Part 5: Prologue, Part 5

: This video will take you from the start of this update to the end of the introductions.

Click here to watch the rest of the introductions!





Those four over there are the only ones left.





: I am Sakura Ogami.



: Voice Actress: Jessica Gee-George

Oh jeez, I almost asked her if she was a guy... The day I say something like that out loud is the day I get turned into a human meatball... But now I remember. She competed in a martial arts tournament in America and won, despite being a girl. She's the Ultimate Martial Artist. She's fought in over 400 matches, and never lost a single one.



That thread also said a bit more about her... Some call her Ogre; some even think she's the closest known relative to the primates--the famed missing link. "Any incoming Hope's Peak students who are reading this, let me warn you right now... If you value your life, avoid her at all costs."



Standing in front of her now, I don't think they were exaggerating about that...



: Hey, you.
: Huh? Y-Yes!?

I snapped to attention without even realizing it. Then she started to poke and prod at my body...

: Um...what are you...?



: Muscular quality and quantity is right around that of an extremely ordinary high school student...



: Hmph. What a shame. You're not at all fit to act as my training partner.

I'm not sure that's such a shame for me...





: Name's Byakuya Togami.



: Voice Actor: Jason Wishnov
: Hi, uh...nice to meet you.
: ...

That's the most half-assed introduction I've ever heard... But there isn't really anything I can do about it. Even among the ultimate students, this one is special. Byakuya Togami... He's the heir apparent of his family's massive financial conglomerate. He's already started managing business operations, and his own personal assets are, well, vast. His title of Ultimate Affluent Progeny is completely accurate. He's the definition of "exceptional." That's everything I learned about him from that Hope's Peak Academy thread online.



: We're done with introductions, right? How much longer are you going to stand there? Go away. I'm sick of looking at you.

His aura says to me, "You and I will never stand on the same level." Like a king in training...





: I'm Yasuhiro Hagakure--Hiro for short! Take it easy, yeah? I know I will!



: Voice Actor: Kaiji Tang

Yasuhiro Hagakure, known as "Supernova" in the psychic community. The trend-setting Ultimate Clairvoyant... Honestly, I don't really get all that fortune-telling stuff. It's pretty much beyond me. Still, I can't help wondering if there's any truth to it.



: Ahh... Okay, I give up.
: Huh? What happened?
: I saw it. I looked right at it... Seriously, I totally saw it!
: ...Saw what?
: A guardian angel with a crazy perm chasing after Bigfoot running off with a skyfish in its mouth. And that guardian angel...is YOUR guardian angel!



: Nah, I'm just kiddin'. But hey, we should grab some brewskis sometime and get real deep into Lemuria and its civilization.
: What? We're not allowed to drink! We're in high school!



: Oh, I'm actually 21. I've been held back a few times, see, and...well, it's a long story.

A few times...? Yeah, I bet that *is* a long story.





: I do not think we have been introduced. I am Celestia Ludenburg.



: Voice Actress: Marieve Herington
: Celestia...Luden...huh?



: Ludenburg. It is my name. But if you don't mind, I would prefer for you to call me Celeste.
: Um...you *are* Japanese, right?



: Of course. Why do you ask?
: If you don't mind...could you tell me your real name?



: Heh-heh. I don't know what you are talking about. Celestia Ludenburg *is* my real name. But as I mentioned, I would much rather you call me Celeste.

She's polite, but pretty forceful at the same time. I don't think she wants to say any more about it... I guess the rumors in that thread were right about her...



The self-styled "Celestia Ludenburg," she's the Ultimate Gambler who's never lost a bet. Other than her obvious love of gothic lolita clothes, everything about her is wrapped in a veil of lies. They say she entered an won an underground gambling tournament, earning the title "Queen of Liars." She totally cleaned out the other players, taking their life savings and laughing as she did it.



: I look forward to getting to know you better.
: Heh-heh-heh...

That smile is beyond deceptive. I'd better watch myself around her...



And with that, all the introductions are done. Hmm... Even though they're all "ultimate," they each have their own individual sort of...um...something.



: Okay, time to get down to business. This is no time to stand around making friends like a bunch of dull-eyed baboons.
: Oh, that's true. I think someone said something about a bigger problem or something? What was that about?



: Well, you see...



: Makoto, you said a bunch of stuff happened and then you were "just asleep," right? Well, the same is true for all of us.
: What? Seriously!?



: Just after each of us got to the main hall, we lost consciousness. And when we came to, we were somewhere here in the school! That's what happened to you right?
: B-But that's just...weird! That every one of us would get knocked out like that...



: Exactly! That's why we're all freakin' out!



: And that's not the only thing. You saw where all the windows in the classes and hallways were, right?



: But instead of normal glass windows, it was a bunch of big metal plates! What's that about!?



: Plus, all my stuff's missing! Even my cellphone...



: Yeah, you're right. I haven't seen my PDA anywhere, either...



: And then there's the main hall here. The front exit is completely blocked by some giant metal hatch.



: But there wasn't anything like that when I first got here...!



: What the heck!? What's it doing there!?



: Maybe we got caught up in some kinda, like, you know...crime or something?



: What, like...a kidnapping? You think maybe someone grabbed us and hauled us off and we're not actually at school?



: Come on, don't think like that. Cheer up! I bet this is all just part of the school's orientation procedure.



: Yeah, I'm sure that's it! So I'm just gonna take it easy for a little bit.



: Oh... So you think they wanted to do something to surprise us?



: Huh. Well if that's all it is, it's nap time for me.



: I was up way too late last night, so I could use a little shuteye.

I could feel everyone's tension evaporating...

But then...it began.



*Ding dong, bing bong*

♪ Music cuts out. ♪





: Ahem! Ahem! Testing, testing! Mike check, one two! This is a test of the school broadcast system! Am I on? Can everyone hear me? Okay, well then...!

The voice seemed totally out of place. It was so playful, so completely unconcerned... I couldn't help but feel a deep, unnerving dread at the sound of it. It was like hearing someone laugh at the scene of an accident.

: Ahh, to all incoming students! I would like to begin the entrance ceremony at...right now! Please make your way to the gymnasium at your earliest convenience. ...That's all. I'll be waiting!





: ...What. The. Hell was that just now?
: Well then, if you'll excuse me... *leaves*



: H-Hey! What, you're gonna take off just like that!?



: Ohh yeah, now I get it! This whole thing was just to get us all pumped for the entrance ceremony!
: Man, thank god it was all a joke. I'd be totally freaked if this was real!
: Alright, guess I'll head out too. Wonder what they got planned for us next... *leaves*
: Damn, I was totally looking forward to that nap too. Why'd they have to go and kill the mood? *leaves*
: W-Wait for me! I wanna go with you! *leaves*
: That is that, then. I will see you all there. *leaves*
: N-Not that anyone cares, but I-I'm gonna go too... *leaves*

Everyone took off for the gym, but I was frozen where I stood. That uneasy feeling I'd had before... I couldn't get it out of my mind. And it looked like I wasn't the only one...



: This...this doesn't seem right.



: Yeah, that announcement was totally weird.



: Maybe, but just staying put doesn't mean we'll be safe. Besides, aren't you guys just a little bit curious to find out what's going on around here?



: If we do not move forward, we learn nothing. The only choice is to push ahead.

I...I guess she's right. But still... I'm kinda--no, really nervous. We don't have a choice. We have to go.

: They said to go to the gym, right?



: Alright so, now we have to make our way over to the gym. But if we want to, a few of the students are still hanging around with us in the entrance hall. We can still talk to them for a few lines from each of them. Let's see what they have to say...















: Additionally, we can examine a few things in the main hall a little bit.



It looks like the kind of thing you'd see in a secret military base or something... This *is* the same main hall I was in before, right? This door definitely wasn't here then, though...



But there's no way that's a real gun...right?

: With that, we leave the area.





: The gym is the big room in the upper left.



: While we can stop and examine the other places like this metal barred staircase, all the messages Makoto gives us basically tell us that we can't explore yet. The gym is the only place we can go.



: Let's go in.





: God, I had no idea this Hope's Peak Academy place was gonna be such a pain in my balls. It really ain't that much different from the time I spent in juvie. Hell, this place is even worse!



: And why isn't there anyone here? Walking through the halls, I didn't see a single person...



: Isn't that like, seriously not good?



: Th-They're just trying to spook us! They'll take those metal plates down later, I'm sure of it...



: All we can do now is hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.



: Well hell, it ain't like I'm scared or nothin'. Let's just get this over with!
: Hey! Where's whoever called us here!? *leaves*
: Mondo, stop! No running! *leaves*
: I too shall go. *leaves*
: H-Hey, wait! Don't leave me here all alone! *leaves*
: Okay, time for some more tutorial action! You can press the Triangle button to observe the room you're in. Observing will display what people and objects you can interact with. Sorry for the late notice!



: Still a few people haven't entered the gym. We'll see what they have to say in a moment but first... Observation is a very useful mechanic when in a room. When you press the Triangle button:



Everything you can interact with will become highlighted with a circle. Blue circles are objects in the room, pink circles are people you can talk to. You should make extensive use of this when in a new area so that you don't miss anything. For example, that display case is highlighted, so we can examine it further.



Of course, all the students who go here are ultimate, right? So this is probably just a tiny fraction of all their awards.

: Of course, the others have a few things to say too.







Total silence... For whatever reason, she's the only one managing to stay calm. Or maybe I'm just imagining that...



: With that, we will see what awaits us in the gym next time.