Danganronpa: Puppets String

{Authors note: Sorry for the shorter chapter today, will release another tomorrow to make up for the shorter chapter. I just have some things I need to do so I don't have a whole lot of time to write today. Again for the few readers I am certain I have I am sorry for the shorter chapter.}

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 But for as heavy as the air felt, all it took to pierce it was her sharp words.

Kyoko - So? What are you going to do now? Just stand around glaring at each other?

 Her pointed comment was directed at everyone in the room. It helped pull us all back to reality.

Kiyotaka - R-Right... She's right! Sometimes, even if you're nervous or afraid, you just have to step forward! To forget such a simple fact... I can't forgive myself. I'm so ashamed! Please, someone hit me! I can't forgive myself! Somebody hit me! Punish me!

Mondo - Jesus. If you have time to yell about it, you have time to DO something about it.

Hifumi - Perhaps, but... what is the mission, exactly?

Leon - Idiot! To look for a way out, duh!

Junko - And we totally need to find whoever was controlling that stupid bear and beat the hell out of 'em.

Chihiro - ...B-But before we do all that, maybe we should take a look at the handbook. It's probably best to check out the school regulations Monokuma mentioned before doing anything else.

Celeste - True. If we stumble around with no clue what the rules are, something like that might happen again...

Mondo - Shit...

Junko - Fine. Then let's hurry up and check out the stupid rules already.

 After turning on my e-Handbook, the first thing that appeared was my name. So just like Monokuma said, the owner's name showed up front and center. Then, from the Main Menu that popped up, I selected the School Regulations icon. An itemised list appeared on-screen. It was the school regulations. In other words, the rules being imposed on us all. Students may reside only within the school. Leaving campus is an unacceptable use of time.

 "Nighttime" is from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Some areas are off-limits at night, so please exercise caution.

 Sleeping anywhere other than the dormitory will be seen as sleeping in class and punished accordingly.

 With minimal restrictions, you are free to explore Hope's Peak Academy at your discretion.

 Violence against Headmaster Monokuma is strictly prohibited, as is destruction of surveillance cameras.

 Anyone who kills a fellow student and becomes "blackened" will graduate, unless they are discovered.

 Additional school regulations may be added as necessary.

 Feeling a slight dizziness, I raised my face up from the screen. As I looked around, I saw the same stormy expression on everyone's faces.

Mondo - This is bullshit! What the hell kinda rules are these!? I'm not gonna let them control ME!

Celeste - Well then, why don't you wander around the school without a care in the world and see what happens? Personally, I would love to see what happens when someone breaks one of the rules.

Hifumi - But if he got punished like what we saw before, I don't think there'd be a respawn waiting for him...

Mondo - ...

Mondo - I... Ever since I was a kid, I grew up with my older brother pounding this into my head... When a man makes a promise, he has to keep it, even if it kills him.

Junko - ...So what?

Mondo - I've made a ton of promises that I still have to keep, that's "so what"! So I can't afford to die in here!

Celeste - None of that made much sense to me, but you are saying you will follow the regulations, is that it?

Mondo - Huh? Oh, well... yeah, I guess you're right.

Sayaka - Hey, um... I have a question. For regulation number six... what do you think it means exactly?

 Anyone who kills a fellow student and becomes "blackened" will graduate, unless they are discovered.

Malachi - You're talking about the second half, right? Where it says "unless they are discovered"? I was wondering about that myself.

Byakuya - It's saying that if you want to graduate, you have to kill someone without anyone finding out it was you.

Toko - B-But why...? Why do we h-have to do that?

Byakuya - I don't see any reason to worry about it. Just worry about following the rules as they've been explained to us. Frankly, I don't want to hear anything from someone who waits for others to decide what to do for them.

Toko - D-Don't jab at me...

Leon - More like a full-on stab...

Aoi - Well for now, let's forget all that silly junk about murderers or whatever. Now that we know the rules, let's start exploring the school!

Kiyotaka - True. We need to find out where exactly we are. Is there any way out? What about food and supplies? There are tons of questions we need to answer!

Leon - Damn straight! Okay, then let's all start looking around!

Byakuyua - ...I'll be going alone.

Junko - What!? Why? That's a pretty stupid idea, don't you think?

Byakuya - Someone here might already have started thinking about murdering one of us. Are you saying we should stand around with them in our midst and make it that much easier for them?

Sayaka - W-Wait, hold on a second. That would never-!

Byakuya - Don't bother saying it couldn't happen. You can't deny the possibility. That's why you all seized up with fear when that graduation rule was made clear to you. Am I wrong?

Sayaka - B-But...

Sayaka - ...

Byakuya - So, I'm simply acting in accordance with what I think is best for me.

Mondo - Hold on! Like hell I'm gonna let you run off and do whatever you want!

Byakuya - Out of my way, plankton.

Mondo - Wh-!? The fuck's that supposed to mean!?

Byakuya - One tiny bit of plankton, drifting across the sea.BT - So minuscule, so insignificant, they couldn't possibly have any kind of influence on the boundless ocean.

Mondo - I'm gonna kick your ass!

Malachi - Stop it! We shouldn't fight!

Mondo - The fuck you just say? You some kinda goody-goody little bitch? Who do you think you are, talkin' to me like that? You think you're my fuckin' dad or something!?

Malachi - N-No, I wasn't-!

Shit what a time to not have my puppet strings.

Mondo - Fuck you!

*WHAM*

 He punched me and I flew back in a heap. It was like something straight out of a comic book. I didn't even see the punch coming. It was just suddenly right there in my face. One second I was standing there, the next I was soaring through the air. Now that I think about it, maybe I'd kinda forgotten the kind of people I'd been trapped here with. My common sense had just stopped functioning. Being around all these "ultimates" had blown my fuses. So I guess I shouldn't be surprised it led to something as absurd as this. But I'd just lost track of that sense of reality. That was my last thought as my consciousness started to fade before it finally cut out completely.

 And when I finally opened my eyes again, what I saw was...