Chapter Text
Prologue: Welcome to Despair
Makoto found herself waking up at a school desk, she raised her head to look around the classroom. It was empty with what seemed to be metal plates bolted on the windows and a security camera dangling off the roof. The only thing of note was the clock on the wall, which read at 8 o’clock. The atmosphere was eerie, and Makoto was filled with confusion.
“Where am I?” Makoto asked out loud.
All she could remember was arriving at Hopes Peak Academy, she was walked in the front entrance and then found herself waking up here.
“Is this some sort of classroom? I don’t remember falling asleep in any classes.”
Makoto noticed the metal sheets on the windows, “What are these, metal sheets? Why are they on the windows?” She then turned and looked at the surveillance camera, “A camera? I guess security is important here. And is that a TV? Why is that in a classroom?”
Looking around once more she spotted a child-like pamphlet on the desk she was sleeping on. It said, “Hey there new kid! The next semester is about to start. Starting today, this school will be your entire world.”
“What is this? What do they mean by this school will be my entire world? Is this a classroom in Hopes Peak? Why am I here? I haven’t even gone to the entrance ceremony.” Makoto’s eyes widened in shock, “Oh my god the entrance ceremony! It’s already 8, just my luck I would fall asleep in a random classroom. I hope I’m not too late.”
Makoto rushed out of the classroom, she passed by numerous rooms and a place named ‘Despair Hotel’. She noticed the weird design of the hallways and the huge gate blocking the stairs.
‘What is that gate doing there?’ She thought to herself. ‘Well it doesn't matter right now, the entrance ceremony is probably going on at the main hall right now.’
Makoto finally made her way to the main hall, what she saw surprised her. A huge metal hatch was in the place where the door was supposed to be and there were two guns hanging from the roof.
‘I hope that’s not a real gun.’ Makoto thought.
Even weirder there was no ceremony at all, no teachers, no parents, only students. Each one of them had a unique appearance, all of them stood out in their own way.
‘These must be all the ultimate students, they all look amazing, my hoodie can’t even compare.’
“Whoa, hey! Another new kid?” Said a man with long bushy like hair.
“Huh? Then you guys are all…?”
“Yeah…we’re all new here. Today is supposed to be our first day of class.” Said a girl in a green shirt and a brown skirt.
“So, counting him, that makes fifteen. Seems like a good cutoff point, but I wonder if this is everyone…” A round man with glasses said.
‘Counting him? Did he not notice I’m a girl?’
“Um, excuse me, I’m not a guy-.“
“Hey dude, did you wake up in this school too?” The bushy haired man interrupted me.
Makoto merely nodded and answered the man’s question despite her annoyance.
“Things just keep getting more and more mysterious.” Said a girl in gothic Lolita clothing.
“So strange… I declare beyond a shadow of a doubt that his is a strange situation indeed!” Said the round man.
If Makoto was confused before, it’s a lot worse now. ‘Did everyone else wake up in a classroom too? Where are all the teachers? Are we truly the only students here? And why do they keep thinking I’m a guy?!’
“Just a moment! There’s something else we must address!” Spoke a man in a white uniform. “Makoto! Your tardiness is unacceptable! Surely you were aware the meeting was to start at 8 a.m. sharp! To be late on your first day is unspeakable! I must report you, and you must accept your true punishment!”
“What’s your problem? It’s not like they wanted to be late. We all just woke up here after all.” Said a girl with pink pigtails and a bunny clip in her hair.
“Everyone just calm down! Listen, why don’t we all go around and introduce ourselves?” A girl with a red jacket and shorts decided to speak up.
“The hell? Now’s no time for fucking introductions!” Said a tough looking man with a pompadour on his head.
“Maybe, but it may be good to at least find out who we all are before digging into the bigger problems here. I suggest we introduce ourselves to each other.” Said the gothic girl.
“An excellent suggestion! Let’s introduce ourselves to each other one at a time!” The man in the white uniform spoke again.
‘There is so much going on, I’m totally lost, but introductions will be good for everyone. I know some of their information from articles online, but I need to learn what type of people they actually are. Hopefully I can get rid of this confusion and properly explain that I’m a girl. I’m ready!’ Makoto pumped one of her fists in the air.
Makoto walks towards the first group of students, specifically the young man in the white uniform.
“I’m Kiyotaka Ishimaru. I believe in bold simplicity! Let’s work together on our educational crusade!”
‘Kiyotaka Ishimaru, also known as the Ultimate Moral Compass, he went to a famous private school and won top honors every year. He’s basically a flawless honor student who has done work with the community’s Public Morals Committee, hence his title.’
“Anyway, you can call me Taka. What’s your name?”
“Makoto Naegi.”
Taka’s eyes lit up, “That’s a good name, a strong name, perfect for a young man such as yourself! You should thank your parents for giving you such an excellent name. And to keep that name from losing its value, you must devote yourself every single day! Life is worth putting every ounce of effort into it! Right? Right!”
‘This guy is kind of annoying.’ Makoto closed her eyes and took a deep breath to prepare herself. “Taka, I need to explain something, you see I’m actually a-.” When she opened her eyes, Taka was gone and already introducing himself to someone else.
‘Well now I’m even more annoyed.’ She decided to move on and walked towards this meager girl. “Hey, my name is Makoto Naegi, nice to meet you.” The girl darted her eyes back and forth as she was opening and closing her mouth to try and formulate a response.
“N-Not that you’ll remember my n-name anyway, but… I’m T-Toko Fukawa.”
‘Wow its Toko Fukawa, also known as the Ultimate Writing Prodigy, she’s been writing novels since she was ten years old. She recently released “So Lingers the Ocean”, a love story said to be her masterpiece. Honestly, I have to agree, it’s one of my favorite books. Although, I thought she would be the love-dovey type, with her masterpiece being a romance and all.’
“W-What? Why are you staring at me like that? I-I’m not a f-filthy creature!”
“O-Of course you’re not, I was just thinking about how amazing you are.”
“W-What!?” Toko’s face was filled with disbelief, there was a glint of happiness in her eyes, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. “A-As if that’s true, y-you were probably just thinking about h-how u-ugly I am.”
Makoto waved her hands in front of her, “No not at all, I’m telling the truth.”
“I-I see through your l-lies, you c-can just tell me the t-truth about your t-thoughts. I’m used to it a-after all.”
‘What an inferiority complex, is this really who Toko Fukawa is?’
Makoto decided to walk to the next person, it was a blue haired girl wearing a school uniform. Makoto recognized her immediately, Sayaka Maizono the Ultimate Pop Sensation.
“Hi, I’m Sayaka Maizono. I look forward to getting to know you!”
‘Sayaka Maizono is the lead singer of a famous pop group, I was surprised to discover that she would be attending Hopes Peak Academy. The way she moves is mesmerizing and she smells amazing, though I wonder if she remembers me.’
“Of course, I remember you!” Sayaka spoke.
“Huh? How did you know I was thinking that?” Makoto asked in confusion.
“I’m psychic,” the idol beamed.
“…What”
“Just kidding! I have really good intuition,” she giggled. “Your reaction confirms it though, your Makoto Naegi, right? Say I was wondering, did you go to the same middle school as- “
Taka chose this moment to interrupt, “Jeez, you guys! How long do you plan to waste our valuable time with this ridiculous back-and-forth?”
“S-Sorry, I guess I got carried away…” Sayaka looked away dejected.
“Self-introductions are for introducing yourself, not bumbling through a bunch of idle chit-chat!”
“You’re right, sorry Makoto, hopefully we can talk about this later.” The pop star then turned and walked away.
‘It seemed like Sayaka wanted to talk about something, well its not like we’ll never see each other again.’
The next person Makoto introduced herself to was a red-haired man who looked like a punk musician.
“Yo! The name’s Leon Kuwata. What’s up?”
‘I recognize that name…he is the clean up hitter for the national high school champs, the Ultimate Baseball Star. He doesn’t look the part.’
“Hi, I’m Makoto Naegi… so you’re Leon Kuwata, as in the Ultimate Baseball Star?”
Leon blinked, “Yeah, what about it?”
“You don’t look like how I imagined a baseball star would look, with your outfit and um…” Makoto gestured to Leon’s head, “your hair.”
“Oh, you like it? This hair style is so much better than a shaved head, the ladies are going to be all over me!” Leon grinned.
Makoto sweatdropped, ‘I don’t know about that one.’
“Hopes Peak is going to be a new beginning for me! Screw baseball! From now on I’ll be chasing my dream.”
“Your dream isn’t baseball?” Makoto asked.
“Of course not!” Leon yelled while clenching his fist. “I’m going to become a musician, a star, all I need is a songwriter and someone on guitar, and we’re set!”
“But what about baseball?! You’re the teams star player, someone who has put in a lot of effort!” Makoto chided.
Leon scoffed, “A lot of effort? As if, I’ve never gone to any practices before, baseball is lame, being a music star is way cooler. You just wait until I’m at the top of the charts!” Leon raised his fist to the sky.
‘I can’t believe what I’m hearing. I never imagined I’d hear something like that from a baseball all-star…’
The next student was the big round student from before, he had glasses that fit well with his rat like face.
“I…” he said boisterously, “am Hifumi Yamada. But if you want to call me by my nickname, “The Alpha and the Omega”! I don’t mind.”
Makoto waved, “I’m Makoto Naegi, it’s nice to meet you.”
“By the way,” Hifumi continued, “how much do you know about the world of 2D art?”
“The world…of 2D?”
Hifumi pushed up his glasses, “Well, in that world, I am well known and well regarded as the Ultimate Fanfic Creator. I once sold 10,000 copies of one of my fan comics at a school festival. The event was passed into legend…” Hifumi then gained an angry look on his face, “Some of them didn’t get it, of course, saying I’d “tainted” the event. How stupid can they be?!”
‘Like they say, everyone’s a critic. But selling 10,000 copies, that’s incredible.’
“The words of such idiots mean nothing to me. I am like Van Gogh, utterly unappreciated in my time.” He then puffed up his chest, “I am a soldier, serving night and day to destroy all mindless preconceptions about fan fiction.”
“You seem dedicated to your craft, I’m sure you have lots of fans!” Makoto smiled.
A look of smugness entered Hifumi’s eyes, “Why of course, my works have thousands of fans each! You have a good eye Mr. Naegi!” Suddenly, another look entered his eyes, one that sent a shiver up Makoto’s spine. “Say Mr. Naegi, now that I get a better look at you, you’re pretty feminine. You would look great in cosplay. I can think of at least five different characters.” He then got a devious grin.
‘I want to correct him on my gender, but I feel that would just make this worse.’
Makoto then walked towards the next group of people, the first one she interacted with was the girl in a red jacket and shorts.
“Heya! I’m Aoi Asahina! But my friends just call me Hina. Sup?” Hina gave a friendly smile.
‘Aoi Asahina… She’s been breaking records in every competition she’s been in since elementary school. She’s even been chosen as the upcoming Olympic cadet. She is, without a doubt, the Ultimate Swimming Pro.’
“So, uh…What’s your name?” Hina asked.
“Makoto Naegi and before I forget again, I just want to say I’m a girl. I don’t know why everyone keeps messing it up.” Makoto huffed and crossed her arms.
Hina’s face was filled with shock, “I…Uh…You…”
“No don’t tell me…you didn’t notice either?!” Makoto looked at her dejectedly.
Hina quickly waved her hands in front of her face, “No No No, I did notice, I just didn’t think you would bring it up in conversation, yeah that’s it.”
There was a look of sadness and realization on Makoto’s face, “I see.”
“Woah, don’t be like that, it’s at time like these that we need to be positive.” Hina gave Makoto a big smile, “If anyone else doesn’t notice just send them my way, I’ll give them a stern talking to.”
“So you admit you didn’t notice.”
Hina’s eyes widened, “Well it was nice meeting you Makoto, see you later!” She then turned and walked in a random direction.
‘Well, one thing I learned is that she’s totally easy going and bursting with energy.’
Turning around Makoto noticed another girl standing there, it was the one wearing the green shirt and brown skirt.
“Hello, nice to meet you. I’m Chihiro Fujisaki…”
Chihiro looked down with an embarrassed look, “Sorry, I get kind of embarrassed whenever I introduce myself like this…” She then looked back up with a smile, “Anyways I hope we can get along…”
“Same here. I’m Makoto Naegi, it’s nice to meet you.”
‘Chihiro Fujisaki is known for all the cutting-edge programs she’s created. She’s the Ultimate Programmer. She also had that timid little bunny type thing going, which has endeared her to her legion of fans.’
“Maybe it’s my imagination, but… are you a girl?” Chihiro questioned bringing Makoto out of her thoughts.
Makoto’s face lit up, “Finally! Yes I am, I knew someone would notice.”
Chihiro tiled her head confused, “Am I the only one that noticed? S-Sorry, I thought everyone else did already.”
“Huh? Why are you apologizing?”
Chihiro looked away with tears in her eyes, “Well, just because I thought I reminded you of something depressing. You must be upset at me.”
“No, not at all! I’m actually really happy you noticed, thanks Chihiro,” Makoto beamed.
Chihiro blushed, “Oh, that’s good. I’m glad you aren’t angry.” She then let out a similar smile to Makoto’s.
‘I’m starting to understand why her fans are so into her…’
Makoto then walked towards probably the most stoic looking person here, a girl with purple colored hair and black gloves.
“…”
“…”
“…”
‘This girl hasn’t even looked at me yet.’
“Um…Hi my name is Makoto Naegi. Can I ask you your name?”
The purple haired girl then looked at Makoto, “My name is… Kyoko Kirigiri.”
“…”
‘Is that it?’ Makoto sweatdropped. ‘I don’t remember anyone like her being in any of the threads online, maybe she’s like me.’
“Um, so… what are you doing at this school?”
Kyoko then gave Makoto a cold stare, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Makoto then smiled sheepishly, “No I just meant… Getting invited here means you’re some kind of Ultimate right? So what Ultimate are you?”
There was another even colder stare given by Kyoko, “Why should I tell you?”
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”
“Then I won’t tell you anything,” The blank faced girl then turned and walked away.
‘Weird, her face is like an iron mask, I won’t learn anything about her without her telling me herself.’
Luckily the next girl seemed more friendly to Makoto, she was the girl with pink pigtails and a bunny clip in her hair.
“Hi! I’m Junko Enoshima. Charmed, I’m sure!” Junko gave a peace sign.
‘Anyone would recognize her, the Ultimate Fashionista Junko Enoshima. I’ve seen her on countless magazine covers, but looking at her now, I feel like they don’t match up to reality.’
“I’m Makoto Naegi, nice to meet you.”
Junko had a calculating stare, like she was trying to figure out what to say. “Makoto, why do you wear that outfit? You look like a guy in that hoodie and those pants. I bet barely anyone’s noticed you’re a girl.”
Makoto looked down at her outfit, “Is that why their all getting it wrong? This outfit is so comfortable though, plus I’ve never had trouble with other people before.”
Junko gave Makoto a blank stare, “I doubt that, trust me Makoto, I know all about clothes and stuff. If we have some time later let’s go over your wardrobe. Well after we figure out what’s going on here at least.”
“Well, I gotta go before Mr. Hall Monitor over there gets on us, see ya!” Junko said as she skipped away.
The student after Junko was a tall, towering man, he had a pompadour on his head, and he wore a biker jacket.
“Name’s Mondo Owada. Nice to Fuckin’ meetcha.”
‘Mondo Owada, huh? Which means he’s the current leader of the largest biker gang in Japan. He’s earned respect from every gang in the country, earning him the title of the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader.’
“…”
Makoto mustered the best smile she could despite Mondo’s intimidating presence, “N-Nice to meet you too, I’m Makoto Naegi.”
Mondo gave a thumbs up, “Hell yeah.”
‘I better be careful around him. One wrong word and I could wake up at the bottom of the sea.’
Makoto quickly walked to her next classmate. She was a tall muscular woman wearing a school uniform with a red tie.
“I am Sakura Ogami.”
“I’m Makoto Naegi, it’s nice to meet you.”
‘She must be the Ultimate Martial Artist, she’s competed in over 400 matches across the world and never lost a single one, despite being a girl. The online thread also mentioned her nickname, Ogre. Some say she is the missing link to primates and to avoid her at all costs, what rude people. Though I can agree with her having an intimidating presence.’
“Hey, you,” Sakura suddenly spoke.
“Huh?! Yes?!” Makoto responded. Sakura then started to poke and prod at her body, starting with her sides and then stomach, she then eventually poked her chest.
“Eep!” Makoto jumped back a little at Sakura’s touch and put her hands in front of her chest. “W-What are you doing?!”
Sakura was looking at Makoto confused, then realization dawned on her face, “W-Wait, you’re a girl?”
Makoto merely nodded in response.
Sakura quickly bowed, “I would like to apologize, I was checking for muscular quality and quantity. I thought you were a guy, so I decided to check your chest as well, please forgive me for failing to notice.”
Makoto made a gesture for Sakura to stand before letting out a sigh of relief and then a smile, “It’s okay, only two people so far have seemed to notice anyways. I’m getting quite use to it honestly, as embarrassing it is to admit.”
Sakura let out a grunt of affirmation, “Don’t be afraid to correct anybody Makoto, you shouldn’t let that confusion thrive for too long.”
“Y-Yeah I won’t let something like that happen.”
Sakura smirked, “If anyone gives you any trouble like I just did, don’t hesitate to let me know.”
Makoto returned the smile, ‘Wow, Sakura seems really nice, she has that protector vibe to her, those threads online were definitely wrong about her.’
Up next was a smug looking blonde-haired boy, he wore glasses and had a black suit on.
“Name’s Byakuya Togami.”
“Makoto Naegi…nice to meet you.”
“…” Byakuya said nothing, he was looking away lost in his own world.
‘Well, that was the most half-assed introduction I’ve ever heard…But there’s nothing I can do about it. Byakuya Togami, he’s the heir of his family’s massive financial conglomerate. His title of Ultimate Affluent Progeny is completely accurate, even among Ultimate students he still stands out.’
“We’re done with introductions, correct? So how much longer are you going to stand there?” Byakuya snarled.
“S-Sorry, I’ll leave now.” Makoto said as she shuffled away.
Makoto walked towards the bushy haired man she interacted with earlier.
“I’m Yasuhiro Hagakure, Hiro for short! Take it easy yeah? I know I will!”
‘Yasuhiro Hagakure, known as “Supernova,” in the psychic community. The trend-setting Ultimate Clairvoyant. Honestly, I don’t really get all that fortune-telling stuff, it’s all too confusing. Still though, I can’t help wondering if there’s any truth to it.’
“Ahh…Okay I give up. It just doesn’t make any sense.” Hiro said clutching his head.
“What doesn’t make sense?”
“I just had a vision, that you’re…” Hiro paused for dramatic effect before pointing at Makoto, “Actually a girl!”
“What? W-Well I am a-“
“Nah, I’m just kidding!” Hiro laughed. “But hey, we should grab some brewskis sometime and get really deep into Lemuria and its civilization.”
“Huh? We’re not allowed to drink! We’re in high school!” Makoto yelled.
Hiro scratched the back of his head, “Oh, I’m actually 21. I’ve been held back a few times, see, and…well, it’s a long story.”
‘A few times? Just talking to this man is giving me a huge headache.’
“A-Anyways, I’m Makoto Naegi, it’s nice to meet you.” Makoto said before turning around and leaving. She walked to the last person in the room for her final introduction. It was the girl in the Gothic Lolita clothing.
“I do not think we have introduced. I am Celestia Ludenberg.”
“Celestia…Luden...huh?”
“Ludenberg. It is my name. But if you don’t mind, I would prefer for you to call me Celeste.” Celeste then smiled with her hands under her chin.
“Well, it’s nice to meet you Celeste, I’m Makoto Naegi.”
‘She’s polite but seems like she can be pretty forceful at the same time. I guess the rumors were true, Celestia Ludenberg, she’s the Ultimate Gambler who’s never lost a bet. Other than her obvious love of gothic Lolita clothes, everything about her is wrapped in a veil of lies. They say she entered and won an underground gambling tournament, earning the title, “Queen of Liars”.’
“Indeed, I look forward to getting to know you better. Heh-heh-heh.” Celeste giggled.
‘That smile is beyond deceptive, I’d better watch myself around her.’
With that, the lucky student finished introducing herself to everyone in the room. She looked around once more thinking about how each Ultimate was unique and had their own individual ‘somethings’ to them.
Byakuya chose this time to speak, “Okay, time to get down to business. This is no time to stand around making friends like a bunch of dull-eyes monkeys.”
“Yeah this whole place is creepy. Just to check, everyone here woke up suddenly after getting to the main hall, right?” Leon asked the room.
Everyone nodded or gave some sort of “yes” or “Uh huh”.
Makoto rubbed her chin in thought. “That’s so weird…every single one of us ended up losing consciousness in the main hall.”
“And instead of normal glass windows it was a bunch of big metal plates!” Taka added. “What’s that about?”
“Plus, all my stuff’s missing! Even my cellphone.” Junko said.
Chihiro fumbled through her pockets, “Yeah, you’re right. I haven’t seen my PDA anywhere.”
Taka gestured to the room around them, “And then there’s the main hall here. The front exit is completely blocked by some giant metal hatch. But there wasn’t anything like that when I first got here. What the heck is it doing here?!”
Junko shrugged, “Maybe we got caught up in some kinda, like, you know…crime or something?”
Leon recoiled, “What, like… a kidnapping? You think someone grabbed us and hauled us off and were not actually at school?”
Hiro smiled, “Come on, don’t think like that. Cheer up! I bet this is all just part of the school’s orientation procedure. So I’m just gonna take it easy for a little bit.”
Chihiro looked up in surprise, “Oh…So you think they wanted to do something to surprise us?”
Leon let out a sigh of relief, “Well if that’s all this is, then it’s nap time for me. I stayed up way to late last night and could use a little shuteye.”
The tension in the room was evaporating, everyone seemed to be calming down. Then the monitor turned on, and little did any of them know, this would signal the beginning of many horrors to come.
*DING DONG, BING BONG*
There was a green static on the television and a black outline of a bear. Everyone in the room felt a sense of dread as they watched the screen.
“Ahem! Testing! Testing! Mic check, one two! This is a test of the school broadcast system!” The voice that came out of it was cute but at the same time it had an undertone of a sadist.
“Well then, to all incoming students! I would like to begin the entrance ceremony…right now! Please make your way to the gymnasium at your earliest convenience. That’s all. See you all there!” The monitor then flickered off leaving the entrance hall in silence.
Makoto looked around the room and saw the confusion amongst everyone’s faces, no one understood what exactly that was.
“What…The…Hell was that just now?” said Junko.
“Well then, if you’ll excuse me.” Almost immediately Byakuya turned and left the room, presumably walking to the gymnasium.
“H-Hey! You’re gonna take off just like that?!” Junko yelled.
Hiro had a carefree look on his face, “Oh yeah, now I get it! This whole thing was just to get us all pumped for the entrance ceremony! Man, thank god it was all a joke. I’d be totally freaked if this was real! I guess I’ll get going too, see you guys there.” He said as he left.
Leon rolled his eyes, “Man and I was look forward to that nap too. Why’d they have to go and kill the mood?” Leon left.
“W-Wait for me! I wanna go too!” Chihiro yelled as he ran off.
Celeste had a smile on her face, “That is that then. I will see you all there.” Celeste then turned and left.
Toko had a glare on her face as she looked around, “N-Not that a-anyone care, b-but I’m going t-too.”
Makoto wasn’t as eager to go as other people were, she had a feeling of unease in her stomach. Her instincts were telling her that this was dangerous, and she shouldn’t go. Apparently, some of the others shared the same sentiments.
“This…this doesn’t seem right.” Sayaka spoke looking spooked.
“Yeah, that announcement was totally weird.” Junko agreed.
Kyoko had the same stoic look on her face, “Maybe, but just staying put doesn’t mean we’ll be safe. Besides, aren’t you guys just a little bit curious to find out what’s going on around here?”
Sakura nodded in agreement, “If we do not move forward, we learn nothing. The only choice is to push ahead.”
The others were making sense, Makoto knew that they were right, but she still couldn’t get that feeling out of her chest. What exactly is going on here and why does it feel like they won’t like the answers they find.
“They said to go to the gym, right? Then let’s go.” Makoto and the others then left for the gym as well.
They arrived in the huge gym; it had the Hopes Peak Academy logo implanted on the floor. There was a huge stage with a red podium on the front.
“Wow, it really does look like an entrance ceremony.” said Makoto.
Hiro nodded, “See? Told ya! It’s totally normal entrance ceremony.”
‘I guess Hiro was right, goes to show how different Hopes Peak Academy does things.’ Makoto thought to herself.
The same voice from the broadcast appeared again, “Hey there, howdy, hello! Is everyone here? Good! Then let’s get things rolling!”
All of a sudden, a small bear jumped on the podium, he was monochromatic with his right side white and his lefts side black. His right eye was normal but the left one had a red lightning bolt as an eye instead. The last obvious feature was his creepy toothy smile on the right side of his face.
Chihiro looked up at the bear in bewilderment, “Huh? A…Teddy bear?”
The bear on the stage rose his paws in anger, “I’m not a teddy bear!” He then put his hands on his waist and puffed out his chest, “I…am…Monokuma! This school’s headmaster! It’s nice to meet you all!”
It was the strangest thing that any of them had ever seen, and that was saying a lot. Most of the students were wearing looks of confusion, none of them what to say exactly. Makoto in particular found it incomprehensible, she couldn’t believe her eyes, was a teddy bear really standing there and proclaiming he’s their headmaster? All of that nervousness everyone was feeling suddenly transformed into fear.
“Waaaaaah! That teddy bear can talk!” Hifumi yelled in fear.
Taka took a step forward and raised his hands, “Calm down! I’m sure there’s just a speaker inside it.”
Monokuma looked down dejectedly, “I told you already, I’m not a teddy bear,” His face then shot up, “I’m Monokuma! And I’m your headmaster!”
“Waaaaah!” Hifumi screamed again, “It moved!”
“Seriously man, calm down! It’s prolly’ a remote-controlled toy or something,” said Mondo.
Monokuma got angry again, “How dare you compare me to a child’s plaything! My remote-control system is so complex that even NASA can’t comprehend it!”
“Not even NASA can comprehend it?!” yelled Chihiro.
“Anyways,” Monokuma waved him off, “Everyone stand at attention and bow! And…good morning!”
Taka then bowed, “Good morning!”
“W-Why would you a-actually bow?” said Toko.
“Now then, let us commence with a most noteworthy and memorable entrance ceremony! First off let’s talk a bit about what your school life here will be like. Now, ah, make no mistake, you few students, so full of potential and energy, represent the hope of this world. And to protect this precious hope,” Monokuma then raised his left paw in the air, “you will all live a communal life together, and adhere to the rules and regulations of the school.”
‘Huh?’ Makoto thought in confusion.
“Now I know what your thinking, “Oh headmaster Monokuma when can we go home”, and the answer to that is you can’t! In other words, you’ll be here until the day you die! Such is the school life you have been assigned.”
Toko recoiled in shock and fear, “W-What did he just say? Until the day we d-die?”
“Oh but fear not!” Monokuma continued, “We have an enormously high budget, so you’ll have all the common conveniences.”
“That’s the least of our worries right now!” screamed Sayaka.
“Yeah, what the hell?! You’re saying I have to live here forever? You’re screwing with us right?!” asked Junko.
“How dare you!” Monokuma yelled, “I am no liar, of that you can be 100% sure. Oh, but just for your information, you’re completely cut off from the outside world. I know its beary amazing not having to worry about that dirty dirty land beyond these walls ever again!”
“Cut off?” said Makoto. “So all those metal plates all over the school, they’re meant to keep us trapped here?!”
Monokuma nodded, “Yup that’s what they’re for, no matter how much you yell and scream, no one will ever come and help! So with all of that in mind, feel free to live out your life here with reckless abandon!”
Leon was clutching his head in his hands, “Come on, what the hell is this? I don’t care if the school or whoever is behind this finds this funny, this is a horrible joke!”
“Yeah! Cut this shit out! It isn’t funny anymore!” Mondo raged.
“You keep calling this a joke or a lie, am I really that unbearlievable? Well, it doesn’t matter anyways, you’ll have plenty of time to find out whether or not what I say is true.” Said Monokuma with his hands on his belly.
Celeste had a small frown on her face, “Having to live here forever would be…quite the problem.”
“Jeez students these days, all of you chose to attend Hopes Peak Academy, didn’t you?! And now, before the entrance ceremony has concluded, you’ve already decided you want to leave?” Monokuma looked down sadly and kicked his across the floor before looking up again, “Although, there is “one” way you can leave the school.”
Toko looked hopeful, “R-Really?!”
“As headmaster I’ve crafted a special clause for those who would like to leave! I call it…” Monokuma paused for dramatic effect, “the Graduation Clause!” He then giggled a bit before continuing, “Now let me tell you about this little rule, as mentioned before, in order to maintain an environment of harmony here, we rely on a communal lifestyle. And if someone were to disrupt that harmony, then they and they alone would be allowed to leave the school. That my precious students, is the Graduation Clause!”
Byakuya raised an eyebrow, “What do you mean by “Disrupt the harmony”?”
Monokuma then giggled again, “Puhuhuhu… Well, you know… if one person were to murder another.”
“M-Murder?!” Makoto repeated.
Monokuma then raised his paw and started counting his fingers, “Stabbing, strangling, bludgeoning, crushing, hacking, drowning, igniting, how you do it doesn’t matter. You just have to kill someone if you want to leave, pretty simple right? Make sure to choose the best outcome in the worst way possible though! Puhuhuhuhu!”
Makoto felt a chill shoot down her spine, she didn’t want to believe what she was hearing. Kill someone if you want to leave? She can’t believe someone would even say such a thing.
“Well, I bet *that* got your brain juices flowing! A lot better than just catching a salmon, huh?” Monokuma then raised his paw up again, “Like I said you guys are the hope of the world, but you know. Taking that hope and seeing it get murdered, oh that creates a darkened shadow of despair.” He then started blushing and sweating, “And I find that so…damn…EXCITING!”
Leon was in shock and sweating pretty badly himself, “What the hell are you talking about?! To kill each other is… it’s…!”
Monokuma looked left and right, “I’m sure there’s a dictionary around here somewhere to tell you what kill means.”
Aoi raised her fist in anger, “We know what it means, that’s not the problem! Why do we have to kill each other?!”
“Yeah! Stop blabbering will all of this nonsense! Just let us go home already!” added Hifumi.
An angry look fit itself on Monokuma once again, “Grrrr…Blabbering, blabbering, none of you understand do you! “Let us go, let us go!”, stop saying the same things over and over. Listen. From this moment on, this school is your home, your life, your world. Got it? The only way to get out is to kill! So go ahead, go on a kill-kill-killing spree!”
Yasuhiro started to look apprehensive, “Come on already, how long are you gonna keep this up.”
Monokuma was surprised, “Eh?”
“You got us, okay? You scared the hell out of us. So just go ahead and reveal the trick now.”
“Reveal the trick?” repeated Monokuma.
“Yeah, the trick, this is all some kind of trick and all. So, uh, like…”
Mondo decided he had enough of all this nonsense and shoved past Hiro, “Dude, shut the hell up and get outta my way.” He then stopped in front of Monokuma, his voice was rumbling like thunder. “Listen up, asshole! This shit’s gone way too far! What the hell kinda joke IS THIS?!”
Monokuma put his paws in front of his mouth to stifle a giggle, “Joke? Like your hair?”
“FFFFUUUUUUU-!” Mondo’s scream was as loud as thunder, and he was as fast as lightning. He kicked off the floorboards and launched himself towards Monokuma, he picked him up and had a fierce grip on him.
“Gotcha, you little piece of shit! I dunno if you’re a toy or a stuffed animal and I don’t give a fuck! Either way, I’m gonna rip you to fuckin’ shreds!”
Monokuma was flailing in his arms trying to get out of his grasp, “Waah! Violence against the headmaster is in violation of the school regulations!”
Mondo’s grip grew tighter, “Shut the fuck up! Let me outta here, or I swear to Christ.”
“…” There was no noise coming out of Monokuma anymore.
“What, no smartass comeback this time?!” yelled Mondo.
“…beep…beep…beep.”. Instead, it was beep after beep.
“Stop that goddamn beeping and SAY SOMETHING!”
Kyoko’s eyes widened, “Watch out! Get rid of it!”
Mondo looked at her confused, “huh…?”
“Hurry up and throw it!” Kyoko emphasized.
Perhaps it was Kyoko’s ferocity, or it was her urgency, either way Mondo was stunned into silence and threw Monokuma in the air. *BOOM* Monokuma then exploded leaving nothing but dust.
Mondo stood there in shock, unable to say anything as the smell of gunpowder permeated the air.
Chihiro shook his head to free himself of the tears, “But you know, this means that teddy bear’s been destroyed, right?”
“How many times must I say it, I’m not a teddy bear, I’m Monokuma!” The bear reappeared on the stage, perfectly unharmed. There were noises of surprises and groans of fear as the bear took his stance, “Now, now Mondo, you should be more careful before you get yourself killed. Anyone who violates one of the school regulations will be met with swift and cruel punishment.” Monokuma then waved his paws in front of him, “I’ll let you off with a warning this time and this time only, aren’t I so generous?”
“Y-You’re a fucking asshole!” Mondo growled.
“H-How can you even say that’s punishment? It’s just…wrong.” Said Aoi who had a look of fear on her face.
“And for those who think they can get away with breaking rules since I’m not ‘there’, remember those security cameras? Nothing gets past these eyes and ears; bears have better senses than humans after all!” he laughed. “However, do not fret my students for I have glorious gifts for you all.” Monokuma then took out 15 tablets and handed them out to everyone in the room. “This is our official student handbook! Pretty cool, huh? As you can see, it’s fully digital, so we call it the e-handbook! We spent a lot of money on these things, so don’t lose them! They’re vital to your healthy school life! These aren’t basic notebooks either, they have all sorts of features and functions. They’re waterproof, no amount of water will ever break it and thanks to their unique design, they can handle up to ten tons of force! Incredibly resistant! It also contains all of our school regulations, so make sure to review them thoroughly, as I said before, any violation of school regulations will not be tolerated. Rules restrict, yes, but they also protect. Without them we would be like animals, well I’m an animal, but that doesn’t count! With that this entrance ceremony can end. Please enjoy your abundantly dreary school life!” Monokuma then left leaving everyone in the room to deal with their thoughts.
Taka turned to look at everyone, “So, guys…how would you define what we just experienced?”
If Leon was nervous before, he was shivering with fear now, “How…? Why…?”
“W-We have to live here f-forever…? Or…. K-kill?” Said Toko.
“Everyone, we need to just calm down.” Kyoko said trying to diffuse the situation, “First, let’s just take a second to summarize everything we just heard. Based on what Monokuma said, we have two choices. One, live a “communal life” together until the day we die. And number two…”
“If we want to get out of here alive, we have to kill someone. Right?” Celeste finished for Kyoko.
Chihiro had tears streaming down her face, “But…to kill someone… that’s…”
Hifumi was sweating bullets, “We were abducted out of nowhere and stuffed into this hell like school, and now were supposed to start killing each other? This is…What is this!”
“While it is important what’s going on, there is a more pressing matter we must address.” Said Byakuya who then gave everyone a stern stare, “Is there anyone here who’s seriously considering all this…?”
No one had a response for Byakuya, there was a certain tension in the room. Everyone looked back and forth between each other with suspicious and nervous stares.
‘And that was how my new school life began. This school, which had come out of nowhere to raise my hopes so high. It’s not a school of hope. It’s a school…of despair.’
Prologue: Welcome to despair, End