Hello, and I am finally back with another chapter! It's been like, what, over two months? Oh god, that's so long! Aaah, I really am sorry for that. College is really trying to make me dead, huh? Aah, I hope you guys were not waiting for too long! And, really, I hope this chapter makes up for it! I don't really have much to say, so let's head straight into the amazing, fun, thrilling trial!

Prince PokePersona: "Oop, welp, I will always be surprised if a main character dies, haha. Oops, yes, mindfucks! Monokuma loves traumatizing the kids, we need to slap him for being mean. Poor Shinji, the poor baby didn't even do anything ): Yes, he's having a gigantic mental breakdown, and he'll be broken forever and ever and ever and ever and- oh well. Tomoyo is a sad babey, you need to make her happy. Akio is a bitch, that's all :) Kyatchi will suffer, yes. He's the only one who's talking sense here, totally. Oop, I see, I see. Haha, Monokuma is just pure evil."

TheRoseShadow21: "Yes, suffering! Isn't that sad ):"

Meta King: "TADAOMI NO."

BIG THANKS TO OUR BETA READER: Prince PokePersona!

The tears and sobs that escaped Shinjimae's lips was heartbreaking. The animal whisperer was unable to stop himself from crying, arms thrown around Watari's dead body and embracing his batted self tightly. He sniffled and choked on his own tears, and Monokuma only sadistically smiled at the group whose faces were pale from the revelation.

"Daddy…" Shinjimae hiccuped, his arms wrapped tightly around Watari's head. He couldn't care less about the blood painted on his clothes. "I-I'm sorry…"

"God." Kyatchi grabbed the bridge of his nose. He knew that Monokuma was more than likely to not listen to him, but he couldn't even hold it in any longer. He threw a fist to the podium. "This isn't even a trial any longer."

Akio flinched at the sudden violence from the man. His face paled as he threw him a worrisome look. "What do you mean?"

"It's not a fair trial." The juggler glared angrily at Monokuma, staring him down intensely. "This isn't fair at all. We have a poor boy crying his heart out, so obviously we're at a disadvantage here. Like, what, you want to help the killer? Or maybe you're just sadistic? Is that it?"

The overseer merely simpered. "I only do what is fair. I punish those who are naughty." He clicked his tongue, tapping his tiny feet on the ground. "And Mr. Akahoshi there is a naughty little boy~"

Shinjimae only hiccuped a whimper. "D-daddy…"

"I think you just have a daddy fetish." Kyatchi smirked wryly, shrugging his shoulders. Smug, he slowly focused his attention back to the remaining Ultimates left. "... Since our victim is literally the one who fucking saves our asses in these types of things, now what? Are we dead?"

"Kyatchi, please." Yume just threw him a wary look. "I… I'm not feeling well."

Akio just furrowed his eyebrows. "Why? You…" He threw her an awkward smile. "Well, this is uncanny of you."

"Shut it." The nihilist glared. "Just shut it."

"Alright guys, let's all calm down for a second, alright?" Tomoyo immediately coughed, speaking louder than normally. Everyone's focus was on her, and she nervously smiled and sweated. "We're all worried and we want nothing more than to figure out who killed Watari, but we need to come together and solve this case together, right?"

"Ah, yeah. Right." Masako nodded her head shakily, cupping her hands together. "S-she's right. Yeah."

"Really now?" Yume's eyes narrowed. "Right after all that went down a few days ago? With-... whatever, ignore me."

Kyatchi just laughed. "Wow, moody child." He clapped his hands together. "Alright, let's all be detectives here and solve the case of a detective, alright?"

Akio's face darkened at that, but it was easily hid with a kind smile. "Of course. I want nothing more than to get this over with."

The juggler merely sneered at the actor. "It's just a chore at this point, huh?"

"I didn't say that." The brunette raised a brow, head tilted to the side. "You must be imagining things. Are you Alice in Wonderland, ditzy and fucking stupid?"

"No. Can we- just… Let's just not argue." Yume frowned, eyes squinted. Her face was paler than before, almost as if she was worried (but Tomoyo wasn't so sure) for the juggler. "Let's just do this trial and figure out who killed Watari."

Right… we need to do this. If we don't do this, we'll all die. All of us… excluding the killer… can't let that happen. Tomoyo shakily breathed, her heart beating at a slightly erratic pace. The sweat that trickled from her forehead made her skin feel sticky and prickly. Disgusting. She gripped tightly on her MonoPad, held back a deep breath, and turned it on.

List of Truth Bullets

Case File #005 - The victim of this case was the Ultimate Detective, Watari Irino. It was noted that he has died around 8:01 PM inside of the upper library. He has been tortured to no end, it would've been estimated (from the wounds) around an hour long before he died out of blood loss. He had plenty of additional wounds and broken bones, but the most noticeable wound would be the bloody wound behind the head.

Blindfold and Gag - Bloody and soaked. Used to restain Watari.

Rope - Slightly bloody and torn. This was used to restrain Watari to the chair.

Library Chair - A simple chair that Watari was restrained to.

Torn Up Papers and Glass - There were torn up papers and glass around Watari. The torn up papers seemed to be a mixture from his notes and others. The glass seemed to have been made from various shot glasses.

Camera - On the top shelf. It was angled to point over at Watari.

Video Tape - The camera had saved a video of Watari during his torture. The murderer's voice is robotic and obviously distorted, especially since the killer hid their face.

Flashlight - It looks like a normal and big flashlight, however there are no buttons to turn the light on. It was near where the camera was.

Bloody Messages - There are words that are etched into Watari's skin, particularly on his arms and sides. They are the following: 'mass murderer', 'lonely', 'criminal', and 'messiah'.

Bloody Bat - The weapon that was used to hit Watari with. It was laid out in the middle of the library. It is bloody.

Letter - Yume confessed that Kyatchi went outside earlier to ask her about murder. She said that he received a letter that Yume was going to die and wanted to talk to her about it, but she ran away out of annoyance. Other than this, there was also information that Yume's therapist was involved with Misaki.

Oh god, where do we even start? Tomoyo pursed her lips, eyes scanning through the list of truth bullets. Watari usually leads the trials, right? … Do I even remember? She quickly put her hand to her chest, hearing her heartbeat. Thump, thump. … Relax, right.

"Who wasn't there at the scene of the crime?" Tomoyo asked, looking sternly at everyone. "I need to know who wasn't there so we can update you on anything you missed."

"N-not me." Masako rubbed her hands together, fidgeting. "So, with that, it's you, me, and Kyatchi at the scene of the crime. I-I don't think Shinji's in a good state right now to even talk, unfortunately."

"Obviously not." Kyatchi rolled his eyes. "Monokuma literally just battered him up like he was a fucking baseball."

"Right…" Tomoyo's lips were pursed. "So, going with that, I guess it's Shinji, Yume, and Blaise who didn't investigate Watari's death?"

"That sounds a bit accusatory there, Tomoyo." The screenwriter flinched, her eyes peering over to Akio who smiled calmly at her. He stared her down for a second before shifting his focus to the group, smile still calm as always. "I was busy looking for Shinji, that's why. Other than that, I was with Yume."

"Right-"

"Besides, remember what I said?" Akio chuckled. "Yume and I were trying to investigate Watari's room, but Monokuma forbade it. You can ask him."

"I guess he's right." Monokuma yawned, swirling the glass of wine in his paw. "Rather not have you guys go to me for confirmation or shit, but whatever! Yeah, I don't want Aki and Yume to invade on Watari's privacy. It's rude."

At least he's not lying to me… Tomoyo frowned. But what if he is? It's Monokuma. The screenwriter looked at Akio who only looked at her in exchange. She shuddered. "... Alright. I guess that's right, understandable."

"As long as Yume can vouch for him." Kyatchi threw a look to the nihilist.

Yume only rolled her eyes. "I can vouch, yeah." She crossed her arms, eyes now averted to the side. "I find it more suspicious that Monokuma won't let us get into Watari's room anyways."

Masako gulped. "Y-you do have a point. But, given other cases, we've never really investigated our, er, rooms… so I don't know for sure if Monokuma just wants to hide information from us or he actually cares about privacy."

"He has strange priorities then if that's the case." Kyatchi sneered, shrugging mockingly at the survivalist. "Doesn't really matter though. We know Watari aligned himself with Monokuma anyway. I wouldn't be surprised if Monokuma wanted to withhold information."

Tomoyo bit into her lips. Hesitation was in her face. "Well, about that…"

THINKING TIME

Question: What is wrong about Kyatchi's statement?

A. Watari was never in a deal with Monokuma. He lied.

[B. Watari and Monokuma held off the deal a while ago.]

C. Monokuma would never do something like that.

D. Monokuma burnt everything that may seem hurtful to his reputation already.

Tomoyo: I think this is it!

BREAK!

Tomoyo shook her head as she looked at Kyatchi, hands cupping together. "Watari never told us this, but he and Monokuma haven't been working together long after the second trial. He's… not guilty of anything."

"What does that mean?" Yume's eyebrows narrowed, gaze sharp. "Is Watari not helping Monokuma anymore?"

"That can't be the case." Akio threw the screenwriter a smile, though it faded away as he threw on a more worrisome expression. "How do you even know that? Do you have evidence to back it up?"

"It's in Watari's MonoPad." The screenwriter held her breath. She knew her heart was racing quickly. She hated it. She hated how much this was stressing her out. "I don't have his MonoPad with me, but you can ask Monokuma to confirm it."

"Asking me to confirm shit again? Hmm, fine by me." The bear snickered, eyes shining its usual malicious hue. "Well, the cutie was being nice, and that's no good! I can't have somebody who's going soft on me stay as my helper! I had to cut him off before he starts throwing me some stupid ass sob story or something."

"Woooow, sob stories! Horrendous!" Kyatchi threw his hands out, making a mock expression of shock. He chuckled to himself as he crossed his arms now, amused in himself. "So, you just decided to cut off relations with Watari because he was beginning to empathize with us?"

It was because of me. And her heart was aching from that one little tidbit. "I would think that makes sense though. Monokuma wouldn't want someone who was helping him to be nice to the people he was supposed to get to kill one another, right? Watari was perfect for the job before since he had no qualms with messing with people."

"P-poor Watari." Masako held her hands together. "I wonder how he felt when he cut off ties with Monokuma… we've been acting under the impression he's been working with Monokuma the entire time though." She stopped, slowly looking up at everybody. "H-he never told us."

"Exactly!" Akio immediately bobbed his head. "Wouldn't it make sense for Watari to tell us if he's the traitor or not anymore? Him never having told us is suspicious, but then again, Monokuma could just be lying to help you out here, Tomoyo."

Tomoyo's eyes widened, a silent gasp escaping her lips. "D-do you not trust anything I'm saying?" She gulped. "I mean, I know this is a trial, but… but still."

"Of course I don't trust you." Akio was blunt, staring her down. "You were relatively close to Watari."

"What? T-that's because you…" The screenwriter shook her head. Did anyone even know about this? Who knew? Who was a part of this? Her eyes scanned the room, but her gaze fixated onto Shinjimae instead- he was still sobbing, croaking out pleas in a mantra. She bit into her lips, but quickly shook her head and focused back onto Akio. "You wanted me to be with him. I was supposed to watch him and give information back to you about anything he does. It's you who made me close to him."

"Oh, is that so?" Akio frowned. "You seemed like you actually wanted to befriend him though. While we were making sure no one was getting hurt, you were slacking off and letting Watari walk all over you."

"... He's not a bad person." The woman gulped. "I don't see why you're suspecting me because of that! This was your idea! A-am I really the type who would hurt him?"

The actor sneered. "Yes, in fact, you are." He crossed his arms, staring her down. "You should've seen the look on his face when he learned you were faking your act of kindness. He looked so hurt. Honestly… It was priceless."

"T-Tomoyo?" Masako was eyeing the screenwriter with a worrisome expression, lips pursed. The brows on her face were narrowed in sync with her wrinkling nose. "What are you talking about?"

"Surprisingly enough, not everyone's in on the scheme." Kyatchi clapped his hands together, a mocking smile on his lips. "Based on stereotypes, the villains are those who act cynical and dark, am I right? So, by those standards, Blaise and his bitches decided to snuff out Watari and everyone else. With that in mind, everyone was basically against not only me and Watari, but Yume as well. I guess the same can apply for Ayako too, but it's not like I really care now, eh?"

"B-but," Masako was having trouble forming words in her dry lips. "What does that mean? What does it have to do with everything? I… I don't have a clear understanding of everything."

"Basically what Kyatchi's saying." Yume scoffed. She looked to the side, though she herself looked slightly baffled as well. "Blaise and whoever was involved with him were on their own mission to snuff out everyone Kyatchi mentioned. So, given that, everyone was basically emotionally manipulating Watari."

"T-that… what?" Shinjimae suddenly perked his head up to the group, hands gripping tightly (too tightly) around the bars. "Y-you wouldn't do that, r-right? B-Blaise…? I-I like you… y-you're nice… Blaise?"

Akio said nothing at first, only glaring at Kyatchi and Yume. A few seconds passed. He turned, shifted in his spot. He just looked at Shinjimae now for a brief second, then pursed his lips, a soft, gentle (it was most likely fake, he used that voice on Tomoyo so many times before) coo forming with the words, "Shinji, you're just too sweet for this. You were the only genuine person who Watari could trust. It's sad."

"W-Watari has f-friends though!" The way he spoke was pathetic. Almost laughable. "T-Tomoyo liked him! M-Misaki and Kyatchi a-and even H-Hitomu and Keishi a-and-!" He continued to blabber on and on, "W-we all l-liked h-him, right…?"

"Shinji." Yume's face narrowed. She looked exasperated, almost annoyed. "They were lying to Watari the entire time."

"N-no! T-they would n-never lie!" Shinjimae laughed. Painful. Broken. "N-not even Hitomu… K-Keishi wouldn't l-lie! Right, Watari?" He immediately grabbed at the corpse's head and cradled it. "Right? Right?! … Right, W-Watari? Watari… Hic, Watari-!"

Keishi wasn't part of it… If I say that… Tomoyo bit into her lips. The words were at the tip of her tongue, yet she couldn't afford to speak. She knew why- if Keishi wasn't part of it, then why not Hitomu? Shinjimae was already broken, and Tomoyo knew better than to break him further.

"Nice, you broke him more." Kyatchi glared at Akio. "Now what?"

"I was only suspecting Tomoyo for her actions." The actor crossed his arms. "It's not my fault people started questioning what we did."

"If we're pointing fingers based on previous actions," Yume scoffed, "it seems like you could be guilty as well."

"For murdering Watari?" Akio raised a brow. He was displeased, eyes glimmering in disgust. "I would rather not kill him for the sole purpose of this game."

"You hated him with a passion." Kyatchi frowned. "It seems plausible. You and the detective dislike each other greatly… though it makes sense. You're a prick."

Akio mumbled something under his breath, but Tomoyo wouldn't completely decipher it (drown?). A sigh. "Well, I want to make a point straight with you all, okay? Watari's murder was personal. Compared to the other murders, this one was meticulously drawn out. Watari was tortured before death."

Yume just squinted at him, observing his every movement. "You think none of us can do it then?"

"Probably." The actor pursed his lips. "It's either somebody offscreen who did this, or…" His face darkened. "Or we have an actual psychopath here."

"Hah! Not me." Kyatchi laughed amusingly, almost boisterously. "I swear if you're pointing fingers I'll end you."

Akio just threw his hands up mockingly. "I'm not. You're just assuming." A sigh. "It could be any of us here. We never know someone's true personality unless we corner them."

"Like you." The juggler snorted. "What, too soon?"

"Let's deviate away from that." Tomoyo bit into her lower lip, eyes scanning the crowd around her. She felt her fingers tapping against the stand she was on, breath slightly ragged. "Even if Watari's murder looked foreign, I want us to base his murder off the assumption that any of us could've done it."

Yume just rolled her eyes. "It'd be easier to do it that way anyways."

"B-but I still don't get it." Masako rubbed her hands together, shaking. "Why would anyone kill him?"

Kyatchi stretched his arms out, groaning as his muscles loosened at his will. "Because Watari never told us he and Monokuma weren't allies anymore."

"I-is that the only reason though?" The survivalist pursed her lips, eyebrows narrowing. "We never did anything when Watari and Monokuma confirmed they were working together, so why would we care now?"

Why, huh? Tomoyo cupped her chin, gaze hardening. She wasn't sure, her brain spiraling in circles, over and over again. The answer to that question is something that she wasn't sure of. But if I was the killer, why would I kill Watari? I would've wanted him dead the moment he revealed to me that he was the traitor… if that's my purpose…

She wasn't sure, but she was sure as hell ready to discuss.

NONSTOP DEBATE

Truth Bullets: Case File #005 | Torn Up Papers and Glass | Camera | Bloody Messages | Letter

Tomoyo: The question that we're raising is why would the killer kill Watari, right?

Masako: Y-yes. I was wondering that since I don't believe he was killed for being the traitor. It wouldn't make sense.

Yume: I mean, has Watari ever told anyone he wasn't the traitor?

Akio: … I think only Tomoyo knew.

Tomoyo: W-why are you still blaming me?

Yume: I don't think that's right? I don't know, but Tomoyo wouldn't have told us about this otherwise.

Kyatchi: I could've checked Watari's MonoPad myself anyways.

Akio: Hm, true, but then why would the killer kill Watari when they didn't know he wasn't traitor?

Yume: You're asking the same- ugh, nevermind.

Masako: W-well, Watari's death was personal, right? I-I mean, it looks that way, so…

Kyatchi: Hm, the only reason I can see he was killed was because the killer hated him.

Masako: Yeah… b-but even so, we can't point out the exact reason.

Akio: Hmph. Then we have no concrete evidence pointing us to why he was killed.

-Truth Bullet Selected: Camera-

Tomoyo: You made a mistake!

BREAK!

The screenwriter shook her head, reaching for her MonoPad and pulling out her list of truth bullets. There, she scrolled to the needed bullet, reading the description to herself. A few seconds rolled by before she looked up at the group. "I also believe that Watari's death was personal and I think the fact that there was a camera in the crime scene proves it."

"The camera?" Masako blinked. Her eyes then widened, expression turning pale. "O-oh! You mean… the video."

"Not only that, but the reason there was a camera itself." The screenwriter folded her arms. "His death was strictly personal for the reason that the culprit wanted to record his death."

"They… recorded him?" Yume's eyebrows narrowed, eyes squinting at Tomoyo. "That's pretty… okay, I'm shocked."

Akio frowned. A hand slowly moved over to his chin, cupping it. There, he was deep in thought. "What happened in the recording? Did you hear what the killer sounded like?" He pointed at his own MonoPad, tapping at the directed truth bullet. "We don't have details."

"Right, the video." Tomoyo pursed her lips, her breath holding tightly in her throat. She took a look at Akio, then looked around the room. Her eyes directed themselves onto Shinjimae, then to Saki. Her stomach churned. "Well… would Shinji be alright hearing it? And how about you, Masako?"

"I…" Masako's face scrunched. Her body began to shake slightly more than before, lips quivering. "I… I think I can handle it. I-if it's for the sake of the trial, then… Yeah, I'll be fine." She forced herself to stand strong, a halfhearted smile on her face.

"I'm just worried for Shinji, I guess." Yume played with her dress. "Will he be fine? He's already…"

Kyatchi groaned. "I got it." He raised a hand up. "Yo, Monobitch."

"Huh? The fuck did you call me?" The bear was glaring down at the juggler, snarling at him. "I will literally have your brains eaten. Fight me."

"Huh? Oh, haha. Yeah, yeah, sure, whatever you say." He shooed the threat away without any trouble, unfazed. "Look, we don't want to traumatize a friend of ours even more than he already is, but since we have a trial and everything matters… Yeah, is it possible you can just play the video shown in the camera in our MonoPads instead? I'll owe you my undivided attention if you do it."

"Tempting argument." Monokuma's frown turned upside down, now amusement written on his face. "Hmm, well, since I care about his well-being as well, I might as well. Let me set it up!"

Kyatchi smirked dryly. "Nice. Smooches from moi."

Tomoyo saw the slight disgust in the bear's face, but said nothing about it as he began typing away on a keyboard (which appeared out of nowhere, did he have it under his seat?) with wires connected to the walls. Clickity clackity clack! Monokuma tapped enthusiastically before he raised a paw up, laughing wildly. "Got it!"

The screenwriter's eyes widened as her MonoPad flashed on, white to be seen. She quickly glanced at everyone, all having similar reactions to her, and she pursed her lips- Monokuma did it. Her stomach began to churn even more, heart beating at a quicker rate. She felt her breathing becoming hitched, head aching as the video began to play, all in sync throughout the entire courtroom.

Watari's voice began to echo throughout the room. Even when Tomoyo tried to lower the volume on her screen, she could see everything that was happening to the detective. She could imagine those sobs and painful groans as he was being tortured.

Or maybe she didn't have to imagine it, the slightest sound of his screams being repeated over and over again stimulated the courtroom, after all. The people who lacked the time to listen to his screams now had time to- rather, they had to look at it. Even when Monokuma was being generous and sweet as can be, Tomoyo could tell his was enjoying his time eyeing the group's reactions to what was happening on the screen. Pure, pure horror.

Masako easily set her MonoPad to mute, her eyes becoming teary as she shook her head and closed her eyes. Her breathing was slightly ragged, slightly uneven. It was obvious she was trying to comfort herself, murmuring underneath her breath as her body trembled.

And Tomoyo observed everyone else's reactions. She could see Kyatchi watching it, an expression of distaste and unease in his face. While she figured the juggler already saw (rather, heard) what was happening on screen, she knew he was watching it for the sole purpose of trying to decipher the blackened's words.

Everyone else in the courtroom (sans Shinjimae, but why would she be so cruel as to make him eye such horror?) reacted similarly to the scene as she initially did- fear. Akio was eyeing the video in utter disgust, face pale as he pursed his lips. Yume was also garnering the same reaction, her eyes wavering as unease filled her body to the brim, moving about in place.

A rather short video, but the tension still lingered even after the video shut off from everyone's screens and died, only the replay button to be seen. It was silent, but it was a harsh silence that ushered in an invisible gale of wind. Cold, cruel, and dark.

"Well…" Kyatchi awkwardly smiled at the group, but it was obviously forced and pained. "There you go."

"Y-yeah." Masako gulped, her hands still held together. She was looking at the group in apprehension. "U-uh… s-so what do you guys think?"

Akio brought a hand to his chin, thinking. A few seconds passed in silence. "Why did the killer feel the need to record it? There was no reason to do that unless they wanted to gain something from it."

"Obviously." Yume scoffed. She then mumbled something inaudible to everyone's ears, though her eyes expressed that of apprehension as well.

"You can't even hear the killer's voice that well," Tomoyo explained, cutting into the discussion. "Their voice is pitched and static. They don't want us to know who it is since they knew they were going to record Watari."

"Then why record it?" Masako asked, gulping. "I-it just seems like a bit too much."

"Right." Tomoyo kept her composure steady, though her eyes wavered. Worry was the only expression littering her face. Hiding their face and pitching their voice… what can I make of that? Is there something in the video that I'm missing out on? If so… then what?

WHAT SOUNDS OFF?

[whirring of the camera, static]

"C'mon, can't you act tough for once?"

"..."

"You were so confident when you were outside. You never screamed when you were shot that one time. You used to be so cool…"

[screaming]

"Do you want to beg? Y'know no one will actually feel sympathy towards you."

[screaming]

"Everyone's watching you. Don't you feel special?"

[sobbing]

"It's alright. Everyone will remember this day as the day fucking Satan finally died. It would've been so perfect if you just died with her…"

[panting, sobbing]

"Hmm, fine, I'll let you say something. You do deserve to say something before death, y'know? You are the voice of your own people, after all."

"F-fuck you! You know this will solve nothing-!"

[whirring, flicker]

-Selected: "It's alright. Everyone will remember this day as the day fucking Satan finally died. It would've been so perfect if you just died with her…"-

Tomoyo: This is it!

BREAK!

"Yes… I-I think I know the answer," Tomoyo informed, speaking out loud after a few moments of intense silence and worry. She gulped. "It might sound confusing, but it would make sense."

Yume rolled her eyes. "As long as it's nothing stupid, I think we can afford to listen to you."

The screenwriter flinched slightly at that, but kept her expression steady and confident. "Right." She pointed down to the video on her MonoPad. "I believe that Watari's death was recorded for an audience."

"For an audience?" Akio threw her a frown. "You mean us, right?"

Tomoyo shook her head. "I don't think so." She frowned. "It sounded like the killer was referring to not just us, but to a wider audience. It was as if the killer directed those words to Watari as if he knew he was 'Satan' or something… especially with the comment that he should've died 'with her'."

"W-who even is 'her' anyways?" Masako gulped, her eyes darting back and forth. "D-does Watari know anyone personally? Who would have a grudge against someone here…?"

Kyatchi snorted. "Well, obviously, a lot of us are quite disdainful of each other." He shrugged. "Besides, should've died with her? That means it's someone who died… someone who's a girl, to specify."

"So, out of the people who died…" The survivalist shuddered. "It's Wakana, Kiyoko, Ayako, and Misaki, r-right?"

Yume nodded slowly. "Sounds right."

Kyatchi's smile only turned even darker. He pointed a finger at Akio. "Yo, don't you hate Kiyoko and Ayako? Sounds like something you'd say. Precious little Wakana died because of them, after all." He then laughed. "Unless you forgave them like you're some kind of Messiah or something? I don't know, whatever shit you say, I'm here to listen."

"Obviously I can't deflect the idea that I disliked them," Akio began, calm in his tone. "But I'm not going to stand by and say that you're right. Yes, I didn't like them, but I'm not the type of person who'd want everyone I dislike around me to die." He then glared at the juggler. "If I was, then I wouldn't have only stopped with Kiyoko."

"Uh… H-how about we not argue?" Masako threw the group a nervous smile. "We need to, uh, solve this." She glanced at Tomoyo. "So, what's the point you were trying to make?"

Tomoyo heaved a breath. "Well, what I'm trying to say is that…" She shivered. "Maybe the killer videotaped Watari's death to not show us. By videotaping his death, the killer could've easily revealed their identity. It's too much effort for a murder, even if you ignore the entire torture altogether."

"Right." Kyatchi folded his arms. "So, basically, there's another reason. Like what, the killer wanted to escape and show the video footage to the world? That's a bit of a flimsy motive if you ask me, Tomie."

"T-Tomie- ah, nevermind." She shook her head. "What I'm trying to say is that maybe we're not the killer's audience, but someone else is. Not Monokuma since he already knows who the killer is, not whoever is behind this since they're controlling Monokuma, but-"

"Someone else?" The juggler raised a brow. He thought for a few seconds, then widened his eyes. "... Are people watching us?"

"W-watching us?" Masako looked at Kyatchi and shook her head. Her smile was weak. "You can't be serious with us right now, r-right? We're not in some game show or anything…"

"It sounds stupid, I know." Tomoyo held her breath. "But think about it. The killer wouldn't go so far as to dress up, change their voice, and videotape Watari's death… and what the killer says is cryptic enough that it works, right?"

"Their words…" The survivalist easily lost her train of thought, her face turning paler than before. "T-that's…"

"Given the situation, it does seem to make sense." Yume's face scrunched up in disgust. "Monokuma forced us into this situation… this being called a 'killing game'…"

"No, wait a second though." Akio immediately threw a hand up. "But listen to me, alright? People of our status have gone missing everyday. Why would Monokuma and the killer videotape and show Watari's death to the public? If we were in some shitty game show, the general audience would know who we are, and they would call the authorities immediately to save us."

"R-right!" Masako immediately jumped on board. "If we were being recorded and everything to the public, they'd try to save us!"

"But the authorities didn't do shit to the other Ultimates who died or got kidnapped." Kyatchi smirked dryly. "What's to say we're not being recorded for a dark web game show or some shit? The black market exists for a reason. You just need to dig deep."

"I guess so." Yume frowned, eyes shifted to the side. "The underworld is a dark place, but I don't know. I'm not certain."

"Yume has a right to be confused. That still doesn't make any sense. None of what you said made sense." Akio glared harshly at the group of dissenters. "The police would have dug and figured out what was happening. I just don't see how whoever is behind this shit can get away scot-free."

"R-right!" Masako immediately nodded her head. "I-I just… I don't know. This entire idea sounds impossible, Tomoyo…"

No. That was wrong.

Tomoyo frowned, shaking her head. While she understood the other side, she knew she had to refute them. Their lives depended on it, and hers did as well. She heaved a breath, closing her eyes.

She can do this. She can do this…

Bang! She slammed her fists against the podium, causing it to shake. Everyone's eyes were instantly directed to her, and she stared intensely into their eyes. "Watari didn't die for the sake of appeasing the killer's hatred," she declared, fury burning in her eyes. "Wouldn't it make sense that we're being recorded for an audience or something? The evidence points to that being the case!"

"Woot woot! Sounds like a scrum debate to me!" Monokuma immediately jumped into the discussion, silencing everyone with his obnoxiously loud voice. His face was littered with excitement, the red in his eye glowing a dark, malicious hue. "Spicy, spicy! Red hot spicy!"

Yume couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Oh god, not this again."

"Pfft, how lovely. Another scrum debate." Kyatchi grinned, turning to look at Akio. "Don't scream this time, Mr. Actor."

The actor merely huffed, raising a brow. "I won't. I was just caught off guard last time it happened."

The juggler snorted. "Yeah, right."

Tomoyo held her breath, fists slowly going back to her hips and fingers unflexing. She stared at the group, then pursed her lips, thinking to herself. Thinking, reassuring herself that everything will be fine. Everything will be fine. She will be able to convince them.

"READY, SET, GO!"

Buttons were pressed, and the courtroom, once again, began to shake. Tomoyo immediately held tightly onto her podium, watching as everyone began to raise up from the ground and high into the air, split into their respective side. She gritted her teeth, glancing to her side to find Kyatchi throwing her a wink. She threw him a confident smile in reassurance, then nodded to herself. She had to stay confident.

SCRUM DEBATE

Question: Is Tomoyo's theory believable?

LEFT SIDE "YES": Tomoyo, Kyatchi

RIGHT SIDE "NO": Masako, Akio, Yume

. | . | . | .

Yume: The idea of us being in a show sounds impossible once you really think about it.

Tomoyo: It's not impossible! Anything is possible once you put your mind to it.

.

Akio: But how can this entire game show idea be orchestrated if there's a chance the people behind this will get caught?

Kyatchi: Whether this was orchestrated as a game show or whatever, there will always be a chance that the people behind this will get caught! Security is high as ever with missing and dead Ultimates everyday.

.

Masako: B-but still, why now for a show? There's nothing that separates us from the other Ultimates…

Kyatchi: You only say 'now' because you haven't been exposed to the other game shows or whatever shit that probably happened. That's also a possibility, remember?

.

Akio: Then why kill Ultimates? Why are people obsessed with seeing Ultimates die then?

Tomoyo: We have a reputation to uphold. The title of Ultimate isn't just for show.

.

Yume: … I'm still not convinced. There's no evidence that points to us being recorded or some weird stuff like that.

Kyatchi: Are you sure about that? I think there's plenty of evidence that can rebuttal what you just said.

.

Masako: E-even then, why are you so confident in that theory? It's not really… sensible.

Tomoyo: I'm confident because I know it's true! You just need to listen to me!

.

BREAK!

"Just think about it!" The screenwriter gritted her teeth, their podiums slowly raising them back to the ground. "There are plenty of cases out there that go unnoticed or untouched because of how meticulous the killers were! Even people from shows go unnoticed until decades later! Is it that hard to believe that we're in some sort of show?"

The survivalist bit into her lips. "I-I mean… it still sounds so surreal."

Kyatchi shrugged, just aimlessly toying with his bandannas. "I mean, the evidence is there. You guys are just being blind, y'know?"

"Blind?" Akio squinted his eyes at the juggler. "What do you mean by that?"

PRESENT THE EVIDENCE

-Truth Bullet Selected: Bloody Messages-

Kyatchi: This is it!

BREAK!

Kyatchi smirked smugly at the actor and crossed his arms. "Well, if you had actually been there at the crime scene, you would've seen the shit that I've seen." His expression stiffened. "Have you seen Watari's body? His body's been messed up."

"Of course I know at least that." Akio frowned. "Go on."

The juggler only snickered in response. A smug expression was clear on his face. "If you actually investigated, you would've seen it." He chuckled. "The killer was messed up enough to use a knife or whatever to write into Watari's body."

"W-what?" Yume's face paled. "Excuse me, but what?"

Even Akio was taken aback by this, but he quickly recomposed himself and nodded slowly. "What was written on his body then?"

"Well…" Kyatchi scratched the back of his head. "From what it says on the MonoPad: mass murderer, lonely, criminal, and messiah."

Yume frowned. "Those names are kind of specifically suspicious."

"Exactly, as if the killer was making a statement." Kyatchi crossed his arms, smirking. "Wouldn't it make sense that the killer was making a statement to tell an audience?"

Akio furrowed his brows. "I mean, couldn't the killer be trying to tell us that?"

"That's a complete fucking waste of the killer's time, you stupid twit. If they wanted to just play the killing game, they don't need to go this far." He rolled his eyes. "It's already obvious the crime wasn't just because of the motive. That shitty, cryptic ass motive? Yeah, I don't know if that's enough to get the gears winding. However, killing Watari for a personal reason? I can fucking see that, especially if the killer wanted to call out Watari for something we don't know of yet."

"Watari's an idiot." That was all Yume said, her usual cold expression slightly wavering with a touch of sadness. Her eyes were averted to the ground.

Kyatchi sighed. "Let's put two and two together! We'll figure this out together as if we're in some shitty ass whodunnit kid's show- let's figure out the meanings behind each of the names on Watari's body."

"Ugh." Masako couldn't help but hold her hands over her breath. The urge to vomit was close. So, so terribly close. "T-that sounds fine…"

That's a good idea. Hm… he really knows how to lead a trial when he tries. I'm not really that shocked about it. Tomoyo held her breath. "Right. I'm fine with that."

Kyatchi clapped his hands together. "Great! Then let's do this! Get this bread! Yeet!" He dabbed. "... Ew, holy shit, I want to die now."

And the urge to facepalm was higher than ever for the poor screenwriter.

NONSTOP DEBATE

Truth Bullets: Camera | Flashlight | Bloody Messages | Letter

Kyatchi: The first message is definitely suspicious. More so than the rest.

Masako: T-the mass murderer one, right?

Yume: Hm… But Watari [hasn't ever killed anyone], right?

Kyatchi: Pfft, directly or indirectly? If anything, he killed my will to live.

Yume: … You didn't even want to live in the first place.

Masako: O-oh geez.

Akio: I mean, it might've just been nothing more than a statement. The killer was just running on adrenaline.

Yume: That literally makes no sense.

Tomoyo: Well, maybe Watari was involved in something then?

Akio: Like what? I mean, we already know he was involved with Monokuma.

Masako: Y-yes, as the traitor.

Kyatchi: Hm… welp, I don't know! Maybe the killer really was just trying to say random shit!

Akio: Kyatchi.

-Truth Bullet Selected: "... hasn't ever killed anyone…"-

Masako: I-I would like to agree with that!

BREAK!

"W-wait a second!" Masako quickly yelled out. Everyone's attention was suddenly shifted to her, and she blushed and meekly flinched. It didn't take long before she forced herself to regain her composure, clearing her throat and speaking up, "U-um, I think there's a reason why the killer wrote that on Watari. T-the whole mass murderer thing, I mean…"

"Yeah?" Tomoyo threw the survivalist a comforting, but curious look. "What is it?"

The survivalist gulped. "I mean, well, remember what Watari said about everyone being murderers? I think it has to relate to that…"

"Us being murderers?" Akio frowned. "I still refuse to believe that. How can we be murderers? Besides, what's written on Watari was 'mass murderer'. That would mean he killed more than just one person."

"T-that's…" Masako jumped. "Well, but it would make sense though. Relating that to Watari calling us all criminals, I mean…"

"Yeah, makes sense." Kyatchi snickered. "The killer got that idea way before we did, but the killer believed 100% in it and killed Watari because of it."

The actor raised a brow, snorting. "But if we're going off that idea, Kyatchi, weren't you the one who was vouching for that sort of idea? You always did like to tell me that everyone's crazy when it comes to how we act."

"Of course we're crazy! Watari realized that way before I did anyways." He snickered, playing with his hair. "We don't act like normal people. Not because we're Ultimates, but because we act like fucking statues."

"Exactly." Akio glared, standing still. "So if I had to come down to a conclusion, I'd say you're suspicious."

"What, because of that? Just because of that?" He laughed. "Oh god, you must be kidding me. It's because I'm sooooo different, right?"

Yume quickly cleared her throat. "Kyatchi, no."

The juggler went silent for a few seconds, then scoffed and shook his head. He quickly turned away from the group and sighed. "Honestly, I wish I was like Watari right now. Dead."

"K-Kyatchi!" Masako immediately jumped against her stand. "P-please refrain from saying such nonsense!"

"He's probably laughing at us from above, huh? Is God even real? Wow, I don't know." He shrugged, sarcastic as ever. "I don't even know anymore. We're just screwed in the head, honestly."

"You're just trying to talk nonsense." Akio sighed. "Just tell us why you think we're messed up in the head, please."

The juggler turned back to Akio, slowly. "Really? Do you really not know why?" He smirked. "God, it's so obvious why. You're one of the main issues here, y'know?"

Tomoyo quickly stepped forward. "It's because no one was that affected by the deaths of our friends, right? That's what you were telling us before too."

Silence.

Kyatchi raised a brow. "... Yeah." He crossed his arms. "What, did you think I was drunk at that time or something? I really was being genuine when I got mad at you all." He chuckled. "Or did you ignore me that time? Honestly, I wouldn't blame you."

Akio shook his head, denying Kyatchi's words. "I do know you were being genuine, yeah. But is that really what you're trying to argue? Again? We were affected by the deaths of everyone here."

"Really now?" The juggler laughed. "Certainly doesn't seem like it when you saw Kiyoko being executed."

Tomoyo flinched, biting into her lips. "Kiyoko…"

"You didn't care, no one else seemed to care. If anything, Kiyoko was the most emotive even though she was a murderer." Kyatchi chuckled. "Of course I'm guilty of that myself, but I'm… hm, similar to Yume I guess. That's why I like her."

Yume's eyes widened at that, and she quickly shook her head and frowned. "Why do you keep saying that? That won't change my opinion about you."

"I don't expect it too, which is why I like you. Is it like how I like my family? The people back home? Dunno." The juggler smirked, amused. "I don't know what makes me trust you. That's all. Even more so than Watari to an extent."

"That's…" Yume looked at him in utter worry, but simply shook her head and spoke a little louder, "Can we just focus on the trial? I… I literally have no idea who killed Watari and why. Apparently we think we're in a show and that's why the killer killed Watari like that?"

"We have no confirmation of that though." Akio crossed his arms, staring at the group. "I can only believe that it's true if we have concrete evidence of it."

Tomoyo's eyes widened. "N-not enough the words on Watari's body is enough for you?"

"Oh, of course not." Akio threw a mocking tone of voice, staring down Tomoyo. "What, do you want me to casually accept everything thrown everything at me? No way, no how."

"Isn't that what we do every trial though?" Kyatchi retorted, rolling his eyes. "Everything we do is based on assumptions, bro."

The actor rolled his eyes in return. "Of course. So, with that logic, I want to talk about something else."

Tomoyo raised a brow. She didn't know why, but a feeling of dread was beginning to wallow up inside her. Her insides were churning, disarrayed. "Yes?"

Purple eyes shone in a mixture of suspicion and utter disgust.

"Why exactly was Watari killed? He obviously knew something, right? So what was it?"

CLASS TRIAL POSTPONED

Survivors: 6/14

Okay, and that is the end of this chapter! I really don't have much else to say, but I hope you all can wait while I post the next chapter XD Nonetheless, I'll probably be busy with my third SYOC, oops, and nonetheless, I hope I won't take too long writing out the next chapter!

With that being said, see you in the next chapter (or TPPCI's update, we'll see which one comes out first, oops).