>>2002343

Hess breaks the silence that has descended on the courtroom. "We're not gonna lose."
Scarlet tilts his head slightly. "Huh?"
"I said we aren't gonna lose to you. I just realized what this game is."
"Oh, have you?"
"I was thinking this was a competitive game, and you were the DM, but... the way you acted in the trial, I realized that this is an asymmetrical game. It's all of us against you, and we aren't gonna lose!"
"Are you sure about that? After all. one of you might try to become the Blackened again-"
"No. I will not allow any more defectors from my group. Friend Hess and I will make sure of that."
"Oh boy, two self-proclaimed leaders! How scary? But... are you sure you want to be leaders? That didn't work out so well for your last one..."
"Friend Botha was being foolish, but I have the power of the star guides on my side. Failure is impossible with the transmission of their wisdom."
"Well, we'll just see about that..."

Your mind's been turning what you just saw... that execution... over and over in your mind. There's something about it...

>Say nothing
>Why did you give him hope?
>Why so plain?
>Where's Monokuma?

>>2002350
>>Why so plain?
>>Where's Monokuma?

Let's bust his balls a bit. At least get some small revenge out of this.

>>2002350
>>Why so plain?
Force down the bile in our gut, the ache of our heart, and the throbbing pain in our mind. Tear apart the execution and leave no second of it uncriticized.
>We've sat through better murderporn sludge than what we've just witnessed, where even the dull special effects were more riveting than the predictable ironic protagonist death. I mean deadliest catch? Really Scarlet was that all you could think of? I wouldn't let the microphone boy read through this pathetic excuse of a D-grade horror movie climax.

>>2002350
>Why so plain?

I can't really articulate the difference, but it just felt like Monokuma's executions were more... sincere? Like, each one was methodically tailored to the individual it was inflicted upon. They were brutal and inescapable and didn't offer even a chance of escape, they were designed to inflict despair. Conversely, Scarlet just seems to have thought to himself, 'Well, he's a fisherman right?' and not thought into ot any deeper than that. He went for macimum gore and shock value rather than intrinsic meaning.

>>2002369
>>2002398
>>2002399
You force your heart back down into your chest and raise your voice.
"Uninspired. Totally uninspired."
You feel the eyes of the rest of the group turn on you.
"Excuse me?"
"I've read about the Killing Games before. Previously, they were calculated, precise, and ironic. But this? Your thought process started and stopped with 'he's a fisherman'. You tried to use shock and gore to make up for the fact that you didn't know a thing about the person you killed. In addition, you seem to lack... any sort of sophisticated technology. The sophistication of the masterminds behind the previous Killing Games, Izuru Kamakura and Junko Eno-"
"DON'T SAY THOSE NAMES TO MY FACE! YOU AREN'T WORTHY TO SPEAK THEM!"
Scarlet's hands tighten on his desk, and his normally smug voice seethes with genuine anger.
"I don't care what you think, you jumped-up pile of pretension! [Sure, maybe I don't have as many resources as she did, but I am her true inheritor! A new age of despair will begin by my hand! Now... just... leave! Have to fix this err-"

The monitor flickers off, and you're left in cold silence. You get up, one by one, and shuffle out of the courtroom back to the dorms. You collapse onto your bed, shaking, and your memory fails you...

File: 1503793323616.jpg (30 KB, 400x400)

30 KB JPG

>>2002491
BLOWN THE FUCK OUT
Hope: 1
Despair: 0

>>2002369
Supporting.

>>2002418
That's deliberate, I'm fairly certain. OP mentioned it.

>>2002491
>letting his smug evil mastermind façade break that easily over a stuck up kinographer's comments

Scarlet may have made a mistake in kidnapping Albert Whiney.

>>2002505
Ahhh, I feel good about ourselves right now!

File: Mirai.png (547 KB, 1366x768)

547 KB PNG

BOOTING SYSTEM... RUNNING DIAGNOSTICS... ALL SYSTEMS NORMAL. FUTURE FOUNDATION 5TH DIVISION ANALYTICS COMPUTER ONLINE. WELCOME, DIRECTOR KIRIGIRI. YOU HAVE 5 NEW MESSAGES (2 URGENT). READ Y/N?

>Read "7th Division Information security report" first
>Read "6th Division: New York raid" first
>Read "Joint operation group BANDERSNATCH: GLOAMING WOOD incident (URGENT)" first
>Read "4th Division: psychiatric examination of Toko Fukawa" first
>Read "5th Division agent WHISTLER fact-finding report: Madrid (URGENT)" first

>>2002570
>>Read "Joint operation group BANDERSNATCH: GLOAMING WOOD incident (URGENT)" first

>>2002570
>Read "5th Division agent WHISTLER fact-finding report: Madrid (URGENT)" first
I don't like the idea of saving the thing labeled "urgent" for last.

File: 1496935969260.jpg (102 KB, 800x800)

102 KB JPG

>>2002491
Top KEK

>>2002570
>>Read "5th Division agent WHISTLER fact-finding report: Madrid (URGENT)" first
That's where Albert was when he got kidnapped, right?

>>2002570
>Read "5th Division agent WHISTLER fact-finding report: Madrid (URGENT)" first

>>2002610
>>2002623
>>2002636
"Arrived on site at 8PM local time: the 12th Division's repair efforts have gone splendidly: most of the major historical and cultural sites have been repaired so well that one can hardly tell that Incident Zero even happened. After exchanging customary pleasantries with our counterparts in the CNI and the local FF liaison, we began our work.
Initial investigation indicated that Wiene was kidnapped by the Galician mafia for ransom, according to a message sent to the film producers. However, the odds that an organized criminal group would be able to kidnap a renowned film director from his shoot trailer on a crowded set without anyone noticing a thing is obviously next to zero. Further investigation, however, has shown that the trailer itself was altered shortly before the kidnapping by an unknown party, claiming to be working for the production company, in order to facilitate the kidnapping: multiple vents for a sedating areosol were installed throughout the trailer, and a hidden compartment was added, such that a person could move into or out of the trailer without using the door. This is likely how Wiene was kidnapped. Efforts to trace the unknown party have led to a network of dummy organizations and companies, which have led back to Sanford Industrial and Robotics; a manufacturing firm located in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Requesting your authorization to execute a raid of the facility in cooperation with the 6th Division."

You sign off on the authorization: whoever is behind this must be stopped at all costs.

>Read "7th Division Information security report" first
>Read "6th Division: New York raid" first
>Read "Joint operation group BANDERSNATCH: GLOAMING WOOD incident (URGENT)" first
>Read "4th Division: psychiatric examination of Toko Fukawa" first

>>2002773
>Read "6th Division: New York raid"

>>2002773
>Read "Joint operation group BANDERSNATCH: GLOAMING WOOD incident (URGENT)" first

>>2002773
>>Read "7th Division Information security report" first

>>2002773
>Read "Joint operation group BANDERSNATCH: GLOAMING WOOD incident (URGENT)" first

>>2002773
>>Read "Joint operation group BANDERSNATCH: GLOAMING WOOD incident (URGENT)" first

>>2002799
>>2002838
>>2002870
WARNING: the following information is classified ABOVE TOP SECRET; reading the following document without clearance level ABSOLUTE is a violation of internal policy and will lead to prosecution.

BANDERSNATCH group filing an emergency incident report: the airspace cordon of site GLOAMING WOOD was violated two days ago by multiple unknown objects. Said objects had advanced stealth capabilities that prevented RADAR detection until objects performed a pass over GLOAMING WOOD landmass. Interceptor drones devised by BANDERSNATCH principal SCARLET SNAPPER in cooperation with support of subjects trained by principal FANTASY CONTRAST led to the destruction of two UFOs and the capture of a third; however, at least one was confirmed to escape.
Analysis by on-site BANDERSNATCH engineers and SCARLET SNAPPER indicate that UFOs were a sophisticated drone model of unknown manufacture: a camera unit with high-power magnification and IR functionality was installed on the underside of the drone. A transceiver device installed in the drone indicates that it was being remotely controlled. It is unknown what party was seeking to gather information on GLOAMING WOOD or the subjects of BANDERSNATCH, but all efforts must be taken to locate and detain them for information security purposes (especially pursuant for cover story DOUBLEHEADER).

>Read "7th Division Information security report"
>Read "6th Division: New York raid"
>Read "4th Division: psychiatric examination of Toko Fukawa"
>Finish

>>2002924
>Read "6th Division: New York raid"

>>2002924
>>Read "6th Division: New York raid"

>>2002924
>>Read "6th Division: New York raid"

>>2002924
>>>Read "6th Division: New York raid"

>>2002924
>>Read "6th Division: New York raid"

>>2002932
>>2002938
>>2002981
>>2002992
>>2003066
6th Division 16th Strike Group after-action report for OPERATION BLUE HORIZON:
The target, a small compound located in the south of Manhattan Island in the former New York City area, was located by aerial drone surveillance: approximately 50 enemy combatants were observed engaging in live-fire drills, the construction of explosive, and the production of RoD propaganda and iconography. The state authorities were contacted, and permission was cleared for a capture-and-reform operation.
All hostiles were successfully disabled by a combination of conventional agents and members of the reformed UTF unit (disbanded during internal investigation after BLACK PARASITE) within 20 minutes of the operation going live. Exposure to COUNTERMEME PRIME only effective on 4% of personnel: the remainder were determined to have undergone conventional conditioning methods or were not conditioned at all, rendering use of COUNTERMEME PRIME against FF charter. Unconditioned members of the cell have been turned over to the relevant authorities, and conditioned members have been turned over to the 4th Division for rehabilitation. Documents recovered on site indicate that cell was part of a larger network, with an unknown supplier: investigation is ongoing.

THE PRECEDING DOCUMENT HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE INTERNAL TRANSPARENCY ACT:-I. Dogami, 6th Division head

>Read "7th Division Information security report"
>Read "4th Division: psychiatric examination of Toko Fukawa"
>Finish

>>2003086
>>Read "4th Division: psychiatric examination of Toko Fukawa"

>>2003086
>Read "4th Division: psychiatric examination of Toko Fukawa"
Best girl.

File: 277df2390e727c4718ff5eb7e(...).jpg (375 KB, 555x777)

375 KB JPG

>>2003099
She's a cute stinkbug.

>>2003086
>>Read "4th Division: psychiatric examination of Toko Fukawa"

>>2003086
>Read "4th Division: psychiatric examination of Toko Fukawa"

File: Best Girl 4U.jpg (788 KB, 1920x2120)

788 KB JPG

>>2003099
Blasphemy!!

>>2003090
>>2003099
>>2003111
>>2003150
Hello, Director Kirigiri. I hope you're doing well! As you requested, here is my analysis of Toko's mental condition!:
Touko seems to be adjusting well to her new position as a writer for the 10th division. While her antisocial tendencies have not notably improved since the last evaluation, her cohabitation situation with Komaru as a condition of her employment has ensured that the excesses of your youth have been curbed. There have been 0 incidents involving her alternate personality emerging in the past year, indicating that the treatment program appears to have been successful: however, monitoring will still continue indefinitely to ensure no remissions.

There have been 3 incidents of Toko attempting to break into the Togami compound, 80 incidents of her mailing him unwanted gifts, and 100 incidents of her calling Togami's personal line. This continues the steady downward trend of this behavior from her, indicating that current therapeutic methods are helping her to control her obsessive-compulsive fixation on him.
Overall, Toko's mental state is stable, personal eccentricities aside, and will likely continue to be a helpful member of the FF for the duration of her employment.

-Report automatically authored by the 4th Division Therapeutic Intelligence Module 'Alter Ego'.

YOU HAVE 1 NEW MESSAGE

>Read "7th Division Information security report"
>Read "@$%$#*(&(!$***'';..><<;';;
>Finish

>>2003279
>Read "7th Division Information security report"

>>2003279
>>Read "7th Division Information security report"

>>2003279
>>Read "@$%$#*(&(!$***'';..><<;';;

>>2003279
>>>Read "@$%$#*(&(!$***'';..><<;';;

>>2003279
>Read "@$%$#*(&(!$***'';..><<;';;
Neat, Komaru's helping make Fukawa less crazy.

>>2003279
>Read "@$%$#*(&(!$***'';..><<;';;

File: 1477334999060.png (119 KB, 283x315)

119 KB PNG

>>2003546

The way that scarlet reacted makes me think he's not the big boss. Though I could be over thinking it and he's just a big fanboy. Wouldn't someone like him be able to figure out that Kamukura was actually hope If that was the case.

File: Spoiler Image (320 KB, 734x482)

320 KB PNG

>>2003314
>>2003343
>>2003546
>>2003635
This is... strange. This file's name is gibberish. You open it up...

Your hands recoil from the keyboard as that face appears on the screen. The face that you'd hoped you would never see again...

"Upupupupupupu... If it isn't one of my least favorite students! I hope you and the rest of your class have been making the best life possible for yourselves after the excellent education I gave you!"

The architect of The Tragedy- or her icon,
at least- swirls their cocktail idly as the video plays.
"The staff of Hope's Peak Academy sincerely hope that your learning- and killing- experience with us helped you achieve your life goals. However, there are many children who cannot enjoy the top-notch education we offer, whether due to a lack of achievement, financial problems, or because they've been suckered in by scams hoping to capitalize on the proud Hope's Peak Academy name." 16 faces flash by on the screen:
the missing students. "As a leader in the field of murder-based education, it is our dream to help these disadvantaged students to get the help they deserve.
Please, won't you spare even a small loan of a million dollars? Every bit helps. Please send all donations to Lady Junko Enoshima, PO Box 666 You-Killed-Me-You-Smelly-Bitch Drive,
Hell, C/O Headmaster Monokuma. Together, we can make a difference in these poor kids's lives; or end them, I'm really not sure yet! Buh-bye!"

You set the computer to run a backtrace; the result should show in a little bit. Whoever thought of playing this sick joke on you is going to pay.

YOU HAVE 2 NEW MESSAGES

>Read "We have a problem"
>Read "7th Division Information Security Report"
>Read "Oh God Oh God Oh God PLEASE HELP ME KYOKO!"
>Finish

>>2003927
Read "Oh God Oh God Oh God PLEASE HELP ME KYOKO!"

This uh look important. Hopefully hagakure isn't being brutally tortured.

>>2003927
>Read "We have a problem"

>>2003948
Weedman's existence is punishment enough, the gods aren't that cruel.

>>2003927
>Read "We have a problem"
Leave Weedman to die.

>>2003927
>>Read "Oh God Oh God Oh God PLEASE HELP ME KYOKO!"

>>2003927
>>Read "Oh God Oh God Oh God PLEASE HELP ME KYOKO!"

>>2003927
>Read "Oh God Oh God Oh God PLEASE HELP ME KYOKO!"

>>2003948
>>2004050
>>2004103
>>2004122
Kyoko, you need to help me big-time right now! I'm being HAUNTED BY THE GHOST OF JUNKO! It just sent me a threatening e-mail! Plus, last night, I had a nightmare about all my teeth falling out during an avant-garde rakugo performance! That's a seriously terrible omen! Please, use your powers as the head of the 5th Division to get that psychic girl, Helen Cowler, to exorcise my house for free! I can't live in a house with a ghost in it, and I definitely don't want to hide in the garbage again! That'll just bring back bad memories and draw the wrath of the Rat King!
Also, I'm pretty sure I accidentally left my decoy lucky keychain at Central when I last visited it, so could you please send it back? It's the one with the rabbit's foot on it. I need it so that witches will try and steal it instead of my real lucky keychain!

-Sent from the personal computer of Yasuhiro Hagakure, 14th Division Deputy Spokesman
You make a note to send a runner out to the dumpster behind Yasuhiro's house to explain the situation to him.

>Read "We have a problem"
>Read "7th Division Information Security Report"
>Finish

>>2004338
>Read "We have a problem"

>and I definitely don't want to hide in the garbage again!
Never change Hiro, never change.

>>2004338
>Read "7th Division Information Security Report"

>>2004338
>>Read "We have a problem"

>>2004338
He will never not be hilarious.

>>2004350
>>2004426
Director Kirigiri-
I'm certain that you have received the same e-mail I did; judging by the pleading message DS Hagakure sent me to hire an exorcist to save him from "Junko's vengeful spirit" and the fact that Ms. Fukawa has been detained by my personal security detail in the middle of an attempt to break into my office to protect her "husbando (sic)", I believe that all of us surviving members of class 78-A are being targeted by someone impersonating Junko Enoshima. I've already checked with my (far worse) half, and have thoroughly concluded that he is not responsible. Therefore, we are dealing with a new player on the field: one which has the power and influence to grapple with the 7th Division's "Zero Zone" cybersecurity and claim a partial victory. Their use of Monokuma himself is extremely troubling: not only does it mark them as a Remnant of Despair, it sends a clear message. 'I am the next Ultimate Despair.'
This person obviously must be detained posthaste: the various post-Remnant terror groups cannot be allowed to have a new figurehead to rally behind. However... I recognize that someone precious to you is in the crossfire as well, thanks to this: it may be that I am allowing our familiarity to cloud my judgement, but if you wish to take a leave of absence to protect him, I shall permit it. Otherwise... we all know who is most likely behind this, and I believe you would be the best-equipped to deal with her.

-Director Togami, 1st Division


You close your eyes and focus. You've gotten used to the pressures of being the head of the 5th Division, but this case... it hits close to home. You need to figure out if you can both follow your heart and beat this "New Ultimate Despair" at the same time.

DECIDE (this will influence the next chapter of the side-story, and will have consequences in the main story):

>Investigate the most likely suspect
>Take a leave of absence and investigate Makoto
>Investigate the cybersecurity hole
>Continue investigating the disappearences

>>2004605
>Investigate the cybersecurity hole

>>2004605
>>Investigate the cybersecurity hole

>>2004605
>>Investigate the cybersecurity hole

File: uplink.jpg (633 KB, 2048x1536)

633 KB JPG

>>2004605
>Investigate the cybersecurity hole
I've narrowed his IP down to somewhere in the 127.0 range.

>>2004605
>Take a leave of absence and investigate Makoto

>>2004610
>>2004667
>>2004693
>>2004766
You cannot afford to allow your emotions to dictate your next action: that video contained no actual threat against Makoto or the rest of you. Whoever is behind this is taunting you. Saying "You couldn't protect them." But... protect them from whom? "Monokuma" is the obvious answer, which means that it's probably wrong: nothing is ever obvious when it comes to Ultimate Despair. Something about the organization makes all of its higher-ups addicted to complexity. And then there was what they said about copycats and scammers...
First things first: how did Monokuma get this message into your network? The answer clearly lies at the FOCUS compound in Scandinavia: the major data hub for all Future Foundation net traffic. You dial your secretary.
"Clear my schedule. I'm going to be out of the office for a few days."

The sound of gentle flutes and jazzy guitars stirs you from the half-dead fugue your mind has been drifting in all night. You push back your sheets. Was all of this just a drea-

The sight of Scarlet's mask leering down at you from the monitor in your room dismisses those hopes from your mind.

"Gooo~d morning, class! Up and at them! You have a LOVELY day ahead of you! Please, assemble by the front doors."

You pull yourself from the bed. After the horror of the last day, you feel hollow, but you know better than to defy Scarlet now: even if he lacks the skill of the Ultimate Despair, he's still a violent madman who has you all at his mercy.

You're one of the first people to get to the front doors. Alexandria is sitting in front of the doors, staring at them like her gaze could make them melt away. Tiago is resting in a corner by himself, as taciturn as ever. Ruby, strangely, is also awake; she's leaning against the wall, listlessly fooling with a strand of her long, unkempt hair.

>Talk to Alexandria
>Talk to Tiago
>Talk to Ruby
>Rest in a corner by yourself

>Talk to Ruby
Let's check to make sure she's OK, the other two seem to be pretty strong

>>2004888
>>Rest in a corner by yourself

>>2004888
>Talk to Ruby
SAVE TOM

>>2004888
>Talk to Ruby

>>2004888
By the way, could we please have the character writeups from the first thread in a pastebin? I, for one, have trouble remembering who's who.

>>2004952
Don't worry! As the cast shrinks, it'll get easier to remember them :)

>>2004952
Made this in like 10 min, hopefully it's enough, probably missed some stuff.

>>2004961
Forgot Link
https://pastebin.com/txCHe1iR

>>2004963
Thank you, kind anon.

>>2004897
>>2004945
>>2004951
You walk over to Ruby. "You're up early."
She shrugs. "Couldn't sleep. It's weird, innit? How you can be so exhausted you can't sleep. And, y'know, it's not like I did anything yesterday. It's just..."
"Don't waste your energy talking about it: you'll need it for whatever Scarlet is going to put us through."
Ruby shrugs. "I guess... sorry. I think I just need some time to process... everything that's happened."

The rest of the group trickles in over the next 10 minutes. Eventually, when you're all assembled in the atrium, Scarlet's leering mask flickers back onto the screen.

"Well, sleepyheads, nice to see that you're all here together! Now, I promised you all that you'd get some new legroom to explore after every Class Trial, so... here you go!"

You hear a loud pair of *CLUNK*s, and the front doors swing open...

A cluster of buildings break up the brownish-grey hillside beneath you, their squat, brutalist frames clinging to the harsh landscape. At the base of the ill, a dark, cold sea crashes against the rocks. A barbed-wire fence surrounds the facility, trapping you in.

"What the hell?!? It's like a small town out here?"
"So Scarlet can control this much land?..."
"Hopefully there aren't random encounters up here..."

Your map app updates:

>New facilities:
>Ultimate Angler's lab
>Ultimate Driver's lab
>Ultimate Marksman's lab
>Ultimate Ecologist's lab
>Pool
>Library

>Choose a location to explore first

>>2004952
>>2004963
This is kind of supplemental, but here's a brief Dramitas Personae of the cast. Has some different content from the anon's bin: https://pastebin.com/6Hn0RtG8

>>2005586
>Pool

>>2005586
>Library
>Look for dictionaries for Scandinavian languages.

>>2005586
>>Library

>>2005586
>Library

>>2005586
>Ultimate Driver's lab

I'm interested to see what Murray's digs look like.

>>2005586
>Library

>>2005622
>>2005653
>>2005718
>>2006147

Your group scatters to the buildings, hunting for anything that might help.

The building labeled "Library" on the map is a long, two-story hall with a thick stone outer wall. You push open the heavy double doors and step inside.
Shelves are arranged in row and column in the room beyond, forming a labyrinth of books before you. Sighing slightly and cursing to yourself, you start wandering through it, looking for a dictionary on Scandinavian languages.
Most of the books in the nonfiction section appear to be related to practical skills: weapon assembly and maintenance, battlefield tactics, survival guides, car repair... but you manage to find a shelf of translation guides for dozens of different languages: including Swedish, Norwegian, and Icelandic.
You hear a rustling behind you, and turn with a start to see Giovanna examining the shelf behind you.


>Talk to Giovanna
>Go to Ultimate Angler's lab
>Go to Ultimate Driver's lab
>Go to Ultimate Marksman's lab
>Go to Ultimate Ecologist's lab
>Go to Pool
>Try and translate the writing you found earlier

>>2006408
>>Try and translate the writing you found earlier

>>2006408
>>Try and translate the writing you found earlier

>>2006421
Forgot to add:
>Ask Giovanna for help if necessary.

>>2006408
>Try and translate the writing you found earlier

>>2006421
>>2006425
>>2006489
You pull the Scandinavian translation guides from the shelf and head back into the large central building on the hill. The next half-hour is spent hunched over the underside of a desk, cross-referencing words in a language you don't understand.
It turns out the phrase is in Icelandic.

HOPE HAS DIED. DESPAIR HAS DIED. NOTHING REMAINS.

Your blood runs cold as you realize what the odd, scalpel-like symbol is.

>Tell the others

>Keep this quiet

>>2006552
>>Tell the others

>>2006552
>Tell the others

So... what does the symbol mean? Maybe I'm missing something?

>>2006569
Look at Monokuma's left eye.

>>2006580
Ah, see I went and thought that, but assumed it was too obvious an answer. I mean, it's not really a mystery that Scarlet wishes he could suck Junko's lady-dick.

>>2006566
>>2006569
You send a message to the others:
TRANSLATED THE ODD WRITING I FOUND EARLIER WITH DICTIONARY. THINK IT'S ASSOCIATED WITH ULTIMATE DESPAIR. SCARLET MUST HAVE DRAWN IT.

Around 10 minutes later, you get a message back from Giovanna.

UNLIKELY. IT LOOKS QUITE OLD: FIVE YEARS AT LEAST, AND PROBABLY MUCH OLDER.
Curious.

Go to Ultimate Angler's lab
>Go to Ultimate Driver's lab
>Go to Ultimate Marksman's lab
>Go to Ultimate Ecologist's lab
>Go to Pool

>>2006847
>>Go to Ultimate Driver's lab

>>2006847
>>Go to Ultimate Driver's lab

>>2006847
>>Go to Ultimate Driver's lab

>>2006847
I suppose this means we're somewhere in Iceland. Maybe.

>Go to Ultimate Marksman's lab

>>2006847
Go to Ultimate Driver's lab

I think Murray's gonna play a major part in the next case I can feel it in my guts.

>>2006861
>>2006895
>>2006942
>>2007258
The Ultimate Driver's lab takes up a lot of space on this map, but you can't see a building that large from your vantage point on the hilltop. You head in its general direction anyways, to resolve this apparent contradiction.

As it turns out, the Ultimate Driver's lab isn't a building at all, but a large green partially obscured by some of the empty buildings that make up the majority of the abandoned village. Scarlet seems to have constructed a series of tracks across the green; along with obstacles of various kinds. A number of cars, ranging from some ancient hand-crank model to a van, are lined up in an open-air garage on the other side of the green. The green is enclosed by an electric fence: a single door is set into it, facing the street. As you approach it, one of the cars- a sleek red sports model- pulls out of the garage, going hell for leather along a dirt track lined with barrels.

>Watch
>Go to Ultimate Angler's lab
>Go to Ultimate Marksman's lab
>Go to Ultimate Ecologist's lab
>Go to Pool

>>2007578
>>Watch

>>2007578
>Watch
I take it as a movie man, we've seen movies like Drive 2011, the good Fast and Furious movies, and others?

>>2007578
>Watch

>>2007578
>Watch

>>2007673
>the good Fast and Furious movies
Fast and the Furious, truly the purest form of kino.

>>2007648
>>2007673
>>2007722
>>2007728
You watch as the sportscar screams towards the barrels somewhere just south of the sound barrier, wheels spraying dirt up behind it in a massive sheet, certain to go wheeling into oblivion the second it clips anything-
But it doesn't. And it continues not to. Seemingly, despite the driver's best efforts, the car consistently misses the barrels, moving with such speed and fluidity that it looks almost liquid. GOD, you would kill to have a stunt driver this good.

The car finally finishes its suicide course and wheels back into the garage at a deceptively nonchalant pace: almost as if it hadn't just spend the last two minutes tilling a dirt track into prime loam. You see Murray get out of the driver's seat; her eyes are glowing, and her normally porcelain face is beaming. Then, she spots you, and it fades back into her icey mask.


>Talk to her
>Go to Ultimate Angler's lab
>Go to Ultimate Marksman's lab
>Go to Ultimate Ecologist's lab
>Go to Pool

>>2008013
>>Go to Ultimate Angler's lab

>>2008013
>>Talk to her
>So, how do you feel about stunts...

>>2008013
>Talk to her

>>2008013

>Talk to her

Heck maybe after this is all said and done we can put her talents to good use. How bout a steel ball Run like movie?

>>2008053
>>2008126
>>2008131
You wave to Murray and push through the gate.
"That... was... impressive. The way you moved with that car was craft-no, it was magic! Listen, Murray... when we get out of here, I want to hire you as a stunt driver for my next action piece. Six figure payment, and I'll recommend you to anyone. Plus, you'll get a chance to make kino. Not some garbage movie churned out for mass appeal, but something that has action and artistic integrity as well!"

Amazingly, you find yourself withering under Murray's stare. Why? Normally, you have offscreen workers crawling on their hands and knees to kiss your shoes after you promise them six figures.

"Or... perhaps not? We can talk more later- well, not talk, but-..."
The stare continues.
"I think I'll go now."

>Go to Ultimate Angler's lab
>Go to Ultimate Marksman's lab
>Go to Ultimate Ecologist's lab
>Go to Pool

>>2008364
>>Go to Ultimate Angler's lab

>Go to Ultimate Angler's lab

>>2008364
S..she's just being tsundere, right? Right?

>Go to Ultimate Angler's lab
See what resources we can obtain from there.

>>2008364
>Go to Ultimate Angler's lab

>>2008364
>Go to Pool

Gotta find an R&R spot.

>>2008439
>>2008827
>>2008860
>>2009077
You decide to cover up your acute embarrassment by visiting what was going to be Okitsumi's lab: another large space located on the seashore.
The "lab" is a small shack and a good portion of the bay area; cut off from the rest of the world by buoys and a barbed-wire fence. The only way in and out seems to be a door in the shack. You pull on it, half expecting Scarlet to have locked it shut with its owner's demise. Instead, it swings open with barely a whisper.
The interior is filled with spearguns, fishing rods, nets; and a small punt moored in the water nearby. Perhaps one of the more athletically-inclined members of the group can catch some fresh fish with this gear.
It doesn't seem like there's much else here, anyways.

>Go to Ultimate Marksman's lab
>Go to Ultimate Ecologist's lab
>Go to Pool
>Return to the Cafeteria and wait for the others

>>2010475
>Go to Pool
Might as well and try to decompress before the next case starts

>>2010475
>>Go to Ultimate Marksman's lab

>>2010475
>Go to Pool

The pool! The pool! The pool is on fire!

>>2010475
>>Go to Ultimate Marksman's lab

>>2010475
>Go to Ultimate Marksman's lab

>>2010475
>Go to Ultimate Marksman's lab
Level up those social links!

>>2010520
>>2010703
>>2010806
Locating the Ultimate Marksman's lab would have been easy, even without the map: you just follow the sound of gunfire through the abandoned town.
The Marksman's lab is set up in a converted warehouse up the hillside, unassuming on the outside. You walk in- and are immediately treated to a lovely view of a WALL of guns. Pistols arrayed like butterflies rest below lines of rifles, shotguns, and submachine guns. A crude firing range has been set up in the house floor, with the back wall taken out to extend the field of fire out into a section of the countryside. A welded spiral staircase runs up to a small gantry above: you can see the outline of Roy from beneath.
As you watch, a trio of shots roar out, sending your ears ringing. You see three targets in a small grouping some 50 yards out collapse.

>Talk to Roy
>Go to Ultimate Ecologist's lab
>Go to Pool
>Return to the Cafeteria and wait for the others

>>2012630
>Talk to Roy

>>2012630
>Talk to Roy

Getting on his good sides gonna be a blessing.

>>2012630
>>Talk to Roy

>>2012630
>Talk to Roy

It might be worth taking a weapon for personal defense. There are people here who are much stronger than us in a direct fight, and violent confrontations are inevitable in a Killing Games.

>>2012754
I only see suspicion and bad times if someone finds out.

>>2012630
>Talk to Roy

Maybe we shod bring up to the group how easily available weapons
are, and how that might be a problem.

>>2013109
Then we'd get on Roy's bad side for being a gungrabber.

>>2013109
I assume the guns can't leave the range. Scarlet wouldn't want the students getting any bright ideas and trying to rise up against him with the guns.

>>2013252
>The guns are just Nambus
Hopefully this arsenal isn't a collection of shitty guns

>>2012638
>>2012713
>>2012721
>>2012981
You stagger up the stairs, ears still ringing from close gunfire, and bellow at Roy.

"THAT WAS SOME IMPRESSIVE SHOOTING!"
Roy turns to you and tosses a set of earmuffs at you.
"PUT ON SOME EAR PROTECTION, MORON. ANOTHER BURST LIKE THAT, AND YOU'LL GO DEAF."
You clumsily catch the muffles and shake your head as the ringing subsides.
"I was actually hoping we could talk."
"What about?"
"First: these guns. Is it safe to have them lying around?"
"They're hardly 'lying around'. Don't worry about them: I have the only key to this place and the gun racks, and I won't let anyone take a firearm out of here. No way in hell I'm letting someone get away with a murder weapon that easily."
"Oh, well... that's reassuring. So, are you just shooting for fun, or-"
"Blowing off steam. Something strange about this range, too. I don't think it was made for me."
"What do you mean? It says-"
"I know what it says, I can read. Call it instinct, but... it feels more like this place was a firing range for a while, and then that petit merde Scarlet rebuilt this place for my benefit.
And now, if you don't mind: clear out. I've still got some anger to work through."

You leg it downstairs and out into the streets before Roy can let off another volley.

>Go to Ultimate Ecologist's lab
>Go to Pool
>Return to the Cafeteria and wait for the others

>go to Pool

>>2013438
>>Go to Ultimate Ecologist's lab

>>2013438
>>Go to Ultimate Ecologist's lab

>>2013438
>Go to Ultimate Ecologist's lab

>>2013438

>Go to Ultimate Ecologist's lab

Social links Go!

>>2013438
>Go to Ultimate Ecologist's lab

>>2013438
>Go to Ultimate Ecologist's lab

>>2013463
>>2013470
>>2013478
>>2013522
>>2013571
>>2013883
Only one more lab to scout out: you head for the Ultimate Ecologist's lab.
This lab, at least, has the decency to be an actual building. Small terrariums line the walls: strange little bonsai of jungles, forests, seas; their likenesses preserved forever in miniature. Elsewhere, books line the walls; atlases, biological texts, and almanacs. In the back of all this, a computer rises; a new model, with cutting-edge processing power. Dancing images of possible environments flicker across its screen. It seems that Ruby hasn't found this place yet.

>Take her to it
>Go to Pool
>Return to the Cafeteria and wait for the others

>>2015112
>Take her to it

>>2015112
>>Take her to it

>>2015112
>Take her to it
Also contemplate the viability of a nature movie.

>>2015112
>Take her to it

>>2015134
>>2015164
>>2015295
>>2015703
You pull out your handbook and look for Ruby's location. It looks like she's in the loading bay of the main building. You walk back up the hill...
As you push open the door to the loading bay, you hear the sound of sobbing, echoing around in the metal.

>Find Ruby anyways
>Leave her alone

>>2016199
>>Find Ruby anyways
Now is not the time to stray from our, dare we admit, friends.

>>2016199
>>Find Ruby anyways

>>2016199
>Find Ruby anyways
Normally not our role, but we must become the leading man, just this once.

>>2016199
>Find Ruby anyways

>>2016199

>Find Ruby anyways

I agree with brown guy!

>>2016199
>Find Ruby anyways

>>2016199
>>Find Ruby anyways

>>2016214
>>2016232
>>2016233
>>2016240
>>2016303
>>2016356
You find Ruby sobbing in a corner of one of the shipping containers, holding the stuffed koala she usually has clipped on her skirt up to her face. You crouch down by her.
"...What's wrong?"
"What's wrong? People are killing each other, that's what's wrong! We shouldn't be killing each other. We should be trying to get out of here!"
"I know, Ruby. This must be very hard on you, but... I've found your lab. I think you may want to see it."
"Oh. Really? That's good. I really hope it's nice! Obviously, it has to have reference books, right? Yeah, of course it does, but it has to have more than that, like world climate data; I wonder if it's up-to-date? It would help me identify what part of Scandinavia we're in. I should probably go and see if I can fish up some local pelagic life to get a look at the native lifeweb; that should help some, too, although many aquatic species adapted to this weather are distributed throughout the Arctic Ocean-"

You back up a bit as Ruby gives you an absent-minded hug and heads to the door, still rambling about the ocean.

>Follow her back to the lab
>Go to Pool
>Return to the Cafeteria and wait for the others

>>2016619
>>Follow her back to the lab

>>2016619
>Follow her back to the lab

>>2016619
>>Follow her back to the lab

>>2016619
>>Follow her back to the lab

>>2016619

>Follow her back to the lab

Gotta make sure Little red's gucci.

>>2016619
>Follow her back to the lab

>>2016653
>>2016681
>>2016724
>>2016846
>>2016906
>>2017065
You follow Ruby back to her lab; along the way, she bombards you with fact after fact about the North Sea. Finally, you reach her lab.

"-and then the basking sharks, which are probably my third-favorite shark overall- oh, wow, that's a Fuji-Towa 28K! The University of Sydney has seven of these that they use to run a simulation of the Great Barrier Reef's ecosystem to help with its recovery after it got all that oil dumped on it during the Tragedy, which was really sad. It has to have a pretty decent simulation program on it- and oh my goodness, there's all these stuffed animals in the closet here, they are so CUTE I love them! And, and, and..."
Ruby balls her hands up and raps her knuckles together a few times, bouncing on her toes.
"This is so great, I'll be able to get so much work done! Yay!"

Ruby throws herself in front of the computer and starts toying with it . She seems to have thrown off her funk pretty quickly.
"You seem happy."
Ruby just keeps tapping away, occasionally fidgeting in her seat. Well, she seems... busy.

You decide to check out the final spot: the pool.
It turns out that the pool is located around the center of the compound. Looking through the windows, you can see the crystal-clear waters of the pool, a small hot tub, and a sauna in the back. Roland seems to be relaxing by the pool, his shoes off, pant legs rolled up, and feet soaking in the water. You spot movement behind him: Christina Hess is sneaking up on him, an evil grin on her face.

>Observe
>Interfere

>>2018241
>>Observe

>>2018241
>>Interfere
I'm afraid you've failed your stealth check.

>>2018241
>Observe
Sometimes the actors take initiative, and all a director can do is quietly watch and see how bad it goes.

>>2018241
>>Observe

>>2018241
>Observe

I hope Red's not faking but then again we'd be able to tell.

>>2018273
>>2018283
>>2018295
>>2018323
You watch as Hess shoves Roland right in the small of the back, causing him to jerk forward and fall into the pool. She smirks as he flounders around in shock, and then pulls a notebook out of her jacket and starts writing in it. Odd.

>Go in and help Roland out

>Go in and reprimand Hess

>Head back to the cafeteria to wait for the others

>>2018532
>>Go in and help Roland out
Bring him a towel.

>>2018532
>Go in and help Roland out

>>2018532
>Go in and reprimand Hess

Is.. Is she pranking everone.

>>2018532
>>Go in and help Roland out

>>2018532
>Go in and help Roland out

>>2018546
>>2018580
>>2018638
>>2018706
You rush through the front doors into the pool and grab Roland by his soaked shirt collar. With a grunt of effort, you pull the pudgy psychologist bodily out of the pool.
"I'm much obliged, Mr. Wiene. T-t-thank you."
You look up at where Hess was standing, but she's already gone.

>What was that about?
>Have you found anything useful?
>Let's get you a towel and get back to the cafeteria

>>2023104
>What was that about?

>>2023104
>What was that about?
>Have you found anything useful?

>>2023104
>>What was that about?
>>Have you found anything useful?

>>2023104
>What was that about?
>Have you found anything useful?

>>2023104
>Lets get you a towel, what was that about?

>>2023104
>>What was that about?
>>Have you found anything useful?

>>2023112
>>2023119
>>2023180
>>2023533
"What was that about?"
"I...honestly have no idea, but when I see her again, we shall have WORDS."
"All... right then. Now, have you found anything useful here?"
"Of course: it's a pool. Hot water can be very therapeutic for stress-related issues, and given our current circumstances, I suspect we are all struggling with those... Well, I suppose we should head back now, yes? I'll dry myself off and meet you there."

You head back to the cafeteria to meet up with the others. Helen, Hess, and Roy are already there.

>Bring up Hess's behavior
>Don't bring it up

>>2024626
>Bring up Hess's behavior
>say something like "I believe you failed your stealth check."?

>>2024626
>>Bring up Hess's behavior

>>2024626
>>Bring up Hess's behavior

>>2024769
>>2025207
>>2025298
"Hess, what exactly do you think you were doing back there?"
Hess looks at you, puzzled.
"Research."'
"...What?"
"I was trying to study how to best surprise people in a modern urban setting, and Pauline suggested that shoving someone into a pool was very surprising."
"And you listened to her?"
"If I want the best result, I need to listen to experts! Pauline, as a comedienne, is an expert at 'surprise'!"
Roy sneers. "She's also an expert at being an unlovable brat."
Helen frowns, her pale lips pulling into a little pout.
"You're so cruel, Roy! Pauline is... difficult, but I can sense that at heart-"
"-I trust my instincts more than your 'sensing'. She's trouble."
"Perhaps..."

The rest of the group slowly pours in- including, surprisingly enough, Tiago, who leans up against a wall slightly, his face drawn.
You realize that, with Botha missing, you and Ivan are vying for the position of unofficial leader. If you don't take the initiative to lead the group, he will.

>Let Ivan speak first
>Here's what I found...
>So, what did you guys find?

>>2025429
>Here's what I found...
The actors need a director. Everyone knows people like Ivan are the "executive producer" types, the ones that meddle in the art, that manipulate and say "could you make that less hard-hitting" or "we need this like this for our rating" in those fucking voices of theirs. The ones that just scream "I-I don't want to b-bother you, but YOU'RE MY BITCH, o-okay?" in such an infuriating way. This cultist belongs in some historical documentary on medieval times, not in a raw game of life and death that we're trying to have everyone perform their way out of.

>>2025429
>>Here's what I found...

>>2025429
>Here's what I found...

>>2025429
>Here's what I found.

Have to get the ball rolling.

>>2025429
>Here's what I found...
The translation of the strange writing, mainly.

>>2025483
>>2025544
>>2025602
>>2025785
>>2025923
"Well, I've found a number of unusual things today. Mostly, I managed to get that strange writing translated. It's in Icelandic..."
Ruby nods. "Yeah, that's not a surprise. Because we're clearly in Iceland- or near it, anyways. The local sealife are definitely native to the North and Norwegian Seas, and the landscape isn't jagged enough to be in Norway or Sweden. So, we could be in Iceland, or Greenland, or an island in that area, or possibly we're somewhere off the coast of Scotland."
"You are sure of this, friend Ruby? Iceland seems not likely; they managed to pass through the worst of the Tragedy intact. How could you hide someone there without their government noticing?"
"Oh! I didn't think of that! I guess that means that we're probably on an island somewhere in that area. If I had to guess, it's probably about three to five miles in diameter."
You raise an eyebrow. "How could you possibly know that?"
"Oh! That's simple. You see, the water column in the North sea is fairly uniformly deep at around 40 fathoms, except for moraines, which were formed by glacial deposit millions of years ago- but those are sandbanks, and we're clearly on soil. So that means we're on the boundary islands, which generally are between 3-5 miles in diameter each. If we're in the Norwegian sea, the same is true, but to an even greater extent, because of the fact that the Norwegian sea is a non-shelf sea, and therefore is generally around two kilometers deep. The islands on the boundary of the Norwegian sea that have soil are about as large as I mentioned earlier."

"Well... thank you for that. Now, does anyone else have any observations?"
Roy nods. "My lab clearly used to be a shooting range before it was converted. Looks like it could have been used for urban ops training, too."
Ivan speaks up next. "Okitsumi's hut has many tools for fishing, so we can eat fresh seafoods, yes?"
Pauline rolls her eyes. "Well, isn't that special? At least we'll eat nice while trapped in this shitty hellhole!"
"Have you found anything, friend Pauline?"
"I mean, I guess. The pool's bigger than my mom, and they've got a sauna and hot tub, although that last one would need some bleaching before I'd go in."
"It is dirty?"
"Probably. You know what goes on in those things..."

A sharp, clipped voice suddenly breaches the silence.
"It doesn't look like too much time has passed since I was taken. The weather and passage of the sun indicates that it's summertime at this latitude."
You look over at Tiago, who continues on. "There aren't a lot of edible plants growing wild, and I couldn't find any game. However, if we use some equipment from the store, we could make a raft and try to find land. It's a major risk, but its possible."

>Too risky
>Tell me more
>Anything else?

>>2026827
Dammit Tiago, I wanted to bring that up at the next vote.

>Does the Medievalist know enough about medieval boatmaking to build one? That would be better than a raft.
>What means does Scarlet have to prevent us from doing so? It's impossible for him to let us outdoors and not think about possible escape attempts, so there must be something.

>>2026827
Also damn Ruby, your intelligence is SEXY.

>>2026827
>Could this have been a military base or training grounds of some sort? There aren't many reasons to have a shooting range on an island in the middle of fuck off nowhere.

>>2026850
Ruby a cute. A cute!

>>2026827
Liking Ruby a lot now too, like the rest of us here.
>Too risky
>What means does Scarlet have to prevent us from doing so? It's impossible for him to let us outdoors and not think about possible escape attempts, so there must be something.

>>2026827
>>Too risky
>Scarlet has some means of keeping us here, whether it be bombs, mercenaries, or anything in between.

>>2026986
>>2027210
>>2026845
"I think that plan's too risky: Scarlet clearly has some way of keeping us on the island if he's taken us into an outdoor environment."
"Great, so he has what- mecha-sharks?"
"No, he doesn't need that. It's quite obvious: he has the ocean itself. Survival at sea is a tenuous proposition, even if well-prepared: a single storm or strong series of waves could capsize the raft and cast any supplies we might have into the ocean, sails can rip... like I said, it's a very risky option."
"Well... we should consider it nonetheless."
"Maybe, friend Albert, maybe... but enough of that! So, does anyone have any theories about what this place is?"

>Forward your theory
>Remain silent

>>2027763
To clarify: you must propose your theory in your own words.

>>2027763
>A preexisting shooting range and urban ops training facilities point to this place being an old spec ops training facility. And since it's located on a remote island, it was either very secret, or illegal. It also existed for at least five years, according to dating of that writing. Combining this with the Monokuma symbol above the writing and its translation, we can conclude this is a former training base of one of the Remains of Despair.

>>2027763
>This is obvisously an abandoned military facility, and given the Monokuma sigil it must have been co-opted by the Remnants of Despair. Its purpose must have been either a holdout or a training facility for the group, but that purpose is now a mute point as it is now our prison.

>>2027888
>>2028070
"I do. This place was clearly a training facility for the Remnants of Despair."
"...An interesting conclusion, friend Albert. How do you figure that?"
"Well, let's start with the fact that this compound is on a remote island: that means it's either very secret, or very illegal. The presence of an urban assault training facility means that the people here were planning armed attacks in major cities. We also know that this compound has been abandoned for at least five years, thanks to that graffiti- graffiti that includes Monokuma's symbol. In other words, that graffiti was probably made by someone who used to live and work here."
"That makes sense- HEY! What if that's it?"
"That's what, Pauline?"
"The secret of the Killing Game! If that's it, we can leave!"
"Yes... but are we sure that's it? If we guess wrong, I suspect Scarlet won't let us off with a slap on the wrist..."
"We have to try!... I mean, if we can't get off this island without another murder, I'd rather drop dead, to be honest."

>Fine, guess.
>Think on it for a few days
>No, it's too risky

>>2031910
>Think on it for a few days

>>2031910
>Fine, guess.
>Send a message to Scarlett. Ask him to clarify rule 4. What will he do if we actually found out the secret?

>>2031910
>>Think on it for a few days

>>2031910
>Think on it for a few days

>>2031973
I would also like clarification from scarlet.

>>2031973
Supporting.

>>2031973
>>2033508
>>2034066
You pull out your handbook and type out a message to Scarlet:
WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF WE GUESS THE SECRET AND WE'RE WRONG?

Less than a minute later, you get a message back:
NOTHING, BUT EACH OF YOU MAY ONLY GUESS ONCE!
"He says that we get one guess each."
"Oh, well, in that case..." Paline whips out her Handbook and sends out a message. In short order, your Handbook buzzes.
CORRECT! PLEASE ASSEMBLE BY THE DOCKS FOR YOUR REWARD!
You stare at the message. You... honestly can't believe it. The mystery was that simple? Really? That... that doesn't even make sense.
"HAHAHAHA!!!!! WE'RE FREEEE!!!"
Around you, everyone is celebrating. You guess you should feel good, too: this nightmare is over, almost as it was beginning... but something still doesn't feel right...

"THE END"
Next thread on Monday

>>2037068
You villain, teasing us with a mysterious cliffhanger and leaving us to dry for two days! You malicious, cruel person!

>>2037068
Well, this can only end in tragedy.