We just stood there, motionless, no daring to say a word.
ding dong, bing bong
The monitor inside Byakuya's room lightened up.
« A body has been discovered ! Oh, looks like everyone is already at the crime scene ! Excellent then ! » Monokuma spoke, still holding his glass in hand, or rather paw.
Suddenly, he appeared next to Byakuya's body !
« Well, well, well. Looks like one of you guys killed another ! What was that speech of 'sticking together and work together against me' ? » Monokuma mocked everyone.
« Shut up ! You're the one who killed Byacuckya ! » Miu snapped as usual.
« Nope ! I will not commit a murder, I only give out the motives so you can kill each other ! Which means, it's one of you who killed him in order to graduate ! » Monokuma explained.
« L-lies… No one would… No one would… » Taka was speechless.
I looked around, and saw everyone looking at each other in suspicion, fear and confusion.
« Wait, something doesn't make sense ! If someone really killed him, then they should have left already, no ? » Kazuichi asked in confusion.
« Bwahahahaha ! » Monokuma bursted out laughing.
«W-what's s-so f-funny ? » Toko glared at him.
« Did you honestly think it would be that easy ? You could just kill someone and get out of here ? Nope ! You need to survive the class trial first ! » Monokuma explained.
« Class trial… ? » I said out loud.
« Yup ! That's the second part of the graduation ! After someone has been killed, after a certain time I will give you to investigate on Byakuya's murder, the class trial will begin ! Everyone must participate, including the blackened who committed the murder. They and the spotless students have to debate to determine who did it. The outcome is determined by popular vote ! If you voted correctly, only the killer is punished. But if you vote incorrectly, the killer will graduate and leave this school, while the rest of you will be punished. » Monokuma continued.
« Hold on a sec… What is this punishment you're talking about ? » Rantaro interrupted.
« Oh right ! Well, to put it simply… Execution ! » He replied.
« E-execution… ? Y-you mean… ? » Mikan took a step back in fear.
« Execution is execution ! Poison, electric chair, anything, really ! » He continued, chuckling darkly.
« S-so, to make sure I understand… If we get the culprit right, then only they die… But if we get it wrong… All the rest of us get… executed ? » Taka realized what it implied.
« Yup, yup ! Let me add this to the school regulations ! » Monokuma quickly typed something, then we heard buzzing noises from our e-Handbooks.
Rule 7 : Once a murder takes place, a class trial will begin shortly thereafter. Participation is mandatory for all surviving students.
« Now, I think it's time for you to start your investigation, so we can start the class trial together ! » Monokuma said happily.
« Stop it. »
Everyone turned to the one who said that.
It was Junko.
« You're freaking insane, you know that ?! » She said angrily.
« Eh ? » Monokuma tilted his head in confusion.
« No way I'm risking my life to find out some killer ! Leave me out of this ! » She snapped.
« What ?! Are you saying you're not gonna participate in the class trial ?! Only punishment awaits such blasphemy ! It's my style to resist till the very end ! If you want to get out of here… You will have to go through me first ! » Monokuma sticked out his claws, and charged at Junko, although it was more of a waddle.
Junko easily stepped onto Monokuma's face.
« Are you enjoying yourself now ? » She taunted.
« Are you ? » Monokuma chuckled.
« Huh ? » Her smirk disappeared.
« Violence against Headmaster Monokuma is not allowed. You have broken a rule… I invoke my mighty summon spell ! Help me, goldy spear Gungnir ! » Monokuma shouted.
Then…
It happened…
« H-huh… ? This wasn't… supposed to… Why… me… ? »
Suddenly, Junko Enoshima fell onto the ground, pouring out blood with spears all over her upperbody.
« W… WHAAAATTTT ?! » Kazuichi screamed.
Toko collapsed onto the ground out of shock.
We stared at Junko's body in horror, as her blood was joining Byakuya's.
« Now you see just how serious I am… Defy me and you get shot full of holes, exploded, buried alive, disintegrated… et cetera… So if you don't want that to happen to you, you would best obey those school regulations ! » Monokuma threatened.
It was the first time I saw someone's life come to an end. Junko, who was standing with us just a second ago… was now dead.
« Don't worry too much about her ! I'm taking of this ! »
Suddenly, several other Monokumas popped out of nowhere, removed Junko's body, and cleaned out the blood !
« W-what… How was it so fast ? » Taka asked, still in shock.
« We Monokumas are one of a kind ! But that doesn't matter right now ! I have something I would like to give you to help you in your search of Byakuya's murderer ! I give you… The Monokuma File ! » Monokuma gave to each of us a file.
« Now then, please put your full effort behind your investigation ! You must give your best shot after all ! See you in a little while ! » Monokuma disappeared.
He left us in shock… If we didn't find who killed Byakuya, everyone but the murderer would die here. Everyone began to look each other with suspicion.
« Now's no time to wallow in your depression. We have to work together to find the culprit. Exposing the killer is the most important thing. » Kyoko told us out of the sudden.
« She's right. We must begin our investigation right now ! » Mahiru declared.
We have to do this…
I kept repeating that sentence to give myself strength… I'm sure the others did that too.
« W-well, where are we supposed to start…? » Himiko asked, still in shock.
« Let's check this file Monokuma gave us. » Kyoko told us.
Let's see…
The victim was Byakuya Togami. The time of death os estimated to be around 10:15 PM. The body was discovered in the victim's own room, in the dormitory. Poison has been found in the victim's body. His throat was also cut slit.
« Wait, there are two injuries ? How are we supposed to know which one caused the death ? » Taka asked.
« I-I can check the b-body, it s-shouldn't be a problem… » Mikan told us timidly.
« I can take photos to make sure we don't miss out anything ! » Mahiru added.
« We should have someone guard the crime scene. We don't want anyone to destroy the evidence. » Kokichi said.
« I will do it, I don't mind. » Rantaro proposed.
« Alright, someone should help Rantaro guard the crime scene too. » Kyoko nodded.
« W-why… ? » Himiko asked.
« Because if he is the culprit, he could destroy the evidence by going on guard duty. » Kyoko explained.
« Then I shall do it ! I must redeem myself for failing to save Byakuya… » Taka added in a somber tone at the end.
« I don't mind having some company. » Rantaro chuckled.
« We're counting on you, everyone ! Don't fail us ! Don't fail Byakuya ! » Taka pointed at us.
« Hey ! I just noticed ! Byakuya died at 10:15 PM ! That's 15 minutes after the nighttime announcement ! » Kokichi exclaimed.
« Wait, that's right ! Cockichi just gave us a way to know the killer ! Whoever was leaving last has to be the culprit ! » Miu noted.
« Well, from what I know, the closest was Makoto… » Kazuichi said.
As soon as he said that, everyone turned to look at me in suspicion.
« W-wait ! I-I didn't kill Byakuya ! » I panicked.
« Y-you expect us to b-believe that ? Just tell us the truth ! » Toko snapped.
« Makoto… Have you really… » Sonia asked before being interrupted.
« Yeah he did ! He's the one who killed Byakuya ! » Kazuichi pointed at me.
« Actually, he's telling the truth. As a professional liar, I can tell when someone is lying. And Makoto isn't lying. » Kokichi grinned.
This earned him to gain some suspicious looks from the others.
« Y-yeah r-right, as if w-we would believe a l-liar like you… » Toko glared at the Ultimate Supreme Leader.
« Stop it. We haven't even started searching that you are already accusing him. » Kyoko came to my defense.
« We already have evidence- » Miu said.
« Shut it. » Kyoko frowned at her, interrupting her as she froze.
« I agree, let's not waste any more time and start our investigation. » Rantaro said with a stern voice.
Some groaned due to the fact they were suspecting me, but they all agreed we needed to get moving, or else we would be in big trouble.
Investigation Start
Alright, I know some information thanks to the Monokuma File, so I better keep all of that in mind.
Monokuma File #1 has been added to the Truth Bullets section of your handbook.
I should check Byakuya's body for any clue… Mikan was already near him.
« Hey Mikan. » I said softly as to not scare her.
This time, it worked, as she turned to me without jumping in fear.
« O-oh hey M-makoto… I just finished doing the autopsy of Byakuya… » She said quietly.
« What did you find ? » I asked.
« He did have poison in his body… and also a slit throat. » She answered.
« A-a slit throat ?! So all that blood isn't just from the poison ?! » I said out loud, which made her shield her face.
« E-eek ! Y-yes ! » She panicked.
« S-sorry ! Can you show me that slit throat ? » I apologized.
« O-ok… Can you help me turn his head to the side ? » She asked me.
« Wait, shouldn't we wear gloves for this ? » I wondered.
« I wouldn't worry about that if I were you. We don't have anything to check for fingerprints, and I doubt Monokuma would give us something that easy. » Kyoko approached us.
« Hey Kyoko, could you help us lift his head ? » I asked her.
She nodded, as she, I and Mikan turned Byakuya's head to the side. It was a bit difficult, due to him being overweight, but we did it, as we saw the long cut through Byakuya's throat.
« It would seem the slit throat was the finishing blow. The poison must have been used to weaken him, or at least they tried to kill him with the poison, but it didn't work so the culprit finished him off with a knife. » Kyoko concluded.
« So… We need to find the murder weapon. » I rhetorically said.
« W-well, if that can help… T-the cup has poison in it… » Mikan pointed out.
« So we can confirm this was no accident and someone did kill Byakuya… » I concluded.
Broken Cup has been added to the Truth Bullets section of your handbook.
« Still, why Byakuya ? He was trying to help us. » I wondered out loud.
« That's exactly why he was targeted. He was trying to prevent a murder from happening, like Taka and Mahiru. And what caused someone to kill him, Makoto ? » She asked me rhetorically.
« The motive videos… » My eyes widened.
« Indeed. Anyone who watched the videos had a reason to kill Byakuya. And who were the only ones who didn't watch their videos ? » She continued.
« T-that would b-be Byakuya and Mahiru… » Mikan answered instead of me.
« And with that evidence alone, we can scratch Mahiru off the suspects' list. » Kyoko finished.
Motive Videos has been added to the Truth Bullets section of your handbook.
« B-by the way Makoto… I-I n-noticed something o-odd before… » Mikan told me.
« What is it, Mikan ? » I asked.
« T-the day of the m-murder… Yesterday… A-a few bottles of medicine went m-missing… And when we t-talked a few days before that, they were here ! I-I checked around to f-find them, b-but they were gone ! I-I… I'm sorry I couldn't find them ! » Mikan cried.
« Mikan, calm down ! This is a great evidence you gave us ! » I smiled.
« I-it… it is… ? » She looked at me in surprise.
« Yes, now we know the murderer took these bottles to commit the murder yesterday, which confirms it was done that day. » Kyoko nodded.
Bottles of Medicine has been added to the Truth Bullets section of your handbook.
Mikan's Account has been added to the Truth Bullets section of your handbook.
« Thank you Mikan, you were super helpful ! » I smiled at her.
« I-I… I'm glad I was h-here to help ! » She smiled back, feeling happy.
Alright, let's continue the investigation. I approached the dorm's door, where Kokichi seemed to inspect it.
« Hey Makoto ! Notice anything strange with this door ? » He asked me.
I stared at the door in question, trying to find anything odd about it.
« Wait… Wouldn't the door be locked ? Byakuya wouldn't certainly forget about it. » I noticed.
« Yup, yup ! Not like you Makoto, who keeps forgetting about it. » Kokichi gave me a smug grin, putting his finger in front of his lips.
« W-what… ?! » My eyes widened in horror.
« Nishishi !~ I can picklock doors, you know ? But no need for yours, since you never lock it ! I opened it while you were away a few days ago ! Which is dangerous, you know… because someone might kill you… » Kokichi smirked evilly.
« Y-you don't need to tell me twice… » I stared at him in shock.
« Aannnnyyway, as you noticed, the door wasn't locked, so it couldn't have been picklocked. Which means, the killer entered Byakuya's room without any struggle. » Kokichi concluded.
So they entered because the door was unlocked… Hmm…
Unlocked Door has been added to the Truth Bullets section of your handbook.
I decided to leave Kokichi and check the room again for more evidence.
« Hey, watch where you going, murderer ! » Kazuichi snapped as I nearly bumped into him.
« S-sorry… And I swear I didn't kill Byakuya ! » I told him in annoyance.
« Yeah.. Not buying it. » He eyed me suspiciously.
« Look, could you tell or give me anything that you noticed before the murder ? » I asked, calming down.
He didn't reply for a bit, but sighed.
« Fine… I don't want to die, so I will tell you what I saw the day of the murder… Who were the closest to Byakuya. There was you, me, Miss Sonia, Taka, Mahiru and Keebo near him, so they have to be our main suspects… And you are in it ! » He pointed at me.
I sigh as I leave him. But his account is definitely useful.
Kazuichi's Account has been added to the Truth Bullets section of your handbook.
I heard a photograph click, I turned around and saw Mahiru taking pictures.
« Hey ! Move out of the way ! » She scowled me.
« S-sorry… What are you doing, Mahiru ? » I asked, getting away from her camera's view.
« Isn't that obvious ? I'm taking pictures to make sure we have a view of the crime scene and the evidences, just in case the culprit somehow manages to destroy the evidence. » She explained.
« Oh, that's a smart idea ! Can I see ? » I asked her.
« Sure, but I'm watching you, so don't get any bad ideas ! » She warned me as she handed me her camera.
I looked at the photo she had taken. I could see Byakuya's body, the evidence, and all who were in the field of view, including me.
Wait…
There was something I just realized...
« Hey, shouldn't there be a knife or something that was used to cut Byakuya's throat? » I pointed at the thing I just noticed.
She looked at her camera.
« Wait, you're right ! Where is it?! » She exclaimed.
We looked around, hoping to find it...
We didn't find it!
« I heard your conversation. Good job with those photos, Mahiru. Looks like the murder weapon has been disposed of. » She told her.
« Of course ! Anytime ! » She smiled.
So the culprit has taken the murder weapon with them. We're looking for a knife...
Mahiru's Photo has been added to the Truth Bullets section of your handbook.
Missing Murder Weapon has been added to the Truth Bullets section of your handbook.
Ding dong, bing bong
« Erm, so ah… I'm getting tired of waiting. How about we just get started, hm ? It's time for the long awaited… class trial ! Please go through the red door on the 1st floor of the school ! Puhuhu, see you soon !~ » Monokuma's voice came out of the monitor before shutting off.
Well, I guess it's time, then.
Except I left last and had to remember where was that door.
Everyone was waiting for me. Taka approached me with a stern expression.
« You're late Makoto ! We all have been waiting for you ! » He pointed at me.
« Hmph, I bet y-you were afraid y-you would be discovered as the m-murderer as you are… » Toko smirked at me.
« Save that for the class trial ! There we can expose Makoto as the blackened ! » Taka ordered.
So most of them think I did it…
But I didn't do it ! I never went to Byakuya's room ! But then, who is the killer ?
« Everyone's here ? Good ! Please board through the elevator in front of you, which will transport you to the courtroom… where all of your fates will be decided. I will meet you down there… » Monokuma spoke through the monitor again.
Some began to step into the elevator, when Kyoko approached me.
« Are you scared ? You shouldn't, you have discovered evidence that proves your innocence. Use it, or you will never be able to show the truth. » She told me before stepping into the elevator, not giving me a chance to answer.
« Nyeeehh… I don't want to do this… » Himiko cried a bit.
« M-me too… » Mikan cried as well.
« W-well, stay here and die ! I'm not dying today ! » Toko snapped as she stepped in.
« Come on girls, we must do this to find out who killed Byakuya and survive ! » I approached them, trying to calm them down.
Himiko didn't seem to believe me, but she and Mikan started to calm down, as we stepped into the elevator.
As we did that, the doors closed on their own, and we began our descent.
Heavy clanking noises were the only sounds breaking this long silence as we went deeper into the school's basement.
« Nyohoho ! You have finally arrived ! What do you think ? Doesn't it feel like a real courtroom ? » Monokuma asked us as he was sitting on a throne.
« Umm, actually, as Princess of Novoselic, I visited courtrooms, and they don't look- » Sonia began to speak.
« No one cares ! Now, please find your assigned seats and stay there ! » Monokuma interrupted her.
We obeyed, and joined our respective seats. I glanced at the courtroom, and noticed an empty seat in front of me, just in front of Monokuma, and next to a portrait of Byakuya with a red cross on it. This was the class trial seating clockwise :
The empty seat, Byakuya's death portrait, Sonia, Himiko, Kokichi, Keebo, Miu, Mahiru, Me, Junko's death portrait, Taka, Kazuichi, Toko, Kyoko, Rantaro, Mikan, and back at that empty seat.
Pre-Class Trial Portraits :
Junko , Mikan, Kazuichi, Sonia and Taka
And so, the curtain on our first case opened…
A deadly judgment…
A deadly deception…
A deadly betrayal…
Byakuya , Rantaro, Kyoko, Keebo, Mahiru, and Toko
A deadly riddle…
A deadly defense…
A deadly faith…
Makoto, Miu, Kokichi and Himiko
A deadly… class trial… !
CLASS TRIAL ALL RISE !
« Let's begin with a basic explanation of the class trial ! So, your votes will determine the results. If you can figure out « whodunnit" then only they will receive punishment. But if you pick the wrong one… Then I will punish everyone besides the blackened, and the one that deceived everyone else will graduate ! » Monokuma explained.
« And the killer really is one of us, right ? » I rhetorically asked.
« Of course ! » Monokuma nodded.
« Okay then, everyone close your eyes, and whoever did it, raise your hand ! » Taka declared.
« Nishishi.~ Good idea ! Go ahead ! » Kokichi closed his eyes, but puts his hands behind his head.
« Don't be a fuckin' moron ! No way in hell they will raise their hand ! They would be fuckin' killed on the spot ! » Miu groaned.
« Before we move on and start the trial, can I ask a question real quick ? What's going on with… those pictures ? » Kyoko asked.
« I would feel awful if they got left out just because they died. Friendship penetrates even death's barrier ! » Monokuma answered.
« Penetrate, huh ? Ha ! That's what she said ! » Miu chuckled.
« Then what's that empty seat over there ? We are fifteen, so why there are sixteen seats ? » Mahiru pointed at that empty seat.
« Oh, no reason. It's just that our little courtroom here can have a maximum capacity of sixteen people. But enough about it, get started ! » Monokuma told us.
It's about to begin, the debate to decide who we think the killer is… I have to be ready to speak up about everything I found and noticed. Our lives are on the line !
NON-STOP DEBATE
« I assert that the one who was murdered was Byakuya Togami ! » Taka declared.
« We know that part already, dipshit ! » Miu groaned.
« The murder took place in Byakuya's own room. » Sonia continued.
« At 10:15 PM. » Mahiru added.
« The cause of death was poisoning… But we didn't find anything that could have been used to poison him ! » Kazuichi commented.
That !
« NO, THAT'S WRONG ! » I shouted.
BREAK !
« Dude, what's with the shouting ?! » Kazuichi winced.
« S-sorry… What I was trying to say… is that we did find something that could have been used to poison Byakuya. » I cleared my throat.
« Huh ? We did ? » He asked in confusion.
« Yes… the Broken Cup. The poison was found inside that cup, Byakuya swallowed the poison ! » I explained.
« Oh… But wait, how can the contains of a cup be turned into a poison ? It had to be very powerful if it did ! » Kazuichi asked in confusion.
I can prove it… by using this piece of evidence !
« Got it ! It was these bottles of medicine ! » I exclaimed, though not as loud as before.
« Medicine ? » Keebo looked at me in surprise.
« Yes, they had to be mixed inside the contains of the cup to create a powerful poison ! » I concluded.
« It makes sense. Medicine is often used as a suicide method by people suffering of depression, I had to deal with a lot of that in my kingdom. » Sonia nodded.
« Yeah, but where does that get us ? It still doesn't change the fact Makoto killed him ! » Kazuichi pointed at me.
« Y-yeah… What more proof do you n-need ? He's the killer ! » Toko glared at me.
« Let's draw our conclusions after we have presented our arguments. There's no point of a trial otherwise. » Rantaro frowned at both of them.
« He's right. Let's talk more about these bottles. » Kyoko nodded.
She's right, there's gotta be something. I know I'm not the killer !
NON-STOP DEBATE
« So we now know the bottles of medicine were used to poison Byakuya. But when were they taken ? » Keebo asked.
« It has to be after Monokuma revealed the motive two days ago, and before the nighttime announcement last night. » Kokichi continued.
« Where could the bottles of medicine have been taken ? » Taka asked.
« That has to be the Nurse's Office. » Rantaro answered.
« Nyeh… Makoto must have slipped into the Nurse's Office to get those bottles… But Mikan always stays there… She must have seen him ! » Himiko proposed.
It can't be… because of what she told me !
« No, that's wrong ! » I exclaimed.
BREAK !
« N-nyeh ? » Himiko looked at me in surprise.
« She couldn't have seen me, isn't that right, Mikan ? » I looked at her.
She looked down as everyone stared at her.
« Mikan, it's ok. Tell us, we won't judge. » I smiled at her.
« O-ok… I-It's true… Makoto wasn't there the day of the murder… He couldn't have taken the bottles ! » Mikan explained.
« Well, what if he took them before the reveal of the motive ? Didn't you two spend time together ? » Miu asked.
« Y-yes we did, b-but… » Mikan whimpered.
« See ? He might have spend time with you just to distract you and get those- » Miu was interrupted.
« N-no ! The bottles only d-disappeared the day of the murder ! I'm certain of that ! They were still in the Office before the motive reveal ! » Mikan stared at her.
« W-what the hell ?! S-she talked back to me ?! » Miu was flabbergasted.
« So there's no question the bottles were taken on the day of the murder, and not before. Which means Makoto couldn't have taken the bottles before or during the day of the murder. » Keebo concluded.
« So… Makoto isn't the culprit ? » Sonia asked.
« Then who's the culprit, for fuck's sake ? » Miu snapped.
« Is there anything we can have to know who could be the culprit ? » Taka asked.
Yes, there's a way to know it ! Thanks to him !
SELECT SOMEONE !
« Kazuichi, you know the answer. » I told him.
« H-huh ? I do ? » He looked at me in surprise.
« Yes you do. Remember what you told me during the investigation ? About who were the closest to Byakuya ? » I reminded him.
« Hmm… Oh yeah ! That's right ! I know who was near Byakuya before the nighttime announcement. » Kazuichi scratched the back of his head.
« Why didn't you tell us earlier, Kazu-itchy?! » Miu snapped.
« I forgot, ok ?! I'm sorry ! » Kazuichi snapped back.
« Anyway, tell us who was near him. » Rantaro asked.
« There was Taka, Mahiru, me, Miss Sonia, Makoto and Keebo. He has to be one of them, since the culprit had to be close to Byakuya to drop the poison. » Kazuichi explained.
« S-see, Makoto was n-near him ! He's the culprit ! » Toko glared at me.
« No ! We now have other suspects to think about ! Any one of them could have murdered Byakuya ! » I told her.
« That's right. But we also have one more thing to take into account. » Rantaro said.
« Nyeh ? Like what ? » Himiko yawned.
« The slit throat. » He explained.
« Oh yes, that would explain why there was so much blood at the crime scene. » Sonia noted.
« But why cut his throat if they used poison ? » Mahiru asked.
« Probably to finish him off, if the poison didn't do it. » Rantaro answered.
« How do we know for sure the slit throat killed him ? Couldn't the poison have been the finishing blow ? » Taka proposed.
« That seems unlikely. As the Ultimate Adventurer, I met a lot of agressive animals I had to put down. My parents taught me and my sisters where to aim for maximum damage. And the neck is the easiest way to kill an animal. » Rantaro explained us.
« I-It's true… A-as a nurse, I can confirm t-that… The slit throat seems to b-be the cause of death… » Mikan nodded weakly.
« So that's it… Byakuya was poisonned to weaken him… Then he had his throat slit, killing him ! » I concluded.
« Stop lying already ! » Toko snapped and pointed at me.
ARGUE
« W-wait, w-what if… the poison was the thing that killed him… ? » Toko proposed.
« Huh ? No Toko, we just proved it wasn't the case. » I shook my head.
« Oh y-yeah ? Well, I-I will show to everyone you're the culprit a-after all ! » She glared at me.
REBUTTAL SHOWDOWN
« It is obvious y-you killed B-Byakuya… with the poison… W-we confirmed those bottles of medicine were used to mix their contains to create a powerful poison… The killer had to be close to Byakuya to slip that poison in his cup… And y-you were the only one who could h-have killed him ! » She explained.
ADVANCE !
« Kazuichi just told us I wasn't the only one near him, and Rantaro and Mikan proved that a knife was used to slit Byakuya's throat, which ended his life ! » I retorted.
« S-sure… That knife c-could have been fatal… B-but m-maybe we are getting on the w-wrong track here… I mean… The c-culprit must have destroyed it! » She objected.
« I will cut through your words ! » I shouted.
BREAK !
« That's wrong, Toko. The culprit didn't have the chance to destroy it. » I continued.
« W-what ?! » Her eyes widened in surprise.
« We didn't find it at the crime scene. And there's no way they could have destroyed it with Rantaro and Taka guarding the crime scene. There's no doubt that it was taken, and it is the murder weapon that was used to end Byakuya's life. » I finished.
« Alright, there's no denying that the knife was the murder weapon. But when was it taken ? » Kazuichi asked.
« Actually, now that I think about it, I recall seeing one of the knives missing after the day of the motives being revealed, but before the day of the murder. » Mahiru noted.
« So it was taken before the murder, and by one of the people who was close to Byakuya during the day of the murder… » Keebo concluded.
« Wait ! If the k-knife was taken before the m-murder, the poison d-during the day of the m-murder… Then that means Makoto is still the most likely c-culprit ! » Toko pointed at me.
« See ? We just wasted our time arguin' when we already knew the culprit ! » Miu complained.
« Have you forgotten ? Makoto isn't the only suspect in this case. » Kyoko frowned at her.
« But Makoto is the most likely to have done this, right ? He screamed when he saw his motive video. » Taka argued.
« And so did we. We should keep arguing until we are sure. » Rantaro countered.
« No ! We are wasting our time ! Let's juste vote already ! » Kazuichi pointed at him.
« S-stop it… » Mikan looked upset.
« W-what ? Y-you got something else t-to s- » Toko grinned.
« I said stop it ! » Mikan snapped.
Everyone looked at her in shock.
« Stop it… S-Stop accusing Makoto ! I-I believe in him ! » She glared at those who accused me.
« Mikan… » I was speechless at her sudden gain of confidence.
« O-oh… I-I'm sorry ! I-I didn't mean to yell ! B-but stop accusing him ! » She cried a bit.
« Yeah, we should talk this out more. We might have some cool plot twists left to discover. » Kokichi nodded.
« I don't want to… I want to leave… » Himiko complained.
« Normally I would agree that we should continue… But we have plenty of evidence showing that Makoto is the most likely culprit in this case, right ? » Sonia sighed.
« No, he looks suspicious, but that doesn't mean he's the culprit. » Keebo shook his head.
« Well, this is awkward. We can't have a majority, we are split between two choices. » Taka scratched the back of his head.
« Hold on ! Did you say you were split between two choices ? » Monokuma exclaimed.
« Well yes, isn't that obvious ? » Mahiru rolled her eyes.
« Well in that case, I'm proud to present the Hope's Peak Academy's morphenomenal trial grounds ! » Monokuma declared.
« Huh ? What's that ? » Himiko asked, looking up.
« You are about to engage in a debate regarding a topic I will give. In front of you lies a screen where you will see that topic, and the two answers to that topic. Press the one you think is the correct one, and you will join the team that believes in that answer. You will have to debate as to why your answer is the correct one. Oh, and as you press your answer, the seats will be re-arranged so your team can face the opposing side, so hang on to your podium ! Now, choose your answer ! » He explained.
Monokuma pulled out a key, which he inserted into a keyhole, which caused the screen in front of us to show texts. I read the subject, and picked the answer I obviously agreed on.
Suddenly, the podiums rose from the ground, going up, causing me to hang on for safety !
OPINION OPPOSITION
Is Makoto Naegi the culprit ?
He's the culprit !
Junko
Empty seat
Toko
Miu
Himiko
Kiyotaka
Kazuichi
Sonia
He's not the culprit !
Makoto
Kyoko
Mahiru
Rantaro
Mikan
Kokichi
Keebo
Byakuya
Scrum Debate Start !
« M-Makoto took the poison from the Nurse's Office and killed Byakuya with it ! » Toko sneered at me.
Kyoko ! / Kirigiri-san !
« We have already proven that while the poison was fatal, it was not the finishing blow, stop talking about this already. » Kyoko frowned at her.
« But Makoto was near Byakuya at the Dining Hall ! » Taka retorted.
Mahiru ! / Koizumi-san !
« You were near Byakuya as well, Taka. We have several other suspects to interrogate too. » Mahiru countered.
« Just because there were other suspects doesn't mean Makoto couldn't have taken the poison, and doesn't mean he couldn't have taken the knife ! » Miu snapped.
Rantaro ! / Amami-kun !
« The knife was taken the day before the murder, which means anyone could have taken it, and it was done by one of the people near Byakuya, not just Makoto. » Rantaro continued.
« Are we absolutely certain that the knife did the killing blow ? Maybe it was the other way around ? » Sonia asked.
Mikan ! / Tsumiki-san !
« N-no, I-I'm certain the knife did the killing blow ! Byakuya bled out to death after his throat was slit ! » Mikan stared at the opposing side confidently, or at least tried to.
« Who cares about all of this ? Makoto is still the most suspicious ! Can't we just vote now ? » Kazuichi sighed in frustration.
I got it ! / Kore da !
« There are others who are as suspicious as me ! We can't let it end here ! » I exclaimed.
This is our answer !
« I suppose we can continue… » Taka thought out loud.
« We have to, or we might all die here. » Kyoko said seriously.
« Alright. Kazuichi, remind us who was near Byakuya at the Dining Hall ? » Rantaro asked.
« There was Makoto, me, Miss Sonia, Keebo, Taka and Mahiru. So it has to be one of these people. » Kazuichi responded.
« Actually, it's none of them. » Kokichi said all of the sudden.
« W-what ?! » Himiko said out loud.
« Yup, and I know who it is ! » Kokichi grinned.
« W-well, who is it ? » Sonia asked.
« It's her ! » He pointed at the suspect…
We all turned at the one Kokichi was pointing out…
It was Kyoko…
« W-WHAAAAATTTT ?! » Kazuichi stared at her in shock.
« Kyoko killed Byakuya ?! » Taka was flabbergasted.
« A detective that is actually the killer all along… I never heard anything like it ! » Sonia was in shock.
« W-wait ! It's impossible ! She can't be the culprit ! » I exclaimed.
« Really ? Think about it. She came out late the day following the murder at the Dining Hall. Why ? Because she had just killed Byakuya before joining us at the Dining Hall ! » Kokichi explained.
« Oh my god, he's right ! » Taka exclaimed.
No, no ! That's wrong ! Kyoko is innocent, I know it !
« I'm innocent. » Kyoko said.
« You got any evidence to back it up ? » Kazuichi raised an eyebrow.
« I do. But I will let Makoto do it for me. » She turned to look at me.
« H-huh ? » I exclaimed in surprise.
« Makoto, you know what evidence I am talking about. We discovered it at the beginning of the investigation. » She told me.
The beginning of the investigation… An evidence that would prove Kyoko's innocence…
Of course ! That evidence !
« I got it ! You're talking about the Monokuma File, right ? » I asked rhetorically.
« Yes. Can you read the time of death out loud, please ? » She asked.
« It was 10:15 PM, fifteen minutes after the nighttime announcement. Which means, Byakuya was already dead when Kyoko got up late today ! » I explained.
« Hey, he's right ! » Taka exclaimed.
« You knew this, didn't you Kokichi ? » Kyoko narrowed her eyes at the Ultimate Supreme Leader.
« … »
« … »
« Nishishi.~ Yup, that was a lie.~ » He puts his hands behind his head and grinned.
« Oh for fuck's sake, you wasted our time arguing, Cockichi ! » Miu sneered at him.
« Oh, but we didn't, we just proved Kyoko was innocent, wasn't she ? » Kokichi grinned at her.
« He's correct, which means we can cross her off the suspect list. » Keebo added.
« See ? Even the robot gets it ! Not that I expected anything from a noisy sow like you, Miu. » Kokichi rolled his eyes.
« Y-you vicious little… » Miu glared at him.
« Anyway, to get back on track, we need to focus on the others who were close to Byakuya that day. Which means me, Taka, Makoto, Keebo, Sonia and Kazuichi. » Mahiru continued.
Out of the sudden, Mahiru's, Taka's and Keebo's seats advanced forward, right in front of everyone.
« Alright, it's time for a mass debate ! You three, prove you're not the culprit ! » Monokuma laughed.
MASS PANIC DEBATE
« Well, I can't be the culprit ! Murdering is wrong ! » Taka pointed at us.
« I might look suspicious, but I'm not the culprit ! » Keebo said.
« You guys can't be serious to accuse me, I can't have killed Byakuya ! » Mahiru frowned.
Nothing yet…
« Byakuya was my friend, I would never have murdered him ! » Taka continued.
« And if you claim I'm the culprit because I'm a robot, that's robophobic ! » Keebo frowned at us.
« I didn't watch my motive video ! I have no reason to kill ! » Mahiru affirmed.
There !
« I heard it ! » I exclaimed.
BREAK !
Taka's, Mahiru's and Keebo's seats returned to their places.
« Mahiru is telling the truth, she didn't watch her motive video when it was given to us all. » I explained.
« That's right ! Me and Byakuya were the only ones who didn't watch our videos ! » She exclaimed.
« Indeed. Which means, we can cross her off the suspect list. » Kyoko said.
« By the way, I was wondering, is Taka innocent ? I ask because he's the one who discovered the body. » Rantaro asked.
« Oh, oh ! I can answer that ! Yes, he's innocent ! When more than three people discover a body, the body discovery announcement plays ! » Monokuma intervened.
« B-but what if one of them is the c-culprit ? » Toko asked after being silent for so long.
« Can't happen ! Only three spotless students can trigger the body discovery announcement ! If the culprit is among three persons or more, the body discovery announcement will not play ! » Monokuma explained.
« W-who were the other two w-who triggered the announcement ? » Mikan asked.
« Ah, ah, ah ! Not gonna tell ya ! But I can assure you is innocent ! » Monokuma chuckled.
« Well, that's a relief. » Taka sighed, calming down.
« Alright, two suspects off the list. It leaves us Makoto, Keebo, Sonia and Kazuichi as potential culprit. » Kokichi continued.
« Well… What else do we have ? » Mahiru asked.
…
…
We stared at each other, and realized we had nothing to bring up.
« H-huh ? Nothing ? We are stuck ?! » Miu began to panic.
« T-there's gotta be something we missed ! » Taka began to sweat.
« But what ? There's no more evidence that we haven't talked about ! » Kazuichi began to cry as he held his beanie.
« There's one evidence missing from the crime scene. » Kyoko said out of the sudden.
« Huh ?! What do you mean ?! » Himiko exclaimed.
« We do have an evidence that tells us who the culprit is. » She answered.
« What ?! » Taka exclaimed.
« We fuckin' do ?! Why you didn't say so earlier ?! » Miu snapped.
« I will be honest with you. I doubt this is the last time we will come here, so I wanted to see if you were capable of doing this without my help. » Kyoko explained.
« Don't say things like that… » Himiko looked sad.
« S-so, what's the evidence ? » Mikan asked.
« Makoto, you did pretty well so far. I think you know what evidence I am talking about. » Kyoko looked at me.
An evidence that reveals the killer's identity…
« I got it ! You're referring to the Missing Murder Weapon ! » I exclaimed.
« Indeed. We know Byakuya's throat has been slit. Yet we didn't find anything that could have done it at the crime scene. » Kyoko nodded.
« A-are you sayin' the culprit destroyed it? » Miu panicked.
« No, there's no way it could have been destroyed during the investigation. The culprit took the knife with them after murdering Byakuya. » Kyoko shook her head.
« W-wait, so they have the knife on them?! » Taka exclaimed.
« No, I don't think they would be that reckless. They must have hidden it somewhere. » Rantaro thought.
« But where ? » Himiko asked.
« M-maybe t-they hid it in their room ! S-so Makoto can still be the c-culprit ! » Toko pointed at me.
« That's true ! It has to be him ! » Kazuichi did the same.
« Before we figure out who the culprit is, we should see who went to the kitchen between the day of the motive reveal and the day of the murder. Mahiru, earlier you said one of the knives were missing during that time frame. Who went to the kitchen that day? » Kyoko asked the photographer.
« Well... There was only three persons who went there at that time... Sonia, Himiko and Taka. » She answered.
« Why were you three there ? » Kyoko turned to each mentionned persons.
« I was taking a nap earlier... I always take a snack after a nap... » Himiko slightly covered her eyes with her witch hat.
« Well, I was hungry! It's important to eat to stay in good health ! » Taka declared.
« U-umm, same! I was hungry too ! » Sonia nodded quickly.
« Alright, we have our culprit. » Kyoko nodded.
« W-what?! We do?! » Miu said out loud.
« Makoto, with every evidence we have found out so far, the culprit should be clear now. You know who I am talking about now, don't you ? » She looked at me seriously.
The culprit is among those three...
« Y-you… » Kazuichi began to look pale.
Wait… Is it… ?!
SELECT SOMEONE !
« Was it you… Sonia ? » I asked, staring at the Ultimate Princess.
…
…
« What… ? » Sonia stared back at me in shock.
« Woah woah, hold on ! You can't just seriously accuse Miss Sonia ! » Kazuichi glared at me.
« Don't call me that ! » She looked at him annoyed.
« Sonia ?! You killed Byakuya ?! » Taka interrupted them.
« N-no ! You got it all wrong ! » Sonia defended herself.
« But there's a lot of evidence against you. How are you going to refute us ?~ » Kokichi smirked.
« Shut up ! All of you ! She can't be the culprit ! She might be framed ! » Kazuichi defended Sonia.
« H-how ? » Toko asked.
« Well, Miu could have murdered him ! » Kazuichi proposed.
« The fuck ?! You're accusin' me ?! » Miu glared at him.
« That's right ! And I have proof ! » He glared back.
NON-STOP DEBATE
« Miu could have framed Miss Sonia ! » Kazuichi started.
« S-stop calling me that already ! » Sonia said out loud.
« How could she have framed her ? » Keebo asked.
« She could have created the poison by mixing them. She's the Ultimate Inventor, remember ? » Kazuichi answered.
« Oh hell no ! You don't use my talent as proof ! » Miu glared at him.
« Oh yes I will, because you killed Byakuya ! You got close to him, and dropped the poison in his cup ! » Kazuichi said.
« No, that's wrong ! » I exclaimed.
BREAK !
« What the hell do you mean I am wrong ?! » He glared at me.
« Because you contradicted your own account. Miu wasn't near Byakuya the day of the murder. » I explained.
Kazuichi gasped.
« Ahaha ! That's right ! Get lost, Kazu-itchy ! And thanks, Makoto ! Guess I shouldn't have underestimated a normie like you. » Miu laughed.
I sighed.
« Well, can we vote now ? » Rantaro asked.
« No ! There's gotta be something we missed ! » Kazuichi panicked.
« Why ? She's guilty. » Kokichi grinned.
« N-no… I didn't kill B-Byakuya… » Sonia said, as she looked down as if reflecting on her actions.
« I agree with Rantaro. We have solved Byakuya's murder. Let us end- » I said.
« I won't let you ! » Kazuichi screamed out loud.
ARGUE
« You apologize to Miss Sonia now ! » He glared at me.
« Huh ? Why ? We have proven she's guilty ! » I retorted.
« Well I don't believe you ! I will prove you're wrong ! » Kazuichi snapped.
REBUTTAL SHOWDOWN
« You got guts accusing Miss Sonia of killing Byakuya. She can't be the culprit ! » Kazuichi started.
ADVANCE !
« Kazuichi, we have been through this. She was one of the persons who were near Byakuya ! You can't deny that ! » I countered.
« Sure, I admit that. And while Taka and Mahiru have been proved innocent, you and Keebo are still suspects. And even if me and Miss Sonia are suspects too, there's no way any of us could have entered Byakuya's room, because his door was locked ! He was safe and sound ! » He continued.
« I will cut through your words ! » I exclaimed.
BREAK !
« You're wrong, Kazuichi. The killer did manage to get in Byakuya's room, because the door was unlocked. » I continued.
« … ! » Kazuichi was speechless.
« Enough of this. Sonia, did you kill Byakuya ? » Kyoko asked her sternly.
« … » The Ultimate Princess didn't respond, but she began to shiver, and she looked extremely sad.
« I think that counts as a confession. Let's vote already ! » Kokichi exclaimed.
« N-no, wait… ! Y-you got it all wrong ! » Kazuichi tried to argue again.
« Again with that… Are you tryin' to get us- » Miu was interrupted.
« SHUT UP ! ALL OF YOU ! » He snapped.
« K-Kazuichi ! Get a hold of yourself ! » Taka demanded.
« No ! I refuse to believe Miss Sonia is the culprit ! There's no way ! Just shut up ! » He began to cry.
« … » Sonia was still speechless, not daring to look at us.
« Makoto, you have to knock some sense out of him. » Kyoko told me.
« H-huh ? What do you mean ? » I asked in worry.
« He won't listen, so you have to do this the hard way. We must reach a common conclusion. » She looked at Kazuichi who was still ranting.
« Alright, I will get him back to his senses. » I sighed.
ARGUMENT ARMAMENT
Start !
Kazuichi appears in an armored car with machine guns attached to it.
Why don't you believe in Miss Sonia ?
She would never kill anyone !
How dare you accuse her when you're still a suspect, like Keebo !
Someone is trying to frame her !
This must be the killer's trap !
So why don't you believe in her ?
The guns on Kazuichi's armored car come off.
I refuse to believe what you say !
It's insane to even think she would get a dozen people killed just to get out of here !
It would be out of character if she did !
How would her people react if she did that ?
That's why what you say doesn't make sense !
The protections of the car come off, turning it to a normal car.
Why don't you believe me ?
Even if she watched her motive video, there's no way she would kill Byakuya !
She had no reason to, she's a strong-minded person !
Shut up ! Shut up !
She's not the culprit, damn it !
The top of the car, windshield, the left door and the car hood came off.
This is it !
« Why would Miss Sonia kill Byakuya and risk killing us all because of her motive video ? »
THE-PEOPLE-OF-NOVOSELIC
« This is the end ! » I exclaimed.
« NOOOOOOO ! » He screamed.
Kazuichi's car was gone, as he sat on the floor, defeated, as he was still holding the wheel in one of his hand. His beanie was gone, the entire top of his mechanic suit was ripped off, revealing his white shirt. The bottom of his mechanic suit pants were torn, and one of his sneakers was gone.
BREAK !
« I… I… » Kazuichi didn't dare to say a word.
« I think that's enough. Now, Sonia, will you confess ? » Kyoko turned to the Ultimate Princess.
« … »
« … »
« Y-yes… I did it ! I killed Byakuya ! » She finally broke down in tears.
« Why ?! Why would you kill him ?! » Taka snapped.
« I think it has something to do with what Makoto said. What was it again ? » Mahiru looked at me.
« I said the people of Novoselic… Sonia's country and people. I assume they were in your motive video, Sonia ? » I asked her.
She only nodded as she kept sobbing.
« But how did you manage to do this whole thing ? Seems like a lot of work. » Himiko asked.
Sonia didn't respond, as she was too busy crying.
« Makoto, looks like you will have to explain how she did her whole murder plan. » Kyoko told me.
« H-huh ? Why me ? » My eyes widened with surprise.
« You did pretty well in this trial. I think it's fair you finish this for us. Tell 'em, Naegi. » She smiled at me.
« Alright… I will explain everything that happened in this case ! » I took a deep breath, and began this recap.
CLOSING ARGUMENT
Act 1 :
It all began two days ago, when Monokuma revealed us the motive that would trigger the killing game… The motive videos. They featured something dear to us being attacked, in order to make fall into despair and kill someone to escape and try to save their beloved. The culprit of this case had their people's lives on the line, which is why they needed to get out of here as soon as possible.
Act 2 :
A day before the murder, as we were all separated due to growing suspicion, the culprit took a kitchen knife to prepare their murder plan. A simple one, but an elaborated and deadly one. Then, the day of the murder, the culprit went to the Nurse's Office when Mikan wasn't there and took a couple of bottles of medicine. They were taken in order to create a powerful poison. However, because Mikan spent a lot of time in the Nurse's Office, she immediately noticed the missing bottles, but couldn't find them.
Act 3 :
Then, just before we began to eat our evening dinner, the culprit began to put their plan into action. They mixed the medicine to create the poison, and dropped it inside Byakuya's cup, the one that was broken at the crime scene. Byakuya unknowningly drank poison, which caused the coughing we all heard that evening. But we had no idea of that so we brushed it off. It was a deadly mistake we made.
Act 4 :
The nighttime announcement came, and we all went to our dorms, but not yet for our culprit. They sneakily approached Byakuya's dorm to see if the poison did its work. But it was only half-effective, as Byakuya began to suffer from the effects of the poison, but didn't die from it. The culprit, probably afraid their plan would fail and later be exposed for their crime, they got behind Byakuya and slit his throat, causing the cup to fall out of his hands, breaking as it hit the ground. But he wasn't completely weaken by the poison, as he begun to fight back. But it was over… Byakuya has succumbed.
Act 5 :
With Byakuya dead, the culprit, despite wanting to escape, must have felt remorse for murdering someone. So they kept the bloody knife, and took it with them. They left for their dorm to sleep, and the following day, today, they joined us at the Dining Hall, and acted surprised when we found Byakuya's body.
Makoto is seen on the right, his back against the camera, only showing a side of his face full of sadness. On the left was the blackened, who also appeared full of sadness.
« It was you who committed this crime, didn't you, Sonia Nevermind, the Ultimate Princess ? » I asked somberly.
The blackened turned to be Sonia indeed, and now her sadness was even more noticeable, as her closed eyes released tears that fell down her cheeks.
BREAK !
« So ? Am I right, Sonia ? » I asked.
« … »
« Yes… You are correct. » She nodded weakly.
« Why… » Kazuichi had a grim look.
« K-Kazuichi… ? » She looked at him.
« Why… Why would you do something like this ?! » He snapped.
« I-I did it for my people ! They needed me ! » She explained.
« So our time together meant nothing ?! You were willing to get us all killed just so you could escape and save your country who could have have attacked and destroyed as we speak ?! » He screamed out of anger.
« I-I had to get out and see ! B-but I regret killing Byakuya ! » She said.
« I can't believe you ! I love you and this is how you thank me ?! » He continued ranting.
« Stop… » She said lowly.
« I was willing to protect you, and you broke my trust- » He was interrupted by her.
« STOP PRETENDING I LOVED YOU ! »
Everyone was shocked by her outburst.
« I never loved you as lover ! I only considered you as a friend ! And yet you kept harassing and stalking me like a creep ! » She glared at me.
« M-Miss Sonia… » He tried to talk.
« STOP CALLING ME THAT ! » This shut him up.
« I told you to not call me that ! But you kept doing that over and over again ! » She continued.
Kazuichi didn't dare to say a word, as he stared at her.
« Kazuichi… I still care about you, you're my friend. But I want you to change. I want you to be nicer and less of a creep towards us girls. If you care about me, then you have to accept my request ! » She told him.
I looked at Mahiru, expecting a nod or word of approval towards Sonia…
But nothing.
She was as shocked as we all were.
Silence filled the room…
« Puhuhuhuhu… Looks like you reached your final verdict ! Ready to vote ? » Monokuma broke it.
We all nodded silently.
« Then please press down the lever after you selected who you think is the killer. Abstening from voting is forbidden, and you will be punished for doing so, so make sure to vote ! Let's get excited ! Who will be chosen as the blackened ? Will you make the right choice, or the dreadfully wrong one ? Let's seeeee ! » Monokuma explained.
The screen on my podium changed to feature a picture of each of my classmates' faces, those of Byakuya and Junko in grey and with crosses. I selected Sonia's picture and it said : Sonia Nevermind selected. Please press down the lever.
I did so, and I could see the others do it too. Then, a slot machine came out from the ground, next to Monokuma. The screen began to roll, and the three rows all ended on Sonia's picture, with the word Guilty appearing, coins coming out of the slot below, and flowers on the sides.
« Yup, yup ! You got it right ! The one who killed Byakuya Togami was none other than Sonia Nevermind ! » Monokuma cheered.
« … » Kazuichi remained silent.
« Jeez, to think someone so pure and lovely would be able to kill someone else in cold blood ! She really used her royalty status to fool you all ! » Monokuma mocked us mercilessly.
« … » Sonia didn't reply.
« It's not her fault completely. » I spoke out of the sudden.
Everyone turned to look at me in surprise.
« Because… The one to blame… IS YOU ! » I pointed at the real culprit.
« Say whhaaaaattttt ?! » Monokuma feinted surprise.
« If it weren't for you… this never would have happened to Byakuya OR Sonia ! We shouldn't be fighting each other… We should be fighting against the one who put us in this situation ! The mastermind ! » I glared at him.
« Puhuhuhuhu… Did I awake your sense of justice ? That doesn't matter at all ! Because now, the blackened Sonia Nevermind, will receive her punishment ! » Monokuma taunted me.
« W-wait… What do you mean punishment ?! » Kazuichi raised his head up in panic.
« My, you have forgotten already ? I mean execution ! » Monokuma smirked.
« W-wait no ! Take me instead ! » Kazuichi begged.
« Nope ! I don't accept trading lives ! Miss Nevermind has killed someone, and has to pay for it ! » Monokuma chuckled evilly.
« I-I'm begging- »
« Stop, Kazuichi. » Sonia interrupted him.
« H-huh ? »
« I have to pay for my sins. I have murdered Byakuya, and even if it was to save my people, I still killed someone ! I can't forgive myself for this, which why I must die. Because I am ashamed of myself, and I can't allow myself to be Princess of Novoselic after this. » She gave him a weak smile.
« M-Mis- I mean, Sonia… » Kazuichi spoke weakly.
« Which is why, I have one final royal command to ask you all. » She turned to face us all.
« Whatever ! Let's hurry up and get to what everyone has been waiting for ! The punishment ! » Monokuma interrupted her.
« I demand you all get along and not participate in Monokuma's killing game ! » She continued.
« Now then, I have prepared a special punishment for Sonia Nevermind, the Ultimate Princess ! » Monokuma tried to speak louder to prevent us from hearing Sonia.
« No matter how hard his challenges he will give you, don't give in ! Don't repeat my mistakes ! » Sonia begged.
« Let's give in everything we've got ! It's… PUNISHMENT TIME ! » Monokuma said out loud.
A red button came out of the ground, as Monokuma pulled out a hammer, and hit the button with it.
An all white sprite of Sonia appeared in a red screen. Monokuma came from the left and took her away to the right side of the screen.
GAME OVER
Sonia has been found guilty.
Time for the punishment !
Sonia looked around as she heard a noise ressembling chains being moved, removing her tears with her hands to keep a good vision of her surroundings.
Then suddenly, a metal collar wrapped around her neck !
Kazuichi rushed and tried to grab her hand to save her from her fate…
But it was in vain, as she got dragged out of the courtroom, in a hallway behind it.
We felt our podiums move, and before we knew it, we arrived somewhere else, and we were surrounded by a wire fence. Outside of it were a lot of angry people, with a man wearing a mask shaped like Monokuma's face, and his clothes were white and black. A big cardboard told us we were in Novoselic, Sonia's country.
Suddenly, Sonia appeared, as the iron collar got off, releasing her !
She looked around in panic, as she realized who these people were.
Off with her Head !
Ultimate Princess
Sonia Nevermind's Execution : Executed
Sonia had her arms taken by two guards who were also wearing Monokuma masks, as she didn't try to fight back.
Her people began booing her, as they threw tomatoes and other stuff at her. Sonia could only cry as she looked completely messy, clearly putting in question her title of Ultimate Princess.
She was forced to walk towards the man wearing the Monokuma clothed man, as something could now be seen having something behind his back…
It was an axe. A really sharp axe. That Monokuma clothed man was an executioner.
The Ultimate Princess was forced to her knees, as her head hit the stump of a tree. She looked up to see the executioner raise the axe above her head. Realizing what it meant, she closed her teary eyes…
Slash !
The camera now showed the bloody axe stuck in the stump. In front of it was a basket with blood on the sides, and behind the stump was Sonia's limp body, her upperbody hidden by the stump.
Every students watched in shock the end of the execution, even Monokuma somehow. Mikan, Himiko and Kazuichi were the most horrified. Miu, Mahiru, Toko and Me looked scared as well. Rantaro, Kokichi, Taka, Keebo and Kyoko were shocked, but did their best to hide their emotions.
What we saw…
That was the true face of despair.
« Wooohooo ! Extreeeeemmmeee ! Man, my adrenaline is pumping right outta control ! » Monokuma cheered.
« NOOOOOOOO ! » Kazuichi cried out loud, as he fell on his knees, looking down at the ground.
« Wh-wh-What's going o-on ?! » Toko was flabbergasted.
« P-please… I-I can't take this anymore… ! » Himiko cried silently.
« Hey, if you don't like it… All you have to do is accept to live here forever ! But that's only possible if all of you can agree on that ! Puhuhuhu !~ » Monokuma mocked us mercilessly.
« Why are you doing this ? What have we done to you ? » Rantaro asked, still in shock despite trying to hide it.
« Ugh, good grief ! Stop asking me that question ! You wanna know that badly ? Figure it out yourself ! » Monokuma groaned.
« W-well, we won't kill anyone now ! We have seen what happens if the blackened fails ! » I told him.
« Well, one of you decided to get out because they didn't want to stay, right ? And why ? Because you can't cut free of your regrets from the outside world. You're to blame ! » He countered.
« Of course we want to g-get out of here ! W-we are trapped here ! » Toko glared at him.
« Trapped, huh ? Well, I'm sure once you learn all the mysteries of this school, your thinking will change for sure ! » Monokuma smirked.
And then, Monokuma disappeared. We were just standing there in shock and confusion. No one tried to speak.
« We have to move on. » Kyoko said out of the sudden.
We all looked at her.
« It's hard, but we have to move on. Byakuya and Sonia have died, and we might be next if we fall to despair and let Monokuma win. » Kyoko continued.
« R-right, because someone w-won't definitely try to kill anyone else. » Toko said in a sarcastic tone.
« No… Kyoko is wrong. » I said out of the sudden.
Everyone turned to my direction.
« We can't move past their deaths… It's impossible ! Byakuya… Junko… Sonia… I will carry them with me forever. I will carry their memories with me forever ! And to make sure their deaths won't be in vain, we must respect Sonia's wish and get along to defeat the mastermind ! » I said.
Everyone looked at me…
And somehow, it seemed to fill them with hope.
« Makoto is right… Yes, he's right ! I have failed to save Byakuya, but I will avenge him ! » Taka declared.
« Me too ! The one behind all of this will pay for that ! » Mahiru nodded.
« I agree with Makoto as well. We know the consequences of this killing game, therefore, we are now prepared to face whatever Monokuma will throw at us. » Keebo concluded.
I notices Kyoko giving me a smile. Possible the smallest smile she has given me, but a smile nonetheless. I returned it.
« I think this is the exit… Let us get out of here already… » Kazuichi said somberly as he went up a staircase.
We followed him, and we noticed a steel door that was open. As we went through it, we realized we were back at the elevator entrance to get to the courtroom. As Himiko got out, the steel door closed on itself, and a red light replaced the green one, indicating it was now closed.
After that, we all went to our dorms and didn't leave for the rest of the day. No one could, after all of this…
We now knew what despair truly felt like.
CHAPTER 1
To Survive
THE END
Surviving Students
Byakuya, Junko and Sonia's bodies turn to black.
12
To Be Continued
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