❝ REAL STRENGTH ONLY REVEALS ITSELF

WHEN ONE IS FACED WITH GREAT TURMOIL .

THEREFORE , I SHALL ALWAYS TREAD A THORNY PATH ! ❞

—asahina aoi, the ultimate swimming pro

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"DING DONG, BING BONG! A body has been discovered! Report to the gymnasium immediately!" That was the last thing I heard before I blacked out.

"How long do you think she'll be passed out for?" a male voice asks, somewhat distant.

"I don't know. She's been out for only a little bit," answers a female voice, "I don't blame her, though. She saw the body first, after all."

"What?" I slowly ask, trying to sit up by supporting myself on my elbows, "what's going on?"

"Oh, you're awake!" exclaims Rainbow with a rather large grin, "I was starting to get worried!"

"Yeah. She thought you had hit your head or something when you passed out, but I kept telling her Kyran and I caught you before you could hit the ground," Lunar explains.

"Wait a minute," I slowly say, looking around before the reality of the situation hit me and I grow frantic, "what's going on? What happened to Gold? Oh, God, is she okay?"

"Funneh," Senpai speaks up, shaking his head slowly, "you saw. You know the answer."

"No! No, no, no!" I exclaim, frantically shaking my head as I jolt to my feet, "she can't be dead! She was fine last night! She—she—"

"Funneh, calm down!" Kyran exclaims, outstretching his arms to prevent me from running away, "just think about the situation!"

"She can't be dead! This can't be real!" I scream, trying to squirm past him before Rainbow and Senpai grab each of my arms to pull me back.

"Funneh! Calm down!" Senpai yells, both Rainbow and him preventing me from running to the scene.

I keep trying to get to the room, to prove to myself that what I saw before I passed out was a lie, but I can't. Both of them restrain me by my arms, but I keep struggling regardless. That is, until something slaps the side of my head.

"Ow!" I whine, stopping my struggle before I glance over at the person who delivered the blow, "what the heck, Lunar! What was that for?"

"To keep you from going insane, too," she bluntly replies, crossing her arms, "we don't need another killer among us."

"A-another one?" I stutter out, trying to calm myself down as Rainbow sits me back down.

"Just take a breather, Funneh," Rainbow advises, placing her hand on my shoulder, "otherwise you won't be able to... bear the situation."

"Seriously, Rainbow? Right now?" Lunar deadpans, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Sorry," Rainbow replies sheepishly, "it's my Ultimate. I can't really help it."

"Yeah, I get what you mean," another male voice, to which I realize is Alec, sighs from behind the others, "how is she?"

"If we're lucky? She won't kill us just yet," Lunar sighs with a slight chuckle, although it almost seems forced.

"Thank God for my talent, then," Senpai bitterly chuckles out, letting me remember that he's the S-H-S-L Lucky Student.

"She's not dead," I try to deny, shaking my head, "she can't be dead. She isn't dead."

"Denying it will only further you into the depths of insanity," Evelyn warns, approaching us, "I am afraid that Gold is no longer among the living."

Dead. Just say dead.

Don't make it sound artificial.

Don't make it sound unreal.

Don't give me a chance to deny it.

"Oh, Funneh," Rainbow says with a frown, seeing the clear distress in my eyes, "I've told you. Just breathe and keep sitting here. You've got to keep a level head."

"W-why are we all just sitting here? We're doing nothing! Gold was just murdered and we're all just gonna leave her there?" I question, starting to grow uneasy.

"Funneh, by all means, we do not wish to anger Monokuma. He's the one who called us here," Yandere explains from a few feet away.

"And we're stuck in here until he finishes his announcement," Evelyn informs, "it's best we comply with his wishes since we are solemnly his... hostages you could say."

"I don't believe it. It can't be one of us," I deny, shaking my head frantically, "there's no way! It had to have been Monokuma!"

Just as I say that, that stupid bear appears again.

"Speak of the Devil," Aly murmurs.

"Eh! As if little ole me would do such a thing! Scout's honor, it wasn't me!" Monokuma exclaims, raising his paw.

"You're a monster! A sadistic monster!" I scream, clenching my teeth, "you did this!"

"Now, just hold your horses! Why would I do something that goes against the whole point of this fine institution? You're supposed to do the killing, not me!" Monokuma defends with yet again a far too enthusiastic tone of voice.

"No! I won't believe you!" I deny.

"Oh, come on! Besides, I can't do that anyway! Check the rules in your E-Handbook!" Monokuma insists.

"Our E-Handbook?" Evan questions.

"Your tablet devices that hold your student identity, your relationships with one another, the layout of accessible parts of the school, storage of all the clues you find during the investigation, etcetera!" Monokuma explains, "now, go on! Check the rules if you don't believe me! Trust me, I'm a real stickler for rules."

I pull out my E-Handbook, which I haven't even realized I've had for the past three days we've been stuck in here. I turn it on and indeed, it shows my student profile with all of my information. I swipe along the screen until finding the rules.

°°°

𝗘𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞𝗚𝗨𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗦

𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐄

𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐤𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐡𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬

We all gather closer, standing alongside one another in front of the stage. Each of us stare up at Monokuma, who's sitting on top of his podium.

"But then... then who else did this?" Valerie questions, almost hesitantly.

"Man, use your heads! You're all supposed to be Ultimates! The killer.... is one of YOU!" Monokuma bellows, to which everyone gasps and takes one step away from one another, "sheesh, you're telling me that pulled the rug out from underneath you all? It's obvious! One of you slaughtered sweet ole Gold so that you could escape! And that's okay! It's what you're supposed to do!"

"You can't be serious!" Senpai screams, taking multiple steps backwards and away from the stage.

"T-this is awful!" Aly yawps, "y-you're sick! Sick and twisted and evil!"

"I can't believe it," Rainbow murmurs out, shaking her head and hugging herself, "I... can't even make a pun."

"It's really one of us?" Evan questions frantically, glancing around nervously, "one of us is a murderer?"

"You're lying!" I exclaim, balling my hands into fists, "you're just manipulating us!"

"Nope! It's the complete truth, and one of you knows that all too well!" Monokuma assures.

"I know you're not looking at me!" Draco gasps to Lunar, who's eyeing him down like he's the culprit, "I didn't do it!"

"Well, it wasn't me!" Felicia whines, "so it obviously has to be one of you losers!"

"Don't go accusing me! I'm innocent, I swear!" Valerie says, and I swear she's already on the verge of tears from being mistrusted.

"Quiet, everyone," Yandere commands, holding up her hand, to which everyone does indeed silence themselves and look at her, "if the killer truly is indeed one of us, then according to your rules, wouldn't they already be allowed free of this school for taking Gold's life?"

"Puhuhu, I like your optimism, kiddo! No, the main attraction is still to come for graduation of the culprit!" Monokuma announces.

"What do you mean?" I question, almost furious.

"Freedom isn't straightforward! There are a few supplemental rules!" Monokuma explains.

"Look, our E-Handbooks," Lunar notices, pulling out her tablet, "it states right here in the rules: 'Whoever kills a classmate may graduate, but he or she must not get caught by the other students'."

"Bingo! Murder won't just cut it to escape! You gotta get away with it, too!" Monokuma adds.

"So, in other words, we gotta commit the perfect crime?" Kyran inquires unsurely.

"After a period of investigation of the homicide, you all must debate your reasonings in a.... wait for it.... trial!" Monokuma elaborates, "the trial format is loosely based on parliamentary procedure!"

𝗘-𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞: 𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗦 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗟𝗦

𝐄𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬, 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.

𝐈𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐛𝐞𝐩𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝.

"And by punishment, what do you mean?" Alec cautiously asks Monokuma.

"Hm. I suppose another name for the punishments would be.... 'execution'," Monokuma simplifies.

"You don't mean that, do you?" Draco warily inquires.

"Oh, yes, I do mean exactly that! We're talking electrocution, gas chambers, death by hurricane, which yes, we can make it happen!" Monokuma cheers.

"W-wait! I wanna make sure I understand!" Kyran says, "if we decide incorrectly, then the jury gets executed instead of the killer?"

"Yup! You all get to play judge, jury, and executioner! Proceed with caution!" Monokuma hollers.

"No," Yandere declines, shaking her head, "you can't force us to participate in such a game."

"Hm? You say?" Monokuma inquires.

"As far as I'm concerned, this Mutual Killing Game is nothing more than a childish gimmick. You heard me. I refuse to participate!" Yandere insists, her voice growing more upset by the second.

"Aw, be reasonable!" Monokuma pleads.

"No!" Yandere yells, which takes me aback considering it's rather abnormal compared to her normally lackluster personality, "I'm out of this whole thing! I'm not risking my life in some stupid game!"

"Oh, sweetie! When Monokuma fights, he fights to the last breath! I will crush this rebellion!" Monokuma announces, allowing his sharp claws to extend outwards as he hops down from the stage and starts hurrying towards her.

Each of us take a few steps back again, forming a circle around them, but farther away to avoid being anywhere near close to the danger that might come.

Just as Monokuma gets close to her, she promptly slams her foot on top of him, pushing him to the floor. She keeps him pinned down by stepping on him, "You were saying?"

"Big mistake! Manhandling the principal in any way, shape, or form is strictly forbidden! The rules, remember? I know I warned you about breaking them!" Monokuma shouts, squirming underneath her foot, almost furiously, "activating magic! Save me!"

None of us have time to react.

I freeze. Everyone freezes. I can't even scream. I just stare, eyes wide and jaw dropping in a state of perpetual fear and shock.

The noise echoes throughout the air, filling our ears. The scrape of metal, then followed by a loud squish, it's horrendous.

Numerous spears jut out from the ground, pointing upwards and around in all sorts of directions. Except they all hit the same target: Yandere.

They stab into her body, the crimson color of her blood smeared along the poles. Her eyes widen and her pupils dilate, the remaining strength in her causing her body to shake. Quietly, she coughs out, "This.... this wasn't.... supposed.... to happen...."

After speaking those last words, her eyes roll backwards into her head. Her legs give in and her body goes limp, dropping to the ground. Blood splashes everywhere until forming a large puddle around her body.

There she lays, dead on the floor. Her eyes white and lifeless, her body punctured all over by thick spears, and a large pool of blood pouring from her wounds.

Except, no one screams.

I can't even scream. We gasp and while some of us let out a small yelp, we mostly just stare. Screaming can't describe the horror. To be silent and quiet, that's all we can do. It says more than yelling our lungs out.

"T-this.... t-this is s-so messed u-up!" Evan exclaims, backing away quickly.

"O-oh, n-no...." Valerie yawps out, covering her mouth as her eyes grow so wide they look like they're going to pop out.

"Honestly, I was hoping to avoid any messy situations like that as humanly possible," Monokuma sighs, climbing back up onto the stage and onto his podium, "but when an example is begging to be made, you can't let a bad attitude slide. Now that your situation seems to be sinking in, high stakes are high. Good luck! Get to thinking and investigating because the class trial will be starting soon!"

After saying that, he disappears behind his podium.

𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗜𝗡𝗩𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗚𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡!

My heart feels like it's going to explode. I can't take this. This is insane. It's unreal. It's just... cruel. And that sadistic bear enjoys seeing us suffer and wallow in despair.

I hesitantly walk down the corridors of the school to the dormitories. After Yandere's death, we had decided that we don't have time to mourn their deaths. It's either our lives or theirs, and in short, we must do what we have to do in order to survive. That means disregarding our feelings and investigating.

I pull out my E-Handbook as I walk down the hallway. Upon turning it on, a new screen appears.

𝗘𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗢𝗞𝗨𝗠𝗔 𝗙𝗜𝗟𝗘

𝗣𝗛𝗢𝗧𝗢𝗢𝗙𝗚𝗢𝗟𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗟𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗡𝗫𝗜𝗦𝗗𝗥𝗔𝗪𝗡 𝗜𝗡 𝗕𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗗 𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗙𝗜𝗟𝗘 𝗣𝗛𝗢𝗧𝗢

𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐆𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐞

𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐎𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡: 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐦.

𝐁𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐆𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬. 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐈𝐭𝐬𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐡'𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲, 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐦.

𝐈𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: 𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭. 𝐈𝐧 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬, 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭'𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧.

𝐂𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐎𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡: 𝐀 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐩 𝐨𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭.

I keep rereading the file. Whether it's to be trusted or not, it's the only information we have until we investigate. It's by Monokuma, which leaves me hesitant to believe it, but it's the only chance we have at getting anywhere.

As I approach the dorm, I grow even more uneasy. They think I'm the killer. They think I'm the murderer of Gold. And it's all because she was found in my room, not hers.

But I'm not the killer. I know I'm not. But only two other people know that, and one of them is dead.

I make my way to the dorm room, and reluctantly enter. The room really is in a ransacked manner. Slashes along the walls, furniture knocked over and also slashed, and the main event: the body in the shower room.

Evelyn is crouched down, running her finger along the carpeted floors of the room. Her eyes are narrowed and it seems like bothering her wouldn't be wise.

I walk past her and stand in the doorway of the shower room, looking down at Gold's body.

She's leaned against the wall, her legs bent outwards in a 'W' position. A kitchen knife has been plunged into her stomach, stuck in it like it's the Sword in the Stone.

Her eyes are closed. Thank God, because I don't think I could handle this entire thing if I had to look into her lifeless eyes.

The blood coming from her stomach wound is poured out all around her torso, dripping down to the floor. A small line of blood dripped down from her lip to her chin. There's even splashes and wipes of blood on the walls of the room.

𝗘𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗧𝗛𝗕𝗨𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗧𝗦