably nothing more than an elaborate joke by Hope's Peak Academy. An Ultimate Welcome for Ultimate Students!"

"Do you really think so?" Hina spoke, earning a nod from the boy.

"Of course! I mean, do you think an academy of this caliber would do anything normal? We're not normal students after all."

"That makes sense I guess. Still, there's something about this that I just can't shake. I get wanting to give us a good entrance ceremony… but going as far as drugging us? Sealing up the windows, taking our stuff? I don't buy it. Not for a second." Akira thought to himself.

"So we have nothing to worry about, then?" the Ultimate Mechanic asked, letting out the breath he had been holding. "Man… I was getting worried for nothing!"

"Same here, I think I'm gonna take a nap. I stayed up all night last night because I was too excited!"

"Oh… that isn't healthy! You should always try to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night. Not only will it help you rest, but you'll recover your energy too." Mikan said, very concerned for the baseball player.

"Shut up, no one cares!" the traditional dancer snapped, making the nurse shy back. "Anyone know where I can get some candy? I'm low on sugar."

"That wasn't very nice, Hiyoko."

"Who cares? She's useless Pigbarf." the blonde returned, ignoring the glare on Mahiru's face. Akira balled his fist, about to reply, only to be cut off by the rich Ultimate.

"You all have derailed the conversation. What's important here is what is going on. Currently, there are 23 of us locked behind this metal door. We don't even know if we're within Hope's Peak Academy," Byakuya said, shaking his head. "Honestly, I didn't think I would be surrounded by so many fools."

"Though it could have been worded better, I must concur with Byakuya. There are far too many variables that haven't been accounted for. I believe we have to regroup and-"

Ding Dong Bing Bong

The alarm had interrupted Kiyotaka, causing everyone to face the TV that had suddenly turned on. It was almost in sync, Akira was quite impressed by it. Confusion flashed on his face as he stared at the screen, seeing the shadowy image on it. He merely stared at the device, his focus fully on it. Little did he know, this was only the beginning. The beginning of an event that would change his life forever.

"Ahem… Testing… testing! Mic check one, two! This is a test of the school broadcast system! Am I on? Can everyone hear me? Okay, well then…! To all incoming students! I would like to begin the entrance ceremony at… right now! At your earliest convenience, please head to the Gymnasium. That's all, I'll be waiting~"

The monitor shut off shortly after. Everyone was left in similar states of silence, processing what they had just witnessed. Akira was much the same. He didn't know why, but that voice struck something in him. He didn't like it, not one bit.

"What the hell was that? That wasn't a normal person, was it? I couldn't even see their face. Why'd they sound so… peppy? That uneasy feeling came back hard… God, I feel like throwing up."

"Well… if you'll excuse me," Byakuya said, cutting through the crowd.

"Huh? Wait, you're leaving, just like that?"

"Coolio man! I was wondering when the show would get on the road, haha. See y'all there." Hiro cheerfully said, following after the Affluent Progeny.

"Hey, hey! Don't leave me behind!" Ibuki cried out, racing out of the entrance hall. One by one, people started filing out. Some went quietly while others were chatting amicably with each other, speaking about their futures in the academy. Akira didn't share their sentiments. He was still lost in thought, heart beating hard beneath his chest.

"Are you alright? You look like you're about to throw up."

The Ultimate Pop Sensation was standing in front of him. It had been a while since he had spoken to her. Though she tried to look calm, he could see the look on her face. It was one of apprehension and nervousness. He let out a dry laugh, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"That obvious?"

"Y-yes… I didn't even have to read your mind for that one."

"Tch… this is some fucked up shit. What the hell is going on here?" Fuyuhiko cried, adjusting his tie. "This better be some sick joke by the Academy."

"We must press on. Whatever is going on will certainly be explained to us at the Ceremony. Let's not keep them waiting." Peko said, following after Fuyuhiko. Akira didn't have much to say, he was more focused on lowering his heart rate.

"I dunno, I have some seriously bad vibes about that voice. I don't feel like going, but shit, I don't have a choice, do I?" the fashionista asked, picking at her nails.

"It's curious, isn't it?"

They turned to Kyoko, one of the few who hadn't said anything. Akira was honestly impressed by how she was able to keep her emotionless mask. She tugged on one of her gloves, glancing around at the few remaining students. "What's going on isn't normal. I'm not really sure what it is that awaits us, but I can certainly say it isn't going to be good."

"Dear heavens, you make it sound like we're about to step into the gallows," Sonia said, shuddering a bit. "It isn't that serious right?"

"I mean… There are 23 of us stuck behind a door straight out of Fallout 3," Akira said, swallowing the lump in his throat. "That voice didn't sit well with me… the second I heard it, my gut told me I needed to head for the hills. You know that feeling you get when you feel like something bad is about to happen? Like every hair on your body stands on end, and that little voice in your head is telling you to run? That's exactly what I feel."

"I know how you feel but…" Kyoko paused, locking eyes with the Ultimate Lucky Student. "All we can do is check it out, right?"

"You've got a point there," Makoto said, letting out the breath he'd been holding. "We shouldn't keep the others waiting."

He took the lead, followed by Kyoko and Junko. Sayaka stayed in place for a moment, biting her lower lip nervously. "I really hope nothing bad happens."

That left The Ultimate Princess and the Ultimate Lucky Student of Class 79 by themselves. Though nervous, he forced a smile onto his face. "Are you alright, Sonia?"

"Yes, I'm quite alright. Let's just say, I have experience with life-or-death situations. Being a princess prepares you for these sorts of things. I'm more worried about my family and my country right now. There's this unshakable feeling in me, like something bad might've happened."

"Good to know I'm not the only one. Come on, allow me to be your escort."

"Hehe~ There's no need for that. Perhaps I could be yours?" she asked, making him laugh. He gave her a nod.

"Sure. I guess I can finally check escorted to a gym by a princess off the bucket list," he replied with a wink, sliding his arm through hers. She merely giggled, adopting a serious look as she led the way.

He had to make sure to thank Sonia later, this simple little gesture was enough for him to keep his wits about him.

xxx

23 Students had gathered in the Gymnasium. It was a large spacious room, with bleachers at either side of the court. The metal shutters that led outside had been welded shut and reinforced as well. All of the windows in the Gym had also been bolted shut. 24 Chairs had been set out in neat rows, lined up in front of the massive stage, a bright red carpet leading to them. A pair of banners reading "Welcome to Hope's Peak Academy" flanked both sides of the stage. The giant seal of the academy had been carefully painted on the wooden floor, polished to a shine.

Akira figured walking with Sonia would help him clear his mind, but being in this room just made him more worried than before. He wasn't the only one. Makoto was struggling to keep it together, while people like Celeste and Byakuya looked unbothered. Seeing the other areas of the first floor being sealed up like the classrooms just made him more worried than before. Even the Nurse's Office was blocked off.

"It really does look like an entrance ceremony," he heard Makoto say, as if surprised by what was going on.

"See?" Hiro said, a grin on his face. "It's a totally normal ceremony! There was nothing to be worried about!"

"This is odd. For such an important event, there's no one here, the bleachers are empty. There's no Staff, no Headmaster. What's going on here?" Akira thought to himself.

"Hey there, howdy, hello! Is everyone here? Good! Then let's get things rolling!" a familiar voice called out, causing everyone to jump in surprise.

As if on cue, movement filled the room, causing everyone to gaze at the podium. From behind it jumped out what could only be described as a teddy bear. It couldn't have been more than two feet tall, plump, and on small feet. It was a chubby thing, black and white in color, with a bright beady eye and a bright red crest on the left side of its face. It had a sneer on its face, a bright toothy grin.

"Huh… A teddy bear?" Chihiro uttered, clearly confused.

"I'm not a teddy bear." the creature calmly said, grin growing. "I…am… Monokuma! And I am this school's headmaster!"

Akira was confused. A talking teddy bear? It was clear that it was an animatronic of some sort. Whatever it took to make it move was rather impressive. Its glowing red eye was clearly some sort of camera, since it kept blinking every so often. Whoever was controlling it was keeping an eye on them. "This is certainly strange. The forums didn't say anything about a mechanical talking bear greeting the students."

"Headmaster? You?" Hikari said, shaking his head. "I didn't know Hope's Peak Academy was a circus."

"I apologize, young man, but we don't have the funding to run a circus! Regardless of that, I am beary pleased to meet you!" the bear cheerfully said, jumping off the stage, landing in front of the students.

"Whaa? WAAAAAAAHH! That bear can talk!" Ibuki shouted, making Akira cringe at the volume of his voice.

"Calm down! I'm sure there's just a speaker inside it." Kiyotaka said, trying to reassure the Musician.

"I told you already, I'm not a teddy bear. I'm Monokuma! And I'm your headmaster!"

"AAAAAHHH! It moved!"

"Dude seriously, shut the fuck up already or so help me God, I'll shut you up myself!" Fuyuhiko shouted, clearly angry with the musician's screams.

"Seriously girl, keep your shit together. It's probably a remote control toy or somethin'." The Ultimate Biker Gang Leader said, very annoyed by the portly boy.

"How dare you compare me to a child's plaything! You've cut me deep. Deeper than the Mariana Trench…" the bear said, looking disappointed, only for his expression to change. "My remote control system is so complex, even the folks at NASA can't recreate or comprehend it! Ah, but don't make me say stuff that might destroy NASA's Dreams. I just couldn't BEAR that, hahahaha!"

"Bear? That? Really, you are… unfortunate." Celeste retorted, clearly not amused. She was completely ignored by the bear, who went on like nothing.

"Now then, moving on! We really must hurry and get started…"

"Giving up already? No other stupid bear puns?" Junko questioned, earning a glare from Monokuma.

"Quiet down now, quiet down. Ah, okay, so…!"

"Looks like he's abandoned the gag," Peko noted. Monokuma spun around for a moment before standing up straight.

"Everyone, stand at attention and bow. And… Good Morning!"

"GOOD MORNING!" Kiyotaka cried, bowing before the bear, shocking everyone around him.

"What the hell? Don't say it back, you idiot!" Hiyoko cried out.

"Um excuse me, can you tell us what's going on here?" Sonia spoke, brushing some hair from her face as she stared down at the bear. "All of us were invited to Hope's Peak Academy, but we didn't see any teachers or students. Would you also explain why the front entrance is sealed and the windows are blocked?"

"Finally, someone who asks the right questions," Byakuya muttered under his breath. Monokuma merely grinned.

"Oh, that's all part of what we offer here at Hope's Peak Academy! Now then, let us commence with a most noteworthy and memorable entrance ceremony! First, let's talk about what your school will be like!" the bear cheerfully began, staring at everyone in the room. "Now ah… make no mistake. You few students, so full of potential, represent the hope of the world! And to protect such a splendid hope…"

He paused, seemingly for dramatic effect.

"...You will all have a communal life here, together solely within the confines of this school. Everyone will live in harmony together and adhere to the rules and regulations of the school."

It was so quiet, Akira swore he could hear a pin drop across the city.

"What the fuck does that mean? Live within the confines of this school?" he thought, clearly confused. He felt his heart beating hard in his chest. There was an emotion he was beginning to feel, one he hadn't felt in a long time. True genuine fear.

"Now then, regarding the end date for your communal life… There isn't one! In other words, you are all going to stay here until the day you die! Such is the school life you've been assigned!"

"Wh-what did you just say?" Mikan questioned, a look of shock on her face.

"Oh but fear not! We have quite an abundant budget, so you won't lack for anything. None of the common conveniences, it'll all be taken care of!" The bear said cheerfully.

"That's the least of our worries!" Sayaka replied.

"Hell yeah! I got shit to do man, you can't keep me here!" the Ultimate Gangster barked, anger coursing through his small frame.

"This has to be some joke, right? You definitely got us!" Hiro added, feigning a nervous laugh.

"Yeah, what the hell? It's illegal to trap people against their will! You can't keep us here forever. You're screwing with us, right?" The Ultimate Fashionista asked.

"I am not screwing with you! I am no liar, of that you can be 100% sure!" he stated, placing his hands behind his back. "Ah and for your information… you're completely cut off from the outside world. So you don't have to worry about that dirty dirty world beyond these walls ever again!"

"So that's the true purpose of those metal plates and that door, huh?" Akira thought, narrowing his eyes a bit. He glanced around at the others, noticing the looks on their faces. Some were stunned, others were frightened, and some were completely neutral. Celeste's poker face truly was hard as a diamond, she had hardly reacted.

"T-the metal plates… they're there to keep us here?" Makoto asked. Monokuma nodded, chuckling gleefully.

"Yup yup! That's exactly what they're there for. No matter how much you may yell and scream for help… help will not come. So with all of that in mind, feel free to live out your life here with reckless abandon!"

"You're insane if you think I'll stay here against my will!" the Ultimate Photographer cried, a look of anger on her face as she squeezed her camera. "Just hurry up and stop messing around!"

"If you don't let us out right now, I'm going to bop you so hard you'll regret messing with us!" Hiyoko added, eyes glowing fiercely as she stared at the monochrome bear, who looked unphased by her threats.

"Come on, what the hell is this?" Leon cut in, looking angry. "I don't care if the school or whatever else is behind it at all. This is just a really, really bad joke."

"Yeah! Cut this shit out! It isn't funny anymore!" Mondo barked, face glowing red with fury.

The robotic bear merely shook his head. "You all keep saying that it's a lie, or a joke or a prank. A bunch of skeptics, all of you… But I guess you can't help it, huh? You all grew up in an age where you were 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!"

"Hm… having to live here would be… quite a problem," Celeste said, finally showing a bit of concern.

"You're telling me," Hajime muttered, looking away from the bear.

"Come, now. What's the matter with all of you? You decided of your own free will to attend Hope's Peak Academy, didn't you? And now, before the entrance ceremony is even finished, you've decided you want to leave?"

"This isn't what we signed up for. How do we even know we're inside Hope's Peak?" Ibuki asked, clearly frightened. "For all we know, we could be on some island somewhere."

"She's right, there's no way the staff of this school would just trap 23 of us inside the school. It's all either some sick joke or some screwed-up crime." Hina added, glaring at the monochrome bear.

"Hm… tell ya what. There is one way for you to leave if you want. It's one of the things I forgot to mention." Monokuma said, grabbing their attention.

"R-really?" Chihiro quietly asked.

"Yep yep! I like to call it the Graduation Clause! 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 uh… disrupt that harmony, they and they alone would be allowed to leave the school. That, my students, is the Graduation Clause."

"And what exactly would "disrupt the harmony"?" The Ultimate Affluent Progeny asked. Monokuma only grinned, placing a hand behind his head for a moment.

"Oh, you know… murder."

Silence fell over the room. Had he heard him right? Did the bear actually say murder? There was absolutely no way. The owners of Hope's Peak Academy would definitely not let that fly. Akira was sure of it. He had researched this school extensively, and he knew it was government-funded. There was no way the Japanese Government would allow it.

"What do you mean m-murder?" Makoto asked.

"Stabbing, strangling, bludgeoning, crushing, hacking, drowning, igniting, how you do it doesn't matter! You must kill someone if you want to leave. It's as simple as that. The rest is up to you! Give it your all to achieve the best outcome possible!"

Akari felt a chill go down his spine. The degree of seriousness in the bear's voice… this was real. This was not a joke. "You must kill someone to leave." the second he heard that, his blood went cold. Yet he didn't show it on his face. He needed to remain calm.

"Puhuhuhu! I bet that got your brain juices flowing! Beats the heck out of a human catching a salmon, huh? Like 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."

The bear burst into laughter. "And I find that so damn exciting!"

"What… the hell are you talking about? To kill each other… It's!" Leon was cut off by the bear.

"To kill each other is to kill each other. I'm sure there's a dictionary somewhere here if you need it."

"We know what it means!" Hina snapped angrily. "The problem is we don't want to kill each other. Why should we?"

"There is no way anyone would dare consider that. I'll put a stop to it, with force if necessary," the quiet Peko said, looking rather tense at the situation.

"T-there's absolutely no way we would do that. Even if we don't know each other, that's just wrong!" Mahiru cried out, shaking slightly from her position next to Hiyoko.

"Yeah! Stop blabbering on with all of this nonsense! Just let us go home already!" Ibuki cried. A shadow fell over Monokuma as he lowered his head slightly.

"Blabbering? Blabbering, blabbering, what do you mean blabbering? Stop blabbering on about blabbering on! You guys don't get it, do you? "Let us go, let us go!" You keep on saying the same thing over and over and over…! Front this moment on, this school is your home, your life, your world. Got it?"

Akira didn't know what to say. Everything turned into white noise as he stood there, stock still. He didn't move, he didn't speak, for a moment he didn't even think what was going on was real. But it was. Every fiber of his being was alive and screaming at him, but he didn't know what to do. The bear went on speaking, trotting around with a care in the world.

"Forget about your previous lives! Here you can do what you want. Thrills, chills, kills! So go ahead and kill-kill-kill away~ Let's start a killing spree!"

It was quiet for a moment, only for Hiro to chuckle, rubbing his nose with his finger. "Alright, that's enough of that. How long are you gonna keep this up?"

"Eh?"

"You know… you got us! You scared all of us but it's time we get the truth! This entrance ceremony certainly is one for the books, but let's cut the charade and get the real Headmaster and Staff out here." he said firmly.

"Oh… dude, you still think this is a joke," Kazuichi mumbled, almost feeling pity for the clairvoyant.

"Yes, it is. So just reveal the trick already," he said, addressing the bear. Mondo moved past him, almost knocking her to the floor as he did so.

"Shut up with your crap and get outta my way," he demanded, standing in front of Monokuma, glaring at the bear. His voice boomed like thunder, still echoing through the gym. He tightened his fists. "Listen up, asshole. That's shit's gone way too far! What the hell kinda joke IS this?"

"Joke? You mean like your hair?" the bear said, grinning.

"You son of a bitch! FUUUUUUUUUUU-"

Akira and the others stepped back as Mondo grabbed Monokuma by the neck, holding him up off the ground. His stubby little legs were moving around as if trying to find the solid ground beneath him. Mondo had been quick, hardly moving as he performed this feat. He merely shook the bear, squeezing him tighter.

"Gotcha! What are you gonna do now you piece of shit? If you're a toy or a stuffed animal or whatever the hell, you can't do shit. Either way, I'm gonna rip you to fuckin' shreds!"

"Whaaaah! Violence against the headmaster is a violation of the school regulations!"

"Shut the fuck up! Let me outta here or I swear to Christ I'll-"

He was cut off by a sudden beep. It started up slowly, getting faster and faster by the second. Akira's eyes grew wide in shock. He grabbed Makoto and Sayaka by their wrists, pulling them back as he did so.

"Get rid of that thing, it's gonna blow!" he shouted.

"What?"

"Just hurry up and throw it!" Kyoko screamed, breaking her silence for the first time in a while. Mondo didn't hesitate, throwing Monokuma into the air, seconds later, it exploded, a bright light and smoke cloud flashing above them, sending parts and stuffing in all directions.

A part of Akira still wanted to believe this was a joke, but the smell of gunpowder and the smoke cloud told him otherwise. He felt Sayaka clinging onto his arm, a fearful look on her face as she looked at the smoke.

"What the hell… that sure as shit wasn't a joke… it blew the fuck up!" Mondo said, shock still on his face as he processed what had happened. "That bastard… he almost-"

"The teddy bear's gone now, isn't he? He blew up so that means he's gone!"

"I told you, I'm not a teddy bear, I'm Monokuma!"

"AAAAAHHHH!" Kazuichi screamed, jumping back fearfully. Many of the others did the same, taken completely aback by the bear's reappearance. "There's another one?"

"You fucking asshole! You almost killed me!"

"Well yes, that's because you violated the rules. You didn't know that so I'll let you go with a warning this time. But next time, you will be punished. So think beary carefully about attacking me from now on. Any naughty boy or girl that does that will pay the consequences. If you break the rules, you aren't gonna get away with just a swat on the butt!"

"H-hey! So does this mean there's like… a bunch more of you around here somewhere?" Junko questioned, a look of curiosity on her face. Akira had to admit, he was rather curious about that too. The bear simply nodded.

"That's right! Monokumas have been placed all throughout the school building. Plus, don't forget the surveillance cameras installed everywhere. And if you are caught breaking any of the rules… Well, you all just saw what happened, right?" the bear sneered. "Puhuhu! And I won't be so forgiving with my punishment next time. So don't let it happen again."

"That wasn't punishment? That… that's insane!" Hina exclaimed, still frightened about what had happened.

"And how exactly are we meant to follow the rules if we don't know what the fuck they are?" Fuyuhiko asked, glaring at the bear. "Are you going to tell us?"

"As a matter of fact, I am! I have a little parting gift to commemorate your entrance into our fine academy, tadah~" The bear jumped up to the stage, pressing a button as he did so. From beneath the stage, a small cart was rolled out by another Monokuma, confirming that there was in fact, more than one.

He leaped back onto the cart, gesturing to the devices placed on the cart. "This is our official student handbook! Pretty cool eh? As you can see, it's fully digital. So naturally, we call it… The e-Handbook!"

He started passing them out, every single one of them receiving a similar device. Akira took a hold of his, looking it over. It was an interesting-looking device, no bigger than a modern smartphone. It was a simple design. He didn't see any access points, the only thing he saw was a charging port, but no charger.

"How are we supposed to charge these things?" he thought to himself, as he looked the device over.

"Ahem, anyway, this handbook is absolutely vital to a healthy school life, so don't lose it. When you start it up, it should display your name. Always make sure you have the right one." Monokuma said, making Akira frown.

"So how exactly do we charge them? Will you handle that or will we have to plug them in ourselves? And if so, where are the chargers?" he questioned.

"Oh don't worry about that, they were designed to charge with movement. Not only that but they're equipped with a light strip, like those fancy calculators. As long as it gets direct light, it'll charge up fully. Leave it under a lamp for fifteen minutes and it'll last you 15 days. Cool huh?" the bear asked. "And I should say, this isn't just your average everyday handbook either…"

He leaped back up at the cart, holding one in the air. "It's completely waterproof! Splash it, wash it, drown it, 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. It contains all of our school regulations, so make sure to review them thoroughly."

"Yeah, all of that is cool and all but can it run Crysis?" Leon asked, causing Kazuichi to burst out laughing.

"My man, asking all the right questions."

"Fools, can you at least try to act your age?" Byakuya said, clearly fed up with the two. The monochrome bear seemingly ignored him, a look of disappointment on his face.

"I'm afraid the best I could do is add a Tamagotchi to it. Sorry," Monokuma said, almost frowning at them. "Anyway, you'll hear me say this a lot, but a violation of school rules will not be tolerated. Rules restrict, yes, but they also protect. Society, for example, would be in utter chaos without laws! The same applies here. This is why we must have strict punishments in place for violators! Okay, well… that brings our entrance ceremony to a close! Please enjoy your abundantly dreary school life… and See ya!"

With that, Monokuma finally left, leaving everyone in an utter state of shock.

The silence was what made Akira anxious. His e-handbook had been a distraction for a moment, but now that Monokuma was gone, his mind was racing. What had just happened had been real. The Headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy was a mechanical bear. A mechanical bear with the power to put a hole in the world. They were sealed in. The world outside was inaccessible. There were no adults, no staff, no real headmaster. It was nothing more than a farce…. and yet…

This was reality.

He had no idea what was really going on, and for a moment he didn't want to believe it. But the explosion from before, the metal plates, the fact that this wasn't a dream… It let him know one thing. He was in danger, serious danger.

"So, guys…" Kiyotaka began, grabbing their attention. He had a nervous look on his face, beads of sweat rolling down the sides of his head. "How would you define what we just experienced?"

"How…? Why…? I don't understand any of this…" Leon said, his face was pale, and he looked like he was one second away from exploding. Mikan was the same, panting a bit, holding back the urge to scream.

"We have to l-live here forever…? Or K-kill?" she said, looking at the floor. "What…? What just happened?"

"Clearly, we are pawns in someone else's sick machinations," Celeste said, frowning as she stared at her e-Handbook.

"Everyone, we need to calm down," Kyoko said. Akira shifted his gaze toward her, noticing the look on her face. She was among the few who had seemingly held it together. She looked around for a moment, nodding. "First, let's take a second to summarize everything we heard. Based on what Monokuma said, we have two choices. Choice number one is that we each stay here, living a 'communal life' together until the day we die. Or choice number two…"

"If we want to get out of here, we have to kill someone, right?" Celeste asked, wringing her hands together.

"But… killing someone… that's-"

"Not gonna happen," Akira said firmly. He surprised himself with how he spoke up. He pocketed his e-handbook, glancing around the room. "Look, things might not be ideal at the moment. But I know one thing for certain, whatever we got ourselves into, is serious. Right now, we need to think calmly and clearly and not give in to the bear's crazy demands. We have no reason to kill each other."

"He makes a good point. As long as we continue acting like human beings, we can find a way to get out of this academy with our lives. The foundation of society is to follow the rules. It's what separates us from the animals." Kiyotaka said, making Fuyuhiko laugh.

"Us from the animals? You are aware humans are animals too, right? How many people has humanity subjugated in pursuit of more land? How many animals has humanity driven extinct for its petty wants and needs? For its fancy furs, for its beautiful ivory? This is nothing more than a free-for-all deathmatch. We're the prey just as much as we're the hunters. People will die, because people are ambitious."

The Ultimate Princess frowned, shaking her head in disappointment. "That's a rather pessimistic view of society and humanity as a whole."

"Can't say I agree with ya, but that's one hell of a comparison," Hikari said. His frown changed into a smile, as he stood in front of the others. "We have to remain positive. As Akira has said, we have no reason to act on the bear's demands. So let's not!"

"Easy for you to say. We were abducted out of nowhere and stuffed into this place meant to look like a school. And we're meant to kill each other. No matter how you slice it, I doubt anyone is going to rescue us." Leon said, chewing on his bottom lip. "This is just… what is this?"

"A lie is what it is!" The Ultimate Moral Compass retorted. "All of these ridiculous things we've heard… This has got to be fake!"

"Right now it doesn't matter if it's fake or not. What matters is…" Byakuya paused as he adjusted his glasses. "Is anyone here seriously considering this?"

No one had a response to that. Akira kept quiet to himself as he looked around. Never in his life had he felt this vulnerable. He was surrounded by 31 strangers all thinking the same thing. They wanted to get out, and the only way to get out was to kill someone else. He didn't know if anyone was considering it, but he had to assume someone was.

"What the hell is this? I thought Hope's Peak Academy was created to foster hope and yet…" Akira thought. He could feel the sweat dripping down the side of his forehead, his breathing being shaky as he processed what he had heard. "When I won that lottery, I thought I was going to come to a place of learning… A place where I could change my life. The lottery changed my life, got my parents to finally accept me instead of giving me the cold shoulder… and now… my dream is nothing more than a lie."

He didn't notice it until that very moment, but he was shaking. Every single nerve in his body was firing on all cylinders. He wanted to run, find something to break one of those panels, and leave. To go home to his former life, but in the bottom of his heart, he knew the truth. He wasn't going to be leaving this place any time soon.

And maybe, he wouldn't be leaving it at all.

As he looked around, he could almost taste the hostility. That was when it truly hit him, the terror hidden within the rules that had been laid out. "You must kill someone if you want to leave." That had been the seed planted within everyone, a seed that would bloom into something terrible, with time. Everyone was suspicious of each other. They were all forced to wonder… "Which one of us is going to betray someone?"

And that was the beginning of his school life. The school where he thought he'd be able to improve his craft and raise his hopes… was now an institution of pure despair.

Prologue End:

Surviving Students: 23

A/N: Whelp... here it is. The prologue! I don't know when the next update will be, so I hope you enjoy it. I've been working on this story for a bit now, despite my tablet being a shitstain. It's been really fun. Thankfully, my laptop is coming back soon so I should have a proper way to write again. That's all for today.