It’s early morning, a chilling mist fills the camp grounds just like the day these 20 campers found themselves in this unfamiliar place. A few of the students seem to be up and about, while most seem to still be resting in the confines of their cabins. It had been a mere 3 days since the initial startling events. As those days had passed by uneventfully, the students got acquainted with one another. Some more so than others...
But as the 4th day began, the sun slowly peaking up above the mountains, something new occurred. The camp’s loudspeakers suddenly crackled to life.
“Ah, Mike check! Mike check! Is this thing on?”
A loud and obnoxious sounding voice filled the camp.
“Goooooood morning campers! This is your campmaster speaking, here to make an important announcement! Get your butts in gear and gather at the camp square for a mandatory camp orientation! Don’t keep your campmaster waiting!”
And just as suddenly as it had come, the brief announcement ended. One by one, students began to gather at the camp square. Some, taking a seat near the campfire pit, others milled about aimlessly. Those that had not already been jarred awake by the noise, were quickly rounded up by their resident SHSL Class President, and soon all were in attendance. And it wasn’t long after that, that something happened.
“Hello hello! Sorry to keep you all waiting!”
A chipper voice rang through the crowd of gathered campers. The same one that had spoken to them not too long ago on the loud speakers. Everyone quickly glanced around for the source of the voice before one Kazuya Sato points out the source. The top of the flagpole.
“Took you all long enough to notice!”
With a single leap and a flip, the strange looking bear landed with ease and leisurely made its way towards the crowd.
“But I’ll cut you all some slack! I’m a benevolent campmaster after all, upupu~”
“I’m Monokuma and as you all should know by now, I am the campmaster of this camp!”
There are many variations of reactions ranging from plain shock and confusion, to those who would still believe that this is all the work of extraterrestrials. Many however began to talk among themselves, questioning the legitimacy of the situation due to many reasons. One, this was a walking talking stuffed animal. Two, wasn’t it supposed to be a camp director rather than campmaster?
“Hey you little bastards! Did I stutter!? I said, I’m the campmaster! Now shut your pie holes and listen up!”
With a few more grumbles and an overall wary attitude, silence once again returned, save for a few of the more restless students. Good enough.
“Ahem. Well, now it’s time to get to our Camp Despair official orientation! From now on, you all will be campers here at our wonderful camp. Indefinitely!”
“Upupu... Ahahahaha!! You should all see the look on all of your faces! And I haven’t even gotten to the best part yet! From now on I’d like to formally announce the beginning of this wonderful mutual killing school camping trip!”
A hush finally falls on the crowd. What did that thing just say? Killing? How absurd, was this all for real? And at that, the black and white bear merely chuckled sinisterly.
“What? You think this is all a joke? Think you can just run away? Ooooh, booo hooo! Mommy, Daddy please someone come rescue us! Hah, fat chance! You’re all going to be stuck here until somebody kills. It doesn’t matter how ya do it. Stab ‘em, choke ‘em, throw ‘em off a cliff, it doesn’t matter. I wanna see some bloodshed and despair! Lots and lots of it! So... don’t think you bastards are going to get off easy.”
“Now that that’s settled, let’s get to the rules of this fine establishment. I might be a bloodthirsty bear, but that doesn’t mean I’m a lawless one! Now, take a look at your electronic IDs. You should all have gotten one on your personage somewhere. Along with that being the key to your cabins, it serves many other purposes. Simply find the rules button on the touch screen and you should find all you need to know! Explaining them each is too much of a hassle, so look ‘em over in your own time. Make sure you follow each and one of those rules. Or else I’ll have to punish you, and that won’t be much fun. For you that is.”
And with a satisfied huff, Monokuma turns to leave, but stops as if he’d remembered something important.
“Oh yeah, and remember what I said about running away? I’d advise you all to stay within the confines of the camp. That is... If you don’t want to become beast chow. Upupupu~”
And with that, the campmaster was gone. Leaving the campers to deal with their new mutual killing lives. Potential friends were now potential enemies. And worse yet, were the parting words from Monokuma. What lurked deep in the forests beyond the camp? Was this really how things were going to be? They could only hope for the best...
