A/N: I'm skipping Review Replies for reasons I'll list in the end of the chapter. To be honest with you, I'm actually pretty scared to post this just because I might have some plot hole that I missed while planning the trial - even though I've reread this a bunch of times already, so again, as with the investigation, please be a little more lenient.
Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy the first part of the trial, and be sure to leave a review telling me what you thought, what you liked and what I could do better!
ACT 1: Adjusting to Anghern
CHAPTER 5: Court Is Now In Session
TIME UNKNOWN
Location: Anghern Trial Grounds
The elevator kept its slow yet perceptible descent as the silence in the small cramped space became ever apparent. Distrust flowed freely amongst everyone, although I could sense a bit of hope in some people. The tension and atmosphere inside it was suffocating - almost unbearably so... and with a screech loud enough to pierce the eardrums of a giant, the lift came to a stop, and the door in front of me slid to their respective sides, opening the way to a new room.
A bright light entered the elevator as its doors slowly opened, and being the one closest to the door, I was the first one to leave. The supposed courtroom where our Class Trial would be held looked nothing like any courtrooms I had ever been in, which is saying something, given my job as defense attorney. The walls of the circular room were coated in a weird meadow-ish wallpaper that reminded me of the countryside, with trees in the distance, a few log cabins and a small settlement - a village, it seemed. The floor was completely coated in dirt, with patches of grass rising, and in the center of the room, a circle of dark wooden stands, all facing the center of the circumference boasted itself.
Every stand was empty... except one.
"What the hell is this!?" Riou exclaimed as he stomped over to the occupied stand, standing next to a light brown wooden pedestal, atop which stood a picture... a picture of Yuki. "Monokuma, get this shit off of here, right now!" his loud voice was quite an abrupt change to the previous silence.
Monokuma simply giggled and sat upon a throne in the far side of the room. "Hey, watch your tongue, steroid boy! Why would I do that!? Just because little Yuki is dead, doesn't mean he can't be in the trial! Everyone deserves to be here in these fabulous trial grounds!"
"Trial grounds?" Akahana asked. "Don't make me laugh. These are a shameful excuse for trial grounds. An insult to the court system." she added, walking over to the circle of wooden stands. "And why are there names on these?"
Eita was the one to state the solution, even before Monokuma. "There are sixteen stands, all of which have one of our names engraved on it. I'd assume we should put ourselves in the stand corresponding to our name."
"Thaaaat's right! Find the stand with your name on it, and let's start this!" Monokuma announced, clapping his paws together. "I've been waiting for this for far too long! Time for the class trial to begin, baby!"
Soon enough, Frances had taken Yori to his stand, Kiyoshi has stumbled off to his, Akahana and I had gotten on to ours... sixteen stands were now occupied. I took a moment to look around and see how everyone had been displayed, only to see a boy-girl-boy-girl pattern in the location of the stands.
"So... what now?" Kikyo asked the black and white bear. "We just... talk?"
Monokuma faked a yawn and shook his head. "Bo-riiiiing! We have much more than talking! We have a bunch of attractions in here - meet... Monokuma's Trial Activities, filled to the brim with despair - and law!" he then burst into a fit of laughter, although he cackled alone. "No? Jeez, you guys're no fun... Anyway, I'll get to them when we get to them. Let's start this formally in 3... 2-"
"MOVE IT!" Riou yelled.
And thanks to that yell, Monokuma saved us one whole extra second, bashing his wooden gavel on the big red button he had perched to the right of his throne, and my vision went blurry for a couple of seconds, only to return with an added weight to my head.
"Wh-What is this...!?" Chigusa panicked. "I-Is there... a bug on my head...?"
"No sirree!" Monokuma explained. "I just put on some Virtual Reality helmets on you all so you can experience the Trial Activities firsthand! Am I not the most generous bear you'll ever meet?" a collective sigh of annoyance and impatience sounded off, making Monokuma sigh in disappointment. "You really are no fun... Anyway... starting the Class Trial engine in 3... 2... 1..."
Suddenly a screen of text appeared before my very eyes.
PRE-TRIAL - Have you got your facts straight?
Upupu! The first murder has already been put underway!? How exciting to see our new students so thirsty for each other's blood! Then again, who knew that our butler boy Yuki would be our first victim? He was the only one of you guys that actually did anything! Who would kill such a useful asset to your life in Anghern's walls!? The first class trial will give us all the answers we seek... or will it?
"Hey, this isn't cool, Monokuma!" Asuyo complained after reading the text that was undoubtedly showing up in front of her too.
Monokuma shrugged her words off. "I'm not going to mull about the butler any longer! All of us have had enough time to do it during the investigation, and after the fact as well! So calm your tits, woman." he laughed, as Asuyo clenched her teeth.
"Now, what? We've had enough of preparation. It's time for justice to be served!" Yuzuru cheered, yearning for Yuki to get the outcome he deserved.
Blackjack sighed. "Miss Kanzaki, you do seem a bit excited for the proceedings."
"So much so that she's started to sound like one of the lawyers." Kiyoshi muttered after a loud, drawn-out yawn. "Anyway, can we start? I wanna go back to sleep."
"You're seriously getting on my nerves." Yatarou threatened, although a bit hollowly.
"Calm down, Nekomirin-san." Shizuka's face was stern, but calm and cheerful at the same time - a balance only reached by the Street Magician as I've came to know him. "It is best for us not to indulge in needless fights. We don't want any more blood in our hands."
Eita nodded, and Kiyoshi glared at him, but was unable to respond before Maruko urged Monokuma to start. "Por lo tanto, are we ready now?"
"Yeah, Monokuma, let's get this over with!" Frances agreed with the Translator, eyeing the bear seriously.
With a sigh, the psychotic ursine rose his wooden gavel over the button once more and chanted. "You guys're right! Prep has been going for far too long! It's time for the first Class Trial in Anghern's Mutual Killing Game to begin!"
THE MURDER OF YUKI BATORA ~ CLASS TRIAL BEGIN!
Akahana: As prosecutor, it'll only be fitting if I present an opening argument, correct?
Akahana: That way we will all know the facts of the case, and be on the same level.
Chigusa: S-Sounds like a plan.
Riou: Get a move on, then.
Asuyo: Wait, is there really a need to do that?
Asuyo: We already have all the truth bullets as evidence.
Maruko: Zvarri... we should all know the basis for the case at hand, oui?
Asuyo: Exactly.
Tsukushi: The opening argument is an important part of trials in the outside world... I think it's best if we follow the rules here.
Kiyoshi: No way! That'd give you and the prosecutor girl a huge advantage compared to the rest of us.
Eita: Then how should we proceed?
Kikyo: Let's all take a vote... Who doesn't want Akahana to begin with the 'opening argument', as she calls it?
Yuzuru: Asuyo, Maruko, Kiyoshi, Blackjack and Frances... the vast majority wants her to begin, then.
Yori: Then let her begin, and we shall see how the rest of the debate holds up.
Shizuka: Akahana, take it away then...
Akahana: The victim, as we all know, is the Super High School-Level Butler, Yuki Batora. He was fatally stabbed once in the back, resulting in instant death, the time of which was 3h10am. His body was found in the freezer this morning before the usual morning meeting by Eita, Kikyo and Chigusa, which triggered the Body Discovery Announcement. This made us subsequently come to the scene and investigate.
Frances: I don't mean to be rude... but don't we know all that already?
Blackjack: Miss Baishou is correct. Most of the information you provided was in the Monokuma File.
Akahana: It was mostly a formality to assure we are all on stable footing before the proceedings.
Tsukushi: Let's start to unravel all the mysteries in this case, okay?
Kiyoshi: What for? It's all in the truth bullets.
Chigusa: Wh-What do you mean?
Eita: I believe he mea-
Monokuma: Hey, hey, hey, hold on a second! Might as well explain something for all the readers!
Riou: Something? Readers?
Yatarou: What are you talking about, Monokuma?
Monokuma: Give me a second... Now, this is beginning to heat up, which calls for the first of Monokuma's Trial Activities! Non-Stop Debates, to be precise! What you are about to read is the most common and basic activity you'll read throughout the class trials in this story! The students will debate over something regarding the case, but there are some parts of their testimonies that might contain contradictions, signalized with bold text, or correct statements, represented by italics! Your job is to find out what is wrong with the bold text, or what evidence proves the italic text is the truth! How, you ask? Using the Truth Bullets given to you, of course! The targeted contradiction will be bold and underlined and the targeted assertion will be italic and underlined!
Shizuka: That was quite the convoluted explanation.
Asuyo: And what do you mean with all the text nonsense? Are you on something?
Monokuma: ...
Yuzuru: Not gonna talk, are we?
Monokuma: ...
Kikyo: The silent treatment... very mature.
Eita: As Kiyoshi was stating-
Kiyoshi: I don't need the likes of you to help me say stuff, dumbass.
Yori: Eita was simply trying to help you.
Kiyoshi: Yeah, yeah, anyway. I've cracked the case already.
Chigusa: A-Already? But h-how?
Yatarou: Yeah, spew it. Who killed Yuki?
PHASE ONE
MAKE YOUR ARGUMENT: NON-STOP DEBATE
Loaded Truth Bullets: Monokuma File #1 | Suicide Note? | Meat Knife | Glass Shards
Riou: So... who did it?
Yuzuru: Oh my god, how did you...!?
Kikyo: Why are our words flying through the air?
Kikyo: This is so trippy!
Yori: Is something the matter?
Shizuka: This must be the Virtual Reality helmets' doing.
Eita: I believe we've gotten off-topic.
Kiyoshi: Stop helping me, damn it!
Kiyoshi: Anyway, it's obvious who the killer is!
Kiyoshi: It can only be Yuki himself!
Akahana: The victim? Is also the murderer?
Tsukushi: Objection, Your Honor!
(Fired: Monokuma File #1)
~ BREAK! ~
Tsukushi: That simply doesn't make sense, Kiyoshi.
Tsukushi: The Monokuma File makes it pretty obvious... it couldn't be a suicide.
Riou: What about it makes it impossible?
Kikyo: I think I know where Tsukushi is getting with this...
Kikyo: Yuki was stabbed in the back! Why and how would he do that himself?
Akahana: It'd be quite difficult to stab oneself in the back... suicidal people tend to go for easier approaches.
Yori: And why Yuki go to the freezer to do it?
Yatarou: He wouldn't... unless he felt like giving us work.
Kiyoshi: Guys, for fuck's sake! You're looking way too into this! There is a suicide note.
Kiyoshi: You think that just appeared out of thin air? No!
Yuzuru: What did that note say anyway?
Asuyo: It said he commited suicide because he didn't like his lifestyle as of now.
Tsukushi: See, that doesn't make any sense... I've talked to Yuki before and he genuinely likes being a butler.
Eita: Unfortunately, your claims don't hold any water if you do not have evidence.
Frances: Eita's right! We only have your word for it...
Blackjack: But I do believe we have noticed enough discrepancies to throw suspicion onto this suicide theory.
Frances: Right you are! I one-hundred-percent agree!
Shizuka: What an abrupt change, Baishou-san.
Chigusa: Th-That's not important, Shizuka...
Maruko: Herr Takagawa is right! Nous devons focus on this "suicide", ja?
PHASE TWO
MAKE YOUR ARGUMENT: NON-STOP DEBATE
Loaded Truth Bullets: Monokuma File #1 | Pile of Clothes | Meat Knife | Yori's Account
Riou: Didn't we just prove this wasn't a suicide?
Akahana: We entertained the possibility, yes, but there is no definitive proof.
Tsukushi: You're saying Yuki went from his room to the freezer...
Tsukushi: ...just to stab himself in the back?
Yori: That does seem to be quite unlikely.
Yuzuru: Either way... No matter which way you slice it, this is a suicide case.
Blackjack: We have plenty of evidence to sort through before we decide on a verdict.
Eita: Let's have a look at all of it.
Frances: Should we take a look at the staff room's evidence?
Kikyo: The cafeteria and the freezer probably hold some clues.
Shizuka: The victim's room would be a smart choice.
Chigusa: M-Maybe the pool area?
Maruko: Ja, that must be right, Herr Matsuoka!
(Maruko Fired: Yuki's Diary)
~ CONSENT ~
Riou: What the hell? What's that?
Maruko: A truth bullet, non? Take a look at all of them.
Tsukushi: Maruko... I haven't seen that before.
Shizuka: Likewise.
Chigusa: Th-That's not in my... my, um, truth bullet list...
Maruko: Qué? That's quite weird.
Maruko: Herr Uemura and moi found this diary in Yuki's dormitorio.
Blackjack: Monokuma, would you kindly explain this? Why does Maruko have more evidence than we do?
Maruko: Não, não, there must be an error! Herr Uemura also has cette truth bullet.
Asuyo: That's right. You should all have it as well.
Monokuma: Time for a lesson, huh? When investigating, you have the option to make Solo Bullets, which are basically secret weapons you can whip out mid-trial to make things that much more interesting! You probably just misclicked the button, no biggie. Now that the cat's out of the bag, though...
The Solo Bullet "Yuki's Diary", privy to Asuyo Uemura and Maruko Inubarashi, is a now a regular Truth Bullet.
Tsukushi: Solo Bullets? I wonder... are there more of them in the case?
Tsukushi: Wait... what? One of mine is a Solo Bullet as well... Akahana's jacket?
Tsukushi: Sounds like only Asuyo, Yatarou, Maruko and me know about it...
Monokuma: That's it. Get on with the trial, I'm getting bored!
Akahana: Monokuma is right. Let us move on to this new evidence...
Akahana: What about it is of importance?
Maruko: Herr Batora's handwriting ici is quite different from the note!
Frances: That'd mean... the suicide note is a fake!
Frances: Hehe, I knew watching all those detective shows and reading Sherlock Holmes would pay off!
Kiyoshi: As if you needed to do that to get the contradiction.
Blackjack: Mister Ikeda, would you kindly stop badgering others? Frances did nothing wrong to you.
Blackjack: Besides, you're the one who insisted on this being a suicide. You've now been proven wrong.
Kiyoshi: Tch, fuck you.
Frances: Th-Thank you, Blackjack.
Yatarou: Aren't we getting off topic?
Chigusa: Y-Yes, let's go back to the note...
Yuzuru: Is everyone satisfied with making this a murder, now?
Kikyo: I think it's pretty damn obvious this isn't a suicide by now.
Yori: So... it's really true? One of us killed Yuki?
Akahana: I don't want to believe it either, but that's the only answer.
Monokuma: Jeez, why do you people always get this sappy during the first trial?
Eita: Always?
Monokuma: Oops, said too much! You'll get what I'm saying later, now get back to trialing.
Yatarou: We just proved this was a murder...
Riou: So, now what?
Riou: Tsukushi, and... prosecutor pipsqueak... you're lawyers, so you should know what to do.
Akahana: Prosecutor pipsq- oh nevermind.
Tsukushi: We're in the realm of murder now so... we should begin by establishing the basics.
Akahana: Murder weapon, time and place of death...
Asuyo: The Monokuma File already specifies all of that, though.
Asuyo: Yuki was stabbed with a kitchen knife, in the freezer, at 3h10am.
Blackjack: Is that really the case, though, Miss Uemura?
Yatarou: What do you mean, Blackjack?
Blackjack: Isn't it possible for Monokuma to have given us false information?
Monokuma: Why are you guys making me talk so often? Jeez!
Monokuma: No, the Monokuma Files aren't lying! Every word there is true.
Frances: I'm not sure we should trust the villain.
Yori: It doesn't make sense for Monokuma to trick us though...
Yori: That'd make the case unsolvable.
Kikyo: That would mean... we already have the bases of the case set!
Tsukushi: Not necessarily.
Akahana: That's right. The Monokuma File doesn't specify all the details we need.
Yuzuru: It doesn't!? But I thought we just said it wouldn't lie to us...
Yuzuru: Unless... it's omitting the facts, instead of lying about them?
Riou: What's it hiding, then?
Monokuma: Hello again, fellow reader! Since last time the students made a fuss about the way I explained the rules of Non-Stop Debates, I'll just do it in a separate paragraph so they won't bother me. From now on, you might be asked to use one of the bolded or italicized assertions as a Truth Bullet! Now, I wonder if you're gonna need to use this in this Non-Stop Debate. Huh... What. A. Mystery...
Monokuma: So, anyway. Are you enjoying yourself? Want something to drink? Or a snack?
Monokuma: I think this trial could use a bit more despair... and maybe some alcohol. And definitely more me!
PHASE THREE
MAKE YOUR ARGUMENT: NON-STOP DEBATE
Loaded Truth Bullets: Dirty Floor | Washed Clothes | Missing Dishcloth
Asuyo: Then what's wrong with my statement?
Maruko: Asuyo said...
Maruko: ... that Yuki was murdered at 3h10am, in the freezer, with the meat knife.
Chigusa: Th-That's... all correct, right?
Shizuka: It's the only conclusion we could make from the file's information, and our investigating.
Yuzuru: Time of death,...
Yuzuru: ...place of death...
Yuzuru: and murder weapon.
Yuzuru: We've got the bases covered!
Asuyo: That's right! It's all in the Monokuma File!
Kikyo: No... something has to be off.
Yatarou: And, to your right, you can see a CONTRADICTION!
(Yatarou Fired: "place of death")
~ BREAK! ~
Riou: What kind of catchphrase was that?
Yatarou: I was trying to make a pun, okay? Get off me.
Yatarou: Anyway, I think I got what Tsukushi and Akahana were saying!
Yatarou: Yuzuru was right... the Monokuma File hid something.
Frances: Where Yuki was killled...?
Kikyo: Oh, I get it!
Kiyoshi: Then spit it out already.
Kikyo: ...
Kikyo: Anyway, if we all give the file a re-read... it doesn't say where Yuki died.
Riou: Kimono pipsqueak is right! It doesn't even say a place!
Kikyo: K-Kimono pipsqueak?
Blackjack: Then... can that itself be a clue?
Akahana: I do believe so. Tsukushi?
Tsukushi: Agreed. Monokuma wouldn't hide this from us if it wasn't important.
Yori: Then this means... Yuki was not killed in the freezer?
~ ARGUMENT ~
Yuzuru: Time for a killer rebuttal! Hehe!
Yuzuru: Just because the Monokuma File doesn't mention it...
Yuzuru: ...doesn't mean we should find it suspicious!
Tsukushi: Don't you find it a little weird though?
Kikyo: Tsukushi is right! Maybe Monokuma was trying to make the trial more difficult.
Monokuma: ...
Chigusa: S-Still silent...
Maruko: I would expect that from Herr Matsuoka... pero oh well.
Shizuka: Why would you think that?
Riou: Stop gettin' sidetracked, damn it!
Riou: What does this mean? What do we do now?
Akahana: Clueless as ever, Riou.
Akahana: Let's follow normal court proceedings. Where could the murder have taken place?
Yuzuru: Only in the freezer! There's no other place it could have been!
Yuzuru: After all, Yuki died instantly! He couldn't have moved!
Tsukushi: Sounds like you aren't backing down, huh, Yuzuru?
Yuzuru: Of course not! Justice should be served, Yuki deserves that much!
Yuzuru: I'm not letting you drive us off track without proof!
Tsukushi: I know she means well... but this is getting out of hand.
Tsukushi: What do I do? A Non-Stop Debate?
Monokuma: That won't be needed, lawyer boy.
Tsukushi: Sh-Shoot... thinking out loud again.
Monokuma: That you were! Upupu, it's time for another one of Monokuma's special Trial Activities! Introducing... the Rebuttal Showdown! When one person strongly disagrees with the flow of the trial, they'll present the argument, while another person of your choosing takes the other side and have a clash of swords like two brave warriors of old! During the argument, you'll use Truth Swords - renewed Truth Bullets - as weapons to slash through the other's argument. After slicing and dicing a bit, you'll advance the discussion further until you find a contradiction in the attacker's testimony!
Kiyoshi: Wh-What the fuck?
Kiyoshi: We have to stop what we're doing because that dipshit assassin doesn't feel like listening to us?
Eita: Do keep in mind you were in her position minutes ago, when discussing whether this was a suicide or not.
Kiyoshi: Shut the fuck up, Kurogane.
Blackjack: He's righ-
Kiyoshi: Don't even try, bitch. Let's just get on with this.
Frances: Don't talk to her like that, idiot!
Chigusa: G-Guys please... Stop fighting...
Asuyo: Chigusa is right! Let's get moving before I need to punch one of you!
Tsukushi: N-Now that that's over...
Tsukushi: I'll take you on, Yuzuru.
Tsukushi: Is that okay with everyone?
Tsukushi: Great. Now then... let's do it.
Yuzuru: Do your best, dude! I won't go easy on you!
Yuzuru Kanzaki has challenged Tsukushi Hananari to a Rebuttal Showdown!
PHASE FOUR
CROSS SWORDS: REBUTTAL SHOWDOWN
Sheathed Truth Swords: Missing Dishcloth | Monokuma File #1 | Cafeteria Door Usage History
Yuzuru: Yuki's body was found...
Yuzuru: ...in the freezer in the first floor!
Yuzuru: He died instantly...
Yuzuru: ...because of the stab...
Yuzuru: ...so he couldn't have moved!
Yuzuru: That means he died there!
~ ADVANCE! ~
Tsukushi: Yuki couldn't haved moved by himself...
Tsukushi: But what if he was moved by the killer?
Tsukushi: That'd explain the body switching places!
~ DEVELOPMENT! ~
Yuzuru: I guess that could be the truth...
Yuzuru: But there'd be blood everywhere in the kitchen!
Yuzuru: Yeah, that's right!
Yuzuru: You have no proof he was moved!
Tsukushi: That's where you're wrong!
(Unsheathed: Monokuma File #1)
~ CUT! ~
Yuzuru: The Monokuma File again?
Yuzuru: I thought we already established that didn't help!
Yori: I concur. The Monokuma File doesn't specify where the killing happened.
Yori: That's what brought us to this flashy-sounding duel.
Tsukushi: I'm not asking you to look at the location.
Riou: Then where the hell should we be looking at?
Tsukushi: To the one thing we haven't talked about.
Kikyo: You mean... the state of the body, right? The splinters.
Tsukushi: Right you are, Kikyo. Now... Yuzuru, tell me. How did they get there?
Yuzuru: I wouldn't know!
Akahana: It might have been when the killer moved Yuki to the freezer.
Akahana: Imagine this...
Akahana: Yuki after being stabbed, fell face-first onto the kitchen's wooden floor.
Akahana: If he had been forcefully dragged through there by his feet...
Tsukushi: His shirt would've risen a bit, revealing his torso and dragging it through the wood.
Tsukushi: That'd explain why there were splinters on his chest and abdomen!
Frances: So... the real crime scene would be the kitchen?
Shizuka: That'd seem to be the case. But is it really?
Shizuka: There's not much else that connects the two. There wasn't any blood in the kitchen as far as I'm aware.
Yatarou: That might be true, but the floor in front of the freezer was wet! And there were shards of glass too.
Kikyo: !
Kikyo: Did you just say... glass shards?
Yatarou: Well... technically I said shards of glass... but yeah, there were glass shards in the kitchen floor.
Eita: I cleaned them up after the investigation began.
Kiyoshi: What the hell!? That's pretty suspicious to me, dude!
Kiyoshi: You destroyed evidence to the murder!
Tsukushi: If he had done it to hide it, he wouldn't have told me and Yatarou while we were there.
Tsukushi: And he definitely wouldn't tell everyone here, just then.
Kiyoshi: Ugh... sure, fine.
Asuyo: You're always trying to push people under the bus, Kiyoshi.
Asuyo: Why is that? Trying to pin your crime on someone?
Kiyoshi: Hey, hey, don't go accusing me like that! I just want to go back home and sleep!
Riou: C'mon, guys, knock it off!
Chigusa: Um, Kikyo? What did you... want to say... about the glass?
Kikyo: It hadn't dawned on me until just now... but I found something else while searching the body.
Kikyo: Yuki's pocket watch is broken. The glass visor was shattered, but I didn't find the pieces anywhere in the freezer.
Yatarou: That proves it, then, right? The murder took place in the kitchen.
Kiyoshi: But now that that stupid kid threw the damn shards away, we don't have any way to back that up!
Asuyo: Ugh... As much as it pains me to agree with him, he has a point.
Kiyoshi: That's ri- HEY! What do you mean, it pains you!?
Tsukushi: Was there anything else found broken or cracked in the kitchen?
Eita: The shards were too small to build a bottle and too thin to be a glass.
Eita: That being said, they must be from Yuki's watch.
Maruko: There's still una cosa bothering me, though...
Maruko: Yuki was stabbed... there should be beaucoup de blood, right?
Yatarou: That's right... where did the blood go?
Akahana: It is still in the kitchen.
Tsukushi: Huh? What do you mean?
Akahana: The dirty floor in front of the freezer. What did you think it was, exactly?
Kikyo: I... I hadn't given it much thought until now.
Riou: Wait a sec... is that really the blood stain?
Riou: I'm not too good at these things, but I'm sure there'd be more blood.
Shizuka: Ryielo-san is right. Where did the blood disappear to?
PHASE FIVE
MAKE YOUR ARGUMENT: NON-STOP DEBATE
Loaded Truth Bullets: Missing Dishcloth | Yatarou's Account | Washed Clothes | Yori's Account
Yuzuru: How did the blood disappear?
Kikyo: Oh, oh, I know! Magic!
Yori: I would prefer it not to be... that would make me and Shizuka suspects as well.
Kikyo: Oh shoot, you're right... Sorry!
Chigusa: M-Maybe it... evaporated?
Shizuka: I'm sure it must have been cleaned by the killer!
Blackjack: It probably seeped into the wood.
Frances: I agree. Blood could get in the little spaces between the wooden planks and poof!
Shizuka: I don't think that's too likely.
Frances: Well, cleaning isn't gonna cut it either. The dishcloth is missing!
Yori: Not anymore, remember, Frances?
Frances: Oh... right. We found it in the staff room.
Kikyo: That argument needs no trimming!
(Kikyo Fired: Missing Dishcloth)
~ CONSENT ~
Kikyo: Shizuka's got a point!
Kikyo: The killer probably wiped the blood off with the dishcloth that went missing!
Tsukushi: The dishcloth was later found in the washing machine...
Blackjack: Sure enough, if the cloth was soaked in Yuki's blood...
Blackjack: ...it wouldn't be beneficial for the killer.
Blackjack: Cleaning it was indeed the best course of action.
Riou: So we already know how the blood disappeared from the murder site, right?
Chigusa: Yeah, I th-think we do...
Yori: That establishes the crime scene, time of death and murder weapon. What shall we do now?
Maruko: Je pense qu'it'd be wise for us to start seeing the crime's timeline, ja?
Akahana: Let's look over all the evidence, first. And make a list of possible suspects.
Tsukushi: Eita tampered with the glass shards so... add him.
Kiyoshi: Hey, weren't you defending that shit stain earlier!?
Eita: Quiet. They're right in suspecting me.
Yuzuru: Wh-What!? Does that mean you did it, Eita!?
Eita: Of course not.
Akahana: I believe Eita was admiring our unbiased approach to suspects.
Akahana: Next up... Asuyo and myself, because of the clothes in the staff room's washing machines.
Tsukushi: She doesn't appear to know about the jacket in Yuki's room...
Tsukushi: Sounds like Yatarou, Asuyo and Maruko aren't saying anything either.
Tsukushi: This Solo Bullet business might bring trouble later on...
Frances: Kiyoshi was pretty riled up over a conversation with Eita yesterday...
Asuyo: I remember Kikyo was really excited about the motive.
Tsukushi: And Yatarou, too. He was in the kitchen last night.
Kikyo: H-Hey, I didn't do it!
Kiyoshi: Neither did I! What gives, dude!?
Shizuka: I'm sure it's only a preliminary list, Ikeda-san and Namikaze-san. In due time, your names will be cleared.
Riou: So that makes the suspects... Kikyo, Asuyo, Akahana, Eita, Yatarou and Kiyoshi.
Blackjack: And the culprit is definitely one of them...
PHASE SIX
MAKE YOUR ARGUMENT: NON-STOP DEBATE
Loaded Truth Bullets: Yatarou's Account | Chigusa's Account | Yori's Account | Pile of Clothes
Yuzuru: Who do we have the strongest case against?
Chigusa: Y-Yatarou...
Shizuka: Indeed... Nekomirin-san has admitted to being at the crime scene.
Akahana: Do we have any way to get him off the hook?
Tsukushi: Let's hear his alibi... Yatarou, tell us.
Yatarou: I went to the kitchen by myself...
Yatarou: The only evidence I have is the Kitchen Door Usage History...
Yatarou: And that's pretty flimsy evidence.
Kiyoshi: At least he admits it...
Riou: Maybe we've got something to give us a clue about the killer.
Frances: Their gender...
Frances: Their build...
Frances: Their name...
Asuyo: There's no clues regarding the killer's identity.
Chigusa: I d-don't think th-that's a f-fruitful argument!
(Chigusa Fired: Chigusa's Account)
~ BREAK! ~
Chigusa: Oh, I'm r-really right? Oh my!
Shizuka: Good job, Chigusa! Do you have any clue about the killer's gender?
Yatarou: It's a girl, right!?
Kikyo: It's definitely a boy!
Riou: Let leaf pipsqueak talk!
Chigusa: L-L-Leaf pipsqueak!?
Chigusa: Aw... I don't even get a c-cute nickname...
Chigusa: O-Oh, but I know!
Tsukushi: You fired your own account...
Tsukushi: You heard someone run down the hall the night of the murder, right?
Chigusa: Yes! I, um, I heard women shoes clicking outside my door... at around 3h40am.
Yuzuru: 3h40am? That's half an hour after the murder!
Kikyo: It has to be related! But... that means...
Chigusa: I, um, c-couldn't go to sleep after I h-heard it, but it was all quiet afterwards...
Chigusa: Right up until I w-went d-downstairs a little before... um... 7am...
Yori: That would mean whoever ran down the hall stayed there until morning.
Akahana: Being in the hallway the entire night would be suspicious...
Akahana: Which means the killer went into a girl's room.
Frances: No one slept over in another person's room, right?
Blackjack: Then... this would mean our suspects have been reduced to three. The three girls.
Kikyo: Goddamnit...
Asuyo: Fear not, Kikyo. As long as you a clear conscience, you shouldn't worry.
Asuyo: We'll bring Yuki to justice.
Yuzuru: Hey, that's my line!
Kiyoshi: Pretty ironic... justice spiel coming from an assassin.
Yuzuru: Ugh, would you shut up, already?
Yatarou: This means... I'm off the hook now, right? Kiyoshi and Eita too.
Maruko: Looks like it, Herr Nekomirin. Enhorabuena!
Akahana: Not so fast... There's still a murderer among us.
Akahana: Me, Asuyo and Kikyo being the three prime suspects...
Monokuma: And it'll have to stay like that for a while!
Riou: What do you want!?
Monokuma: I'm thirsty! So I'm gonna call a recess to get myself something to drink!
Tsukushi: H-Hey you can't do that! That's not how court works!
Monokuma: Who's the judge here, huh, lawyer boy? Shut your trap!
Monokuma: Everyone, enjoy this break to catch your breath and get your theories in order!
Monokuma: We'll be back before you know it!
A/N: And so the first part of the Class Trial reaches an end! What do you think of the writing and the case up until now? I hope I have you guys' attention for the other half of this exciting trial - which, by the way, I'm having a lot of fun writing.
Our suspect list has gone down from 16 (counting the "Yuki's suicide" theory) to 3, Kikyo, Asuyo and Akahana! Will the killer really be one of them though? Maybe it'll even be a boy! Regardless, you'll see eventually.
In a bit of update news, I decided to take the trial portion of the book another route and drop skills altogether in favor of Solo Bullets. I wanted to weave the skills into the book but I just couldn't find a decent way to do it, so I ended up dropping it. To all of those who were looking forward to skills in trials, I'm genuinely sorry, but I hope you enjoy reading the proceedings the way they are!
I'm skipping the QOTC for this chapter and the next trial ones too, as well as review replies just because I don't trust myself to not give clues by mistake when responding... Happened to me before.
That's all for today, though! Anyway... Yamazaki out!