Class Trial - RESUME

...

Me and Kaede knew Kokichi was right. There was no one else who could've done this.

The only thing the new mastermind could've done was the destruction of Miu's lab, but even then it wouldn't explain the range of damage.

Miu must've done at least part of it herself before telling anyone else about it.

"R-Right. I'm sorry Miu, but you're the only one who had the time to set things up this well." Kaede sadly said.

"The damage you did to your lab was to make it look like you were also supposed to have been a victim earlier, and if we found the needle-like modifications to the hook you made, you could claim someone stole the syringe it comes from and put it on there to frame you." I explained. "Isn't that right, Maki?"

Miu's face had gone completely white as the others cycled between her and the assassin for answers.

"Yes. While I couldn't find blood on the outside of the hook there was something oddly hollow about it that inclined me to think some slow-acting drug could be involved, which could have lead to the way Himiko bled out afterward and help cover the injection point." Maki theorized. "It looked like all it would need to activate was enough pressure being applied to it. Most likely made to be Himiko's weight, so it would trigger only when it was being used to lift her and then retract afterward."

Keebo took the moment to step in, incensed to hear Miu being accused like this.

Even though he brought her up before, I suppose it makes sense he wouldn't want to believe it. None of us really do after all. I thought to myself.

"Then how do we know it wasn't done by someone else?" The robot asked. "Kokichi hardly has any alibis during this frame of time either, he could have easily been a part of this-"

Kaito was the one to cut down his argument, much to the supreme leader's surprise.

"How could he when that was her job, Keebo? Not even Ryoma or Gonta worked on that part, it was too intricate for them. Yeah, we don't know where he was and he lies his ass off like it's nobody's business but we do know he had to have been in the school the whole time." He exclaimed. "Someone would have noticed if he went out to make his way to Miu's lab. Especially Miu herself, where else could she have been but there? Besides, we all saw his motive video: He doesn't let his friends commit any violent crimes so why the hell should we think he'd be willing to go the extra mile to outright murder? It doesn't make sense."

Kokichi's face twitched a little, almost like he was hoping the others would forget a detail like that. Which means the astronaut's observation is likely right on the money, despite his blind faith in others based on his emotional 'logic' like this being able to easily lead him astray.

But this is a good thing, isn't it? Unless Kokichi was planning on giving false confessions in hopes of drawing out a real murderer later. I thought to myself. That does sound like the sort of stunt he'd pull trying to make it sound like he was just trying to 'make the game more interesting'-

Which means he can't keep saying he thinks this 'game' is fun anymore.

I see, that's what he's mad about. He can't play the 'bad guy' as well as he could before now, we know too much for it to work like he'd want it to.

I then heard Kaede's voice speak up to continue Kaito's momentum.

"I don't think Miu would have done this out of nowhere. Someone else could have broken into her lab and destroyed at least the EMProject, to keep us from being able to escape the killing game or so we'd be more comfortable with the idea of just trying to live here peacefully or something." The pianist theorized. "It doesn't make sense to me that she'd start on something like this only to destroy it herself, you know? She didn't need to help me, after we saw what a bad idea the Death Road could be and how dangerous the Exisals are."

"With her last best chance of safely leaving with all of us gone then you think she just snapped? You think her projects outside really mean that much to her, more than any of us? I thought she and Keebo were closer than that-" Ryoma couldn't even finish his thought as Miu's patience finally broke.

Her hair was completely down at this point, flowing around her as wild as the rest of her. There was an unmistakable intensity to her eyes as she started spouting half-assed objections like anything she said in this state would be able to convince us otherwise.

"SHUT UP YOU HALF-PINT, YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ME! GET OFF YOUR LITTLE SOAP BOX AND SAY THAT TO MY FACE LIKE A FUCKIN' MAN. WHY WOULD I EVER HAVE EVEN WANTED TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS HUH? GET REAL! WHAT COULD I POSSIBLY THINK IS MORE VALUABLE THAN HIMIKO'S FUCKING LIFE, OR YOURS, OR EVERYONE ELSE'S HERE RIGHT NOW?!"

I closed my eyes as I thought to myself.

That's an easy one. You said before you thought your projects could be used 'to help the world', right?

I'm sure even your 'while you sleep' series would be able to make those in comas, narcoleptics, or even those simply paralyzed, be able to feel they could be just as productive to society as anyone else. So others wouldn't be able to claim they could be a burden to anyone, or think less of them because of whatever conditions they had. And no one else but you would care about finishing your legacy, right?

I'm sorry, Miu.

I'm sorry that I couldn't stop you from doing what you did.

I'm sorry I need to do this.

"As an inventor, why wouldn't we believe your life's work would be so important to you?" I asked. "Not for the sake of yourself, but for those you wanted to help with them. Especially if you knew no one else would think of the ways to improve their lives like you could, and your attempt to help us here was treated like this."

Those words were enough for all of Miu's fury to cave in on itself, as if she had been stripped bare of any armor she could have used to protect herself. There weren't any anime-eques power suits that could have saved her from the truth they reached. She was just a teenage girl sobbing in a bright pink party dress.

"I see. And with an opportunity like this it would be easy to try and lead us into suspecting this was merely an accident, or lay the blame on someone else involved with Himiko's magic tricks." Kirumi muttered. "I can imagine how having a motive like this would make the temptation hard to resist, with the hope Kaede entrusted to you shattered by someone else so cruelly. I can sympathize with thinking you are putting the needs of others before yourself in such a way. This must have been hard for you, all things considered."

"But why did it have to be Himiko?"

To our surprise, it wasn't Tenko to ask the question on all of our minds, but Keebo's broken voice. He looked so defeated right now, like he might fall apart. Like he'd been crying as much as Gonta, Tenko, or Miyuji if he had the physical ability to, but simply didn't. But the Monokubs didn't let Miu answer.

"Oh come on! That doesn't fuckin' matter right now, doesn't it? It sounds like you bitches finished up the exciting parts, so let's see how you bastards did!" Monokid exclaimed.

"It's... VOTING TIME!" All five of the Monokubs shouted in unison.

Against Keebo's objections and Miu's surprisingly silent acceptance, we all did just that.

Once everyone voted, the voting machine made itself known, showing the results.

The votes for Miu were nearly unanimous. But only nearly. One vote for Kiyo stood out, but a cursory glance around the room made it clear to see who's vote that was.

The anthropologist was the only one who wasn't confused about it after all. He almost looked satisfied with those results.

Why? He had no issues with voting for who we thought was the true culprit last time, didn't he? Even Keebo still voted for Miu and he was always rather bothered by her loud and crass attitude anyway, so Kiyo shouldn't be against voting for her personally. Is he just blaming himself for not protecting Himiko? She had made an effort to 'protect' him first. But is that really something he'd do? I thought to myself.

Then the verdict machine rolled into view. It came to life as the lights spun around the wheel with all of our faces on them, of the potential 'blackened', before it landed on Miu's pixelated face. Coins rushed out as if in celebration, as if only two people dying was a good reason for it.

Miu Iruma, the Ultimate Inventor, killed Himiko Yumeno, the Ultimate Magician, and none of us knew why.

...

Class Trial - ALL RISE

...

"It wasn't like I… She wasn't my first choice. At first, I was thinkin', I might have even tried using what was left of my hammers on… On Keebo, you know? B-Because there is no way in hell his papa would be letting an AI this advanced go around without any backups or anything, right?! Or if not make sure there was like a backup brain battery somewhere so after the body announcement or the trial was done maybe there'd still be a way I could fix him up, so that I wouldn't have really killed him or anything. Just… Everyone else."

Miu was still crying as she struggled to explain. Her voice shaking the way it does whenever someone tried to confront her when she went out of line. Whenever people didn't act the way she expected.

"I mean who'd even do something as stupid as not building any sort of emergency safeguards? It's so easy to lose way too much progress if something goes wrong! Way too easy to lose someone so important in just about every sense of the word, and with how delicate machines and human minds are, it wouldn't even take much to break either of 'em. Unless… Unless he really couldn't. I don't really know Keebo's tech much at all, and I'm no stranger to programming so that's sayin' something. That is way more complicated than a copy-paste job, I wouldn't even know where to start. And when I got to thinkin' like that, there was no way I could risk that. The Keebo that I was treatin' like a spare wouldn't even really be the same guy if he did exist. He wouldn't know me at all."

None of us had to point out that playing to win meant she was still acting on the hope the revival plan still could be option. By trying to survive, the inventor was trying to kill him too. But that way, she wouldn't need to kill her best friend, her only real friend, directly at least. And that meant even if she died here, he wouldn't, not yet. She'd rather have him survive with us than risk them both dying if she was caught.

"After ruling out the only person who maybe wouldn't have needed to actually 'die', I didn't have a lot of options left. I'm not the sort of person to try kickin' folks when they're down because I can like a certain maid I could mention."

The glare Miu gave Kirumi was unmistakable, despite being the person who claimed to understand the inventor's motive the best. This was where the inventor drew her line in the sand, her attempt to kill Ryoma was just with the group. It was clear this wasn't a personal attack like the one earlier in her mind, she was never trying to prey on his pain for her gain the way everyone saw Kirumi intending to. Ryoma looked like he really wished he could've lowered his at hat at the memory.

"So… That meant no one whose video was anything like mine. Preferably someone who's motive video instead tied things up in a way, you know? Like… Himiko's video gave her some sort of 'closure' with her mentor, didn't it? He, er she... They clearly had some regrets but they said whatever happened wasn't her fault so that must've been good right? Lotsa compliments, and if she ran away for a while before this game stuff started th-then her parents might've already been prepared for bad news. And as the best time was during the show, then maybe she'd be able to die knowing she brought smiles to everyone's faces. That woulda been enough to make her happy right?! There should have been enough of a numbing agent that she wouldn't even have felt a thing, just a bit woozy before… falling asleep."

It hurt hearing logic like this. Twisted as it did seem to be, what the inventor believed to be some form of truth. But at least she understood how horrible her words were, even if saying it helped ease her guilt.

"That's all it is?! That's why Himiko had to die?!" Tenko yelled as tears continued to run down her cheeks.

It's easy to understand why the aikido master was furious. None of us would ever agree with what the strawberry blonde-haired girl said.

"I know it's stupid! This whole thing is stupid! A stupid killing game with stupid motives and stupid bears who keep messing with your shit and your head! And dumbass inventors who just… Needed to leave. It's not like I don't regret what I did you know! I do. Honest, I do. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't do more for you guys. I'm sorry I was such a pain in the balls. I'm sorry I… That I thought this was the best thing to do. And I'm really sorry you had to hear me babble about you like that, Keebo. But now I guess... I can go apologize to Himiko too yeah? Unless I wind someplace different. If I do it'll probably suit me better anyway, won't it? I-I mean I'm too kinky for anyplace else amiright?!"

Her attempt to put up a brave face was just that though as the tears were still freely flowing down her forced grin. It served as good a cue as any, given how the Monokubs began the execution process. At least a cowardly but brash girl like her was able to face her fate with her chin held high and her mind out of the gutter.

It's a shame she wouldn't be allowed to stay that way. She deserved better, even as rude as she was and even though she wasn't one of the four remaining traitors.

GAME OVER

Miu has been found guilty.

Time for the punishment!

Miu found herself inside of what looked like a children's cartoon of a European castle, but the colors were pushed to near neon levels and there weren't any lines as much as there are solid shapes of color. Not to mention the crude inky barbed wires surrounding everything as if to mimic the style of her necklaces that she still had on.

The exception being the inventor herself and whatever it was she was trapped in.

There were straps on her arms and legs that had been pulled way too tightly keeping her secure in the odd 'enhancements' that bore some of Miu's own design leanings. Her legs connected to stilt-like contraptions, her arms stuck along the sides of long mechanical hands connected to a pack on her back.

When they began to move, she realized that this was a parody of her 'while you sleep' series by the way Monotaro, Monophanie, and Monosuke puppeted her about.

La Petite Mort

Ultimate Inventor Miu Iruma's Execution: Executed

The limbs kept jerking her body through the motions of building new creations, all accompanied with sickening snaps, cracks, and screams whenever the cold metal went beyond the limitations her body was made for. And when one set was done the straps restraining her came loose, so the new contraptions could show their worth and 'augmenting' her natural abilities in some sick sense.

Things continued like this, no new set of limbs being exactly the same as those before it, and as Miu's body broke more and more, the way they'd connect themselves to her would get more invasive as well.

It was to the point she was like one of those paper dolls with their joints held in place with brass tacks.

But she was still alive. Still awake. Regardless of the hellish amount of pain she was in right now.

Miu saw Monodam toss Monokid's guitar into the last room of the 'castle' she was being made to walk herself to from the side. The bedroom, a gigantic tower of mattresses the inventor would have never been able to climb had she been unaugmented, surrounded by red wax candles, more of her barbed wires, and suggestively pink mood lighting.

The guitar landed at the top, where the strawberry blonde-haired girl's body intended to take her, so she and Monokid began their respective climbs. The blue Monokub was able to reach it first, taking a proud pose as he made threatening gestures towards his more mechanical brother as it looked like he intended to try and kill him in return, but as Miu approached close behind him it was too late.

As Miu was finally released from all of her restraints, collapsed in a broken bloody heap on the bed, one last machine came to life near the bottom of the tower. And so it pulled the pin of the grenade hidden in the middle of the of the first mattress just as the inventor was ready to take the only rest she might have appreciated.

The explosion tore through everything, and given the state of Monokid's parts sent flying, it's something of a blessing nothing could really be seen of Miu's body. As the debris settled, there was more than enough blood to be assured of her fate, either blown to bits or crushed under the massive mattresses. All that was left of either of them was her broken layered choker and the remains of an electric guitar.

Miu Iruma, the Ultimate Inventor, was dead.

All of us left the trial room in a daze. Keebo was the last to leave, as he gently picked up Miu's necklace from off the floor, looking it over. It must've not been as damaged as it first appeared as he took it with him rather than leaving it behind.

Or maybe he thinks he can fix it? It's still nice to have a reminder of the friends we lose like this. I thought to myself.

As all of us went to our rooms for the night, a dark feeling struck me. Noticing Kiyo heading to Miyuji's room, I followed him and peaked through the door.

My memory about who Kiyo is has recovered... Is he trying to target Miyuji? I thought in worry.

His terrifying laugh echoed as he held a Battle Gem in his hand. The gem itself was a moderate gold and a diamond was on the top.

"Sister... One of my best candidates for you... is Miyuji Shan, the Ultimate Vocalist." He muttered.

My eyes widened in horror as I thought I knew it! Not only is he a creep, he's also one of the four remaining traitors!

...

End of Chapter 2: Her Song of Passion and Sin

Surviving Members: 15

Present Obtained: Inventor's Goggles - Proof that you cleared Chapter 2. A memento of Miu. It shows her devotion and pride to her work and her talent.