Let's get stupid

Chapter 1: First Impressions

Nothing. 

No light. No sound. 

No form. No voice.

No knowledge of who I am.

…Who I am? 

Who am I?

I extend a hand, a hand that belongs to no one. To take hold of my existence—

“Huh?” 

Trapped in an unfathomable darkness, they drifted in a dream-like state. It felt as though their eyes were wide open, but still they could see nor sense anything. They blinked several times but nothing became any clearer. They looked around, looked down at their hands, but there was nothing. They gasped, wondering if they really were dead. But, no, that couldn't be right. They’d just taken a breath, after all. Thinking harder about their situation, they tried remembering the basics, but all that came up was sharp pain in their skull. They had no name, no memories. They couldn't even remember what they looked like. They tried to push down the dread and panic bubbling up from their chest that was threatening to suffocate them, but it was no use. The panic was only disrupted by a mounting heaviness that pushed them into something hard and cold. They screwed their eyes tight, and willed themself to wake. Blinking them open, they were surprised to see cold blue tiles.

They were prone, face pressed into the hard tile of what looked like a bathroom. Blearily, they sat up and wiped their face on their sleeve. How did this happen? Did they pass out? Looking down at themself, they observed the black leather sleeves of their jacket and the blue and black striped jumper they were wearing under that. Their boots were scuffed black leather with red soles. They stood on shaky legs, catching themself in one of the dirty mirrors. They had a round face with a soft jaw and dark gray, almost black eyes. On their head, a black horned beanie fit snugly over their ears. Red hair poked out from beneath the tightly knit fibers. This form felt foreign to them until—

All at once, the memories flooded back. 

He was Ryoma Hoshi, the once great Ultimate Tennis Pro who used his talent to kill. Flashes of the blood soaked floor, bodies littered around him, his racquet dripping with blood. His lover… 

Ryoma mentally recoiled. He couldn't afford to be thinking about that now. He shoved his hands in his jacket pockets and found a box. Pulling it out, he saw that it was a box of candy cigarettes. Experimentally, he put one in his mouth, and was surprised when it felt natural. It tasted like cocoa.

Hmph. Weird…

He let it hang off his lip as he examined the other pocket. He found a black and white tablet of some kind and tapped it, finding that the screen came on readily. It displayed his full name, Ultimate Talent, and several other oddly specific details about him. It was weird to see the full profile like that, but he guessed it wasn't hard to find that sort of information online, especially someone as famous as the once popular Ultimate Tennis Pro. He put it back in his pocket for later, and continued to look around. The bathroom looked nothing like the ones in prison, instead bearing closer resemblance to a public or a school restroom. The whole place was overgrown with plant life. 

An abandoned school? 

He experimentally tried one of the faucets to find that it worked properly, although the water that poured out was a disgusting greenish yellow substance that threatened to clog the drain. Eventually the pipe cleared into clean looking water, but he still wouldn’t risk it. He turned the water off and peeked into one of the stalls. Again, a normal looking restroom aside from the plants growing inside. He stepped away from the stall and looked around, noting the lights were on.

So it was abandoned, but all the plumbing and electricity works. This perplexed him, but he chose not to look a gift horse in the mouth. 

He would have left after that, but five dual colored teddy bears popped up, surrounding him. They all had solid white on the right side of their bodies, but their left sides were unique between them. The red one in front had a grey scarf with a single silver star pin. To his left was a yellow tiger striped bear with glasses holding an abacus, and a pink one with a coconut bra and a flower. To the red one’s right was a green robotic looking one, and a blue one with some kind of shoulder armor and a guitar. He couldn't tell if he’d woken up in a horror movie or a clown show. 

“Rise and shine, ursine!” They all cheered in unison.

“Gah!” Ryoma jumped a little at the sudden voices. They all looked like some weird plushies, were it not for their ability to move and talk. "Stuffed animals?”

“We’re not Monokubs! We’re the stuffed animals!” The blue one boasted.

“Psst, Monokid… You're saying your lines backwards.” The yellow one corrected.

“No stuffed animals, us! The Monokubs, them!!”

“Oh geez, it's even worse now…”

“...Huh? Monokubs?” Ryoma wondered aloud, not really expecting an answer.

“Oh! You’ve heard of us!?” The pink one piped up with a squeaky voice.

“No, of course not. Walking, talking stuffed animals aren't really my thing.” Ryoma tried to seem unphased by their antics, but this was starting to feel more like a fever dream. To his surprise, the Monokubs started looking around at each other excitedly.

“Yayyyy! It worked!” The red one cheered.

“Phew! Had me worried there for a second!” The blue one—Monokid—chuckled with its tongue lolling out of its mouth. 

“Worried about what? What’s going on…” Ryoma sighed, exasperated, and pulled down the rim of his beanie over his eyes. This is just too much.

“Alright now, let's tackle each issue one at a time!”

“You're so damn reliable, Monotaro!”

“Well? What's your question?” Monotaro crossed its arms and waited expectantly.

“I have loads of questions, but…” He took a moment to pinch the bridge of his nose. “Where am I? Looks like a school, but it's been abandoned for some time. What gives?” Ryoma shoved his hands in his pockets and looked around at each of the Monokubs. They were shorter than him, which would have been refreshing had it not been for the circumstances.

“That's easy! This place is called the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles.” Monotaro supplied.

“Hmph, juveniles? Like, a detention center? I haven't ever heard of a place like that.” Ryoma closed his eyes, trying to make sense of it all. 

“No no! This school was made for you sixteen cretins.” The pink one replied.

“Sixteen?” Ryoma felt like he was just getting thrown around, but he couldn’t find a way to exit the conversation. He just kept stumbling into more questions, more confusion.

“Yeah, that's right! There are sixteen Ultimates at this school. You know what Ultimates are, right?” the yellow one sounded condescending, and that pissed him off.

“Yeah, of course I know what Ultimates are.” Ryoma snapped and shot a hard glare. At least there was one thing he remembered clearly. 

“That means you gotta remember this time, so don't forget anymore.” The yellow one returned his glare, pushing up its glasses again. Ryoma was about to spit something back, but Monotaro interrupted.

“Yeah! Forgetting your Ultimate talent is such a waste!”

“What do you mean, ‘forgetting?’” Ryoma felt himself getting angrier by the second.

“Shut up! Quit your yappin’ and get started explorin’ already!”

“You should introduce yourself to the other Ultimates, cuz you guys are all gonna do an activity together later.” The yellow one’s face looked sinister. Before Ryoma could say anything else, they all disappeared as quickly as they came.

“So long, bear well!” they chanted in unison again.

“Good riddance…” Ryoma sighed and took a moment in the silence of the bathroom to compose himself. Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles. Wonder who these other Ultimates are. Is this all a dream? God, I hope so…

Confused and annoyed, he stepped out of the boy’s bathroom and into the hallway. The floor was completely covered in grass and wildflowers whose roots took hold in the cracked floor. There were trees that towered to the ceiling with vines draping down. Sunlight streamed in from the windows, but when he looked Ryoma saw that the outside of the windows were covered in greenery, bars, and barbed wire. Never free, was he? To his right, there was a red door clearly labeled for the girl’s bathroom next to the boys’ blue one. Briefly, he wondered if someone was in there, same as him, but he decided it wasn't worth pushing it. 

He looked both ways, noting the hallway that stretched on to his left. Further down the overgrown hallway to his right was a set of stairs leading up. At the base of the stairs was a fork that extended to his right. He decided to check it out after he’d gone upstairs. The plant growth continued up the flight of stairs, and was no less invasive on the second floor. The first thing he noticed was a blue haired girl admiring a dragon statue. He approached her, making sure to announce his presence before he startled her.

“Hey, sorry to, uh..” Despite speaking clearly, the girl didn’t seem to notice. Was he a ghost? “Hello?” 

Ryoma spoke more clearly, but still there was no response. He walked next to her, trying to see her face. Her school uniform was neatly fitted to her, a simple navy blazer over a white collared shirt and a pleated skirt that hung around her knees. She had knee length black socks, and black shoes. Her big gray eyes were distant behind a pair of oval glasses. She seemed entirely engrossed with the statue. He gave the dragon statue a once-over, but decided the whole situation wasn't worth his time. Sighing, he turned to check out the atrium on this floor. There were two classrooms, labeled Classroom B and Classroom C. A quick glance in both proved there were no Ultimates in either, only chairs and a set of lockers in each. Behind him was a door decorated to look like a piano, but it was locked. 

Must be a music room. For one of the Ultimates, maybe? 

Confident that he’d checked the atrium fully, he walked back out the way he came. As he was leaving, a soft voice called out to him.

“Sorry, I was lost in thought. Are you an Ultimate student here too?” The blue haired girl seemed to be out of her trance and looked at him fully now. Ryoma turned back to her, hands in his pockets.

“Yeah, sorry to bother you. I was just looking for anyone who might know what's going on.” He replied. He wasn’t entirely in the mood to talk, but this may be his only chance to ask questions. As an afterthought, he figured it might be polite to offer his name. “The name’s Ryoma Hoshi, Ultimate Tennis Pro… or, I used to be.”

“Oh, my name is Tsumugi Shirogane. I'm the Ultimate Cosplayer.” She didn’t seem interested in the last part of his statement, which Ryoma was kind of relieved about. He wasn’t in the mood to explain his backstory anyway. 

“Cosplayer, huh? Interesting…”

“Are you surprised? I get that a lot, since I’m so plain.” She rested her cheek on one hand, giving an apologetic smile. 

“No, it's not that. Just never heard that one. I was wondering if you knew where we were, or what's going on here?”

“Not really.” She shook her head. “This is a school right? But everything here is so weird, isn't it?” Tsumugi looked around, seeming to take everything in with that same thousand yard stare. “There’s trees and grass growing inside, I can't find any exits, and it seems we're the only people here. Are we… going to be okay? Are we going to be able to get out?” Tsumugi turned back to Ryoma, sweat beading on her brow. She looked terrified.

“Hmph, no exits? Geez, don't work yourself up so much. A tense thread snaps easily, right? I’m sure something is bound to pop up.” Ryoma turned to leave, figuring that was the end of the conversation.

“You're… pretty wise, Ryoma.” Tsumugi seemed thoughtful now.

“Yeah? I dunno about all that. It’s just important to be cool in situations like this.” Ryoma said over his shoulder and left.

Back downstairs, he decided to take the hallway that he saw before at the base of the stairs. He came to another cross section. The area to his right looked like a slice out of a diner, set up with several back to back booths. To his left was another hallway, with three doors. The signs hanging above each door read Dining Hall on the left, School Store and Warehouse on the right.

What kinda school has a warehouse? Ryoma thought as he walked towards the peculiar set of rooms. Before he reached any of the doors, the dining hall opened and another Ultimate stepped out. He had messy green hair, a dark blue striped shirt, and brown pants with sneakers. He noticed Ryoma immediately and grinned with a wave. 

“Hey there, you get kidnapped too?” 

Well that certainly was a way to put it. “Hm, yeah. Don’t remember much before waking up here. You know anything?” Ryoma got straight to the point this time. This newcomer seemed to appreciate the directness.

“No, I guess that means everyone here’s the same.” He crossed his arms and furrowed his brow. “I’ve asked the others that I've seen, they said they don't remember either. It's like we all have amnesia or something.” He shrugged, that carefree smile back on his face.

“That's not very reassuring…” Ryoma took his candy cigarette out of his mouth and rolled it between his fingers. “It's not normal for everyone to have amnesia.”

“Welp, I guess we're all in a pretty abnormal situation then.” The green haired boy's face darkened, though the smile remained. A loose cannon. “Or it could be group hypnosis, maybe brainwashing…” He was starting to unnerve Ryoma, and the tennis pro would have said as much, but in the next moment the stranger was the same carefree as when they’d met. “In any case, I hope we remember soon. Otherwise I’ll end up the outcast.” He chuckled, scratching the back of his head.

“Outcast? What's that supposed to mean?”

“Ah, well, to tell you the truth, I don't remember my talent.” He put his hands on his hips and sighed. “I know I must have been some kind of Ultimate, I just don't remember.” He put his hands up and chuckled. “Oh… I never told you my name, did I? My name’s Rantaro Amami. I promise, I'm not a bad guy. Nice to meet ya, um..?”

“Ryoma Hoshi, and uh, same, I guess.” This guy was giving Ryoma a bad feeling. He seemed cheerful, but to the trained eye it was just a front.

“You know, I'm actually looking forward to finding out. I wonder what Ultimate I am…” Rantaro seemed lost in thought, but then went back to his carefree smile. “Anyway, it'd be nice if we could get along. We aren't going anywhere for a while.”

“Yeah, so it seems…” Ryoma turned and left the conversation, unwilling to ask what Rantaro meant by that. 

That guy knows something. He’s hiding behind that smile.

Ryoma walked for a ways, lost in thought, and hung a left at the stairs. It wasn't until he was passing the same bathroom he woke up in that he realized he never went to the dining hall, school store, or warehouse. Oh well, he wasn't looking forward to getting roped into conversation with Rantaro again. That guy gave him the creeps.

At the end of the hallway he came to a barred off atrium that looked to be the entrance hall. Ryoma could see up to a second floor from where he stood, but no clear signs on how to get there. 

Like Tsumugi said, no exits. Well, not my first time behind bars. 

Ryoma walked around the bars, checking for any way through, but they were all too secure, the gaps all too narrow for even him to squeeze through. Around the opposite side of the bars, however, there was a hallway that lead to another classroom labeled Classroom A. His instinct to check was quickly overridden by the commotion he heard inside. What sounded like two boys shouting about robots behind the door was enough to make Ryoma unwilling to enter. Still, he at least peeked inside to see who they were. The loud one was wearing all white, a checkered scarf, and had black to purple hair that curled up at the ends. The other, being chased by the first, had strange plated clothes, and white hair that stuck out in sharp spikes. Just looking at the two was enough to give Ryoma a headache. He closed the door before either could realize his mistake, and made his way down the stairs to the right of the classroom.

Downstairs opened up into a dark basement. Aside from the commotion at the top of the stairs, the basement was eerily silent. To his right, the only light was a neon sign that read Library above a finely carved wooden door. To his left was a branching hallway, the left branch leading to the Game Room and the right disappearing into darkness. A glance into the dark hall told him it was either a dead end, or the darkness swallowed it. Either way, he chose the closest door to him. 

Ryoma entered the library, and eyed the complete disarray. Books were haphazardly piled and scattered across the floor, carelessly shoved into shelves, even the tops of the bookcases couldn't contain the volume of books. Despite the chaos, the Library held a quiet serenity. He almost felt like he could relax here, but there was a girl dressed in a red and black uniform perusing one of the shelves. She had long dark brown hair split into pigtails that almost reached the floor, and piercing red eyes. Upon entering, she glanced his way, but then promptly ignored him. Ryoma wasn't feeling up to conversation after Rantaro, so he simply ignored her, too. If what Rantaro said was true, he would learn her name eventually. 

Ryoma tried to look at the books on the shelves, but was discouraged by the way they were all disorganized. It also didn't make him feel any better about his height, as he couldn't reach past the third shelf, and he wasn't about to humiliate himself by using the ladder to look around. He was also made uncomfortable by the feeling of eyes boring into his skull. He knew the girl was watching his every move, so he ended up just leaving. That left the game room he’d seen on the opposite side of the hall. He walked slowly, soaking in the silence. The dark halls didn't bother him, and it was nice to be alone.

He braced himself for the person he might meet in the game room but was relieved to find there was no one there. There was a sliding door at the back of the room, but it was locked. He was finally alone.

Looking around the game room, he saw several busted arcade games. There were a couple of racing games, one dance pad, and a coin exchange in the back. There was also a table set up with folding chairs in the back left corner. Behind the table was a bookshelf stocked with various board games and puzzles. There were also some books for tabletop RPGs that he briefly skimmed over. The faded arcade carpet was soft against his shoes, and besides the roots growing everywhere, this was the least overgrown room so far. He made sure all the games were truly broken, grumbling when he found some of them infested with vines. He was checking out a racing game when he heard the door open. Ryoma turned as a girl entered with music note clips in her long blonde hair stepped in. She wore a pink vest over a white collared shirt, a white backpack, and a pink music note skirt. She had knee high purple socks and tan shoes. The boy she was with was in all black, from his hat to his pinstripe suit. Even his hair was black, and his eyes looked distant as if they were haunted by something long passed.

“It looks like a game room… But this is a school, right? Is it normal for a school to have its own game room?” The girl spoke first, addressing the boy at her side. They didn't seem to notice Ryoma yet.

“It certainly is strange…” the boy agreed. His inquisitive eyes landed on Ryoma, and he could tell the kid was sharp. Ryoma figured it was better to start the conversation on his own terms, so, bracing himself for social interaction, he commented on their conversation upon entering the game room. 

“What a strange place. When I heard we were trapped here, I didn't expect we’d have a game room.” he pinched his candy cigarette with one hand and kept the other in his pocket.

“Are we really trapped in here? There must be an exit, right?” The girl responded, looking as determined as ever. 

“Isn't that what you guys are walking around looking for?” Ryoma grabbed the brim of his hat, pulling it down over his eyes. “Then figure it out yourself.”

“Oh, O-okay…” The girl seemed intimidated by him. At least someone around here had some sense. Even so, he figured he’d ease up on her.

“We may be trapped, but it's pretty cool here. Compared to prison, anyway…”

“Prison…? What? But you're an Ultimate student, aren't you?” She looked aghast. Was it really so surprising? He turned away from her, looking off into space.

“Hmph…that's an old story. Ryoma Hoshi, the man called the Ultimate Tennis Pro…no longer exists. I’m nothing more than his empty shell.”

“Ah—! Ryoma Hoshi? R-Really? I've seen you in the newspaper…” The boy lifted his gaze from the floor for a moment to look at Ryoma in awe. Hearing his name seemed to have sparked the boy to life. “The tennis prodigy who single-handedly took down a mafia…”

“Huh!? You took down a mafia by yourself!?”

“If I remember correctly, the papers said he shot them through the head with nothing but his tennis skills and an iron ball.” The boy tapped a finger on his chin, looking off into the middle distance.

“Hmph, so you know that much already…” Ryoma closed his eyes. Figures some of the others would know his name. It was only a matter of time before everyone knew. “Well? What do you think of the loser before you who used his talent to kill?”

“B-but… why would you throw away your future like that?” The girl seemed genuinely perplexed, but the question didn't sting any less. He supposed he couldn't blame her. Even so, he looked her dead in the eyes.

“Because I didn't have a future anymore…” Just talking about it was souring his mood. 

“Huh?” The girl looked like she wanted to say more, but Ryoma cut her off.

“No…it’s nothing. It's not like me to talk so much.” He gripped his beanie and a forlorn look crossed his face. “Anyway…I'm warning you. It’s dangerous to just walk up to a killer like me.” With that, he turned his back to the pair and left the game room. 

Hmph… so much for finding a quiet spot. Figures, even here I can't help but be plagued by my past. I deserve it though, for what I've done, for how I failed her… She would hate me if she could see me now.

Mindlessly, he wandered back up the stairs. The boys in Classroom A were still causing commotion, but not even their disruption could permeate the cloud his sour mood brought. He reached the end of the hall where the bars blocking the entrance hall were, but when he looked up Ryoma found that the bars had lifted. 

He felt his heartbeat quicken. 

Don't get your hopes up, a killer has no place in the outside world. 

He forced himself to walk calmly to the entrance hall doors.

Chapter 2: Opening Ceremony

The doors opened readily. With a simple push, Ryoma was met with warm sunshine, gentle wind, blue skies, and the greenery of an overgrown campus. He only had a moment to soak in the freedom before he realized there were more bars out here. At the farthest reaches of the campus, a massive cage stretched up and over the school. It formed a dome over the whole place, ensuring that the school and everyone in it would only be taunted with the idea of freedom. The silhouettes of buildings lined the base of the dome, as if to convince them that they were surrounded by a city. Sighing, Ryoma resigned himself to look around at what was available inside the dome. Despite his disappointment, what he said earlier still held true. This place was much better than prison. 

To his right he saw a path that wrapped around to the back of the school. On the other side of the walkway, he saw a circular building that claimed to be the dormitories. To his left another path wrapped around the back of the school, and through some foliage he spied a large, castle-like wall. 

Odd, what's something like that doing on a school campus? 

He began walking forward, down the main walkway. All the paths were paved with bricks, and he had to admit it was refreshing to be surrounded by so much untamed growth. 

In front of the dormitories now, he saw that further down the path on the left was a covered sitting area, overgrown with wisteria blooms. Just past that, there were stairs that appeared to lead into a lower courtyard area. He stood at the top of those stairs, looking down at a large greenhouse in the center of the lower yard. The path pooled into a large circular patio before the greenhouse, and spilled to the right where another large building stood. Ryoma considered exploring that way, but the sitting area called to him. He walked over to the benches, taking a deep breath. He took a seat in the shade the flowers provided, and surprisingly felt at peace. 

Closing his eyes, Ryoma felt the sun soak into his clothes and warm him to his bones. The sweet scent of wisteria filled his nose, lungs, and mouth. A wind picked up, taking the smell of the flowers, but also taking some of the weight from his heart. A clarity washed over him that let him navigate his tangled thoughts, picking through them one by one.

Despite waking up on the floor of a bathroom, having more than a few uncomfortable conversations, and finding out that he was kidnapped and trapped on some mysterious abandoned campus, Ryoma found that he didn't mind these circumstances. It was better than being on death row in a cold, gray prison. At least here, he had some semblance of freedom. So far, there was no schedule, no work to speak of, and he could come and go as he pleased. He found himself wondering again if this was all a dream. He turned his face up to the sky. He couldn't remember the last time he’d felt the sun on his face like this. The sweet scent of the wisteria mixed with the warm feel of the sun made even the most foul of his thoughts dissipate. 

Until someone started shouting. It sounded like the girl from the game room.

“Someone!!! Help us!!!”

At first he thought she was in trouble, and he had half a mind to check it out, but then he realized she was shouting at the wall. 

“Please!!! Someone!!! Anyone!!! We're trapped inside this huge cage!!!” the girl continued. 

Tch. No one out there's gonna help us…

She seemed to have calmed down, realizing that shouting was pointless. Ryoma breathed a sigh, trying to get back into the relaxed state he'd been in before. 

Closing his eyes again, he only got a few moments to himself before he registered rustling from the bushes. He turned his head when he heard what sounded like bare footsteps. To his right, from within the trees, he met the most visually confusing character so far. He was tall, possibly the tallest person Ryoma had ever met, and muscular. He had long, unkempt dark green hair that fell around him in messy waves, yet he was dressed in a well-kept brown suit with a white collared shirt and a muted yellow tie. He had red eyes and wore big round glasses. Despite the gentlemanly attire, he had a bug box which hung at his hip on a crossbody strap and he was entirely barefoot. He looked like he wasn’t sure what to say, but he was working up to something.

“What’s the matter, cat got your tongue?” Ryoma spoke first, closing his eyes again. This guy didn't seem like a threat.

“Oh, Thank you!” The young man laughed and rested his hands on his hips.

“Hm?” Ryoma looked at him again, squinting to try and figure out his meaning. “For what?”

“Gonta can be scary looking. Most people he meets do not want to talk to him. So, to be more like a gentleman, Gonta says thank you! Thank you for talking to Gonta!” He seemed excited just to be acknowledged. Ryoma couldn't remember the last time someone was so delighted to speak to him.

“Hmph, thanks for being polite, I guess. Why'd you come talk to me, anyway?” 

“Um, Gonta just thought you looked lonely, is all... Oh! Gonta needs to make his introduction." He seemed to say that last bit to himself. He straightened up and began speaking as if he'd rehearsed it. "Gonta’s name is Gonta Gokuhara, his talent is the Ultimate Entomologist! Gonta wants to become a true gentleman—that is his ultimate goal!” Gonta beamed, seeming to exude sunshine. It was almost blinding compared to Ryoma’s cool and laid back disposition.

“Ryoma Hoshi.” He offered simply. He had to admit that despite Gonta’s excitable personality, he wasn’t all that bad to talk to. “Lonely, huh? I guess that’s not far off.”

“May Gonta ask you something?”

Ryoma shrugged. “Shoot.” Gonta took that as an invitation to sit down.

 “When Gonta introduced himself, Ryoma did not seem frightened at all. Do you not find him scary?”

“Hmm, nah. I've dealt with worse.” Ryoma relaxed back onto the bench again, chewing his candy cigarette as he looked out across the yard. He spotted a few more students through the thick overgrowth. A young man in purple who's boisterous voice echoed across the campus was talking to a girl in a bright yellow cardigan with stark white hair. Ryoma hoped neither of them came over to talk to him.

“What do you mean by that? You’re so small…” Gonta seemed to have spoken without thinking, because in the next moment he was exclaiming apologies. “Oh! Gonta probably shouldn’t say that! Please forgive him!” Gonta blushed brightly and covered his face. 

Normally, a comment like that would have set Ryoma off, but he knew Gonta meant nothing by it. He was right, in a way. Ryoma’s small stature made him appear less frightening than he should be, but he was sure that one look at his dead eyes was enough to convince anyone he was a cold-blooded killer. His sour mood returned with a vengeance, and he huffed a huge sigh.

“Nah, don't worry about it.” The peaceful moment was shattered, and Ryoma found himself wishing to be anywhere else. He stood, shoved his hands in his pockets, and addressed Gonta over his shoulder. “Hey, listen, I’ll give you a warning now. You shouldn’t bother with someone like me. Forget this ever happened.” With that, Ryoma left Gonta on the benches under the pergola. The gentleman was speechless, his face frozen in mortification.

Ryoma pushed his way into the dormitory, glaring at the ground with his hat pulled low over his brow. He bit into his candy cigarette as he walked, almost bumping into someone in the process. When he looked up, he saw black shoes with neat white bows, black stockings under a gray and white layered dress, and white sleeves that flared out at the wrists. The young woman’s gloved hands were folded neatly in front of her, and her sharp yet kind green eyes were fixed on him. Her short blonde hair fell over her right eye, though most of it was held back by a black lace headband. She greeted him with a polite curtsy.

“Pardon me, it was my mistake.” She seemed to study him for a moment, before placing an elegant hand over her heart. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Kirumi Tojo, the Ultimate Maid. Please let me know if you require my services.” Her cheery voice was almost too sweet. She was the Ultimate Maid, alright. Ryoma couldn’t muster up the energy for polite conversation, so he figured he’d make this quick.

“Uh, thanks. I’m just trying to find my room.” He turned to look around, and found that each door had a pixelated portrait, some of which bore resemblance to the Ultimates he’d already met today. Before he found his room, Kirumi was already gesturing with an outstretched hand in a slight bow.

“Your room is this way, it would be my pleasure to escort you there.” 

“Ah, no thanks. I don’t need an escort.” Ryoma pulled his hat down over his eyes, but started walking towards the door with his portrait above it. 

“Very well, I shall attend to my other duties.”

Ryoma didn't pay her much mind, opting instead to enter the room assigned to him and close the door firmly behind him. He let out a sigh, taking a moment to decompress before looking around his new room. He was surprised by how lavish and modern it was. A door to his right revealed a private bathroom, complete with its own shower. Beyond that, the living space had a full sized bed, a desk, a small couch, and a flat screen TV with sparsely decorated shelves on either side of it. 

This place is pretty nice, far cry from prison. Feels good to have my own space at least. Strange, though, that they made rooms for all of us. 

Ryoma approached what looked like closet doors and opened them to reveal several sets of his exact outfit.

Geez, would it kill them to add some variety? It’d be nice to get out of this jumper. Oh well, beggars can't be choosers… He noticed that none of the other outfits had a beanie. He touched his hand to the one on his head. Makes sense. No one could replicate this. It’s too special for that.

With nothing else to do, Ryoma stood in the middle of his room weighing his options. After everything he's dealt with so far, he decided the bed looked most inviting. He flopped onto it face first, relishing in the softness.

 A criminal doesn't deserve such nice accommodations.

He rolled over with a heavy sigh and stared blankly at the ceiling, thinking back through what could have brought him to this moment. He’d been in prison for some time, waiting on death row for his fate. He couldn't for the life of him think of how he ended up here. He hadn’t tried to escape, nor had he been released. So how did he get out…?

The confusion of thinking in circles made his head hurt. Ryoma pulled his beanie down to cover his whole face and groaned. This place was making less and less sense the longer he spent in it. He tried not to think about anything at all, and for a while it seemed to work. He’d begun dozing when he heard a bell sound through the overhead speakers. 

Ding-Dong-Bing-Bong.

The monitor mounted to the ceiling began to play a video announcement. On screen were the five stuffed bears he had met earlier sitting together on an orange sofa covered in yellow dots of varying sizes. The strange wallpaper behind them depicted a cloudy night. The floor was red with black eyes staring back at them. Scattered across the room were tiny dolls of each of the sixteen students, some of them hung precariously from the ceiling or laid limp on the floor. 

What do they want now?

The five bears made a clumsy, drawn-out introduction and announcement calling all students to the gym. The way they talked over each other was grating to Ryoma's ears, but once he parsed what they were trying to say, he sat in the silence of his room for a few moments. He considered not going at all, but something told him he’d want to at least be there for this ‘opening ceremony.’ Only problem was he never saw any gym. He pulled out his tablet from earlier, and after tapping around, he found the map. 

Strange…

Hoisting himself off the bed, he made his way to the door. He took a deep breath before he left his room. He saw no one in the dormitory, but once he stepped out into the courtyard he saw several people making their way to the main building. The sunshine that had warmed him earlier felt harsh on his eyes now and heated the black leather of his jacket uncomfortably. He kept his head down as he joined a few students heading in, and was surprised when he was greeted by somewhat familiar footsteps.

“Ah, Ryoma! Gonta wanted to apologize again for earlier. Gonta would never wish to offend a new friend—” Gonta kept rambling, clearly distressed about the whole situation. Ryoma felt it might be better if he just shut down the gentleman before he got too far. 

“I'm nobody’s friend, Gonta. And I don't care about how you talk about me. Just leave me alone.” He didn't even spare a glance at the Ultimate Entomologist as he walked ahead. Gonta held out his hand, wishing he knew the right words, but nothing sounded good enough.

Ryoma disappeared into the dilapidated school building where he passed some familiar landmarks. The bathrooms, the stairs, the hallway where he met Rantaro. From there, he hung a right and then, to his left, he saw bars that looked like the door to a cell. Oddly enough, the door wasn’t locked, and he saw several students pass through. He couldn’t help but feel as though they were being herded, like lambs to slaughter. He shook off that uncomfortable thought, and pressed forward. On the other side of the bars, the hallway opened up and took a sharp right turn into a part of the school that looked even more run down. The floor was covered in places by wide puddles, leaving only a narrow path that was dry.

They eventually all made it to the gym, and only then did Ryoma’s thoughts settle. He was now more focused on the fact that he could see thirteen of the Ultimates the bears spoke of. The last two were the blonde girl and shy boy that he’d spoken with briefly in the game room. He’d only met six of them, and several more he’d at least seen, but looking at the whole group of them made Ryoma realize just how real this all was. How could a dream be so detailed? There looked to be eight girls, and eight boys including himself. Such an oddly specific number, and all of them were so visually unique. 

Aren’t the people in your dreams supposed to be faces you've seen before? 

Ryoma decided at that moment to give up hoping this was a dream. He steeled himself for whatever his gut was twisting about. 

While they waited, a few of the students worriedly conversed among themselves. A naive few didn't even seem concerned, particularly the girl with the bright yellow cardigan from the courtyard who seemed to be the happiest in the room. Ryoma tried to ignore the dejected look Gonta was giving him across the gym, relieved that he’d at least learned to keep his distance. 

It's better this way, Ryoma reminded himself. 

He suffered through a few more introductions, doing his best to keep them short. It was in his best interest to at least know what kind of people he was working with.  

This backfired immediately when he was accused of harassment by Tenko, the Neo Aikido master who had a thing against men. She took a fighting stance when he approached her and didn't let down her guard until he left. 

Himiko, the young magician—or mage as she called herself—barely paid attention to him as she fended off Tenko's advances. Ryoma couldn't help but think Tenko could use some of her own advice.

Miu, the Ultimate Inventor, made more than a few off-color comments about his height, which he tried his best to ignore. He made a mental note to stay far away from her.

Kokichi, who claimed to be the Ultimate Supreme Leader, was tormenting K1-B0, the Ultimate Robot. They must be the two in Classroom-A that Ryoma narrowly avoided meeting. If only he could have kept it that way.

Maki, the girl from the library, reluctantly introduced herself as the Ultimate Child Caregiver. Ryoma had his doubts, but he chose to accept it for now.

He formally met Kaito, the Ultimate Astronaut, the boisterous young man from the courtyard. He was perplexed by Kaito’s decision to wear slippers and only half his jacket.

When he met Korekiyo, he began to wish he hadn't. The Ultimate Anthropologist made Rantaro seem tame. Ryoma slipped out of the conversation as soon as he could.

Lastly, he suffered through an introduction with Angie, the Ultimate Artist. Her white hair and bright yellow cardigan were unmistakably the same from the courtyard. She was excessively sweet before asking for some of his blood as a sacrifice to her god. 

Off-put by the strange people he was forced to interact with, Ryoma settled in the back to avoid most of them. They seemed to ignore him for the most part.

The doors to the gym swung open again, and everyone quieted to see who arrived. In the entrance stood Kaede and Shuichi from the game room. When at last the last two Ultimates joined the group, the Ultimate Maid spoke up. 

“All sixteen of us have gathered…” Kirumi noted with a hand rested pensively on her chin. 

“Hmm, it's pretty spectacular seeing all sixteen of us Ultimates gathered together.” Kaito observed. 

Spectacular indeed. All sixteen of the Ultimate students shared their thoughts seemingly at once. Ryoma did his best to tune them out, taking in the sight of all of them in the gym. He could feel his gut twisting. What could have brought all of these people into this strange place? What is behind the walls of the campus? Who put sixteen students in an abandoned school with talking teddy bears?

“...Huh? What’s that?” Gonta’s voice pulled Ryoma out of his rapidly spiraling thoughts.

“Hm? What's wrong?” Ryoma looked to where Gonta was standing, and the bug keeper looked deep in concentration.

“Listen. Do you hear that?” Gonta cupped a hand behind his ear and listened intently. The entire gym fell silent in an instant as everyone tried to hear what Gonta picked up on. Ryoma strained his ears, and found there was something faint. Something whirred just out of sight.

“Ah, I think I hear it. It sounds like an engine from a robot anime—” Tsumugi barely had time to get her words out when five giant robots landed roughly on the gym’s outdated wooden floors, causing them to splinter. The dark gray machines were outfitted with an arsenal of weapons each, and marked with five different colored stripes. Ryoma realized all at once that those colors perfectly matched the bears from earlier. 

“Yoo-hoo! Rise and shine, ursine!” The Monokubs cheered in unison. 

Tsumugi let out a piercing scream. Several of the others let out their own gasps and startled cries. Ryoma tensed and readied himself to run. 

“Everyone, behind Gonta!” the gentleman’s voice called over the panic.

“Wh-what the heck are these…monsters!?” Tenko cried.

“Whoooooaaa!!! So cooooool!!!” Kokichi pointed at the robots excitedly.

“They’re Exisals—highly mobile, bipedal weapons platforms!” Monokid boasted. “They got lotsa hometown pride, too!”

“...I can’t keep track of these backstories.” Monosuke sighed.

Everyone quieted when Rantaro stepped forward. 

“Alright , chill out, no need to panic… We’re probably not in any danger. If they wanted to kill us, they’d have done it by now.” Rantaro casually walked up to the Exisals, as the bears had called them. “So…what do you want from us? You clearly want something, that's what the guns are for, right? Let me guess. You're gonna force us to do something, and if we don’t, we get hurt. Well, you have our attention. So, what do you want?” Rantaro confidently and calmly crossed his arms, looking the mechs up and down with a sharp eye.

“Huh. Well, aren't you a wiseguy?” Monosuke sneered through the microphone in his robot.

“I’ll start us off! Listen up! Here’s what we want you punkasses to do…” Monokid takes the spotlight. “Hahhhhh! My heart’s goin’ a hundred miles per hour! I'm gonna say it! You ready!? Hell yeah! It's a—”

“IT'S-A-KILLING-GAME.” The green one spoke up for the very first time in its robotic voice. Somehow the monotone, matter-of-fact voice made it worse.

“...What?” Ryoma felt his heart stop. His veins turned to ice as he stood perfectly still. In that gym, surrounded by fifteen different cries of outrage, Ryoma felt his world go silent. His ears were filled with the rushing blood, the pounding of his heartbeat that reached his fingertips. At that moment, he could not think of his own life, he could only think of her, and of the mafia members he killed in the rage. He thought of their blood on his hands, in his hair, on his clothes, his shoes. He thought about prison, and how he was supposed to die there. Ryoma thought of the moments under the wisteria, when he’d thought this place was better than prison. What a joke that was. How stupid of him to think that he could ever be free. 

“Now, now, now…” A cheery, sickeningly sweet voice echoed through the gym, cutting through the panic that reigned over the students. “My cute little cubs… You gotta knock off this awful fighting…”

“Oh! That voice!” Monophanie perked up.

“Father!? Father, is that you!?” Monotaro cried.

At that moment, the lights of the gymnasium suddenly shut off. Five spotlights lit up the stage, aiming somewhere in the rafters. Ryoma was almost shocked when, as graceful as one of those freaky bears could be, a black and white one fluttered down onto the stage. With its arms outstretched, the Ultimates were able to see a good view of the perfect symmetry, only broken by the wicked smile and sharp red eye on the blackened side of its face. When it landed behind the pedestal on the stage, the wings unceremoniously fell off.

“I am the god of this new world…” The bear started what seemed to be a rehearsed introduction. “...and the headmaster of the Ultimate Academy! The one, the only…Monokuma! Nice to meetcha!”

The Monocubs began singing the praises of their father, but all of the students wore variations of the same expression. From confusion to fear to anger, the crowd of students were bristling at the six bears before them. Ryoma's thoughts began racing, desperate to piece together what the hell was going on in this school. Something in his gut wanted this all to be a stupid dream, but he knew that wasn't the case. The bears’ praises to their supposed father was starting to piss Ryoma off, and he needed information.

“Cool it with the stupid banter. I wanna ask something.” Ryoma cut through the unnecessary chatter easily with his deep voice. “How are we supposed to kill each other? Are you going to give us weapons?” 

“What the hell, man!? What are you asking?” Kaito turned on Ryoma, but the tennis pro fixed him with a glare. 

“We need to get info from them first. We can't do anything if we don't know anything yet.” Ryoma explained tightly before turning his attention back to Monokuma.

“Weapons? Huh? What kinda barbaric display are you envisioning? You couldn't be more wrong. Why, at the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles. The killing game is quite the refined, sophisticated experience!” Monokuma laughed, as if the idea of killing someone was just a game, like he said. Not some haunting, nightmarish memory that stuck with you for the rest of your life.

“Sophisticated experience?” Maki, the brunette from the library, spoke up. Ryoma had the sense that she was in the same boat by her tone and the way she glared at the supposed headmaster.

“Yes… Here, the killing game is punctuated by class trials.” Monokuma started. The bears began explaining in horrific detail everything wrong with this place, excitedly discussing every scenario like it was fun to them. How the class trials would be held, how the punishments—or executions—would be dealt. It was all so sickening to listen to. Ryoma couldn't help but think back to his own trial, and internally groaned at the idea of having to go through another one. 

But that's only if someone chooses to kill.

A few other students asked their own questions, each getting equally horrific answers. It was almost too much for Ryoma to keep up with.

“Alright, I’m over all this boring exposition—Let’s get this heart-pounding killing school semester started already!” Monokuma interrupted the Monokubs yet again, dragging the Ultimate students along with his whims.

“W-wait just a minute!” Kaede spoke up. She looked terrified, but she still projected her voice with confidence. “No matter what you say… We won't do it!” she glared and held her ground against the terrifying teddy. “We’ll never participate in a killing game! Whatever you have planned, I’m not gonna let you get away with it!” Ryoma almost admired her spirit.

“K-Kaede! You shouldn't rashly defy that thing—'' Tenko cautioned, but it was too late. Monokuma was grinning sadistically behind his grubby little paws.

“No, no! I welcome her resistance! That kinda defiant spirit is important to the killing game. It’s fun to watch the defiant ones eventually snap, and get their hands dirty…”

“Wh-what do you mean by that…?” Kaede’s confidence broke and her voice quivered. Ryoma knew it wouldn't be that easy.

“Everyone loves that kinda brutality in a death game! Especially me!” Monokuma continued. “It never gets old! It's so fun and entertaining that I just get un-BEAR-ably pumped up!” He laughed at his own pun. He added in a lower voice, “Plus, as the headmaster, it's my job to force you to do it,” then broke out into hysterical laughter that echoed across the gym. The five smaller bears began laughing maniacally as well, their laughs hammering into each and every student’s skull.

They stood dumbfounded, surrounded by the squealing laughter of Monokuma and his cubs. Everything about this situation was so messed up. 

An academy surrounded by a giant wall. 

Sixteen Ultimate Students trapped inside, forced to play some killing game.

Mysterious bears and deadly weapons.

It felt like something out of a sadistic work of fiction.