Chapter 5

By the time we arrived at the gym, everyone was already there. I guessed we were the last one to arrive. However, as soon as I stepped into the gym, I felt dizzy all of a sudden.

"Huh?" I exclaimed unconsciously as my feet got wobbly.

Rantaro held me by my arm and looked at me worriedly, "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I am okay."

"You sure? Your face is pale."

What is this feeling? I never felt so anxious in my entire life. "...Rantaro, I don't know how to explain, but I have a bad feeling about this. Really bad feeling."

Rantaro didn't answer immediately, but reaching out his hand to patted me on the shoulder, "Don't worry, it will be okay. I will make sure of it."

"Rantaro?"

"Mirai, Rantaro, you guys are here!"

I turned my head and saw Kaede waving at us. I waved back at her, when Kirumi started to speak, "The 17 of us are all here. I wonder what will happen?"

"It's pretty spectacular for 17 Ultimates to gathered here," said Kaito lightheartedly.

"Kehehe, we don't know what will happen from here. You may not be able to be that easygoing after this," said Kiyo.

"It's no use to keep thinking in this situation, so I decide to stop thinking," said Tsumugi.

"Nyeeh. I bet it'll be a big pain," Himiko groaned with drooping back.

"Wait, do you hear that?" asked Gonta, while putting his hand on his ear.

We shut our mouths immediately, and indeed there is a sound. The sound of engine and metal scraped on top of the floor. My heart pounds furiously at the familiar sound. What? Why do I feel so agitated?

A second later, five robots with a height of approximately three-meter popped out of nowhere and surrounded us. "Rise and shine, ursine!!"

Wait, those voices... Monokubs?

"Kyaaaahhh!!!"

"Everyone! Get behind Gonta!"

"Wh-what the heck with these... monsters?!"

"Whoaaaa so cool!"

"Hey, you! Why are you getting impressed by that thing?!"

"What the heck? No one told me about this!"

While the room suddenly fell into a panic. I was trembling at the sight of those robots. These things... I knew I saw them somewhere. My heart pounded heavily and I almost forgot to breathe.

"Gyahaha!! Scared the life out of ya, aren't you?" said the blue robot. I assume it's Monokid's.

"Behold of our highly mobile, bipedal platforms... These are called.."

Without realizing it, I muttered under my breath, "Exisals."

"...The Exisals!!!!"

Huh? How did I.. know that?

As I stood there, confused and terrified of this situation, that feeling of deja-vu was coming back again. This time there was also a wave of nausea following it. My head was throbbing so much, I didn't even realize I almost slumped forward.

"Hey!" A large hand suddenly grabbed mine and squeezed it. It was firm yet gentle at the same time.

I looked up and saw Rantaro gazed at me with a worried look on his face, "You are definitely not okay. Stay behind me, I'll take care of this."

He dragged me to get behind him, as he took a step forward. "Alright, calm down everyone. No need to panic. We probably aren't in any danger. If they intend to harm us, they'd have done it by now."

Rantaro casually walked up to one of the Exisals. "So...what do you want from us? You guys clearly want something from us, that's why you brought us here, yeah? Let me guess, you are gonna force us to do something, and if we don't, you will hurt us using those guns." Rantaro smiled while shrugging his shoulder nonchalantly, "You got our attention now. So what do you want from us?"

I can't believe how he can be so calm in this situation. From the way he spoke, I can tell he was not bluffing and assured they wouldn't be harmed. He clearly knew what he was doing. Rantaro, who exactly are you?

"Well, aren't you a smartass?" said the yellow robot.

"Hell yeah!! I'll explain it! Are you guys ready? I am so excited I am practically boiling right now! I am gonna say it! Here is what we want you punkasses to do. It iiissss…." said the blue robot.

"A-KILLING-GAME," said the green robot, who suddenly intercepted the explanation. "What?"

"M-Monodam! How dare you upstage me!!" said the blue robot.

"Wait a second. What did you say?" asked Tenko nervously.

"If I heard correctly, I am sure he just said--" said Keebo in a low voice.

"IT'S-A-KILLING-GAME," said Monodam, this time intercepting Keebo's sentence.

"He said it twice!" said Monotaro in the red robot.

"Goddamnit Monodam! I am going to kill you with this Exisal!" said Monokid.

"It's not the time to fight among ourselves," said the pink robot.

"Yeah! If you don't stop, I'll crush you with this Exisal!"

"Huh!? You too, Monotaro? If it's come to this, then I will crush the four of you with these Exisals!" The pink robot huffed at her sibling's provocation.

"Hey, why are you including me?" said the yellow one who didn't say anything, but got involved eventually.

The situation escalated quickly and turned into a fight. Now the five Exisals are threatening each other, looking ready to attack anytime with their weapons.

"S-seriously, they gonna get it on HERE?" said Miu with a trembling voice. How she made this situation sounded ambiguous despite shaking like a leaf was kind of talent, actually.

"Don't worry. Atua is watching over us," said Angie while putting her hands together piously.

"In this situation, shouldn't he do more than just simply watching?!" shouted Tenko.

"At any rate, it's too dangerous here. We need to get out of here or else--"

Just at the moment when war was about to break, an unknown voice can be heard inside the gym.

"Now, now, now.."

Huh?

"My cute little cubs, you need to stop this awful infighting."

"That voice is-!?" The Exisals immediately stopped in their tracks, and the Monokubs came out flying from their cockpit.

"Father! Is that you?!"

Father?! The Monokubs had one?

As if responding to Monokubs' call, a Teddy bear with half white and half-black body popped out and sat on top of the podium. Seriously, where do they come from? Always appearing out of the thin air.

"Greetings students. I am the God of this world and headmaster of this Academy. The one and only… Monokuma! Nice to meetcha!"