It is finally the last part of chapter 1! I am so excited for all of you to read it!
The group has begun the dreaded trial for the grotesque murder case of their fellow camper, Kiania Salvador-Hishima. After a long and exhausting discussion, the group has finally discovered Mitsue's unexpected contribution to the untimely death of Kia. Reluctant, Mitsue confessed his disgusting action of poisoning the zoologist twice. However, he strongly denied being Kia's killer. No matter how much Mitsue attempted to prove his innocence, hardly anyone was moved and convinced by this, especially Akari who had even labeled him as a cold-blooded monster.
When everything seemed hopeless for Mitsue, an unexpected person rescued him from the undesirable situation. Hiroto, the man of few words, surprisingly defended Mitsue. With short but logical arguments, Hiroto was able to convince the group of Mitsue's innocence. With this, the group was certain that the killer is not Mitsue but someone else in the remaining twelve campers.
Even though the group made huge progress with the case, they all felt as if it was for nothing seeing that they have not narrowed down their list of suspects to a manageable number. However, this was quickly changed when Hiroto made a bold statement.
"We can actually narrow it down to three people." Hiroto revealed to the group as he stared at the floor.
"Three people? Who are they?" Otoha asked.
"Dude, if you knew it was between three people, you should have told us sooner!" Connor jokingly complained.
"What an interesting development this is! Please indulge us more with your highly sought knowledge Hiroto!" Kai taunted as he leaned on his podium staring at Hiroto.
With how he defended me, I could tell he is a smart cookie but I did not think he is this amazing in solving murder mysteries like this one. The way he acts does not say he has the intelligence of Sherlock Holmes to be able to deduce and narrow down the list of suspects from twelve to three. I completely overlooked him. Appearances can be deceiving.
Staring at Hiroto who was still only looking at the floor, Mitsue leaned on his podium anticipating Hiroto's important revelation. Come on Hiroto! Tell us who these three people are. Everyone is waiting. We desperately need what you know. Share it with us!
After a few more minutes, the silence in the room continued and increasingly became more painfully awkward as everyone waited for Hiroto's next words. It was bearable but everyone's impatience gradually grew as Hiroto continued to silently stare at the floor. A few already began mumbling under their breaths.
What is happening Hiroto? Just spill it already. You have already come this far to help in the class trial. Don't tell me you have decided to zip your mouth again. We do not have time for this kind of bullshit! The time is ticking and we are not even close to finishing this class trial. Just reveal the names of those three. Hiroto, for once, read the room and share your thoughts with us!
Out of the bunch, the first to snap was Akari. Flicking her hair and snappily turning to Hiroto, Akari shouted, "Hiroto! Continue with what you were saying! We don't have much time to tolerate your mute act. We are in the middle of an important discussion here! You were about to drop an important piece of information. Please continue!"
However, not once did Hiroto budge after hearing Akari.
"This fool! Hey! I am talking to you!" Akari shouted as she placed her right hand on her hip. Normally, I would praise anyone who can tolerate Akari's excessively chattiness but this is not the time to be like that with Akari. Just answer Akari, Hiroto!
"Hiroto, if you are daydreaming, wake up! Speak, you wannabe mute!" Akari aggressively tapped him on his shoulder.
Slowly, Hiroto turned to Akari staring at the actress blankly.
"Ugh!" Akari shook her head after Hiroto looked at her. Rolling her eyes, Akari commented, "I give up talking to this fool! Does anyone want to give it a try? If you make him talk, I will applaud you for doing what I could only call a miracle."
Akari turned her back to Hiroto. "Why am I even bothering with him?" Akari mumbled under her breath.
Tapping on her podium, Otoha asked, "Can you please tell us whom you suspect the most? Is there a reason why you cannot disclose information of great importance to us? We can help you with anything troubling you. Your cooperation in the trial at this moment would be extremely valued right now. Please tell us what you know."
Hiroto lowered his head and continued staring at the golden tiles.
"Um… Hiroto… Is everything alright? Can you please talk to us? Are you afraid of whom you suspect? Do you think they will attack you if you revealed their names? If that is what is holding you back, I think we can promise your safety from the three people you suspect the most. I think everyone is willing to do that. That is why I am begging you, please help us vote for the right person. Remember, the outcome of this trial will depend on the choice the majority of the group will make." Otoha continued.
No matter how heartfelt Otoha's plea was, it was still unable to move the stoic Hiroto. He continued to stare at the gold tiles as if he was alone in the room. This is becoming annoying. Hiroto, why are you just standing there? Say something! Do something!
Curling his left hand into a fist, Mitsue shouted, "Hiroto, tell us already who those three people are!" Suddenly, Mitsue slammed his right hand on his podium creating a loud thud that echoed through the room. Orie who was standing beside him flinched from the sudden slam.
Orie commented under her breath, "That scared me…"
"Hiroto, I am begging you! You are the only one I can depend on right now. Please spare us the agony and share what you know." Mitsue begged as he looked directly at Hiroto's eyes.
"Oooh… Mitsue just begged for-" Kai's presumably snappy comment was cut off.
"To narrow down the list of suspects from twelve, all we needed to answer was a question everyone overlooked earlier." Hiroto finally said something. For some reason, he began speaking again. Hallelujah! I don't know what made him change his mind but I am happy he is finally saying something. I hope begging for him to say anything is worth the trouble. Please be something useful. Hiroto, no matter how strange you are, I am counting on you right now.
"What question would that be?" Mizuki asked.
"We discussed earlier where Kia was killed and we concluded she was killed outside. Regardless of wherever she was taken, we know she was taken by force and was brought somewhere to be butchered alive. However, we are still missing an important aspect to that thought." Hiroto answered.
"Can you please tell us already what it is? The suspense is killing me!" Kaito begged as he fiddled with his hands.
"How did the killer take Kia from point A to point B?" Hiroto revealed.
"That is right! We never talked about that. We just assumed that Kia was taken somewhere and never discussed that." Kaya commented.
Hiroto nodded. "Obviously, the killer must have done something to bring Kia to the murder site without drawing any attention to themselves. No killer would stupidly carry an unconscious Kia on their back out in the open. And, the killer would not be dumb enough to carry the body parts of Kia as they scattered it around the island." Hiroto shared.
"Um… If that is the… um… case… um… the killer must have… um… used something… um… to hide Kia…" Naoki commented.
"Exactly. The killer used something to hide Kia as they went from Kia's room to where they killed her and used the same thing to carry Kia's limbs as they went around the island and scattered it inconspicuously." Hiroto continued.
"What do you think they used Hiroto?" Orie asked.
"The killer must have used a large container to hide someone as big as Kia and it must be easy to transport. However, it cannot be just any container. It must have been a container the group has seen them with before or something the group expects them to carry around with." Hiroto answered.
A container? Based on what Hiroto said, there are only two types of containers on this island that fits his description. Suddenly, Mitsue slammed his hand on the podium getting everyone's attention. "I get it now… I know the three people you are talking about!" Mitsue mumbled.
"Same here. It took me a while before I finally understood who you are talking about. I did not expect it would be those three." Kaya added as she smirked at everyone.
Scratching her head, Mizuki commented, "I am sorry! Am I missing something? I don't seem to follow everyone's thoughts."
"You are not alone little girl. I feel like they are talking beyond our realm of understanding." Kai commented as he patted Mizuki on her head.
"Sorry for interrupting you Hiroto. Please proceed." Mitsue gestured.
Hiroto nodded. "The killer used a container that would not make them look suspicious. However, there are only two types of containers that can be used for this job but both of them draw a lot of attention especially if they are used by someone who is not supposed to use it."
"Bro, can you just reveal it, man! My brain cannot follow your train of thoughts." Connor commented.
"The killer used a container they would normally use for their assigned tasks. That is how they got by doing all of those things without anyone noticing." Hiroto revealed to the group.
"What is the container that was used?" Otoha asked.
"It is either a garbage bin or a laundry bin. With all of this in mind, the only three people that fit the criteria for being the killer are Akari, Orie, and Yo." Hiroto answered.
The group grew silent after Hiroto revealed the three names. Everyone looked at the three who were visibly shocked with their names being mentioned. It all makes sense. If either one of them went around with a bin they use for their assigned task, I would not have bothered them thinking they were doing their chores. No one would. It would have been easy for them to kidnap Kia and scatter her remains. It is between those three.
"That can't be right…" Kaoru mumbled as he raised his hand.
"What are you talking about Kaoru? It perfectly makes sense for one of them to be the killer. No one would have been able to hide Kia using the bins other than those three." Kaya commented.
"No, I meant that can't be right for Yo's case." Kaoru added.
"Why couldn't I be the killer, Kaoru?" Yo asked as she tilted her head and pointed at herself. Does she not want to defend herself? Is that really how she should react when someone thinks she is innocent? Can she just act like a normal human being for now?
"Look at Yo. Even though she is one of the suspects, she is not defending herself. What is the point of saying that she cannot possibly do it? Save her the trouble and let us continue with the trial." Kaya pointed at Yo.
"I am telling everyone it is impossible because I have been with her the whole time. After lunch, Yo and I went around the island together to collect trash. Throughout that time, we never separated. She could not have killed Kia with me being around her. Out of everyone, you should know this more Kaya. We went to the radio shack together to collect trash when we found you staring at Kia's left arm. With my testimony, Yo has a solid alibi." Kaoru explained.
"Oh, right! I was with Kaoru the whole time! We collected trash starting from the kitchen all the way to the squeaky clean laundry room! I could not have done it with him being around me! That would be too dumb of me as a killer to do so. Don't you think so, Kaya?" Yo added as she clapped her hands.
"I think I can testify to that as well." Mizuki raised her hand.
"What do you mean?" Kaito asked.
"They promised each other during breakfast that they would collect trash together. And, I did see them go around the island with the bin together. If Yo is truly the killer, she would not have done it in that kind set-up, would she?" Mizuki explained.
"That means we only have two suspects in our hands." Otoha concluded while looking in Akari's direction.
"Looking back at it, it was a bit weird that you kept on insisting Mitsue was the killer. To me, it seemed like you were desperate to pinpoint the murder on Mitsue. Was it because you were the killer? Was it because you wanted to escape execution? I am enjoying how this trial is going. The beautiful starlet went from the accuser to being accused!" Kai taunted as he pointed at the flustered actress.
"What kind of nonsense are you talking about?" Akari shouted. After taking a few deep breaths, Akari recomposed herself. After letting out a sigh of disbelief, Akari rolled her eyes, placed her left hand on her hip, and flicked her hair. Then, she turned to everyone and shouted, "This is unbelievable! I am not the killer. I would not do such a horrible thing! Seriously! I am not that kind of girl. I am not capable of such a thing. Do you really think someone of my esteem would stoop that low?"
"All you are doing right now is speaking words that do not have any weight in this discussion. We do not care about your status or prestige. Stop claiming your innocence but instead prove to us your innocence. Present to us a valid argument to save yourself." Kaya replied as she crossed her arm.
"It wasn't me! I swear I did not do it!" Akari pleaded as she scanned the room desperately searching for someone to help her out. Clawing on her podium, Akari shouted as she pointed to herself, "You have to believe me or else all of us will be executed. The killer will walk away freely."
"We are still waiting for a valid argument. There is no point in appealing to our emotions. All of us are being logical. There is no point in letting our emotions dictate what our decision will be. Akari, say something with substance or else this trial might end already." Kaya continued as she stared down at Akari.
"I… I… don't know what to say. I really do not have any evidence. I do not have an alibi." Akari whispered as tears slowly flow down her porcelain cheeks. Slamming her hand on the podium, she continued, "This cannot be the end for me! If anyone believes in me, please help me defend myself. I am begging you. I can't do this alone."
Akari began choking on her tears. Suddenly, she dropped on her knees and leaned her head against her podium weeping loudly. Is it Akari? She is annoying but I can't think of any reason for her to kill in such a brutal manner. Does she have a grudge against Kia to tear her up piece by piece? Even so, I don't think she would be able to pull off such a complicated and tiresome plan. Is this really the end of the trial?
"Um… I don't… um… think it was… um… Akari…" Naoki shared with the group.
Akari slowly stood up. After fixing her hair, she turned to Naoki. "You really don't think it is me?"
Naoki shook his head. "Um… It is… um… uncharacteristic… um… of you to… um… do something like… um… this…"
"Would you care to elaborate on what you meant by how it is uncharacteristic of Akari?" Kaito asked.
"Um… Akari would not do… um… anything that… um… messy… um… Above anything else… um… Akari prioritizes her… um… appearance… um… I don't… um… think she would be… um… okay with being… um… drenched in someone else's… um… blood…" Naoki answered.
"Naoki is right! I could not even stand the thought of smudging my make up, let alone be completely ruined by blood." Akari added.
Naoki is right. Akari would not dare to do something as messy as this. But still, this is not enough to prove her innocence. I believe in Akari's claim but I don't know how to prove it. I don't think she would be able to come up with the plan. Honestly, does she even know what the garbage bins look like? Thinking about it, I have never seen Akari push a garbage bin.
"Um… May I… um… ask everyone… um… a serious question?" Naoki shattered the silence.
"What is it?" Orie asked.
"Um… Has anyone… um… seen Akari push… um… a garbage bin before? um… Just think… um… about it for… um… a second… um… Looking back… um… I have never… um… seen her help out… um… Yo in their daily task… um… Has anyone seen her… um… do that?" Naoki asked.
The group began murmuring.
"I am not trying to put you Akari in a bad light but I have never seen Akari help out Yo in collecting the trash from the kitchen." Otoha shared.
"If I have seen her push a cart of trash, I would have definitely remembered it and torment her daily about it. I would tease her on the spot whenever I see her do it, just saying." Kai added.
"Seeing her push a garbage bin would be memorable. I will never forget it and I would probably commend her for finally helping out Yo." Mitsue added.
"She never helped me but it never bothered me." Yo shared. You should be bothered by it.
"Um… I am… um… guessing everyone has the same… um… thought… um… It does not… um… seem normal for us to… um… see her push… um… a garbage bin… um… Earlier, we… um… said that the killer… um… chose to use a bin so that… um… everyone would not… um… bother them… um… However… um… from these responses alone… um… we know Akari would have… um… stood out and… um… would have been bothered by… um… more than half of us if… um… she was ever… um… seen one with a bin… um… If she really was… um… the killer… um… it would have been… um… counterintuitive for her…" Naoki explained.
"In short, the bin would have made Akari stand out more instead of making her less suspicious and the killer would not have done something like that. Am I right?" Mitsue concluded.
Naoki nodded.
"There you go, Kaya! That is my defense! It could not have been me!" Akari exclaimed smilingly as she slammed her hand on her podium. Then, she turned to Naoki. "Thank you, Naoki for helping me out!"
Naoki simply smiled at Akari.
"Now that we have cleared Akari's name as well, we only have one person left on our list." Kaito concluded.
Turning to the person at his right, Connor asked, "Bruh, was it you? Dude, say something…" Connor continued to ask Orie who was standing silently and stiffly behind her podium. The room fell into silence as they waited for Orie. However, Orie was only looking at her podium tight-lipped.
Orie is the only one left. Did she really do it? I don't think I can believe this. There must be a mistake. She could not have possibly done that to her close friend. This is not right. But, Hiroto and Naoki's reasonings were correct this whole time. It seems right but it feels wrong.
A few seconds have passed and Orie finally decided to say something. Lifting her chin, Orie declared as she placed her hand on her chest, "I-It wasn't me. I did not kill Kia. How could I possibly do that to my best friend on this island? I think you know what kind of person I am, right? All of you are my friends! I cannot harm anyone of you."
"There must be a mistake. Orie has been nothing but good to everyone. She was like an angel to us. How could she kill Kia whom she is closest with, let alone dismember her?" Mizuki immediately defended.
"We also thought that about Kia before finding out she supported a murderous group. I don't think it is out of the question to be highly suspicious of Orie. It would be unfair for Kia who was highly scrutinized despite being an angel to all of us as well." Kai intervened.
"K-Kai, did I do anything to you? Did I wrong you somehow?" Orie asked smilingly asked Kai.
"Not really! You have been one of the kindest people to me! Just like Mizuki said, you were a real angel!" Kai answered as he raised his right thumb with a big smile on his face.
"Th-Then why are you trying to paint me as a bad guy all of a sudden? I don't understand this ridiculous situation! Why are you attacking me and making me into a villain? Don't tell me this is all because you are obsessed with drama. I would normally let you be but I cannot stand still because our future depends on it. If we vote for the wrong person, all of us will be executed! My conscience cannot let that happen. I hope everyone's conscience would do the same!" Orie rambled.
"That was a long reply! All I said was we should also be suspicious of you. That is all. It was as if you are being defensive. Are you being defensive right now? What is with the sudden change? You have been relatively quiet this whole time. Why speak up now? Is there something you are trying to hide? Just admit it! You are Kia's unexpected killer…" Kai claimed. He lazily rested his arms on his podium and placed his head on his arms. Then, he smilingly stared at Orie and playfully winked at her.
Orie angrily shouted, "I won't!"
That was the first time everyone heard her shout like that. Orie is cracking. Don't tell me she really is the killer…
"You won't admit you were Kia's killer but you are not going to deny being Kia's killer. Is that it? Wow! You are amazing, Orie! If I were you, I would have crumbled under pressure. I probably, I don't know, stutter or shout whenever someone confronts me." Kai continued as he lazily chatted with Orie.
"I-I don't understand what you are trying to say. I am just trying to defend myself from a false accusation. Wouldn't you do the same if someone suddenly claims that you are a cold-blooded killer? I think I have the right to be upset, don't I?" Orie continued as she pointed at herself.
"Of course, you would be upset! After all, after doing so much just to cover up your track, you still got caught. Now, you are desperately trying to cover up your mistake. If I was in your shoes, I would definitely be more than upset. Probably, I would be having a tantrum right at this moment. I don't have your ability to contain my anger that well." Kai continued egging on Orie.
"Th-That's not what I mean! I am upset because I am being accused of something I did not do! Why would I be happy for taking the blame for a horrendous crime? Besides that, it is not just any crime. It is a crime against my best friend! How can I be okay when people think I am a disgusting monster that can kill a dear friend of mine! I mean, I don't even have a reason to kill Kia. We were friends after all. Why would I kill my best friend? It does not make any sense! Think about it!" Orie shouted.
"I have been thinking about it." Kai got off of his podium. With his arms crossed, Kai shared, "But you do have a reason to kill Kia."
Orie took a step back. "Wh-What are you talking about?"
"You have a reason to kill her." Kai answered.
"P-Preposterous!" Orie replied.
"You killed her because of her affiliation with the Remnants of Hope. Out of everyone I know, you probably have the most hatred for any type of supporter of the remnants. You are that type of critic. You killed her just because of that." Kai explained.
I think I heard Kai say something about this earlier. During breakfast, they were also fighting about this. What is really going on with Orie? What is this side of Orie that Kai knows? We need to know more about this.
"You have also mentioned this earlier during breakfast, Kai, and I have been curious what you were talking about. I feel like we need to know what you know to understand what this is all about. Can you share with us what you know about Orie?" Mitsue asked.
"It will be my greatest pleasure to reveal to you Orie's unknown identity!" Kai grinned. Cracking his knuckles and stretching his neck, Kai took a moment before continuing. "I would have all of you know that Orie is famous among the supporters of the remnants for being one of the most vocal critics of the group out there. A lot of us wanted to do something about her. However, nobody knew her real identity. All we knew of her was her stage name, Ryoko Yokomizu. Using the huge platform that she clearly has as an ultimate, she posted videos online about how much she hated the remnants and was even able to convince a lot of us to change. Because of this, a witch hunt for her began. A lot of innocent blood was spilled but it obviously failed. As you can see, she is still with us right now. So, that is the story of our dear Orie."
The group was speechless. Everyone stared at Orie who was gripping on her podium as she continued to smile at Kai. However, unlike earlier, her smile was beginning to curve downward.
I had a feeling Orie was hiding something but I never thought it would be to this level. She was hunted down by a bunch of lunatics. Obviously, all she could do was probably hide. In the process of evading her attackers, a lot of people died. That must have been bearing on her mind. She must feel awful for the victims of that witch hunt that started because of her. I cannot imagine the torment she must have experienced.
"What does everyone think about our virtual talent's backstory? Isn't it interesting? Who knew you could make so many enemies online and how real the threat of the people you crossed on the opposite of the side of the screen can get. But with that out of the way, I think it proves she has a reason to kill Kia." Kai winked at Orie. "I think you should stop saying you had no reason to kill her. It is apparent that you have."
"B-But even so, I treated Kia as my best friend! I could not have killed her even if she was unfortunately devoted to the wrong kind of group. Where have you seen a person kill their best friend? It is completely ridiculous!" Orie continued with her plea.
"Just stop it already! That won't work. I could literally name hundreds of movies and novels which had a character kill their best friend. It is called a trope and tropes are unfortunately based on real life. Therefore, they are still plausible scenarios. You could have easily killed your so-called best friend. For all we know, you are only saying she is your best friend but you really don't mean it." Kai continued.
"F-Fine! If you think that I don't consider Kia as my best friend, then so be it! But I still won't admit to doing a crime I did not commit! If all of you are so adamant about making me the bad guy, then all I have to do is prove to all of you my innocence." Orie shouted.
"That is the spirit! I am loving what has been happening in this trial!" Out of nowhere, Monokuma shouted as he waved his mallet at everyone. I completely forgot that bear was in this room listening to us this whole time. He had his mouth shut the whole time. I wonder why he intervened at a weird moment.
"Monokuma, why are you suddenly joining in on the trial?" Yo asked as she turned around to face Monokuma.
"I wanted to remind you that, even though I have been thoroughly entertained and amazed by your trial, your time is limited and I decided to give you a heads up. The trial is about to end soon." Monokuma answered.
"How long do we have left?" Kaya asked.
"Hmmm… Soon… I am not sure but I know I want to end it soon." Monokuma shared.
"What kind of answer is that!" Akari shouted.
"Dude, why are you always being vague with time limits? It is not fun bro…" Connor commented.
"I just can't help it! Anyway, just focus on wrapping up the trial!" Monokuma gestured to continue the trial.
Shit! We only have so much time left. We are not even sure how long we have until that broken bear stops the trial. We could be only a few seconds away until he wraps it up. We have to hurry up. Mitsue pounds his right hand on the podium. Out of our three prime suspects, the only person left is Orie. Even though I am not entirely convinced, she is the best bet we got as an answer. I hope this is right…
"E-Everyone, we don't have much time left and we are still a long way from figuring out who the killer is. We need to stop dillydallying and start focusing." Orie shouted. "S-Stop playing around and accusing me! It is someone else! You need to believe me!"
"Are you serious? Everyone can see that you are the killer! Why are you still acting innocent?" Akari commented, pointing Orie,
"Because I am! It was not me who dismembered Kia!" Orie tapped on her podium.
"I am sorry Orie but I think it is you. Although I don't want it to be real, it seems that you are the only clear option left." Mitsue mumbled, staring at Orie.
"M-Mitsue, please don't tell me you believe them!" Orie shouted. After a few seconds, Orie let out a small laugh. "F-Fine! Whatever! I just have to change all of your minds! Let me ask all of you this. How sure can you be that I am the killer when you don't know where the murder took place? If I was the killer, tell me where I messily dismembered Kia! You said it was not definitely in the forest where you found the ax. Then, where did I do the nasty job?"
Fuck! I don't know the answer to that! She does make a point. How bold of us to keep on pinpointing this murder on her when we are still iffy about a lot of stuff with this murder? If we cannot answer that simple question, can we truly accuse her of the crime?
"N-No one can even tell me the answer to that and you still dare say that I did it! Wh-What a joke is that! Just face it! It was not me and it is time for the group to move on!" Orie shouted.
"Um… I think I… um… figured out where… um… Kia was… um… killed…" Suddenly, Naoki raised his hand and shared his thought.
"Wh-What are you talking about? You c-couldn't have!" Orie replied. You couldn't have? Is that really the right reply to Naoki?
"Y-You are bluffing, aren't you?" Orie asked.
Naoki shook his head. "Um… If we are… um… going with the… um… narrative that the… um… killer used… um… a bin from their… um… daily chore… the killer must have… um… used the place where… um… they would be for their… um… task… um… In your case… um… it would be the… um… the laundry room…"
"Y-You know th-that can't be right. We saw the room t-together. It was spotless! How could it have been a place where a bloody murder occurred?" Orie asked.
"Um… It was thanks to… um… what Yo said about the… um… laundry room earlier…" Naoki shared.
"I said something important?" Yo asked, pointing at herself.
"You did…" Naoki answered.
"What was it? I don't recall saying anything important." Yo added.
"Um… You said the room was… um… squeaky clean… um… Can you… um… tell us why you… um… described it like that?" Naoki asked.
"Ooh! Well, I just thought the room was extremely clean! The floor was shiny and slightly damp. And, there was no dust, especially on the floor. Kaoru even slipped on the floor! That sight was priceless." Yo shared.
"Please don't share to everyone that I slipped even though I was walking slowly." Kaoru added.
"All I said was you slipped. I did not say that! I was not going to say anything but you just did! You are so funny Kaoru!" Yo commented, laughing at Kaoru.
"Please forget about what I said! That was embarrassing! I wish I did not say anything!" Kaoru shouted, covering his face.
"O-Of course, the floor can get s-slippery! It is a l-laundry room after all! The room can get wet from the w-water dripping from the wet clothes and fabric! What you are s-saying is p-purely circumstantial! Do you have any evidence other than that?" Flustered, Orie shouted.
"The fact that the only room that looked like it was newly cleaned is the laundry room should be enough. But, if you want another evidence, I can give you that." Kaya smilingly declared.
"What evidence are you t-talking about? There is nothing m-more to show. I know th-that all of you are desperately trying to p-pin this on me but this is outrageous! Stop lying!" Orie commented, nervously laughing.
"I am not lying. We did find a piece of evidence during the investigation. Actually, it was those two who discovered it as well." Kaya replied, pointing at Kaoru and Yo.
"I found something again?" Yo asked, pointing at herself with a surprised expression on her face.
Turning to Yo, Kaoru asked, "What is Kaya talking about?"
"Tell us about the mysterious trash bag you found near the laundry room earlier." Kaya ordered the two.
"Oh, that! That weird trash bag! When we were making our way from the laundry room to the radio shack, we found this suspicious trash bag. But since we thought it was just trash left out, Kaoru and I did not bother to check what was inside. But, during the investigation, we found out it contained several empty jugs of bleach and some of them had blood stains! Do you remember that Kaoru?" Yo shared.
"I forgot about that bag! It was strange since it was literally in the middle of that path when we found it." Kaoru added.
"Based on the proximity of the bag to the laundry room, the laundry room being the only newly cleaned room, and the jugs of bleaches can only be obtained from the laundry room, it is safe to say that the killer dismembered Kia in that room." Kaya concluded.
"Give it up Orie! Now that we are sure about the location of the murder, you cannot question us anymore for accusing you! Look around you! No one is willing to defend you anymore! Just admit it!" Akari yelled, slamming her hands on the podium.
"I… I… I won't! There is still s-so much you have m-missed! I won't g-g-give up unless everything is c-crystal clear! You hear me!" Orie shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Oh, we missed a lot of things about your murder? Do tell? Maybe we can answer them one by one. Just tell us what we should be including in our conversation." Kai asked, smirking.
"What a-about the rope burns on K-Kia's wrists and the f-fuzz on her lips! Explain that to me! What were all of those for?" Orie frantically asked. She answered Kai.
"Thank you for pointing those out! You have a keen eye just like Yo. Or better yet, you did not need to be as observant as Yo since you knew all of the details about the murder. As the killer, you probably noticed everything related to your murder, including the minute details. I am sure one of us can tell you what they were for. How about you, Kaito? Wanna have a go at it?" Kai pointed at Kaito.
"Me? Well, I think it is obvious why those were there that I don't think it needs to be discussed further but, just to make things clear, the rope burns were from the rope that tied her down so she won't be able to escape and fight back. And, the fuzz on her lips is probably from a fuzzy fabric used to gag her so she won't be able to scream for help. All of this was made possible from Kia being knocked out by poison M." Kaito explained.
"I think what Kaito said is a solid explanation. What do you think Orie?" Kai continued.
"Ah… That's not right…" Orie mumbled.
"What was not right about what Kaito said? It seemed logical to me. Did you do something different as a killer? Please enlighten us more!" Kai continued mocking Orie.
"No! I meant… ugh…" Orie was trembling. She is panicking. The stress is too much for her to handle. Under so much pressure, she could not even make a proper sentence. It is over for her. We caught her already and she could not defend herself anymore. The more she poorly defends herself, the guiltier she will look.
"Wh-What about the cling film? Huh! E-Explain that to me! Wh-Why would the killer use that? W-Wouldn't it be t-time-consuming for the killer to do such a th-thing? Why d-did they do it then?" Orie jitterily shouted, scrambling behind her podium.
"I did find that strange. I don't really see the purpose of the cling film either. Maybe the killer did it randomly? That would be wrong to assume though. No one would do something as tiresome as that for nothing. I don't really know what to make out of it." Kaoru shared.
The group grew silent as everyone pondered about this.
"N-No one can answer me! S-Such as simple q-question and you can't answer it! Are you sure y-you want to c-continue accusing me?" Orie added, nervously laughing.
It does seem random. Everything about this case seems straightforward except for this detail. Why wrap up the body parts? What would the killer gain? Why were they trying to protect Kia's body parts with cling film? It does not make any sense. Wait a second, did the killer choose to protect Kia's body parts? I feel like I am thinking about this wrongly.
"Otoha, why do we wrap food with cling film?" Mitsue asked.
"Why are you asking that right now?" Otoha replied, furrowing her eyebrows.
"Just answer me." Mitsue shouted, crossing his arms.
"To prevent cross-contamination… We wrap food in cling film so that it will not be contaminated by other food. And, sometimes, we wrap food using it so that it won't contaminate others like when it comes to chicken. I usually wrap a container of raw chicken in cling film before I put it in the freezer with other food to prevent contaminating the freezer. What does that have to do with this case?" Otoha asked.
"I am not the best at this stuff but hear me out. The cling film can basically act as a seal. What if the killer used it to seal the body parts?" Mitsue shared.
"Huh?" Orie whispered, raising her left eyebrow.
"Seal off what exactly?" Kaya asked.
"The cling film was used to seal the remaining blood dripping from the body parts." Mitsue answered.
"A-And why w-would I d-do that?" Orie asked, panicking.
"If you were using the laundry bins to scatter the body parts throughout the island, I imagine it would also contain clothes and fabrics as well. But, if you just mix them all together, the body parts would stain the clothes and fabrics." Mitsue answered.
"That is right! That is why she needed to wrap them all up with cling film! She needed it to prevent bloodstains!" Kaito shouted.
"D-Do you really think th-that would work?" Orie asked.
"It did work. We found Orie's bloody torso on a white bed inside the clinic. The bed was never stained by the torso even though it was clearly bloody." Kaito added.
"This further proves Orie as the killer. If the killer had used the garbage bins, they would not need to wrap it all up in cling film since the only thing that will be stained by blood are the trash bags which would just end up getting incinerated." Kaya added.
"Give up already! We have driven you into a corner! There is no way you can get away with this!" Akari shouted, pointing at Orie.
"Huh? Wh-What is this joyous atmosphere? You have not d-driven me into a c-corner! I-I am not yet d-defeated!" Orie shouted, clawing onto her podium. Defeated? She is slipping up already. The more she talks, the faster this case will be closed.
"You are s-still m-missing a p-piece to th-this case! E-Explain t-to me wh-where Rafiki is! Isn't it missing? What happened to it?" Orie shouted. Why did she suddenly bring up the monkey? No one was even talking about it. She is only digging her grave as she continues.
"The fact that you mentioned Rafiki even though no one was talking about it makes you only look guiltier." Kaya commented, rolling her eyes.
"N-no one noticed Rafiki's disappearance?" Orie asked the group, taking a step back.
"I completely forgot about Rafiki. Bro, where is that monkey?" Connor commented, chuckling.
"I have been so stressed about this trial that I totally wiped out the existence of that adorable capuchin monkey from my brain. I am so sorry Rafiki!" Yo added, clasping her hands together.
"That poor monkey! What could have happened to that beautiful creature of God?" Mizuki added, placing her right index finger on her right temple.
No one else noticed the monkey was missing? "I actually noticed it but I did not think it was related to the case. What did happen to that monkey?" Mitsue commented.
"Wh-why are you asking me? I-I don't know a th-thing where it is. D-Does anyone know where the m-m-monkey is?" Orie asked the group.
"Um… We searched… um… throughout the… um… island but… um… we never found… um… Rafiki…" Naoki commented.
"Th-That is right! We have v-visited every place on th-this island but we never f-found Rafiki." Orie added, smiling weirdly.
"Um… That is… um… not true… um… Orie…" Naoki replied, raising his right index finger.
"What… are you saying, Naoki? Wh-What part of wh-what I said i-is not t-true?" Orie was stunned.
"Um… There is… um… one place we did not… um… visit…" Naoki answered.
"A-Are you imagining a p-place?" Orie mocked, rolling her eyes.
Naoki shook his head.
"A-And where would that be?" Orie nervously chuckled.
"Um… We did not… um… visit… um… everyone's cabins…" Naoki answered.
That is true. No one probably thought of visiting other people's cabins. If no one checked them out and Rafiki is not present anywhere else, Rafiki must be in someone else's cabin, probably in the killer's.
"That is right. No one would have thought of visiting everyone's cabin because it would feel intrusive to investigate someone's personal space." Kaya added.
"Um… You kept… um… Rafiki in your… um… room…" Naoki continued.
"H-How would I b-be able to c-contain a m-monkey like R-Rafiki? T-Tell me that!" Orie asked.
"You knocked it out with poison M! The clinic was missing two of them!" Kaito instantly answered.
"That is right! If the killer only wanted to poison Kia, they would have only grabbed one. But they did not because they needed it for Rafiki! That is how you contained Rafiki!" Kaoru concluded, pointing at Orie.
Orie's jaw dropped. She is done for it. Even Kaoru was able to catch up with the trial. She does not have a chance. All she can do now is give up.
Lowering her head, she gripped on her podium and bit her lower lip. With a low, guttural voice, Orie mumbled, "But, you don't have any evidence."
"What did you say, Orie? Can you speak louder?" Yo asked, curving her right hand behind her ear.
"You don't have any evidence! You can't prove your claim! It is foolish of you to keep on spouting nonsense! All of you are pathetic! Stop this trial! This is wrong! Everything is wrong! Everyone is wrong! I am trying to save everyone the trouble! All of you are wrong!" Orie shouted in a panicked state.
"About that…" Kai turned to Monokuma. "I was wondering, can you show us what is currently inside Orie's cabin right now?"
Can Kai request that?
"Of course, I can! But, why should I?" Monokuma smugly replied.
Gesturing to the both of them, Kai reasoned out to Monokuma, "Monokuma, I feel like I get you. I see that even though you are a bear and I am a human, we are so much alike."
"Are you saying I am also a charismatic young thing?" Monokuma commented, blushing.
"Not only that." Kai winked at Monokuma. "We both live for drama. I know you do. I have seen you react to people fighting. You love stirring the pot as much as I love messing with them."
"Guilty as charged! Hahahaha!" Monokuma shouted, raising his hands.
Where is Kai leading with this?
"I know you will not share with us what is inside Orie's room for free. That is why I am proposing to you this: End the trial as soon as you show us what is inside Orie's cabin. No matter what is inside, we will vote based on that. It is an exciting all-or-nothing game, wouldn't you agree? If Rafiki is inside, Orie loses. But, if Rafiki is nowhere inside that cabin, everyone loses. Don't you think it is exciting? Just imagine the tension it will build, the drama of it all!" Kai shared, maniacally laughing afterward.
"Are you insane?" Akari commented.
"Dude, just chill for a sec! Okay?" Connor added.
"What is wrong with all of you? Why are you all suddenly chickening out? Weren't all of you sure just a while ago that it was Orie? If that is the case, this wouldn't be a gamble. It would be the last nail on Orie's coffin." Kai commented.
I hate gambling with so much on the line. However, as much as irritating and troublesome Kai is, he has a point. At this moment, it is all or nothing. The trial is about to end anyway and if we were wrong about Orie all this time, we would not be able to do anything about it anyway.
"Let's do it." Mitsue said.
"Based on the odds we have, I am confident we will win the gamble. Do it." Kaya added.
"I really think it is Orie anyway. I am okay as well with going through with this gamble." Kaito shared.
"Do it…" Naoki mumbled.
"It looks like all of the ones who led this trial is okay with it. Monokuma, what do you say?" Kai asked, smiling from ear to ear.
"Hmm…" Monokuma crossed his arms. "Let's do it! This is so exciting! To imagine you came up with this on your first trial shows that your group has so much promise for future trials, if you survive this one. Hahahaha!"
Slowly, a screen began lowering from the ceiling. The group could only stare at it as they waited for it to stop descending. After a few minutes, the screen stopped and positioned itself above Monokuma's throne. Then, the screen was turned on and displayed "3" on it along with a ticking sound.
3… 2… 1… It is a countdown!
All of a sudden, Orie shouted while reaching out her hand, "Don't!"
"Why?" Kai asked.
"Please, don't!" Orie mumbled, falling onto her knees. "You don't need to show my room. I… I give up…"
"Pfft! What a killjoy! Just when things were becoming interesting!" Kai commented, rolling his eyes.
"What an interesting outcome…" Monokuma commented.
"It looks like we are done." Kaya shared.
"Before we vote, does anyone want to recap the murder just to make sure everyone knew what happened?" Yo asked the group.
"I would love to do it!" Kai volunteered.
"Do it." Mitsue ordered.
"I will give it my all in telling the tragic tale of our late zoologist!" Kai shouted.
Kiania Salvador-Hishima's Murder Case
"The tragic story of Kia's demise was caused by two people in this group. One was our group leader, Mitsue Naozumi, who planned to kill Kia using Poison I, a poison that consisted of three shots that must be administered in a certain order to kill the victim peacefully in their sleep. And, the other one is the real killer, the one who grotesquely dismembered our dear zoologist.
This morning, Mitsue, with the help of Otoha, prepared our group's scrumptious breakfast. Unknown to Otoha, Mitsue was brewing a diabolical plan to murder someone. When Kaoru took away Otoha from the kitchen, he seized this opportunity to plate up everyone's dishes and tamper with one of them with Shot A of Poison I. Immediately, he served up the breakfast, and Kia, unfortunately, ended up with the poisoned bowl of oatmeal.
Immediately, Kia collapsed on the floor and caught a fever, which was one of the effects of Shot A. Mitsue and the others brought Kia to her room to let her rest. After that, everyone left Kia alone which was all part of Mitsue's plan. Lunch came and Mitsue fed Kia her lunch which was mixed with Shot B. With this, Mitsue only needed to administer Shot C to kill Kia. However, someone got to her first.
During some time after lunch, our killer began making their move. They prepared two packs of Poison M from the clinic, an ax, a rope, cling film, and the most important tool for this murder, the laundry bins. The killer went around the island collecting clothes and fabrics to be washed. On their way, they visited Kia in her room. Inside Kia's cabin, the killer injected Kia and her pet, Rafiki, with Poison M knocking both of them out. Then, they immediately transferred Kia inside their laundry bin and went outside inconspicuously. At some point, the killer brought Rafiki to their room.
Then, the killer went to the laundry room with an unconscious Kia. Knowing that the poison only works for ten minutes, they quickly tied up Kia and gagged her with a fuzzy fabric. As soon as everything was set up, the killer began chopping up Kia, dismembering her limb by limb and sadly killing her.
After the deed was done, the killer wrapped up Kia's body parts with cling film, cleaned the whole room with bleach, and, I am just assuming here, got changed with some spare clothes they had. Then, the killer placed the body parts inside the laundry bin mixed with other fabrics. They did this because they were confident the fabrics will not be stained. After that, the killer disposed of everything they used for the murder as they scattered Kia's body parts across the island. All that was left for the killer to do is wait until each body part is discovered.
The only person that could have done all of this is unexpectedly the victim's self-proclaimed best friend, the Ultimate Virtual Talent, Orie Kumagai.
The room grew quiet only for their silence to be broken by Monkuma's annoyingly high-pitched voice. "It looks like this trial has come to an end. It is time to cast your votes!"
I cannot believe this trial will end like this. Without hesitation, Mitsue cast his vote.
Mitsue Naozumi - Ultimate Emergency Response Team Leader
Yo Bashira - Ultimate Fan Club President
Kaoru Giwan - Ultimate Aromatherapist
Kiania Salvador-Hishima - Ultimate Zoologist
Kaito Kiyora - Ultimate Astrophysicist
Orie Kumagai - Ultimate Virtual Talent
Connor O'Reilly - Ultimate Saxophonist
Otoha Okumura - Ultimate Dollmaker
Naoki Toshiro - Ultimate Private Investigator
Akari Fujiyama - Ultimate Actress
Kai Hayashida - Ultimate Drama Writer
Kaya Ogino - Ultimate Mycotoxicologist
Hiroto Hisoki - Ultimate Runway Model
Mizuki Yamagata - Ultimate Televangelist
"All of you have voted! It is time to see the result!" Monokuma shouted.
The screen suddenly was suddenly turned on and displayed a slot machine. The machine was painted in rich purple color. Its edges and lever were plated with gold. It had three slots that displayed different pictures. Slowly, the lever was pulled and the slots began rolling. As it began working, several of them had their faces appear on the machine along with items that would be commonly displayed on a slot machine such as cherries and gold bars. Slowly, the slots stopped with all of them displaying a portrait of Orie. Out of nowhere, confetti rained down the screen and signage made of LED lights appeared displaying the word "Congratulations!"
Then, the screen displayed the result of the voting.
Voting Results
Orie Kumagai – 13
Answer: Orie Kumagai
Correct!
The room grew silent as everyone stared either at the screen or at Orie who was silently staring at the floor and gripping on her podium. We were right. Everyone got it right. Even she voted for herself. She killed Kia. I cannot believe she really did it. And, it is not just a simple murder; it was a violent kind. She dismembered somebody! She could have simply chosen to stab or poison her but she didn't. How was she able to tolerate that process? What made her do this atrocity?
"Hahahaha! That was an amazing first trial! I am thoroughly impressed!" Monokuma complimented the group, clapping.
Standing beside Orie, Connor asked, "I never thought you would be able to do something like that. Why did you do it?"
"We thought she was your best friend! Why did you kill her like that! Where is your humanity? No child of God would do something like that!" Mizuki shouted as her tears flowed down to her cheeks.
"Orie, please tell us why you killed your best friend." Otoha added.
After a few seconds of silence from Orie, she chuckled. "Best friend? Do you really think she was my best friend? How could I befriend a monster like her!" Orie shouted, pointing at Kia's portrait.
"Monster? Aren't you the one who is acting like a monster?" Akari commented, flicking her hair off of her shoulder.
"All I did was return her the favor!" Orie shouted, punching the podium.
Why is she acting this way? Kia must have royally fucked her over to piss her off like this. I have never seen Orie with so much anger.
"Return a favor? What did she do to you to receive so much animosity from you?" Kaya asked.
"That bitch killed my best friend!" Orie yelled, pointing again at Kia's portrait.
"She killed your best friend? How did she do that?" Kaoru asked.
"During the remnant's supporter's witch hunt for me, my best friend was executed! They captured her and tried to make her reveal my identity but she never divulged anything. In the end, they beheaded her!" Orie revealed as she wept.
Turning to Yo, Orie continued, "The other day, you mentioned a virtual talent named Kiyoko Kitaoka."
"I remember mentioning her. She was the virtual talent that suddenly vanished. What about her?" Yo asked.
"The controller of that avatar was my best friend who was killed. Her real name was Nanahi Kubo. She was the sweetest person ever. She was the one who pushed me to achieve everything that I have today. Without her, I would not be discovered by Virtuasona and be the talent that I am today. I will never forgive anyone who caused my best friend's death!" Orie shouted.
"I understand you are angry but revenge does not do anything all it does is deepen the wound. Just like what the bible says, 'Never avenge yourselves but leave it to the wrath of God.'" Mizuki shared.
"Hold up! Did you kill Kia just because she was a supporter of the remnants?" Kai asked.
"It was not just because she was a supporter but also because she participated during the witch hunt." Orie answered.
"She joined the witch hunt for you? I am shocked to hear that! I did not think she would have the guts to take part in such a thing!" Kai added.
"She confessed everything to me last night." Orie shared, blankly staring at Kai.
Last night? Is that the reason why I saw Kia outside last night on my way to Kaoru? She talked to Orie about it.
"Yesterday, she asked me to meet her at the dining hall. She said she had something to tell me. I did not have any reason to reject her invitation so I went. That was when she revealed to me that the Shorai Society was the one who organized the witch hunt and her grandfather made her lead the group that terrorized the building of Virtuasona where my friend, Nanahi, was captured and, in the end, killed. She told me that, when she heard I was Ryoko Yokomizu, she knew she had to tell me everything and apologize. No matter how much I tried, I could not bring myself to forgive her. At that moment, my vision turned red. She is the reason my best friend is dead!" Orie added.
"Well, hearing everything, you just sound like a dick to me." Kai nonchalantly commented.
"Kai, please keep that thought to yourself! It is not the time to joke like that!" Otoha said, tapping on Kai's shoulder.
"No, I won't! I am being serious. I understand that you are angry at her for leading the group that killed your best friend but she knew she was wrong. She was regretful of it to the point that she confessed to you and apologized. I get that you and Kia both stand for different groups but, when you did not know which group you supported, you both liked each other. And to top it all of, you killed viciously when she revealed that she never committed a crime such as murder. You are being a hypocrite for an anti-remnant!" Kai shouted, intensely pointing at Orie.
"I was second-guessing myself when I visited her. But when saw me, she kept on repeating over and over again how Nanahi was killed and how unfortunate it was to the point that I lost my control. When I injected her with the poison, I knew there was no turning back." Orie added.
"This is my fault…" Mitsue mumbled.
"What do you mean?" Orie asked.
"She would not have pushed you to the edge if I did not feed her shot B. She must have kept on saying all of those things that pushed you to the edge because she was hallucinating." Mitsue answered.
"I figured that one out during the trial but you should not blame yourself." Orie replied.
"I think Kia would want you to know this. She never liked doing the stuff she did as a supporter and she regrets doing them. She only did them for her grandfather and she hated him for it. She told me that earlier when she was hallucinating." Mitsue shared.
" At least she was forced to them. I did this all by myself. I became a monster by my own will." Orie commented.
"I don't think you are a monster." Yo shared.
"Stop trying to console me. I don't deserve it." Orie said, shaking her head.
"No, I mean it. You used poison M because it numbs the victim, didn't you? Even though you intended to chop her up, you did not want her to be in pain. I don't think you lost your humanity. I just think you let your anger blind you." Yo continued.
Covering her face, Orie cried out loud. "I don't deserve these kind words Yo! Just stop it!"
After a few seconds, Orie wiped her tears off. Pointing at Monokuma, Orie shouted, "I hate you and whoever is controlling you! I hate you even more than the one who killed my best friend! You are pitting innocent children against each other and for what? Just for your sick and twisted entertainment? I hate you!"
Then, she turned to Kaito. "But still, I hate your sister and her friends the most! If it was not because of them, the world would not have been fucked up the way it was. I will never forgive them and the people who made them and supported them until the end."
Suddenly, Kaito crouched down and covered his head. "I did not do anything! Please! Please, d-don't hurt me! I did not do anything…" Kaito continued to mumble as his lips quivered.
"I am sorry Kaito. I should not have told you that. I should have told that to Kai." Orie snappily turned to Kai.
"You can't tell me that. I don't have a sister that was a member of the remnants." Kai smilingly replied. Orie rolled her eyes.
"Just think about changing your ways and views in life." Orie said.
"That is rich coming from a killer." Kai countered.
"You were no different from me. You are an enabler of a bunch of murderers. You encouraged them to do countless atrocities to the world." Orie added.
"Yeah, yeah, I will give it a quick thought." Kai said, waving his hand.
"Why are you so devoted? It seemed as if you-" Orie was cut off.
"This is getting too sappy for me! It is time for my favorite part of the trial, the punishment-slash-execution!" Monokuma shouted.
"How rude of you to cut me off! All I was going to say was Kai acts like a-" Orie was cut off again.
"That is enough! We have prolonged my most awaited part of the trial!" Monokuma shouted, brandishing his mallet.
"Why were you cutting me off?" Suddenly, Orie gasped. "Were the rumors true? Were-"
"Time is up! It is time for your execution!" Monokuma angrily shouted.
"Is this happening? Are you truly going to execute her? But, you don't have the right to pass judgment like that on someone. Only God can!" Mizuki commented.
"Woah! Back up! Dude, this going too far, bro! I think we were able to resolve our issues. Let's hold off on the execution, okay?" Connor shouted.
This is not right. Even though Orie did something awful, she does not deserve to be executed. Orie must be trembling in fear. Mitsue turned to Orie. To his surprise, Orie was staring at Monokuma mumbling something.
"It is true and this is a…" Orie mumbled.
What is she talking about?
"I know what you are doing! You are-" Orie was cut off again.
Suddenly, Monokuma shouted, "Let's give it everything we got. It's punishment time!" A red button appeared in front of Monokuma. Then, with his wooden mallet, Monokuma hit the button.
"Stop this! This is too much!" Otoha shouted.
"I cannot look!" Mizuki cried.
"It is happening all over again… Another execution… Mine is next… Mine is next…" Kaito mumbled, still crouching and covering his head.
Turning to Mitsue, Orie disclosed, "I have a notebook in my room. Take it."
A notebook? Why would I take her notebook?
Suddenly, the screen was turned on and displayed a pixelated sprite of Monokuma dragging Orie appeared. Then, the screen changed displaying this:
GAME OVER
ORIE KUMAGAI has been found GUILTY
TIME FOR PUNISHMENT!
Suddenly, a clamp came out of nowhere and grabbed Orie by her neck. In a blink of an eye, Orie was dragged out of the room while screaming, "Help me!"
Orie!
Then, the screen changed again.
The Attack Of The Pop-Up Ads
Orie Kumagai
The Ultimate Virtual Talent's Execution
-Used-
Out of nowhere, Orie fell into a blue room that was made of pixels of different shades of blue. After the hard fall, she slowly stood up. Then, she observed the room. Immediately, she noticed the room was empty and the only thing notable was an opening that had the sign "Exit" on top of it. Quickly, she ran towards it.
As she was making her way to it, flying robots that resembled pop-up ads with Monokuma on the ads dressed up as different people began to terrorize her. The robots started to follow her and shoot at her smaller versions of them. Even though she was stealthy enough to evade most of the smaller pop-up ads, she would still get hit a few times by them.
After a few more minutes, a huge blade with an ad on it appeared in front of her. As soon as she saw this, she stopped and fell onto her butt. Trying to stand up again, the flying pop-up ads were aiming at her perfectly making it harder for her to stand up again. As soon as she got up, a sharp "pop-up ad" popped out of the floor behind her cutting her hair off. Immediately, she ran away.
The nearer she went to the exit, the more pop-up ad blades appeared cutting her. By the time she was near the exit, she was bleeding from her cuts and her body was heavily bruised. At some point, a small pop-up ad stabbed through her left foot.
Limping her way to the exit, she was only a few footsteps left from reaching her goal. With all of her strength she could muster, she walked towards the exit. With one step left, she took a step forward when a huge block of pop-up ad appeared in front of her blocking her from the exit. Orie pounded on the pop-up ad.
Suddenly, the block moved forward, pushing Orie to the wall at the other end of the room crushing her. Then, the room glowed red. A huge sign appeared saying, "System Reboot!". Then, all of the pop-up ads exploded one by one with the huge block of pop-up ad being the last to explode, disintegrating what was left of Orie into ashes.
Everyone was speechless as they watched the horrifying fate of Orie through the screen. Then, the feed was cut off.
What did we just watch? That was excessive brutality. There is no way I can describe it other than that! That was too much!
Immediately, Mizuki hugged Otoha. "Otoha, what was that? What did we see?"
Trembling in fear, Otoha could not even say a word to console Mizuki.
Akari ran towards the wall and began puking.
Kaito continued mumbling to himself. "I am next… I am next…"
Even Kai was speechless.
"Monokuma, you are sick and twisted like a psychopath." Yo shouted, pointing at Monokuma.
"I know and that is what I love about me. Anyway, I hope everyone saw that clearly. That is what will happen to you if you are executed by me. I wish that is engraved in your mind now! Hahahaha! See ya later twerps!" Monokuma shouted before disappearing.
Everyone is still in a daze. No one is even moving from their podium. We need to get out of here immediately to lessen the trauma for those who can't stomach such imagery.
"Let's get out of here now! Move it!" Mitsue shouted.
One by one, they made their way to the elevator with Mitsue being the last to step inside. After a few minutes of silently riding the elevator, they finally reached the top floor. Everyone quickly went out and saw the night has turned dark already and the moon and stars were shining brightly.
We took a long time inside that room. I bet everyone is hungry.
"I will make us dinner. I am sure everyone here wants to eat." Mitsue said.
Rolling her eyes, Akari commented, "There is no way I am eating anything you make."
"Then, suit yourself. Everyone, follow me to the dining hall!" Mitsue ordered the group.
"Do you really think everyone here will still want to eat anything you lay your hand on after knowing what you did to Kia during the trial?" Akari asked, smirking at Mitsue.
"I don't understand what you are trying to say, bitch." Mitsue said, taking a step closer to Akari's face.
"Get the fuck out of my face!" Akari shouted, pushing Mitsue. "What is not clicking in your head? Nobody trusts you after poisoning Kia! Stop acting like a noble hero when you are not one!"
"I only did that to save all of you!" Mitsue replied.
"What happened in saving all of us? Because of you, two people are now dead! What kind of a leader would let that happen? You are a pathetic excuse for one!" Akari continued.
Mitsue was stunned.
"Look around you. No one is listening to you anymore." Akari pointed at everyone.
Mitsue looked at everyone who was eyeing him differently than before. They aren't scared of me. They distrust me.
Turning to everyone, Akari shouted, "We need a new leader if we are going to survive this game. We don't want to happen to us what just happened to Kia and Orie! Does anyone want to die as well?"
"I don't want to die!" Mizuki shouted.
"Listen up! I suggest Naoki be our new leader!" Akari gestured at Naoki.
"Me?" Naoki asked.
"He is calm and logical. And, during the trial, he was the one who led us through it the most. I don't know about you but I think those are qualities of a great leader." Akari added.
"Naoki does sound like a great leader. I am all for it!" Kai shouted, winking at Mitsue.
"Does anyone have any objection?" Akari asked everyone. "No one? That is great to hear!"
Then, she turned to Naoki, "Starting tomorrow, you will be the new leader of this group. I only expect great things from you!"
"Um…" Naoki reached out his hand at Akari, looking worried.
"With that out of the way, I am going back to my room to get my beauty sleep. All of this stress is bad for my skin! Excited to greet most of you tomorrow!" Akari waved goodbye to everyone. Before she left, she looked at Mitsue and rolled her eyes.
One by one, everyone left. Mitsue stood silently as they watched them leave him. The last person left was Kaoru.
"Kaoru, do you want to eat? Do you want to join me?" Mitsue asked.
With a blank face, Kaoru answered, "Why should I join you? You are not the group's leader anymore. My new great leader is Naoki. I will only be doing what my great Naoki wants me to do starting from now on. Don't bother asking for help from me again, Mitsue. I will not be doing things blindly for you." Then, the aromatherapist flashed a smile and left.
Kaoru left me… He left me…
Mindlessly, Mitsue made his way to the hall. As soon as he entered, his footsteps echoed through the hall. Instinctively, he sat down on his usual spot and stared at the vending machine. I think I lost my appetite.
Mitsue stood up and silently made his way to everyone's living quarters. As he was walking towards his cabin, he heard scratches coming from one of the cabins. He turned around and immediately began searching where it was coming from. It did not take him long to locate the sound. It is coming from Orie's cabin.
He walked towards Orie's front porch. Then, he opened the door and a monkey jumped out. Wasn't that Rafiki? Mitsue quickly followed the monkey as it ran towards Kia's cabin. Poor monkey. It does not know Kia is dead. The monkey scratched on the door. Maybe I should show the cabin is empty. Mitsue slowly opened the door revealing a dark and empty cabin.
The monkey jumped onto Kia's bed frantically running across the room. It's looking for Kia. I know it does not understand me but I might as well say it. "Your friend is gone. She is dead." Mitsue mumbled. The monkey did not stop until a few more minutes. Laying on the bed, the monkey began wailing.
Mitsue sat down on the bed and sat beside Rafiki. "I know how you feel, little monkey. I am all alone now too."
Iron Hand, Bloody Limbs(Deadly Life)
-END-
Status
Mitsue Naozumi (Ultimate Emergency Response Team Leader): ?
Yo Bashira (Ultimate Fan Club President): ?
Kaoru Giwan (Ultimate Aromatherapist): ?
Kiania Salvador-Hishima (Ultimate Zoologist): Eliminated
Kaito Kiyora (Ultimate Astrophysicist): ?
Orie Kumagai (Ultimate Virtual Talent): Terminated
Connor O'Reilly (Ultimate Saxophonist): ?
Otoha Okumura (Ultimate Dollmaker): ?
Naoki Toshiro (Ultimate Private Investigator): ?
Akari Fujiyama (Ultimate Actress): ?
Kai Hayashida (Ultimate Drama Writer): ?
Kaya Ogino (Ultimate Mycotoxicologist): ?
Hiroto Hisoki (Ultimate Runway Model): ?
Mizuki Yamagata (Ultimate Televangelist): ?
Remaining Survivors: 12
That is it for this chapter! I would like to thank first Lupus Overkill for submitting Orie! I really like her so much but I sadly had to kill her as the killer of this chapter! I hope you enjoyed her in my story!
What do you guys think of the ending of this chapter? What are your thoughts on the chapter in general? You can tell me through the comments!
Next update will part 1 of chapter 2! I cannot believe it! I am so excited for it!
If you want to talk about this story and other fun stuff, you can join the discord server for this story. The invite is on my profile!
That is all for now!
Stay safe!
