Prologue - Part 3

"...ugh."

Where am I? It seemed like I was sleeping on a desk in a classroom. It's not unusual for me to fall asleep in class, but I don't remember how I got here.

Then it suddenly came to me—I was in the hallway of Hope's Peak Academy, then I fainted. So, someone must have carried me here. This is Hope's Peak.

"...Instead of answers, it raises more questions."

I moved my head around to take in the surroundings. There was a camera looming over my head, a TV in the corner of the room, and the most ominous thing was the windows, which were covered by metal plates. I tried to remove the metal with a bit of force.

"Yup, it's thick and won't be coming out that easy."

Even if I tried with full force, it wouldn't budge. Not to say that I'm definitely stronger than your average martial artist.

"What the heck is going on..."

I was looking around the room when I found an orientation guide sitting on the desk. It looked like some kind of cheap pamphlet, the kind they hand out at open houses. There was something handwritten on it, the ink slightly smudged as if written in haste:

"The next semester is about to start. Starting today, this school will be your entire world."

"...Is this some kind of prank?"

I wanted nothing more than to think this was a prank, but looking at the metal plates on the windows, I couldn't say for sure.

I checked the clock—it was 7:55. The meeting time was 8:00, and if this is Hope's Peak, then maybe I'll get my answers there.

"Geez, even the hallway is weird."

I checked the classroom I was in, labeled as Class 1B. I couldn't think of anything significant about that, so I started moving to the meeting point.

***

Arriving there, I saw two people, most likely students, and noticed a big metal door.

"This wasn't here before..." I murmured aloud, and it seemed like someone heard me.

"That's right, this door wasn't here before," said a girl with purple hair and a neutral, emotionless face, looking at the door.

"Oh, I'm Rimuru Tempest. A new student." I smiled and introduced myself. The girl just looked at me for a second without saying anything, as if she was analyzing my whole existence. After a few seconds, she introduced herself with a neutral voice.

"My name is Kyoko Kirigiri, and I am also a new student."

"So you're also a new student, huh... Anyway, did you say this door wasn't here before?"

"That's right, it wasn't here before I fell asleep."

"Wait, you also fell asleep?"

"Yes."

"Could it be a coincidence, or—" Before I could say more, I was cut off by the third student.

"No, it isn't a coincidence," said the student, a boy with blonde hair wearing glasses, in a confident voice.

"And you are...?"

"I am Byakuya Togami, the Ultimate Affluent Prodigy. I heard you two talking about falling asleep. I also fell asleep, and I don't think three people falling asleep at the same time can be a coincidence. There's also the door and the windows with metal plates covering them."

"Could it be that we were kidnapped, and this isn't Hope's Peak...?" As I was musing, new students started arriving, so we decided to talk when all the students were here.

Slowly, the hall filled with 15 students, each with distinct personalities. Holy! Is that really a girl? She has enough muscles for five people.

As I was doing some important thinking, the last student arrived. He looked like a normal high school student with no distinct quality. Maybe he's the one they decided on from the lottery.

"Whoa, hey! Another new kid?" exclaimed Yasuhiro Hagakure, the tall student with wild hair.

"Huh? Then you guys are all...?" asked the boy who had just arrived.

"Yeah... We're all new here. Today's supposed to be our first day of class," replied Sakura Ogami, the muscular girl with a confident stance.

"So counting him, that makes sixteen. An odd cut-off point, but I wonder if this is everyone," mused Celestia Ludenberg, the girl with gothic attire, her voice carrying a hint of curiosity.

"Um... how's it going? My name's Makoto Naegi. Sorry I'm late. A bunch of stuff happened, and then all of a sudden I was just... asleep." The new student, who I assume is the Ultimate Lucky Student, introduced himself. He seemed kind of nervous. Maybe he thinks that everybody here is superior to him and he doesn't belong here.

"Whoa, you too?" said Yasuhiro.

"Things just keep getting curiouser and curiouser," mused Celestia.

"So strange... I declare beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is a strange situation indeed!" exclaimed Hifumi Yamada, the eccentric boy with glasses, looking around with wide eyes.

"Um... what are you talking about? I honestly have no idea what's going on right now," Makoto's confusion was evident in his voice.

"Just a moment! There's something else we must address! Makoto! Your tardiness is unacceptable! Surely you were aware the meeting was to start at 8 a.m. sharp! To be late on your first day is unspeakable! I must report you, and you must accept your due punishment!" Kiyotaka Ishimaru, the stern-looking boy with a commanding presence, spoke with authority.

"What's your problem? It's not like he wanted to be late. He didn't have any control over it," retorted Junko Enoshima, the tough-looking girl, with a dismissive wave.

"Everyone just calm down! Listen, why don't we all go around and introduce ourselves?" suggested Asahina, the cheerful girl with a bright smile.

"The hell!? Now's no time for friggin' introductions!" shouted Mondo Owada, the boy with wild hair, clearly agitated.

"Maybe, but it may be good to at least find out who we all are before digging into the bigger problems here. I mean, how are we even supposed to talk to each other if we do not know each other's names?" reasoned Asahina.

"That's a good point…" Makoto conceded.

"Okay, so let's get introductions out of the way, then we can move on to whatever else. Sound good?" Sayaka suggested again.

I agreed it was a good idea and decided to introduce myself. I approached Kiyotaka Ishimaru, who was yelling about rules, to see what his problem was.

***

My introductions were finished, and I was just waiting for the others to finish theirs. My interaction with most people went just as I expected.

"Say whaaat? You're not a girl but a boy?" said Hifumi Yamada, the "Ultimate Fanfic Creator," with exaggerated motions as if he was about to have a heart attack. But the next moment...

"A real-life trap! This is... this is... amaaaazing!" He went into his own world.

Most of the interactions went the same. I wondered if he ever created something about elves. If he did, I—

*ahem*

Oh, sorry. I was getting off track. It looked like everyone had finished their introductions.

"Okay, time to get down to business. This is no time to stand around making friends like a bunch of dull-eyed baboons," Byakuya said, looking at some people with a frown.

"Oh, that's true. I think someone said something about a bigger problem or something? What was that about?" asked Makoto.

"Well, you see…Makoto, you said a bunch of stuff happened and then you were 'just asleep,' right? Well, the same is true for all of us," Sayaka replied, her voice calm and measured.

"What? Seriously!?" Makoto's eyes widened in surprise.

"Just after each of us got to the main hall, we lost consciousness. And when we came to, we were somewhere here in the school! That's what happened to you, right?" Sayaka continued.

"B-But that's just...weird! That every one of us would get knocked out like that…" Makoto stammered, his voice tinged with disbelief.

"Exactly! That's why we're all freakin' out!" Yasuhiro exclaimed, throwing his hands up.

"And that's not the only thing. You saw where all the windows in the classes and hallways were, right?" Sakura added.

"But instead of normal glass windows, it was a bunch of big metal plates! What's that about!?" Aoi chimed in, her voice filled with concern.

"Plus, all my stuff's missing! Even my cellphone…" Junko added, looking around anxiously.

"Yeah, you're right. I haven't seen my PDA anywhere, either…" Chihiro Fujisaki said nervously.

"And then there's the main hall here. The front exit is completely blocked by some giant metal hatch," Byakuya noted, his voice firm.

"But there wasn't anything like that when I first got here! What the heck!? What's it doing there!?" Kiyotaka exclaimed.

"Maybe we got caught up in some kinda, like, you know...crime or something?" suggested Junko, looking scared .

"What, like...a kidnapping? You think maybe someone grabbed us and hauled us off and we're not actually at school?" Leon asked, his voice growing tense.

"Come on, don't think like that. Cheer up! I bet this is all just part of the school's orientation procedure. Yeah, I'm sure that's it! So I'm just gonna take it easy for a little bit," Yasuhiro said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh... So you think they wanted to do something to surprise us?" asked Chihiro, her voice hopeful.

"Huh. Well, if that's all it is, it's nap time for me," Leon said carefree.

"I was up way too late last night, so I could use a little shuteye," Mondo added, leaning against the wall with a yawn.

I could feel everyone's tension evaporating. Should I tell them about the gun being real or should I wait? This definitely isn't a normal school for sure.

But then... it began.

*Ding dong, bing bong*

"Ahem! Ahem! Testing, testing! Mike check, one two! This is a test of the school broadcast system! Am I on? Can everyone hear me? Okay, well then...!"

The voice seemed totally out of place. It was so playful, so completely unconcerned... I couldn't help but feel a deep, unnerving dread at the sound of it. It was like hearing someone laugh at the scene of an accident.

"Ahh, to all incoming students! I would like to begin the entrance ceremony at... right now! Please make your way to the gymnasium at your earliest convenience. ...That's all. I'll be waiting!"

"...What. The. Hell was that just now?"Junko exclaimed, her eyes wide with confusion.

"Well then, if you'll excuse me..." Byakuya said dismissively as he began to leave.

"H-Hey! What, you're gonna take off just like that!?" Junko called after him, her voice tinged with panic.

I also began to leave without looking around. I know this all is definitely not a game or a prank. If it is a prank, then it is surely done by a psycho. I wanted answers soon, so speeding my pace, I went to the gym.

As I hurried along, the sense of unease only grew stronger. This was supposed to be Hope's Peak Academy, a beacon of hope and opportunity. But instead, it felt like we were stepping into a nightmare. What kind of place had we been brought to, and what kind of twisted game were we about to play? The truth, it seemed, was waiting just ahead in the gymnasium, and I couldn't help but feel that whatever awaited us there would change our lives forever.