Hello, and I am finally back with another chapter! This chapter is kinda short, to be honest, and I was experimenting a bit with this chapter, but ay, we're here, and I'm just in time before New Years strike 2020! My plan was to prepare this chapter for a New Years present, and I'm so happy I was able to get this chapter out in time! Well, even with this whole murder and trial thing going on, I hope it proves to be a good present! Murder or not, still a present, right?! Anyways, ignore me, let's go straight into the story!

Prince PokePersona: "Yes, hello there! Hehe, yes, and it's been a while since I reviewed a review from you, or write a story in general (cough, I mean update). Anyways, yes, everything is coming into full circle and things are either becoming more confusing or more mindfucky. I wonder what's better? Hmmm, don't know, but whatever! Shinji seems to be the favorite for being tortured, huh? It's funny, just kidding, it makes me cry. Anyways, yes, he's such a sweet bean, let's cry for him. Akio for the bitch role! That's fun, don't you love him? We all love him. He's gaslighting Tomoyo and everyone left and right, what a nice boy, huh? Oh well, maybe you should punch him? Maybe you actually should, haha. Yes, say hi to Kyatchi! Your poor boy suffers behind all this madness. He's a great character, I love him. What a redhead hottie. Graphic stuff is the best. Yes, say hi to Tomoyo too! She's trying her best, definitely. Yes, and she's trying to be a leader. Haha, what a cutie. Also, awww thanks! Christmas present, and now a New Years present!"

Meta King: "Hehe, nice theories. Also, oof, poor Yume. Her mun wants her to die, rip. Haha, yes. We all agree with that."

BIG THANKS TO MY BETA READER: Meta King!

CLASS TRIAL IN SESSION!

ALL RISE!

With Akio's words, nonetheless that sharp glare in his purple eyes, the tension in the trial was rising as high as it ever could.

Because, yes, Akio had a point- Watari had been killed for a reason. It wasn't hatred. It wasn't for the motive. It was for something else… but what?

"If Watari died for the motive, then what exactly was the motive about?" Akio glared intensely at the group, speaking confidently and loudly, causing his honeyed tone of voice to resonate throughout the room. "If Watari died because the killer hated him, then you need to admit the killer's stupid. Why kill and risk being caught, executed even?"

"Right." Tomoyo nodded her head. She pursed her lips, breath held. "You're right."

"Exactly. And if the killer killed Watari because we're in a game show, then why? And how did the killer figure that out?" The actor crossed his arms. "What clues were there to show that we're being filmed, live to an audience?"

Kyatchi smugly grinned, shrugging his arms mockingly. "Well, let's think about it." He snickered. "Watari himself? Maybe he told someone?"

"Yeah, right." Akio rolled his eyes. "We all know he didn't trust anybody in the slightest. The only person he relatively trusted was Shinji, but…"

Masako immediately shook her head. "Y-yeah, we know."

Yume raised a brow. "Why would the game show idea relate to Watari's death? What about him is so important?"

Tomoyo cupped her chin, expression hardening. Her green eyes stared at the group intensely, deep in thought, even when she could feel purple eyes staring straight at her. "Was it because he was Monokuma's helper? To an extent, I mean."

"H-he was the one who told us about us being murderers too," the survivalist mused, glancing at the group. "S-so, with that information, he was already a threat."

Yume frowned. "Why would Monokuma even trust him with that information though? Did he want to play a game with Watari?"

Tomoyo breathed. "I went through Watari's messages with Monokuma." The screenwriter gulped. "His last conversation with Monokuma… and before that, it seemed like Monokuma wanted to use him against the mastermind?"

Akio raised a brow. "Mastermind?"

"Y-yeah." She cupped her hands, twiddling with her fingers. "It's like Monokuma wanted to go against the mastermind for some reason? Watari's messages suggested he felt this way as well, and given what I read… it just sounded like Monokuma had something against the person he was working with, or working for."

"So, he held off the deal with Monokuma afterwards?" Kyatchi cocked his head to the side. "Well, Monokuma called it off with Watari since he started to actually care about us."

Yume scoffed. "Makes sense."

"If Monokuma hated the mastermind…" Masako thought to herself, dragging off as she trailed her words. She seemed to lose herself in her process of thought.

Tomoyo tapped her foot along the ground. Her lips were pursed. "What if the mastermind was the one who had Watari killed? They wanted to get rid of Watari since he didn't stop after Monokuma called off the deal."

"W-what?" Masako's eyes widened. "T-Tomoyo, aren't you jumping to conclusions now? How would you know?"

"I… I don't know," the woman admitted, staring at Masako with an awkward smile. Her cheeks were slightly red. "I don't know, but I have to assume. It's a reasonable idea to think Watari was killed because of how active he was, right?"

"It does, yeah." Akio frowned. "It would make sense that the mastermind would want Watari killed. He knew too much."

"What, are we going to just accuse the mastermind?" Yume's voice was slightly more strained. "... That sounds stupid."

Tomoyo flinched. "Why?"

The nihilist scoffed. "Isn't it obvious? The mastermind wouldn't be so stupid." She squinted at the screenwriter. "You said it yourself- the killer risked everything to hurt Watari, so why would the mastermind be the one doing this?"

The shorter woman stared at the nihilist for a few seconds, then nodded slowly. "... Then what are you implying?"

"Nothing really." She averted her gaze. "The mastermind probably got someone to do their dirty work, right? It makes more sense, anyway."

Masako gasped. "T-that makes sense!" That realization had immediately struck her. "I-if Watari was working under Monokuma, then got cut off and was trying to expose what was happening… i-it makes so much sense, right?"

"Yeah, it does." Akio frowned. "Watari is a detective for a reason, and if he already got information from Monokuma, even if a bit, he would obviously pursue it. It sounds just like something he would do."

The bars on the cage rattled. Everyone's attention suddenly shifted back to Shinjimae, though their pity was immediately turned on its head as the animal whisperer harshly glared at them. "S-so who was it?!" He screamed. "W-who killed Watari?!"

"Shinji? Uh." The actor blinked, shocked. "We're still trying to figure that-"

"I-I hate all of you!" Shinjimae rattled chaotically against the cages, face filled with blood and dried up tears. "Y-you all turned against him! H-he was trying to help you guys, and you did- what?- NOTHING! Even the people who weren't with your stupid cultlike group didn't tell Watari anything! S-so, screw it! I'll do it myself! Who...!? Who fucking Did it?!"

"H-hey now!" Masako quickly threw her hands up in the air, her fight or flight responses kicking in. "S-Shinji, calm down!"

"Don't tell me to calm down!" The animal whisperer hissed, then barked something at Saki. The labrador began to growl madly, barking at Masako who immediately squeaked in shock. "I-I want to know who killed Watari! A-and the mastermind! I'll… I'll end them! End them, end them, end them!"

"Shinji, please." Tomoyo gulped, unsure of what to do. "Y-you're acting irrational right now. Please calm down."

"Oh, says the one who betrayed him! H-he told me himself! You betrayed him!" He made a short laugh, shaking his frizzled head. "What? D-do you want me to stay friends with you?! Screw that! A-anyone I even remotely like dies, anyway! … O-or maybe I should hang out with you! Y-you can die if you're by my side! Yeah! Let's do that! A-alright? Alright!?"

The screenwriter was taken aback, words fading from her head. She had no idea what to say, at a loss. Her entire face went pale, body frozen.

Akio frowned. "Shinji, Watari wouldn't-"

"Wouldn't what?" The animal whisperer snarled. "H-he's already dead. You don't even care about him… e-even if I try to assure myself over and over again, I know you don't care! B-but that's fine! Everything's fine! J-just figure out who killed Watari already! I-I want to see them dead!"

Kyatchi clapped his hands together, loudly. It echoed throughout the room. He closed his eyes. "Right, you just want to see them burn, right? Make them suffer the same pain cute little Watari suffered?"

Shinjimae's lips curled into a smile. "Y-yeah! They should suffer!"

"Great, then that's what we'll do." He smiled calmly, opening his eyes and looking at the animal whisperer kindly. "So, please wait for it, alright?"

The animal whisperer looked at the juggler for a few seconds, then nodded and giggled to himself- empty giggles. "O-okay! I can't wait to see it!"

"... Right." Yume just worriedly threw a look at Shinjimae who was now giggling in his cage, then glanced at Kyatchi. She narrowed her gaze, then shook her head. "Kyatchi, I'm not sure this is a good idea."

"It's better than nothing." He sighed, scratching his head. "I'm not a therapist and we're kinda stuck in a trial, so like… I don't know."

"I mean…" Akio held his breath. "Right. Can't blame you."

Masako heaved a deep breath, unsure of what to do. Her anxiety was off the roof, eyes darting back and forth. "S-so… we think the mastermind wanted Watari to die, right?"

"But does it really relate back to the show idea?" Yume asked, now calmer in her voice. "I don't see how."

Tomoyo shook her head. "It does."

THINKING TIME

Question: Why would Watari's death be linked to the mastermind-show idea?

A. Because it creates a fun narrative.

B. Because the mastermind hated Watari.

C. There's no reason.

[D. It is a way to create tension and a way to get rid of Watari.]

Tomoyo: Here is your answer!

BREAK!

She cleared her throat. "The mastermind wanted to get rid of Watari because he's a threat. And, since Watari was an enemy against the mastermind, for a show, this is a great narrative to raise the views."

Masako gulped. "W-what? I… That would make sense." She frowned, slowly putting a hand to her chin. "That can definitely attract people to this… show, I suppose."

Akio crossed his arms, staring at the group. He bit into his lips. "So, since Watari was a threat, the mastermind most likely had someone to manipulate into killing him?"

"Hm." Yume raised a brow. "I guess Watari was the antagonist type of character then. Aren't those types of people usually one of the fan favorites?"

"But who would kill him?" Kyatchi frowned. "Who would the mastermind manipulate into killing Watari?"

The actor sighed. "It could be anyone, even…" He glanced over to Shinjimae who threw the group a questionable smile. "... even him."

"I-it can't be him." Masako shook her head, unable to believe in the idea. "He already looks broken… B-besides, he wasn't involved in what, er, you and the others were doing, right?"

"Mhm." Akio frowned. "I think Hitomu would've gotten mad if Shinji had gotten involved. He always told me he didn't want Shinji to get involved in that anyways, said it was dangerous and risky."

If only Hitomu didn't join his side… I wonder what would've happened. Maybe he could've convinced Blaise… I don't know. Tomoyo pursed her lips. Then again, she was at fault too- maybe if she had denied Akio's help and told people, she could've helped and not have gotten herself into this mess. Maybe, she didn't know.

Kyatchi snickered dryly, shrugging. "Well, anyone of us could be the killer, if not the mastermind, so… who knows?"

Yume scoffed. "I mean, we don't even know who the killer is, so yeah."

Akio sighed, scratching the back of his head in dismay. "We all know the person who hated Watari the most was me, right?" He looked at everyone who nodded their heads. It was an obvious answer, the actor releasing another sigh in response. "Right. So, let's get this out of the open: how exactly did the mastermind manipulate the killer into killing Watari? Especially that badly?" Silence. He blinked, then motioned his hands about. "The torture and everything."

"... Right." Tomoyo bit into her lips. "I… I'm not sure."

"Y-yeah!" Masako immediately hopped on board. "E-even if we are actually killers from what Watari said o-or… I don't know, from a show or something, I-I still think we'd still be disgusted over the idea of torturing people!"

Kyatchi raised a brow. "Well, how about we try to ignore that then?" He smirked, throwing his arms out. "Like how you wouldn't expect a shy little girl like you to be a survivalist or a juggler like me to be so suicidal, let's ignore our own beliefs."

"I… I have to agree with Kyatchi here," Yume added in, looking at the group in her sight. "Especially with the idea that we could all be murderers, I mean… anything is possible, right?"

"Right." Tomoyo bit into her lips, breath still held. "But given what we have so far, nothing links anything to who the killer is…"

Shit. She could feel her heart beating, ringing closely in her head. She was looking through the list of truth bullets, yet nothing screamed to her directly to the killer. Even then, what if the truth bullets she had gotten were red herrings? Fake?

Think, Tomoyo, think! What would Watari do in this situation?

She already knew what would happen. If Watari hadn't died and someone else did, he'd be able to manipulate the situation into his will and expose the killer without a second thought. Confident in his own skills as a detective, he definitely had an advantage, and he knew how to use it.

"But what about you, Moe? Are you going to waste your life and let people pity you for how weak you are?"

She bit into her lips. She glanced back down at the truth bullets, holding her breath. Of course, she can always exploit that one particular truth bullet, but something was screaming in her head that it wouldn't lead to anything pretty.

But that's all we have left. If not this, then what else could remotely expose who the killer is?

Hesitation continued to dampen her mood. She looked around the room for a second, scanning with her emerald green eyes. Her lips were pursed, nose wrinkled slightly. It was now or never.

"Well, how about we talk about Kyatchi and Yume for a second?" Tomoyo asked, eyes peering over the nihilist. "You said Kyatchi wanted to talk to you, right? He got a letter."

Yume's eyes widened at that, though she quickly regained her composure to frown. "Yeah, why are you asking? Do you suspect him or something?"

"Not exactly." The screenwriter balled her fists. "... Let's talk about that. It could lead us somewhere."

The juggler glanced at Tomoyo for a few seconds, then nodded slowly. "Hm, sure. You want to know what happened more specifically, right?"

"Yeah."

Kyatchi smirked. "Gotcha." He tugged at his bandannas a few more times before fixating his gaze to the audience around him, staring at him. "Well, like you all probably know, I got a letter telling me that Yume was going to die- with the whole Yume's therapist was connected with Misaki and that stupid black market shit, whatever. The letter was in much more detail than that, but Yume ran away before I could tell her it… er, and I don't have the letter with me, if you're all wondering."

Akio furrowed his brows. "What happened to the letter then?"

Red locks of hair was played with. "Given that I left it in my room, someone must've taken it without me realizing it. I kinda, er, forget to lock the door sometimes."

Masako gasped. "K-Kyatchi! You need to be more careful."

"Even not, I might've left with my dirty clothes. I need to do my laundry, after all." He shrugged. "Don't know."

"Wait a second though." The actor frowned, raising a brow. "Why would the letter talk about Yume though?"

"Because I'm basically the only one who talks to her?" He snickered. "Whoever wrote me the letter really wanted to fuck with me. Yume isn't that hard to kill, honestly."

Yume snorted. "Because I look weak and uncaring about death?" She stayed silent for a few seconds. "You have a point."

The actor thought for a few seconds, thinking to himself. He stared intensely at Kyatchi for a few seconds, then raised a hand up to a shrug. "Well, given the letter's not with you for some strange reason, can you give us a reason why you're not the killer?"

"What?" Kyatchi frowned. "Are you kidding me?"

Akio shrugged, cocking his head to the side. "For all we know, you could be telling us this in order to make us believe you were framed."

"Then what if I actually was framed?" Kyatchi scoffed. "It could go either way, pretty boy."

Masako held her breath, exchanging glances from Akio to Kyatchi. She gulped, hands cupped and fingers rubbing against one another. "W-well, if you want another input on this, I do certainly find it strange that the person who wrote the letter would know about Yume's therapist. I-it seemed like Yume didn't even know her therapist was involved with Misaki?"

Yume nodded slowly. "Yeah, that's right."

The survivalist threw her an awkward smile. "... That's… scary. W-what a coincidence. Misaki told me that my therapist was friends with her."

The nihilist frowned. "Wait, what?"

Masako nervously laughed. "Y-yeah. I… I have a therapist to help me cope with my anxieties…" She averted her gaze. "S-she told me she's actually close to her, somewhat. Something about… the black market."

Yume squinted. "So, what? Did you write the letter?"

"N-no!" She quickly shook her head, pale. "I-I would've told you otherwise, after all…"

"She has a point, Yume." Kyatchi yawned, stretching his arms out. Eyes stared over at the group. "So what? I'm the suspect again or something?"

"I-I mean…" Masko bit into her lips. "I honestly wouldn't know why the person who wrote the letter would mention Yume's therapist… o-or even know about it. A-all I knew was Misaki was close to my therapist, and know she seems to be connected to Yume's."

"Well, this is getting confusing, huh?" Akio sighed, shaking his head. "But, yeah, you're the suspect again, Kyatchi. Do you even have any idea why Yume's the one who's supposed to be killed?"

Kyatchi scoffed, shaking his head. "Nope. All I got was that Yume was going to die and the whole thing with Misaki. I assumed she was targeted because she was weak and wouldn't fight back if she were attacked too badly."

"Then why even tell Kyatchi that Yume's the victim?" Tomoyo asked, looking at the group. "That makes no sense."

The actor rolled his eyes. "I mean, unless Kyatchi wanted to frame himself and get himself off the radar."

Kyatchi rolled his head back. "Oh, so you guys do suspect me again. Just great."

Akio threw a harsh look at the juggler, arms crossed. "Then do you have proof of somebody else being the killer? Evidence only points to you."

"I mean, obviously I don't have anything else that points me to another suspect," the juggler admitted, pursing his lips. "But are we seriously going to blame me for something that stupid? It could just be some stupid red herring or shit."

Yume nodded her head slowly. "Right." Her breath was held, eyebrows furrowed. "Kyatchi can't be the killer."

"W-we can't let bias get in the way of our judgment," Masako reminded, looking at Yume with the shake of the head. "Right now, it just seems like Kyatchi's the more likely suspect here."

"Then what about you?" Yume glared at Masako. "How do we know you're not lying about knowing my therapist's relationship to Misaki?"

"Y-you don't need to believe me, but my therapist nor Misaki ever told me anything about you." The survivalist looked at Yume, gulping. "If they did, I-I would've told you, like I said."

Akio sighed. "But still, I can see Kyatchi framing himself with the letter in order to make us think he isn't the killer. Fake red herrings are a thing, after all."

Kyatchi rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and what if it's actually a red herring? We'll all die if you vote for me."

"There's nothing else that points to anybody else being a suspect though," the actor continued, countering Kyatchi's words. "Unless someone else can figure out who could be connected to Watari's murder and show physical proof, you're the culprit I'll vouch for."

"Are you fucking kidding me right now?" Kyatchi's face bittered within seconds. "Of course I don't know who else could've done it because of how fucking smart the killer is, making evidence limited and all that shit. Having one obvious red herring out of the cryptic shit in the truth bullets doesn't automatically label me as the killer."

"Then figure it out yourself." Akio glared angrily. "Who else could've done it, and how?"

Kyatchi was baffled beyond repair. "H-how would I know? We don't even know who the mastermind is and how they could've manipulated the killer into killing Watari like that!"

The actor raised a brow. "Then what do you propose we do?"

"I don't fucking know!" He growled. "There's no way to figure out who killed Watari, alright?! We don't have enough evidence to point to a specific person! Everything we did was nothing more than guesswork, even if it was educated to a fucking extent! We don't even know what the motive's purpose really is either!"

"Oh, that?" Monokuma suddenly spoke out loud. His attention was on Kyatchi, a smirk on his face as he sipped into his vodka. "Don't worry. I'll show y'all later-" He yawned. "-well, if you make me happy enough with whoever you vote for… actually, about that, can you all just vote already? You guys seem like you're at a stalemate here anyways, right?"

"W-what?" Masako's eyes widened. "You want us to vote now?"

The bear shrugged, taking another swig from the bottle. "Yeah? You guys really look like you're stuck, so… I think I can safely say you're all out of options here."

"That's… what?" Kyatchi sneered at the bear. "Do you want us to vote wrong and get executed?"

Monokuma frowned, looking down at the juggler. Another swig from the bottle. "You guys don't seem to have an idea on what's happening or how Watari died anyways, so…"

Tomoyo looked up at the bear, looking at his expression, watching him closely. She felt her stomach tying itself into knots, churning and rolling about. Why? Why was she feeling so anxious? It wasn't the voting mechanism that worried her, rather…

What was it?

Something was off. Something was definitely off, but what?

Masako glanced over at the group, anxious. "A-are we supposed to vote now…?"

"I… I guess?" Akio shook his head. "But that's not right. Monokuma's telling us to vote because we have no idea on what to do, so…"

"That means he wants us to die." Yume scoffed. "We're boring him."

"N-no! That can't be it!" The survivalist's face had immediately paled, shaking. "I-if we're on a show or something…"

Then Monokuma has a plan. Tomoyo's face also paled at this realization. But what's the plan? What is he planning?

Fear. Anxiety. Intimidation.

"What are you planning to do?" Akio asked, looking at Monokuma. "We still haven't found the killer yet. For certain-"

"Who cares about the reason? If we're on a show or whatever you kids believe, bah." He rolled his eyes, slumping into his seat. "Just vote who you think it is. You're in for a surprise anyways, right? Maybe."

Those words scared Tomoyo even more. He was definitely planning something, but was that something predictable to her? Was she able to decipher the bear's words and understand the meaning behind it? She didn't know, her mind immediately coming to a blank as the voting ballot appeared in front of her… in front of everyone.

She didn't want to vote. She didn't want to fucking vote.

Not yet. This wasn't the right time.

Yet Monokuma was looking at everyone, bored out of his mind and expecting them to vote. The look in his eyes told Tomoyo everything, expression judgmental despite its outwardly emotions of boredom and annoyance.

Vote for the killer… but we don't even know who the killer is! What is Monokuma thinking, making us vote so early? We haven't gone through everything, even if the only thing that points us to the murderer is that letter…

But even then, if they were to continue discussing with their own will, will they be able to find the killer? They were Ultimates, not detectives. Even if they were able to solve the past murders, it was all through the help of Watari. He was the one who exposed Kiyoko, the one who helped lead the second trial, and the one who pursued claiming Misaki as the culprit despite everyone's unwillingness. Tomoyo never realized how important he was to everyone's lives till now, and now that he was dead… it was too late. It was like he was mocking them, laughing from his grave for how incompetent they were.

Her eyes scanned back at the voting ballot. The crossed out icons of her peers made her shiver, quiver in its presence. She had to vote, time running out. She held her breath, taking in a few deep breaths.

In, out. In, out. In…

Inwardly, she nodded to herself. The screenwriter glanced over her options, eyeing her remaining peers left, even herself for that matter. She frowned as she considered her options, then bit into her lip, holding her breath.

I just need to vote for who seems like the killer, right? She hesitated, finger hovering over her peer's icon. Shit.

Tomoyo gulped. She had no choice. Silently wishing for the best, she immediately clicked into the icon without a second thought.

Within seconds or so, everyone else had followed. While there was clear hesitation in their eyes they had no choice. No one had a choice, Monokuma nodding his head once everyone's votes were in.

"Oooh, I see, I see. As expected! … Ahem. Alright, let's see who you all voted for then." He chuckled to himself, snapping his paws together.

Few seconds passed by without a struggle as the monitor showed up around the entire courtroom, showing the voting ballot. Tomoyo gulped and forced herself to harden, composure still as she leered at the screen. The votes were being tallied, and it was obvious who everyone voted for (even when the screenwriter refused to believe it).

VOTING RESULTS

Kyatchi Sesshoku - 6 Votes

Answer: Kyatchi Sesshoku

RIGHT!

… What? Her face paled. That answer… it was right?

"Wait, what?" Masako was completely taken aback, eyes widening and face pale. "S-so… was the killer actually Kyatchi?"

"Oh no, that must be a mistake." Kyatchi immediately laughed, shaking his head. He was wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. "I know I voted for myself since that's just me being classic ol me, and I know everyone else voted for me because I seem like the most likely person here to be the culprit, but Monokuma, what the fuck?"

"Oh, but that's the right answer." Monokuma glanced down at Kyatchi, crossing his arms. "Are you in denial?"

The juggler stared at the bear for a few seconds, then frowned. "Is this your plan?"

"Plan?" He tilted his head to the side. Innocent, naive. "Whatever do you mean?"

Kyatchi looked at Monokuma for a few seconds, then smirked. He pulled back his locks of red hair and sighed, shaking his head. "You know what? That's fine, whatever. It's whatever, honestly. Whatever."

Yume immediately frowned, eyeing the juggler. Her eyebrows were furrowed, nose wrinkled. She seemed to be on edge, voice strained. "Kyatchi, excuse me? What are you talking about?"

"Wait, so he's the killer then?" Akio raised a brow. "What? So you're the killer then…"

"... K-Kyatchi's the killer? K-Kyatchi…" Looking behind, Shinjimae was staring at Kyatchi, pale and unnerving. A few seconds passed. One, two, and he immediately grabbed at the bars and began rattling angrily at it, screaming hysterically. "S-so it was you? You?! Y-you're the killer?! How could you? H-how could you?!"

Kyatchi's eyes widened at the rattling, eyes staring back at Shinjimae. He threw him an uneasy look for a few seconds, then bit into his lips. "... So what if I was?"

"W-what do you mean by that?!" Shinjimae growled. "I-I hate you! You better explain yourself r-right now!"

"S-Shinji, please calm down!" Masako immediately tried to speak up, breathing quickly. "You're being irrational right now!"

"I am not being irrational!" He hissed, glaring angrily. The bars continued to rattle wildly. "Y-you guys are the ones being irrational! J-just rid of him already! H… H-he's the one who hurt Watari!"

Tomoyo held her breath. She was unsure of what to do, what to even say. Her eyes gazed over to Kyatchi, his expression unknown to her. She glanced over at Akio, then to Yume. Everyone seemed hesitant to speak, and Tomoyo damned herself for being the same.

And it was even worse when Monokuma was watching over the group, his lazy expression slowly turning malicious as his eyes went over to Shinjimae. He suddenly had a leash in hand, it connecting to Saki who had whimpered upon a soft tug. "Shinjimae, you want to see Kyatchi die, hm?"

Shinjimae blinked. He glanced worriedly at Saki for a few seconds, noticing her distress, but nodded his head and focused his attention to the bear. "Y-yeah! H-he killed Watari!"

"Great." He snickered, then snapping his paws. Within an instant, a gun appeared, falling from the air and to his paw. He gripped onto it tightly, chuckling. A sinister smile was on his face. "You want him dead, huh?"

Shinjimae nodded. "Y-yeah!"

Within seconds, Tomoyo already had a bad feeling about everything, especially when the cage was unlocked. Shinjimae immediately crawled out of his cage, though he was continuing to drag Watari's dead body with him. The smell of death lingered in the air, the animal whisperer crawling over to Saki and immediately wrapping an arm around her with his bloody face and clothes.

Monokuma chuckled, watching Shinjimae for a few seconds. He then tossed the gun inches away from the animal whisperer. A smirk was apparent on his face. "Then let's get right into it! Why don't you do the honors and take the gun?"

"The gun? The hell?" Akio frowned as he glanced at the bear. His eyebrows immediately furrowed and he turned to the animal whisperer. "Shinji, don't listen to him."

But the animal whisperer didn't listen to him, immediately taking the gun and eyeing it in his hands. He made a soft whimper at the weight of the gun. "... H-heavy."

"I know right? Not something you would expect would be heavy, huh? Especially when movies portray them as if they're easy to wield!" He chuckled, then glancing at everyone. "You guys don't mind if your eardrums get blown out, right?"

"Uh, I do mind." Yume glared angrily at the bear. "Are you planning to have him do your dirty work? What's wrong with you?"

Monokuma raised a nonexistent brow at the woman, in the meantime having thrown the headphones at Shinjimae to wear, block out the inevitable gunshots. "It's not against the rules for this to happen. If someone is guilty and is going to get executed, creativity isn't banned here. I waste plenty of money with this work, y'know!"

"With what? Standing around and doing nothing, making us kill?" Kyatchi snorted, rolling his eyes. It was as if he was unaware of the danger lurking around him. Rather, he chose to ignore it. "Yeah, right."

Shinjimae just continued to observe the gun in his hands, scanning it with his doe eyes. He fiddled with it as he shakily adjusted the headphones around him, blinking as his ears were now blocked off.

Masako gulped and looked at the bear. The gun in Shinjimae's hands was scary, just downright intimidating. "A-are you joking with me? You cannot be serious with me right now."

"I am being serious." The overseer rolled his eyes. "That's why there's a gun there anyways. Besides!" He pointed over to the juggler. "You wouldn't run away, right? It's better to be shot than to die through all those gruuuuuesome executions, right?"

Kyatchi glanced at the bear for a few seconds. There was a silent anger in his eyes, but he said nothing and simply sneered. "Even if I did try to run or some shit, you'd lock me down like I'm some fucking animal."

"I-I am so confused right now…" Masako's eyes were watering, a mixture of utter confusion and worry in her eyes. "W-why does Shinji even have to kill him? Just because you don't want to waste money? … It doesn't seem like you're running out. I-I mean, you never told us anything and this place looks nice, so…"

"Just because it looks nice doesn't mean I'm not one million yen in debt." He laughed, cackling and throwing his head back. "Woo! Golly!"

"That's what you deserve," Yume snarled, rolling her eyes. Her eyes then shifted over to Kyatchi, composure stiff. "Are you seriously going to let this happen?"

Kyatchi raised a brow, snickering. "Let what happen? Me dying?"

"No shit." Yume continued to stare him down, eyes intense for once. "I thought you…" She stopped herself. "Just… Isn't this unfair?"

"Life is always unfair." He laughed, rolling his head back. "Besides, I thought you didn't care about me? What's with the sudden change?"

"I… Shut it." Yume growled, glaring at him even more. "What does that have to do with anything, Kyatchi?"

Kyatchi chuckled. "Nothing, really. I just find it cute that you look so concerned. Nothing bad is going to happen, promise!"

"Y-you're stupid." The nihilist immediately shook her head. "You are utterly stupid. Why would you say that? You're going to die, Kyatchi, don't you understand? Shinji's going to shoot you, and you're not worried at all about it? The hell is wrong with you?"

Kyatchi looked at the woman for a few seconds, now silent. He was speechless now, saying nothing more than a small huff.

Yume gritted her teeth. "Aren't you concerned that Shinji would get traumatized over this? He's not in the right state of mind right now, Kyatchi-"

"Hey, shut up, it's Shinji's choice to shoot, not Kyatchi's." Monokuma rolled his eyes. "If it wasn't Shinji who was willing to do it, then you could do it. Or maybe Tomoyo or Masako? How about you, Aki?"

"That's- fuck it." Akio quickly moved over to Shinjimae's side, putting his hands up slowly as the animal whisperer immediately flinched. "Hey, Shinji, can you hear me?"

Yet it was obvious he couldn't, his eyes blinking at the actor and head ever-so-slightly tilting to the side. The gun was pointed straight at the actor though, fear apparent in doe eyes.

The bear chuckled. "You know Kyatchi will have to die no matter what anyways, right? It's inevitable, Aki."

"Fuck off." Akio threw the animal whisperer a soft smile, genuine and kind in his lips. "Well, even if you do hear me or not, I'm going to need to restrain you. If anything, I'll…" He sighed. "I'll pull the trigger."

Kyatchi snorted. "Of course you'd want to be the one to kill me. It's because I didn't get a one night stand with you, huh?"

"W-what the- Ahem." Akio quickly hid the blush on his face, coughing. He then glanced at Shinjimae and made a soft murmur to himself, then glanced over at Saki and awkwardly smiled. "Er, can you motion to Shinji to take off the headphones? I want to talk to him, please."

Saki only made a soft whine in response.

The actor held his breath and pleaded, "Please, I know you don't want Shinji to be a killer. Just tell him to take off the headphones. I'll be Kyatchi's executioner."

But before Saki could respond and say anything, the lights flickered. Darkness enveloped the room, surrounding the entire area. Nobody could see, gasps and confused noises escaping their breaths.

Click.

And.

Bang!

Before Tomoyo had time to process anything, the sound of the trigger being clicked the gunshot piercing her ears made her heart shatter into pieces. The sound of blood spurting out the entire room, however, was a different story- an entirely different wave of emotions riding all over her tiny body.

A flash. A sudden bright light flashed over the group, and a quiet scream escaped Tomoyo's lips as she was suddenly thrown into her own memories.

Repressed memories? No, memories she had forgotten.

"Kiyoko, I don't understand you right now! You're talking so much bullshit right now!" Watari cried out, glaring angrily at the recreation worker who looked down on him. The detective breathed heavily, the only thing separating him from her being Hitomu who was in-between the duo.

"Let's all calm down, alright?" Hitomu began, giving warm reassurances to the duo. It seemed like the cat keeper was throwing the people inside the room for help, but Tomoyo wasn't exactly able to tell. He glanced at Watari with a comforting smile. "I know you're mad at her for knocking someone out in public, but you have to understand that she did it out of pure intention. The person she punched was trying to grope Wakana, remember? Akio would've done the same."

"Yeah, really? Tomoyo and the others wouldn't have done that." Watari scoffed. "They're actually reasonable, even someone like Decebel wouldn't do that!"

Viorel immediately came out in the open, snarking in a mockingly calm tone, "I know you're saying that as a backhanded compliment, Mr. Leader Sir."

"Then what? You would've done nothing?" Kiyoko glared down at Watari. "People like them deserve nothing but death!"

"I know they deserve nothing but death," the raven began, scoffing, "but it's risky to just act up in public! Everyone already knows our faces and you could've easily gotten yourself and Wakana caught!"

"Hey now~" Kyatchi's voice immediately rang to the open, catching everyone's attention. The juggler was resting on a sofa, legs crossed and arms folded. "Isn't it bad if our leaders are dragging out the argument here?"

Kiyoko's face immediately scrunched up to simple annoyance, shaking her head. "You don't even see us as leaders. You always call Watari a midget and me a clown."

"No, I literally called Watari your bitch over-"

"I am not Kiyoko's bitch!"

Kyatchi only laughed in response, and somehow the mood was lighter than before. Kiyoko would only smirk at Watari who blushed madly in response, and Tomoyo would found herself relieved over the resolution of the situation.

All thanks to Kyatchi.

Tomoyo dreaded the moment the lights would flicker back on. The blood that she could hear, almost smell in the air was suffocating, ringing. It was spurting out from his skull, blasting throughout the ground and staining the walls. Blood… Red, red blood.

He's dead. He's definitely dead. He's definitely fucking dead and everybody in the room knew it. Horrific. Just utterly horrific.

The lights… they flickered back on.

They flickered back on, and Tomoyo immediately found herself staring at the wall. With the emotions of sadness, fear, and anticipation curling into one, it took an entire second, a mere second, for Tomoyo to process the splatter of red on the wall.

"Ah- AAAAAAAAAAH!"

The screams from everyone around her, the cries and yells from the people she knew, it made her fall deeper and deeper into the depths of despair. To see the dead body of the juggler right below her, to see those eyes become lifeless, it was heartbreaking. Scary. Tragic.

There were so many things that were riding inside of her mind that she couldn't even contain herself, shaking her head.

Was this reality? Was she even in reality? Where was she?

"K-Kya…" Yume was unable to move from her seat, her face entirely pale. That look of utter shock and horror was too clear on her face. "That's…"

"M-Monokuma, you bastard!" Masako was completely caught off the rails herself, shaking her head. Tears were streaming down her eyes. "Y-you shot Kyatchi!"

And she was right. Monokuma had the gun in his paws, steam blowing off of the handle. He smirked down at the group as he blew into the gun, the steam disappearing from view. "Yeah, so? Aki and Shinji were taking too much time~"

Akio was devastated, shaking. "W-what? Why? It wouldn't even take long! I was about to ask Saki to-"

"You're slow! Slow, slow, slow, slow!" Monokuma waved the gun about, shooting bullets at the ceiling. Everyone gasped and screeched, flinching. "I don't care if you're going to take a minute! It'd feel like hours, and besides~ Kyatchi was going to die no matter if you persuaded Shinjimae or not. Isn't it ironic anyways? No time to wish for goodbyes and that shit."

"Stop rubbing it in." Tomoyo found herself on the verge of crying, her fists clenched and shaking. She knew how hot her face was, red with anger. "You shouldn't have done that…"

"I… huh?" Shinjimae found himself utterly baffled, dazed. He had the headphones in his hands now, fingers curled around it rather weakly. "W-what… what just happened? I… i-is Kyatchi…?"

"Kyatchi is dead," Monokuma said, matter-of-factly. A look of disinterest was on his face. "You were supposed to kill him, but you took too long, Shinji."

"I… I did…" Shinjimae's eyes slowly moved down, straight towards the bloody pool that surrounded the juggler. Despite Saki's whines and begs of protest, the animal whisperer looked at the dead body. Silence. Tears began to fall from his already red eyes, unable to contain himself any longer as his voice just fell to a choked sob. "N-no, I…"

"You're the one who wanted him dead." Monokuma laughed. "What, did you just suddenly realize the gravity of the situation here? Remember, he killed Watari."

Shinjimae whimpered, immediately shaking his head. "B-blood… e-everyone is dying…"

"This is unfair." Yume continued to repeat, shaking her head. Her breaths were uneven, heavy. "This is unfair!"

"Ooh, the nihilist is angry for once!" The bear gasped. "Scary! She's gonna kill me!"

"Shut it. Just shut it already." The nihilist was clenching her fists, breathing more and more and more and more heavily… heavy. "I don't want this anymore. I just… No. Can we just leave?"

"Leave?" He tilted his head. "Why would you want to leave? Don't you want to look at Kyatchi's body and hug it? Fuck it?"

"Stop spouting that shit!" Yume shook her head, suddenly screaming. She panted, whimpering. "I hate this so much. Why is this happening…?"

Akio held his breath, unsure of what to say. Honestly, he had nothing to say, only staring at Shinjimae who was burying his face into Saki's fur and then looking at Masako who was teary-eyed, then at Yume who was both angry and embarrassed from the outburst. His eyes did fall onto Tomoyo's, but he said nothing as well.

"C-can you at least give Kyatchi a proper burial?" Masako asked, hesitant as she looked at the bear. "S-surely you have money and time for…"

Monokuma snickered. "Like I care? Give me one good reason to do that- boop! Never! It's too much work for me."

"Seriously? After unfairly doing that to Kyatchi?" Tomoyo breathed in deeply. Her heart was pounding erratically, adrenaline pumping. "You're… you're such a bastard, you know that?"

The bear yawned, "Yeah, and what?"

"You-"

"Hey, calm down." Akio looked at the screenwriter, immediately shutting her down. She stayed back, the actor's focus shifted on Monokuma. "We're done here, right? You already killed Kyatchi anyways and showed us our 'prize' or whatever the hell that was, so can we go back now?"

Monokuma frowned, immediately pouting. "Awww, are you sure about that?" His voice was disgustingly childish. "Don't you want to take pictures with Kyatchi though? That beautiful dead body?"

"No." The actor glared. "Can we just go?"

Yume immediately walked over to Monokuma and looked up at him, eyebrows furrowed. "You…" Her quiet voice was shaking. "You better give Kyatchi a proper burial."

Monokuma eyed the woman for a few seconds. He hummed slowly to himself, then chuckled and kicked his legs back. "Well, that actually depends on my mood. I'll see what happens though, Ms. Yume~"

"Shut up." Yume growled. "Please."

Silence. The bear looked at the nihilist for a few seconds, then sighed, rolling his eyes. He grabbed the remote in his hands and pressed it, leaving from the seat. It collapsed within seconds, Monokuma raising his hands. "You're all going back soon, so bye bye! Have fun in the meantime!"

And just like that, he's gone, leaving the kids to their demise.

The story will never end, even if seemed like so.

Okay, and there is the end of this chapter! While this is the end of the trial, this will most likely be the end of Chapter 4 in general. Everyone's going to kicked straight into the final chapter. The mastermind thing is mind boggling, maybe, I think, hope. Oh well! Anyways, hoped you enjoyed this chapter and I wonder who you all think the mastermind is? Nonetheless, have a great New Years Eve-New Years!

TPPCI's submissions are coming to a close, but if you asked for an extension, you would now have till January 7 (or before that, depends if the people who requested for extensions finished earlier). Get ready for the roster for that soon (and future SYOCs in the future, but you didn't hear that from me).

Anyways, haha, hope you have a great time!