"Puhuhuhu!" Monokuma cackled as the students scattered throughout the courtroom. "Yep! It's no surprise at this point, but you guys got it right! The blackened responsible for Atsushi Morokuzu's murder is Haruka Minami!"
Though he had proven it, hearing the truth from Monokuma did not fail to worsen things. The rush of victory that Masashi felt was nowhere as great as the shock and gloom that now dominated the courtroom.
Haruka, the star of the show, listlessly stood not too far from her podium. It would be hardly any exaggeration to say that she looked as if she had lost all energy to move.
"Wh-Why…? Why did you do it?!" Arashi asked, making no effort to hold back the tears. "Why did you have to go kill Atsushi?!"
"Y-Yeah! I thought we were all friends, Lady Haruka!" Kumi said. "Y-You're too kind to be an evil witch... so did an evil ghost possess you?!"
Haruyuki chuckled. "No, I am rather certain that everything that she did was on her own free will. The conviction that she had in trying to hide her guilt... was all too true."
"Yeah... that's right," the pink-haired clown whimpered. "Trust me, I didn't want to do it! I liked you guys a lot! But… in the end, I decided I had to do it!"
"What made you think that you would find more profit in killing than remaining idle here?" Futaba asked.
"Well… I had to find out…" Haruka answered. "I had to find out what happened to my mother."
Masashi raised his eyes. "Wait, don't tell me…"
Haruka nodded slightly. "Yes… I can never forget what I saw on my motive video."
Most of the students gasped. Monokuma had given them their motive videos so as to pressure them to kill, and Futaba, Atsushi, and Mari had destroyed them, the reasoning being that it would help them forget about what they had seen. But here they were, standing in the courtroom and looking at a killer among them. There was no doubt that Monokuma's plan to push one of them to kill had worked all too well.
"In my motive video, I saw my mother," Haruka explained, a little life returning to her voice. "She… She along with my grandfather was the one that got me into performing. They both taught me early on the basics of the art. I don't know what I'd be doing if it hadn't been for her. That's why... when I saw the video... I was utterly aghast."
"I see…" Haruyuki said, rubbing his chin. "So you killed to find out what happened to her. That is rather understandable."
"Hell no! Don't you try to make us sympathize with her!" Sayua said, raising her right hand in anger. "That bitch tried to kill us all! Why the hell should I feel sorry for her?"
"Y-You don't understand!" Haruka answered pathetically. "I tried to forget about it, I really did! But the only thing I could do while trapped here is performing, and I couldn't stop thinking about my mother! I... I'm sorry, but I can't be my usual self while knowing that something bad might have happened to her! I already lost my grandfather after he passed away about a year ago, so I didn't want to think that I might've lost my mother as well! There was only one way to find out for sure, so..."
"You chose family over a group of individuals whom you hardly know," Haruyuki finished.
"When you put it that way, it seemed like the reasonable thing to do..." Tanjiro said. "It's pretty normal to worry about your own flesh and blood."
Right... Masashi thought as he recalled watching his own motive video, which featured Keiko, his one and only little sister. He would do anything to save her, but killing was out of the question, or at least, that was what he would say under these circumstances.
"Hey, there's something I want to ask." It was Sorao, who looked relatively unbothered by this turn of events. "Why did you choose Atsushi as your target? Why not Kumi or Arashi?"
"Oh, come on, is that one a mystery?" Sayua said, growing bored. "The guy was a bastard, wasn't he?"
"So Haruka did this because he had angered her?" Faye said.
"Actually… no," Haruka answered. "He did insult me like that, yes, but that wasn't the reason I chose him. I simply thought he was the easiest one to isolate and kill."
"You mean with that note?" Masashi said.
"Yeah… He was all giddy about knowledge or something like that," Haruka said. "I thought that if I promised him a secret, he'd do whatever I said. And even though I knew I would essentially kill the rest of you if I succeeded, I still couldn't go through with killing Kumi or Arashi with my own two hands. And, well, you know the rest…"
"Did you truly think that you would get away with it?" Maiha asked, looking at her with a hint of disgust on her face.
Haruka lowered her head, sounding as if weary of life. "Yeah… I discovered the hidden room a few days ago, and I later came up with the scheme… Though I hesitated for a moment upon stabbing him and hearing Atsushi scream, in the end… I needed to go through with it. I had no time for regrets. I had to finish my plan."
"The odds were nearly in your favor," Mari pointed out. "The only reason that you were caught was the glitter on your hands."
"If you had remembered to rid your hands of the glitter earlier... your plan would've been perfect," Masashi said. It must have been luck that Haruka had made this one small but significant mistake.
Haruyuki chuckled. "It's a fitting end, to some extent. She tried to frame a good friends of hers, only to end up being caught. Speaking of that, why did you try to frame him, anyway?"
Haruka glanced away from Kumi nervously. "Well… I don't like to admit it, but Sorao was right. Much as I like him, Kumi is a bit weird… That's why I thought you guys would naturally suspect him if I framed him. I didn't want to do it, really! But… I needed the class trial to end quickly, and Kumi and Arashi were the only ones that I knew well enough…"
Sorao sighed. "Man… And to think, we almost fell for it. You certainly fooled me enough to get me to accuse the nitwit."
Haruka said nothing as the others darkened their gaze at one another. With how the class had almost voted for Kumi, Haruka had been spot on with her line of thinking.
"Puhuhuhuhu! With those reactions of yours, I can't wait to see how you'll react to that!"
It was Monokuma, whom Masashi had admittedly forgotten about. He still sat on his throne, looking down at the rest of them.
"As you all know, as part of the rules, since you have voted correctly," Monokuma said, "only the blackened will be executed! Say your last words right now, because we're all itching to see justice delivered!"
Masashi froze upon hearing Monokuma's announcement. In a few minutes, they would soon witness another person's murder, all in justice's false name, and there was nothing that they could do to stop this unrighteousness. In this courtroom, Monokuma was king.
Haruka then turned toward the two boys with whom she had spent much time. She first looked at the storyteller. "Kumi… Once again, I'm very sorry I tried to frame you. I... I understand it if you will never forgive me."
"No… No, Lady Haruka…" Kumi said, weeping. "Even if you don't regret what you've done… I forgive you! What you did was bad, but it wasn't truly your fault! It was the killing game that made you do it! So please.. don't leave me!"
"Sorry, Kumi… But I have to leave—"
Kumi rushed over from his spot and hugged Haruka, which surprised her and a few others.
"You can't go ahead and die!" Kumi said, sounding like a blubbering mess. "We were going to do so many things together! We were going to have fun once this whole ordeal was over! Don't you want that?!"
"I... I do, really!" Haruka said as tears rushed down from her eyes. "But... our happy ending... wasn't meant to be."
"No... No, please don't say that!" Kumi cried out.
"Kumi… after I'm gone... you'll be sad. I understand that, but please, don't stay like that for too long!" Haruka begged.
"But—"
"I wouldn't be happy if you were sad for the rest of your life!" Haruka added. "As a clown, I want you to be happy! I'd be sad seeing you like this forever!"
"R-Really?"
"Yeah…"
Once the embrace kept going for a few more seconds, Kumi let go and faced her. "I… I promise that I'll keep you alive in my stories! Please, tell me what you want to be!"
"As a clown… maybe I should be a court jester," Haruka suggested. "It's only fitting, right?"
"A-All right… If that's what you want."
Once Kumi hugged her some more, Haruka then faced Arashi, who had watched the scene while utterly stupefied.
"Arashi, I…" Haruka began, only to widen her eyes once Arashi glanced away from her.
"You… How could you?!" Arashi said, fists tightly clenched. "How could you go ahead and kill him without thinking about me?!"
"I—"
"I thought you were my friend! After all, you played me your wonderful tricks, and you told me your funny jokes, but…" Arashi clenched his teeth. "You… ended up murdering Atsushi! You didn't care about me at all! You... You betrayed me!"
Haruka gasped as she tried to say something in response, but it seemed that she could come up with nothing. Meanwhile, Masashi watched the scene, utterly shocked at what had played out. It was Kumi that Haruka had betrayed, and yet, the two boys' reactions were nothing like what one would expect. On one hand, Kumi forgave her, begging her not to leave, and on the other hand, Arashi, whom Haruka had never even tried to pin the crime on, could hardly care about her reasons behind her murder. What was going on?
Wait… Is it that…? Masashi thought. I think… it's their nature.
Yes, that was it. Kumi was by nature a kind and thoughtful boy, but Arashi was all over the place in his emotions. And their natures influenced how they would react to betrayal. It was all too clear that Arashi would brook no evil done by those whom he deemed his friends. Even if Haruka had never wronged him personally, Arashi had not the ability to handle this well. It was such an unfortunate aftermath, but there was nothing that Haruka could do now to fix this, and from the looks of her eyes, she too saw this and so said nothing more.
"Well, then, it's time!" Monokuma said. "You've had your time to say goodbye. We don't have all night for this melodrama!"
"Well… The show must go on, I guess," Haruka said, showing nothing but a weary expression, her shoulders slumped.
"Haruka…" Masashi said, a few tears leaving his eyes. Many of the others wept as well, all too aware that this whole thing was unrighteous. "I'm sorry that things have to turn out this way."
She rubbed her tearful eyes. "I'm sorry that I won't be with you guys anymore… I really wish I could spend more time making you happy! But… I guess it's the end of the road here for me."
"Puhuhuhu! Let's get going! And by the way, you all have to watch it!" Monokuma said. "Since this is the first execution of this killing game, it's important that you realize what exactly punishment entails!"
"D-Do we have to?" Faye said.
"'Yes' means 'yes', my darling!" Monokuma answered. "You're free to look away next time—if you're even alive then, that is—but your first time is always important! I want you to remember it and look back fondly as you reminisce!"
"Oh God…" Masashi mumbled, the fear inside him waxing. Meanwhile, Haruka's expression grew starker in its fear, and it was the most painful expression that Masashi had ever seen, and the more time passed, the drearier and gloomier it grew.
"Now, then, I have a special punishment prepared for the Ultimate Clown, Haruka Minami!" Monokuma announced. "Let's give it everything we've got! It's… PUNISHMENT TIME!"
"Well then... Farewell, everyone." Haruka looked back up at the group one last time, and she gave them a slight but ever so sorrowful wave. "I hope the rest of you are lucky enough to escape this nightmare..."
A red button then emerged before the judge, and Monokuma took out a yellow mallet and swung it on the button. All the monitors then lit up and showed a sprite of Haruka. A sprite of Monokuma then came from the left, and as it passed by hers, it grabbed Haruka's sprite and dragged her to the right side.
"GAME OVER," the screen showed. "HARUKA HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY. TIME FOR THE PUNISHMENT!"
Masashi and the others could only watch as Haruka stood there, her eyes darting here and there. A few seconds later, a great claw flew from the doors that opened behind Haruka's podium, and without any warning, it caught her in the neck. She tried to get it off, but her efforts were no good. As she was dragged from the scene, the force was so great that it knocked off her round red clown nose and her pink wig, which revealed her rather plain nose and her long black hair. Eventually, once the claw reached a lone dark room, it let go of Haruka, who fell and fell until she landed on the saddle of a mechanical animal that looked like an elephant. As she steadied herself, the monitors showed a title card that showed in stylized text set on a red curtain:
The Amazing Clown's Last Act
Ultimate Clown Haruka Minami's Execution: Executed
The room then lit up, revealed to be a great colorful room that looked much like a circus, and visible were the obstacles that Haruka was to face. Upon seeing them, she widened her eyes, sweat dripping down her face.
Once the elephant lit up, she screamed, as it rushed toward the obstacles at full speed. First was a line of great animal balloons of sundry colors, and they were right in Haruka's direction. As the elephant rushed through, the clown collided with the balloons, and every time she hit one, she was covered with some kind of water. By the time she was done, she had been fully drenched, and she looked incredibly dazed and in great pain.
Next up were many rings of fire that were set over a wide pit of water. The elephant leapt through the fire, which burned much of the clown's clothing in the process, and just as it jumped through the third to last ring, the elephant fell, not making it to the other side. As the greatly charred clown shrieked, the saddle on the elephant bounced her away as if it were a trampoline, the elephant diving into the water. Meanwhile, Haruka flew through the air and eventually landed on Monokuma's shoulders of all things. But Monokuma was riding a unicycle, and there was one last obstacle: a tightrope over a pit of spikes. The bear then began riding on the line, and as he rode on while juggling bowling pins, his stance grew unsteady.
Eventually, Monokuma made it over to the other side, and just as Haruka sighed in relief, he flung her over into a nearby cannon. Once it was fired, Haruka flew and flew until she collided with the floor, which only worsened her suffering. But that was not the end of that; right beside the spot was a great door, and once it opened, what rushed therefrom were great frightful mechanical elephants, all of which let out awful roars. They ran right toward Haruka at once, and without any mercy, they trampled on her body, stamping out what little life remained in her, and getting much blood on their feet. Only after all the elephants were done in their course could the clown's body be seen at last, blood covering much of the remains. The act was over.
"Phew! Now that was one great act, wouldn't you say?" Monokuma said, adjusting his white captain's hat. "Sure, it took a lot of money and testing for quality assurance, but seeing your faces was nothing but priceless!"
"Oh… Oh my God…" Masashi muttered once the sight of Haruka's corpse was set into his eyes. It was the most horrible thing that he had to ever see, his stomach turning, his urge to throw up growing.
"Aaaaaaaaaah!" Sister Hikari shrieked, tears running down her face.
"Holy fucking shit…" Sayua mumbled, sweating as dread rushed through her face.
"No… Th-This can't be…!" Hikari mumbled.
"Wh-Whoa... How the hell can someone think up of all that without getting sick?" Sorao said, shocked.
"It's certainly cruel and unusual punishment, to put it lightly," Haruyuki noted coolly, and yet, the uneasy expression on her face betokened his shock.
"My God… It's as if the devil himself had designed it," Murphy said, trembling a bit.
"I… I'd much prefer to look away next time," Tanjiro said, gaping at the monitor.
"Y-Yeah… Why did I have to watch that?!" Faye said, wishing that she had not been bidden to look at it.
"Uwaaaaaaaaaah!" Futaba shrieked, all grace and composure lost. Her face whitened, and she was looking downwards, as if about to faint. "Wh… What is this monstrosity that you have forced us to watch?!"
Maiha said nothing, but she was sweating as she clenched her teeth and covered her mouth with her hand. Even she, among the more ruthless of the group, looked quite frightened by this.
"N-No way… This can't be happening!" Red Mask said, looking away. Though her red mask covered her eyes, it was not hard to imagine what emotions they now showed.
Abraham stood a bit away from the group, but Masashi could still see hence the disgust and loathing all over his face. However tough and cold he might appear to be, this execution had inspired great fear in them all, and he was no exception.
Meanwhile, Mari was pacing about, a troubled look on her face. Seeing Atsushi's killer executed in such a brutal manner had clearly not delivered the group any justice, whatever Monokuma might say.
Kumi pulled the hood of his light-brown cloak over his face, growing pale, sobbing, and beginning to curl into a small ball like a baby. That he had been forced to watch the execution of a dear friend of his must have embedded in him great frightful images that he could hardly forget. Come to think of it, he had been similarly shocked when he had seen Atsushi's body, but his reaction back then had been much more subdued and less dramatic.
"N-No… No… No, no, no, no, no!" Arashi slammed the nearby podium with his fist. Even though he had told her how much she had hurt him with her betrayal, he still must have felt some connection to her, as the pain and agony on his face was all too great. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! MONOKUMAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
"Whoa, chill out there, buddy!" Monokuma said playfully. "I'm not deaf, you know! Talk to me like a normal human being, or bear, as I prefer."
But Arashi would not listen, and he ran toward the judge's throne, looking as if dead set on killing him. Fortunately, Murphy and Sorao grabbed him by the arms, holding him back.
"C-Come on, man… Now's not the time to go breaking the rules!" Sorao said. "We've already lost one of our friends! We can't go on losing another one!"
"L-Let me go! LET ME GO! LET ME GO!" Arashi screamed.
Monokuma cackled as he relaxed on his throne. "Well, I'm all right punishing one of you right after an execution! It would be rather nifty to have two executions in a row, wouldn't it? Sometimes, it's good to get more work than usual done and over with."
As soon as Monokuma threatened to execute him, Arashi dropped his intense anger and resisted no more. It seemed that the thought of ending up like Haruka was enough to inspire obedience in him.
"How could you do such a thing?!" Masashi asked. "Why… Why would you disgrace Haruka like that?!"
"Disgrace? Buddy, if I had wanted to disgrace her, I would've used your execution for her instead," Monokuma said. "Trust me, no one wants to see an execution that doesn't fit at all. The punishment must fit the criminal."
"Uh, shouldn't it be 'crime', not 'criminal'?" Tanjiro asked.
"As if! Besides any breach in the rules, the only crime you'll be punished for here is killing another human being!" Monokuma said. "Since all killings are deemed the same, it gives me more creative freedom to run wild with your punishment. No silly things like 'five years' time in prison', 'community service', and whatnot."
"You… How dare you let such a travesty happen!" It was Maiha, who now pointed at him accusingly. "This is nothing but a sham of a court!"
"Aw, you still don't get it?" Monokuma said. "I didn't let it happen. Haruka Minami did. She was the one that killed Atsushi Morokuzu, and thanks to that, two Ultimates are now dead! And I had already said what the rules were, so she had no excuse."
"But you're the one that put us here in the first place!" Masashi said. "Why?! Why are you doing this to us?!"
Monokuma giggled. "Well, now, that's a mystery for the ages! In fact, maybe if the killing game goes on, you'll get more clues on what truly happened to you guys."
"Wh-What are you talking about?" Hikari asked.
"Wait… is this about the outside world?" Sorao asked, a grim look on his face.
"Who knows? Well, I do, but there's no way in hell I'll tell you guys!" Monokuma replied. "Only time and a few more dead bodies will tell.
"Well, now, it's been so fun to see the despair running through your veins!" the captain said. "But you know, I've got something cooking back in my room, and I need to make sure it doesn't blow up. See you later, suckers!"
That said, Monokuma disappeared, which left only the sixteen stupefied students in this courtroom. For a long while, they only stood there silently, being forced to take in the sick reality that they were in. Of all people, Haruka, the light-hearted and gleeful clown girl, had been the first to kill, and so if Haruka had been all too willing to kill, then there was no doubt that this killing game would continue, any one of them being her successor.
"Um… everyone? May I say something?"
It was Sister Hikari, who still appeared rather shaken by the whole ordeal, and yet, she seemed to have made a bit of a recovery.
"I… I think we should all remember what Haruka told us in the end," she started. "I know that now is the time to grieve… but we mustn't stay like this forever. That wouldn't be what she wanted, would it?"
"Yeah…" Sorao said, looking a bit tired. "It'll take some time, but we'll just have to accept it."
"And… it's not only Haruka whose death we should lament," Sister Hikari said. "I know that Atsushi wasn't the kindest man, but still, as the deputy, he meant well in his deeds. So please… don't forget about him as well."
"That's right... I won't forget him," Masashi swore. At the very least, he could say that Atsushi had interested him with his way of thinking. If he had not died, then perhaps he could have taught him a thing or two.
"Yeah, neither will I," Murphy said. "I didn't know the man at all, but I think he could've come around and gotten a bit friendlier, you know?"
"I… hope that his soul may find peace," Hikari mumbled.
"Man… if none of us could kill, we'd all be happy together, don't you think?" Sorao said sadly.
"Unfortunately, I must disagree," Haruyuki said coolly. "As long as we have the ability to choose, we shall always think about how things might have played out differently. And we are none the worse for it. Both comedy and tragedy come from the same root, and thus, if one lost the potential to be sad, one would also lose the potential to be happy."
"In any case, we should be glad that we are all alive now," Futaba said weakly. "I… believe that we should go to bed."
"Lady Inoshishi, do you need any help?" Sorao asked. "You look awfully tired and weak."
"No… No, I am well enough," she answered unconvincingly. "But... I appreciate the gesture, nonetheless."
"But I don't think the same can be said for the boy there," Murphy said, pointing at Arashi, who had turned rather silent and listless.
"Well, I suppose I should take him to his room and put him in bed, then," Sister Hikari suggested. "Faye, could you accompany me?"
Faye nodded. "It's the least I can do now. What about you, Kumi? Do you want us to help you go to bed?"
The storyteller, who too had grown eerily quiet, nodded. Masashi could only wonder how much it had hurt Kumi to see someone dear to him killed in such a bloody spectacle.
The sixteen students then headed over to the elevator, from which they had come out as seventeen. The ride up was lacking in any noise that was not from the machinery, and once the elevator stopped, they stepped out and made their way across the gangway to the ship that was part of an amusement park. As soon as they were all aboard, the black ship, in which the class trial had been conducted, sailed away and disappeared into the horizon.
After the students headed into their rooms, Masashi had nothing but a great desire to sleep. Tonight was supposed to have been a night of fun, and yet, it ended with the deaths of two of his friends, and it was all for knowledge's sake. It was all so much to take in that he wanted nothing more than to forget about it and go to sleep.
Now this was weird. Though he was tired, however long he shut his eyes, Masashi still could not sleep. Of course he could not simply forget about it; after what he had seen, there was no way that he could fall asleep that easily.
He left his room and headed over to the main deck. He had seen none of the others, and yet, he had a feeling that most of them were still awake, all too bothered by the corpse's images that their minds kept making. Nonetheless, they all chose to stay in their rooms. It was all quiet. This was good.
As Masashi walked over to the bow, he looked heavenwards and saw the same starry sight as before. For a short while, he stopped his walk and took in the sight, finding it rather calming and soothing. And yet, he could not but feel a sense of envy; the stars could hang there forever, for all that happened here had hardly anything to do with them. What wonderful peace it must be, he thought. If only he could have it and keep it, then it would be a most wonderful gift. Nonetheless, he was not up at the starry heaven, and so all the bliss that he felt was but fleeting.
Masashi kept his way toward the bow, only to see that there was someone there as well. It seemed that he was not the only one that was not ready to turn in for the night.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" Masashi asked. It was Mari, who was looking off at the distance, as if seeking something.
Mari turned toward him, looking not at all bothered by his sight. "Oh, it's you… Well, to answer your question, nothing much, really. I'm only taking in the sight here."
"Can't sleep, huh?" Masashi stood next to her. "I'd figure that you would simply look out your window. The sight there must be as wonderful."
"Well, I could say the same for you, couldn't I?" she replied. "And besides… I much prefer the main deck. Here, I am outdoors and can feel at ease."
"Huh, really?" Masashi said. If he remembered correctly, she, as a phenologist, studied seasonal changes. It was no wonder that she was an outdoorsy woman.
Mari quietly nodded as she kept her gaze at what was ahead. For a while, Masashi said nothing, thinking that she wanted some quiet time to look at the sight. But sooner or later, he remembered that Mari had worked as Atsushi's assistant. As he was now gone, she must still be trying to take in all this. It certainly explained her rather quiet expression.
"Um… Mari?" Masashi said as he faced the black-haired girl. "About what happened tonight… I'm sorry…"
"Sorry?" Mari looked at him, confused. "Why do you say that?"
"Well… it's just that… I could've stopped Atsushi from being killed," Masashi said softly. "I was the one that suggested that you ride with me. If you had ridden with Atsushi instead, then he wouldn't have been killed, right? Sure, he wasn't a swell guy, but that doesn't mean he deserved to die."
Mari let out a small sigh. "Well.. you may think him to be harsh and condescending. I'm certainly aware that he was like that to others. But still, even in the relatively little time that we spent together here, I learned so much from him that I wish I could thank him if he were still here. He was undoubtedly a wonderful and knowledgeable man."
"Ah… Well…" Masashi said, not knowing exactly what he ought to say. Mari was the one who had spent the most time with him, and so he trusted that her thoughts on him were right.
"But you also say that you could have stopped him from being killed… And much as I appreciate the gesture, you're wrong about that," she continued, her tone calm. For some reason, Masashi felt that her glance at him livened a bit. "You're forgetting one very important thing: Atsushi would've never let himself sit with another one of us during that round. After all, Haruka had sent him that note to ensure that he should be alone."
"Ah… Yeah, that's right."
"Atsushi was set on following its instructions, which is why he said nothing about it to me. He would do anything to find what he thought was a great secret. His lust for knowledge was admirable, but it was also his downfall."
Masashi nodded, but he also grew intrigued. Though having lost someone dear, she was handling this far better than he had assumed. She was not at all like Kumi and Arashi.
"Well, when you put it that way, I guess I shouldn't beat myself up for not saving Atsushi when I could have, right?" Masashi replied, rather amazed by her resilience.
"Do not think yourself to be at fault for it," Mari said as she looked back at the horizon. "There was nothing that you could have done to save him. He was always meant to be killed."
Chapter 1 - The Woodland King Comes - END
Surviving Students: 16
1. Masashi Kousaki - Ultimate Lucky Student
2. Atsushi Morokuzu - Ultimate Archaeologist (DEAD)
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 (DEAD)
15. Murphy O'Hagan - Ultimate Potato Farmer
16. Haruyuki Kanagawa - Ultimate Art Critic
17. Sorao Mineta - Ultimate Celesta Player
18. Mari Anzai - Ultimate Phenologist
Once again, the survivor list's order above doesn't mean anything. After all, Atsushi's second, and yet he's dead, so it's not as if it meant that Knowledge Man is more important than, say, Musical Rantaro or Spirit Medium Toko.
Anyway, the first chapter has come to an end at last! We'll have to say goodbye to Haruka here. It was pretty hard to write her confrontation and execution since I liked Haruka a lot, and even though she was a pretty simple character, I thought she had a lot of charm and added a lot of light-heartedness. Since the chapter's over, I'd like to thank emilio . rubilar . 75 (spaces added by me) for sending me Atsushi Morokuzu, and BubblesOfTheNine for sending me Haruka Minami. They were both very lovely characters, and even though they're dead now, I hope you can stick around for the rest of the story!
Much as I wish that all eighteen characters might live, this is Danganronpa. Tragedy will happen, but then again, so will comedy, so it's not all bad.
Next time, a new chapter begins, and the aftermath of Haruka's killing will be shown a bit more! Now, then, let me ask you: what are your predictions for the future chapters? Who do you think will be survivors, killers, or victims? And last but not least… which character do you think is the mastermind?