Hello, and welcome to the next part of Chapter 2's class trial! From the last chapter we've learned a plentiful of things, but will that be enough for Minori to solve the case? Well, just read below and let's see what happens...

Also, quick thing to note- I want to put my own little twist at how these trials function. To make them unique to me, but true enough to how Danganronpa trials actually play out...

ToonGuy: "I'm glad you like sassy little Minori, haha! As always, your thoughts are interesting! Haha, you should give yourself more credit! Well, let's see if you are right. Hm, well, not certain, but I do try to imagine the characters speaking. I would love to hear them with certain voice actors though, haha. I just imagine how this story will go in comparison to how the Danganronpa games would go. Technically, I try to make this story feel as close to the Danganronpa games as possible!"

liammarklh88: "Aww, I'm glad I was able to cheer you up with last chapter! Haha, and I'm glad you sent me an OC! Kaniza does need to protect Nezumi, since they are a cute little pair~ Ah, the third chapter will be the death of me, because I have two victims and a murderer, stupid Danganronpa formula! Fuwari deserves justice for being killed! Haha, well, from my original stories, I tend to write a lot of subplots, so yeah glad you liked Rin and Ryoichi's interactions! Don't worry, just trust your guts! Haha, well, your story does seem interesting, so of course I'd check it out!"

PoisonBanana: "Well, let's see if you're right! I hope what will happen will be to your liking, and to mine, most of all. Hope I meet your expectations!"

AmaryllisGreen: "Haha, well, the trials are what makes Danganronpa, well, Danganronpa! Haha, glad you're liking Ryoichi's interaction with Rin! Haha, don't worry, I haven't forgotten about his secret either. His secret does play a huge role, after all, and given his talent, it does raise him as suspicious. Hope you'll like this!"

mayurie: "I don't think you were late at all, haha. I hope I will complete this story too. Haha, well, let's see if you are right. Minori is a sweet boy, so everything does raise suspicion because, well, it's pretty hard to imagine Minori as a pseudologist given his personality and the fact that he doesn't lie too often. Haha, I won't forget about Minori's little secret though, so don't worry! It'll come in due time. Haha, glad you enjoyed Sagiso and Minori's interactions. Yes, I understand too that couples do tend to die, so yeah, you're split opinions make sense. Haha, well, we'll see!"

Agrael: "Well, let's see if what everyone says is correct! Haha, I'm glad I did Fuwari justice!"

TheRoseShadow21: "Well, let us see if what you say is correct! Haha, hope you enjoy this chapter!"

CLASS TRIAL IN SESSION!

ALL RISE!

Minori took a deep breath and adjusted his scarf. He knew the room was going to get hotter. Hotter not because of the temperature, but because of the tensions that will rise soon. "Ryoichi," he began, staring straight into the investigator's eyes, "do you have any idea who could've manipulated you?"

Ryoichi's eyes widened. "Manipulated me? I-I don't remember anything... But it's true that I've been framed! I would never hurt you, Mr. Watanabe."

Doesn't remember anything. The pseudologist crossed his arms. He thought for a moment, then nodding. He turned back to the crowd. "Alright then. Let's discuss something psychological, alright? I think we need to go over something."

"Psychological?" Sagiso frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Minori awkwardly smiled. "Well, would anyone of you argue that we are susceptible?"

Fumio scribbled into the notepad. "Susceptible?"

"What I am talking about is that we're vulnerable. We've been vulnerable. We're teenagers who are still growing up, and with this entire setting of a whole killing game, we've been stressed out and pressured nonstop into killing, investigating a crime scene, and fighting the culprit for our lives." Minori's tone was stern. "We are vulnerable in a psychological sense. Considering how we've been stressed and pressured nonstop, you could say that for someone to manipulate us- doing that is quite easy."

Sagiso cupped her chin for a moment, then frowning as she looked back at the pseudologist. "I see. So you're saying that because of our environment, we're vulnerable to manipulation."

"Huh, interesting." Seiga raised a brow. "Dude, how do you know this shit?"

"Huh? Oh, it's because of my little sister." Minori shook his head. "Anyways, because of the environment we're in and the constant pressure being placed on us, it wouldn't much for someone to easily manipulate us. And let's think, what happened recently that caused our unity to die?"

Kaniza's eyes widened. "The motives."

"Mhm." The pseudologist took a deep breath. "I tried to counter Monokuma by forming a gathering where we would share our secrets to one another. Though a few people did join, it certainly helped them." Minori could look to Nezumi to testify for that. "However, the others who didn't share their secrets, it was obviously because of the stress of what the secret brought to them, and with Monokuma using that to his advantage, everyone continues to distrust each other."

"I guess that's also one of the reasons why only a few people helped set up the party." Seiga cracked his knuckles, now glaring at Monokuma. "That evildoer!"

Minori nodded. "Yes, however, to counter the trust placed between those who did share their secrets, a second motive had been released- a video game that closely resembled our daily lives. I haven't played it myself, but noticing how those who did play it were acting, I could safely say that the second motive was used to make us distrust each other further. That, in return, made us much more vulnerable to manipulation."

"But didn't the speech you made at the party helped deter that?" Amyto frowned, tilting her head. "I mean, the speech should've stopped us from murder, right?"

"I had hoped it would, but Monokuma is superior to us." Minori was blunt with his words. "And, unfortunately, my speech was said a bit too late. I'm sure a few people had been manipulated already. It takes only a few seconds for someone to push another's buttons, after all."

The pseudologist then looked to Kamui whose eyes widened. "Someone who's been isolated like him would've been vulnerable to manipulation. In fact, not only that, but for those who's been constantly pressured and stressed without having someone to properly care for them- those people would've been the manipulator's prime victims. The two motives that's been forced upon us- those definitely had a role in this case, and not simply because of their contents, but because of the impact it had on us individually."

"Wait." Nezumi held his breath. "But doesn't that mean you're..."

"I do have a prime suspect in mind." The pseudologist smiled sadly. She definitely had a role in this trial. I'm sure of it.

"Wait, really?" Kaniza's eyes widened. "Then who is it? Who's the culprit?"

Minori could hear his heartbeat. It was racing, racing quickly. "It's..."

CHOOSE THE PRIME SUSPECT

...

Amyto Uchida

...

Minori: You're the only one!

SUSPECT CHOSEN!

BREAK!

Minori turned to Amyto, frowning and stern in his tone of voice. "I don't mean to be rude, but we need to consider the fact that you are the Ultimate Hypnotist and that you were closest to Fuwari."

"What?" The woman tilted her head, raising her eyebrows. "What are you talking about? Are you suspecting me of murdering Fuwari?"

"I'm not suspecting you of that, but of manipulation. Actually, manipulation may as well be murder, if this is the road that will be taken." The pseudologist crossed his arms. "I find it strange that you wouldn't ask Fuwari why she was plotting a seance, well, that is, unless you already knew why."

"And you're suspecting me simply because of my talent?" Amyto smiled awkwardly. "Minnie, are you trying to pull my leg or something? I don't think this is very funny."

It is based on pure speculation, but considering the evidence and how this case is going... Minori shook his head. "I am not joking. I believe it is a likely possibility that you had a role in this case."

"And based on what?" The hypnotist pursed her lips, sweating. "Just because I was close to Fuwari and that I'm a hypnotist?"

The pseudologist did not back down. He couldn't. He had to continue pressuring her. He had to continue pressing forward. "Ryoichi does not know anything, and although Rin seems to be connected to this case, the evidence against them do not make up for most of the case. But then, let's ask- why does Ryoichi not know anything? Why doesn't the evidence point to Rin being the one who burnt the gym? The question that's needed to be answered most is about Ryoichi's case."

Ryoichi was stunned. He couldn't anything but look at Minori and Amyto in worry, nervous. "Um..."

"Let's do a comparison." Minori frowned. "What does Ryoichi and Fuwari have in common?"

Amyto raised a brow. "In common? What?"

Yes, what they have in common...

THINKING TIME

Question: What does Ryoichi and Fuwari have in common?

A. They actually had nothing in common.

B. They were both supposed to be present in the cleanup.

C. They are both Ultimates.

[D. They were both susceptible to the two motives.]

Minori: I see it!

BREAK!

Minori took a stand, standing as confident as could be. "Ryoichi and Fuwari were both not present in the secrets gathering, and at that point they were both extremely unwilling to share their secrets. We also need to apply the fact that they were both extremely uncomfortable with the second motive, nonetheless pushed to the brink of anxiety. They both played the game, after all."

Ryoichi's eyes widened, and then he quickly bowed his head down. "Oh, right, that... I-I'm truly sorry for what I did last time. I was just extremely nervous after playing that video game..."

The wedding planner nodded his head, him looking over to Sagiso who had been present during that event as well. Kakuma sighed. "I do remember that time. Those two had caused a scene inside of the dining hall."

"It was extremely hard to calm them down..." Sagiso added, crossing her arms. "... Then again, Amyto was able to stop Fuwari easily after a while. A bit too easily..."

Minori nodded. "Now that I think about it, I find it really strange that Fuwari stopped instantly when Amyto told her to, however Amyto was the one who told me that she wasn't 'listening to her' beforehand."

"Huh? That was just a slip of the tongue!" Amyto frowned. "And I'd never hurt my friend like that! And shouldn't Ryoichi be the murderer? The toolkit was inside of the men's changing room!"

The pseudologist shook his head. "That was nothing more than a red herring. And, if we think about it, there is no use for the toolkit."

Saori cupped her chin, thinking. "But what if the toolkit was used for the control panel? The murderer could've gone back to fix the control panel or unscrewed it."

"No, that's impossible."

And I have the right evidence to present them with...

PRESENT THE EVIDENCE

Truth Bullet Selected: Softball Bat

Minori: I got it!

BREAK!

"What was used to destroy the control panel would be the softball bat found inside of the storage room." The pseudologist eyed the group, firm. "There are dents on one side of the bat, and considering the state the control panel was in, I can safely assume that the bat was used to break the control panel. Besides, it would take much more time to unscrew the control panel and make sure that a fire would occur."

"Then is the only use for the toolkit is a red herring?" Kakuma frowned. "I doubt that the killer would carelessly do such a thing."

Kamui crossed his arms, pondering to himself. "Yeah, I just can't believe the toolkit is just a red herring..."

"Hm, I understand that." Minori nodded. "Well, then let us go over the other questions about my case. The toolkit would connect my case to Fuwari's, however the question is- why were we chosen? I can assume Fuwari had been chosen deliberately, however her plan with the seance had been abruptly announced... Hm, well, for my case..."

Sagiso bit into her lips, raising a brow. "So, Minori had been captured on his way towards the gym. Would we argue that he had been chosen simply because he was going to meet with Fuwari, thus possibly making him see the crime scene?"

"That's likely, but then I want to raise the question to why Minori had been drugged beforehand." Kamui looked to the psychogeographer. "The culprit couldn't have known that Minori was going to check on Fuwari unless he had told us so beforehand."

Ryoichi pursed his lips. "Then he was chosen randomly?"

"That's unlikely." Minori took a deep breath. "If the killer wanted to kill Fuwari, why choose another person, and especially out of random? If my case was seperate from Fuwari's, then evidence would point to Ryoichi. However..." He looked back at the investigator. "Because he would've been the only one who could've done such to me, I am doubting it. I think my case is connected to Fuwari's, and I have no doubt that Ryoichi was chosen deliberately to be framed."

"Considering what you said about susceptibility..." Rin nodded slowly. "You... You have a point."

"Then why would you be chosen?" Amyto crossed her arms, puffing her cheeks out. "If you're claiming that I am the culprit, then why would I choose you? And what is this toolkit used for, if it's not a so-called 'red herring'?"

The pseudologist shook his head. "We need to discuss my case then."

NONSTOP DEBATE

Truth Bullets: Rope | Toolkit | Ryoichi's Testimony | Knew of the Control Panel

Amyto: You're blaming me as the culprit, and for what? Just because I'm a hypnotist?

Amyto: Besides, then why would I choose you as a victim, other than Fuwari?

Kamui: Going over why Minori was targeted... Hm...

Saori: Couldn't we consider that he was targeted because he was walking towards the gym?

Seiga: Dude, I doubt that. The killer couldn't have predicted that he would be walking there beforehand!

Ryoichi: O-okay, then what would it be?

Fumio: I would think it would've been out of convenience or coincidence, but if it's not... Hm...

Sagiso: If it wasn't because of convenience, then was it because of {something Minori did or say} earlier?

Sheina: Did he even say or do anything to raise suspicion?

Kakuma: Well, he was more assertive these past few days. He was the one who came up with the secret gathering too, after all.

Rin: Huh? Then would it be because he took an active role in stopping a murder from happening?

Kaniza: I don't see why anyone would target poor Minnie just because of that.

Nezumi: M-me neither...

Ryoichi: Would Mr. Watanabe be targeted for such a petty reason though?

Kamui: Hm... I wonder...

Minori: ... What that person said- it makes sense!

-Statement: "...something Minori did or say..."-

Minori: I agree with that!

BREAK!

The pseudologist looked at Rin, firm. Though his heart was beating, beating in an erratic pace, he continued to speak. He had to lead this trial, no matter what. "There is a reason to why I was targeted."

"Really?" Kaniza's eyes widened. "Why?"

Minori turned to the astrophotographer, eyeing the woman as she toyed worriedly with her locks of hair. "Let's think about this- who was the person who actively tried to fight Monokuma's schemes? Seiga was the one who decided to take the initiative by focusing our attention to the party instead of murder, however that didn't work too well. However, despite that, I tried to help him and came up with my own plans. From the gathering to the speech I made, the things I've done would've definitely been vexing and frustrating to someone, especially if they were planning a murder."

"I mean, I get that. Everyone wasn't really participating in making the party a reality apart from a few people," Seiga began, scratching his head, "but are your assertive acts enough to get that person to target you?"

"If we bring in what I've said earlier, to manipulate someone you would need them to be constantly stressed and anxious. With a mixture of low self-esteem and low confidence, nonetheless the pressure having been placed upon us, these would've allowed someone to fall easily under another's will if that person was deemed as 'leaderlike' or 'reliable'." Minori crossed his arms. "And consider what the purpose of my actions are."

"Haha, you sound pretty proud of what you've done." The stunt double chuckled, but then cracked his fists and nodded rapidly. "The purpose of your actions are to make us unite as one!"

The pseudologist let out a small smile, then nodding. "If I take the initiative to help others and make us united, then no doubt it will deter a murder from ever happening. Nonetheless, the susceptibility of whoever the manipulator is targeting will slowly, but surely, disappear."

"True." Kaniza slowly tapped her chin. "Then the victim won't be easily manipulated..."

"These are how cults are made." Minori took a deep breath. "It really isn't hard to manipulate someone. Even the most normal of people can be easily manipulated."

"So my two subjects have been manipulated by a sinner!" Sheina held her chin high. "Unforgivable! The Son of Osiris will compel you!"

"I-is that why I don't remember anything?" Ryoichi was pale. "S-someone was manipulating me..."

Minori nodded. "You have been manipulated as well as Fuwari. It is a likely possibility that Fuwari had been manipulated as well. However, I believe that in order to make you completely forget about your wrongdoing, brainwashing had to be done." The man looked over to Amyto who was glaring at him. The pseudologist inwardly sighed.

"So, the culprit targeted you because of that." Sagiso bobbed her head slowly in acknowledgment, thinking for a moment. "I suppose the killer is quite the vengeful person then. I still do not know the reason to why they would manipulate Ryoichi into drugging you though. You walking over to the gym was merely coincidence, right?"

"True." The man cupped his chin. He pondered for a moment, heart beating. "Hm, I wonder..."

NONSTOP DEBATE

Truth Bullets: Rope | Toolkit | Seance | Instructions

Amyto: Are we sure that him being targeted isn't just by mere coincidence?

Sagiso: Minori's statement holds as the most likely possibility. He was definitely targeted because of his assertive behavior.

Kaniza: Hm, so why would the killer target him though? Was it just out of vengence?

Nezumi: I-I don't think it's smart of the killer to just do that though...

Kakuma: Then the only reason why Minori was targeted was to murder him.

Seiga: For real?!

Kamui: Well, there is no other reasonable alternative...

Kamui: And it is true that Minori walked towards the gym out of pure coincidence.

Ryoichi: This is really hard to figure out. Ugh, I don't know!

Rin: Hm...

Minori: ...

Minori: I think... I think I know the answer.

-Truth Bullet Selected: Rope-

Minori: You've got that wrong!

BREAK!

Kakuma looked at the pseudologist, eyes then slightly widening as he noticed the look of discomfort on his face. The wedding planner was silent for a moment. He then crossed his arms, raising a brow. He decided to speak, if nonetheless in his regular tone of voice. "Then what are the other alternatives, Minori?"

The white-haired man averted his gaze, but shook his head and looked at Kakuma. "If the culprit wanted to kill me, I would've been dead by now. However, the killer kept me inside of the swimming pool. I wouldn't think that the killer didn't have the time to kill me, right? If Fuwari was trapped inside of the gym, then the killer would've had the time to make due with me."

The wedding planner frowned. He had no idea what the man was talking about. "Then what other reason is there?"

"Let's consider another piece of evidence." Minori pursed his lips. "If the killer had wanted to kill me, they wouldn't have bothered to tie me up, and especially restrain my hands around the pole. I was a few inches away from plunging myself into the pool, and if the killer wanted me to tie, that wouldn't have been a problem. However, the killer had tied my hands around a metal pole which kept me from even touching the water. Why?"

"Why?" Kakuma thought for a moment, then silent. He took a small breath of air before speaking. "If that's the case, and with the toolkit found inside there..." He looked straight into Minori's eyes. "Wouldn't someone hear you?"

The pseudologist smiled sadly. "Considering that I had been gagged, not unless someone was really close."

"But..." The wedding planner's nose wrinkled. A disgusted look was on his face. "But it's still risky. It's like the killer was going to-"

"Wait." Seiga quickly interjected into the conversation, frowning. He was cracking his fists, disgruntled. "What the fuck are you two talking about? I'm confused here!"

Kaniza nodded. "Me too." The woman looked to Minori. "So if the killer didn't want to kill you, then why would they do that to you?"

"If it's not murder... the toolkit..." Rin was thinking to herself for a moment, pondering. She was thinking and thinking, but then suddenly her eyes widen. She threw her hands over her mouth, a quiet gasp escaping her lips. The jeweler was shaking.

"W-what's happening?" Nezumi was fidgeting in place, cupping his hands. "Why're you shaking, Rin? S-so, what's the purpose in Minori's capture...?"

The pseudologist watched the scene unfold before his eyes. He eyed Kakuma who was staring at him, then eyeing everyone else who was trying to make sense of the situation. Minori let out a small smile (though it was that out of nervousness and fear) as he crossed his arms, clearing his throat. "Like I mentioned with Kakuma, the killer couldn't have killed me. Instead, it was more like they wanted to toy with me."

"Toy with you?" Fumio was scribbling into his notepad, hands shaking. "What do you mean by that?"

I really don't want to flat out say this. The man bit into his lips, hesitant for a moment. "Well... What are the uses of the instruments in a toolkit? Of course, it is to repair and build things, correct?" He watched the group who nodded their heads. "However, let's take the common usage of what's inside of the toolkit out of our heads and look at this from a darker angle. If the tools weren't to be used to build and repair things, then the only other use for them, in a logical, darker sense, would be- torture."

"W-what?!" Ryoichi threw his entire body back, almost falling from shock.

"Torture?" Kaniza was stunned. Her entire face was paling, her entire body freezing. She wasn't moving at all. "T-that can't be... W-who would even think to do something like that? T-to torture you... That's impossible!"

"S-so it's not just a red herring? The toolkit?" Sheina gulped. "Torturing someone is definitely a sin, you know!"

Minori averted his gaze. His fingers were touching the flaps from his scarf. "There is no need for the toolkit to even be used as a red herring. I would've already made my assertion that Ryoichi was the one who captured me because of the drink he gave me..." The man's hands were cold. He was sweating. "So, there is a different use for the toolkit other than as a red herring. Even going so far as to drug and capture me, the purpose in my case... That is to not keep me from walking into the crime scene, but it's a vengence to harm me as much as possible for deterring a murder from happening."

"But that's just..." Saori was displeased. "That's sick."

Ryoichi was struggling to move. "Ugh, just imagining what Mr. Watanabe would've gone through if he was tortured-!" The man quickly threw his hands over his mouth. "I'm gonna throw up!"

"Ryo, dude, don't!" Seiga's eyes widened.

It was too late, and Ryoichi was left vomiting on stage.

"Yuck!" Monokuma quickly covered his nose. It was not before he threw the investigator an empty bucket however. "What the fuck man?! Get ahold of yourself!"

The pseudologist watched the scene unfold for a moment, then deciding to speak again. "At least I'm fine, correct? Well, what matters most is that I've been targeted because the killer wanted to exact vengence on me. This also does say something about the killer. The killer killed Fuwari because she was susceptible, and they tried to harm me because of what I did. And I have no doubt that if any of you had done what I was doing, then you'd be targeted instead of me."

"Sounds obnoxious," Kakuma murmured under his breath. However, he crossed his arms and spoke loudly. "But it does make sense. It would make sense considering how you've been targeted, Minori."

"And you're accusing me of that?" Amyto bit into her lips. "Do you think I could think of something so cruel, Minnie?"

Minori bit into his lips. "Let us consider the fact that you're close to Fuwari and that you've been the one who's been relatively following her, or, in this case, her following you. How are we to know that Fuwari planning the seance wasn't actually your idea?"

"Do you have evidence to prove that?" The hypnotist continued to pry into the man. "Why're you trying to make me sound like a villain? It's like I never cared about Fuwari or anybody at all! A-and Ryoichi could still be lying to us!"

"W-what? I would never!" Ryoichi had gotten ahold of himself, wiping his lips. The bucket was to the side. "I would never harm Mr. Watanabe!"

"Those could be lies!" Amyto clenched her fists. She then threw a cold look at Minori. "And aren't you a pseudologist? You could be lying to us! You're just trying to make me look bad! I would never hurt Fuwari! I would never hurt you!"

Minori frowned. "And could you prove that to me?"

"And could you prove that I'd hurt any of you guys?"

The pseudologist couldn't help but inwardly smirk to himself. We're going to play back and forth, huh? Well then. The man raised a brow. "Ryoichi is not lying, and I am sure of that. Can you tell me what could label Ryoichi as the one who harmed me? You could've easily manipulated Ryoichi into giving you the toolkit- you are a hypnotist, after all. You're the only one who could've brainwashed him. That toolkit being in the men's locker room is a red herring, a way to distract us."

"I-I mean, I don't have any evidence to not prove that, but..." The hypnotist quickly shook her head, face paling. "B-but what about Rin? S-she's the one who could've killed Fuwari, remember? She was the one who could've stabbed her! The killer wouldn't be so careless to let another person kill her, right? I wasn't there to stab Fuwari!"

Rin's eyes widened. "W-we're going back on that...?"

"S-she's innocent!" Ryoichi was glaring at the hypnotist. "I told you Ms. Hoseki would never do that!"

"And so our suspect is trying to defend the other suspect." Kaniza awkwardly smiled at the duo, then looking at Minori. "Is there any way to prove that Rin's innocent? I mean, if Ryoichi's innocence could be proven, then..."

"Isn't it just enough that Rin isn't a hypnotist?" Seiga tilted his head. "I mean, Ryo got hypnotized right? Because he was 'susceptible' like Fuwari and all that shit? I wouldn't even know how to hypnotize someone!"

Amyto bit into her lips. "It's easy if you had a hypnotist watch!"

The stunt double shook his head. "We don't even have those here! I would've noticed one right away if I saw one!"

"And I doubt anyone would willingly allow themselves to be hypnotized," Kamui said under his breath, nodding his head. "The person who would've manipulated Ryoichi and Fuwari must've been close to them and discreet."

"So Amyto's the only one who could've done something like that..." The astrophotographer bit into her lips, anxious. "That's..."

"I..." Amyto looked at Kaniza, then shaking her head before looking back at Minori. "But it's still obvious that Rin was the only one who could've killed Fuwari! Fuwari didn't die from the fire, right? She was stabbed, and it was Rin who did it, right?! No matter how you put it, I wasn't the one who killed her! I would never kill her either!"

Minori frowned. True. Rin was the only one who could've done such a thing, but... Was her meeting Fuwari just mere coincidence, or... Was it something else? Think, Minori, think. Was Rin meeting up with Fuwari pure coincidence, or was there something else that led to this unfortunate accident? The gym's layout...

Psyche Taxi

...

Question 1: Why was Rin the only one who could've stabbed Fuwari?

[A. She was the one who went out to take out the trash.]

B. She knew when Fuwari was going to escape the gym.

C. She was hiding outside of the gym throughout the murder.

...

GOT IT!

...

Question 2: Why was Rin apparent at the cleanup?

A. She wasn't at the cleanup.

B. Because she was apparent throughout the entire party.

[C. Because Amyto woke her up for the seance.]

...

GOT IT!

...

Question 3: Was Rin susceptible to any of the two motives?

[A. Yes.]

B. There is no evidence to prove that she was or wasn't.

C. No.

...

GOT IT!

...

Minori: I see it now!

BREAK!

This isn't a matter about concrete evidence anymore. It's a matter of what could happen and how it could happen. The pseudologist frowned. He looked straight at the hypnotist. "What do you think of this possibility- that Rin, being another person who was susceptible to the motives, was manipulated as well as Ryoichi?"

Rin's eyes widened. "What?"

"What?" Amyto repeated exactly what the jeweler said, eyebrows furrowing. She stared blankly at the pseudologist for a moment, then laughing. She was reeling her head back and laughing, wiping the tears from the corner of her eyes. "That's really cute, Minnie! So you think I'm capable of hypnotizing something to that extent- to the extent of manipulating them to killing someone? That's not how hypnotizing someone works, my dear Minnie."

Minori frowned, crossing his arms. "Please explain."

The woman nodded, an amused smile on her lips. "It's true that you could manipulate someone into doing something they may not like, but murder? That's impossible. If that could be done, then there would've been plenty of cases of it happening in the past. I couldn't hypnotize Rin into killing Fuwari, let alone would I dare try."

"True!" Sheina scoffed, putting a foot forward. "Hmph!"

Minori was silent. He looked at Amyto for a moment, then looking at Rin. "I want you to tell me something- did you also play the video game? I know you weren't at the gathering for the first motive, but I want to know if you've played the video game as well."

The jeweler was shocked, but then she averted her gaze. She was hesitant. "... I did."

"I see." Minori cupped his chin, pondering. So she was susceptible to not only one motive, but both of them. The white-haired man looked back at Amyto. "It's true that you cannot hypnotize someone into killing someone, but there's another way to get Rin to kill Fuwari."

Seiga's eyes widened. "Woah, dude. So you believe Rin killed Fuwari?"

"Possibly, but I need to confirm it." Minori didn't bother to look at Rin whose face paled. "It's true that Rin have gone outside to take out the trash, but what if that wasn't her true purpose?"

Fumio frowned. "True purpose?"

The pseudologist nodded. "Rin could've easily been manipulated to 'take out the trash', and, yes, she could've done that. There is no piece of evidence that suggests that Rin did not do her duty, and there is no piece of evidence that suggests that Rin did not have enough time to kill Fuwari. The culprit could've easily manipulated Rin into not only take out the trash, but to also wait for Fuwari just outside of the cafe. There is no need to say that Rin must kill her."

"W-wait." Ryoichi bit into his lips. Sweat was trickling down his lips. "B-but wouldn't that suggest that Ms. Hoseki killed Ms. Akatsuki o-out of her own will?"

"But that means that Rin is the killer!" Kaniza clenched into her fists. "I mean, right?!"

Minori was stern, an indifferent look on his face. "Fuwari was stabbed. Why? The manipulator was able to manipulate Rin into waiting for Fuwari, and the sight of seeing Fuwari's burnt body would've definitely scarred her. Just think about it- Fuwari was definitely alive at that point. She was able to escape the door and drag herself, and we're in no doubt that she was in immense pain. That would..." The man shook his head. "That would definitely scar somebody."

Nezumi was beginning to tear up, eyes watery. "A-are you trying to say that Rin killed her out of a... a mercy kill?"

Rin was shivering. Her lips were quivering, and she couldn't say anything other than incoherent noises.

"Wait." Saori stepped into the fray, expression stern. Her expression was definitely stern, but Minori could see it- that subtle feeling of worry and fear. "But can't we argue that Rin isn't the murderer? She was under the influence of brainwashing, right?"

Amyto bit into her lips. "You're still trying to pin me as the killer?"

Minori thought for a moment, then crossing his arms. He was staring straight at Amyto. "If this is truly the case and that Rin killed Fuwari because of influence, then it is safe to assume that Amyto was the one who definitely plotted Fuwari's murder. She was the one who manipulated not only Ryoichi and Fuwari's hearts, but Rin's as well!"

"What?!" Amyto was stunned. She looked at the man for a second, then shaking her head. She was sweating, then pointing to Rin. "But Rin isn't fighting back! Isn't it obvious that she's the one who burnt the gym and killed Fuwari?"

"It's impossible that she set up the gym. There is no evidence that suggests that Rin was the one who set up the murder, only that she was the one who could've stabbed Fuwari." Minori frowned. "You, on the other hand, are a different story. Amyto, just give it up."

Amyto was forced into silence, body shaking. Her mouth stood agape, and her face paled. Slowly, slowly, she hung her head low. She was immobile.

The entire courtroom was silent. It was tense. It was tense, and nothing happened.

Nothing happened for a few moments, but Amyto suddenly began to move. Slowly, slowly, she looked back at Minori.

"You always ruin everything, Minori."

Minori's eyes widened. He could feel his heart stopping. His breath hitched. He was looking at Amyto, that was for certain. However, was the Amyto in front of him the real Amyto? That woman who used to be so jolly and hyper- that woman who was now staring at him with clouded hazel eyes and gloom.

"A-Amyto...?"

The woman's expression didn't change. She was emotionless, lips curved into a gloomy frown. "Why do you always ruin everything for me, Minori? It's harder to create my world of dreams with you in the way."

"W-what?" Minori was shocked. Seeing Amyto act so emotionless was eerie. It was definitely unsettling. "What are you talking about?"

"It's hard to create my world of dreams and wash away this fake reality with you in the way." The hypnotist's eyes were cloudy, yet they seem to be glowing in disgust and hatred. Her nose wrinkled. "I should've gotten rid of you instead."

The pseudologist's face paled.

"What the fuck?" Seiga was thrown aback. Sweat was trickling down his chin, lips curved into a forceful smile. "Um, Amy, what're you talking about? World of dreams? Fake reality? What's with this bullshit you're spewing?"

"I mean what I say." The woman let out a smug grin. "This world is nothing more than an illusion. This world cannot be real, and I have to prove that by creating my world of dreams."

"Wait." Kamui took a deep breath. "Then did you actually hypnotize Ryoichi into kidnapping Minori and Rin into killing Fuwari?"

Amyto looked at Kamui for a moment, then scoffing. "I honestly should've had Minori killed first, but since he was getting in the way of me and Sai..." She gritted into her teeth, eyes suddenly shining a sharp hazel color. "I wanted to make him suffer for as long as possible. He's in my way of being with Sai... To tear him apart into bits and bits, breaking his bones and seeing him beg for mercy-!"

Minori couldn't say anything. He found himself shaking, unable to comprehand the hatred and disgust behind Amyto's voice.

The woman noticed the pseudologist's fear, then deciding to regain her composure. She looked back to the mortician and nodded. "But what does it matter? I am a nobody, and as a nobody I cannot be pinned as the murderer."

Kaniza held her breath. "W-what do you mean by that?"

"I mean what I say." Amyto looked at Kaniza. "I wasn't the one who dealt the final blow to Fuwari's life, right? I cannot be pinned as the murderer because I wasn't the one who actually killed her."

Rin realized this horrible conclusion, her entire body falling weak. She found herself falling to the ground, shaking.

"T-that can't be possible!" The thief was shaking his head. "Rin never even thought about killing her-"

"Are you sure about that?" The hypnotist let out a small huff. "I only told her to wait by for Fuwari, not to kill her. In the end, it was Rin who killed Fuwari, not me. I never told her to kill Fuwari, but yet she did the job and was pinned as the murderer. She only killed Fuwari because she was kind enough to think that she was doing a 'mercy kill'."

"T-that's foul play!" Ryoichi slammed his fists to the rail. "You manipulated her into doing this! Ms. Hoseki, tell her!"

Rin was unable to speak, instead shaking her head. "I didn't mean to... I didn't mean to..."

"Ms. Hoseki?" Ryoichi's tone fell into a shaky whisper. "You..."

"So you're forcing us into this situation." Sagiso bit into her lips, pained. "To choose between someone who physically killed Fuwari or someone who forced a victim to kill another... You're sick."

"What does it matter?" Amyto was emotionless. "I am a nobody. I'm only doing what I'm doing because it is necessary in order to create my reality with Sai."

"Sai?" Minori's heart was pounding. "You mean... Your best friend?"

"You remember that?" The woman seemed amused by Minori's response. "Sai is the only person who exists in reality. Everyone else here are living in a fake world, and I need to create the reality where I'm together with Sai. This world... This world is nothing more than an illusion."

"W-why're you talking about Sai like that?" The pseudologist bit into his lips. "Is he-"

"Dead?" Amyto frowned. "That's what this false world wants me to think. This is why I need to leave. This world is fake, and to create my reality with Sai, I need to protect myself and do as much as I can to create that world. To use test subjects to experiment how to reach him... I need to experiment as much as I can until I reach Sai."

Sheina averted her gaze. She was definitely shattered by Amyto's sudden transformation. "Even if that means hurting all of us?"

"I need to reach Sai." Amyto's response was blunt, and it silenced the egyptologist. She looked at Monokuma. "Are we going to vote now?"

"H-huh? Wait!" Ryoichi was shaking his head, legs shaking. "Ms. Hoseki cannot be the killer! She was under your influence, right?!"

Kakuma frowned. "But considering that Rin was the one who actually stabbed Fuwari..."

"Silence!" The courtroom was silent, listening to the headmaster's demand. Monokuma smirked, then thought for a moment, humming loudly with his high-pitched tone of voice. He continued to cup his chin for a moment, then snapping his fingers and looking down at the group. "Well, who knows who's the killer and who isn't? You guys have to decide for yourselves!"

"What?! No way!" Nezumi was white, his entire body pale. "Y-you can't be serious! We don't even know what to do anymore!"

Fumio was biting into his lips, then shakily writing into his notepad. "I must agree with Nezumi. How do we know if our decision is right?"

"Amyto literally admitted to being the culprit!" Kaniza's eyes were teary. "You can't tell me that Rin's the killer! She's been brainwashed!"

"Pfft!" The headmaster rolled his head back. "Like I could give a shit about that? I honestly don't care as long as you vote who's the blackened! Why would I tell you shit about who's the exact killer of this case? I'm not telling any of you guys shit so just fucking discuss the killer already! Stop crying about your poor baby Rin! God!"

"But Ms. Hoseki..." Ryoichi looked to Rin, the jeweler's eyes watering. He held his breath before looking over to Amyto, anger in his eyes. "You are a monster."

"And what does it matter to me?" Amyto crossed her arms. "Rin will be the blackened of this case, and I will continue to create my ideal world with Sai."

Seiga clenched into his fists. He was cracking his knuckles. "I think this evildoer needs to be taught a lesson, huh?"

"Wait a second." The wedding planner crossed his arms, stern in his expression. "But she has a point. What if Monokuma wants us to vote for Rin? She was the one who actually murdered Fuwari."

"Agreed." Sagiso bit into her lips. "No matter how painful it is to think about it, Rin was the one who physically killed Fuwari..."

"B-but!" The investigator was shaking. "No way... I won't pin her as the murderer!"

"M-me neither!" Nezumi slammed his fists to the rail. "A-an innocent person like Rin cannot be the killer!"

"Even if she did admitted to manipulating Ryoichi, Fuwari, and Rin..." Kamui thought for a moment, then frowning. "... Rin might be pinned as the blackened in this case simply because she ended Fuwari's life."

Minori's eyes widened. "K-Kamui!"

Kamui's eyes widened in response, his head turning to the pseudologist's. It was obvious what the mortician was thinking, what he was wondering- you don't believe that Rin's the blackened?

Minori bit into his lips. He looked at everyone, then eyeing Amyto who was staring at him in disdain. He was sweating, but he had to take a stance. He had to take a stance on who's the killer, and he had to believe in not logic, but in his intuition- in the truth that he can see within his path. "I believe that Amyto's the blackened in this case. Her case is definitely that of manipulation, and I think that alone is enough to pin her as the killer."

Amyto rolled her eyes.

"Really?" Kakuma burrowed his brows. "But-"

"Hold up for just a fucking second!" Monokuma quickly yelled into the courtroom, arms wide open. "You guys seem evenly split about this! Upupupupu! I think this calls for a scrum debate, huh!"

"Scrum debate?" Sheina frowned. "Oh, that strange thing again...?"

"But how do we do this?" Fumio was gripping tightly to his notepad. "To convince the other side that either Amyto or Rin is the killer... We don't even know how you will approach the blacken as well. This is just foul play!"

"No complaining, Mr. Mute!" The headmaster groaned. "Just convince the other side and shit! Just make up your damn minds already! We're gonna fucking do this!"

And within seconds did Monokuma took out the golden key, a device appearing from midair. Monokuma slapped the key into the slot, and immediately did the courtroom begin to transform.

Minori cupped his chin, the ground beneath him beginning to rumble. This case is definitely difficult, but I think Amyto's the killer. I know it. It can't be Rin. I have to convince them of that!

SCRUM DEBATE

Question: Who should be chosen as the blackened?

LEFT SIDE "RIN": Amyto, Kamui, Kakuma, Fumio, Sagiso, Saori, Sheina

RIGHT SIDE "AMYTO": Minori, Rin, Ryoichi, Nezumi, Seiga, Kaniza

. | . | . | .

Kakuma: Rin should be the blackened since she was the one who killed Fuwari.

Ryoichi: But the one who killed Ms. Akatsuki should be the one who plotted to kill her!

.

Kamui: Rin was the one who physically murdered Fuwari though.

Minori: Even if Rin had killed Fuwari physically, the one who harmed Fuwari the most was Amyto!

.

Sagiso: We also need to take into account that Monokuma might be trying to trick us into voting for Amyto.

Kaniza: But Monokuma could be tricking us into voting for Rin!

.

Fumio: How do we know for sure that Rin isn't the blackened of this case?

Nezumi: W-we don't know that Amyto's not the blackened either!

.

Sheina: But if we vote wrong, then we will be sinned!

Rin: H-how do you know that voting for me isn't wrong though?

.

Saori: Our fates lies on this decision...

Seiga: I'm sure we'll be able to reach the right decision if we trust Rin!

.

Amyto: Why are we arguing about this? Just vote Rin as the murderer.

Minori: We cannot vote Rin as the murderer!

.

BREAK!

"Rin cannot be the murderer." Minori crossed his arms. "With the amount of evidence we've been given and the fact that Rin's been manipulated, Amyto has to be the killer!"

"Seriously...?" Kamui looked doubtful. He eyed the pseudologist for a moment, then lowering his head and cupping his chin. He was unsure of what to say, puckering his lips. "But... If you really believe that, then wouldn't that counter the result from last case?"

Minori's eyes widened. The mortician had a point, and the pseudologist knew that. He knew that, yet he knew that this case, this present case, was different. "You and Asami both did it willingly," he said, trying to sound as gentle as possible. If anything, he did not want to hurt Kamui. "Rin had been manipulated. Amyto is at fault here, and Rin's innocent in that case."

"You think?" Amyto looked dryly at the man. "But like I said- I did not specifically tell her to murder Fuwari, right? I do admit I was the one responsible for hypnotizing a plentiful of you, but like I said a hypnotist could only go far before hitting a wall. I cannot hypnotize someone into killing another. That is impossible."

Rin was silent, paling.

"So, it was Rin who made the choice to kill Fuwari." The hypnotist let out a wry, small smirk. "You can't say that I was the one who actually killed Fuwari, right?"

Kaniza slammed her fists down. "But you were the one who planned this entire thing!"

Amyto looked at Kaniza for a moment. She then sighed, then suddenly taking something out from her pockets. It was a couple of pills. A couple of blank, colorless pills. She threw them into her mouth, gulping it down within seconds.

A few seconds passed before she cleared her throat. She looked at the group for a second, then suddenly her eyes sparkling and lips curving to a wide smile. "I mean, I did tell Fuwari that planning a seance would be a good idea, but, like, I only told her because I wanted to meet Ko and Asami!"

"W-what the fuck?" Seiga bit into his lips. "You're suddenly perky again..."

"Oh, that's because of the drugs!" Amyto giggled, winking to the stunt double. She turned to Minori, expression saddened. "And I'm truly sorry for what happened to you. I didn't think that my prank would actually scare you, Minnie~"

"H-how is it a prank?" Minori's body was shaking. "You literally said that you wanted to torture me!"

"Is that so?" The woman thought for a moment, then giggling again. She bumped her fist to her head. "Oopsy!"

W-what the fuck? She's trying to play with my emotions... Minori quickly shook his head, forcing himself to hold his composure. "Amyto, you're the one who manipulated Ryoichi and Rin into committing your deeds. You are the one who is most responsible for Fuwari's death."

"I-I don't get it." Nezumi was fiddling with his fingers. "I thought you were close to her."

"Close? Well, I guess?" Amyto tilted her head, feigning confusion. "But I couldn't care less about us being 'friends', rather that I care about having a plentiful of 'subjects' by my side. My ultimate wish is to be with Sai after all!"

"What?" The thief was sweating. "Do you even consider any of us to be your friends?"

The hypnotist smiled brightly. "Of course not. Sai is the only person I care about. The only worth you guys are to me are your use as my test subjects."

"That's..." Ryoichi forced a smile. "That's harsh..."

"But let's not pry into that!" Amyto clapped her hands together. Her eyes suddenly stared down into Rin's. "Rin, tell us the truth. I never told you to kill Fuwari, right? You were the one who actually killed her, right?"

Rin's eyes widened. She was staring at Amyto, baffled. A moment passed, and she quickly lowered her head, averting her gaze. Her voice was quiet, meek. "S... She's right."

The investigator's mouth fell agape. "M-Ms. Hoseki!"

"I don't remember everything that happened, but... I-I remember it. So clearly." The jeweler hugged her arms, shaking. "Fuwari's burnt body... Her begging for relief... She wanted to die... I didn't know what to do! There was no chance of her ever recovering from her burns, and she knew that! T-that's why she begged for me to kill her! T-that's why..."

The jeweler suddenly found herself in tears, Ryoichi and Kaniza running over to comfort her.

Minori watched the jeweler cry in distress. Her sobs were escaping the room, and his anger was aimed at Amyto. "You're the one at fault here. If you hadn't told Rin to wait near the crime scene, then this wouldn't have happened. You're the one at fault here, not Rin."

"You think?" Amyto's smile was turned upside down. "Minnie, what doesn't matter is what you think is morally right, but who actually ended Fuwari's life."

Sagiso looked at Minori for a moment, eyes shining in worry. "Amyto, I understand where you're coming from, but-"

"But what? You think I'll just happily agree to the fact that you guys think I'm the blackened?" Amyto bit into her lips. Frustration was clear on her face. "Then tell me this- how are you so sure that I'm the blackened? You don't even know what Monokuma thinks. Isn't it better to play safe and vote for Rin?"

"Minori." Saori was staring at the man. "What should we do?"

Fumio scribbled into his notepad. Strangely, there was a firm expression on his face. A determined expression. "Minori, we should vote for Amyto."

"What?" The pseudologist frowned. "You're... confident about that. Why?"

The scholar didn't move. Instead, he was looking at the man.

Minori bit into his lips. What's up with Fumio? The pseudologist looked around the room. He then looked to Monokuma who was watching the group, amused as he sipped into his martini. The white-haired man raised a brow. Does he know something about Monokuma...?

The pseudologist wasn't sure, but if Fumio was confident- Minori trusted him. The man cleared his throat. "We should vote for Amyto."

"What?" Kakuma's eyes widened. "Minori, are you insane? How do we know that Monokuma won't select Rin as the blackened?"

I don't know. The man pursed his lips. "Kakuma, just trust me." He looked to the group. "Everyone, please trust me. We need to vote Amyto as the killer."

"I-I was going to do that anyways!" Ryoichi was sweating. His hand was on Rin's shoulder, acting as a comforting gesture. "Let's vote."

Kamui looked hesitant. "Are you sure about that?"

"Hmph." Amyto looked at the pseudologist. "You're making a huge mistake there, Minnie."

The man ignored Amyto's statements, instead looking at the others. His heart was beating. "Please, we need to vote for Amyto as the killer."

Sagiso frowned. "We still haven't gone over through a couple of things about this case."

The pseudologist looked down at his MonoPad. He could see a couple of truth bullets which weren't used. He frowned. Shutting off the device, he adjusted his scarf and looked to Monokuma. The headmaster was amused, a smirk escaping his mouth as he eyed Minori. The man let out a deep breath. "Please trust me on this. Amyto is definitely the one who will be held most responsible for Fuwari's death. As for the case... I'll go over the basic gist of what happened."

Minori glanced to Fumio who nodded, sweat trickling down his forehead. The pseudologist held no idea of where the scholar had gotten ahold of that confidence, but he had to trust in him.

Alright, let's do this.

CLOSING ARGUMENT

Minori: I'll have to convince you with this!

This all started when Monokuma had laid out the two motives, the first one specifically. The first motive would be one about our secrets being revealed. If we weren't to kill someone in under a few days, then our secrets would be revealed to the naked eye. I wanted to fight against the killing game as much as possible, and so I had arranged for a gathering where we would all share our secrets. Though it was only a few of us, it definitely worked to our wonders, as Monokuma was then forced to reveal his second motive.

The second motive would be that of a video game. I haven't played it myself, but from what I've been hearing the video game relates back to our daily lives. It was a disgusting thing for Monokuma to do, and this left with a plentiful of us nervous. Nervous and susceptible. Suspectible to manipulation- brainwash. Those who weren't seen at the gathering and had played the video game were much more susceptible to our killer's manipulation, and it worked wonders to plenty of us- specifically to Rin, Ryoichi, and Fuwari.

In order to fight these rising tensions, I had decided to speak out against the killing game before Seiga's party. The party was to help relieve us of the killing game and for us to act as teenagers. Regular, regular teenagers- I wanted nothing more than for us to have fun and ignore Monokuma's killing game. My speech seemed to have worked, however that only ended up with the killer targeting me out of their hatred. Hatred because of their plan falling into jeopardy.

You see, the killer had planned to kill Fuwari. The killer had talked to Fuwari about planning a seance, and Fuwari was misfortunate. She had accepted whom she thought was her friend's idea, and she announced it to us. Fuwari was to commit a seance after the party, however because of the sudden announcement she had to spend her time preparing inside of the gym. With her indubitably staying in the gymnasium to prepare the seance, the killer could easily rid of her- and that was by manipulating the gym's setup to their liking.

The killer, after Seiga and Nezumi's performance, spent their time inside of the gym. They changed the gym's layout to that of the jacuzzis, and although we are unsure of whether they knew of the layout or not, they tried to hide this tidbit by breaking the controls with a bat. The broken controls didn't only serve as a purpose to hide this tidbit, but to provide as the primary cause for the fire that would soon occur when Fuwari was trapped inside. The killer had made sure that the jacuzzis were set at a high temperature, and they also taped the door frames with invisible tape. This would certainly cause Fuwari to trap herself inside, and the moment Fuwari would notice that the gym wasn't the safest place to be in, she would have trouble opening the doors.

Fuwari's case wasn't the only thing that happened. Apparently, the killer wanted to exact their revenge on me. To do this, the killer had manipulated Ryoichi into drugging me. By drugging me, I was left vulnerable and I was tied up inside of the swimming pool. Ryoichi most likely had placed the toolkit found inside of the boy's changing room, however that toolkit was not a red herring. I was tied up specifically for a reason- for the killer to exact their revenge on me. That toolkit's purpose was to... well, to torture me.

I was out until after the murder had occured, but from what I've gathered... The killer did not want to be the one immediately targeted as the murderer, so they threw in a scapegoat- Rin. Rin, who was susceptible to both of the motives, was prey for the killer's brainwashing. The killer had told Rin to wait for Fuwari, and once Rin went out to throw away the trash, she most likely took her time waiting for Fuwari. It was only then did Rin regain her senses when she saw Fuwari- burnt and suffering.

Rin was a victim in this. She did not know what to do, and was pressured by Fuwari. The poor spirit medium wanted to die. She did not want to suffer any longer, and Rin killed her. Rin killed her not because she was willing and selfish, but because of Amyto and because of the sight of poor Fuwari's body. Of course, being the one who stabbed Fuwari, Rin was terrified and left in hopes of not recalling such a scene ever again.

How can Rin be at blame here? She was a victim. The killer had purposely placed her into that situation in order to cause Rin to murder Fuwari. It's sickening. Rin had never done anything wrong, yet the killer toyed with her. They toyed with Rin, Ryoichi, me, and possibly- they could've toyed with all of us. They could've toyed with us simply because of their desire to create another world. The killer views us as 'test subjects', and nothing more.

That is why you, Amyto Uchida, the Ultimate Hypnotist, are the blackened in this case!

BREAK!

Amyto was silent. She was looking at Minori for a moment. Her lips curved into a smile. It was a mocking, laughable smile. "So, you truly believe that I'm the blackened? Minnie, you make me sick. This is why I regret not toying with you first."

Minori didn't speak. He was simply staring down at the woman.

"So..." Seiga looked to each person, unsure of what to do. He was scratching his head. "So... The plan is to vote for Amy, right? I mean, I have no problems with that. Justice is served, but, like..." The stunt double looked at Monokuma. "You think that bastard will be on our side?"

"H-he needs to be!" Ryoichi clenched into his fists. "I-I will never forgive him if Ms. Hoseki was the murderer!"

Kakuma seemed doubtful as well. He tapped his foot on the ground, lips curving slightly into that of disdain. "Well, if we are all voting for Amyto, then I shall vote for her as well."

"I-I believe in Minori!" Nezumi nodded rapidly. "I'll vote for Amyto!"

Saori was hesitant. She looked at the group for a moment, then slowly nodding her head. "I'll do so then as well."

"Really?" Amyto was shocked. "You're seriously going to do as Minori says?"

Kamui took a deep breath. His face was pale. His heart was racing. However, he seemed certain as well. "I trust you then, Minori."

Minori smiled awkwardly. Well, I'm actually hesitant as well... I'm shaking, but I believe in Fumio. I believe in Rin, and I will believe that this choice is right! The man shot up at the bear. "Monokuma, let's vote!"

Monokuma grinned widely, suddenly standing up from his seat. "Upupupu! I've been waiting for this moment!"

The gavel was dropped, and the voting ballots appeared. In front of each Ultimate, their fates would soon be decided.

"Now then, please place your votes in the ballot! Remember that failure to vote for someone will result in immediate punishment, so please think very carefully and vote for someone! Upupupupupu!"

Minori held his breath. Please, let this decision be right. I will lie to myself that I am fine as much as needed, as long as our choice is right-!

VOTING TIME

CHOOSE THE BLACKENED OF THIS CASE!

Minori Watanabe

Fumio Fujiyoshi

Kakuma Arakaki

Nezumi Jirokichi

Kamui Setsushi

Seiga Kosoku

-Haruko Yoshikawa-

Ryoichi Homura

-Fuwari Akatsuki-

Saori Arai

Rin Hoseki

Sagiso Hazuki

Kaniza Tsukitaiyo

Sheina Yakamuro the 12th

Amyto Uchida

-Asami Karihime-

The voting ballots disappeared, and this signaled Monokuma's time. He raised his paws up, clearing his throat. His voice was echoing throughout the courtroom, excitement clearly written on his face.

"Well now, let's see what the results are! Did you bastards pick the right person, or did you pick the wrong one?"

The tallies were shown throughout the room, listed in bright red.

VOTING RESULTS

Amyto Uchida - 12 Votes

Rin Hoseki - 1 Vote

Answer: Rin Hoseki

WRONG!

CLASS TRIAL END!

PLEASE RISE!

What... Was Fumio wrong? Was I wrong? Was... Minori's eyes widened. His entire body froze. His legs were shaking, giving out on him. What the hell is happening? Why? Why is this happening? There's no way...!

"No fucking way!" Seiga threw his head back, entire body white. He was frozen for a while, shocked. It was then did he charged over and quickly grabbed ahold of Minori, a mixture of confusion and anger in his face. "Minori, what the fuck happened?!"

"S-Seiga!" The pseudologist suddenly found himself shaking. He never expected the stunt double to speak to him in such a tone, let alone aim his entire anger straight at him. "I-I'm sorry, but I don't know!"

Seiga's fists were gripping tightly to Minori's collar. "You fucking don't know?!"

Laughter escaped the room.

Amyto was laughing loudly, looking at the group with a wry smile on her face. "See? I told you- I'm not the killer. It was Rin."

"Shut up!" Ryoichi was growling at the hypnotist."I'm not accepting this! I'll never accept this!"

The hypnotist was laughing, but she was suddenly stopped when she noticed the scholar walking over to the headmaster.

Fumio was scribbling into his notepad. He was scribbling, a moment passing before he passed the notepad to Monokuma. The words on the notepad read the following, "The purpose of this killing game is to provide you entertainment, right?"

The headmaster grinned. "Oh, I see where you're going with this. Clever. No wonder why you're the Ultimate Scholar!" Monokuma was laughing himself, then jumping down in the middle of Seiga and Minori. "Okay, you two, break it up."

"W-what's happening?" Kaniza was nervously twirling her skirt. "A-are we going to die?"

Monokuma continued to laugh. "Puhuhuhu! I mean, I would, but my source of entertainment would end abruptly if I'd do so." The headmaster looked to Minori. "You're an interesting one. Being able to gain the trust of everyone despite your talent... And not only that, but actually making this class trial into that of your own..."

Minori bit into his lips. "W-what the hell do you mean?"

"Heh, I'll definitely be keeping an eye on you, my dear Minnie. You're much more interesting than I thought." The bear smirked, then turning back to the group. "As the headmaster here, I hereby declare that the answer was wrong! Amyto is definitely the killer."

"What?" Amyto's eyes widened.

"Really?" Nezumi was stunned. "B-but..."

"Hah! You all look confused, so let me briefly tell you what's up!" Monokuma suddenly jumped back from his seat, now staring down at all of the Ultimates. "You see, I don't know when or how, but Fumio here seemed to have realized that I prioritize entertainment the most out of anything! But it's not only entertainment, but you guys as well."

"Us?" Kakuma frowned. "Explain."

The bear chuckled. "And why should I explain more than what I believe is 'briefly'?" Monokuma was amused the moment he saw Kakuma's expression stiffen. The headmaster clapped his paws together. "Well, lovely bastards, because I've been entertained, I'll excuse you all for this time! Amyto is the killer, not Rin!"

"S-so..." Kaniza's lips curved to a smile. "We're safe?"

"Yup!" Monokuma laughed. "Isn't that great? You all get to live for another day!"

Everyone's faces were changed into a mixture of expressions. Happiness for living, confusion for the sudden change, frustration over Monokuma, etc. However, what Minori noticed the most was bafflement and shock- all coming from an enraged Amyto.

"Why?" Amyto was screaming. "Why?!"

Monokuma's expression was still. He wasn't at all caring for the woman's outburst. He couldn't care, at all.

"Rin was the one who killed Fuwari, not me!" The woman was clenching her fists. "This is unfair!"

"And how is it unfair?" The headmaster's tone was stern. "I'm in charge of this game, and I could do what I want."

"But-!" The woman was left speechless. Monokuma did not care about her at all. Her expression fell into gloom, but after a while it changed- changed into that of distorted happiness. Her eyes were clouded, and her lips were curved into a wry smile. "Well, it's no matter. I'll be with Sai no matter what happens."

"Ew." Monokuma spat on the ground. "What a crazy woman."

Sheina was looking at Amyto. Usually she would scoff and speak about the Gods, but yet she was silent. She gritted her teeth and turned away from the hypnotist. She refused to look at her.

Sheina was close to Fuwari and Amyto... She didn't really speak much about this... Minori bit into his lips. I hope she's fine.

"Minori."

The man was caught off guard, eyes suddenly looking upon Amyto's. She was looking at him, her expression dry. She was quiet. She was looking at him for a moment, then grinning. "Sucks to be you."

"Huh?"

The woman then spread her arms out, lips curving into a insane smile as she looked at the group. "Sucks to be all of you! You will never escape from this false world, only I will! I will finally escape this illusion and return to Sai! Haha!"

The pseudologist took a step back, unable to say anything. All he could think of was that the woman was insane. She was insane, and she couldn't care less.

"Hahahaha!" Amyto was laughing, wiping the tears from her eyes. She looked to the headmaster, seemingly eager. "Let's do this."

"Huh? Oh, right, sure." Monokuma quickly regained his composure. "Ahem! Well now, I have a very special punishment for the Ultimate Hypnotist, Amyto Uchida!"

The woman smirked. She looked back to the pseudologist, expression that of pure hatred and disgust. "You're lucky I didn't mess with you first."

Minori was silent.

Sagiso quickly walked into the scene, arms spread out. She was in-between the duo. "Don't talk to Minori like this, Amyto."

"Hmph." The hypnotist rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, Sagi."

"Let's do this!" Monokuma pressed the red button from thin air. "It's punishment time!"

GAME OVER

Amyto Uchida has been found guilty.

EXECUTION START!

AMYTO UCHIDA - Our Dream World

Amyto found herself inside of a familiar room. It was a room that she realized had belong to her master- the one she had killed. She looked around the room. It was empty, dusty, and spacious. The woman paced herself around the room before a sudden scream was heard. She looked back and forth, back and forth.

There was no one to be seen.

The woman let out a sigh of relief. She was about to walk towards the door when it suddenly disappeared, the woman's eyes widening as her feet suddenly stepped into a pool of blood. Crimson, iron blood.

Amyto gasped, tripping to the ground. She fell to her bottom, a soft groan escaping her lips. She rubbed her bosom and was about to stand up until the room suddenly began to change. It was changing, flashing in different colors and spinning around and around. Amyto was thrown from left to right, the room continuously spinning with her head aching. Her head was aching from the flashes of colors- from red, purple, yellow, green, and finally- to a disgustingly colorful rainbow palette.

The room stopped spinning, and Amyto found herself looking upon a young man. A young man whom she knew all too well.

It was Sai. He was alive! He was alive, and he was healthy. The man was smiling at her, welcoming her with open arms.

And the woman accepted those open arms. She threw herself onto the man, embracing him tightly. She didn't want to let him go, and she will never let him go.

The world was changing, and she continued to embrace the man. She continued to embrace the man as the world transformed. The couple was sank into the abyss, and Amyto was drowning. She was drowning, and she wanted to breathe. She wanted to swim back to the surface and breath for air, but yet Sai kept her closeby. He forced her into his chest, and she was drowning. They were continuing to sink into the abyss, and Amyto was forcing herself to hold her breath.

They sank and sank, but finally the abyss came to a close. A closing ceremony of fire and death. Amyto was suddenly released from Sai's grip, and she fell down. Her hands were dipped into a pool of lava, and the woman suddenly found herself screaming.

She was screaming, and she rolled to the stone ground. She looked to Sai for safety, but her eyes widened. The man was dead, his chest bloodied and his eyes dull. He was floating in midair, and before Amyto could speak did the man whistle.

His whistle rang through the world, and before Amyto could make out what was happening she was suddenly surrounded by a group of ghosts.

Ghosts in which she knew all too well. They were the people she had toyed with before.

Amyto wanted to beg for Sai for answers, but the man disappeared, and suddenly the horde of corpses jumped at her. They lunged at her, and her screams escaped into the humid air. Her entire body was being ripped apart. Her flesh and organs were torn out, and her screams were bloodied and piercing.

She was screaming for Sai. She was begging for Sai to help her, but her cries reached no one.

Everyone was dead, and her reality was nothing more than an illusion itself.

To be with Sai was impossible, yet Amyto had failed to realize that.

Everyone was silent.

Everyone was silent, fear written all over their faces.

"I-I'm gonna throw up-!" Ryoichi took no time in hesitating, throwing up straight on the spot.

Rin was silent, hands over her mouth. She was unable to say anything.

Saori was clenching into her fists, pursing her lips. "This is... this is too brutal."

"Hey, bastards, why're you all crying over there?!" Monokuma was yelling from his seat. He was definitely enjoying how pale his students were. "Upupupu! You guys shouldn't worry about that! Just be relieved that you guys aren't the ones in the execution grounds!"

"B-but still!" Nezumi was shaking his head, crying. "This is too cruel!"

"You think?" Monokuma tilted his head. "You guys are weird."

Minori couldn't say anything in return. He hated how the headmaster was taunting them, but he couldn't say anything. All he could think of was how cruel Amyto's death was. Sure, Amyto was the culprit and she was the one who broke Minori into pieces, but the man knew it- her execution was brutal. Her execution was too brutal. Monokuma was definitely treating the blackened's execution as nothing more than a game. It was a show to laugh at- and that's what made Minori's stomach churn the most.

Now four people are dead. How long will this last? How long will this damn killing game last? When will this end?

"I... I seriously can't do this anymore." Kaniza was trembling. She was hugging her own body. "Why do we have to do this every single time...?"

"Because I want you to?" The headmaster grinned. "Complain all you want, but I'm not gonna change my mind! We'll continue this game to the end! Ahahahaha!"

Kakuma growled at the bear. "Now's not the time to be mocking us."

"Ooh, scary." The bear giggled, paws to his mouth. "But, I guess I'll listen to you, Mr. Wedding Planner sir. It's boring to see you guys all moan and weep, and even if I do laugh at you guys you'll just moan and weep more so... Well! I'll be taking my beauty sleep now! Ta-ta!"

"What- Hey!"

It was too late. Monokuma had, once again, disappeared from thin air.

He disappeared from thin air, but Minori knew he would never disappear from their lives.

... And here's the end of the trial! Gosh, this one actually took a long time for me to write out. I was having a hard time actually reaching into this segment of the trial, and ugh am I glad I finally finished writing it! Anyways, I know the ending was short and that there are a lot of questions needed to be answered, but that is why we will have a resolution chapter after this! I do want to give you all a break from this exhausting chapter, after all!

Anyways, what did you think of this trial? I am hoping to be better at the next trials to come, so I hope a lot of you are not put off by my amateur trial-writing skills! Anyways, yeah, I do want to put a little twist in how these trials will play out in this story, as it does relate to the entire plot overall...

If you're wondering, I still haven't forgotten about Minori's little lie. His backstory is really important and him lying about his secret will come, but not right now... Soon, when the plot starts thickening :) Anyways, I hope to see you all next time!