Laughing filled the trial room. All was silent except for the laughing. Katashi started laughing harder and harder, the look on his face being one of pure insanity. Kazuma was feeling so confused. Just what had happened to their friend to drive him to kill?

"Katashi...how could you do it?"

"How...?" Katashi was still laughing. "Oh, how indeed?"

"What happened to you?" A nervous Kimiko asked.

"What happened to me?!" Katashi roared. "What fucking happened to me?!"

Kimiko shrank back in shock as their friend slipped further and further into his own madness. Monokuma seemed to be enjoying this conversation heavily. He jumped in after a moment, prepared to help explain it all to them.

"Well, if you want to know what's wrong with your friend here, I guess I'll have to tell you all!" Monokuma stated gleefully. "While I am sad that he didn't kill because of my motive, I do quite like his reasoning."

"Just cut to the chase, what the hell's goin' on?" Sumiko asked impatiently.

"Your friend Katashi here obviously isn't the real Super High School Level Musician!"

Shock colored everyone's faces. Katashi isn't the real Super High School Level Musician? What the hell did Monokuma mean by that. Kazuma glanced over at their recently found culprit, who seemed to be switching back and forth from a look of insane giddiness to powerful anger.

"What, pray tell, is his talent then?" Israfel asked, the question being the same one that was on everyone's minds.

"To put it simply, his talent is the Super High School Level Psychopath!"

"It's...what?" Kazuma asked slowly.

"He's the Super High School Level Psychopath! He was never going to be in class with the rest of you SHSL students, no, that would be far too dangerous! Hope's Peak decided they could school him in private, study his talent that way, possibly even getting him back on a hopeful path!"

Kazuma was terribly confused and he could see the same look on everyone else's face. So, not only had he been lying to them the whole time, but Monokuma went along with it and let them all fall for this trap? He was ready to end that bear because this was all his fault. Mamoru was dead because Monokuma had let Katashi lie.

"Bet you're all wondering how I got this lousy excuse of a talent, huh?" Katashi spoke softly. The way he was speaking somewhat resembled the Katashi they had known before, the friendly Katashi that wouldn't harm a fly. "I used to be normal. I was an honors student, I did everything right. I didn't want to hurt anyone. I always followed the rules, and I was great at all the school's instruments. I was popular, everyone knew me. My parents were rich, almost famous. I had it easy. But good things never last. When you're rich, it makes you a target. I was kidnapped for ransom, my captors wanted my my parents' money. The ransom was set at a million dollars. I believed that they would pay it. I believed that they'd save me. They didn't! They didn't want to save their own son, no, that would cost them precious money! I was held by those captors for a fucking year! I was tortured day in, day out, just because of my parents' greed. But I was watchful. Oh yes, I was very watchful... They forgot to lock my chains up one night and I was free. I got loose and I did to them what they did to me, and then I killed them. I wasn't done there, though! You see, bloodlust is very big with me now. I can never get enough! I had to kill more and more people! More...more...more..."

Katashi had truly gone insane, and everyone was forced to watch their former friend break down. It was not a pretty sight at all, watching his personality they knew fade away in the blink of an eye. He was no longer the person they knew, and there would never be going back now. No, not if what Monokuma planned to do was true.

"One last thing. I had you all. I really did. I never had amnesia in the first place. I spent that time crafting my new persona, the new Katashi that I could act as to fool you all into a false sense of security. I didn't think it'd work quite as well as it did."

"Alright, alright, enough chatter! It's about time we got to the punishment!" Monokuma yelled, getting rather impatient.

A low growl emanated from his throat as he knew he was finished. All eyes were on him, the guy who'd heartlessly killed the Super High School Level Mathematician. The guy who'd nearly been able to fool them all. His mind was racing a mile a minute, he hadn't even expected the guitar's pick to end up at the scene of the crime.

Some were glaring his way, others didn't want to make eye contact with a convicted killer and the lot were just staring at him in confusion. How could such a nice person turn out to be such a sick and sadistic individual truly deserving the title of Super High School Level Psychopath? Katashi's growl faded into roaring laughter. His insanity was at a peak, the stress of impending doom messing him up even worse.

"Upupupu... I've prepared a very special punishment for our Super High School Level Psychopath, Katashi Yuudai!"

A small button with a screen display rose up in front of Monokuma's seat. The black and white bear pulled out a gavel and slammed it down onto the button. The display lit up, showing a pixelated animation of Katashi. A pixelated Monokuma appeared and dragged the pixel Psychopath off, kicking and screaming as text appeared below.

KATASHI YUUDAI HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY.

COMMENCING EXECUTION.

A Taste of His Own Medicine

A metal cuff snapped shut around Katashi's neck, dragging him out of the trial room as the chain retracted. After being pulled down a long hallway, he found himself in a dark and damp concrete room. The neck cuff fell free and he pulled himself to his feet. Charging forward, he made for the exit.

He never reached it. Several Monokumas piled into the room, forcefully grabbing onto him and pinning him up against the wall by each limb. The Psychopath glanced backwards to the wall and found it to be filled with small holes. He didn't have long to wonder what they were for.

More Monokumas appeared, each brandishing their own spear. One moved forward, driving a spear clean through his left leg and into a hole in the wall. Katashi cried out in intense pain, attempting to tear himself free from the bears to no avail. Another spear was impaled through him, this time the right leg. Blood and tears flowed freely from the male. Next came the arms, to which he thrashed about weakly in protest.

The Monokumas holding him up let go as he was now literally pinned to the wall. Two spears were left. Katashi was dizzy, his vision blurry. Everything hurt and with good reason as well. Every time he shifted, he cried out again. Suddenly, more pain was flooding him as he found a spear impaling his midsection. Blood flew from his lips upon giving a sharp cough. The boy was almost dead. He lifted his head one last time to stare forward, only managing to see the last spear flying at him on a path directly between his eyes. Before he could even blink, there was a spear in his head and he was no more.

The trial room was silent. The monitor that had shown them every gruesome detail of Katashi's execution flickered and shut off. Everyone was still reeling from the revelation. He'd truly been a sick and twisted individual, tricking them all by faking amnesia so he could invent a personality to use with them. Then he'd brutally murdered Mamoru.

This entire situation was messed up. Kazuma was lost in his thoughts, the despair slowly creeping in. He didn't even get to say a goodbye to Mamoru. No one had even wanted to say goodbye to Katashi. Monokuma had disappeared at some point, but Kazuma hadn't noticed when. He didn't even see Kimiko fighting back tears in the corner. The most he could do was stumble to the elevator. Everyone followed suit behind him.

The day was only just getting dark but Kazuma didn't even want to wait for nighttime. He was going to his apartment, and he was staying there. How does one regain hope after going through this? He didn't know. He didn't think he'd find out. Everyone was sullen, and yet he was feeling so horrible about everything that he couldn't even attempt to cheer everyone up. However, he still had a nagging thought in the back of his head that was cursing at him for giving up this easily.

No, he couldn't just give up! If he gave up now, then that'd be letting Monokuma win! There was no way in hell they could let him get what he wants. That thing was taking too much enjoyment from this horrible game he was putting them through. He made it back to the Yokai Apartment Complex and rode the elevator up. He made his way down the hallway to the apartments and entered his own. He collapsed onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling. It'd sure be a lot different tomorrow without them around, but inside he knew that they would get past it. Yes, they would, there was still hope for them all.

CHAPTER ONE: STREETS OF DESPAIR END

REMAINING STUDENTS: 14

(A/N:) A truly horrible execution for a truly horrible person. Thank you very much to UltimateMario44 for providing me with such a great character to work with! He was quite fun to write for, and I had a lot of fun mapping out his stay in the city of despair! With this, we've reached the end of Chapter One. As their numbers fall to fourteen, who will be the next victim? Who's going to be the next culprit? That's for me to know, and you to find out. The poll for who gets a free time event in Chapter Two will be going up soon. If you have a currently living character that has not had a free time event, please send me a PM with free time ideas! Until next time, upupu~