Here we go! The long awaited class trial. I know I can't wait to begin, so I'll just skip straight to reviewer responses.
Supersilver46: And here it is :)
"Upupupupu! The first class trial! How titilating!" A few students gagged at Monobear's choice of words. "Who will it be, who will it be? Who is the blackened? Who is the murderer of-" Monobear began to glitch over the words, earning confused looks from the students around him. It appeared Junko hadn't predicted her own death. Celes quickly recovered from the oddness of the bear, beginning the debate.
"Shall we begin with discussing the cause of death?" Celes began.
"What? That won't help us find out who the killer is!" Leon argued.
"I'd have to intercept there, Kuwata-kun. Every clue of this case is worth discussing." Leon looked bewildered at Kyoko's statement, yet deciding to settle on a mere shrug. Kyoko, for whatever reason, looked Makoto straight in the eyes and nodded at him.
"Oh, um...me?" Kyoko nodded again. "Uh...well...Junko died from strangulation. At least, according to the Monobear file."
"How do we even know that Monobear wasn't lying though? Can we really think that he wouldn't lie about the how Enoshima-san died?" Aoi looked hesitant, as did a lot of the students once she said that.
"Are you accusing me of lying?! How could your very trustworthy neighborhood headmaster be capable of lying? Think again!" Monobear scoffed indignantly.
"Yeah fucking right! You killed that Enoshima chick because your "game" was getting too boring, yeah?! AGGGGGH, COME OUT YOU BASTARD! FACE YOUR DEATH LIKE A MAN!" Mondo was beginning to run to Monobear, but was barely restrained from the people around him.
"How many times do I have to say it? One of you guys killed her!" Monobear somehow made a irritated facial expression on his robotic face, which quickly shifted in to a timid one. "Are you guys trying to get me to spill who the murderer is? I guess I have to stop talking then...The rest is up to yoooou!"
"DAMMIT!" Mondo kicked the podium in front of him.
"What Asahina-san said before may be true. Even if Monobear did say he did not lie, we can not know for sure. Perhaps it is possible that the knife was the cause of death." Celes smiled pleasantly at the students around her. "Which would mean the culprit would have to be someone who could get their hands on such a knife, yes?"
"Get their hands on the knife? Wouldn't that be easy? It's just a knife." Yasuhiro chimed in. Celes shook her head at him.
"Oh, but it is not just a knife. It is a "military-grade combat knife" in the words of Togami-kun, yes? He also said it would be hard to find such a knife in a school. Is not that right, Togami-kun?" Byakuya looked at her.
"Yes. I did say that. I can see where you're going with this. I'm not naive, Celes. I can't say the same about the rest of these imbeciles, though." A distant "Hey!" was heard from somewhere in the court room.
"Oh? I was not implying so, Togami-kun. I was merely asking you to affirm this fact. I was thinking of a certain culprit, however." Celes smiled, turning her gaze to Mukuro. "Her own sister killed her, I believe. Is not that true, Ikusaba-san?" Mukuro looked up calmly at her, shaking her head.
"Why should we not believe this, I would like to know." Kyoko answered in Mukuro's place.
"Because the cause of death was not stabbing. There are two pieces of evidence on the victim's body to support this claim. Right, Naegi-kun?" Makoto looked up at her, shocked.
"Me again?" She kept staring at him. "...Alright. I think I remember seeing...Uh, reddish marks and bruises around her neck. I don't know exactly what strangulation marks look like but...I don't know what else they could've been." Kyoko kept staring at him, as if asking for more evidence. "Um...that's all I know." Kyoko sighed.
"Ah, I see. Thank you for clearing that up Master Makoto Naegi. Wait, waa!" Hifumi interjected.
"Excuse me for interrupting, but what if whoever the culprit is faked Enoshima-san's cause of death by strangling her after she was already dead?" Sayaka questioned, tilting her head a bit.
Kyoko thought for a second, before lifting her head up.
"That's impossible. The only cause of death, that is not internal, possible would be strangulation or suicidal hanging, as there was no external wounds other than marks on the neck on the body. A hanging is out of the question as well, since the signs of struggle are completely contradicting that possibility."
"Wait, you looked at the body?" Aoi quietly asked.
"That does not keep Ikusaba-san out of the question though, correct? She still could have committed the murder." Celes looked at Mukuro again, who by now was beginning to glare at her.
"I. Did. Not. Kill. Junko." Mukuro hissed through clenched teeth. Celes smiled a tiny bit.
"How do we know you are not lying?" Mukuro glared at her. In a split second, her previous emotions did a one-eighty, and she stoically looked forward and said,
"I would never kill my sister. She was my commander." Mukuro was putting on her soldier face obviously, showing absolutely no emotion to even the most empathetic of the classmates.
"Commander?" Aoi questioned.
"Wait, Ikusaba-san was talking to me while the murder happened. There's no way she could have committed the murder!" Makoto defended Mukuro.
"I-I saw them talking around noon...So he's telling the truth..." Chihiro timidly offered.
"Hmm, it seems my assumption was wrong. For now, at least." Celes smiled as she looked at the others. "Now, Kirigiri-san, I believe you said there was something odd about the time of death? Do you care to elaborate on that?"
"Well, I was actually going to ask Ishimaru-kun about that." I looked at her with a no doubt dumbfounded expression. Had she already discovered my true identity?
"Yes?" I asked in a confused tone.
"Mondo had told me you had been running towards the Gym right before you discovered the body. Why were you rushing towards the Gym? Why did you happen to discover the body right after the death had occured? I'd like an explanation." Well...I hadn't thought that would come in to the class trial. Deciding, begrudgingly, to part a bit away from my normal morals I sighed, eyebrows furrowed; I told the semi-truth.
"Oh, that is simple! I had seen Enoshima-san on her way to the Gymnasium with a knife in hand. I was too stunned to move at first, but eventually I ran off to search for her. I happened to go to the Gymnasium first and when I got there she was...dead." Kyoko raised her eyebrow at me. Leon seemed less than pleased with my answer.
" "A knife in hand"? Why didn't you tell us that Enoshima-san had had the knife at first? We could've scratched out Ikusaba-san as the unlikely culprit much sooner then!" Well...This would be hard to not lie about.
"I...I...Um, didn't assume it was important!" That was the closest I could get to the truth with out exposing myself. I still felt awful. Leon still seemed unpleased, but I had done all I could.
"W-We discussed the cause and time of death then, right? T-Then let's move on to voting! I-I v-vote for that flat-chested detective!" Toko exclaimed.
"...What?" Kyoko's words seemed to sum up the entire silence of the room.
"Y-You know too much! I-I bet you're j-just waiting for your chance to k-kill us all!"
A few students began to glance warily at Kyoko.
"...I have an alibi. I was in the dining hall the time of the murder, along with Celes-san and Yamada-kun." Kyoko stared tiredly at her. She was obviously about to die from the stupidity of the situation.
"It is true." Celes informed.
"O-Oh. You guys are all turning against me because I'm ugly, aren't you?! That's what they all say!"
"U-Um...anyways...what other clues do we have?" Aoi inquired.
"We don't have alibis for some people yet. For example, I was with Kuwata-kun in my room." Sayaka received raised eyebrows when she said that. Blushing, she quickly backtracked. "Only hanging out of course, hehe!"
"W-Well...I was with Ikusaba-san...Kirigiri-san, Celes-san, and Yamada-kun were together...Who else?" Makoto started.
"U-Um...I was with Hagekure-kun. I was teaching him about computers...I-I'm sorry I couldn't stop this..." Chihiro sobbed. A tornado of reassurance came crashing through the room.
"Fukawa was following me around all day, so unfortunately she can't be punished here today. Fortunately, neither can I." Byakuya exasperatedly said.
"W-Wai-" Toko was cut off.
"Wait, if I remember correctly Fukawa-san was said to have exited the Gym and then subsequently, after seeing the body, passed out. Were you in the Gym, then?" Kyoko questioned.
"Yes. Did I not say she was following me all day or do you have hearing problems?" Byakuya smugly replied.
I had remembered Byakuya also being in the Gym, just a safe distance away from Toko. I was planning for Junko to assassinate her quietly, but unfortunately that ended badly for her...
"So...that leaves Ishimaru-kun, Oowada-kun, Asahina-san, and Oogami-san?" Makoto counted off using his fingers.
Mondo shrugged. "I only saw the chicks pass me. They were coming from the direction of the Gym. The dude only went one way; to the Gym." I silently thanked Mondo. I, of course, returned the favor.
I thought for a moment before deciding on how to prove him innocent."Oowada-kun had been too far away from the Gymnasium to so quickly dispose of evidence then get in to his designated spot." I supplied, smiling a bit when Mondo looked at me.
"I was waiting outside of the Gym for Sakura-chan, who was in the bathroom. I didn't see anyone besides Enoshima-san enter the Gym though, and the next thing I know Ishimaru starts screaming over her corpse...so I don't know what that means."
"...Wait...what?" Yasuhiro sounded lost. "So...WE ARE TOTALLY OUT OF CLUES! PLEASE LET ME OUT OF HERE! I DON'T WANT TO DIE HERE! " He held his hands up in prayer.
"Shut up." Byakuya coldly said.
"No...we aren't out of clues." Kyoko thought out loud. A whirlwind of heads snapped her way at this, most of them blazing with hope.
"We...aren't...?"
"No. Remember what Oowada-kun said? In summary, he had said that Asahina-san and Oogami-san had passed by him. Why were they passing by him, though? Do you know, Oowada-kun?"
"Uh...I don't know." Mondo dumbly replied.
"Another question. How soon before or after Ishimaru-kun ran to the Gym did they walk by you?"
"Uh, right before I think. Why?" Kyoko smiled to herself and turned away from Mondo, looking straight in to Aoi's eyes.
"You lied, Asahina-san." Aoi's eyes widened at that, before she got in to a defensive stance.
"What? How?"
"You said Oogami-san was in the bathroom. Yet, she clearly was with you when you were walking by Oowada-kun."
"She had been with me by then!" Aoi shouted.
"Had she happened to be "with you", or had you happened to fetch her from the bathroom when you saw Enoshima-san enter the Gym?" Aoi's eyes widened to plate size before narrowing. She seemed to be tearing up. Kyoko noticed, which seemed to lead Aoi to realize she had been backed in to a corner.
"No! I didn't fetch Sakura." Aoi looked down. "...I didn't fetch anyone."
"Aoi..." Sakura started.
"I-It's alright Sakura. I deserve whatever punishment I'm going to get...right? Because...I...I killed a friend. I killed a friend because I guessed that just because of her headset, and just because of her knife, she was going to kill someone. I guessed she was working for the mastermind, too. I could've even tried to talk it out with her, tried to get her on to our side and tell us who the mastermind was. If she was even working for whoever they are. I...I don't even know. I do know that I killed someone though. In cold blood. I killed...no, murdered someone, a friend nonetheless, in cold blood. So...vote for me. Please. This is my fault...It was all my fault..." Aoi sobbed.
"Show me the mark." Kyoko looked steadily in to Aoi's tear-filled eyes, which now held a glimmer of panic.
"...Uh...The mark is...Bandaged. It'd be bad to get it infected...haha..." Aoi laughed hollowly, obviously still panicked.
Kyoko stared intensely at her.
"Show me the mark." Kyoko was unrelenting. "The culprit is bound to have a mark from where they were stabbed by Enoshima-san. The same mark Oogami-san has bandaged right on her leg." Aoi's eyes went wide.
"W-What?"
"One of her bandages is all the way up to her thigh today. That's very strange." I looked over to Sakura. Sure enough, her bandage was! Kyoko notices things even a mastermind doesn't! A true detective. And with that, a true genius.
"T-That doesn't mean anything!" Aoi was beginning to protest.
"Aoi. It is foolish to plead any longer." Sakura interjected.
"B-But-"
"We knew how this was going to end. Even if she was a pawn for the mastermind, she wasn't the mastermind. It wasn't going to end well for me from the very beginning." Aoi was beginning to sob again, rushing over to Sakura and clinging on to her like a young koala.
"S-Sakura! This isn't fair! You were protecting us!" Aoi's voice was barely recognizable through her thick sobs and loud crys.
"I'm glad I have fulfilled my duty. I'm glad to have befriended you. I'm glad that everyone is safe now."
"Upupupupu, I'm sorry to ruin such a tender moment, but it's voting time! Who will be the blackened? Will you get the answer right or wrong? Whoooo knows?"
Everyone began to vote, and an easily predictable vote was almost unanimously placed.
Sakura Oogami: Guilty
"No!" Aoi cried out. "It was me! I was the one that got her! I was the one who caused Sakura to kill her! Please! Kill me! Kill me! I caused everything!" Aoi was on her knees, her head in her hands. "Please! Please! PLEASE!"
"Monobear, before I die, let me know this. Was Junko Enoshima one of your pawns?" Oddly enough, the animatronic seemed to not glitch at the mention of her, and answered back perfectly.
"Upupupupupupu. Yes! My second-in-command, in fact! How despairful it must be to lose such an important person! For me, at least! Upupupupu." I was beyond confused. There was no way Junko had pre-recorded that message. So...who had?
Everyone had a mixture of reactions. Some were shocked, others were solemn, and others, like Sakura, were pleased.
"I'm happy that I saved you." It was unclear exactly who she was talking to, but she was delighted in some way, smiling slightly.
"I...I..." Aoi was at a loss for words.
"Upupupu. Are you done talking?" Monobear mocked. Aoi was visibly trembling, and on shaky knees stood up. Tilting her head up to Monobear through distraught eyes, she glared intensely at the robot.
"I...I will make sure Sakura doesn't die alone..." If I had not been close to Aoi, I wouldn't of heard this part. I definitely would've been more bewildered at Aoi's next actions as a result.
In a move uncharacteristic for Aoi, she lurched and charged straight at Monobear, knocking the bear right off of his royal throne.
"Ahhhh! Violence against the Headmaster! Violence against the Headmaster!" In a flash that I definitely did not press a button to activate, Aoi was suspended from the ceiling, metal clamps holding her arms above her.
Monobear bounced up from where he had been knocked down, wobbling back on to his throne.
"Upupupupupu. Well, it is punishment time. I think it's a good idea that this rule-breaker receives an execution, as well. Yes, what a lovely idea! Upupupupupu! The first class trial with already two very heart-pounding, jaw-dropping executions! I can't wait!"
Monobear opened his podium to reveal a red button, equipped with an almost comically large hammer. Lifting the hammer over his head, he shouted the last words any of the students heard before the deaths of their classmates.
"IT'S PUNISHMENT TIME!"
Two identical chains sprung out from practically no where, clamping around both Aoi and Sakura's necks, dragging them down an omnious hallway. The remaining students unwillingly followed, being practically forced to go down the hallway to witness their classmates' deaths.
Execution:
Water Illusion of the Whole Galaxy
Aoi was in a tank, Sakura right by her side. The tank seemed to be filled with...a tar-like substance. Or, at least everyone thought it was tar.
The "tar" suddenly floated out of the tank, revealing clear water underneath. It was as close to pleasant an execution can get, at least until the "tar" changed in to vicious, tar-like, alien-like creatures. There had to be at least a couple hundred of the identical creatures; each of them equipped with razor sharp tentacles. The alien creatures began to charge right at the duo, their tentacles posed in front of them. They moved at the speed of light, shocking the two victims in to action.
The pair attempted to escape, swimming under the water. This was obviously where the water illusion came in to play. Where once the aliens had been above water, they were now below water, appearing right in front of the duo. The hundreds of aliens all moved in synchronization, which led to a very brutal death for the two. Dozens and dozens of spear-like tentacles cut right through their skin and in to their flesh, the once clear water now turning a combination of black and red.
Aoi Asahina and Sakura Oogami were dead.
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
It was silence for a while after the execution. Every single one of the once hopeful students looked to be filled with dread.
...Except the more serious half of the Despair Sisters, who would not seem to stop glaring at me.
Survivors: 13
All righty! It's done! The first arc is done! As always, remember to follow and favorite both me and my story and DEFINATELY review. I love reviews. The next chapter is out Thursday. Bye!
