???: What a disappointment.

I sighed as I gazed at the gray-colored skyscraper, sleek black briefcase in my hand. Ultimate Academy for Academic Excellence, huh? It wasn't even that impressive. I mean, the building was big, but half the other high-rises stood over it. It was well-made, but there were visible cracks in the foundation that would need to be fixed. And some of its shiny gray paint was beginning to peel off. I wasn't expecting this place to be the Burj Khalifa, but I did think it was gonna be bigger. Grander. More, well, ultimate.

For an academy that the biggest prodigies of the world would go to, this building was modest at best and downright embarrassing at worst. I sighed again and walked up to the wooden doors. As long as this joint would give me the connections it promised, I couldn't decline the offer to come here.

I was the Ultimate Screenwriter, after all. Having headed a hit TV show by the age of 16, fans of my work often call me the "President of Scriptwriting," or "President Eden" for short. I thought, because of this, I was invincible. Too big to fail. Almost like a god in human clothing. So, when I opened the front door to the Ultimate Academy for Academic Excellence, I never in a million years would have expected to be restrained by a group of masked assailants and have my nose and mouth covered with a napkin wet with chloroform. I instantly recognized the chemical as soon as it entered my nose, but it was too late, and I was already beginning to lose consciousness. The last thing I remember before letting the darkness overtake me was the masked men carrying my body deeper into the school...

.

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Prologue: Welcome to the Killing Academy

Written by: The Masked Eidolon

Edited by: No one, fuckers!!! I didn't edit this because this is just discipline practice. Every chapter in this series is a first draft.

Enjoy 🙂

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After who knows how long comatose, I began to hear two distinct voices:

???: Hey, man. Dude. Buddy. Mr. Black Flight Jacket. Are you all good?

???: Why are you bothering with him?

???: Just trying to make sure he's not dead. *Sigh.* But he's not responding to anything I do. Not a very good sign.

???: Leave him. There's no need to violate the deceased.

The fuzzy feeling in my head slowly cleared away, and I managed to open my eyes.

Eden: Who said... that I was dead?

As I got a good view of the two figures, I saw that one was a regular-looking boy in a baggy hoodie and jeans. The other was a girl in a white button-down collar with a sinister look in her eyes.

Boy: Whoa! You're finally awake!

Girl: ...

The boy outstretched his arm to help me up, and I took it. After I had steadied myself, he addressed me once again.

Vysko: My name's Vysko Cheem, and I'm the Ultimate Collector. But you can call me Vysko Disco.

Eden: Eden. Ultimate Screenwriter. Were you two the ones who...?

Vysko: Nah, we were KO'd just like you. Seems as though whoever did us in gave you a little more chloroform than us, though. Maybe they had a grudge.

A grudge, huh? Well, I've made more than my fair share of enemies...

I looked around the room and saw nothing but concrete walls and a low-hanging concrete ceiling. 

Eden: Where are we? This doesn't look like the Ultimate Academy.

Vysko: Sure ain't. Seems to me like some kind of underground bunker. Everyone but you and Michiru here went to explore the place, and I recently came back to check on you. We should have a look around too. I can introduce you guys to the fellow students.

Michi: Speak for yourself. I'm not going anywhere.

Vysko: Why not? Surely, you want to see just where we are?

Michi: Don't need to. I already understand what's happening.

Vysko: And what might that be?

Michi: We've clearly been kidnapped for ransom.

Michi then sat down on the concrete floor, cross-legged.

Michi: All we have to do is wait for our captors to appear and trade us back into society. Burning energy by adventurously wandering around isn't ideal.

Vysko turned to me and gestured to the door.

Vysko: What say you, we leave Ms. Optimism over here behind and go exploring?

Eden: Sure thing. What's her Ultimate Talent, though?

Vysko shrugged.

Vysko: Who knows? I asked her about it but she told me it was none of my business. I wonder if she's autistic...

Suddenly, the color in Vysko's face drained as his cheerful grin turned into an expressionless glare.

Vysko: One question before we go, Eden. Do you happen to be autistic yourself?

Eden: No..?

The innocent smile returned to Vysko's mouth as he walked up to the room's door.

Vysko: Then we can get along just fine! Let's bounce!

Vysko left the room in a hurry, but I stood in place for a second, unsettled.

What the hell is up with these people?

Suddenly, the door opened a crack and Vysko's head poked out.

Vysko: You coming, Eden?

Eden: Yeah, sure.

Friendship Fragment - Vysko - Obtained!

Friendship Fragment - Michi - Obtained!

.

I followed Vysko out of the room this time, and entered what seemed to be a mess hall. There were plenty of concrete tables and a large walk-in refrigerator at the back end of the room. Along with the drab infrastructure, there were six other students investigating everything they could about the room. The first one to catch my eye was a white-hared guy who was furiously jotting down words in a legal pad.

Eden: Taking some notes, huh? Find anything useful?

???: Useful? Oh, I'm not investigating or anything. Just writing a review of the place. Planning to give it a 1-star rating on Yelp.

Eden: Review?

???: Yup. I am the Ultimate Reviewer, after all.

The boy put his legal pad on a table and faced me.

Kuro: Name's Kuro Ouji-sama.

I held out my hand for Kuro to shake, and he did so with a firm grip.

Eden: President Eden, the Ultimate Screenwriter. You'd probably know me from my work on "The W2RLD."

Kuro: You wrote W2RLD, huh? Meh. Gave it a 5 out of 10.

Upon hearing this, I furrowed my brow.

Eden: Excuse me, what?

Kuro put his hands behind his head, smirking.

Kuro: It's a 5/10 show, pal. Heavy on the comedy, light on the worldbuilding. I reckon it's worth a watch if you're into that sorta thing, but I wouldn't rewatch it.

Eden: Ok, buddy. I'd like to see you write a 13-episode season of television on your own in three months.

Kuro: Would a football announcer go out onto the field and start sacking quarterbacks? No. But they sure can call the plays!

Eden: ...

Eden: Ratings matter more than reviews, anyway.

Vysko chuckled from behind me.

Vysko: We should probably go talk to the other students.

Eden: Sounds good to me.

Friendship Fragment - Kuro - Obtained!

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The next closest person was a girl with autumn-colored hair and a brown leather coat with fur trim. She was sitting down on one of the tables, reading a book.

Eden: What're you reading?

The girl looked up at me and closed the book.

???: It's the novel that I wrote, "The Death of the Big Dipper."

Eden: You wrote it, huh? Does that make you the Ultimate Author?

Dark: It does. My name's Tenebris, but people mainly call me Dark.

Eden: Well, nice to meet you, Dark. I'm Eden, the Ultimate Screenwriter.

Dark's eyes suddenly lit up.

Dark: Screenwriter? Really?

Eden: Yup.

Dark: That's great! I've wanted to become a screenwriter for a while now, more than a school shooter hates their bully!

Eden: ...

Did I hear that correctly?

Dark: Being a novelist was always more of a stopgap measure of mine, I don't actually like books that much. My biggest dream has always been to be the director of a TV show, since it's so much more intense. The passion of the actors, the swelling of the soundtrack, the tightness of the dialogue...! It's so much better than reading a book.

Dark's bright smile morphed into a slight frown.

Dark: But when Kuro rated my masterpiece screenplay a 5 out of 10, my motivation plummeted like an old man in a wheelchair rolling off a cliff. Maybe you could hook me up with a job?

I scratched my head in bewilderment at Dark's grisly remarks.

Eden: Sure... I'll hook you up when we get out of here. Just make sure not to overuse those similes.

Dark: I'll cut down on my similes like a suicidal girl's wrist!

Eden: .........................................................................................................

Friendship Fragment - Dark - Obtained!

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On the next bench over, I spotted an extremely muscular man with a sports jersey on. Before I could have the chance to say anything, Vysko strolled over to him and struck up a conversation.

Vysko: Yo, Fdeys! Think you can break us outta here, Hulk-style?

Fdeys cracked a small grin.

Fdeys: Maybe if I had a battering ram, heh heh!

Fdeys: In all seriousness, though, the hatch I found in the next room over is solid metal. There's no shot we break out of here through that thing.

Vysko: Aw, shucks. Any other exits?

Fdeys: Nawp.

Fdeys looked over Vysko's shoulder at me, then back at Vysko.

Fdeys: Who's that chap?

Vysko: That's Eden, the Ultimate Screenwriter.

Vysko: Eden, Fdeys. Fdeys, Eden.

He held his hand out for me to shake, and I shook it.

Eden: Nice to meet you.

Fdeys: Same to you. I'm the Ultimate Weightlifter, by the way.

Eden: I guess that explains the ironclad grip.

Fdeys smirked.

Fdeys: Your own grip isn't bad either. You lift?

Eden: Afraid not. I'm too busy writing scripts and sucking up to network executives.

Fdeys: Aw, that's no excuse! A strong body equals a strong mind!

Fdeys reached into his pocket and took out a 20-pound weight, tossing it to me. I barely caught it without falling to the floor.

Fdeys: Keep that! In order to get out of this place, we're all gonna need to be strong!

Eden: Yeah, thanks...

Friendship Fragment - Fdeys - Obtained!

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Next, I saw a guy in a top hat and a zoot suit examining the area with a grin.

Eden: What're you grinning about?

The guy looked over at me with a side-glance.

???: You work in real estate?

Eden: Come again?

???: I'm asking you if you work in real estate. That'll answer your question.

Eden: No...?

The man crossed his arms and grinned.

Jiren: Then you wouldn't understand. I'm Jiren, the Ultimate Landlord. But my tenants call me Ji-pay-rent.

Eden: Well, Jiren, what's so promising about this place?

Jiren: That's Ji-pay-rent to you. And it's promising because it's mine.

Eden: Yours?

I take a step backwards.

Eden: Did you bring everyone here!?

Jiren: No, silly. But whoever did hasn't revealed themselves, so I'm claiming this property as my own until they come along. It's only fair that whoever calls dibs gets to be the owner.

Eden: ...

Jiren laughs.

Jiren: Did I frighten you? That's good, you should be scared of your landlord. I could evict you at any time, you know.

Eden: Eviction from this place isn't the threat you think it is.

Jiren: Bollocks. You're right.

Jiren takes a glance to his side.

Jiren: Hey, jacket man. That lady looks pretty fine, doesn't she?

I look to my side as well and see a white-haired girl in an office uniform.

Eden: Maybe?

Jiren: Could you go over there and talk to her for me... to make sure she's worth my time?

Eden: Why are you asking me? Go talk to her yourself.

Jiren: Well, what's the point of having tenants if they don't obey your command!?

Vysko chuckles from behind me.

Vysko: Maybe we should talk to her, Eden. Couldn't hurt.

Eden: Also doesn't help. I didn't sign up to be a landlord's wingman.

Vysko: You've got to introduce yourself to her, anyway, right?

Jiren: Listen to that guy!

Eden: ...

Eden: Fine.

Friendship Fragment - Jiren - Obtained!

.

I dejectedly walk over to the white-haired office lady.

Eden: What's up?

???: Hmm... I guess I'm just pondering why we were taken here, like everyone else.

Vysko points at Jiren.

Vysko: That guy over there is interested in you.

Eden: I don't think that's how being a wingman works, Vysko.

Vysko shrugs.

???: Oh... I already have a boyfriend.

Vysko: As expected.

Eden: Expected? Why were you speculating on this?

The girl seems a bit weirded out.

???: Is there any other reason you guys approached me?

I turned back to her.

Eden: Yeah, sorry for the rough intro. My name's Eden, and I'm the Ultimate Screenwriter. What's your name?

Cosmos: Cosmos, Ultimate Therapist. I have a dreadful feeling that my services are going to be very useful after this ordeal is over.

Eden: Let's hope that's not the case.

Cosmos: Let's.

Friendship Fragment - Cosmos - Obtained!

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Sitting on the table next to us, a boy in military regalia with a navy blue scarf joins the conversation. He seems to be staring at Jiren.

???: How can he already be lusting after someone? We've been here for barely an hour.

I turned to him.

Eden: You read my mind. Guy's a nutcase.

Cosmos: I don't think it's quite fair to judge him so quickly.

???: But it is. His feelings and intentions in a situation like this let his true character show. Nothing more than a money grubbing playboy, he is.

Eden: Who are you, by the way?

Styk: I? I am called Stykeryno. Also known as the Ultimate Sniper.

Eden: I didn't know they let teenagers into the military.

Styk: They don't. However, I come from a long line of army snipers, and I proved my worth after defeating a notorious terrorist by the name of 'Genocide Bob.'

Something about that name sounds familiar. For some reason, I can't quite put my finger on it, though.

Styk: Although I do not possess my signature Barrett M82, or, 'Light Fifty,' I can still protect this group with my hand-to-hand combat skills and spatial awareness. Perhaps that is why the mastermind of this kidnapping has not shown themselves?

Eden: They managed to capture you along with the rest of us, right? So, no disrespect, but that's probably not the reason.

Styk frowned.

Styk: You're likely correct. It was arrogant of me to assume such a thing. However, the mastermind's intentions are still a mystery to me...

Eden: They're just imprisoning us here until they can sell us for ransom, right?

Styk: If that were so, why would the mastermind feel the need to arm us with bladed weapons?

I furrowed my brow.

Eden: Huh? Weapons?

Vysko: Ah. I forgot to mention that, didn't I?

Eden: Mention what?

Vysko: There's a weapons locker next room over. We should check it out.

Styk: Would you two like for me to accompany you? I could be of help due to my military background.

Vysko: Sounds good, Styk!

Styk: Then let us head out.

Friendship Fragment - Styk - Obtained!

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Upon entering the weapons room, I saw about a dozen locked glass cabinets along the walls of the room, each housing different types of blades. Swords, knives, axes, spears, and a whole lot more that I couldn't even identify were lined up in the room behind the protective layer of the glass.

I turned to Styk.

Eden: You think Fdeys could punch through this glass and get us the weapons?

Styk: Unlikely. It seems to be high-caliber tempered glass with wire lining. Not even Fdeys would be able to crack it.

Suddenly, a boy with a British accent spoke from behind me.

???: But if one of us practiced locksport, or was a former yardbird... peradventure we may access these accoutrements.

Vysko: Oh, great heavens! Someone with an even more formal way of talking than Styk!

The boy chuckled, switching accents to a stereotypical gangster.

???: Bein' da Ultimate Linguist, s' jus some-m dat comes wit' da job.

Next, it was a southern accent.

???: Aneh dialect, mode uh tawkin', or phrase, ah can cah-peh!

Eden: Can you speak normally, please?

???: Sure thing.

He held out his hand for me to shake, and I did so.

Chaos: I'm Chaos. What's your name?

Eden: Eden. Ultimate Screenwriter.

Chaos: Screenwriter, huh?

Chaos crossed his arms and snickered.

Chaos: A screenwriter and a linguist. Eden, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Friendship Fragment - Chaos - Obtained!

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Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a blonde girl dressed in a mime outfit looking at our conversation. I turned to face her, but she instantly looked away, and began to study the weapons instead. I decided to speak to her next.

Eden: You can join us if you want. You're the Ultimate Mime, right?

The girl seems almost shocked that I was talking to her. She said a couple of words in sign language, but I couldn't make heads or tails of it.

Eden: I don't understand sign language, sorry. Maybe there's a notepad you could use to talk?

She shook her head and smiled, motioning for me to go back to my group.

Eden: You can still join us, even if you're mute.

Her smile faded ever so slightly as she shook her head.

Eden: You sure?

The girl nodded.

Eden: Well, alright then. I guess I'll see you around.

Friendship Fragment - ??? - Obtained!

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Heading back to Styk and Vysko, another boy with glasses was already talking to them. He seemed to be showing off some kind of martial art technique, but it was very rigid and stiff. It looked more like he was imitating a pixel game character than actually fighting.

Vysko: Eden, meet Insert! The self-proclaimed Ultimate Fighter!

Insert: Hey! It's not just self-proclaimed, I won a national mixed-martial arts tournament! And what's more, I invented this fighting style myself. I call it "The Way of the Guilty Darkstalker."

Don't tell me he made this style by looking at fighting moves from "Guilty Gear Strive" and "Darkstalkers".

Insert: I studied the fighting moves of characters from Guilty Gear Strive and Darkstalkers to create it!

Eden: ...

Insert: Shouldn't you be impressed?

This guy...

Eden: I'm just... 

Eden: Just want to know... 

Eden: ...

Eden: Why?

Insert: Why? It's pretty simple, actually.

Insert brushed a tuft of hair out of his face.

Insert: I wanted to prove to everyone that fighting games aren't something only booksmart nerds can enjoy. There's so much depth of strategy behind them, so much rich lore and so many compelling characters. And yet people associate these games with basement dwellers. It's just not right! By winning a martial arts tournament with a fighting style derived from these games, I've proven to the populace of this nation that not all basement dwellers are gamers, and not all gamers are basement dwellers.

Eden: Huh. That was... surprisingly poignant.

Insert smiled.

Insert: Well, what did you expect?

Eden: Honestly?

Insert: Honestly.

Eden: I expected you to be a basement dweller.

Insert: ...

Friendship Fragment - Insert - Obtained!

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Standing at the opposite end of the room was a boy in a black v-neck and a golden chain, admiring the weapons. He seemed to be the only one left in the room, so I decided to talk to him.

Eden: You know how to use those or something?

I noticed the weapons he was staring at were large bowie knives that radiated menacing intent.

???: Not yet. But if I get my hands on these... I can definitely cook with 'em.

Eden: Cook?

Oof: Mhm. I am the Ultimate Chef after all.

He turned to face me and held out his hand. I gave it a firm shake.

Oof: Name's Oof.

Eden: Eden. I wonder how you'd use those knives for cooking. They seem a little big to use for chopping veggies.

Oof raised an eyebrow.

Oof: Chopping veggies?

Eden: Yeah, since you're a chef and all.

Oof: Oh. I'm not that kinda chef. How do I put it...?

Oof rubbed his chin for a solid ten seconds before coming up with an answer.

Oof: Ah. See, I don't cook plants. I cook people.

Eden: So... you're a cannibal!?

Oof: Huh? No! No, I'm not a cannibal!

Eden: Then what are you?

Oof: I'm a chef. I don't actually cook people. I just, y'know, cook 'em.

Eden: ...?

Eden: What?

Oof sighed.

Oof: Look. You know what happens when someone like Eminem gets in a rap battle with another dude? He wins. Lyrically destroys 'em. He cooks 'em. That's what I do. I cook people in that same way. But it's not just with rap. It could be with basketball, skateboarding, chess, or anything else that I've got an interest in.

Eden: So, you're like, the Ultimate Generalist? Talented at a lot of different things?

Oof: That's a lame way to put it. But I guess so.

Eden: Alright, then. I'll be seeing you around, Oof.

Oof: You better still call me the Ultimate Chef.

I chuckled a bit.

Eden: Of course.

Friendship Fragment - Oof - Obtained!

.

With no one else in the weapons storage to talk to, me and Vysko left the room, leaving Styk, Insert, and Oof to socialize amongst themselves. The hallway we entered forked in two directions, one of which led to a gymnasium, and one of which apparently led to the laboratories.

Gymnasium? Laboratories? Why would the kidnappers give us access to a gym and a lab?

I turned to Vysko.

Eden: Which way should we go?

Vysko: Insert tells me the gym is locked. So the labs are our only option for now.

Eden: Got it.

I walked up to the labs' door and turned the handle, pulling it open. I looked around the room and saw two more doors which read "Author" and "Sniper." However, before I could investigate, I heard an eerily familiar voice call out to me.

One that I never wanted to hear again in my life.

???: Finally up and about, are we, Mr. President?

Dear god, please tell me that is not who I think it is.

Despite my mental protests, the girl walked right up next to me and planted her two worthless feet inches away from mine. My fears were solidified as I met her insipid eyes and saw that goddamn toothy smile.

It was Yuki. My worst nightmare.

Yuki: Glad to see me again, I'm sure!

Vysko: You know her?

Eden: ...

Eden: I wish with all my heart that I didn't.

Yuki: Aw, sucks to be poor little you. Every screenwriter gets their scripts leaked at one point or another. Be honored that yours were taken by the Ultimate Script Leaker!

I shot Yuki a glare that could freeze over the fires of gehenna.

Eden: There's no honor in spoiling a writer's hard work for kicks. And there's even less honor in doing so because you were bribed to by a rival studio.

Yuki: Rival studio? I have no idea what you're talking about!

I clenched my fists at my sides.

Eden: You know very well what I'm talking about. Do you really think we wouldn't notice your midday meetings with those Telestream execs? It's not quite damning evidence, but we know you were the one who leaked all those episodes of W2RLD to them.

Yuki: I like the part where you said "not quite damning evidence."

Eden: Why, you...!

Vysko: Hey, lovebirds! Calm it down. We need to be investigating, not getting in petty catfights with one another.

Yuki: What do you think I've been doing this whole time?

Eden: Trying to get into the Author lab so you can leak Tenebris' rough drafts?

Yuki: Dwah...!

I sighed loudly.

Eden: Bullseye, huh? Typical.

Yuki: It wasn't just to see her drafts... maybe something in there would be useful to us?

Eden: If you want useful, we should be focusing on the Sniper lab. If it's really packed with military gear, we could use it to get out of here.

Yuki: I'd rather get into the Author one, though.

Eden: Yeah, yeah. Just don't bother us, then.

Rival Fragment - Yuki - Obtained!

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Next to the Sniper door was a brown-haired boy in a beige cargo jacket. He was kneeling down next to the doorknob, likely trying to pick the lock.

Eden: Any success with that?

The boy gives a short sigh.

???: No, not really. I thought I could maybe get the door open with my toothpick here, but no such luck.

He turns around, revealing two guinea pigs perched on his forearm.

Lgp: I'm Lgp, the Ultimate Zookeeper. And these two little guys are Willow and Patricia, the Ultimate Guinea Pigs.

Eden: Eden. Ultimate Screenwriter.

I take a look at the guinea pigs, who seem abnormally large and fit.

Eden: What'd they do to become the Ultimate Guinea Pigs?

Lgp: Won the national Cavia olympics, of course! It's a contest where guinea pig owners of all breeds come together. At the event, we pit our loyal pets against each other in pig-friendly games of physical strength. Winning the tournament is an incredibly high honor for an owner, and winning twice is nearly impossible.

Lgp smiled pridefully.

Lgp: The only one who's ever won three times is me. Or rather, Willow and Patricia.

The two guinea pigs nodded their heads as he said this.

Eden: That's pretty impressive. You might actually be one of the only sane people here.

Lgp: No way. Are the others really that bad?

I take a glance at Yuki.

Eden: Yeah. They are.

Friendship Fragment - Lgp - Obtained!

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Finally, the last student I needed to introduce myself to was a sleep-deprived girl with earbuds in her ears.

Wait... earbuds? Does she have a cell phone? We could use that to call for help!

I rushed over to talk to her.

Eden: Hey, you! Do you still have your phone with you?

The girl took out an earbud and cupped her right hand next to her ear.

???: Come again?

Eden: You're listening to something on a cell phone, right? We can call someone on the outside with that.

She fished around in her pocket and took out a Walkman.

???: If I had a cell phone, I would have used it by now.

Eden: Damn... I guess I should've realized that.

???: No, it's understandable that you'd have blind hope. Guess you still haven't realized that this situation is hopeless.

I raised an eyebrow.

Eden: What's hopeless about it? There's a clear exit, so we can eventually escape this place, right?

The girl sat in silence for a few seconds before speaking again.

???: Our kidnappers... they're gonna make us kill each other.

Eden: Huh? Where'd you get that idea from?

???: Why else would they give us weapons? And secret laboratories? They're gonna arm us, put us in an arena, and make us fight like gladiators. Bet they get a real nice kick out of doing this to us Ultimates, huh?

That's... that's... that's actually kind of plausible. These "laboratories" could just be prep rooms for the first two combatants, Tenebris and Stykeryno. They might actually lead to a big arena... God, I really hope that isn't the case.

???: The only thing left to do is enjoy the time we have left.

She handed the earbud in her left hand to me.

???: Wanna listen with me?

I took it.

Eden: Sure.

I sat down on the same bench as her and put the earbud in my right ear. She was listening to some kind of K-Pop song that wasn't particularly good, but I didn't say anything about it. This was no situation to get into a debate about music taste.

???: I was the ghostwriter of this song, you know.

Eden: Ghostwriter?

???: Mhm. Pretty Savage by Blackpink. I wrote it, along with the whole rest of the album. It was a pretty tightly kept secret in the industry, but somehow the Ultimate Academy found out. That's why they called me the Ultimate Songwriter.

Eden: They can work wonders like that, huh? Then I really did make the right choice by accepting the invitation.

???: What's your talent?

Eden: Ultimate Screenwriter. Maybe you could make the score of my next show.

The girl smiled.

Avi: I'll take that job. The name's Avi, by the way.

Eden: Eden. Nice to meet you.

Friendship Fragment - Avi - Obtained!

.

As soon as me and Avi worked out our little deal, a loud voice boomed throughout the bunker over a public announcement system.

???: ALL STUDENTS OF THE UNDERGROUND KILLING ACADEMY, REPORT TO THE GYMNASIUM. IT IS NOW UNLOCKED. I REPEAT, REPORT TO THE GYMNASIUM. IT IS NOW UNLOCKED.

Killing academy?

Avi: Killing academy...

Eden: Your theory is looking more and more plausible.

Avi: ...

Suddenly, Vysko's energetic voice pierced the air.

Vysko: Well, that's our cue! I'll see you guys in the gym.

Eden: Wait, Vysko. Shouldn't we make some kind of plan before going there? We don't know what's waiting for us.

Vysko: How can we make a plan if we don't know what we're facing? I say, charge forward.

With that, he left the room. The other students soon followed suit.

Lgp: I guess I should go as well.

Yuki: See you, there, Mr. President!

I flipped Yuki off as she made her way to the exit.

Avi: ...

I took the earbud out of my ear and handed it back to Avi.

Eden: We've no choice at this point. Let's go.

Avi: Yeah, alright.

We entered the now-unlocked gymnasium and found it filled with all the other students. Nobody else was in the room to explain anything, so some of the students were getting rowdy. 

Jiren: Hey, hey! You bastards called us out here, so you better start explaining things!

Styk: Jiren! I do not think it is wise to insult the masterminds!

Jiren: I'll call these sick fucks exactly what I damn well please! They're kidnappers!

Fdeys: Styk's worried for your safety, man. They said this was a killin' academy after all.

Kuro: Yeah, pipe down! You wouldn't want to become the first victim, dude!

Jiren: They wouldn't dare kill their landlord... Until they show themselves, I rule this place!

Suddenly, a squeaky, high-pitched voice emanated from the back of the gym.

???: But I already have shown myself. It's not my fault nobody thought to look up.

All of us looked above, where we saw a stuffed guinea pig on top of one of the basketball hoops. Its left half was as white as snow with a button for an eye, and its right half was pitch-black with a jagged red patch of cloth for an eye.

Lgp: Is that... a guinea pig? Did a guinea pig just talk?

???: I'm not just any guinea pig.

It leaped down from the hoop onto a podium with a microphone, and shouted as loud as it could.

Monocavy: I'M MONOCAVY!!!

All of the students staggered backward a bit due to the noise.

Monocavy: Hehehe... did your eardrums bleed?

Dark: Almost...

Suddenly, Michi walked up to the podium and addressed Monocavy.

Michi: So... Monocavy. What's your group's purpose? Why did you bring us here?

Monocavy: Group? Silly, silly Michiru, I am the group. No one other than me kidnapped you.

Eden: That's bullshit! I was knocked out by multiple attackers!

Insert: Yeah, same here! I wouldn't have been defeated if only one man came at me.

Styk: Verily!

Monocavy put his paws up to his tiny mouth and laughed.

Monocavy: Puhuhuhu... you all have a lot to learn! But I'm afraid how you got here doesn't really matter. What matters is what I brought you here to do.

Suddenly, sixteen more Monocavies come out of the shadows, each one holding a tablet in its mouth. A tablet was given to each student, which displayed their names and the rules of the Killing Academy.

1: Students must live at the Killing Academy for the rest of the foreseeable future.

2: In order to escape the Killing Academy, you must murder another student.

3: Once a murder takes place, all surviving students must participate in a class trial.

4: If the killer is exposed during a class trial, they alone will be executed.

5: If the killer is not exposed, all remaining students will be executed.

6: The killing game and class trials will continue until only one surviving student remains.

7: Violence toward Monocavy, the headmaster of the Killing Academy, is strictly prohibited.

8: Monocavy will never directly commit a murder.

9: The body discovery announcement will play when three or more students discover a body.

10: With minimal restrictions, you are free to explore the campus at your discretion.

11: Students who violate these rules will be exterminated.

12: Monocavy may add new regulations to this list at any time.

What on earth...? This is what the kidnappers want? Not money, not our organs, not our talents, but this!?!? What kind of sick, twisted game show kind of shit is this!? Who's watching?? And who would have the balls to subject this onto the most valuable teenagers in the country?

Oof: What the hell is this?

Yuki: The fuck? You guys want us to kill each other?

Chaos: We'll never do such a thing!

Fdeys balled his fists and approached Monocavy.

Fdeys: I don't know how sadistic you have to be to push this kind of crap onto children. But it goes without saying we're not doing it. This is your last chance to tell us it's all a joke and release us. Otherwise, little bunny, I will rip you and all of your friends apart!

Monocavy: Pwa-hahahahaha! Looks like someone didn't read the rules!

Suddenly, dozens of square-shaped holes appeared in the walls, a gatling gun appearing out of each one of them.

Fdeys took a step back as each one honed in directly on him.

Monocavy: Any violence against me will result in your death! So, go ahead! Rip me up! See what happens next!!

Fdeys: ...

Monocavy: Puhuhu! Oy, this is the power I carry! The power of life and death! I hold it over all of you, and I will utilize it if you do not follow my every command! To each and every one of you in this facility...

The Monocavies multiplied before our eyes and surrounded us, their eyes glowing red and violent.

Monocavy: I am your god! And your god commands you to kill if you want to escape! It's the only way out...!

With that, all of the Monocavies retreated into the darkness of the gym, along with the main one who left us with a wink.

For a while, no one spoke. Everyone was shocked, confused, and some were outright terrified. Killing each other to escape? Surely, whoever put us here didn't expect us to actually do that?

Eden: No one took what he said seriously, right?

Cosmos: I don't know... he didn't seem like he was joking around.

Lgp: But it's not like anyone here is gonna kill someone. After all, we can use the weapons to break out.

Avi: Can we? We don't know how thick that metal hatch was. You think some cheap blades are gonna punch through that?

Dark: We'll find a way. In all stories, one thing always happens. The good guys always win.

Yuki: This isn't a goddamn story! We're actually here, trapped! Separated from everything we care about!

Chaos: But we can't resort to killing! You saw what the tablet said. You don't have to kill just one person to escape, you have to doom everyone else to death as well. I trust that everyone here won't stoop to that level.

I hear a scoff from the crowd.

Michi: I guarantee you, some will.

Chaos: What makes you so certain?

Michi: It's just human nature. All of us have friends and family in the outside world. And all of us want to see them again before the end of our lives. After breaking out of this place proves impossible, the temptation to kill will grow and grow. And well... some are weaker than others.

Michi's words stunned the group into silence as she walked towards the gymnasium's exit.

Eden: You talk a big game... but how do we know you won't be the first to break?

Michi simply smiled and showed me her tablet.

Michi: "Rule 6 - The killing game and class trials will continue until only one surviving student remains." This rule means that even without killing, at least one person here is guaranteed to survive.

Eden: And?

Her smile faded as she slipped the tablet into her pocket.

Michi: That one person is gonna be me.

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The Better Danganronpa Fanfiction

Prologue: Welcome to the Killing Academy

- END -

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Surviving Students (16/16):

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Eden - Ultimate Screenwriter

Vysko - Ultimate Collector

Michi - Ultimate ???

Kuro - Ultimate Reviewer

Dark - Ultimate Author

Fdeys - Ultimate Weightlifter

Jiren - Ultimate Landlord

Cosmos - Ultimate Therapist

Styk - Ultimate Sniper

Chaos - Ultimate Linguist

??? - Ultimate Mime

Insert - Ultimate Fighter

Oof - Ultimate Chef

Yuki - Ultimate Script Leaker

Lgp - Ultimate Zookeeper

Avi - Ultimate Songwriter

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To be continued...