The elevator ride to the courtroom was deathly silent. Nobody spoke or even looked at each other, either keeping their eyes fixed on the ground or straight ahead of them.
Nagito was standing between Nekomaru and Akane, the two of them acting as his guards. Despite the situation he was smiling. He was the only one out of all of them that looked at the others.
Everyone else had a look of fear and sadness on their faces, or, in the case of some of their more serious members, stoic determination.
The elevator came to a stop, and the doors slowly opened to the once again redecorated courtroom. It now looked more like the interior of a castle, and the lighting was a sickly yellow color.
"This is even worse than the last one." Mahiru mumbled, walking up to her spot.
"Really? I think it's an improvement." Fuyuhiko responded sarcastically.
"You weren't even here though."
"Akane… that was the joke." Hajime responded, rubbing his temples. His head still hurt from a mixture of the drugs still going through his system and the illness.
"Shut yer traps! It's time to start the trial! But first, let's open up with a brief explanation of the class trial. The result is determined by-"
"Monokuma, we've gone through this twice already, we know how it works." Hajime interrupted, crossing his arms. "Let's just… get this over with."
"Alright then! Time to place your votes!" Monokuma laughed, high pitched and awful. Hajime choked on his own spit and hurried to backtrack.
"Wait, that's not what I meant! Let's just get to the trial! Please."
"Oh fine. Get to it!"
"Firstly, let's confirm something. What time did you all have your meeting?" Izuru asked.
"If I recall correctly, it was about 2. The meeting ended between 2:30 and 2:40. There was about a twenty minute gap between the end of the meeting and the body discovery announcement." Byakuya informed.
"So, between 2:50 and 3 was the time of the announcement. And the time of death was between 2:30 and 3. That basically tells us that anyone who wasn't sick or with someone else has no albi." Hajime mumbled. "Izuru and I were sick, and I'm pretty sure that Mikan was there the whole time."
"Nekomaru was guarding me, so he and I both have alibis." Nagito explained.
"Me and Byakuya stayed in the music venue until the announcement."
"So that leaves Mahiru, Fuyuhiko, Kazuichi, Akane and Gundam without an alibi. You four, what were you doing during that time?" Byakuya asked.
"Hang on a second, you're saying that the whole thing happened between 2:30 and 3 right? Well… I remember seeing Mikan around that time. She was over by Electric Alley" Akane protested, looking over at the nurse. "She looked like she was looking for something."
"Th-that's when I'd realized that Ibuki was gone. I went to go looking for her. I was really worried about leaving Hajime and Izuru by themselves, b-but I couldn't just let Ibuki wander around on her own!"
"Why didn't you come tell one of us? We would have helped you look." Mahiru asked.
"I-I didn't want to bother anyone. It was m-my fault, I didn't pay enough attention to her."
"Akane, you're avoiding the question, where were you during that time?" Byakuya pressed.
"I was getting to that! I was going back to the Motel when I saw Mikan. I was in my motel room the whole time."
"Nobody can confirm that however. In fact… we can't confirm anyone's alibi." Byakuya looked very unhappy with that realization.
"Let's focus less on everyone's alibis and move on to the crime scene… or what we thought was the crime scene." Izuru spoke up.
"What do you mean? The movie theater wasn't where the crime occured?" Gundam asked, one eyebrow raised.
"Correct. We discovered blood marks leading from the front door of the lobby to the body. Most of the blood was cleaned up afterwards, making the marks very faint."
"But we didn't see any blood marks outside though?" Akane thought for a long moment before realizing something.
"Izuru, do you remember the towel we found? And how soaked it was with blood? Would it really be so soaked if it was just used to clean up the blood marks?" He asked. Izuru frowned, thinking.
"No, there wouldn't be that much blood."
"Maybe the towel was used to wrap up the body, or at least the head to keep too much blood from getting everywhere. And then, by the time the person that moved the body got to the movie theater, the towel was soaked through. Then they used whatever dry part of the towel that was left to mop up the blood on the floor." Hajime proposed.
"That's very possible. If that was the case, then why would the killer do that? Why try to cover up the crime scene?" Mahiru asked. "If it was one of the people that didn't have an alibi, it wouldn't help since they didn't have an alibi in the first place."
"It's possible they wanted to confuse us, to make the trial harder. To mislead us." Nagito speculated. "After all, if they mislead us and we pick the wrong person as the culprit, we'll all be executed while they go free."
"That's true… what we need to figure out now, is where the true crime scene was. Mikan, was there anything on Ibuki's body that could have given us a clue?" Byakuya asked, turning with a stern glare to the nurse.
"N-no! There wasn't anything that I saw that could have told us anything. She had some scratches on her arms and some on her feet but that's it." She stuttered, wringing her hands together nervously.
"That's wrong!" Hajime yelled, immediately seeing the contradiction. "When Izuru and I checked Ibuki's body, we found bits of glass and a piece of metal stuck in her feet." Mikan looked shocked at this.
"What? R-really? I didn't notice…"
"Glass and metal? What kind of metal was it?" Kazuichi asked, scratching the back of his head.
"It looked like a part from a CRT. It couldn't have come from one of the monitors, because if someone broke one of those we'd be breaking the rules." Izuru explained.
"That's right! If one of you bastards had broken a monitor I would've had to punish you. And as much as I would have enjoyed doing that, I don't want to have to replace one of those monitors, they're expensive!" Monokuma interjected, eye glowing with anger.
"Yes, so it had to have come from Electric Alley. There are plenty of TVs there, as well as glass windows. We didn't have time to investigate there, so I don't know for sure if that was the true crime scene, but that seems the most likely place for the crime to have taken place." Izuru explained, making Hajime's eyes widen.
"Yes, and it's close enough to the movie theater that the killer could have moved the body fairly quickly. And the only people who were in that area were Mikan and Kazuichi." Nagito went off of Izuru's explanation. "So… going with that line of thinking, it was one of them."
"If that's the case then it was probably Kazuichi! Mikan couldn't have killed a fly, let alone a person!" Mahiru accused, pointing at Kazuichi.
"H-hold on a second!" Said mechanic screamed, eyes wide.
"Before we go accusing someone, we need to look at the facts. Firstly, Mikan didn't notice the glass and metal on Ibuki's feet, which seems very odd considering how thorough she usually is." Hajime said, turning to Mikan.
"It-it was just a little mistake, her head wound was so bad that I had a hard time doing her autopsy. Wh-why are you ganging up on me all of a sudden?" Mikan asked, tears running down her cheeks.
"I'm not taking her side but… she's so clumsy and timid that it's not out of the question that she'd make a mistake like that." Fuyuhiko added.
"Th-that's right, I'm very clumsy and-and I'm not all that smart so I…" Mikan agreed. Hajime noticed how different her tone of voice was however, seeming more eager to point out her own flaws.
"We're not trying to gang up on you. We're just asking questions to make sure that we know everything about this case." Chiaki tried to reassure.
"Guys, seriously, stop going after her. Mikan took care of you two and you have the nerve to accuse her of being the killer?" Akane, too, was upset with Mikan being accused.
"Yeah! Seriously, you're so ungrateful!" Mahiru agreed. It was silent for a long time, until Hajime gave his brother a glance.
"What?" Izuru asked.
"Aren't you going to say something? Talk some sense into them?"
"No. She's trying to waste the second chance Hiyoko gave her again. I said I wasn't going to stop her the next time she did that I wouldn't try and stop her. So I'm not." Izuru reminded, making Mahiru flinch.
"Am I… really wasting that second chance again?" She asked.
"You and Akane are taking the chance that Mikan isn't the killer, going on only blind faith. You're not being thorough." He explained.
"I… I don't want to doubt Mikan though!" Akane protested.
"Um...I don't think belief and doubt are necessarily opposites. I do doubt her...but I still want to believe her. Belief lies at the heart of that conflict. Cuz...if there's no room for doubt, then there's no reason to believe, is there? If you want to believe in someone...you need to overcome doubt first. Belief without doubt...is simply a lie." Chiaki's voice was soft, but held such a power that it quieted everyone.
"I… Fine, I won't stop you anymore." Akane backed down, looking very unhappy about it however.
"Me too. I… want to make sure. I want to trust Mikan… but if there's even the smallest chance that she's the culprit…" Mahiru's words trailed off. Mikan was clearly unhappy about this.
"You're just going to back down like that?" Gone was the timid and fearful voice that the nurse usually had, in its place was one cold and harsh. "So you're all just a bunch of bullies. G-ganging up on me for just making such a simple mistake, and-and being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I-I-I didn't do anything wrong!" Her voice grew in volume as she spoke, ending with a frantic yell.
"That's not the only reason we are accusing you. The towel is another reason." Izuru refuted.
"Th-the towel?" She asked.
"The towel came from the hospital. Nobody but Nagito, Nekomaru and Byakuya visited the hospital from what I gather. However, someone who was staying at the hospital, such as myself, Hajime or Ibuki could. But Hajime and myself were still sick and it's doubtful Ibuki used a towel to move her own body. However… you had access to the towels. Didn't you?" Izuru's voice was cold and his face was unreadable.
"I-I-I…" She tried to continue to protest before she suddenly started to break out into giggles. "Haaaa...it's been suuuuuuuch a long time... This feeling...I know it well... Like the floor is collapsing...like the sky is falling down upon you... ...This feeling of despair!"
Hajime jerked back as her demeanor suddenly changed drastically. Mikan's face was bright red, and her arms wrapped around herself. But it was her eyes that scared him the most. They were full of a crazed adoration.
"Wh-what the hell? Her personality just did a complete 180!" Fuyuhiko squeaked.
"So… these are your true colors… how disappointing." Nagito remarked, looking unfazed despite being the closest to her besides Byakuya.
The heir, too, looked unnerved by her sudden behavior. "What in the world…? So, are you confessing? Confessing to being the killer?"
"What? Noooo way! I'm not the killer, all you can prove is that I moved the body!" Mikan giggled.
"But… why? Why move the body?" Kazuichi asked. "And why are you acting so weird?"
"Why she's acting like this isn't important right now. What's important is that she moved the body with the intent to throw off the investigation. But… I don't think she's the killer." Izuru butt in before Mikan could respond.
"Huh? Why do you think that?" Hajime asked, genuinely confused.
"The scratches on Ibuki's arms. I think… That Ibuki was trying to kill someone, most likely after being told to by Mikan given what we've learned about Mikan, but in her attempt, she was killed instead." Izuru's theory made sense, as the scratches looked the right shape for a person's nails.
"So… how do you know it wasn't Mikan though?" Nekomaru asked.
"From what the scratches can tell us, Ibuki probably tried to strangle the person she was trying to kill, and they scratched at her arms in an attempt to get away from her. Then, while they were doing that they must have grabbed onto something to hit her over the head… killing her." Nagito said, looking thoughtful. "That must be why the scratches were more severe on her right arm, since the person had to use their right hand to grab the weapon."
"That's right… so the killer must have bruises on their neck from where Ibuki tried to strangle them. The only people with covered necks are Gundam and… Kazuichi." Hajime had a sudden realization. "Kazuichi, why is your neck covered? You always keep your jumpsuit unzipped a little bit."
"Huh? Well, I was gettin' kind of cold so I zipped it up. Is that a problem?" The mechanic asked, starting to sweat a little bit.
"Kazuichi was also the only other person who was at Electric Alley at the time of the murder." Byakuya added.
"And he always carries around a wrench doesn't he? If we compared his wrench to Ibuki's head wound, we would probably see a match in the shapes." Mikan chuckled, looking all too eager to participate now.
"H-hold on a second! Don't I get a chance like you gave to Mikan? Belief without doubt and stuff?" Kazuichi was becoming increasingly frantic.
"Kazuichi… if you have something to hide, just admit it. We all know you cannot keep secrets. " Gundam spoke up, his voice lacking it's usual bravado. Kazuichi looked torn.
"If you aren't the killer, then unzip your jumpsuit and show us your neck." Hajime ordered.
"I-I-I… fine…" Kazuichi unzipped his jumpsuit until the slider was to his collarbone. This revealed dark red bruising around his neck. "I… I didn't mean to. I… I got to the Alley and Ibuki was there. I asked her what she was doing out of the hospital that's when she suddenly attacked me."
"So, that is what happened. Mikan, I'm assuming you told Ibuki to do this right?" Hajime asked.
"Heheh, yep! I didn't want to get my hands dirty so I told Ibuki to go out and kill the first person she saw!"
"That's when she pushed me into the glass window behind me. The window shattered but my jumpsuit protected my back from the glass. I started fighting back, but she was so strong… I managed to grab ahold of my wrench and… After that I… I ran. I was terrified, I didn't know what had just happened. I… wanted to confess, so many times. But every time I tried… I got this lump in my throat and I couldn't talk. I'm sorry…" Kazuichi was crying now, his body shaking.
"Kazuichi, even telling us this now is brave, admitting to your crime is brave." Gundam assured, eyes closed. Hajime could see his hands shaking from where they were clenched in his sleeves.
"I… I didn't want to die… but I didn't want you guys to die either!" The mechanic sniffled. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"
"The only one to blame here is Mikan. She was the one who told Ibuki, who was sick with an illness that made her believe what anyone told her, to kill. If anyone is to blame, it's her." Nagito said, glaring daggers at Mikan.
"Are you guys done with your little pity party? Are you going to vote yet?" Monokuma interrupted, paw to his mouth curiously. "Even if you're not you're gonna have to! It's voting time!"
The votes were unanimous, each person choosing Kazuichi as the culprit.
"Jeez, that wasn't even fun… especially since he confessed." Monokuma grumbled, a pout evident in his voice.
"Oh would you can it already? Yo, Mikan, why the fuck are you acting like this?" Fuyuhiko asked.
"Isn't it obvious? I got sick!" Mikan said.
"Sick… wait, you mean the Despair Disease? Didn't it get cured after the murder? Shouldn't you be back to normal now?" Hajime was so confused, seeing as both he and Izuru had recovered almost immediately.
"But this is normal for me! After all, the disease gave me back my memories." Mikan explained. "I had… The Remembering Disease. I remembered every memory that Monomi took from me. Isn't that wonderful?"
"The Remembering Disease… So… you were like this before." Nagito mumbled.
"But you know! It's not my fault I'm like this. It's yours. I'm the person I am today because of human relationships. So… it's not my fault I turned out like this. Even so… the me right now was the most strongly influenced by my beloved." Mikan's voice suddenly changed as she spoke the last two words, sounding more crazed and adoring. "They were the only one who accepted me completely, who forgave my never hated loved me, gave me value."
"Are… are they the reason why you told Ibuki to kill?" Byakuya asked.
"Yes! I knew that causing a death would make my beloved happy, even death they would be so happy for me causing despair like this. I only want my beloved to be happy, I want to make them proud! I don't care about anything or anyone else but them. Not even the despair they loved so much can compare to the love I feel for them." She responded, her voice becoming more and more frenzied as she spoke.
"You… this is absolutely insane." Mahiru put a hand over her mouth, tearing up slightly.
"But, there's one more person you can blame for this." Mikan turned to Izuru. "You… you had it too didn't you? The Remembering Disease, that's why you were so afraid of me right? You remembered everything, and I caught it from you, didn't I?"
Izuru looked away, staring at a point on the wall, staying silent. Hajime approached his brother and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Izuru? Did you… remember?"
"Yes… I remembered everything, just like Mikan did. Though I can hardly see how I'm to blame for her getting it as well." Izuru answered, making Mikan break out into laughter.
"You and I both know that's not true!"
"Hey! Did you all forget what we're here for? I've got an execution prepared and you bastards ain't getting any younger! Let's go!" Monokuma screamed, stomping his foot.
Gundam approached Kazuichi, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Kazuichi Souda, you were a fool, but a strong one. I will see you in Hell my friend!" Kazuichi looked offended for a moment before he remembered who was talking to him, and smiled.
"Thanks… you weirdo."
"Now then! I've prepared a very special punishment for the Super High School Level Mechanic Kazuichi Souda!"
"Stay safe… please, stay alive… for my sake… no… for everyone who's died sakes."
"Let's give it everything we've got! IIIIIIT'S PUNISHMENT TIME!"
Super High School Level Mechanic Kazuichi Souda's Punishment!
1000000 Leagues Beneath the ground
Kazuichi was forced into a drilling machine. The door closed and the machine starts to drill, deeper and deeper into the ground below. As the machine starts to go deeper it begins to heat up. Faster and faster it drilled, and faster it faster it began to heat up. Soon, the drill beings to melt under the intense heat, melting Kazuichi along with it, leaving only a lump of molten metal and boiling blood.
Everyone had turned away from the scene, not able to watch what was going on… aside from Mikan, who looked thrilled.
"Hehehe, oooh, I know my beloved is just having the best time in the afterlife. Watching all this despair." She said, a wide smile on her face.
"You keep talking about your beloved, but I knew them. They did not love you, they were only using you for their own ends. You should not think so highly of them." Izuru ground out, a disgusted look on his face. Mikan only giggled.
"Izuru, you're just jealous. After all, you've never experienced the kind of love I have. You lost everything. Even-" Izuru suddenly surged forward, grabbing Mikan by her neck and pinning her against the wall.
"Just shut up!" He growled.
"IZURU!" Hajime ran over, trying to pull his brother off of Mikan. "STOP IT! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" He screamed, managing to get Izuru to let go. Izuru wouldn't look at him.
"... Let's just go. I don't want to be in this room anymore."
"Izuru… what the hell did you remember?" Mahiru asked, looking concerned. She took a step forward before being frozen in place by Izuru's glare.
"I remembered… how much I hate everyone here except for my brother."
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Hint, it's a keyed Caesar Cipher)