"Didn't Naegi find the key to the locker with the weapon inside?"
The class trial for the murder of Mukuro Ikusaba was in session. The six remaining students had been debating the culprit when Monokuma called "Time's up!" when Naegi found the class trial suspicious compared to the previous ones. I was being framed for the murder when my mind shut down into a panicked fight to save myself.
"There is a possibility that he left it in my room to make me look guilty." I continued calmly, unable to think about what I was saying.
"W-What are you..." Naegi turned to me, confused and frantic for an explanation.
"Since I can't enter my room, that is the only plausible explanation." I finished, my mind desperate to place the blame on someone else.
"Th-Then doesn't that make Naegi the culprit?!" Fukawa cried.
"No..." Naegi took a step back, unable to understand what was happening to him.
"Now then, let's get this ball rolling!" Monokuma cried, raising a fist in the air.
"It wasnt me guys!" Naegi cried, hysterically trying to show he's innocent.
I placed my hand onto the button of Naegi's sprite and pressed it. Then I froze. I had just voted Naegi guilty. My mind snapped out of its fit of desperation to realize what I had done.
The slot machine began to spin. The faces of the current and deceased students spun rapidly, until they finally slowed down and lined up to Naegi. Coins flew out the bottom as if you had won the jackpot and flowers flew out the sides as they always did if we got the right answer.
I ducked my head, ashamed, as I realized what I had done. No... What have I done?! I thought, my mind rattling into despair. Naegi, I'm so sorry! I wanted to cry out to him, but I kept quiet, struggling to keep my iron mask on.
Naegi stood, frozen in shock at the answer. "N-No way..." he muttered, partially to himself, "T-There's something fishy about this trial...!" He stood up and leaned over the railing of his trial stand. "This is messed up!" He shouted, small tears welding into the corners of his eyes, "What's with this 'Time up' stuff?! Say something, Monokuma!"
"Well, shall we get going?" Monokuma cheered, spinning on one paw in his chair, ignoring Naegi completely, "On to the exciting and thrilling Punishment Time!"
Naegi stared in despair, unable to scream or say anything.
Monokuma grabbed the small gavel and slammed it on the big red button that appeared out of the ground. The screen under it read "Naegi was found guilty" as a Monokuma sprite walked up towards the Naegi sprite in the middle. Suddenly, the Naegi sprite was being dragged by the neck with Monokuma pulling him, and the phrase "Time for his punishment" read underneath.
I stared in horror at Naegi as a metal claw came out of a door and grabbed him by the neck like what happened with Kuwata. It dragged him towards the torturous punishment room. Everyone was forced to follow, although I was defiant to watch my friend and my crush die in the depths of despair, all because of me.
Naegi was stuck to a chair, a classroom desk in front of him, as he was going slowly down a long conveyer belt. Behind him, a large piston was slamming down to the ground and slowly rising again to repeat the cycle. He slowly came closer and closer when Monokuma rolled up on a platform with a chalkboard and podium in front of him, wearing round, circular glasses and a red tie. On the board read "Beginning of Life", "Ovulation", "Fertilization", "Implantation". How typical of Monokuma to teach about the beginning of life when Naegi's was about to end.
I stood rigid as I watched hopelessly. Naegi came closer and closer to the giant piston, every smash to the ground below shaking my heart into smaller fragments. I wanted to cry out to stop, feeling the pain Ishimaru must have to see his best friend tortured to death, but I held my tongue. I could feel tears build up into my eyes and my face broke as he became only a few feet towards death. I bit my lip hard, almost piercing it to bleed with the desolation of my anguish. A tear slowly streamed down my face. I couldn't stop it, my iron mask was breaking. I quickly wiped it away to hide my weak form.
Naegi was within one foot of the piston, his eyes shut and braced for pain. Suddenly, the gears jammed and Alter Ego appeared on the television screen above. Naegi opened his eyes as he realized something had gone wrong. He looked up as the platform behind him opened like two trap doors and he soon fell down into a dark hole.
I stared in shock at what had just happened. Alter Ego, their helpful A.I. and friend, had saved Naegi from his death.
Monokuma slammed his paws onto the podium. "Huh? What's this?" he said, more to himself, "W-What just happened? What on earth happened?"
"Hey... Wasn't that just...?" Asahina muttered.
"Y-Yea... That was Alter Ego..." Hagakure stuttered, finishing her thought.
"I knew it wasn't Naegi!" Togami scowled.
I sighed and looked away, knowing this was all my fault. He would've died if Alter Ego hadn't intervened.
"Don't tell me... he planted a virus?!" Monokuma continued talking to himself, "He must've done it when he infiltrated my network!" Monokuma then placed his face onto the podium he was hunched over, and in the next instant, he was smashing his head into it and against the chalkboard. "Darn it!" he cried, continuing to bang his head, "He pulled a fast one on me!"
I looked up again to speak. "It looks like things didn't go according to plan." I said, hiding my relief.
Monokuma looked up, his round glasses misshapen and the glass fragments almost all out. "Are you sure about that?" he said grimly. Turning back to the place where Naegi disappeared to, he added "Slowly wastin' away in a garbage-filled basement may be the most draining punishment yet! Buhahahaha!" He began laughing again, his cackles filling the air.
My heart twisted at the fact he would die after Alter Ego just saved him. I kept a straight face as I stared at the spot where Naegi had last been seen. What have I done...?
