???: I remember when I had first heard of Memorial Stories University.
???: A university made for those who were the best of the best at what they did.
???: They sought out people when they were young, following their careers and seeing if they were as good as they heard.
???: They didn’t care what you did so long as you made waves with it.
???: And if you met their requirements...
[Fade in overview of Memorial Stories University]
???: They’d invite you to attend.
???: A university surrounded by mountains and forests, beautiful lakes and wildlife…
???: The view was breathtaking.
???: They called it “Memorial Stories” because the one thing in common with all of the students that attended there…
???: Was that they would be remembered for the rest of time.
???: They would be great inventors, writers, leaders, villains, vigilantes, it didn’t matter.
???: Every single name that left Memorial Stories would be in the history books.
???: People dream of this sort of thing, being remembered for the rest of time.
???: To be a pioneer or a trendsetter or a hero of some kind…
[Fade to black, Riku appears on the black background]
???: I never thought I would ever reach this point in my life.
???: It didn’t come easy, of course. Almost everyone who’s at Memorial Stories is a child prodigy of some kind.
???: While I wouldn’t say that I was a prodigy, I at least had good work ethic.
???: I had a good sense of what was right and wrong, and I knew that I could make a difference in the world if I just put the effort in.
???: That’s why I studied law.
???: I know, pretentious. I’ve even got the suit and slicked back hair.
???: But I really think I made a difference. I saved innocent lives from prison time, helped reunite families, got people the rights to what was theirs.
???: I haven’t won every case I’ve been on, but...
???: …
???: Memorial Stories thought that I was still worth inviting.
???: My name is Riku Shujinko, by the way. I’m the Ultimate Lawyer.
Riku: This was going to be my first year at Memorial Stories University.
Riku: It cost a lot of money, but we managed to afford it with a few loans.
Riku: Yeah, even an Ultimate Lawyer can find themselves in debt these days, I guess.
[Fade to open area, pavement surrounded by buildings with mountains cresting them. It’s sunny, but the sky is still a silvery gray. There is a prominent viking statue in the center. Pan down to see Riku, standing.]
Riku: I look at this place, these buildings…
Riku: I think about the others I’ll meet here, new friends…
Riku: I still doubt myself. Am I really the best at what I do?
Riku: Am I really worth inviting to a place like this?
Riku: …
Riku: I don’t think I’ll really ever know the answer to that question.
Riku: But I knew one thing for sure…
Riku: I was going to make a lot of memories here!
[Cut to black]
Riku: At least… that’s what I thought.
Riku: All the time that I would spend at Memorial Stories…
Riku: All the time that I would spend making friends, getting smarter, stronger, better at what I do…
Riku: All of that was about to be stripped from me right underneath my nose.
Riku: …
Riku: I hope you’ll listen to my story.
Riku: To all of our stories.
Riku: We want to be remembered.
Riku: What we went through, what we were forced to do to each other to survive this nightmare…
Riku: We can’t forget it.
Riku: We never will.
Riku: So please listen.
Riku: Just listen.
[Chapter Screen]
[Welcome to your story]
[Prologue]
[Black screen]
Riku: When I woke up, the last thing I remembered was taking my first steps on the university grounds.
Riku: I could feel my head aching from… something.
Riku: I reached up to rub it, and suddenly…
Riku: “Wh-what the…”
Riku: I could feel something… sticking out of the back of my head.
Riku: It was cold, and hard… it was some weird metal thing, I think.
Riku: As I reached to touch it again…
[White flash]
Riku: I felt a rush of pain.
Riku: I grit my teeth and let out a short gasp.
Riku: Whatever it was, it was stuck in there.
???: Subject awakened, removal in process.
Riku: “What? Who’s there? Why can’t I see you?”
Riku: Without answering, I could feel whatever it was in the back of my head moving.
???: *Squish squish*
Riku: “AAAAAAAAAAAH!”
Riku: I could feel as though whatever was inside my head was removing itself, but I think hearing it was worse.
[Fade to black]
Riku: When it was all over, I felt exhausted.
Riku: I didn’t even want to open my eyes, but…
[Fade to a dimly-lit room with a screen and several tubes]
Riku: Eventually I got the strength to see where I was.
Riku: Or at least… as much as I could.
Riku: “What the…”
Riku: Nothing I could see in front of me made sense.
Riku: Where was the University? Wasn’t I just there? What was that… thing inside me?
Riku: I needed to find a way out.
{Screen}
Riku: I don’t know what that is…
Riku: I hope I wasn’t just brainwashed into something horrible.
Riku: …
Riku: Brainwashing isn't real, right?
{Tubes}
Riku: There are 16 in total, each of them with a name on them.
Riku: Hey… there’s one with my name on it!
Riku: I… don’t know if I should touch that.
{Door}
Riku: That looks like the only way out.
Riku: I guess I should try it.
[Fade to black, then fade to a darkly-lit stage of a lecture hall.]
Riku: Jeez… what is this supposed to be?
Riku: It looks like some kind of lecture hall.
Riku: …
Riku: “This… can’t be the University, right?”
???: “That’s what I thought, too.”
Riku: “What? Who’s there?”
[Mikhail fades into view]
???: “You certainly are easily frightened, hm?”
???: “It’s no problem, you are not the only coward to come out of that machine.”
Riku: Jeez… great first impression.
???: “You would make number sixteen, and judging by the number of names in the machine, you should be the last of us.”
Riku: “Last of us?”
???: “Last of the students. Are you following along okay?”
???: “Count backwards from ten for me, we’ll see if you can still think right.”
Riku: “What? No! I’m fine, really!”
???: “That’s what the clown said, but he seems to have a few screws loose still.”
???: “Or maybe that’s just who he is.”
???: “Clowns, after all.”
Riku: I have… no idea who this person is.
Riku: They seem so calm about the situation, though.
Riku: ...Even if they’re kind of a dick.
Riku: “What’s your name, anyway?”
???: “Oh, you also haven’t heard of me? Shame.”
???: “Not that I hate introductions, I just would have assumed that a class of Ultimates would know of the Ultimate Actor already.”
Riku: “...”
???: *sigh* “Very well.”
???: “You may call me Mikhail Latimer. The pleasure is yours, surely.”
[Violet screen, student card:
Mikhail Latimer
Ultimate Actor]
[Piano stinger plays]
Riku: “Uh… right…”
Mikhail: “Well, there’s no sense in leaving you here slack-jawed and dumbfounded.”
Mikhail: “Come! You must make a grand entrance!”
[Mikhail fades from the scene]
Riku: Mikhail walked up the stairs, his high-heeled boots clicking loudly with each step.
Riku: It looked like he was modeling on a runway, almost.
Riku: If it weren’t for the dark and haunted exterior, I would buy it.
Riku: I followed him, trying to keep up.
Riku: He seemed almost too fast in those shoes.
[Fade to black]
Riku: When we reached the exit doors, the sight that greeted me shocked me.
[Show the school grounds, surrounded in a dense, roiling fog. In the distance there are two horizontally-arranged buildings with several doors on them, facing away from each other. In the center in a flat square building with a flat circular upper floor above it. In the further distance is a forest with a smaller square building situated in it.]
Riku: “It… is this-”
[Mikhail fades in]
Mikhail: “Yes, as far as we could all assume, it’s the university.”
Mikhail: “I swear, if this is some sort of bizarre orientation, we should have been alerted first…”
[Mikhail fades out]
Riku: I really couldn’t believe it.
Riku: Where were the mountains? The birds, the deer, the beautiful rivers and lakes?
Riku: …
Riku: Actually, if I focused hard enough, I realized something.
Riku: I shuddered.
[Mikhail fades in]
Mikhail: “Cold, are you?”
Riku: “No, j-just…”
Riku: Mikhail just stared while I struggled to find the words.
Riku: “D-do you hear that?”
Mikhail: “Hear what? Do you hear something?”
Riku: “No, it’s…”
Riku: I couldn’t hear any kind of noise outside.
Riku: No chirping birds, rustling in the trees, cars, conversation…
Riku: Utter silence.
Riku: It was like a ghost town.
Riku: “It’s just so quiet.”
Riku: Mikhail didn’t respond right away.
Riku: For a second, I worried he suddenly lost the ability to talk then and there.
Mikhail: “Well, I’d imagine it would be quiet. Can’t distract yourself with odd ambient noises everywhere.”
Riku: “What?”
Riku: “N-no! I mean, there’s nothing! No sound at all!”
Riku: Mikhail shrugs.
Mikhail: “Must be some form of noise cancelling, surely.
Riku: For a moment I wanted to keep pressing, but this guy looked like the type who would refuse to admit when they were wrong.
Mikhail: “Are you done admiring the scenery?”
Riku: “...”
Mikhail: “You know, a lot of people give me that face. You’re not special, really.”
Riku: Of course he finds a way to feel superior about frustrating people.
Mikhail: “The others are waiting in the Lounge. I’m sure they’re dying to see me.”
Riku: “Don’t you mean see me?”
Mikhail: “Keep up now… whatever your name is.”
Riku: “It’s Riku. Riku Shujinko. I’m the Ultimate Lawyer.”
Mikhail: “Didn’t ask, but thank you for making my life easier.”
Riku: Do I really have to go to the same university as this guy?
Riku: I can’t say I can’t see him going here.
Riku: The Ultimate Actor obviously wouldn’t want to be forgotten any time soon.
Riku: Especially someone with as big an ego as this guy.
[Fade to black]
Riku: I followed him to the Lounge, which fortunately wasn’t too far.
Riku: We had to pass through the dining hall to get to it, though.
[Fade to a well-stocked dining hall with several tables and chairs.]
Riku: It looked like it was prepared for people to stay a while.
Riku: Though… likely more than just the 16 that are here now, according to Mikhail.
Riku: I have to wonder, if this university is really so big and important, where is everyone else?
Riku: I heard there were at least a couple hundred other students attending here, all with some sort of special talent.
Riku: …
Riku: I wonder what kind of talents the others will have?
[Fade to black, then fade to the lounge.]
Riku: It… looks nice. It’s not too fancy but the colors are sort of relaxing.
Riku: There’s plenty to do here too, it looks like.
Riku: A couple of televisions on the walls, a shelf full of board games, a pool table…
Riku: There’s even what looks like some kind of musical instrument section with a piano, guitars, microphones, and a karaoke machine.
Riku: It looks like this place was meant for students to just come and relax.
Riku: If it weren’t for the imposing grey wall of fog outside, I would be inclined to sit back and do just that.
[Tenshi fades into view]
???: “Oh! You must be the last student!”
Riku: The girl immediately rushed up to me and squeezed me with a strength that I didn’t expect out of her.
Riku: “...Ow..w..w…”
[Tenshi fades from view and Aiko fades in]
???: “Watch yourself, Tenshi.”
???: “You’ll kill him before we even get a chance to talk.”
[Aiko fades out, Tenshi fades back in]
???: “But I’m just so excited! New people, fresh faces, a new life at this university!”
[Tenshi fades out, Haruto fades in]
???: “This isn’t normal, something is wrong, man! Something is really, REALLY wrong!”
[Haruto fades out, Mikhail fades in]
Mikhail: “Tenshi, let go of him. Haruto, stop whining.”
Riku: Almost bashfully, the girl, who I assume is Tenshi, let go of me.
Riku: I let out a gasping breath, happy to finally breathe.
[Mikhail fades out, Tenshi fades in]
???: “I’m Tenshi Suto, by the way! The Ultimate Masochist!”
[Pale blue screen, student card:
Tenshi Suto
Ultimate Masochist]
[Cello stinger plays]
Riku: “Ultimate… Masochist?”
Tenshi: “Yup! I have a pain tolerance higher than anyone in the world!”
Riku: Oh, thank god it’s just pain tolerance.
Riku: I don’t know what I would have done if I was stuck in here with some sort of Ultimate Dominatrix.
Riku: Tenshi tilted her head at me like a dog, looking at me curiously.
Tenshi: “Hm… let me guess…”
Tenshi: “Ultimate… Hair Stylist?”
Riku: “Ha… haha… no, I’m actually the Ultimate Lawyer. My name is Riku Shujinko, by the way.”
Riku: She tilted her head again.
Tenshi: “Where’s your briefcase? And why aren’t you taller?”
Riku: “T-taller?!”
Riku: She smiled, her eyes lighting up.
Tenshi: “Yeah, aren’t lawyers supposed to have briefcases and stand tall so they can point at the judge all like…”
Tenshi: “‘OBJECTION! OVERRULED! YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!’”
Riku: She giggled at her own impression.
[Tenshi fades out, Mikhail fades in]
Mikhail: “Darling, that’s just acting. That’s the sort of thing that I do, not…”
Riku: Mikhail looked down to me, side-eying me.
Riku: Does he always have to look down at people?
Mikhail: “In any case, Riku, you should meet with the others.”
Mikhail: “I need a break. I’ve been standing for hours now.”
Riku: “Hours?”
Riku: Mikhail turned to face me, looking like I was even more stupid than before.
Mikhail: “Well, someone had to guide the students who just woke up to this location, didn’t they?”
Mikhail: “I only thought it would be fitting that they’d see my beautiful face instead of… something else.”
Riku: His real talent must be making everything about him somehow.
Mikhail: “Tenshi, if you could escort him from here, I’m going to get a refreshment from downstairs.”
[Mikhail fades out, Tenshi fades in]
Tenshi: “Right away! Come on, Riku!”
[Tenshi fades out]
Riku: Tenshi lead me to the others, who were all gathered in groups around some of the activities.
Riku: I wasn’t sure who to talk to at first…
{Couches}
[The scene fades to several orange couches, several students are sitting on them, talking.]
Riku: Relaxing on the couches were four students, most of them talking to each other.
Riku: One of them, though, looked to be nearly passed out and occupying most of one couch.
{Ko Go}
Riku: I approached the sleepy student, hoping I wouldn’t be disturbing them too much.
[Ko fades in]
???: Snzzz…
Riku: He… didn’t look like he wanted to wake up.
[Ko fades out, Tenshi fades in]
Tenshi: “Oh, that’s just Ko. You REALLY gotta yell if you wanna wake him up!”
Riku: “Yell?”
Tenshi: “Mhmm! Like this!”
Riku: Tenshi took in a huge, overdramatic breath.
Tenshi: “KO! WAKE UP AND MEET THE NEW GUY!”
Riku: I flinched as she yelled, but the guy in the overalls only seemed barely bothered.
Riku: He yawned, his eyes only now barely opening.
[Tenshi fades out, Ko fades in]
???: “...hm?”
Riku: He seemed like he was barely aware that he was awake.
Riku: Maybe I should have just let him stay asleep.
[Ko fades out, Tenshi fades in}
Tenshi: “Welcome sleepyhead! You gotta meet the new guy!”
Riku: The guy groaned and moved as if his bones were all rusty.
Riku: After what felt like an eternity, he finally sat up straight.
Riku: He rubbed his eyes, and turned his head to me.
[Tenshi fades out, Ko fades in]
???: “...”
Riku: “...”
???: “...”
Riku: “...”
Riku: He… didn’t seem like a conversationalist.
???: “I’m… Ko Go.”
[Dark green screen, student card:
Ko Go
Ultimate Fisherman]
[Accordion stinger plays]
Riku: Well, at least he could talk.
Riku: “I’m Riku Shujinko. I’m the Ultimate Lawyer.”
Riku: He closed his eyes and nodded his head slowly.
Ko: “...Cool.”
Riku: ...
Riku: He didn’t talk for a while, so I decided to speak again.
Riku: “What’s your Ultimate Talent?”
Riku: He opened his eyes, then closed them again.
Riku: Was he even blinking in slow motion?
Ko: “I’m… the Ultimate… Fisherman.”
[Ko fades out, Tenshi fades in]
Tenshi: “He’s gotta be super patient in order to catch all those fish!”
Riku: “Is that why he’s so slow?”
Riku: Tenshi shrugs.
Tenshi: “I dunno. I just figured he just liked naps. That’s pretty much the first thing he did the moment he got up here.”
Tenshi: “It took a lot of effort to finally get him to say his name to me.”
Riku: Tenshi smiled at me.
Tenshi: “So the fact that you got it on your first try is impressive!”
Riku: “Oh, uh… thanks.”
Riku: Ko yawned again, loud enough to get my attention.
[Tenshi fades out, Ko fades in]
Ko: “Can I go back to sleep? I was having a good dream about…”
Ko: “...potato chips…”
Riku: “Uh… yeah, sure. I’ll let you get back to that.”
Riku: On cue, he creaked back onto the couch, laying his head back on the pillow.
[Ko fades out]
Riku: He looked like he passed out almost immediately.
Riku: I actually kinda found it impressive how easily he could go to sleep.
{Manami Hino}
Riku: I decided to approach the woman in the pink suit.
Riku: She looked like she was friendly enough, perhaps even normal compared to the other folks I’ve talked to.
[Manami fades in]
Riku: “Uh… hi! I’m Riku Shujinko.”
???: “Oh! Well aren’t you a sweet lil’ thing?”
???: “It’s a pleasure to meet someone else who knows how to dress themselves.”
???: “I swear, half of the folks here look like they just threw on whatever they could find and said phooey to it!”
Riku: Well hey, that’s a good start.
Riku: Nice to meet someone who’s friendly without trying to crush my spine.
???: “You’re suit’s a bit loose, though. Do you need a pair of shoulder pads?”
Riku: “Shoulder pads?”
???: “Well of course! Nothing shows your dominance and assertiveness in the field like broad shoulders!”
???: “I never leave the house without a pair!”
???: “Surely you want to be a strong, dominant man in this world, wouldn’t you?”
Riku: Okay, maybe a little eccentric, but still pretty nice so far!
Riku: “I-I don’t think so, not right now.”
Riku: “What’s your name, by the way?”
???: “Oh! My dear, pardon my rudeness!”
???: “Manami Hino, Ultimate Saleswoman at your service.”
[Pink screen, student card:
Manami Hino
Ultimate Saleswoman]
[Trumpet stinger plays]
Manami: “Now, let me give you the number of my shoulder pad hookup…”
Riku: She began digging into her bag, almost elbow deep.
Riku: “Uh… that’s not really necessary, I think.”
Manami: “Nonsense! Your shoulders will thank me for this!”
Riku: Okay, I’d better get out of here before she starts talking me into whatever weird products she wants me to buy.
Riku: …
Riku: Great, now I’m self-conscious about my shoulders.
{Mochi Nakata}
Riku: In between two of the girls was a kid in an over-sized hoodie.
Riku: I honestly couldn’t believe he was a university student.
Riku: Just looking at him, I’d imagine he’d be no older than 13 at the very most.
Riku: “Uh, hey! You’re a student here, too, right?”
[Mochi fades in]
Riku: The kid turned his attention from the girls to me and stood up from the couch.
Riku: And I thought that I was short… he barely made it to my chest!
???: “Yup! This is my first year!”
Riku: “Oh hey, just like me!”
???: “Yeah! I think everyone here is a first year.”
Riku: I look around the room at the others.
Riku: Some of them look a bit older than first years…
???: “Anyway, what’s your name? I’m Mochi Nakata, the Ultimate Collector!”
[Jade green screen, student card:
Mochi Nakata
Ultimate Collector]
[Chiptune stinger plays]
Riku: Of course his name matches how adorable he looks.
Riku: He looks like if a piece of mochi ice cream came to life!
Riku: “I’m Riku Shujinko, the Ultimate Lawyer!”
Mochi: “Ultimate Lawyer? That’s so cool! You must do a lot of good work.”
Riku: “Yeah! I mean… I like to think so. It’s important to keep in mind the feelings of everyone you work with, even the clients you have to go against.”
Riku: Mochi looked at me with a quizzical look.
Mochi: “What do you mean?”
Riku: “Well, you need to remember that everyone is going to be affected no matter how the trial goes…”
Riku: “Someone’s going to get hurt, or lose something, or not have things go their way.”
Riku: “I see my job as less about winning no matter the cost, but rather making both sides as happy as possible.”
Riku: Mochi paused for a moment…
Riku: Then started… laughing?
Mochi: “Oh, that’s silly! What if you were going against a serial murderer?”
Mochi: “Or a kid killer?”
Mochi: “Or a kid RAPIST?”
Riku: “Whoa, whoa, whoa, what?!”
Mochi: “You can’t seriously look at a pedo and be like ‘Oh, I don’t want to huwt his feewings… boo hoo…’”
Mochi: “That’s just not realistic.”
Riku: “Uh…”
Mochi: “But hey, I’m sure that whatever you do is good enough for some folks.”
Riku: Jeez… suddenly he got super intense.
Riku: Maybe he’s just… overly curious?
Riku: “I… don’t work on murder cases.”
Mochi: “Oh? That’s boring.”
Riku: He leaned close to me, pulling my tie so I’d lean down to him.
Mochi: “By the way… sweater bitch is mine. I called dibs.”
Riku: He let go, and his face suddenly snapped back into his original cheery smile.
Mochi: “Great meeting you, though!”
Riku: “Y-yeah… sure.”
Riku: I should be careful around Mochi.
{Tsubasa Ban}
Riku: This girl looked like she should be running some kind of fabric store.
Riku: She looked so… motherly.
[Tsubasa fades in]
Riku: I didn’t want to immediately interrupt her conversation, so I just stood awkwardly on the side.
???: “...”
???: “Oh! Excuse me! Did you need something?”
Riku: “Uh, nothing, really. Just wanted to introduce myself!”
???: “Oh, have we not met?”
???: “I am sorry, I am not the best with faces.”
Riku: “No, I just got here from that… machine thing.”
???: “Well then, welcome! My name is Tsubasa Ban, I hope we will become acquainted!”
[Blue screen, student card:
Tsubasa Ban
Ultimate Knitter]
[Saxophone stinger plays]
Tsubasa: “And what is your name?”
Riku: “It’s Riku. Riku Shujinko.”
Riku: She extended her hand to shake mine.
Riku: I took it and gave a polite handshake, and she calmly withdrew it.
Riku: “What’s your talent, by the way? I’m the Ultimate Lawyer.”
Tsubasa: “Oh, that is lovely! Certainly an important talent.”
Riku: She looked down at the floor for a moment, almost sad.
Tsubasa: “Mine is not nearly as impressive. I am the Ultimate Knitter.”
Riku: Ultimate Knitter? That seems a bit specific.
Riku: “Well, you were invited here for a reason, weren’t you?”
Tsubasa: “Hm?”
Riku: “Surely if you have the title of Ultimate Knitter, you must make some amazing things!”
Riku: “I’d love to see what you’ve made, if you don’t mind!”
Riku: She gave me a small smile.
Riku: I think I might have reassured her a little.
Tsubasa: “Well, I am wearing one of my pieces. This sweater has been through a lot, but the stitches and knits still stay strong!”
Riku: “That really is impressive! Making clothing that lasts that long!”
Riku: She smiled again. I really hope that I helped.
{Return}
Riku: “Uh, Tenshi?”
[Tenshi fades in]
Tenshi: “Wazzup?”
Riku: “Do you know what… Mochi’s deal is?”
Riku: Tenshi rolled her eyes.
Tenshi: “Just an edgy kid trying to be a bigger man than anyone here.”
Tenshi: “Classic case of growing up in a toxic environment.”
Riku: Tenshi put a hand to her temple.
Tenshi: “I’d almost think that he was beaten by his parents if I could see what was under that hoodie of his.”
Riku: “Excuse me, what?”
Tenshi: “Yup! Lots of edgy kids experience parental neglect or abuse at a young age.”
Tenshi: “It also explains the possessiveness over Tsubasa.”
Riku: “You know about that?”
Tenshi: “He’s… made a point to tell anyone he thinks is a threat to his ‘prize’ to back off.”
Tenshi: “Maybe he’s just looking for a good mother figure and his brain went all Freud and crossed his horny wires with his mommy wires.”
Riku: Huh… Tenshi’s surprisingly observant. Though, I’d guess she’d have a lot of knowledge about physical abuse.
Riku: You have to wonder what sort of stuff Tenshi went through to become the Ultimate Masochist.
Tenshi: “Anyway, you’ve got more stuff to do, come on!”
[The couches fade away, returning to the main lounge area.]
{Pool Table}
[The pool table fades in, showing two people playing it together while one watches. There’s a few large windows along the wall.]
Riku: Two girls were playing a game of pool together.
Riku: Even though one was wearing a helmet, I could tell they were both invested.
Riku: Against the wall was a tall, shirtless buff guy, just watching.
Riku: Or… maybe he was hiding?
Riku: On a second look, he didn’t look like he was really following along with the game.
Riku: His eyes were darting around like crazy…
{Haruto Henkan}
Riku: I decided to see what was bothering the tall guy.
[Haruto fades in]
Riku: “U-um… hey?”
???: “AAAAAAAAAAH!”
Riku: He screamed so loud I swear my ear drums burst.
Riku: “Jeez, you don’t need to yell!”
???: “Uh… ha… haha… sorry…”
Riku: He gave me an apologetic smile and rubbed the back of his neck.
Riku: His teeth were… really shiny.
Riku: “I just wanted to get to know you a little. I’m Riku Shujinko, nice to meet you.”
Riku: I extended my hand to shake his.
Riku: …
Riku: He just kinda looked at it instead.
Riku: …
Riku: ...I drew back my hand.
Riku: “Is everything okay?”
Riku: He let out another yelp.
???: “Y-yeah, it’s fine, it’s fine, really, i-it’s fine. Totally.”
Riku: “Well… what’s your name then?”
???: “Oh! Right! Right, names! Names, uh…”
???: “I’m Haruto Henkan. That’s my name!”
[Orange screen, student card:
Haruto Henkan
Ultimate Bodybuilder]
[Drum stinger plays]
Riku: He almost acted like he had forgotten his name.
Riku: “Is there a reason you’re so jumpy?”
Haruto: “Jumpy? Oh, no, no, no, no…”
Haruto: *exhales*
Haruto: “Totally fine. Tooooootally.”
Riku: Should I even try to press on more?
Haruto: “It’s the sun, man! Look outside!”
Riku: He pointed out the window at the gray skyline, trying to show me what he was worried about.
[Haruto fades out, the scene changes to a scene just outside the window, highlighting the skyline.]
Riku: “Where’s the sun? I can’t see from here.”
Haruto: “That’s the POINT! There’s no SUN!”
Riku: I looked around and… he was right. There was absolutely no sun outside.
Riku: “That’s…”
Haruto: “HOW CAN I KEEP UP MY TAN?!”
Haruto: “I CAN’T GO PALE LIKE THIS! I JUST CAN’T!”
Haruto: “I CAN’T BE THE ULTIMATE BODYBUILDER UNLESS I’M BEAUTIFUL IN EVERY WAY!”
Riku: Haruto burst into tears.
Riku: “Uh…”
Riku: “There… there?”
Haruto: “This is it… this school is going to ruin my career…”
Riku: I should… give him some space.
[Haruto fades out]
{Aiko Mochizuki}
Riku: Even though this girl towered over me, she looked more talkative than the girl with the helmet.
Riku: She was wearing some kind of leotard… maybe she was an athlete?
Riku: “Uh… hey, sorry, don’t mean to interrupt your game.”
Riku: The girl fired off her shot, colliding the cue ball with a red striped ball, sinking it into the pocket.
Riku: She turned to me, staring directly into my eyes.
Riku: She was scowling… did I do something wrong?
???: “Aiko Mochizuki, Ultimate Weight Lifter.”
[Silver screen, student card:
Aiko Mochizuki
Ultimate Weight Lifter]
[Electric Guitar stinger plays]
Aiko: “Now tell me your name so I can get back to winning.”
Riku: Direct much?
Riku: …
Riku: Not that that’s bad compared to trying to be overdramatic about introductions like Mikhail was…
Aiko: “Well?”
Riku: “Oh! Riku Shujinko. I’m the Ultimate Lawyer.”
Aiko: “Hm.”
Riku: She turned back to the pool table, preparing to fire another shot.
Riku: She’s… not as much of a conversationalist as I thought.
[Aiko fades out, Tenshi fades in]
Tenshi: “Don’t let Aiko get to you. She’s rough around the edges, but she cares a lot!”
Riku: “Does she?”
Tenshi: “Hey! Just because someone’s aggressive doesn’t mean they’re not full of love!”
Tenshi: “And Aiko’s the biggest person here, so she must have the most love stored inside her!”
Riku: I want to believe that, but…
{Kameko Fukumoto}
Riku: I wasn’t sure if I was going to get much out of the girl in the helmet.
[Kameko fades in]
Riku: She looked intensely focused on the game.
Riku: Plus, she just had this aura of…
Riku: Standoffishness? Mystery? Intrigue?
Riku: …
Riku: I should at least try.
Riku: “Hey, I’m Riku Shujinko. It’s nice to meet you!”
Riku: She didn’t respond.
Riku: I waited for her to say anything, to even acknowledge that I was there.
Riku: …
Riku: “Ahem…”
Riku: …
Riku: …
Riku: …
[Kameko fades out, Tenshi fades in]
Tenshi: “I wouldn’t worry too much about Kameko.”
Tenshi: “She’s barely talked to anyone since she got here.”
Riku: “Her name is Kameko? How do you know?”
Tenshi: “Oh! She told me!”
Riku: She talked to Tenshi?
Tenshi: “Kameko Fukumoto, the Ultimate Driver!”
[Magenta screen, student card:
Kameko Fukumoto
Ultimate Driver]
[Electric bass stinger plays]
Riku: “How did you get her to talk?”
Riku: Tenshi shrugged.
Tenshi: “I dunno. I think she has to get a feel for you first.”
Tenshi: “She’s only talked to… me and Mikhail as far as I can remember.”
Tenshi: “We were the first three out, so I guess that makes sense.”
Tenshi: “Though she’s probably talked to some other people.”
Tenshi: “I mean, she’s at least interacting with other people!”
Riku: Huh…
Riku: Well, at least I can hope that I’ll eventually be good enough for her to talk to or something.
{Return}
[The scene returns back to the main lounge.]
[Tenshi fades in]
Riku: “You mentioned that you were one of the first people out?”
Tenshi: “Yup! Student numero uno!”
Riku: She smiled as if it was something to be proud of.
Riku: “How long have you all been here… waiting for me?”
Riku: Tenshi put a finger to her temple, thinking hard.
Tenshi: “Hm… Couldn’t be more than a day.”
Riku: “A day?!”
Riku: I was passed out for a whole day?!
Riku: Wh… what’s going on?
Riku: There’s no sun in the sky, we’re the only people here, we’re all coming out of that weird machine…
Riku: “If you were the first person out, do you know anything about what’s going on?”
Tenshi: “Nope! Can’t say I do.”
Riku: “Does… anyone here know about what’s going on?”
Riku: Tenshi scrunched her face to think.
Tenshi: “...No. I don’t think so. Nobody’s said so, anyway.”
Riku: I can’t even imagine if…
Riku: Is this really what it’s supposed to be like going to Memorial Stories University?
Tenshi: “Anyway, I wouldn’t think too hard about it for now.”
Tenshi: “Mysteries are better solved with people you’re friends with, right?”
Riku: Tenshi smiled at me.
Riku: She may come on a little strong, but…
Riku: She seems like she’s genuinely trying to keep folks together here.
{Board Games}
[The scenes fades in to show a few people playing a board game on a table next to a shelf filled to the brim with several others.]
Riku: The three people at this table are all playing a board game together.
Riku: Some weird strategy card game as far as I can tell.
Riku: They look like they’re getting along.
Riku: Maybe they’ll be friendly to a newcomer?
{Noboru Tanji}
Riku: I approach the person with the flowers around their neck.
Riku: He looks approachable, I guess.
Riku: I guess that’s why I approached him?
Riku: I don’t really know where I’m going with this.
[Noboru fades in]
Riku: “E-excuse me?”
Riku: He turned to me with soft eyes, a smile barely showing on his lips.
Riku: He was pretty… for a guy.
???: “You are excused. How may I assist?”
Riku: “Oh! I-it’s not like that, I just…”
Riku: I could feel a lump rising in my throat.
Riku: Was it getting hot in here?
Riku: The way he was looking at me, it made me feel…
Riku: Loved?
Riku: “M-my name is Riku Shujinko. I-I’m new, I guess.”
Riku: He let out an amused laugh, and his eyes sparkled slightly.
???: “A new face is always a blessing when our world is surrounded in gray.”
???: “Especially one as friendly as yours.”
Riku: “Ha… haha…”
???: “I suppose I should introduce myself in return. My name is Noboru Tanji, and I am the Ultimate Missionary. May the light shine upon us all.”
[Maroon screen, student card:
Noboru Tanji
Ultimate Missionary]
[Ukulele stinger plays]
Noboru: “I would invite you to sit in if…”
Riku: Noboru looked across the table at the other two players.
Noboru: “Well, if I’m being honest I don’t know when this game will end.”
Noboru: “I’m actually having something of a difficult time following.”
Noboru: “But, as this game ends, I implore you to take a seat so we may…”
Noboru: “...become better acquainted.”
Riku: He said that as if it were an innuendo, but with a face that gave no indication of a double entendre.
Riku: Was he flirting with me?
Riku: Maybe I’m just seeing things.
Riku: “Yeah! I’ll do that! I’ll… I’ll definitely join you next game!”
Riku: He smiled at me again.
Noboru: “I’ll look forward to it.”
[Noboru fades out, Tenshi fades in]
Tenshi: “...”
Riku: Tenshi was looking at me with a knowing look.
Riku: “Sh-shut up.”
Tenshi: “Don’t worry, he had that effect on me, too.”
Tenshi: “Come on, Romeo!”
{Nagasa Natsu}
[Nagasa fades in]
Riku: This must be the clown that Mikhail mentioned on the way here.
Riku: …
Riku: Surely he’s not THAT weird, right?
???: “Well howdy ho my frienderino! Howzit tooya?”
Riku: “Uh…”
???: “If you’d excuse my French, dear new compatriot, hello and how are you?”
Riku: “I’m… good? My… I guess my head hurts less from whatever that machine did to me.”
Riku: Suddenly, he slammed his hands on the table and leaned over to get his face as close to me as possible.
???: “Oh, REALLY?! Boy oh boy oh boy! You must be some kind of superhuman healer!”
???: “Please bequeath unto me thine healthful touch, oh great Lord of Medicine. Mine headeth acheth with the greatest of pains… eth”
Riku: “Um… I-I’m not…”
Riku: He shot his hand across the table and grinned widely.
???: “Shake my hand.”
Riku: “I… okay?”
Riku: I extended my hand cautiously, expecting some kind of fart joke or electric shock.
Riku: …
Riku: But nothing came.
???: “Hu… huhu… hu…”
???: “AHHH HAHAHAHAHA!”
Riku: What the heck was wrong with this guy?
???: “Oh, the best pranks are when someone expects something weird but all they get is an anticlimax!”
???: “I bet you were so worried, weren’t you?”
???: “Come on, be honest. You can always be honest with your old buddy Nagasa!”
Riku: “Old… buddy?”
Riku: “We literally just met.”
???: “Oh, did we? Then let’s meet properly so we can become old buddies!”
Riku: He finally returned to his normal sitting position, to the relief of the other two at the table.
Riku: He closed his eyes and cleared his throat. I braced myself for what was about to happen.
???: “My name is Nagasa Natsu. I am known to the public as the Ultimate Circus Performer. I like to think that I’m funny.”
[Red screen, student card:
Nagasa Natsu
Ultimate Circus Performer]
[Xylophone stinger plays]
Riku: “...”
Riku: “Really? That’s how you introduce yourself?”
Nagasa: “What, did you expect a fireworks display?”
Nagasa: “Wait, CAN there be a fireworks display?”
Nagasa: “Hold on, I gotta go find some fireworks!”
Riku: “Wait, no, please don’t-”
Nagasa: “No, you’re right. I can’t just abandon my best friends when we’re still playing this game!”
Nagasa: “Priorities Nagasa, priorities…”
Riku: …
Riku: I think I know what Mikhail was talking about.
{Ume Watanabe}
Riku: The only girl at the table looked like she had just rolled out of bed.
Riku: She looked like she was really only here for the game, not the company.
Riku: …
Riku: Hopefully this means I don’t get yelled at for trying to introduce myself.
[Ume fades in]
Riku: Before I could open my mouth, her eyes darted in my direction.
???: “Hm? Who are you?”
Riku: Her voice sounded a little hoarse, like something was caught in her throat.
Riku: “I-I’m Riku Shujinko, your classmate here… I guess.”
Riku: She looked me up and down, her eyes occasionally flitting back to the table where the game was going on.
???: “Aight.”
???: “Cool.”
???: “Anything else you wanna say?”
Riku: “Um… I’m the Ultimate Lawyer?”
Riku: She sighed when I said that.
Riku: I don’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
???: “Another suit. Great to have company there, I guess.”
Riku: I still couldn’t tell if she was upset at that or not.
???: “Ume Watanabe, Ultimate Accountant. Please don’t ask me to say it again.”
[Teal screen, student card:
Ume Watanabe
Ultimate Accountant]
[Harpsichord stinger plays]
Ume: “Suppose you’re looking for a life story, too?”
Riku: “Um… that’s not really… necessary.”
Ume: “Then why are you still standing here?”
Riku: “Um…”
Ume: “Look, I’m really not that interesting.”
Ume: “You’d be best finding someone else to bother.”
Ume: “Sorry, finding someone else to get to know.”
Riku: “B-but-”
Riku: She stared at me, her bright teal eyes cutting through me with a glance.
Riku: Jeez, I don’t know what accountants go through…
Riku: But she looks like she’s seen hell and came back to tell the story about it.
Riku: “O-okay…”
Riku: She turned back to her game without another word.
{Return}
[The scene returns to the main lounge area.]
[Tenshi fades in]
Tenshi: “So, what’d you think of that bunch?”
Riku: “I…”
Riku: I didn’t want to sound rude.
Riku: After all, I had just met these people. Maybe they’d grow on me?
Riku: “There’s a lot of unique people here.”
Riku: Tenshi smiled, then snorted.
Tenshi: “Little too much at times, huh?”
Tenshi: “Yeah, I getcha. Ultimates basically end up in one sort of stereotype based on what sort of stuff they do.”
Tenshi: “Mikhail’s overdramatic and smug, Nagasa’s crazy and looking for a laugh, Noboru’s dripping with unintentional sexual tension…”
Riku: “Um…”
Tenshi: “At least, that’s what we start out as. Eventually we develop our own little personalities.”
Riku: “I know. I mean, I’m an Ultimate too, remember?”
Tenshi: “Oh yeah! Sorry, I keep forgetting.”
Riku: Forgetting?
Tenshi: “You just… like I said, you don’t really seem like an Ultimate Lawyer to me.”
Riku: She gave me a warm smile.
Tenshi: “Guess that means you’re ahead of the curve then!”
Tenshi: “Way to overachieve and be your own person!”
Riku: I guess that’s a compliment?
Tenshi: “Now go on, get! Go do stuff!”
{Musical Corner}
[The scene becomes two girls talking to each other while leaning against a piano while one person plays it. The rest of the instruments are untouched.]
Riku: The musical corner seems pretty underused right now.
Riku: I suppose if there aren’t any Ultimate Musicians, nobody would exactly be leaping to play these to pass the time.
Riku: But hey, one guy’s playing the piano at least.
Riku: Maybe he’s a musician?
Riku: Though maybe I should let him play and instead talk to the other two girls instead.
{Kogo Hitoshikunai}
Riku: The girl with the leather coat looks like she’d be easier to talk to, I think.
Riku: I walk up to her and clear my throat.
[Kogo fades in]
???: “Hm? Oh hey squirt, what’s goin’ on?”
Riku: “Wh-”
Riku: “Squirt?”
???: “Can’t be certain, but you’re definitely one of the shorter people here.”
???: “I think you’ve got those two dudes by the couches beat, at least.”
Riku: …
Riku: “Well, that aside, my name’s not squirt.”
Riku: “It’s Riku. Riku Shujinko.”
???: “Riku… Riku…”
Riku: She rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue in her cheek as she talked.
???: “Okay. Think I got it.”
Riku: “Is that some… memorizing technique?”
???: “Kinda? I dunno, just have a good memory.”
Riku: “Is that related to your talent?”
???: “Yeah, I’d say it comes in handy.”
???: “I’m the Ultimate Forger, after all. My name’s Kogo Hitoshikunai, by the way. Figure that’s probably important to know.”
[Tan screen, student card:
Kogo Hitoshikunai
Ultimate Forger]
[Synth stinger plays]
Kogo: “So, what’s your schtick, shorty?”
Riku: “Can you stop calling me short?”
Kogo: “I’ll stop calling you short once you grow.”
Riku: …
Riku: “I’m the Ultimate Lawyer.”
Kogo: “Well shit, we probably won’t get along, then, huh?”
Riku: She let out a short laugh and smirked.
Kogo: “Considering my whole thing is forgeries, you may have had to deal with the shit I’ve done.”
Riku: “Shit you’ve done?”
Kogo: “You know. Distributing fake money, selling fake art, writing fake signatures, that sorta shit.”
Kogo: “The kinda shit you’d need a lawyer to fix.”
Riku: “Um… I can’t really… remember ever having to deal with a forgery case before.”
Riku: Kogo shrugged.
Kogo: “Well butter my ass and call me Sally, we might get along after all.”
Riku: “I…”
Kogo: “Don’t seriously do that, though. I reserve ass-buttering for marriage.”
Riku: …
Riku: At least she isn’t too crazy?
{Kimi Katayama}
Riku: The girl with the golden tooth looks a bit…
Riku: ...scary.
Riku: But, I guess I’ll never really know what she’s like unless I talk to her, right?
Riku: Maybe she likes baking and puppies and swimming at the beach.
Riku: Maybe she only looks scary as a front or something!
[Kimi fades in]
Riku: “Uh, hello!”
Riku: The girl wrenched her neck in my direction and bulged her eyes at me.
???: “Now who do we have here?”
???: “What kind of name should we be giving you, hm?”
Riku: “Uh… my name is Riku… Riku Shujinko…”
???: “Riku Shujinko he says…”
Riku: She licked her teeth.
???: “I could press you between my fingers and pop you like a grape…”
Riku: “P-please don’t.”
???: “Oh?”
???: “Please don’t, he says?”
Riku: The girl leaned in very close to me, keeping eye contact.
Riku: Has she even blinked yet?
???: “Give me a reason why I shouldn’t, you chickenshit lackey boy?”
Riku: I swallowed hard.
???: “Did you go deaf, son?”
???: “When a lady asks a question, it’s in your best interests to answer.”
Riku: “B-because…”
[Kimi fades out, Tenshi fades in]
Tenshi: “Kimi, I think he’s gotten enough hazing already.”
Riku: I exhaled, finally releasing my breath.
Riku: I didn’t even realize I was holding my breath during that time.
Riku: Thank god Tenshi doesn’t seem to be afraid of her, whoever she is.
[Tenshi fades out, Kimi fades in]
???: “Ha! I would disagree, but…”
Riku: She grinned even wider.
???: “Don’t want to break the boy too soon, do we?”
???: “Looks like he’d do good as a pack mule, I think.”
Riku: “I… would prefer to not be a… p-pack mule…”
Riku: She stood back finally, crossing her arms.
???: “Don’t know if you’ll have a say in it if it comes down to it.”
Riku: I swallowed.
???: “May as well introduce myself to you first, though.”
???: “The world knows me as Captain Kimi Katayama, the Ultimate Pirate!”
[Golden screen, student card:
Kimi Katayama
Ultimate Pirate]
[Violin stinger plays]
Kimi: “Now you may leave.”
Riku: Oh thank god.
{Kibishi Yoshinaga}
Riku: It was actually nice listening to the music the guy was playing.
Riku: It was calm and soothing and… relaxing…
Riku: I yawned.
[Kibishi fades in]
???: “Oh… was I boring you?”
Riku: He stopped playing after that...
Riku: Did I seriously accidentally offend this guy on our first meeting?
Riku: “Oh! No, no, no! I actually loved the music a lot!”
Riku: He looked back down at the piano, and even though he was wearing a face mask, I could tell he was still disheartened.
???: “I suppose I should stick with what I know, huh?”
Riku: “You’re not a pianist?”
Riku: He shrugged.
???: “No. Just a guy.”
???: “Well, not just a guy, I am the Ultimate Mortician after all.”
???: “So, you know.”
???: “If you ever need to dress up a dead body or snap a dick that’s hardened from rigor mortis…”
Riku: He tapped his chest lazily with one finger.
???: “I’m your guy.”
Riku: “I’m… not sure I’ll be needing that any time soon.”
Riku: He shrugged again.
???: “Never know. People die unexpectedly all the time.”
???: “I could press a key on this piano too hard, causing a rotted floor board beneath it to finally snap after years of decay, causing this entire floor to collapse…”
???: “Crushing us under the debris of this building. Our deaths would be very painful.”
Riku: …
Riku: …
Riku: …
???: “You’re not laughing.”
Riku: “That… was a joke?”
???: *sigh*
???: “Yeah, I really should just stick to what I know more, instead.”
Riku: “It’s… it’s okay.”
Riku: “My name is Riku Shujinko, by the way. It’s nice to meet you.”
Riku: I extended my hand out to shake his.
???: “Oh, that’s right, I should say my name, too.”
???: “I’m Kibishi Yoshinaga. Sorry.”
[Gray screen, student card:
Kibishi Yoshinaga
Ultimate Mortician]
[Clarinet stinger plays]
Riku: He took my hand and shook it gently.
Riku: His hand was limp and cold, like a dead body.
Riku: Considering how pale and gaunt he looked, he could easily pass for a dead body if he wanted to.
Kibishi: “Anyway, you’ve probably got other people you need to meet.”
Kibishi: “I’ll let you do whatever you need.”
Riku: He let go of my hand and turned back to the piano, playing it once more.
Riku: I kinda feel sorry for him…
Riku: …
Riku: And a little creeped out.
{Return}
[The scene returns to the main lounge area]
[Tenshi fades in]
Riku: “Hey, Tenshi?”
Tenshi: “Yess’m?”
Riku: I looked over my shoulder, checking to see if either Kimi or Kogo were listening.
Riku: “Are they… REALLY criminals?”
Riku: Tenshi turned to look at Kimi and Kogo as well, then back to me.
Tenshi: “I mean… yeah, I think so.”
Tenshi: “Yes. If you put a gun to my head and told me to make a decision, I would say that they are both absolutely criminals.”
Tenshi: “Thieves and scoundrels, the both of them!”
Riku: “Shhh! Not so loud!”
Riku: Tenshi giggled at me while I panicked.
Tenshi: “Oh come on, it’s not like they don’t know they’re criminals, too.”
Tenshi: “Did you think that suddenly they’d wake up one day and be all…”
Tenshi: “‘Dear god… am I a bad guy?’”
Tenshi: “Those two know that they’re causing havoc and breaking laws.”
Tenshi: “And they’re good at it too, which is why they’re here.”
Riku: I did remember that Memorial Stories did invite a fair few… less than savory types into their ranks…
Tenshi: “I wouldn’t get too worked up about it.”
Tenshi: “If it makes any difference, Kimi knows how to cook!”
Riku: Tenshi rubbed her belly and licked her lips.
Tenshi: “And damn good if I say so… man… I’m hungry now…”
Riku: “You’re right…”
Tenshi: “I know I’m right. What about though?”
Riku: “About not getting worked up about this. They’re still students here.”
Riku: “It’s not like the headmaster’s going to let them run wild and destroy society here as we know it.”
Riku: “Maybe they’ll become friends? Somehow?”
Riku: Tenshi punched me on the shoulder.
Riku: “Ow!”
Tenshi: “That’s the spirit, Riku! Now come on, you’ve still got more to see!”
{After all four groups are talked to}
[Mikhail fades in]
Mikhail: “I hope you all didn’t miss me.”
Riku: Mikhail cast an arm to the sky, allowing his cape to billow behind him.
Mikhail: “Oh, who am I kidding, of course you missed me!”
[Mikhail fades out, Kogo fades in]
Kogo: “Sure we did, Mickey.”
Kogo: “We were just distraught without your presence to guide us through these challenging…”
Riku: Kogo looked up at the clock to check the time.
Kogo: “...these challenging thirty minutes or so.”
[Kogo fades out, Mikhail fades in]
Mikhail: “Truly, truly.”
Mikhail: “Now, onto more pressing matters:”
Riku: Mikhail turned to me, expectantly.
Mikhail: “I trust that you’ve at least familiarized yourself with everyone?”
Riku: I nodded.
Mikhail: “Splendid, darling, splendid. In that case, we must now try to find whoever is in charge and alert them that we have all gathered.”
[Mikhail fades out, Aiko fades in]
Aiko: “You really still think this is some kind of orientation?”
[Aiko fades out, Mikhail fades in]
Mikhail: “If this is not, then we would be lied to.”
Mikhail: “And I refuse to be lied to when my reputation is on the line.”
[Mikhail fades out, Ume fades in]
Ume: “...arrogant prick…”
Riku: Mikhail’s head whipped around to glare at Ume.
[Ume fades out, Mikhail fades in]
Mikhail: “Don’t think I didn’t hear that!”
[Mikhail fades out, Noboru fades in]
Noboru: “Please, there is no need to lash out.”
Noboru: “Ume, Mikhail, you both have a right to be upset.”
Noboru: “But if you do not settle with each other, if you do not seek forgiveness…”
Noboru: “...you will both only delve further into damnation, to burn impaled upon wrought iron spikes, your genitals sliced off and your souls carved away to be tortured for eternity.”
[Noboru fades out, Nagasa fades in]
Nagasa: “I-is that wh-wh-what happens when you d-d-die?”
[Nagasa fades out, Noboru fades in]
Noboru: “Only if you live a life of sin.”
Noboru: “Your punishment is as cruel as the cruelty you inflict onto others.”
Riku: “C-can we not talk about this sort of stuff right now?”
Riku: This conversation was really getting out of hand.
[Noboru fades out, Tsubasa fades in]
Tsubasa: “I agree with Riku! Please, do not talk about genital flaying!”
Tsubasa: “I am getting… queasy at the thought…”
[Tsubasa fades out, Tenshi fades in]
Tenshi: “I dunno… I think Noboru’s kinda selling me on the life of sin angle.”
Tenshi: “Doesn’t sound too bad, I think!”
[Tenshi fades out, Mochi fades in]
Mochi: “Hey! Don’t tease Tsubasa!”
Mochi: “She’s sensitive, you know?”
Riku: Mochi took this opportunity to wrap himself in a hug around Tsubasa’s waist.
Riku: He then looked straight in my eyes with a devilish grin.
Riku: Why does he think I want to take Tsubasa from him?
Riku: I literally just met the both of them…
[Mochi fades out, Ume fades in]
Ume: “Let go of Tsubasa you little perv, nobody’s falling for your act.”
[Ume fades out, Mochi fades in]
Riku: Mochi began to tear up.
Mochi: “P-perv? Act? Wh… what are you saying?”
Mochi: “Th-that I’m… lying?”
[Mochi fades out, Manami fades in]
Manami: “Ume, I know you’re prone to get testy, but please, show some compassion dear!”
Manami: “Don’t assume the worst just because a man and a woman are touching!”
Riku: I could practically hear Ume’s eyes rolling from across the room.
[Manami fades out, Mikhail fades in]
Mikhail: “Could everyone please get back on track?”
Mikhail: “My reputation is at stake! We must stop bickering and collaborate here!”
Mikhail: “We may be strangers, but we are still classmates.”
Mikhail: “Which means we’ll have to learn to get along one way or another anyhow.”
Riku: That was… sort of inspiring.
Riku: In a self-centered sort of way.
[Mikhail fades out, Kimi fades in]
Kimi: “I agree with pencil dick.”
[Kimi fades out, Mikhail fades in]
Mikhail: “Wh-”
Mikhail: “I DO NOT HAVE A-”
Riku: Before Mikhail could throw a tantrum, Kimi continued speaking.
[Mikhail fades out, Kimi fades in]
Kimi: “The moment we find out who’s running this facility…”
Kimi: “Is the moment we find out why we were knocked out and tossed into that machine.”
Kimi: “Whoever did that to me is going to lose an ear.”
Kimi: “So they better hope they have a knife unless they’d like me to bite it off.”
Riku: Almost as if on cue, the televisions surrounding the Lounge all crackled and came to life.
[Kimi fades out, the scene becomes a close up on a television screen]
Riku: Displayed was the symbol of the university first, followed by an…
[The television screen updates, showing the silhouette of Monokuma]
Riku: ...ominous shadow.
???: “Well, well, wellwellwellwellwell!”
???: “Seems like everyone’s getting ready to tear each other’s throats out already!”
???: “Oh, that won’t do, that won’t do at all!”
???: “Hu… huhu… not yet anyway…”
???: “If you all could please come to the lecture hall for an important announcement from your headmaster!”
???: “Run along now! I’ll be waiting…”
[The television screen becomes black]
Riku: And just like that, the shadow disappeared.
[The scene returns to the lounge, Haruto fades in]
Haruto: “Wh… wh… what… was that?”
[Haruto fades out, Mikhail fades in]
Mikhail: “If I had to guess, I would say it’s obvious.”
Mikhail: “Now that we’re all gathered, the headmaster needs to meet with us.”
[Mikhail fades out, Haruto fades in]
Haruto: “B-but that shadow! That…”
Haruto: “That laughter…”
Riku: Haruto looked pretty shaken.
Riku: Well, he looked scared before, but whatever this was didn’t really help him.
Riku: …
Riku: I’d be lying if I said it didn’t get to me, too.
[Haruto fades out, Tenshi fades in]
Tenshi: “Great! So we’re finally going to figure out what’s happening!”
Tenshi: “Is everyone ready to head over?”
Riku: “I… I don’t know.”
Riku: Tenshi quirked an eyebrow at me.
Tenshi: “You don’t know? What, do you think it’s a trap?”
Tenshi: “Even if it is some sort of trap that we’ve all got stuck in, at least we get answers by following their instructions.”
[Tenshi fades out, Kameko fades in]
Kameko: “She’s right.”
Kameko: “Better to face whatever this is head on than to hope it will resolve itself.”
Riku: Kameko finally said something…
Riku: I don’t know if that means it’s a good sign or a bad sign.
Kameko: “...”
[Kameko fades out, Nagasa fades in]
Nagasa: “W-wait, where are you going?”
Riku: She didn’t answer as she just walked away, down the stairs.
[Nagasa fades out, Ume fades in]
Ume: “If I had to guess… the lecture hall.”
Ume: “Fuck it, may as well go too.”
Riku: And just like Kameko, Ume got up and left down the stairs.
[Ume fades out, Kimi fades in]
Kimi: “Move, I’m going to show this headmaster my piece…”
[Kimi fades out, Mikhail fades in]
Mikhail: “Don’t be so hasty! Surely this will be a civil discussion…”
[Mikhail fades out, Haruto fades in]
Haruto: “I… I don’t want to be here alone. Wait up everyone!”
[Haruto fades out, Tsubasa fades in]
Tsubasa: “Should someone wake up Ko before we leave?”
[Tsubasa fades out, Tenshi fades in]
Tenshi: “Don’t worry, I got it!”
Tenshi: “You all go ahead, I’ll make sure everyone follows.”
[Tenshi fades out]
Riku: And like that, despite some folks’ hesitations…
Riku: All that was left in the lounge was Tenshi, Ko and me.
Riku: I still really didn’t have a good feeling about all of this.
Riku: This wasn’t normal.
Riku: Even for a school for abnormally talented people, this surely wasn’t just going to be an orientation meeting.
[Tenshi fades in]
Tenshi: “Riku, you alright there?”
Riku: “I…”
Riku: “No. I’m not. I really don’t like this.”
Riku: Tenshi gave a sympathetic grin to me.
Tenshi: “I know this is weird.”
Tenshi: “This definitely isn’t what I expected my first day at the university to be, that’s for sure.”
Riku: “Then how are you so… calm about it?”
Tenshi: “Because I embrace the weirdness!”
Tenshi: “What’s the point of living life if you expect everything to stay the same?”
Tenshi: “Change, drama, loss, gain…”
Tenshi: “No matter what happens… this’ll at least make a nice story to tell people, right?”
Riku: A story…
Riku: I had a feeling it certainly would be a story to tell.
Riku: Not a nice one.
[Tenshi fades out]
Riku: Tenshi, having finally woken Ko enough to get him to stand up straight, started walking down the stairs.
Riku: For a few moments, I was left alone in the lounge.
Riku: “I… I really don’t know what to do…”
Riku: “Is this really going to be okay?”
Riku: “Is this really going to…”
Riku: I paused.
Riku: I really was tempted to just stay in the lounge, let everyone else see what was going on.
Riku: …
Riku: …
Riku: …
Riku: Something willed me to go forward all the same.
Riku: I guess it was Kameko’s words.
Riku: ‘It’s better to face this head-on.’
Riku: No hiding.
Riku: No running.
Riku: I had to face this.
Riku: I made my way down the stairs to the lecture hall…
[The scene fades to black, then returns to a different view of the lecture hall, viewing it from the front. Standing in front are Tenshi, Ko, and Mikhail.]
Riku: There it was, towering in front of me.
Riku: It looked imposing now that I was going inside...
[Mikhail fades in]
Mikhail: “Glad that you finally showed up, Riku. Way to keep the rest of us waiting.”
Riku: “S-sorry. I just needed a little time by myself before coming here, I guess.”
Mikhail: “Hm. I would have expected someone who had just gotten out of a pitch-dark machine would have preferred company.”
Mikhail: “Perhaps even craved it.”
Mikhail: “And yet you-”
Riku: “I get it, it was weird of me to do, I’m sorry.”
Riku: “It won’t happen again, okay?”
Riku: Mikhail paused, his lips slightly parted.
Riku: I get the feeling that he was about to go into a monologue and I had just disrupted his train of thought.
Riku: I think that was for the best.
Mikhail: “Just follow us, inside, yes?”
[Mikhail fades out]
{Mikhail Latimer}
[Mikhail fades in]
Mikhail: “I said you should follow us, Riku. Don’t just waste our time.”
[Mikhail fades out]
{Ko Go}
[Ko fades in]
Riku: Ko was eating slowly and loudly out of a small bag of chips.
Riku: “Where did you get those chips?”
Riku: He met my eyes with his, slowly putting another chip into his mouth and crunching down.
Riku: We stared uncomfortably for several seconds before he swallowed and finally answered.
Ko: “...vending machine.”
Ko: “That’s where you get chips… right?”
Riku: I don’t know why I asked.
[Ko fades out]
{Tenshi Suto}
[Tenshi fades in]
Tenshi: “Hey, Riku, you don’t have to worry.”
Tenshi: “We’ll be here for you if you’re nervous.”
Riku: Tenshi took my hand with her free hand.
Tenshi: “I hear it’s a good stress reliever to squeeze the hell out of something, so… use my hand if you have to.”
Riku: I blushed and quickly wiggled my hand free out of hers.
Tenshi: “Hey! It’s not like I smeared my hand in shit or anything!”
Riku: She looked offended briefly, then laughed it off.
[Tenshi fades out]
{Enter Lecture Hall}
[The scene fades to black, then fades to the dimly-lit lecture hall, now viewing the stage. The machine can be clearly seen, a large dark cylindrical object with no obvious entrance. Several students are sitting in seats near each other. Some choose to sit particularly far away.]
Riku: It feels like someone is purposefully keeping the lights off in here.
Riku: The only light is coming from the windows to the outside, but even still that’s barely enough to see everything.
Riku: And speaking of seeing everything…
Riku: …
Riku: “So that’s the machine I came out of?”
[Mikhail fades in]
Mikhail: “That we ALL came out of, Riku.”
Mikhail: “Do try to keep up.”
[Mikhail fades out]
Riku: It looks… way too small to fit sixteen people in it.
Riku: Maybe that’s only the top of it?
Riku: Maybe it descends underneath the building and…
Riku: …
Riku: I really don’t want to think about some weird underground secret society living beneath the university grounds.
Riku: …
Riku: I should probably thank Kameko for what she said though.
{Haruto Henkan}
[Haruto fades in]
Haruto: “Oh god, oh god, oh god…”
Riku: Don’t think I’ll be striking up any meaningful conversation with him right now…
[Haruto fades out]
{Mikhail Latimer}
[Mikhail fades in]
Mikhail: “Please, take a seat anywhere.”
Mikhail: “Just don’t block my view.”
[Mikhail fades out]
{Mochi Nakata}
[Mochi fades in]
Mochi: “Tsubasa, what do you think is going to happen?”
[Mochi fades out, Tsubasa fades in]
Tsubasa: “I do not know. I wish I did…”
[Tsubasa fades out]
{Tsubasa Ban}
[Mochi fades in]
Mochi: “Tsubasa, what do you think is going to happen?”
[Mochi fades out, Tsubasa fades in]
Tsubasa: “I do not know. I wish I did…”
[Tsubasa fades out]
{Nagasa Natsu}
[Nagasa fades in]
Nagasa: “Wa-HOO! Looks like we’re about to get our BIG LEARNIN’ ON!”
Riku: Isn’t this supposed to be an orientation, not a class?
[Nagasa fades out]
{Kibishi Yoshinaga}
[Kibishi fades in]
Kibishi: “...”
Riku: “How are you feeling, Kibishi?”
Kibishi: “I feel… like our world is about to collapse.”
Kibishi: “That our lives will become forfeit, and that we will descend into a despair unlike any that mankind has yet seen…”
Riku: “...”
Kibishi: “Joking.”
[Kibishi fades out]
{Ko Go}
[Ko fades in]
Ko: “...”
Riku: “Um… Ko?”
Ko: “Hmm?”
Riku: “How do you feel about all of this?”
Ko: “...”
Ko: “...I dunno… I kinda just woke up and was told to come here…”
Ko: “What’s even going on, anyway?”
Riku: “I guess… the headmaster wants to meet us?”
Ko: “...”
Ko: “Cool.”
[Ko fades out]
{Noboru Tanji}
[Noboru fades in]
Noboru: “You look pale. There is no need to fear.”
Noboru: “No harm shall come before us lest we earn it.”
Noboru: “And I believe you have a good soul, Riku Shujinko.”
[Noboru fades out]
{Ume Watanabe}
[Ume fades in]
Riku: Ume looked up at me, frowning.
Ume: “Get your own seat. These nine are mine.”
[Ume fades out]
{Kimi Katayama}
[Kimi fades in]
Kimi: “Ah, mule. Have you come to watch me conquer whatever beast has done this to us?”
Riku: “N-no?…”
Kimi: “Then you will miss out on quite the show.”
[Kimi fades out]
{Manami Hino}
[Manami fades in]
Manami: “Oh, don’t you look like you’ve had a fright!”
Manami: “Don’t you worry that sweet little face, I have enough money to sue the pants off this university if something goes wrong!”
[Manami fades out]
{Aiko Mochizuki}
[Aiko fades in]
Aiko: “...”
Riku: “May I sit next to you?”
Aiko: “No.”
Riku: “Okay…”
[Aiko fades out]
{Kogo Hitoshikunai}
[Kogo fades in]
Kogo: “Well, at least these seats are comfy.”
Kogo: “At my old university everything was made of wood.”
Kogo: “I swear my ass got calluses after my first quarter.”
[Kogo fades out]
{Tenshi Suto}
[Tenshi fades in]
Tenshi: “Remember, just because this is weird doesn’t mean it’ll be bad.”
Riku: “Y-yeah… I know. Thanks.”
Riku: Tenshi smiled at me.
Riku: I was still nervous.
[Tenshi fades out]
{Kameko Fukumoto}
[Kameko fades in]
Kameko: “...”
Riku: “I know you probably won’t talk, but…”
Riku: “Thanks. For those words earlier in the lounge.”
Riku: “They were actually kind of helpful.”
Kameko: “...”
Kameko: “You’re welcome.”
Riku: Whoa. Does this mean that Kameko has a “feel for me” now?
Kameko: “Sit down. It’s about to start.”
Riku: “How do you know?”
Kameko: “A feeling. Now sit.”
Riku: She patted the seat next to her, and I sat down in it.
Riku: It actually was kind of comfortable.
Riku: Before I could get too invested in the chair, however…
[The scene changes to a direct view of the stage, the machine in the dead center.]
Riku: I could hear the machine making some kind of noise…
[A spotlight shines down on the machine as light on its side blink on]
Riku: What was going on? What was about to happen?
Riku: …
Riku: I don’t think I was prepared for what I saw.
[The scene turns into a video, displaying the machine hissing and vibrating, before finally beeping and opening in a cloud of mist. Behind it is the shadow of Monokuma, who then leaps out of the mist and lands on the podium at the front of the stage. He sits motionless, staring at the class.]
[The scene turns back to a view of the stage, now with the machine door open and Monokuma sitting at the podium.]
[Haruto fades in]
Haruto: “A… a teddy bear?”
Haruto: “Isn’t MSU’s mascot a viking?”
[Haruto fades out, Monokuma fades in]
???: “Mascot?!”
???: “I assure you, I am no mascot, carrot top!”
???: “I am Monokuma, the headmaster of Memorial Stories University!”
[Monokuma fades out, Kimi fades in]
Kimi: “I’d appreciate it if you cut the shit you monochrome punching bag.”
Kimi: “Whoever’s controlling you would be wise in showing themself.”
Kimi: “I need to have… a conversation with them.”
Riku: Kimi’s crazed smile gave away what kind of “conversation” she was intending to have with the headmaster.
[Kimi fades out, Monokuma fades in]
Monokuma: “Oh, the audacity!”
Monokuma: “I arrange this orientation into our school, and this is how you treat me?”
Monokuma: *sniff* “I… I couldn’t feel more hurt!”
[Monokuma fades out, Mikhail fades in]
Mikhail: “So this IS an orientation!”
Mikhail: “My my, you truly have a bizarre way of introducing students into your school.”
Mikhail: “The machine, the teddy bear, whatever you did to cause the fog…”
Mikhail: “Whatever budget you have for theatrics, it is greatly appreciated from me.”
[Mikhail fades out, Monokuma fades in]
Monokuma: “I’m not a teddy bear either!”
Monokuma: “Jeez, do people not understand what ‘headmaster’ means anymore?”
[Monokuma fades out, Nagasa fades in]
Riku: Nagasa raised his hand enthusiastically and began shouting out to Monokuma.
Nagasa: “Oooh! Oooh! Pick me! Pick me! I know what it means! I know! I know!”
[Nagasa fades out, Aiko fades in]
Aiko: “It was a rhetorical question.”
[Aiko fades out, Monokuma fades in]
Monokuma: “Silence! Everyone!”
Monokuma: “Or I will be forced to demonstrate my authority!”
[Monokuma fades out, Kogo fades in]
Kogo: “What are you gonna do? Cuddle us to death with those cute, fuzzy wuzzy cheeks?”
[Kogo fades out, Monokuma fades in]
Monokuma: “Grr….”
Monokuma: “Normally I’d punish you for acting out, but…”
Monokuma: “I’ll let you off with a warning for calling me cute.”
Monokuma: “I don’t get enough of that these days.”
Riku: Monokuma cleared his throat.
Riku: Does he even have a throat?
Monokuma: “To all new students of Memorial Stories University, I give you my warmest welcome on behalf of the faculty here!”
Monokuma: “Unfortunately, they could not attend this orientation as they were all brutally murdered three years ago!”
Riku: ...Wh-what?
Riku: What does he mean murdered?
Monokuma: “It really was horrible, you know. Really bloody affair.”
Monokuma: “They were all trapped on these school grounds, just like you all! Forced to kill each other to survive!”
Monokuma: “Gotta say, I think the most brutal one was when one of the Mathematics professors was impaled on the flagpole.”
Monokuma: “Vertically!”
Monokuma: “The secretary that did him in really wanted to crush those family jewels, you know?”
[Monokuma fades out, Kibish fades in]
Riku: I turned to see Kibishi… laughing?
Kibishi: “I am glad that the headmaster has the same sense of humor as I do.”
Kibishi: “Maybe this won’t be so bad after all!”
[Kibishi fades out, Monokuma fades in]
Monokuma: “I said shut it! I’m not joking, this is a very serious speech!”
Monokuma: “I spent all day writing it, too…”
[Monokuma fades out, Kibishi fades in]
Riku: Even though he was wearing a mask, I could tell that he was smiling.
Kibishi: “Of course Headmaster Monokuma! Please continue!”
[Kibishi fades out, Kameko fades in]
Riku: Kameko leaned into me, whispering.
Kameko: “He’s not joking.”
Riku: “Monokuma? How do you know?”
Kameko: “The way he’s talking, the way he’s being so casual about this…”
Kameko: “I’ve seen behavior like this.”
Kameko: “This isn’t going to be good.”
Riku: “But how do you-”
Riku: Kameko put a gloved hand to my mouth, covering it completely.
Kameko: “Shh… not so loud, Riku.”
Kameko: “He’ll notice us talking.”
[Kameko fades out, Monokuma fades in]
Monokuma: “Anyway, as part of your orientation here at MSU, we must explain the rules while you live here!”
Monokuma: “To start, you will have no contact with the outside world whatsoever!”
[Monokuma fades out, Manami fades in]
Manami: “Excuse me? None whatsoever?”
Manami: “How am I supposed to make sales to countries overseas without outside contact?”
Manami: “There’s a factory warehouse full of shoulder pads waiting to be moved out right this very moment!”
[Manami fades out, Monokuma fades in]
Monokuma: “Not my problem, lady.”
Monokuma: “That’s why you make proactive decisions in marketing!”
[Monokuma fades out, Manami fades in]
Manami: “Shoot, you’re absolutely right!”
Manami: “Though I still find it unfair that we’re not allowed to talk AT ALL with the outside world.”
[Manami fades out, Tsubasa fades in]
Tsubasa: “Yes, I agree. What about our families that are wondering what our lives here are like?”
Tsubasa: “Would they not be worried that we do not contact them from time to time?”
[Tsubasa fades out, Mochi fades in]
Mochi: “I dunno, Tsubasa…”
Mochi: “I think spending more quality time with each other may be a much better way to spend our time!”
[Mochi fades out, Monokuma fades in]
Monokuma: “That’s the spirit!”
Monokuma: “Now, much like the no outside contact rule, you aren’t allowed to leave the campus grounds ever, either!”
Monokuma: “This will be where you live until you die!”
[Monokuma fades out, Noboru fades in]
Noboru: “Until we die?”
Noboru: “Surely this will not become our… permanent home?”
Noboru: “Many of us, myself especially, have obligations that we must attend to once we graduate.”
Noboru: “And in order to attend to them, we must be able to leave the campus grounds!”
[Noboru fades out, Monokuma fades in]
Monokuma: “Shut up, pansy!”
Monokuma: “Like I told Karen over there, you shoulda thought about that before you came here!”
[Monokuma fades out, Noboru fades in]
Noboru: “There was no indication that we could not leave the campus for all eternity!”
Noboru: “Why must you insist this unjust rule is fair?”
[Noboru fades out, Ume fades in]
Ume: “Yeah, gotta agree with Noboru on this one.”
Ume: “How can you seriously expect us to stay here forever?”
[Ume fades out, Haruto fades in]
Haruto: “I can’t stay here forever!”
Haruto: “I can’t stay in a place where there’s no sun!”
Haruto: “WHERE IS THE SUN?! IS THERE EVEN A TANNING BED SOMEWHERE?! PLEASE!”
[Haruto fades out]
Riku: At that point, most of the students all got up in arms about their own personal grievances regarding not being able to leave the campus grounds.
Riku: Only Kameko and I were silent.
Riku: I was silent out of shock…
Riku: Kameko was… I don’t know what she was feeling.
Riku: But I think I could sense that she was worried.
[Mikhail fades in]
Mikhail: “What sort of madman do you think you are?”
Mikhail: “What happened to the guarantee that we would be remembered forever?”
Mikhail: “Our names would be cemented in history should we come here!”
Mikhail: “To me, this sounds more like isolation! Erasure! Complete annihilation of everything we’ve worked for!”
[Mikhail fades out, Kogo fades in]
Kogo: “I don’t even care about the history shit, I just have a life outside here, you know?!”
Kogo: “And I’m not about to let some stupid bear say where I can and cannot go!”
Riku: At that moment, Kogo got up from her chair to leave.
[Kogo fades out]
Riku: As she stomped up the stairs to the lecture hall doors, she stopped.
Riku: She tried pulling on the handle, pushing it, yanking it as hard as she could…
Riku: But it wouldn’t budge.
[Kogo fades in]
Kogo: “Hey! What’s the fucking deal?! The door’s locked!”
[Kogo fades out, Monokuma fades in]
Monokuma: “...”
Monokuma: “You all really want to leave… that badly… don’t you?”
Monokuma: “Hmph!”
Monokuma: “Fine, I’ll let you all leave, but…”
Riku: Monokuma paused, turning his back to us.
Monokuma: “If you leave… what will happen to your memories?”
[Monokuma fades out, Ko fades in]
Ko: “Our… memories?”
Ko: “I think I can remember okay…”
[Ko fades out, Kimi fades in]
Kimi: “What do you mean by our memories?”
Kimi: “EXPLAIN YOURSELF!”
[Kimi fades out, Monokuma fades in]
Monokuma: “Puhuhu…”
Monokuma: “Puhuhuhuhuhu!”
Monokuma: “You really haven’t realized yet, have you?”
Monokuma: “Think hard about your lives. I mean REALLY use those tiny little noggins for once and think hard!”
Monokuma: “Try to remember specific things about your life.”
Monokuma: “What do your parents’ faces look like?”
Monokuma: “The names of your closest friends?”
Monokuma: “What pets did you have growing up?”
Monokuma: “What specific things did you do to earn your way into this university?”
Riku: …
Riku: Oh… Oh god…
Riku: I…
Riku: “I really can’t remember…”
[Monokuma fades out, Haruto fades in]
Haruto: “I… I can’t remember either!”
Haruto: “I mean, I know I’m the Ultimate Bodybuilder, but… I don’t know how I became that!”
[Haruto fades out, Aiko fades in]
Aiko: “I don’t know… who my parents are…”
[Aiko fades out, Kibishi fades in]
Riku: Even Kibishi, who seemed to be enjoying everything up until now, looked scared.
Kibishi: “This… this isn’t a joke…”
Kibishi: “I am… I don’t…”
[Kibishi fades out, Monokuma fades in]
Monokuma: “Ahhhhh hahahahahahaha!”
Monokuma: “That’s right everyone! You’ve forgotten almost everything about yourselves!”
Monokuma: “You’ve remembered enough to stay interesting, but the important things? Poof! Gone!”
Monokuma: “And best of all, that’s not even all that I’ve taken from you!”
[Monokuma fades out, Kameko fades in]
Kameko: “What else did you make us forget?”
[Kameko fades out, Monokuma fades in]
Monokuma: “Oh, she really can speak!”
Monokuma: “Glad that all it took was a little existential dread to pipe you right up!”
Monokuma: “But since you so kindly asked, allow me to explain!”
Monokuma: “You aren’t first years at this university at all!”
Riku: What does that mean?
Riku: We’re not really first years?
Monokuma: “You’ve all been at this university for three years!”
Monokuma: “Oh, all the memories you’ve shared together! The bonds you’ve crafted, the strides you’ve made in your fields…”
[Monokuma fades out, Kimi fades in]
Kimi: “I don’t believe this…”
Kimi: “If the real headmaster won’t come out, I suppose I just have to tear you to shreds instead!”
[Kimi fades out]
Riku: Like lightning, Kimi leaped from her seat and ran down to the podium.
Riku: Monokuma just sat there, laughing.
[Monokuma fades in]
Monokuma: “Oh, you still misunderstand who’s in charge here!”
Riku: In one swift movement, Kimi swung her leg above the podium, sending Monokuma flying into the wall with a powerful kick.
[Monokuma fades out, Nagasa fades in]
Nagasa: “Holy shit! Captain Crazy Eyes has got legs!”
[Nagasa fades out]
[The scene changes to Kimi standing over a slumped-over Monokuma, hands on her hips.]
Kimi: “If you want your little toy to stay in one piece, whoever you are…”
Kimi: “GIVE ME BACK MY FUCKING MEMORIES!”
Monokuma: “Puhuhu…”
Monokuma: “You know…”
Monokuma: “You may not know this, but violence against the headmaster is strictly forbidden…”
[The scene becomes black]
???: *Shink!* *Squelch*
Kimi: “Ah… h… …”
Kogo: “Oh… oh my god…”
Tsubasa: “That… that is…”
Haruto: “You cut her fucking leg off! Jesus fucking shitfuck!”
[The scene changes into Kimi laying on her back, her left leg severed at the knee. Her eyes are bulging and her mouth is hanging open. A pool of blood is gathering.]
Monokuma: “Buuuut since you didn’t have your handbooks yet, you really couldn’t have known.”
Monokuma: “So, I’ll let you off on this little warning!”
Monokuma: “The rest of you, now you know!”
Monokuma: “And now, I will finally finish my speech!”
[The scene fades back to the direct stage scene.]
[Nagasa fades in]
Nagasa: “Wh… wha…”
Nagasa: “AAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
[Nagasa fades out, Noboru fades in]
Noboru: “You… you are a fiend! A monster that deserves to rot in the deepest depths of hell!”
[Noboru fades out, Monokuma fades in]
Monokuma: “Nah. There are folks worse than widdle ol’ me out there in the world right now!”
Monokuma: “After all, I didn’t even kill her!”
Monokuma: “We’ll cart her to the nurse’s office once my speech is done!”
Monokuma: “And you all better sit down and shut up or I’ll let her bleed out on the floor!”
Riku: We definitely knew better than to object at that point.
Monokuma: “Now, there is a way that you can leave AND get back all of your memories!”
Monokuma: “And if you all were patient and just let me talk, I wouldn’t have had to cut off a lady’s leg to get to that point!”
[Monokuma fades out, Tenshi fades in]
Tenshi: “How? What do we have to do? Lick your boots? Be your slave? I’ll do whatever it takes to get everyone’s memories back and get out of here!”
[Tenshi fades out, Monokuma fades in]
Monokuma: “While it’s tempting to have a personal ladyservant, that’s not what you have to do.”
Monokuma: “What you have to do is… quite simple, really.”
Monokuma: “If one of you kills another student and gets away with it... “
Monokuma: “You get to graduate! You leave with all of your memories and you get to go home to whatever life you had before!”
[Monokuma fades out, Ko fades in]
Ko: “...Did you say… kill?”
Ko: “As in… end someone’s life kill?”
Ko: “As in… for real, like, stab someone?”
[Ko fades out, Monokuma fades in]
Monokuma: “Oh, not just stabbing! Go hog wild!”
Monokuma: “Arson, drowning, poison, whatever you can get your hands on, you can use it to kill!”
[Monokuma fades out, Mikhail fades in]
Mikhail: “So, only eight of us can ever leave?”
Mikhail: “If there are sixteen students, that means that only eight of us can kill another student.”
[Mikhail fades out, Monokuma fades in]
Monokuma: “Puhuhuhu… you misunderstand me, fancy boy.”
Monokuma: “Only ONE student will get to graduate if they kill and get away with it!”
Monokuma: “If a student graduates…”
[Monokuma fades out]
[The scene changes to a closeup of Monokuma’s face]
Monokuma: “The rest of you face… punishment.”
[The scene returns to the stage]
[Ume fades in]
Ume: “P-punishment?”
[Ume fades out, Monokuma fades in]
Monokuma: “Yup! Punishment! Oh, I get fuzzy just thinking about it!”
Monokuma: “Fuzzier than usual, anyway! Since I’m a bear!”
[Monokuma fades out, Ume fades in]
Ume: “And what is… punishment?”
[Ume fades out, Monokuma fades in]
Monokuma: “What is punishment? Oh! How stupid of me.”
Monokuma: “What I mean by punishment is… execution!”
[Monokuma fades out, Mochi fades in]
Mochi: “Ex… e… cution?”
[Mochi fades out, Monokuma fades in]
Monokuma: “Correct! The rest of you will get your heads lopped off by a guillotine!”
Monokuma: “Or maybe you’ll be shocked to death?”
Monokuma: “Ooh! I know! Firing range! That’s always a fireworks show!”
Monokuma: “Hm… I just can’t decide! It’s too hard right now!”
[Monokuma fades out, Manami fades in]
Manami: “...”
Manami: “...Urgh…”
Riku: Suddenly and violently, Manami threw up all over the seats.
Manami: “Guh… I… I can’t believe this…”
Manami: “I m-must be… d-dreaming!”
[Manami fades out, Monokuma fades in]
Monokuma: “I’ll pinch you all you want, lady, but you won’t wake up. This is your real life!”
[Monokuma fades out, Mochi fades in]
Mochi: No… no, no, no… NO!
Mochi: I… I… I can’t die! I can’t die here!
Riku: Mochi started bursting out in tears, snot staining his hoodie.
[Mochi fades out, Tsubasa fades in]
Tsubasa: “Mochi, please do not cry…”
Tsubasa: “If you cry, then… then I will cry! And if I cry, then… then...”
Riku: Soon, Tsubasa joined Mochi and started sobbing.
[Tsubasa fades out, Kameko fades in]
Riku: As if she were asking a real professor about a topic in class, Kameko calmly piped up.
Kameko: “Monokuma, I have a question.”
[Kameko fades out, Monokuma fades in]
Monokuma: “Fire away! And please, waste more time while your friend continues to bleed to death!”
[Monokuma fades out, Kameko fades in]
Kameko: “This will be quick, I promise.”
Kameko: “You say that the killer will have to get away with the murder to graduate.”
Kameko: “If they don’t… what will happen?”
[Kameko fades out, Monokuma fades in]
Riku: Monokuma tilted his head down and chuckled.
Monokuma: “Puhuhu… so that’s what kind of character you are…”
Monokuma: “I’m so glad you asked!”
Monokuma: “If the killer is exposed for their true, horrible deeds…”
Monokuma: “They will be punished instead, and the rest of you will continue living the rest of your lives here!”
Riku: So…
Riku: If someone really wants to leave here alive with all their memories…
Riku: They’d need to pull off an unsolveable murder.
Riku: They’d need to kill one of their classmates and get away with it… or die.
Riku: And if they do… then we all die instead.
Riku: …
Riku: What kind of horror story are we in?
Monokuma: “Anyway, that’s been my speech!”
Monokuma: “I truly hope you all enjoy your time here at Memorial Stories University!”
Monokuma: “And if you’ll excuse me, I have a girl to move before she becomes a corpse!”
[Monokuma fades out]
Riku: With that, Monokuma hopped down to where Kimi was lying…
Riku: And dragged her off the stage and through a side door.
Riku: The only sounds left in the hall were the sounds of crying and hyperventilation.
Riku: I didn’t even realize until that point how heavy I had been breathing.
[Haruto fades in]
Haruto: “Wh… what the FUCK was that?”
[Haruto fades out, Aiko fades in]
Aiko: “H-how should I know?”
Aiko: “I have no idea what that bear was trying to say!”
[Aiko fades out, Ume fades in]
Ume: “We have to kill each other and… get away with it?”
[Ume fades out, Kibishi fades in]
Kibishi: “This is… a game…”
Kibishi: “A killing game…”
Kibishi: “And we are all… we are all participants.”
[Kibishi fades out, the scene changes to an aerial shot of the students, all sitting and looking at each other.]
Riku: Everyone got really quiet thinking about Kibishi’s words.
Riku: This was… a game.
Riku: And the main thing that everyone was thinking about now was…
Riku: Who was going to try to win?
Riku: …
Riku: This school…
Riku: It claimed that anyone who attended would be remembered forever.
Riku: That stories would be written for eons about their graduates.
Riku: While I don’t know for sure if all of us would be remembered forever…
Riku: I know that I won’t be able to forget a single moment that happened there.
Riku: I can never…
Riku: Never…
Riku: Never…
Riku: Forget.
[Fade to black]
[To be continued splash screen]
[End Chapter Screen]
[End of Prologue]
[Welcome to your story]