Part 1:
Chapter 10:
"Attention passengers, it is now seven a.m. and night time is officially over. Wakey wakey, rise and shine!"
Monokuma's voice drags me from my sleep. Morning already? I've had hardly any sleep at all. Yesterday was so long and stressful. I couldn't relax at all last night. My mind was filled with so many beautiful, despairing thoughts. I guess so little sleep now means that I'll have no problems sleeping tonight.
It is so dark, even though it's morning. I'm so used to daylight creeping in through the curtains and illuminating things in a soft glow. I scramble out of bed and reach for where I remember the light switch being. The light turns on and confirms my worst fears. Everything that happened was real. We really did get trapped on this train. Monokuma's wakeup call was real and not just the last remnants of a nightmare. I sigh and sit down on my bed. I need to wake up properly. I look up at the harsh light. The blinding light burns my eyes open.
Reluctantly, I get up again and reach for the cupboards above my bed. I get changed into some clean clothes. I feel horrible wearing the same dirty clothes. Especially after sleeping in them. I could do with a shower too. My clean outfit is the exact same as the day before. All of my clothes are. It is going to get very boring, very quickly. Unless, of course, I can get out of here.
I start gathering things to take to the bathroom so I can have a wash when an electric bell rings. It is just like yesterday when Monokuma called us together. What does he want this time and why couldn't he say it in the morning announcement?
"A body has been discovered!" Monokuma declares over the speakers, "After a set period of investigation, a Class Trial will begin!"
A body has been discovered… Murder. Despair.
I grab my e-handbook and open the door. But I am stopped. The electric bell rings again and the announcement is repeated.
"A body has been discovered!" Monokuma says again, "After a set period of investigation, a Class Trial will begin!"
"What the fuck?" Axel shouts. I turn to see him stood in the corridor with a look of panic on his face. "Why'd it play twice? Don't tell me two people died!"
I have no thoughts to respond with. My mind is in a state of total chaos brought about the sudden announcement. I haven't really got the chance to process my thoughts on it.
"This way!" Shiki calls down the corridor. She is at the end of the carriage leading to Coach C.
"Hmmm?" Yui steps out of her room, still wearing a silk nightie, and rubs her eyes.
"Come on," Axel runs past me, and then Yui, as he heads in the direction that Shiki is leading us. I follow close behind and Yui slowly trudges after us.
The door to the next carriage slides open and my eyes immediately fall on the horror in front of us. Lying on his back, with his head resting in a pool of blood, is the Ultimate Knight, Koji Datsuki. Lancelot… The massive amount of blood covering his neck and face is horrifying. But the nightmare fuel is his eyes. There is nothing left of them but blood and pus and a screwdriver sticks out of his left socket.
I feel queasy just looking at it. I didn't think I would react like this to blood. I've seen brutal murders all the time on television. They don't prepare you for the real thing. It's too gruesome to keep looking at. I force myself to look away from Lancelot's body. Only for my eyes to fall on a similar sight at the far end of the carriage.
The Ultimate Gardener, Hanbei Wakuri. Dead.
Hanbei's body is slumped in a kneeling position. He is being held up by his hands which are still handcuffed to the luggage rack. Blood pours down from his eyes and neck, coating his front in red. He appears to have suffered the same treatment as Lancelot. A screwdriver is lodged into his left eye too.
Not one, but two people have been murdered. Double the death. Double the despair. I finally tear my gaze from the corpses and see the people around me. Akari is staring down the aisle at the bodies, looking completely traumatised. His eyes are wide and his mouth hangs open. He does not move a muscle. He just stands there, eyes fixed on the horror in front of him. Ayato is next to Akari but is looking away and clenching his eye closed. He is visibly shaking.
Such a delightful variety of despair.
"What the fuck is this?" Axel shouts.
Yui finally squeezes into the carriage and sees the two bodies. She immediately screams. "Why!?" she cries out. Shiki quickly moves to comfort her, wrapping her arms around the terrified girl.
A pain strikes me in the back and I suddenly panic. The two dead bodies in front of us make me fear the worst. My fears are quickly quashed as I am pushed aside. The pain was Hakuro jabbing me with his cane to get me to move.
Hakuro muses for a moment and then speaks up, "Inevitable and ashamedly predictable casualties."
"Have a little sympathy, mate," Axel says.
Hakuro just glares as Axel from above and lumbers over to a seat, careful to not come into contact with Lancelot's body. "If you would be so kind as the cease your needless mourning and retrieve our fellows, we might begin the judicial process," he says.
"Needless?" Shiki asks.
"Enlighten me on the emotional connection you forged with the victims," Hakuro says.
He's so calm about this. In fact, he's openly stating that he doesn't care about the victims. I wasn't on the greatest terms with either of them, but Lancelot did do everything to protect people. Including me. Now they're dead. Show some respect.
Ayato turns around and leaves the carriage without saying anything else. He seems like he's been really affected by this. As do Yui and Akari. Yui is sobbing into Shiki's chest and Akari is still standing there and staring at what lies in front of us. He has been one of the strongest in our group, having the confidence to speak up to Monokuma and even he's stunned into silence by this. I should be worried about him and try to help. But all I can do is enjoy the sweet taste in my mouth left by the sight of the despair all over Akari's face.
"Dude, that's fucking brutal…" Miki says as she, too, enters the carriage. Once again, she's done a good job of summing up, what I assume are, the thoughts of everyone.
The rest of the girls soon follow. Sakuya, Nami, Ayaka and Chouko fill up the space at the end of the carriage. No one wants to move closer to the bodies. I notice that Ayaka simply shakes her head in disappointment. Nami doesn't react. Her expression remains as blank and emotionless as ever.
"Oh, what a shame, I liked him…" Sakuya says, "Never mind."
She seems to get over it very quickly. She smiles sweetly. I then look for Chouko, but she seems to have vanished. I can't blame her. I'm sure there are several people who would love to run away and hide right now. But we can't. We have to face this murder. There will soon be a class trial. Whatever that may be.
"Let me through," Keigo says and pushes his way through the group. Ayato has returned with him and Yuuhei. Keigo stops when he reaches the front and sees what has happened. "It can't be… How could someone do something like this?"
Yuuhei follows suit. He gasps, but does what he can to keep his cool.
"We must avenge them and bring justice to whoever betrayed us," Yuuhei declares. His words are powerful. Avenge. Justice. Betrayed. This is no small crime. Yuuhei feels offended by the killing. He isn't experiencing despair. He is driven by it. He sounds determined to catch the killer. It doesn't matter. I've tasted the despair that most of the group have experienced. I am more than satisfied by that. Now, we must move on. Except, what happens now?
"This is more like it!" Monokuma cheers. He jumps out from behind a seat and lands in front of us.
"What do you want?" Ayato asks, "Haven't you done enough?"
"What!?" Monokuma cries out, "But I came to help you guys out!"
"Can we really trust you after the 'help' you gave us last night?" Keigo asks.
"Of course!" Monokuma says, "Or is one of you the Ultimate Forensics Expert and never said anything?"
"I work with corpses on a daily basis, but I am no expert," Nami says.
"Exactly, that's why you need my help. You know, so you have a chance of finding the killer," Monokuma says.
"But, we know who did it," Yui says.
"Oh really? Do tell," Monokuma says and looks at the small girl. Tears are streaming down her face, but she is keeping herself calm to face Monokuma.
"It was you, evil teddy!" Yui declares and points at Monokuma, "You're the one talking about despair and killing people."
"How absurd, I'd never hurt you guys! Unless, of course, you broke a rule... None of you broke any rules while I wasn't looking, right?" Monokuma says. His expression turns rather sinister at that moment, "The killer is… one of you!"
"Your naivety is the true cause of despair," Hakuro says to Yui. At this comment, she looks like she might burst into tears again.
"Sadly, this incident has all the hallmarks of greed. Our motive," Ayaka says.
"Yep! Someone decided to try and graduate," Monokuma says, "That juicy reward was just too tempting for them. Their greed overpowered them and they thought more about themselves than the lives of others. How does that make you feel?"
"Despair," I say simply. I know it's the answer he wants. I might as get it over with.
"Puhuhuhuhu," Monokuma laughs.
"One of us… really killed Hanbei and Koji?" Keigo asks.
Everyone suddenly turns to look at each other. We are all in such close proximity. One of the people in this group has betrayed the rest and killed two of our classmates. Everyone eyes each other with suspicion. Someone here is a killer. No one can trust anyone.
"W-who did it!?" Shiki cries out.
"Me," Axel says, "I did it."
"W-what?"
"You heard me, I killed Hanbei and Koji," Axel says, "And now I get to graduate."
"What? He straight up admits it?" Miki asks.
"A student who kills a fellow classmate will become the 'blackened' and will graduate if they are not discovered. After three people find a dead body, a 'Body Discovery Announcement' will be made. After a period of time, a 'Class Trial' will begin to determine the blackened," I say, reciting the rules that Keigo read out yesterday word for word.
"Oh, you got me," Axel laughs, "Yeah, I'm just messing."
"You despicable man, this is no time for messing around with us," Yuuhei shouts.
"How do you know he's not telling the truth and did kill them?" Miki asks.
"I would not put much faith into the words of the Ultimate Liar," Nami says.
"I'm glad someone remembers the rules," Monokuma says, pointing to me, "We're going to have a Class Trial!"
"What is a Class Trial?" Akari asks.
"A while after a murder, a Class Trial will be held," Monokuma begins to explain, "Everyone will gather together and present their arguments for who they think is the blackened. At the end, the result will be decided by popular vote. If you get it right, then only the blackened will be punished and the rest of you can continue to live your communal life."
Everyone looks at Monokuma. We all try to take it all in, but also want to wait to hear the full explanation. Monokuma draws out the wait, building the tension up.
"But… if you get it wrong…" he continues teasingly, "then the blackened will survive and the rest of you will be punished. At which point, your communal life will come to an end. That's all there is to it."
"Punishment…"Akari repeats. Monokuma has mentioned punishment several times and it seems especially important in the Class Trial. Punishment is the conclusion of it. Whichever way it goes. What that punishment is, though, we don't know. From the way Monokuma talks, I can make a guess. I just don't want to believe it until Monokuma confirms it.
"Yep! Punishment! And what punishment might that be?" he says. He is definitely teasing us. He knows what we want him to tell us and he is delaying it as long as possible. "Execution."
"Execution!?" Shiki cries out.
"That is no way to bring justice," Yuuhei says, "The killer must repay us for their crimes and earn redemption."
"Isn't it?" Monokuma asks, "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life…"
"How does that justify killing all of us if we get it wrong?" Akari asks.
That thought is harrowing. We thought that the Graduation Rule was simple. That there were no drawbacks other than people being victims. Instead, it turns out all of our lives are on the line. No one can afford to make a mistake. The punishment is death.
"It justifies it because you were naughty children who didn't bring justice to the one who disrupted your communal life," Monokuma says, "Anyway, enough of your blabbering! It's time for your gift, that help I promised. I've gathered all the information you need about these deaths for you in one handy guide. I call it… The Monokuma File!"
"How do you know the information?" Ayato asks.
"Because I saw it all happen, silly," Monokuma says, "Now, you'll find the Monokuma File on your e-handbooks. See? I told you they were super important."
I take the e-handbook from my pocket and load it up. Many people do the same. While others look over shoulders to view the devices.
"I'll leave you to do whatever you need to do and see you later at the Class Trial," Monokuma says before quickly disappearing.
The screen loads up to an unfamiliar page. It is titled 'Truth Bullets'. What is that all about? The page has a list of some kind, but there is currently only one item on that list. 'Monokuma File 01'. I guess this is what we're looking for. I tap it and new information appears.
"Right, let's see what we have then," Keigo says and begins to read the page out loud, "The victims were Koji Datsuki and Hanbei Wakuri. Both died around five a.m. Both bodies were discovered in Coach C at seven o five a.m. Both victims sustained similar fatal stab wounds to the neck. Both victims were also stabbed in both eyes. Koji Datsuki also received a non-fatal wound to the pelvis."
I look up from my e-handbook and at the two bodies. This got very real. They have both been murdered brutally and now it falls to us to figure out who killed them. There is a killer in our group who will do everything they can to derail the investigation without giving themselves away.
"What do we do?" Yui asks.
"We've got to do it," Keigo says, pumping a fist, "We've got to solve this murder!"
"I could examine the bodies," Nami suggests, "I am no expert, but I could give them an examination and attempt to uncover some clues."
"That's as good a place to start as any," Shiki says, "We'll need someone to watch over the crime scene, though. To make sure no one tampers with evidence."
"I can do that. I probably won't be able to help with much else," Miki says.
"Anyone else?" Keigo asks.
"Sure, I'll do it," Axel says, shrugging. Is that really a good idea, trusting the Ultimate Liar? As long as Miki keeps him in check, it should be fine.
Nami and the two guards approach the first body. That of Koji Datsuki. Miki and Axel climb into seats either side of the corpse and watch as Nami crouches down next to Koji's head. She reaches into a pocket of her long jacket and pulls out a pair of white gloves. She slips the gloves onto her hands and reaches out to the body. She actually has gloves for handling dead bodies with her. It's not unreasonable to think that the Ultimate Mortician would carry some around, but it still seems eerily prepared.
"There is a single wound to the left side of his neck," Nami says, "It appears to be quite deep. The weapon used had a very narrow diameter."
No one says anything, but most people are looking at the screwdriver lodged in the eye socket. That most likely fits the description of the weapon Nami was referring to. Nami continues to inspect Koji's neck, making sure there is nothing she missed under the splattered blood.
"I would assume from the need for only a single wound that the killer is a professional and knew where to strike," Nami says.
"A professional… killer…" Yui says. She is still shaking and crying. "Who could do that?"
"Huh?" Keigo grunts and looks at his e-handbook. I check mine again to find there is a second item on the list of 'Truth Bullets' entitled 'Koji's Fatal Wound'. I tap it to see what information it comes up with. Everything that Nami has just said is written there. There is also a close up photograph of the wound. I quickly back out of the page to avoid looking at it. I look up to see a security camera in the ceiling. I'm guessing the picture is from that.
Nami is now investigating the screwdriver and Koji's eyes. Probably the most unsettling part of the incident.
"Both eyeballs have been punctured, seemingly by the screwdriver," Nami says. She carefully grips the screwdriver's handle between finger and thumb and pulls. The screwdriver slides out with ease. This elicits a few screams and queasy noises from our group. "Crosshead screwdriver. Size roughly matches that of the fatal wound."
Nami stands up and steps back over the body again. She crouches down over Koji's legs and begins to check his armour. It then occurs to me that she is looking for the other wound mentioned in the Monokuma File. The metal plate covering his crotch comes off very easily. Nami examines it for a moment before setting it aside and checking the body.
"The crotch plate was not attached properly," Nami says, "It would have fallen off had he been standing up. It is also clear of any blood."
It's difficult to see what Nami is doing as she moves in closer to examine Koji's body further. Everyone waits in silence to hear what she has to say.
"The other wound matches the one on his neck," Nami says, "However, the weapon appears to have entered at an angle, I believe from a lower position. It is difficult to say. That seems to be consistent with the access to it through the lower plate."
She continues to check the body over some more. Though it appears she finds nothing more of note as she remains silent through her search. Then with the approval of the two guards, Nami moves on to Hanbei's body. None of us move from our spot so not to disrupt the crime scene while Nami continues her autopsy.
Hanbei is too far down the carriage for us to hear Nami properly. So, she performs her checks before telling us anything. As with Koji, she removes the screwdriver from Hanbei's eye and steps back to avoid any sudden blood leakage. After a further check of the rest of Hanbei's body, Nami stands up and faces the rest of us.
"The fatal wound appears to be identical for both victims. As is the situation surrounding the punctured eyeballs. The screwdriver was a flathead this time, however," Nami says, "The only other notable feature I could find was abrasion on the bandages wrapped around his hands. I suspect it may have been caused by resisting the handcuffs."
"Thank you," Keigo says and Nami nods.
"I suppose we should see if we can find any more clues," Shiki says.
"Miss Yukihira, I believe you should get dressed ahead of the trial," Ayaka says.
"But… I want to be helpful," Yui says.
"You can be helpful once you are dressed," Ayaka says. She sounds so much like a parent addressing Yui like that.
She leads Yui out of the carriage, back to her room. Yui is upset about leaving, but follows anyway. The rest of us start our search for clues. I don't know what I'm looking for, though. Keigo stops in front of me as he looks down.
"What's that?" he asks.
"Where?" Shiki asks.
Keigo makes us stand to one side of the aisle and look down. Then I notice what he's pointing at. There is a trail of blood. I can understand why we didn't notice it. The trail is just a few drops of blood. Each one is a fair distance from the other in a straight line down the aisle. The distance between each drop is roughly the same. I don't understand what it means. The trail leads away from the body back towards our rooms, but fades out by the end of the carriage so there is no hope of following it.
"Did the killer perhaps get injured?" Akari asks.
"I don't know, mustn't have been much of an injury," Shiki says. She's right. It might have been a small cut or something like that. Otherwise, there is no explanation for the trail of single droplets if it was significant.
"I guess we'll have to figure it out in the trial," Keigo says. He certainly doesn't sound happy about it. The murder has brought a downer on his mood. It has done that to most people, but Keigo is one of the more badly affected ones.
"Ah, what about Koji's sword?" Akari asks, "He could've used it to defend himself and injure the killer!"
Akari seems enthusiastic about his theory. The others are less so. We haven't even seen the sword yet. It isn't anywhere on his corpse.
"It was made of wood though, how could he draw blood with that?" Shiki asks. My immediate thought is a splinter, but that would be far too small an injury for what we're thinking.
"Where is his sword, anyway?" Keigo asks.
"It is over here," Nami says, waving to us.
Carefully, we step over Koji's corpse and head to where Nami is. As she said, the sword is propped up on a seat next to her. It looks like it was carefully placed there. It is a few rows away from where the body is and there is no sign of blood on it. It looks like it played no part in the incident. The Ultimate Knight didn't use his sword and died as a result.
"Why was it here?" Keigo asks, "Why didn't he use it? He could have defended himself!"
I don't say anything. Shiki and Akari look at the sword for a moment before pushing past us and moving on to investigate Hanbei's body some more. I don't know what else there could be to find. Nami seemed to do a pretty thorough job checking the bodies.
"Hey, Izumi, can I ask you something?" Ayato says.
"Uh, yeah, what?" I ask as I turn to look at him.
"Do you know who the last person to leave this carriage last night was?" he asks.
"No," I say. I assume he's talking about when we were gathered together after Hanbei's attempt to kill me. I managed to leave without anyone stopping me while there were still a few people here.
"Oh, well, I was wondering if we could find out who the last person to see them alive was. You know, in case they noticed anything," Ayato explains. I guess that could be a line of enquiry to follow. I don't have any better ideas.
"It was me," Keigo says, walking over to join our conversation.
"Oh?" Ayato looks at Keigo with suspicion. I've noticed this before. In the luggage car. Ayato really doesn't like Keigo. I wonder if it's a result of my outburst when we first met.
"Yeah, I stayed behind to stand guard with Koji for a bit," Keigo says, "We talked for a bit, but I got tired and he suggested I go back to bed."
"Why?" Ayato asks.
"I don't know," Keigo says, "I trusted him. I didn't think he would kill Hanbei. He was devoted to acting as a guard. I also trusted that he could defend himself…" There is a sorrowful expression on his face. "He told me about his family's kendo club. He took everyone there on with his western swordplay style and won. He was so proud of it and he was the Ultimate Knight… I thought he would have no problems fighting someone off on his own."
"When did you leave?" Ayato asks, searching for more information despite Keigo's obvious distress at recounting his tale.
"I guess about half past three," Keigo says.
"Right," Ayato says. I have no idea what he's thinking about what Keigo has said. Perhaps he's reserving judgement. Normal rationale might say Keigo is suspicious for being the last person to see Koji and Hanbei alive. The fangirl inside me says otherwise. Keigo would never kill anyone. He's too perfect to reduce himself to that. Ayato turns and heads back, stepping over the body once more. That really is in the way. I'm surprised no one's stepped in the blood yet.
"Hey, Izumi, clue for you," Ayato says over his shoulder with a cheeky grin.
I look to where he is pointing. It's a table. I can't see what is so special about a table. I step over Koji's body again and walk over to the table. Ayato has already left the carriage, presumably in search of more clues. I don't know what he'll find away from the crime scene. He must have something in mind. I turn my attention back to the table. There is a splatter of blood on the edge of it. There isn't much, but it's definitely significant. It isn't that far from the body, but how blood got where it did doesn't seem to be obvious.
I decide to go to the end of the carriage to take things in and reassure myself. I'm still feeling a little ill at the sight of so much blood everywhere. I don't want to look at it or think about it. But I have to. The lives of everyone on the train depend on it. I just have to leave it to other people to investigate. There isn't that much room and there are plenty of people searching for clues. I don't even know where to look. I don't think many people do either. Some people seem to resort to checking under tables. I just have to compose myself ahead of this Class Trial. There is going to be a battle between hope and despair. I have to be able to focus and not lose myself to my newfound lust for despair.
Author's Notes: MURDER! Ahem, yeah, this is a long one. I wanted to get everything in together opposed to splitting it into two potentially underwhelming chapters. The first part of the trial will be similarly long as some advanced warning. Now, speculate away! Who did it? How? Why? Etc.