The ascending elevator once again increased its travel time, but compared to a stint in the cells, it didn't feel very long. As the doors opened, there was a gust of air as the pressure changed. While shaded, it was a bit brighter than the elevator, and Uchida shielded her eyes as she stepped out, looking up to see the open sky. They were at the top of the Tower, but the walls rose high to encircle the Court in gray brick. The sun was not yet high enough to greet them, and the wind was not strong enough to bother them, but Monokuma and Sonia waited in their assigned spots, the bear waving, "Don't dawdle! Come on, come on!"

As they filed in, Nakamura grumbled, "Bet this place is fun when it rains."

Sonia scoffed, "It does not rain on Novoselic! It drizzles pleasantly. And we have drains for that, thank you."

Taking her spot, Uchida once again frowned at the new additions: Kitano's portrait, at her right side, stood tall with the predictable bloody cross, while in between Takanashi and Miyamoto's portrait was Shirakawa's, two thin needles in bloody colored paint crossed to mark his passing.

Monokuma began, "Well, you know how it goes! 'White' innocents, 'black' Culprits, evidence, votes, yadda yadda. Come on, we only have so many of these left! If you aren't going to get it now, will you ever? Can you expect to survive in society with goldfish memories? Not only are they not tasty at all, but it actually is about three months, not three minu-"

"Okay!" Uchida snarled. Taking a tired breath, she began, "Trial! Right! Let's get started. Sheesh."

Zaizen nodded, adjusting his glasses as he began, "As usual, a summary to start us off should be adequate."

Somberly, Pollyanna began, "I shall begin. Several days ago, in an attempt to prevent further murders, I instated martial law, convincing Furinji and Kitano to join me in enforcing it. The rest of you were put into cells and forced to wait there. Occasionally, I allowed for some conversations and better meals, but largely you were isolated. Then, somehow, under the cover of night, when neither Furinji nor I were there, Kitano was attacked."

Zaizen interjected, "That's a bit presumptuous, don't you think."

Hiiragi gasped, "Eh!? Kitano-san wasn't attacked!?"

Slapping his palm to his forehead, Zaizen grumbled, "I was referring to Polly and Furinji's respective presences."

As Hiiragi nodded in understanding, quieting back down, Polly replied, "I apologize. At the moment, we are the most likely suspects." Continuing, she spoke, "However, according to Kitano's last words, he was targeted by not one, but two cloaked figures. We've seen the result: a slashed throat, concealing curtains..."

Katsuragi began, "So, I guess the first place to start is the scene of the crime: the Interrogation Room."

After a moment of silence, Uchida blinked, glancing around to see a few eyes on her. Frowning, she grumbled, "What? No one is even going to try first?"

Takanashi gave a nervous smile as she admitted, "It would seem so."

Letting out a sigh, Uchida groaned, "Fine, fine. Let's see...well, one thing I thought was weird was the fact that we couldn't get in at first. Somehow, the Culprit was able to block the door from the inside with a stretching rack. You know, the kind they tie you down to before turning a wheel and making it pull you apart."

"Until the skin starts to rip, limbs dislocate, and wills break!" Sonia giggled.

"Told ya. Total 'S'," Nakamura nodded.

Hiiragi pouted, "Let her finish!"

Uchida continued, "Well, this rack was light enough that we could move it, but to block the door and escape?"

Takanashi nodded, "It should not be possible...not from the outside."

Nakamura grumbled, "Oh come on. The door was split in the middle. They'd just have to push the rack to the bottom half of the door and climb out of the top."

Katsuragi sighed, "Sorry, Nakamura-san. That's not possible. The door doesn't work that way."

Rolling his eyes, Nakamura mumbled, "Well, excuse me for trying."

Hiiragi nodded supportively, "You're doin' better than me. Keep at it!"

Nakamura sighed, "I could argue with them or start punching myself in the face. Either one would leave me wasting energy and looking stupid. Oh, and a headache or two."

"Um, well..." Uchida mumbled, before explaining, "As for the door, in the inside, it has a lip on the bottom half, so the top half can't go beyond it. There's also another that makes the top half split into two at the door frame. The glass half stays behind blocking the door, while the regular part can be pulled back."

Takanashi frowned, "I must admit, it is slightly difficult to picture."

Katsuragi finished, "Basically, one the rack's against the bottom half, it's impossible to get out. But if you're on the other side, you can't move the rack."

"A closed room murder," Furinji deduced.

Zaizen pondered aloud, "A suicide then? To end martial law?"

Furinji shook his head, pointing out, "No, that is no possibility. If we were not content with martial law, then we wouldn't have gone to the extent we did to enforce it."

Polly nodded, "I offered to listen in case they considered alternatives or alterations, but I heard nothing I had not been planning to implement."

Uchida shuddered as she considered, "He doesn't seem the type to pull a Rukawa, does he?"

Furinji frowned, "He did dare us to try to kill him..."

Uchida pointed out, "I don't think he liked Leader a whole lot."

"Does anyone?" Katsuragi sighed, before he scratched his head as he began, "Maybe there's some other way to figure it out."

Polly noted, "For him to cut his own throat...it wasn't that deep a wound, so it's not impossible."

Katsuragi asked, "But what about his fingers? I mean, it's not impossible for his to do that too himself, but why?"

Nakamura shrugged, "If he went down without a fight, then it'd look fishy, you know?"

"Hmm..." Uchida mumbled, thinking.

Nakamura continued, "The drapes and shit were probably just to make us think there was some grander purpose. There was that cloak outside the room too, right? He could have planted that, then went back and-"

"Hold up!" Uchida interjected, before explaining, "The cloak had blood all over it! The only place that it could have come from was Kitano's wound, and I don't see him moving a whole lot after his throat got cut. He'd risk passing out and ruining the whole closer room murder."

Katsuragi added, "That and: why hide the spike? It was pretty obviously the murder weapon."

Uchida gasped, "One that Kitano couldn't have used! Remember when we were trying to get it out?"

Zaizen noted, "There was a small button to remove the spike."

Uchida nodded, "Exactly. A small button in an already small groove. My hands are pretty slender compared to you and Katsuragi, right Zaizen? But compared to Kitano?"

Hiiragi clapped her hands together as she replied, "Kitano couldn't get one: his fingers are too big!"

Uchida finished, "Right. That means one of two things: either Kitano had an accomplice, or it was against his will entirely."

Polly nodded, "That is inarguable, but as it stands, manipulating the rack should have been impossible."

"Well, let's try to work it out!" Katsuragi suggested. As he began to think, Uchida dived into her thoughts.

The first step would be getting the rack against the door, but the only way that could happen is if the Culprit were outside.

To get the rack against the door, they could...leave the top half closed and the bottom half open? Then pull the rack with the bottom door while crawling out? No, it would be too hard to close the door.

But if they held the bottom door open just enough for them to get out, and maybe...lifted the rack? Propped it so that the legs were on top of the bottom half? Then pull it shut? The rack might fall into place.

But that wasn't all either: how did they tie the rope to the doorknob as well? It would be too far out of reach once the rack dropped, unless...

"I think I have something," Uchida began. Sharing her thoughts, she explained, "I have a feeling that the Culprit didn't push the rack: if they'd propped it on the lower half of the door, then closed it, the rack would fall, right?"

Takanashi nodded, "Yes, but without a doorknob, the Culprit would risk crushing their fingers, I think. The door would be pushed by the rack, and..."

Uchida froze, muttering, "You already thought that far, huh?" Back to the drawing board, she didn't need to erase a thing as she realized, "Hey! If you did it from underneath, there'd be no danger, right? There's enough room under most doors to get a little grip."

"I see!" Takanashi gasped, before bowing, "I shall remain silent in the future."

"Takanashi-chan, it's okay, really!" Uchida offered. Taking a breath, she muttered, "Now where was I?"

Katsuragi began, "So, the rack was dropped in front of the door..."

Uchida nodded, "Right! But after that, the Culprit had to tie the rope from the rack to the doorknob, but it would be impossible to reach: if the rack fell, it'd be on the ground, and the only way you could grab it is by slipping your arm through the hole for the doorknob and reaching all the way down, but that'd be pretty much impossible."

Zaizen spoke, "But if they were able to predict this, then..."

Uchida nodded, "Exactly! They put the rope through the doorknob hole first! Then, once the rack dropped, they could tie it to the doorknob and close the door. It might have been tricky to tie with so little room, but I think it was doable."

Furinji began, "It seems risky however: so easy to make a mistake. If the rope were dropped..."

Uchida noted, "Well, if the rope wasn't tied, you could probably force your way back in by pushing the door so the rack was moved: the rope was tied so that just pushing the rack wasn't good enough. If we'd known about it, we could probably cut or untie the rope from outside by pulling the upper half of the door open a bit."

Katsuragi grinned, "Nice thinking!"

Polly nodded, "Yes, but now that we've cleared Kitano's name in his own murder..."

Uchida grimaced, "Y-you don't have to put it like that!"

Polly sighed, "Excuse me, but I can't let an early victory distract us."

Katsuragi pouted, "It hasn't before...has it?"

Pollyanna began, "Now that we know that Kitano did nothing but meet his fate, we must deduce the details. So I ask this: why the Interrogation Room?"

Zaizen answered, "Simple: it is the most dangerous room, so of course the Culprit would want to lure him there."

Pollyanna frowned, "Lure him? Isn't that a bit presumptuous?"

Furinji wondered, "Then how did he end up there?"

Polly sighed, "My question exactly. But just as importantly: he ended up there without alerting anyone. I impressed upon both you and Kitano that I would be in my Suite or the Dining Hall if needed. Even then, he awoke none of you. For Katsuragi and Uchida in particular, who must be passed in order to enter or leave...this is troublesome. If he were in trouble, why not act as such?"

Hiiragi suggested, "I'll bet the Culprit did something!"

Zaizen nodded, "Kitano is known for his rage, not his foresight or intelligence."

Katsuragi began, "So, with that in mind, I guess we should start figuring out the order of events. This can't have happened that long ago since Kitano was still alive to talk to us."

Uchida added, "Working backwards, the Culprit set up the rack after attacking Kitano..."

Zaizen argued, "The last time the Culprit moved was when they were spotted on camera four, no?"

Uchida shook her head, saying, "Right, right. They probably got rid of the bloody cloak beforehand though, right? In the empty cell?"

Zaizen blinked, "Wait one moment...they were wearing one, yet..."

Katsuragi murmured, "Kitano said that there were two cloaked guys."

Zaizen queried, "Where did the second cloak come from?"

Nakamura spat, "Come on, they just carried it in."

Uchida shook her head, explaining, "That's impossible: that would count as smuggling. Monokuma wouldn't allow it."

Nakamura gave a disbelieving shrug as he blurted, "Then how'd he get the other one in?"

Uchida began, "It's fine if you're wearing it, apparently."

"Then what's the point!?" Nakamura asked, throwing his hands into the air.

"To piss us off," Uchida grumbled. Monokuma giggled.

Hiiragi suggested, "What if the Culprit used some of the drapes on the way out?"

Zaizen adjusted his glasses as he replied, "The cloak was worn the same way as they entered."

Furinji asked, "Could they have walk by the cameras to confuse? Had they gone a different route, they could have circled back, deposited the cloak, and left."

Katsuragi frowned, "Polly was set to show up any minute. I'd have gotten out of there asap."

Zaizen's eyes narrowed as he said, "The passage where camera four is located ends right at your cell, Uchida, yet you noticed no one enter or leave."

Uchida shrugged, "I was sleeping!"

Katsuragi nodded, "So was I! They'd have had to pass me too."

Takanashi muttered, "It cannot be possible that the person seen on the camera was merely wearing two cloaks, can it?"

As silence overtook the Court, Uchida blinked, "Actually...I think you can do that."

Nakamura gawked, "What?"

Uchida shrugged, "Well, I've got this little coat I'm wearing over my shoulders, Katsuragi's got a coat...who's to say we can't wear extra layers? Monokuma even said that I could get a towel through the Security Room as long as I was 'wearing it' under my clothes and underwear. I'd look and feel stupid, but, say, Katsuragi might not."

"I'd feel plenty stupid!" Katsuragi argued.

Polly began, "So, if our Culprit did smuggle a cloak in, it would mean that the attack was indeed planned by Human Potency."

Caressing her head, Hiiragi began, "But...the only one who coulda done it is you and Furinji-san, right?"

Nakamura nodded, "Polly had all the keys. She could have grabbed an accomplice out of any cell and tossed them the spare cloak."

"Well..."Katsuragi mumbled.

Polly admitted, "While I did have all of the keys, to do all of this to trap Kitano would have been risky: think of the time it occurred. Had someone woken up, it could have been ruined."

Takanashi nodded, "It is more likely that the Culprit acted during the time frame because they had too."

"Wait, hold on. About the keys: sure, Polly could have gotten anyone out, but the thing is: all the keys are the same!" Katsuragi explained.

Nakamura gawked, "Wait, you're fucking with me."

Polly stated, "On the outside, almost, but the security chips-"

"Don't work," Katsuragi said, explaining, "Every key can open every door. We tried it."

Polly flinched as Katsuragi added, "Furinji or Kitano could have used the leftover keys to free us at any time, but it would have been obvious."

"Which means something else has been done," Furinji stated.

Uchida frowned, "But how could anyone pick the lock? Period. I mean, what are a fork and knife going to do?"

Katsuragi began, "Well, we can kind of figure it out based on the key, can't we? There's a groove down the side, it's wide on was end and pointy on the other."

Hiiragi nodded, "Isn't kinda like a small stake?"

Uchida wondered, "Like the spikes in the iron maiden?"

Katsuragi noted, "The one used to kill Kitano was worn down: the tip was damaged and there was a scratch down the side."

Hiiragi pointed out, "Ya can't just stick the key in, ya have to twist it until you can push it in farther!"

Katsuragi nodded, "Until the groove on the side matches up with the lock, right?"

Polly nodded, "Indeed."

Katsuragi finished, "So, the murder weapon was also used to unlock one of the cells!"

Uchida swallowed, "Which means...Pollyanna or Furinji freed their accomplice, who was probably...Leader."

Katsuragi frowned, "We're...too close to finishing, I think. Something's wrong."

Zaizen began, "There's plenty of evidence left to discuss."

Katsuragi added, "I just think...let's try to imagine if neither Polly or Furinji were involved for a second: how could two people have escaped from the cells?"

Zaizen noted, "The spike would have been unreachable."

Uchida muttered, "But on the chance it wasn't, that would mean that it was hidden in the cell, right?"

Polly blinked, "There wouldn't have been the chance: only Kitano, Furinji, and I knew about martial law before I instated it."

Furinji added, "And there was no possible way to know which cell one would end up in: the spike could have landed in anyone's hands."

Uchida admitted, "A one out of three...no, four, chance to have the spike end up in the hands of either the Culprit or accomplice is pretty unreliable. There probably wouldn't have been a place to hide it either, right? How many times did you guys go over your cells?"

"Plenty. I was about to start eating the bars," Nakamura grumbled.

Polly frowned, "I fed you..."

Nakamura shrugged, "Like I said, just because I go into caves and all that crap doesn't mean I'm not itching to see the sun, alright?"

"Anyway!" Uchida interrupted, before continuing, "I can't think of a way for anyone to get out: the martial law thing was too sudden, which means that someone on the outside helped out. I'm thinking that they were 'Vert', while 'Leader' was our accomplice."

Hiiragi frowned, "But wasn't Shirakawa, 'Vert'?"

Uchida frowned, "Well..."

Polly sighed, "Have you not considered the possibility of a second person involved with Leader?"

Zaizen noted, "Kitano said 'two', but it is possible that, once again, Leader wasn't involved."

Katsuragi agreed, "Yeah. I don't feel like Leader's the type of guy who gets their hands dirty."

Uchida said, "Well, acting as accomplice...what did they even do, really?"

Katsuragi nodded, "I guess we never did figure that out. We got a bit sidetracked."

Takanashi wondered, "Then where to begin on the new subject?"

Uchida suggested, "Let's try and figure out exactly how Kitano was murdered: the broken fingers, location..."

Zaizen began, "So, once again, time is an issue: when did our Culprit choose to strike?"

Nakamura shrugged, "When no one was there, so..."

Polly nodded, "Kitano must have gone to get a meal at some point."

"How'd they know when though?" Nakamura shrugged.

Katsuragi began, "Well, Kitano talked to me about food once: he asked for one of the bread things when he noticed I was awake. Maybe the Culprit made him hungry to make sure that he'd leave?"

Uchida wondered, "He wouldn't have mentioned that if it'd happened, would he?"

Nakamura grunted, "When? While he was bleeding to death?"

Katsuragi sighed, "Let's skip that question. He probably left at some point, which would have given the Culprits a chance to get free and install the drapes, but..."

"Why?" Hiiragi said aloud.

"An excellent question," Takanashi said.

Uchida sighed, "They're not really that good for blocking sight: there's nothing really to block, and it's already dim down there, which means..."

"Sound," Katsuragi nodded.

Zaizen began, "If they were used to block anything at all. It's also possible that it was meant to get a reaction from Kitano."

Polly began, "If he'd noticed, however, he would have been close to Uchida's cell. Yet you did not wake up."

Uchida wondered, "Maybe he was more confused? It's not like the Culprit could be sure how he'd react. And if you went past the curtains... Let's just look at Nakamura's map. Here, pass it around."

[See the map linked on my profile]

"See, once you go past the drapes and get to the intersection, he'd be surrounded by them. It creates a funnel too..."

"The Interrogation Room, where the Culprits were waiting," Katsuragi finished.

Furinji muttered, "These arrows are..."

"We'll get to that," Uchida insisted. Trying to keep things on track, she continued, "So, Kitano gets to the Interrogation Room and sees..."

"The Culprits?" Hiiragi blinked.

Katsuragi continued, "Not just that, but the cloaks, the fact that someone was out of their cells..."

Polly said, "I predict that Kitano entered in an attempt to detain one of them. Even a single blow would have created an identifying bruise, though it would have been wiser to simply back out and force them to come at him."

Uchida noted, "But he went inside instead. He was probably trying to get at one of them when he got near the pillory. That's where he was attacked."

Katsuragi nodded, "It was pushed over a bit."

"How'd ya figure?" Nakamura asked.

Zaizen answered, "The blood on the chair, I imagine."

Uchida frowned, "Still not sure how it ended up on the side though."

"Only the side?" Takanashi inquired.

Katsuragi began, "Well, I had a thought: there was one other place where there was blood, right?"

Hiiragi smiled as she said, "The cloak in the empty cell!"

Katsuragi nodded, "Right. In other words, I think that the Culprit attacked Kitano from behind while he was distracted with the accomplice. Unless they attacked from the front while the accomplice held Kitano back... Either way, the result is the same."

Nakamura said, "Oh, I'm getting it. When Kitano got cut, the person in front of the chair ended up with blood all over them and had to ditch the cloak, but a little bit of blood did get on the chair."

Zaizen added, "It's also possible that Kitano only saw one of the cloaked figures: the Culprit may have been hiding in the room while Kitano's attention was focused. If the Culprit had attacked from the front, it can only have been Furinji or Polly, but to attack from behind, anyone here might have managed."

Rubbing her index fingers on the side of her head, Hiiragi muttered, "Then he fell and...broke his fingers?"

Uchida stammered, "Er, well, he wasn't...sitting on his fingers or anything."

Furinji pointed out, "Yet it is still something to consider: if was are missing something important then..."

Katsuragi asked, "How could he have broken his fingers though? The bruise does have a straight line, but..."

Nakamura suggested, "If he got caught on something, that might've done it. He was right next to a pillory, right? What if he'd went and got his fingers smashed?"

Hiiragi gasped, "What if he messed up trying to get the rack to drop in front of the door!"

Sighing, Uchida explained, "Yes, this case has been very hazardous for fingers, but I don't think they're all related..." Hiiragi gave an innocent giggle: she was just goofing around...

"He's pretty tough, you know? It had to have been deliberate," Katsuragi reasoned.

"A trap then?" Polly asked.

Furinji noted, "There are no signs of anything in particular."

Uchida began, "Well, if something didn't cause it, then maybe someone did? Maybe Kitano was trying to attack Leader, so Vert jumping in, broke his fingers, cut his neck, and they set up the rest and ran?"

"To break Kitano's fingers with their bare hands..." Zaizen mumbled.

"To break open a honeycomb with bear hands..." Monokuma murmured.

Ignoring the bear, Polly noted, "Uchida-san, you seem to have made up your mind on things already."

Uchida said, "Well, if I had any idea on who Leader was...but Vert?"

"You have an idea?" Katsuragi blinked.

Uchida gave a nervous laugh as she began, "Well, there was a pretty big piece of evidence left behind..."

Polly frowned, "To keep saying 'Vert', however, is presumptuous."

Uchida grumbled, "Well 'person who might be working with Leader' has too many words."

Polly asked accusingly, "Why are you so certain Vert is among us?"

Feeling defensive, Uchida muttered, "Just a guess."

Polly kept her eyes in Uchida's direction, before beginning, "You...you are so certain of yourself, aren't you?"

Uchida blinked, insisting, "It's just a guess!"

Polly shook her head, retorting, "If it were just a guess, you would not have said so this many times. You are normally cautious with your judgments..." Uchida flinched, but kept quiet, while Polly began, "Do you know why I instated martial law?"

"To keep us safe?" Takanashi replied.

Polly sighed, "Yes, but why a few days ago? Why then?"

Katsuragi answered, "Well, we only just got access to the cells."

Polly replied, "Which I have known about since I was a child. It may have been possible for me to convince Monokuma to allow us to have them even before the Wall, let alone the Adjoining Tower. They may not have been useful until our number dwindled, but they've always been there."

"You said you locked us up because one of us was Leader, right?" Hiiragi asked.

Furinji recalled, "Kitano said that, yes."

Polly added, "And I said that the possibility of recruitment existed. This was no random guess." At the following silence, Polly continued, "You were seen, Uchida Hiyori."

Uchida blinked, "Eh?"

Polly explained, "I saw you returning to the Tower in the middle of the night. I'd been doing nighttime patrols in hopes of finding Leader, but the simple thought that you couldn't be trusted...that no one could truly be trusted."

Eyes narrowing, Polly finished, "You are colluding with Leader, Uchida. Admit it!"

TRIAL INTERMISSION

Monomi Theater XIX, Final Chapter

What, couldn't squeeze out a little extra budget to end it on an even twenty? Even with the delay? Crazy hacks, I tell ya... Besides, a normal two cour show goes for around 26 episodes! Who produced this!?

Oh, right, Stupid. I mean Monomi. Oh, you thought I was talking about you? My bad. Wait, the producers? Not, not them either. Well, why Monobi Jr. Refused to be special, certainly Monomi Jr. could be different! She came home from elementary school saying "Mommy, I learned about feudal Japan today!" But she only got scolded after she came home and said, "Mommy, one of my classmates thinks I'm too much like them!"

But of course she was! You see, Monomi Jr. start enjoyed every book and movie she touched, because she had no taste. She always tried to help people, but no one ever tried to help her. She always smiled, but no one ever smiled back. Monomi realized this and tried to get her to stop. She did, but she still couldn't become special.

And so Monomi gave up on trying to get her kids to be special. They would live the same boring, normal life she had, in which she has failed as a student, friend, teacher, and mother. I guess she made a half-decent wife, huh? Guess that's all girls can amount too, and don't take anything else as a lesson from this story. Be sure to marry a nice man and give him lots of babies, ladies!

The end!

You can preorder the DVDs on the official website. Be sure to leave a five star review and comment on the brilliant use of theme and narration in spite of the weak characters. Then you can pretend this never happened and look into my future works. Don't miss a thing~!

TRIAL RESUMED

"E-eh?" Uchida stammered. Regaining her senses, Uchida shook her head, growling, "That's insane!"

Zaizen said, "The footage from camera four had the cloaked figure heading down the hallway towards your cell."

Blinking, Uchida argued, "Well, there sure wasn't a cloak in my cell! Don't even suggest the toilet. And of course no one checked: it'd be stupid to leave it there!"

Katsuragi nodded, "It would be pretty obvious, yeah, but so is the camera thing..."

Zaizen adjusted his glasses as he noted, "You are only somewhat less suspicious in this instance."

Katsuragi frowned, "I guess I am over there too..."

Uchida hissed, "And why the hell would I work with Leader? Okay, I'll admit it, I was out the night of the last Trial: that's why I was late the next day! And I was out that night too, because I wanted to give Leader a piece of my mind. And guess what: I found them! They mentioned Vert, which is why I was so sure they were still around, but I'm not working with them! There was...one other thing too..."

"Leader...Leader promised me that if we survived this Trial, they'd show me who they are," Uchida revealed. Letting out a relieved sigh as the weight came off her chest, Uchida continued, "This is Leader's last chance to escape on their own terms: if we succeed here and Leader's accomplice, Vert, whoever, gets taken out, then we don't have to worry about Human Potency anymore!"

After a moment, Katsuragi asked, "Why didn't you tell us?"

Polly demanded, "Why did you try to find Leader without alerting me?"

Uchida cringed as she answered, "That's exactly why I didn't tell you! I'm surprised Zaizen isn't over there having a field day. Everyone knows that Leader's invitation still applies to me, which is why I tried to contact them. And it worked!" Finishing, Uchida only felt a little guilty that she lied. If Leader had been a bit better at convincing...Uchida would probably be the Culprit defending herself right now if she was lucky...

After a moment, Zaizen sighed, "Very well. Moving on."

Uchida blinked, "Eh? You don't suspect me?"

Zaizen replied, "Oh, I do, as I suspect everyone possible of being a Culprit. You might be higher on the list that some...Hiiragi...but not the highest."

"Maybe...because I'm the least likely, I'm really the most likely!" Hiiragi gasped.

Nakamura sighed, "Calm down." Hiiragi let out another silly giggle.

Uchida blinked, "But really, are you okay over there, Hiiragi-chan?"

Becoming worried, Hiiragi frowned, "Am I overdoin' it a little? I mean...we've been stuck so long, I wanted to see you guys smile again..."

Visibly cringing, Polly muttered, "Please, Hiiragi-san, don't make me feel any worse than I already do."

"Ahhhhhh I'm sorry!" Hiiragi moaned, covering her face with her hands.

Clearing her throat, Uchida muttered, "Okay! Back to the thing."

"The Trial," Nakamura said.

"Right!" Uchida nodded. Thinking back, she began, "Well, we didn't quiet figure out the bruises, but the camera footage is worth discussing."

Zaizen summarized, "We saw one person wearing two cloaks enter, and one wearing one leave. To do so, they walked past Katsuragi's cell and into the hallway across from Uchida's, then back the same way."

Nakamura muttered, "Risky. Wouldn't they want to take the longer hallway? I mean sure, it is longer, but then they'd only pass one person instead of two."

Uchida nodded, "Nakamura-san, that's the most sensible thing you've ever said."

"Awesome, let's make out."

"Aaaaaand you ruined it," Uchida groaned. His grin was one of satisfaction though, which didn't help Uchida's mood. Okay maybe a little.

Katsuragi began, "And there was one other thing about the cameras...go up and look at that map again."

Takanashi blinked, "Up? I believe I misheard you, Katsuragi-sama, but I do not know what word to substitute."

Katsuragi gave a knowing grin as he said, "Trust me on this one: look at the numbers on the cameras. Going from upper left to lower right, you have: three, one, four, two."

Zaizen's eyes seemed to glow behind his glasses as he noticed, "That is an unusual pattern. Even on one half, odd on the other, with higher numbers being farther into the Labyrinth..."

Furinji said, "A more proper order might be 'one, two, three, four' or reversed."

Zaizen replied, "If I were to make sense of it with as little changes as possible, I would swap two and four. Even and odd would remain split, but the smaller numbers would be in the smaller hallways, while the larger numbers would be in the larger halls."

Uchida nodded, "That does make sense, so...what if they were switched? Don't the cameras just have little plates on them?"

Zaizen blinked, "But...we would have seen the cloaked figure pass by both cameras, not just the one."

Uchida swallowed, "What if...they did?"

Zaizen began, "I checked: they...did...not."

Uchida frowned, "You didn't check very far back, did you?"

Zaizen began, "Unless there is some proof that they've been switched..."

While Uchida began to think, Katsuragi began, "I think there might be. Look at the map one more time."

Polly asked, "Where, exactly?"

Katsuragi explained, "The drapes this time. I was thinking about the arrows, and, well, no one's gone down the two hallways with cameras two and four, right? But the ones in the halls that intersect in the middle everyone's been through...well, we couldn't really guess, but they aren't important."

Hiiragi wondered, "What were the arrows again?"

"You were there!" Nakamura grumbled, before sighing, "It's the way the drapes were pointing. They were too tall for the floor, so they ended up on one side."

Uchida recalled, "Right, so, if someone passed through, the drapes would be lifted, and land on the ground, pointing...the direction they were walking!"

Katsuragi nodded, "Yup! And that means the person in the cloak couldn't have gone down the passage with camera 'four'. The drapes still point backwards, meaning someone walked that way before, probably after they were put up. But in the hall with camera 'two'..."

Uchida grinned, "It matches the video footage!"

Zaizen muttered, "So, they were switched, but...when? If not this night, then before, which can only mean..."

As Zaizen went silent, Katsuragi frowned, "There's just too much evidence pointing to one person..." Looking over, to his left, Katsuragi asked, "Furinji-san...do you have any kind of defense?"

Furinji sighed, "It will be difficult: things are stacked heavily against me. I could have swapped the plates on the cameras days in advanced, if they were swapped at all. Breaking Kitano's fingers would also be within my capabilities."

Uchida nodded, "That...and the hair."

Furinji blinked, "I'm sorry?" Running a hand down his brown braid, he asked, "Does my hairstyle offend?"

Uchida shook her head, explaining, "There was a hair in the bloodied cloak, Furinji-san. It was brown."

Blinking, Furinji's head conspicuously turned to the brown-haired girl on the other side of the Courtroom, before the Jujutsu Master sighed, "So, you think me the accomplice?"

Uchida opened her mouth, before stopping, "Er...wait." Brain beginning to tie itself into knots, Uchida was confused, stating, "How...no, Leader wouldn't..."

"They wouldn't..." Hiiragi repeated.

Uchida sighed, "Leader probably wouldn't get their hands dirty, but...I can't...I can't see Furinji being Leader."

Polly began, "Then that leaves us only one option, doesn't it?"

Uchida blinked, before shaking her head, "No!"

Takanashi blinked, "Uchida-chan?"

Uchida pointed a finger as she suggested, "Takanashi has been in a cell for the past few days! Hell, Polly's put her within arms reach of a potential Culprit, hasn't she? What if they nabbed a hair? It's way to specific for evidence!"

Hiiragi muttered, "Chi-chan, whose hair woulda been better?"

Glancing around...blue, dark blue, orange, short and black, long and black, dark gray...then two options for long and brown.

Shaking her head, Uchida insisted, "It would've been too obvious to not be bait!"

Katsuragi noted, "It's pretty obvious no matter which way you slice it."

Uchida blinked again before realizing, "Well...their hair is tied up! How could it have been either of them, really? If anyone, it'd probably be Katsuragi or Hiiragi who lost some hairs. Polly-san, you look like you take really good care of your hair, so..."

Polly admitted, "I did not see the offending hair, but thank you. I will add that orange is rather close to brown. Monokuma? Would you fetch it?"

Monokuma snorted, "I'm a bear not a dog."

Sonia frowned, "For this Trial to come to a standstill over a mere strand of hair. This is unacceptable!"

Nakamura clicked his tongue, "Spoiled brat."

"Excuse me!?" Sonia glared.

Nakamura shrugged, "How many times am I going to get a chance to take a crack at a Princess, let's be honest."

Monokuma grumbled, "Fine, fine, I'll get it. You couldn't ask me to do anything more interesting? Like a DNA test?"

Uchida blinked, "C-can y-"

"Nope," Monokuma giggled as he left the room, returning instantly, waving a paw around as he cheered, "Ta-da!" Hopping to Shimao's podium next to Takanashi, he began to pace around, saying, "Get a good look, everyone."

Uchida waited until Monokuma came around, getting a look at the hair. It was brown, as mentioned, but also straight. Once Monokuma completed a circuit, Pollyanna requested, "May we compare it next to Takanashi and Furinji?"

"Very well," Furinji nodded, stepping over. Monokuma stood on Shimao's podium as Furinji circled the Courtroom, Takanashi waiting nearby, Katsuragi among a few other students who closed in to get a better look.

"They're all about the same color," Zaizen admitted.

Katsuragi frowned, "But it's gotta be...would you guys undo your hair?"

Glaring dangerously, Furinji hissed, "I beg your pardon?"

Eyes becoming hollow, Takanashi muttered, "Are you aware of the forces you toy with?"

From her podium, Uchida's eyes widened a bit, but Takanashi let out a giggle as she raised her hands, gingerly removing the clip that suspended her hair, allowing it to fall to her shoulders while Furinji began the ordeal of undoing his braid. It took a few moments, but when he finished, his hair was bent in intervals as it sank to his torso. While Monokuma hung the single hair up, Uchida began to approach as Katsuragi admitted, "It's...too straight. I think it's Takanashi's."

"Very well then!" Monokuma nodded, before opening his gullet and swallowing the hair.

"Oi!" Zaizen snarled.

Monokuma hopped back to his seat as he began, "Just doing that DNA test, upupupupu..."

As Furinji retied his hair, he asked, "I'm sorry?"

Monokuma laughed, "That was a joke! Now get back to the Trial!" Letting out a sigh as everyone went back to their podiums, Monokuma muttered, "You guys are so gullible: did you know it's written on the ceiling?"

"There is no ceiling!" Uchida scoffed.

Once everyone was settled, Katsuragi sighed, "So...who did you see these past couple days, Takanashi-san?"

Takanashi recalled, "Katsuragi, Hiiragi, Kitano, Furinji, and Pollyanna."

Polly nodded, "I can verify this."

Nakamura shrugged, "So, if one of them took some of your hair, it's gotta be easy to do, right? Otherwise you'd have noticed."

Takanashi nodded, "It might have been snatched off of my bed. It is the only thing in the cells resembling a seat. Excluding, well..what being wishes to have conversations while on a toilet?" She added, "But on the other hand, I would never allow my guest to rest on the toilet."

Taking a few steps over, Nakamura was thinking, "Well, what if they pulled some slight of hand while near your head, like..."

As Nakamura approached her, Takanashi took a few steps back, muttering, "Please do not touch me."

Nakamura stopped, growling, "I'm only checking something!"

Takanashi frowned, "But, for you to pluck a hair off my head...I'd rather it be Kitano Tsuda."

Clicking his tongue, Nakamura stepped back, grumbling, "Fine! Shit."

Takanashi began, "If anyone else would like to try...Uchida-chan?"

"S-sure," Uchida replied, smiling awkwardly. As Uchida began to step past her podium, making her way across, Takanashi did the same, the two meeting in the middle.

Nakamura nodded, "Now, just casually stroke her hair and take one."

Uchida raised, her hand, before blinking, "What, why would we do this casually."

Nakamura frowned, "Don't ruin my fun."

Katsuragi nodded, "You don't separate a man and his goggles."

"What?" Nakamura blurted.

While Katsuragi gave a grin, Uchida frowned, before letting out a sigh and raising a hand too...pat Takanashi on the head?

As her hand moved, she came to the back of her head, where the hair began to curl up. Takanashi said, "I felt that: it does not count."

Taking back her hand, Uchida blinked, before trying again, this time a bit softer...though...she hadn't done anything.

...What was going on?

Realizing who she was becoming suspicious of, Uchida shook her head, before trying again. However, this time as she passed her hand over, she felt a few loose ends, but...in the middle of her hair?

"Do not," Takanashi whispered.

Baffled, Uchida poked at it again, but something was off. Was...something wrong with Takanashi's hair?

Seeming to sense something, Takanashi pushed Uchida's hand away, frowning, "I am truly sorry..."

"What's going on?" Uchida blinked.

Takanashi admitted, "I have...not been entirely honest. I should not...I should not have hesitated." Carefully undoing her hair once more, Takanashi admitted, "As one in the service industry, it is pushed to appear approachable, yet I have made choices that would lead to me, a woman, being...perhaps a bit less so." As her hair fell, Uchida's eyes widened in confusion as some locks came loose, dangling out of place.

Takanashi finished, "So long without proper maintenance...what poor timing." Reaching her hand up, Takanashi wrapped it around her hair, and yanked it free, brown locks slipping away, shedding to the ground. As Takanashi tossed her extensions to the ground, the hair that remained was short, only barely touching her ears.

As Uchida stared, she had a soft smile as she caressed the side of her face, stating, "I apologize: to have my hair in such a state..." Bringing her other hand up, she whined, "How embarrassing!"

Hiiragi argued, "It's cute! Cuuuuuute!"

"Ehhhhh? It could not possibly be..." Takanashi replied.

Hiiragi whined, "I like my long hair, but it's so much trouble sometimes!"

Furinji, hair returned to its natural state nodded, "I can relate."

Sonia began to curl a lock of her blonde hair around her finger as she giggled, "Yet, it pales in comparison..."

Nakamura snarled, "Yeah, hope you like it after you run out of shampoo since the world kinda ended."

Moving to return to her podium, Takanashi sighed, "But I cannot serve you in this state..."

Katsuragi shrugged, "Isn't short hair more hygienic?"

As she returned to her own podium, Uchida was still shocked. Not about the hair...was it was deeper than that. Slapping her cheeks lightly, she tried to recover: it was just hair!

Polly blinked, "Is there a problem, Uchida-san?"

Shaking her head, Uchida insisted, "N-nope! A-okay! It's just a little surprising..."

Zaizen shrugged, "It's hardly relevant, but it does explain why her hair was taken. The matter is, whom did so?"

Furinji noted, "It would be unlikely for me to do so, as we would need to sneak into her cell while she slept. Using the spike was possible, but the metal grinding against the lock would be quiet noisy."

Katsuragi frowned, "That leaves me and...Hiiragi-chan."

Face falling, Hiiragi gasped, "Eh? W-well..."

Zaizen noted, "You have been acting a bit off."

"Ehhh!?" Hiiragi sputtered.

Polly added, "And the cameras...either interpretation of the information puts Katsuragi under suspicion."

Katsuragi muttered, "And...you did find the hair with the cloak."

Mouth gaping, Hiiragi's eyes began to water, the girl blubbering, "W-wait! I-I can't 'a been the Culprit!"

Nakamura noted, "Furinji is way too suspicious, but you?" Uchida felt her heart shake as he quoted her, saying, "You're the last person we suspect, so it's like we have to suspect you."

Thinking back to the conversation they had just before martial law, Uchida shook her head, murmuring, "N-no..." it went on deaf ears. Her voice could reach the required volume to snag the attention she'd been so used to commanding. But...why?

Those words echoed in Uchida's brain again.

Do not.

Why was she listening to her?

Do not.

Why would Hiiragi commit a crime?

Do not.

Did she...think she would never get a chance with Katsuragi?

Do not!

But she was so supportive of him and her being together.

Do not!

Takanashi was watching Hiiragi quietly, but that look was neither sadness nor glee.

DO NOT!

Why would she have said those words:

DO NOT!

Teeth gritting, eyes watering once more, Uchida whined, "No...no!" Looking at Takanashi, her friend, she asked, "Why...why did you say that to me? 'Do not'. What don't you want me to do?"

"Uchida-chan?" Takanashi frowned.

"Why didn't you want me to say anything when I found out about your extensions!? Because it would look like I was accusing you?" Uchida shouted.

"I do not understand," Takanashi frowned.

"Why are you lying!? You told me when I noticed something weird about your hair: 'do not', you said," Uchida growled, beating back her tears as she screamed, "What's so important about your hair!?"

Katsuragi said, "Well, it was found near the scene of the crime..."

"You...you aren't trying to manipulate me, are you?" Uchida called.

However, Takanashi's eyes did not flash with concern or worry. They became...empty...hollow.

Soulless.

For just a moment. Uchida saw it: it was no trick of the light. Takanashi then raised a hand to her mouth as she fretted, "Are you alright, Uchida-chan?"

Fists clenched, Uchida stomped her foot on the ground as she cried, "That's not the mask! Hiiragi's not the mask, Nakamura-san. You can't suspect someone for no reason."

"But...Takanashi's masks...her hair, her friendship with me...but you have another one, don't you?"

"Leader?"

Takanashi froze. Once again, the look in her eyes faded out. Takanashi said, "Do you have any evidence?"

Feeling nauseous, Uchida hissed, "Keep your friends close..."

"Not a shred?" Takanashi said.

"Is that why you want me on your side?" Uchida growled.

"You think me the Culprit? The accomplice?" Takanashi said.

"What do you think of me, huh? Enemy? Threat? Thorn in your side?"

Takanashi said, "One day, I wish to think of you as a friend."

"One day? Why not today? What about yesterday!?" Uchida snarled, tears edging at her eyes again.

"Life is such a fragile thing. The 'you' of today, the 'you' of yesterday may be things of the past tomorrow. Yet I have come to like you, as I have come to like many of you. I require assistance for my next endeavor," Takanashi said.

Biting back bile, Uchida spat, "What do you want from us!?"

"I want to ally with you, members of the 79th Class," Leader said.

There was no mask, but her face seemed completely blank, like that of a mannequin. By the clothes, it seemed like Takanashi, but something seemed off, and it made Uchida sick.

Sweating, Katsuragi gawked, "Wh-what?"

Knuckles whitening around the hilt of her rapier, Pollyanna hissed, "You..."

"T-Takanashi-san!?" Hiiragi gawked.

Nakamura muttered, "I fucking told ya she was scary, didn't I? Didn't I?"

Adjusting his glasses nervously, Zaizen spat, "Now is not the time."

"..." Furinji stood in silence, not even sparing Takanashi as much as a glance.

Turning her eyes to him, Uchida growled, "You...you..."

"'Vert' is an ironic nickname, given my height, don't you think?" Furinji stated.

Hiiragi whined, "Why!? Why are ya revealin' yerselves!?"

"To give you a fair chance. Fifty-fifty," Takanashi said.

Furinji nodded, "Yet, we are in complete control of this case..."

Uchida asked, "How did you know who Leader was!?"

Furinji explained, "With our numbers down to a measly two, the masks seemed rather silly, we thought. They've been disposed of."

Takanashi said, "We could not collude otherwise."

"Then...we've got it all figured out, mostly," Katsuragi muttered.

Takanashi said, "Would you like to whittle away the hours with yet another stunning description of today's murder as Uchida attempts to come up with a revelation to turn the situation to your favor?"

While Uchida glared, Katsuragi grumbled, "You know what? Fine. I will."

Taking a breath, Katsuragi began, "A few days ago, Pollyanna went to a few lengths to keep us safe from Human Potency. Getting the Victim, Kitano, and the member of Human Potency known as Vert, Furinji, on her side, she was able to put everyone else into the cells in the Labyrinth. They maintained a shift schedule to keep watch, but with Vert outside and able to contact his accomplice easily, switching the camera panels long before the murder occurred."

"One morning, Furinji waited until Kitano left to eat, before moving into action. Gathering up the cloaks, he returned to the Labyrinth, passing before grabbing a spike from the iron maiden. He also took a number of sheets and skewers, setting these up to obscure sound and vision, ensuring no one woke up. Then, he went to the cell of his accomplice, Takanashi, also known as Leader, using the spike to open the door and give her a matching cloak. Readied, they awaited the arrival of the Victim."

"Coming back, Kitano noticed the drapes immediately, finding that none blocked the Interrogation Room, heading in. One of the two awaited him from the center of the room, while the other was poised to strike. Kitano charged, pushing the pillory out of the way, but was likely stopped by Furinji, whom crushed two of his fingers, either stopping him from the front or sneaking in from behind. Then, the Culprit attacked, slashing him across the throat with the spike, sending Kitano to the ground. The blood spilled all over one of the cloaks, some of it getting on the side of a nearby chair. Leaving the weapon in the iron maiden, the two created a closed room by using the unique door to their advantage, leaving it stuck behind the bottom half before tying a rope to the doorknob."

"Leaving, the bloody cloak was left behind, along with one of Takanashi's fake hairs. Takanashi returned to her cell quietly, while Furinji left, passing under the camera again before, disposing of the other cloak outside, and waiting for the body discovery announcement before returning."

"That's your game, isn't it, Human Potency?" Katsuragi finished.

"No," Takanashi said. Her placid face seemed to harden as she muttered, "It would be theirs."

As Sonia giggled, Monokuma laughed, "Guilty as charged!"

Zaizen hissed, "They've been quite open about their villainy, but you on the other hand, have been slowly driving the knife into our backs."

"As Pollyanna Bruckhard drives a rapier into your fronts," Takanashi said, before continuing, "Is it not time to end all of this? You have witnessed much of these trite, formulaic killings, but I have seen more: many more. And array of evidence, long hours arguing semantics, never revealing the Culprit until the last dramatic moment." Face contorting into a disgusting sneer, she asked, "Do you find it amusing?"

"Quite," Sonia giggled.

Glaring, Takanashi hissed, "Quiet." Sonia's eyes narrowed, but she complied.

Hiiragi frowned, "Waddaya mean 'more'?"

Takanashi said, "That can wait, I think."

Furinji asked, "Are you ready to begin the vote?"

Looking between the two, Katsuragi said, "It has to be..."

Swallowing, Uchida began to tame her swirling thoughts, muttering, "I think...I have an idea." Taking a breath, she began, "Leader...Takanashi-chan...you promised you would protect Hiiragi and I, right?" While Takanashi said nothing, Uchida continued, "You also promised that you would reveal your identity to me and me alone after the Trial. You didn't break the first promise, and I don't think you've meant to break the other one either. Takanashi, you haven't been honest, but you have, right, Leader? Aside from the bullshit, I mean." Clenching her fist, Uchida finished, "I think Furinji's the Culprit. He's the only one who could have killed Kitano no matter how he reacted. It also fits the last two Trials, where you had anyone other than you trying to escape."

After a moment, Zaizen muttered, "What if...what if Leader is trying to escape?"

Shaking her head, Uchida insisted, "No: look at her! If she was going to kill anyone, she'd need to be in way better of a situation. Kitano's the worst choice!"

Polly argued, "Furinji may have held him back while Takanashi unleashed the finishing strike."

Uchida snapped, "Then Takanashi would have been right next to Kitano, and I don't think any of the blood would have ended up on the side of the chair!"

"But...we can't be sure," Katsuragi frowned.

"Have we ever!?" Uchida growled. Letting out a frustrated growl, he moaned, "I'm done."

Monokuma cheered, "Voting time!?"

"It seems so," Takanashi said.

Monokuma stood on his stool, beginning, "Touch the mug of the dude or lady on your screen! This is going to be a close on-"

"But one moment, if you please," Takanashi said.

While the screen in front of her changed, Uchida neither moved or said nothing as Takanashi said, "There is another way: to continue this game is madness. Monokuma and Sonia cannot lose, and only continue to win. Escape is not possible without murder. If the Culprit escapes, the 'you' of today will die, but the 'you' of yesterday will live on. You must trust me!"

Uchida bared her teeth as she hissed, "What is wrong with you!? How can you think for even a second we'll go through with it?"

"Your mind is clouded! Why can you not...why..." Takanashi murmured, before clutching her head, muttering, "Why am I the only one to see this world as it is?"

"Would you stop talking like a nutjob already!?" Nakamura growled. Takanashi said nothing.

As silence fell around the courtroom, the votes were cast. Once again, Sonia adjusted her legs before the panel popped off of her throne, reels spinning until they fell onto the face of Furinji, lights flashing and confetti spilling from the sides of the throne. Monokuma began, "The votes have been tallied, and Furinji Yuma was chosen as 'Culprit'. Did you nail it? Or was it actually Leader? ...Well, he put up a good fight, but Furinji is our Culprit!"

Letting out a sigh of relief, Uchida scowled, "So I guess this is it then."

Face still stern, Furinji said, "I do not apologize." The boy continued, "I...I waited. With my strength, killing another should have been easy, but I wanted to see the escape of more than one. My hands were tied, but Leader gave me the only reasonable option. Pollyanna-san: your martial law had the potential of working, but the fact that a murder could happen was my last test for you all. To place my trust in Leader...I was not wrong."

Uchida muttered, "You're going to die."

Furinji nodded, "So be it. Even now, I still think that Leader is the only Hope for the 79th Class. Perhaps now that she is out in the open, Leader will help you to see. You have been blinded by us and our masks: Human Potency is not the villain. Super High School Level Despair is."

"Coulda fooled me," Nakamura shrugged.

Katsuragi frowned, "You can't ask us to just lay down and die..."

Furinji stated, "That would be an accurate description of martial law, yes, but we do no ask that of you. We ask you to fight. Super High School Level Despair wants to see you fight us, but unified, we can break their cycle. Or...no. We could have, but I suppose it is too late now. Perhaps you will find another way, but please, keep fighting. Even when all seems lost, keep fighting. In all of history, no winner has ever surrendered. That determination is very much...Human."

FURINJI YUMA HAS BEEN DECLARED GUILTY OF MURDER

PREPARING EXECUTION...

As the doors to the Execution Chamber creaked open, Furinji strode in without any reservations. As he took in his surroundings, the room was a dojo of sorts, the floor covered in tatami mats, the walls bare. There was only one object on the floor, near a wall: a small rack, white clothes hanging from it. Approaching, Furinji did not hesitate, swapping his clothes for a white martial arts gi, tying a black belt around his waist. As he finished dressing, he turned to see that he was no longer alone in the room: another figure stood, wearing their own gi, the gi black on the right half and white on its left half, the belt alternating, matching the orientation of the bear who wore it. Eyes narrowing, Furinji bowed, Monokuma matching the movement.

Magnum Ursus Colluctatio

Once man and beast had finished their bow, Monokuma charged, claws and teeth beared. Hand reaching out, Furinji snatched the small wooden rack next to him, tossing it at the bear in an instant. Monokuma smashed through it, but Furinji charged, planting a kick right on Monokuma's face, sending the bear bouncing backwards. However, while Furinji came to a stop, Monokuma quickly bounced back up, hurtling at Furinji. The Jujutsu Master was not prepared, Monokuma colliding with him, claws tearing at his flesh, sending blood about. Furinji pushed, Monokuma becoming separated, before Furinji raised a hand, catching Monokuma on the snout, hurling him into the ceiling. Once again, Monokuma bounced back towards Furinji, but this time he stepped back as Monokuma hit the ground, Furinji nabbing him by the arm and throwing him away. But as he let go, there was another flash of blood.

Monokuma took a few fingers with him. The bear landed, bouncing back to its feet, not a scratch on him, just blood that was not his. Furinji, however, was rapidly becoming fatigued as his lifeblood dripped to the mat. And yet, the short boy had a slight grin on his face as he readied his stance, for he had never felt more alive.

Once again, the two met, but this time, Monokuma stripped the feeling of life from Furinji at last. The boy sank to the floor as feeling escaped him, Monokuma staring down at him. And yet, even in this state, Furinji swatted an arm out, smacking Monokuma's hind paw lightly, before passing from this realm. Even until the last, Furinji did not surrender, and for that, Monokuma gave a bow, the match complete.

As the Execution Chamber door closed shut, Monokuma taking a seat, not even bothering to clean himself of the blood or remove his gi, Uchida felt nauseated and betrayed, but...

She couldn't bring herself to feel sad. Anger overtook her as she looked up to Takanashi, the Retail Clerk's face as placid as ever.

Sonia giggled, "My me, yet another thrilling Trial! I do not want to leave you be for even a moment: what shall I miss on the elevator trip down? So exciting."

"Nothing, if you allow me to join you," Takanashi said.

Sonia blinked, "I'm sorry, I did not understand."

"I am quite finished with this exhausting persona," Takanashi frowned, adding, "No more masks. No aliases."

Uchida growled, "You're going to start acting like a normal human being?"

Takanashi smiled, "Naturally. As someone who is not a member of the 79th Class, it would be dishonest to continue on like this."

Zaizen gawked, "Excuse me? Takanashi-san-"

"I apologize," Leader said, before admitting, "To my knowledge, none of you have met the genuine article that is 'Takanashi Ritsuko'. I have used this fact as misdirection."

"E-eh!? Then...who are you?" Hiiragi asked frightfully.

Leader said nothing. Stepping away from her podium, the girl made her way over to the elevator, just as Sonia stepped down from her throne.

Leader entered first, Sonia watching as she approached. As she reached the door, Sonia nodded, "You may join me: presentation is everything."

Leader gave a hollow smile as Sonia stepped on the lift, the doors closing, before carrying them down and out of sight.

Heart pounding, Uchida didn't know what to think: was that whole friendship nothing but a lie? Yet why was Leader so intent on Uchida and her opinions? Because she was 'human'? That thought was all that seemed to accompany her in the quiet Courtroom, the six remaining too muddled in the mind to speak.

The elevator trip was more agonizing than the one that had taken them there, but the short walk to the Tower was quick, the group rushing through the sunny stretch of grass, bursting into the Dining Hall.

Leader was not there, but Sonia remained, smiling at the 79th Class as they entered, nodding, "Leader will be just a moment."

Appearing, Monokuma laughed, "She's a woman concerned about her appearance! She'll be more than a moment." Uchida didn't even have the energy to argue.

Several moments passed, eventually becoming minutes. Uchida wanted to sit, but she knew she'd be standing once that girl came back down. And sure enough, she did, the quiet footsteps from the spiral staircase feeling like echoing footfalls in the silent Dining Hall.

Finally appearing at the top of the stairs, Uchida was taken aback: the face was still Takanashi's, and the hair remained short, but it was no longer brown, appearing red. The girl's blue eyes flashed over the 79th Class as she came to a stop at the bottom, hand on the stone guard rail to the stairs. She wore what seemed to be a white kimono, a black hakama around the lower part.

Bowing low, Leader said, "Please allow me to introduce myself: my name is Kinashi Ririka. It is a pleasure to meet you at last."

CHAPTER 5 END

SURVIVORS: 7

Another Trial complete, but one chapter still remains! For now though, design notes: /PzqSBD5g

To any new readers who are a bit confused with the last bit, next chapter should shed some light on a lot of things. Though I'm also hoping my old readers are also caught off guard!

Anyway, speaking of the next Chapter, I'm going to be uploading it a little differently, you'll see why:

Tomorrow: No update

May 18th: 6-1

19th: 6-2 Part 1

20th: 6-2 Part 2

21st: 6-3

22nd: 6-4

23rd: No update

24th: 6-5 Part 1

25th: 6-5 Part 2

26th: 6-5 Part 3 and Epilogue

There's going to be a lot of happenings, so I hope you stick around to enjoy them! Thank you for reading thus far! See you next time!