Fanganronpa: Epigone

Chapter One- A Kin's Will to Live

"Is this part of the ceremony?"

Masaru looked over at Mizuno who had asked him the question.

"Yeah, I'm going back to my room," Umeda said but the bear quickly spoke again.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you!"

Just then, the doors to the gym shut themselves closed and there was a loud click. Umeda and Arata both ran over to try and open them but there was no use.

"Is this some sort of joke?" Nao scoffed, "I came here for my education, not entertainment."

"I see," Matsuyama said softly then looked up at the bear, "are you supposed to be Monokuma?"

The bear fell silent and Kaneko tilted her head.

"I feel like I've heard that name before," she spoke.

"I think he's referring to that folktale," Priscilla said, "about the killing games and the end of the world."

"News flash," Asya countered and checked her reflection in her pocket mirror, "that wasn't real."

"Of course it was real!" Monokuma shouted which startled everyone, "it's exactly why I'm doing this."

"Couldn't you have saved this for Halloween?" Nao said, "or better yet, go post your creepy theories on one of those websites."

Kaneko chuckled at that and Masaru saw the bear flinch.

"This is such a waste of time," Margot muttered, "just open the doors."

"I don't think you understand," Monokuma said calmly, "you're not going anywhere."

"What do you mean?" Herb asked, nervously.

"Don't worry about it, this is just a prank," Shoji told Herb then went to go help Umeda and Arata break down the doors.

Everyone else followed except for Masaru, Mizuno, Toma, Matsuyama, and Priscilla who stood still.

"I don't think you should do that," Matsuyama said but it was already too late because the roof rumbled before two objects were lowered from it.

Without warning, bullets started flying towards the group of students near the gym doors and everyone ducked for cover. There were screams and yelps as everyone fled back to the front of the stage and only then did the bullets stop.

Masaru stood up from his crouch and saw that a few students had actually been grazed; especially Umeda who was holding his bleeding shoulder.

"This is gonna be harder than I thought," Monokuma said to himself, "you kids just don't listen."

"What was that!?" Winona shrieked.

"I'm gonna spice things up and call them my blasty helpers!" Monokuma answered.

"Looks more like gatling guns to me," Masaru said, glancing at the barrels.

"I said they're my blasty helpers!" Monokuma turned his attention to everyone else who was still shaken up. "Well, I think we're all ready to listen, yeah?"

"Is this real?" Seto whispered and looked over at Nao who had been grazed in the leg.

"As real as it'll ever be, baby!"

"You're sick!" Asya shouted at the bear, "if this is a prank then you've gone too far. Someone call the cops!"

Everyone began to feel around their person only to realize they had nothing on them except the clothes on their backs.

Monokuma laughed at their attempt. "Call the cops? Now that's a funny one!" The bear disappeared behind the podium and a second later he reappeared with several iPads in his hands.