Sixteen students enroll at Hope's Retribution Institute, where only Germany's most talented are admitted. But when Monokuma arrives, things go awry. Bloodshed! Betrayal! Distrust! In this game of mutual killing, some will do anything if their freedom is on the line.
Cast[]
Male[]
Cesar Romero - Ultimate Painter - 5'8" - Rumor has it that this foreign student's masterpieces litter the walls of the Chancellor's office. He's also revered by many of Germany's women for his charming demeanor.
Alois Weiss - Ultimate Drum Major - 5'8" - Cheerful and optimistic, Alois leads one of the world's finest marching bands. Although he is the Ultimate Drum Major, he is also an astounding pianist.
Erwyn Weber - Ultimate Illusionist - 5'3" - This boy dazzles his audience, showing them things that make even the most rational people question reality. Some say that he's living proof that magic exists.
Klaus Chevrolet - Ultimate Arachnologist - 5'10" - Arachnophobia is a common fear, but the entire idea of it is odd to Klaus. Why are people afraid of such incredible beings? Chevrolet may give off an eerie vibe, but he means well. Or does he?
Theodore Sigmund - Ultimate Lawyer - 5'7" - They say lawyers have no heart. Theodore is proof of that. He is the living embodiement of seriousness. Despite this, none can deny that he is flawless at what he does; he once won a case defending a young girl who was almost certainly going to be sentenced to death for murders she did not commit.
Stefan Gerhardt - Ultimate Surgeon - 5'11" - Stefan has become known as one of the greatest surgeons of all time, having saved countless lives at the mere age of 17. He's intelligent, caring and easy to be friends with.
Walter Valentine - Ultimate Butler - 5'9" - Everything about him says "professional". Not very surprising, considering he is the Ultimate Butler. The title seems strange, but it's completely true. Walter has worked for many of Germany's most influential officials.
Dietrich Godfrey - Ultimate Tailor - 5'7" - Tailoring is his talent; Godfrey brand clothing has skyrocketed to the top of the market. Those who can afford his products are envied by their peers. It's even said that the president of the United States wears them to formal events.
Female[]
Adeline Ritter - Ultimate Football Star - 5'6" - Some may find it hard to believe that this flirtatious, outgoing girl has carried Germany to countless victories in the past few years. Her fans believe that she will eventually surpass Messi and go on to become one of the greatest football players of all time.
Heidi Baum - Ultimate Diplomat - 5'7" - Sixteen years old and already a foreign ambassador for Russia. Sounds impossible, right? In this case, no. Heidi Baum is charming and persuasive, someone who might be able to make someone jump off a bridge just by telling them to.
Charlotte Klein - Ultimate Doll Maker - 5'5" - If there's one word that those who have met her would describe her with, it would be "unsettling". Some say if you stare in her cold, dead eyes for too long, you'll turn to stone.
Remy Jordan - Ultimate Barista - 5'8" - This bubbly girl can walk into a room and immediately make friends. Not just because of her personality, but also due to the fact that she usually has a few drinks with her. Oddly enough, despite being the Ultimate Barista, she does not drink what she makes.
Victoria Luther - Ultimate Ice Skater - 5'6" - This artist is just as cold as the ice she skates on. During interviews, she hides behind a mask of friendliness; but in reality, she's the far opposite.
Justine Roth - Ultimate Comedian - 5'7" - Justine is a comedy prodigy; rumor has it that one man in the United Kingdom actually died from laughter after watching one of her shows.
Karoline Schäffer - Ultimate Botanist - 5'10" - She is the botanist responsible for countless breakthroughs and discoveries in the world of plants. However, a life of isolation has left her with a bit of social anxiety.
Amelia Sommer - Ultimate Dancer - 5'8" - Beautiful, elegant and talented... It's easy to see why this girl is the Ultimate Dancer. Young dancers all over the globe look up to her as a role model.
Pictures[]
Prologue[]
"Have you ever been in bed, eyes closed, and suddenly feel like you're falling? As if your bed has been lifted high into the sky? I'm sure you know what feeling I'm talking about.
Well, that's pretty much all I felt when I entered Hope's Retribution Institute. Falling, then cold. An icy cold, one that crawls up your skin, making you feel unexplainably terrified.
Hope's Retribution Institute is Germany' school for the talented. Well, that's an understatement. It's a school for the extremely talented. The best of the best. You don't enroll in this school. They seek you out themselves. The alumni always go off to become overwhelmingly successful. After all, once you graduate from this school you're "set for life."
And there I was, walking through its gates. Almost immediately, from what I can remember, my vision went black. Then falling. Then cold.
Who am I?
Well, I'm Dietrich Godfrey. The Ultimate Tailor. And you are...?"
...
...
"Oh, it's nice to meet you too. I guess you want me to tell you everything that happened from then on?"
...
"Okay, here goes."
Chapter One: Can You Feel the Despair?[]
Daily Life[]
... What?
What...happened?
I sat up, rubbing my head. Though my vision was blurred, I could tell that this was obviously no place I recognized. "Hello? Is anyone there? Where am I?"
My vision began to clear. Before me was a hallway, lined with gold-trimmed maroon carpet, the walls an ash gray. "Someone, please. Tell me where I am." I began to walk down the hall, towards the door that waited at the end. Then I heard noises coming from the other side. I sprinted the exit, pressing my ear against it.
Those weren't any noises. They were voices.
I continued to listening, picking out bits and pieces of the conversation. "...no way out...scared...unbelievable..." Then, I heard what I believed to be sobbing.
Whoever's on the other side of this door might know what's going on. I took a deep breath and turned the brass doorknob. I didn't know what to expect. Government agents? A group of terrorists, guns aimed at the door?
I was relieved to discover that it was a group of people who looked to be around my age. When the door opened, everything went silent and I counted fifteen pairs of eyes staring into my soul. A "H-Hello." is all I could manage. The room remained silent. Finally, after an excruciatingly long ten seconds, a girl with short light brown hair and dark green eyes waved. "Hiya! Are you a student too?"
Remy Jordan | ULTIMATE BARISTA
I nodded, gulping a bit and shutting the door behind me. "Yes I am. I'm Dietrich Godfrey. Did you all wake up here, too?"
Another girl, this one with a waterfall of blond hair, was the next to speak. "Yes, that is correct. We all have the same story. Entered Hope's Retribution, blacked out, woke up here."
Heidi Baum | ULTIMATE DIPLOMAT
"Mucho gusto en conocerte, Señor Godfrey. It seems you are in the same hopeless situation that we are in." A boy at the front of the crowd extended his hand, and I shook it.
Cesar Romero | ULTIMATE PAINTER
I frowned, scanning the room. Two doors were on both the right and left wall, and a large gate was on the back one. Clearly an exit of some sorts. "Why can't we see what's behind these doors? There might be a way out."
Vivid green eyes narrowed at me, and a boy wearing a neat button-up, vest, and tie laughed. "Do you really think we're that daft? We tried all of them. They're all locked."
Walter Valentine | ULTIMATE BUTLER
"No need to be rude, Walter! He was only trying to help!" A girl with curly brown hair scolded the other student, then turned her gaze to me. "But he's right. We're stuck in here."
Adeline Ritter | ULTIMATE FOOTBALL STAR
A boy wearing gray shorts and a white t-shirt with the words 'Drum Major Pride' emblazoned across it clapped his hands together. "We won't be getting out any time soon with an attitude like that, gal!"
Alois Weiss | ULTIMATE DRUM MAJOR
"I like his attitude!" The brown haired girl who first spoke to me beamed. The girl next to her, however, did not seem to feel the same way.
"How can you all be so damn enthusiastic? It sickens me. We're trapped in the middle of whoknowswhere, with no way out. For Christ's sake, the windows back in the hallway were barred shut!"
Victoria Luther | ULTIMATE ICE SKATER
That sent shivers down my spine. The windows were barred? I didn't notice that.
"Well, Victoria. Enthusiasm is all we have right now. Unless you have any better ideas, remaining optimistic is our best bet." A girl brushed her hand through her chestnut hair.
Justine Roth | ULTIMATE COMEDIAN
"Shut up, you overweight snob." Victoria crossed her arms, staring daggers at her. The other girl winced, but did not respond.
"Victoria! That was uncalled for! Apologize to her at once." A girl wearing a denim jacket and a long maroon skirt ran to the chestnut haired girl and comforted her.
Amelia Sommer | ULTIMATE DANCER
"Excuse me, bitch? I'll say whatever I want!" The ice skater reared back her hand, but a boy behind her grabbed it before she could throw a punch.
"Calm down, everyone. I'm not going to sew you up if you hurt each other." He turned to me. "Sorry about all this. She's been like this ever since we got here."
Stefan Gerhardt | ULTIMATE SURGEON
Victoria rolled her eyes, yanked her hand from the auburn haired kid and crossed her arms.
"Oh, my..." A pale boy kneeled down, staring at a crack in the wall. "How fascinating."
Heidi went to investigate. "What're you looking at? It's just a cra-- OHMYGODWHATTHEHELLISTHAT?!" She ran back and hid behind Adeline.
The boy put his hand against the wall, allowing what was in there to crawl on to his arm. Then I realized what it was. A black widow. My blood ran cold. Was this kid insane?
Klaus Chevrolet | ULTIMATE ARACHNOLOGIST
"Don't be so afraid; it's fears you more than you think." He picked up the widow, moving it to his other arm. It continued to crawl around curiously.
"O-Oh hell no!" Stefan backed away. "That thing can put you in a hospital bed, pal."
"I'm fine, relax. He doesn't see me as a threat; spiders don't bite for the joy of biting, you know. Actually, I think he likes me." The spider retreated to its hole once again, and the arachnid boy stood up.
"Am I the only one who thinks he's creepy? I can't be the only one." Victoria, once again unable to keep her mouth shut.
"I dunno. I thought that was pretty cool..." Murmured the dark haired girl sitting in the back of the room. Her gray and black striped turtleneck had a picture of a smiling "Raggedy Ann" doll.
Charlotte Klein | ULTIMATE DOLL MAKER
"Well, now that everything is settled, why don't we get back to what we were doing prior to the newbie's arrival?" A shorter boy with ash blond hair spoke for the first time since I'd entered the room.
Erwyn Weber | ULTIMATE ILLUSIONIST
"Yes, I agree with the tiny one. If we want to make any progress, we mustn't idle. We're simply wasting time." A tall kid wearing a clean black suit looked away from whatever it was he was investigating.
Theodore Sigmund | ULTIMATE LAWYER
"H-Hey! I have a name!" The "tiny one" protested.
"Ha. I'm sure you do." Theodore raised an eyebrow, staring at a wall. No, not just a wall. A hole, about the size of a human fist. "Come look at this. I'm afraid we are not alone."
The only one who had yet to speak was the first to respond, curiously approaching the hole. She pressed her eye against it and jumped back almost immediately. "That's... um... a camera. I'm not sure if it's on, though. Or maybe it is. Like I said, I'm not sure..." Her voice trailed off, and she gave a nervous laugh before stepping back and allowing Amelia to investigate.
Karoline Schäffer | ULTIMATE BOTANIST
"Ah, yes. That is a camera. So you think we're being watched? Like Karoline said, how do we know if it's even on?"
"Well, there's a red light in the top left corner. I believe that means it's on. I think it's safe to say that our being here is no 'accident.'"
"We're being observed through that camera, you say?" Alois thought for a moment. "Maybe talking to whoever is on the other end will do any good. I know, I know; it sounds like nonsense. But we're all out of options here." The drum major let Amelia move to the side and tapped lightly on the security camera. "Hellooooo, anyone there? I'm Alois Weiss, supposed to be a student at Hope's Retribution Institute. These are the other students. Please tell us why we're here or let us out."
No response.
"Well, it was worth a s--" His voice was cut off by a rumbling sound. Then the floor began to shake, knocking a good bit of the students off of their feet. A few seconds passed and the shaking ceased.
Remy stood up, rubbing her head. "is everyone okay? What was that shaking all about?"
"Aha! The young hombre's plan worked after all!" Cesar placed his hand on one of the doorknobs of the large double doors. This time, it turned with a *click*. He pushed it open, and before us was...
An empty room.
Well, almost empty. There was a dusty wooden stage in the back of the room. But aside from that, nothing.
"What a shame," said Cesar with a sigh. We pooled into the room.
Justine immediately went for the stage. The wood creaked beneath her, and she left footprints in the thick layer of dust. "This is pretty old... How is it still standing?"
I glanced around the room. Was there really nothing in here? I ran my hand over the concrete walls. I don't know what I expected to find; a hidden switch, a compartment...
Adeline clapped her hands together. "So this was entirely pointless! Back to square one, I suppose!"
"Not quite."
A voice we had yet to hear boomed through the room. The door behind us slammed shut, nearly hitting Karoline. Everything went silent. Some of the others shot each other nervous glances; I caught Remy looking in my direction, a confused look on her face.
"Good eeeeeevening, students! I am Hisan, and I will be your teacher!" Finally, we realized that the voice was coming from the stage. Justine ran off and joined the crowd, her skin much paler than before.
And that's when we saw him.
It suddenly appeared out of nowhere. This half-red-half-white thing that resembled a stuffed animal. Hisan. Or, at least, that's who he claimed to be.
Everyone stood there, staring at it in awe. A walking, talking stuffed animal. Hisan tapped his chin. "My, my, my. You all act as if you've seen a ghost!"
"A-Am I the only one seeing this? A talking teddy bear. Oh, surely I'm dreaming," stammered Walter.
"Teddy bear? I'm offended! I'm a dog, dear sir!" He lifted his floppy ears and let them fall back to his head, as if proving his point.
Though everyone else was terrified, Charlotte did not seem bothered by him. Rather, her expression was one of fascination. She approached Hisan and kneeled down. "What're you made of, satin?" She ran her hand around his body.
"Ahahaha! See? The ladies simply can't keep their hands off of me!" Hisan paused. "Ahem. Yes, satin. Satin and despair!"
Charlotte stood up, crossed her arms, and returned to the other side of the room as if nothing had happened. A moment of silence passed; everyone was too afraid to speak. Finally, Victoria broke it. "Could you tell us why we're here? I have a competition I have to go to at the end of the week. My fans are counting on me to make it."
"Oh, all will be clear once the headmaster arrives! But until then, why don't I go ahead and hand out your school supplies?" He conjured up a large paper bag and dumped the contents in front of the group. "These are your Mono-Books, and they are super important! Don't lose them!"
School supplies? So my suspicions were correct. We were standing in Hope's Retribution Institute. Was everything that happened so far some weird entrance exam?
I snapped out of deep thought to see that only one handbook remained. Everyone else had grabbed theirs, so this one must've been mine. I picked it up. Sure enough, Dietrich Godfrey was engraved on the back of the electronic tablet.
"On these Mono-Books you will find many essential tools and documents. There's a map of the school, information about each and every student, a list of rules and regulations, and I've even gone out of my way to install a few games on there! Who here likes games?"
No one responded.
"Yeesh. Tough crowd. Anyway, just sit tight until the h-- Oh, here he is! Everyone welcome Headmaster Monokuma!" Hisan pulled out a party popper, sending a tiny amount of confetti into the air.
The ground began to shake once again, and when a few seconds passed, another plush animal had appeared next to the first. This one was black and white, with a red eye on one half of his monochromatic body and a smile that sent shivers down my spine.
"Upupu, Hisan! You're too kind!" He cleared his throat. "Hello, students. As your wonderful teacher said, I am the headmaster of this institute- Headmaster Monokuma!"