I'm who now?

by Clemerl

Being dropped into the killing game is always a dangerous place to be as a student of Hope's Peak, not knowing what will happen or who will kill whom. But what happens when the one in charge has a change of heart? Or rather, has the mind of someone else entirely who will stop at nothing to save everyone they can. Even if it dives them to Despair.

15. First Final Debate for Despair

"…Final…Debate?"

Makoto's questioning was mirrored by the others quite well, their gaze moving from one face to the other baffled by this new development. Kyoko had narrowed her eyes at my little bear-bot with suspicions in her eyes, clearly seeing where I was going with this, but choosing to stay quiet for the moment to gather whatever information I was about to divulge to them. Not one to disappoint, I answered the luckster's question.

"Is there an echo here?" I quipped smugly, knowing that it would ruffle some feathers. "Yes, the "Final Debate"! The debate that is final. A discussion that comes at the end. The last call for the supplement trial."

"Okay, we get it," Hiro rebutted with a sigh, looking quite drained from the day's excitement. Or maybe he was still recovering from the blood loss, either or. "You don't have to be rude about it."

"I beg to differ." I denied, taking a margin of satisfaction at the groan I received. I wasn't real ecstatic that we were still going on either, but these little things helped ween off my fatigue.

Mondo was the one who wanted to be the one to keep things focused this time. "Whatever, so what the fuck is it?"

"If you all return to your stands, I'll be happy to explain how it works." I stated just as willing to continue as they were, and considering how slow some of them were to return, that's saying something. Makoto, in particular, didn't seem to have any desire to go, but thankfully for me, Kyoko could get him to go back with a small pull on his arm. When he looked at her with a bit of confusion, she simply shook her head and gestured for him to pull back for the moment.

Once they had all returned to their designated spots, I cleared my throat and preceded to give them the bad news first. "Now then, first thing that should be noted is the "Final Debate" is something that is exclusive to the supplement trial. As there isn't going to be an official blackened, I technically don't have to punish them."

Taka was quick to panic at that bit of news, his sense of justice flaring up. "Wait! You mean to say that the blackened will get away scot free!?"

"In a word, yes." I confirmed, and that would have remained the case if it wasn't for one thing. "However, that is where the "Final Debate" comes in. Through this, you will decide how the failure will, or will not, be punished."

The whole group looked extremely worried by that remark, and with good reason considering how things had gone so far. However, I wasn't about to finish here. "In your cups are two flags, one black, one white. How this will go is, after a thirty-minute period that you may use to discuss with the others, you will each hold up a flag to represent which of three choices will happen. By holding up the black flag, you acknowledge and accept that they are the blackened, but you wish to see them punished in your own way, as a member of her peers. You will then be able to decide what her punishment will be, either execution, detention, or even spankings, the choice will be yours to make."

Of course, the otaku Hifumi was only focused on one part of what I'd said. "S-Spankings…"

Purposefully ignoring the perverted grin developing on his pudgy face, I continued. "The white flag symbolizes your surrender, specifically you'll surrender your responsibilities to vote to the leading body. Yours truly. You will push aside all that you have done together, gather all the memories that you have shared and cast them aside to have them punished for their transgressions against you all. And I guarantee they won't come back."

"What kind of choices are those?" Hiro asked, his petrified expression easily summarizing the thoughts of the others if I were to judge by their faces. Shaking that off, I replied.

"Well, if you don't like that, you can always choose to go neutral. Simple don't choose a flag at all and your vote will be rendered as if you never existed, allowing those with an actual spine to decide the fate of our blackened. It's your choice." That was the deal I had come up with, the crux of my plan made manifest. But, then comes the problems that come from this plan of mine, one of which Celeste was more than interested in trying to exploit.

"Interesting, and what happens if we all decide to vote neutral? Would you let us all leave back to the school?" Oh, how they all brightened up at that, so many of them immediately getting excited at the idea. It was almost criminal what I was about to do.

I chuckled lightly, "Ooh, you wouldn't want to do that."

"Yeah? And why the hell not?" Mondo questioned, more than a little for the idea of just going straight for 'forget it' and going back to the school without being held responsible for someone's life. Too bad for them, I had no intention of letting them go that easily.

"Well, simply because the vote will be held by the majority. And each one changes the result."

Byakuya, ever the astute one, asked "In what way?"

"Ahem, if the majority is black," I continued my explanation. "the debate will continue unhindered as you decide amongst yourselves the important details of the attempted killer's fate and punishment. Mostly, you'll be focused on what the punishment will be, how long it will be should you decide on a survivable punishment, like detention, who it will be to enact the punishment, and things of that nature. Their future will be up to those that choose this path. If popular vote is white though, I will consider them a full blackened and execute them accordingly. No muss, no fuss, and no take backs."

"And what will happen if much of our votes are neutral?" Sakura asked in her calm controlled voice, though I could sense more than see that she was tensing up in anticipation for the bomb I was about to drop on them. And I wasn't about to disappoint on that front.

"Upupu, I was hoping you'd ask that. In the event of majority neutral vote, I will consider this as contempt of court and the vote will be rendered null and void. Should that happen, I will consider it a win for the blackened."

I didn't have to wait long before Byakuya picked up, his glare almost as chilling as his tone. "…then we'll be executed and they will be able to walk free."

The dark news caught some of them off guard, for some reason. You'd think that they'd have anticipated something like this by now. Taka was the first to speak up about it, his eyes wide and panicked. "Wha-what!? That…that's just- that's…"

"The rules," I cut him off with steel in my voice. "and if you can't accept them, then I'm sad to say that that's your problem. Those that break the rules should always be held responsible for their actions, but so too is it the responsibility of those around them to make sure that their actions are judged accordingly. To ignore your duties simply because it's, 'inconvenient' or because you find it 'immoral' is just as bad as committing the crime yourself! In this school, no, in this world, there is nothing I find more intolerable then someone who shirks their duties to see justice done."

"Justice!?" Hina shouted, mortified that I would even consider something so backwards as fair. "There's nothing just about this!"

Makoto was quick to agree, a deep s "Hina's right, it's just-"

"Irrelevant!" I was quick to interrupt, not up for any debate over this. I had put up with enough nonsense today, thank you! "Now then, back on topic. Now, if you are to get a black dominant vote, but there are a few white and or neutral votes left over, then the neutral's will be allowed to sit in on the discussion to comment, but will not be allowed to make an actual decision on the matter. Blacks will also be allowed to sit in on a white superior vote if they desire. White voters will wait in the elevator if either party bests them and will only be informed as to what happened after the fact."

"In other words, black votes mean they live, but will be punished by us, white votes mean they will be executed, and neutral votes will result in all of our deaths." Kyoko grimly summarized, actually looking upset with a dark glare upon her face. An expression that was mirrored by anyone who didn't look absolutely horrified at the news.

"Then, why would anyone even try going neutral?" Mondo surprisingly asked, which was strange since I would have thought one of the others would have asked first. But, I wasn't going to complain about it.

Celeste was the one to answer him for me, though she was far from correct about my reasoning. "It is most likely a way for Monokuma to trap us into getting ourselves executed by praying on our weakest."

Eh, well I could work with that though. "Aw shucks, ya caught me. Oh, woe is me."

"C-could you at least t-try to be convincing?" Toko deadpanned, though her shudder kind of threw it off.

"But in all seriousness, it's about time to begin this finally."

---

Sayaka hadn't expected to be feeling any worst today. Already, she had suffered so much today, from Monokuma jeers, the realizations of the things she had done and the consequences for those actions, to the never-ending flood of dark emotions that these very realizations were breathing into her. There had been major doubts that there could ever be anything worst.

She was quickly proven wrong.

The second she had been wheeled past those massive doors with the blood red padding, she had felt as if her heart was clenched tightly within her chest. That tightness only grew as the bear pushed her into the elevator and closed the shutters with a resounding crash. The sound seemed to echo in her heart as the bear padded over and locked the wheels. He said it was to keep her from rolling off, "Safety first" he claimed, be she liked to think she knew better. It was more likely that it was to keep her from attempting to throw herself off the edge to avoid confronting the others with her crimes.

To be fair, she wasn't too sure if she wouldn't right now.

Then, it began to descend, ever so slowly delving into the depts. The bright lights of the metal box should have been a comfort as they descended deeper and deeper into the earth, but there was none to be found. Instead, they only served as a constant reminder that they were getting closer and closer to where she would be tried, judged, and executed.

The silence was the worst part. Not a word had been said since they had begun their gradual plunge to the rooms below which unnerved her a lot more then she'd anticipated. She expected to be mocked the entire way down, torn apart viciously by his words the entire time until the end. She didn't think for a second that the sadist creature would completely shut down the whole time. Honestly, it unnerved her that there hadn't been so much as a peep from her captor the entirety of the ride down.

She was starting to wish for insults. At least that would keep the ride from being completely dismal.

But, silent he stayed, not a word one way or another leaving her to try and fill the soul crushing silence.

However, that proved an even harder task then she could have ever anticipated. The moment she tried to think up with a topic of discussion, her mind would wander back to why she was even in this elevator in the first place. The night before, her action therein, her thoughts that had run rampant through her mind the whole of it, everything. And when she thought of all that, her mind would shift to the thing that had started it all, the DVD and-

She roughly shook her head, as if to once more remove the memory through sheer force like a dog shaking off a flea. And just like in that metaphor, it was a fruitless endeavor as, just like the flea, the memory would cling tightly to her mind, and even when she succeeded, it would simply make its way back to her effortlessly.

Eventually, they arrived at the bottom and she nearly breathed a sigh of relief. The claustrophobic feel of the large elevator and the seemingly unstoppable returns of the retched memories had been starting to get to her. The only thing that stopped that relief from completely washing over her was the knowledge that, this was the point where it would get worst. Soon, Monokuma would tell them all about her crimes and then she would be executed like the criminal she was. All he needed to do was push her forward and make her face the music.

…So, why hadn't he yet?

As she idly listened to the other Monokuma, and wasn't that a terrifying thought, she noticed that the one by her hadn't moved an inch. It simply stood there, staring at the trial as they moved into the vote. It was completely unaffected when the bizarre slot machine suddenly appeared from the center of the room and remained that way when she was pointed out to be the culprit.

When she heard Monokuma oh so casually announce not only her crime here, but also summarized some of the things she'd done nearly did it for her. With her good hand, she clutched at her chest where her heart ached, her gaze drifting down to the appendage in hopelessness. It wasn't that she had wanted to do those things.

In her career, there were times when the she had been forced to do some rather…unsavory things to maintain her position at the top. None of it had been wanted. There were times that the other members of her idol group had done these things as well, occasionally behind her back, but that didn't mean that she hadn't done those same crimes herself. She was just better at keeping a lid on what she had done then they were.

She knew it was wrong, all of it was wrong, but to keep her group and herself at the top she had to do them.

But, then Makoto spoke up and did what she thought was unthinkable, he started to defend her. He praised her time in middle school, her popularity as an idol among their peers and her dreams that she worked so hard for. Her eyes teared up as he spoke, her heart skipping a beat as he turned the blame onto the bear for her rash actions. Even after hearing about the things she'd done, he still defended her rash actions. He claimed that she wasn't to blame for this.

It made no sense to her. If she had heard someone had done even a fraction of the things she'd done, she would have been nothing short of distrusting and judgmental of them; even if it would be hypocritical of her to do so. Even amongst her Idol group, even though they were friends and rivals, they were still wary of each other because they knew just what limits they would each put in to stay at the top. It was a cruel world out there.

So why was Makoto looking to upset the bear by pretending that she wasn't the horrible person? He clearly knew that she had done some appalling things, so why did he still try and defend her? What could his angle be?

But, deep down, she knew the answer. He thought she was his friend, thought she was someone worth defending. It didn't matter to him what she'd done, she was someone he wanted to protect. She was his assistant after all.

'But, that was a lie.' Her mood dropped even further as she thought that, knowing that it was true. She hadn't clung to him because he was a friend, not in the beginning, she had only done it because he was so trusting, because he was so easy to read, and because he would believe anything she said. That had been the reason she had sought him out over all the others.

But, she had taken to him, she enjoyed his hopeful attitude, his bright outlook, and his "never say die" beliefs. She had looked on fondly whenever he went out of his way to talk to the others, try to make them feel better in these trying times. Even when he walked away looking confused, frustrated, or even disturbed by something that they'd said or did, he always looked happy afterward, ecstatic even, to learn more about them. It was endearing to her and it had been what inspired her to start conversations with the others when Makoto was busy making friends.

And then, he tried to punch out the twisted bear. In that moment, a surge of panic gripped her heart, fearful that he would receive a punishment for upsetting the psycho plush. He didn't deserve to die defending her of all people, not like this.

When Kyoko intervened, Sayaka sighed in relief, though she wasn't sure if it was for Makoto's sake, or if it was just her guilt talking again, reminding her that it was her fault that he had nearly gotten killed because he had been defending her in the first place. Her heart couldn't take much more of this guilt, this pain of knowing that this was all her fault.

Then, Monokuma brought up the Final Debate, and her worries grew tenfold. They were going to decide her fate by voting whether to punish her themselves or to have Monokuma execute her himself, otherwise they would be executed as well. That stunned her, horrified her. It was a choice that was crueler then anything she had thought of. To be forced to make such a decision like that was worst then anything she would have anticipated.

But, then the half and half bear continued, and what he said made her blood freeze in her vanes. "Of course, that depends on what Miss Sayaka decides to vote on herself."

"What are you talking about?" Asked Makoto, as confused as Sayaka was scared. The bear said nothing for a second, and then proceeded to explain what she felt was the worst news she'd ever heard.

"Well, the best part of the Supplement Trial is the fact that the attempted blackened may use the very same flags to decide on their own fate, though, they are only allowed to vote on one of the flags. If they pick the black flag, then they will give their trust in whatever vote you, their peers, decide for them. They will acknowledge their mistakes that they made, and embrace them, no matter the outcome of your votes. However, if they choose the white flag, they will surrender to the system and someone will be punished regardless of your choice."

"'Someone'? What exactly do you mean by that?" asked Byakuya, and it was as if she was suddenly dunked in ice water as the accursed plushy let out a truly sinister chuckle.

"That all depends on if they have their lifeline still. If you'll recall, I told you all that when your life passes, so too does your lifeline; including executions. This is where the beauty of the Supplement Trial comes in. Unlike the regular trial, here you have a chance to save them. If you accept the black flag, then your fate, and that of your lifeline, will then be held in your peer's hands. If they see fit to let you continue existing by voting for the black flag, then nothing happens. However, if they decide that you are to be executed, via the white flag, you may choose to relinquish the grasp you hold on your line, freeing them of suffering the same fate…Or you could pick the white flag to sacrifice them for your sake and allow yourself to get off scot free to continue your life of mutual living with the others. Of course, you will always remember this and the decision will haunt you for the rest of your life, but hey, at least you will get to continue to live on with the symbols of hope that you are."

Sayaka's eyes widened at this news as her jaw dropped it horror. If she decides to give up her lifeline, then she will live. Doing so will result in her group being killed, the idols that she had gone through so much together with. All their struggles, all the heartache and pain, all the dark secrets they'd shared with each other. All of that would be gone, ever last bit of effort rendered pointless. They would all be gone, forever.

However, if she doesn't, then the others will be able to have her punished. That was not something she ever wanted to risk.

But, Satomi Aoba…Ayaka Hameyama…all the others would never forgive her if she let them all die just to save herself. To just give them all up just to save her own skin from her mistakes, was that something she could do? Was that something she could do to those few girls who had been with her through thick and thin, who she'd shared her times of strength and weakest moments with? Who else had she shed tears with all those times that she'd been buried under the stress of the business?

Just them. Those four girls had been her only comfort as they had risen to the top of the boards and struggled to maintain said position in the ever-evolving nature of the music industry.

Yet, could she trust that the others wouldn't just hand her off to Monokuma? She didn't know. Even after a week spent with them, or rather, because she had only spent a week with them, she wasn't sure she could trust them with her life so easily. To just hand them everything she was for them to decide on, it went against everything she had been doing her whole life. She was used to being the one to take control of her life, the one to make the decisions since she had been the only one to be able to make them for herself. So, to give that right to a bunch of strangers she barely knew? It went against everything she'd done till now.

And there was Makoto, the one who she'd betrayed. There wasn't a murderous bone in his body, but she couldn't trust that he would give her a chance after all she'd done. Even with his declaration that he didn't blame her for last night, there was no telling if he would keep his tone now that he had a chance to get some sort of payback on her; no matter how little. She had never had a chance to learn that much about him aside from his nicer side.

Leon as well. He had nearly been stabbed to death by her. If anyone had a reason to spite her right here, it would be him. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that it would happen either.

She had no friends here in this courtroom, that was her belief. So, when Monokuma finally opened the door and revealed her to them, she ignored the gasps of shock coming from her classmates, she disregarded the worried mutterings of her name, and she let herself be rolled in by the bear with her head down, unwilling to see those eyes. The eyes of the people she'd betrayed. She stayed silent as Monokuma handed her the small cup holding her instruments of decisions that she plucked out of the wooden container and let it fall and clatter against the floor.

As she held those two flags she looked at them as she held both in either hand, the white in her left, the black loosely in her right. With one of these, she would have to decide who she would be giving up on, who she would give up to the twisted chicanery of the monster bear. Her friends whom she spent the better part of her life with and considered her family…or herself and all the dreams she'd worked so hard on.

As if to remind her of its presence, her wrist lightly throbbed as it was forced to move so that she could hold the tiny flag. Then, as if in response, the stich in her side twitched to remind her that, it existed, it would always be there for the rest of her life, there to remind her of her betrayal. But, worst still, it would be seen forever.

It would always be there, even when the thread was remove, an unsightly scar that everyone would see whenever she would ware any sort of outfit that showed her midriff; which was damn near every outfit she owned as a Popstar. She would be kicked out of every studio with something like this to grab all the wrong attention. There was no future for her, in or out of the music industry. It was all she knew.

So, trying to ignore the tear she felt running down her cheek, she made her decision. Her arm raised.

'I'm sorry…this is all I can do now.'

---

"It's show time for our little idol."

I tried not to choke on my own clenched throat as I spoke those words. It all came down to this. A final choice that could make or break this for her and all the others should they end up in this position in the future. My trump card.

The Final Debate.

To be honest, this had been the primary focus of my thoughts since the second day here; which wasn't so difficult since there wasn't much that I could do locked in this room twenty-four seven. I knew that I would need to do a trial if ever one of them tried to commit to murder. That was a given, it was what this twisted system revolved around after all.

But, what happens if they fail? How do I make them regret their actions, yet allow them to survive to see another day?

The answer? Make them think that their actions had dire consequences. Make them believe that something important to them was on the line.

That was the other reason I had the Lifeline Armbands made, as well as the "commercial". Not only did they believe that their deaths would result in the deaths of their loved ones, but they would have to struggle with knowing that they would be killing, not just the person in front of them, but that person's most precious person as well. While Sayaka clearly didn't pay that too much thought, likely too busy trying to escape to remember, the others would have it burned into their minds always whenever they so much as looked at their arm.

However, that was just the start. They first had a reason to hold on to their hope of getting out. Now they had even more reason to fear for their failures and dread the choices they'd have to make.

By giving them the choice of either offering each other to me, or saving them, it would enhance their feelings of responsibility and truly make them think before they vote. I gave them a way to save themselves from death only once, and I would give them a way to save their loved one, but designed it in a way that prevented them from using both. This would be a true test of their character that would force them to make the hardest decisions now where they were safe before I eventually would send them out into the broken world where this kind of decision will be made constantly. Plus, it would also help the others learn who among them would have the most difficulty making those decisions as well as who would bend the furthest under pressure.

There was nothing more dangerous out there then a person who'll give up their morals for their own gain.

…No, I realize that it seems hypocritical of me to think that, but it's different here! I'm only pushing them for their benefit, not mine.

Regardless, if I can get them to think about the risks early, then that makes things easier for them in the long run.

Now, the ability to give up the Lifelines to preserve their own life, that served a similar purpose. This would tell everyone what they are willing to do to keep going. Who they would give up on to move forward. And that would make it so that the others would know who to keep an eye on in the future.

Same goes for those that were willing to risk their safety to protect their Lifeline. This would show them who were willing to risk the odds to protect those close to them. It would give them an opportunity to know how remorseful they were of their actions.

There was a risk that the other students would still ask for their execution regardless, but it's still better then I'd ever want to happen.

'Still, I'm surprised what Sayaka decided.' I found myself staring at the little flag held in her shaking grasp over her head. Of the choices that she had available to her, I hadn't expected her to pick the black flag. I would have assumed that she would have gone with the white flag given the fact that she still had her whole dream to grab for, but I wasn't going to whine about it. It was good to see she wasn't willing to risk the life of her follow band-mate to continue her own career, but it was still suspicious.

Why now did she decide to put their life above her own and not before all of this? Why did she wait until now to decide to care?

Eh, in the end it didn't matter. Right now, there were other things to focus on. Clearing my throat, I made the second Monokuma walk over and high-five the one in the chair before returning it into standby mode. As it walked away to resume its preprogramed duties, I addressed the group. "So, now that that's been decided, it's time to debate. You have ten minutes to talk amongst yourselves and make your decision on what to vote on, so try to keep it quick. If you like, you can tell what you're voting for and get others to join in, or you can keep quiet. Whatever you do, you must decide by the end of the time limit. So, have at it, starting…now!"

"What is there to discuss?" Celeste asked, fiddling with her hair as she spoke. "We have our culprit laid before us, I see no reason why we need to continue to waste time discussing what will happen to them."

"What? That's fuckin' cold." Mondo commented, and Sayaka flinched as well from the gambling queen's indifferent tone. It was like she was talking about the weather; it was so monotone and uncaring.

Byakuya certainly did nothing to help the situation, stating, "Regardless, there is no need to discuss this. We simply need to decide on what exactly is to be done with her."

"Really?" chimed in Hiro, "That's a bit harsh, don't you think."

"Oh?" Celeste asked, her eyebrow raised high as she looked at the injured fortune teller. "Was it not you who said you wanted to hold the trial because you, "couldn't let it go."?"

Hiro flinched in response, not able to deny her claim. "W-Well, yeah, but…"

Celeste was quick to cut his weak response, her eyes wide and foreboding as she tried to stare into his soul. "But what? What reason could you have to postpone this outcome?"

"Well, um, I mean, we still don't know why she did it. Do we?" Hiro flinched at the glare he'd gotten from both Byakuya and Celeste, but I smiled when the others seemed to pick up on his meaning. Sayaka flinched as well, but I was far from concerned with what she was thinking of. If hanging out her dirty laundry against her will ended up saving her, then I say, "By all means, go for it."

Taka jumped on the opportunity presented, an idea forming in his head. "That's true! We never did talk about the contents of our videos! If we could see what was on miss Sayaka's, I feel that would help alleviate our doubts in her and her actions!"

"…" Sayaka was silent. As silent as a grave. Her head was bowed down, preventing anyone from seeing her expression though her long tresses that flowed over her face like a blue waterfall. But I could see her shaking hands through the bars of her podium. I could see the wrinkles in her skirt from where her good hand was wringing the garment. I felt a cold feeling grip at my soul and a shiver rush up my spine. She was going to try something drastic, I couldn't tell you how I knew, but I could feel that things were not going to go well from here.

"Sayaka…?" Makoto had apparently caught the unusual silence emitting from the brunette and was justifiably worried. With good reason, every time so far she'd gone silent for a minute, something went sideways. And just as expected, what she did next wasn't anything like what I was hoping to see her do today either.

"I can't tell you." She said, her voice barely a whisper, but in this courtroom, she might as well have shouted for how well it carried over the room. The eyes of many of the students were all over her instantly.

Mondo was the first to recover from his shock, his expression shifting to an aggravated one as he asked, "Wha- Why the hell not?"

"You wouldn't understand." Sayaka replied, her hair waving around when she shook her head slightly, as if she was speaking to a child too young to comprehend what she was talking about. The biker huffed angrily at that, but surprisingly went quiet at the slight.

I would have expected him to just lash out again, maybe swear a bit as he denied her claims. But aside from him all but physically spitting to the side in disgust, he was silent. The others weren't much better, some of them merely looked at each other, as if unsure what they should say to that. I could see where they might be coming from, they barely knew each other as it was, who were they to say one way or another if they would understand where she was coming from if she told them what she'd seen. Yes, they knew that it was someone she loved, that was the motive after all, but the feelings she held were hers and hers alone and they wouldn't be able to say they knew exactly what she felt.

Which is why I nearly fell over laughing when Makoto oh so casually stated in a depressing voice, "…It was her band. Monokuma did something to them."

Sayaka looked like she had been socked in the gut, her eyes wide as they shot straight to the luckster. She sounded like it too, her next words sounding almost breathless. "…! How did you…?

"During the investigations," Makoto explained, guilt spread across his face as he turned to look at her. "I found your DVD…I was worried so I decided to watch it to try and find out what had happened. I'm sorry."

He had dropped his gaze, unable to look her in the eye to see her broken-hearted expression. I didn't blame him, I was having difficulties looking at it myself, and I had the luxury of a camera being between me and everyone else. Just about made me want to chastise the luckster for her when she stuttered. "I…I don't..."

"Miss Sayaka!" Taka suddenly interjected with an authoritative smack of his palms against the wood of his podium, startling me so much that I'd have knocked over my chair had it not been bolted to the ground. "While I don't condone Makoto's invasion of your privacy, I must ask what happened in your DVD!"

Mondo again surprised me when he jumped in with an aggravated, "Dude, we don't need to go that far. Naegi just fuckin' said that that prick bear did something to 'em."

Technically, I hadn't done a single thing to them myself. Even when I considered that the old Junko might have had something to do with their sudden state of being, I highly doubt that she would personally harm them herself. If there was one thing I could count on from the despair fetishist, it's that she found things more entertaining when others did horrible acts of their own will, even more so if they do it out of desperation. Whatever she did to Sayaka's band, it wasn't by her own physical hand.

That doesn't excuse her though from breaking people's spirits until they even considered doing these atrocities, but I'm just saying, not my fault.

Regardless, Hina didn't seem to understand one thing, "Sayaka, just tell us why you did it. Why did you try to…to kill Leon? Why frame Makoto? Please, we just want to understand."

Sayaka, well, let's just say, I didn't like the dark look in her eyes right about now. "…What would it change…?"

"Sayaka?" Makoto asked, just about as worried as I was about what it sounded like she was planning. Was she actually going to…?

"What would you know about why I did all of this change?" I felt a cold lance of fear grip at my heart for the dark look in her eyes only confirmed it. She was going to try to convince them to do the exact opposite of what I had been hoping for.

Kyoko was the one to respond to her question, her tone unwavering as usual, yet it held a hint of caution that I found interesting. "It would help to better understand your reasoning for your actions so that we can make an unbiased vote."

There was a scoff thrown her way from Byakuya, his stern visage clearly stating his thoughts, but maybe he didn't think everyone was worthy of attempting to read his glorious mind and chose to grace them with his words. "And what would be the point in that? It won't change the fact that she betrayed us in the first place."

Kyoko barely gave him more than a curiosity glance, before she closed her eyes and took a small breath. "…Maybe so, but it doesn't mean that we have the right to judge her without knowing her side in this. If we did that, then we would be no better than Monokuma."

"Now, that's just uncalled for." I stated feeling honestly insulted. That hypocritical line of thought was admittedly true in regards to the personality I was trying to portray, don't get me wrong, but none of them were aware of my side in this and were judging me anyway. That kind of thing was one of the many reasons my faith in humanity, as a whole was rather low in the first place.

People like Byakuya certainly didn't help matters. "If you aren't going to contribute anything of importance, then don't waste my time with pointless commentary."

"Well, fine then." I quipped, before having the bear lie down. "Guess I'll just take a power nap."

Byakuya, the self-entitled jerk, then turned to look at the accused, his gaze firm as ever as he looked at her darkened eyes. Not into them, that would imply that he had something resembling common respect for other people. "Now then, if you are going to talk, now would be the time."

Sayaka, however, simply shook her head as her response, either ignoring or not caring that the scion was practically declaring his disgust with his eyes, before stating. "Like I said, what would be the point? I already committed to my actions, it would be pointless to say why I did what I did. Let's just finish it."

Makoto's eyes went wide, as did all the others. She wasn't even going to try to defend her actions, hell, she was practically begging them to execute her at this rate. Why though, that was the question. What could that possibly serve? A question the Luckster stared to ask, "What? Sayaka, what are you-?"

"-talking about?" she interrupted, though she refused to even look in his direction as she did. "I'm already saying it; it would be best for everyone that I be executed."

Mondo reacted poorly to that, a blood vessel in his forehead had started throbbing violently as he yelled. "The fuck!? What the hell are you going on about with this, "best for everyone" crap!?"

"Y-Yeah, if we vote for that then you'll be…" Chihiro started, quivering in her stand as she tried and failed to finish her sentence, the implications just too much for her pacifistic heart to accept. If she could have it her way, I had no doubt that she would chose to go her whole life without having what she was unable to say spoken aloud. Sadly, Toko has always been without such a filter and with stuttering words filled with fear.

"…E-Executed."

That word. That damned word caused the whole of them to freeze up, despite having heard it and even occasionally saying it, this was the first time that it seemed like it would possible happen to one of them. It got worse when you consider that one of them was actually saying that they were not only supportive of the idea, but were willing to have it done to them. It was mind boggling,

Sayaka gulped, but it was so minuscule that I almost missed it. "It doesn't matter, everything that happened is my fault. I deserve to be punished for my actions."

"W-Well that is true," Taka admitted, but there were clearly conflicting thoughts going on in his head as he internally fought between what he felt was right and what he'd thought was right. "but execution? That is…"

"What I deserve." She interrupted once again, her eyes closed as she tried to control her breathing. She was only partially successful in her efforts, as when she exhaled her breath shuddered at the end. I don't know who she was trying to fool, but it was clear she wasn't going to stop anytime soon. She just wasn't able to put her whole heart into it, and it only got worse when Makoto jumped in once more.

"No! Sayaka, you told me that we needed to work together so that we could get out of here. If you get executed now, all the things you did for your dream will be for nothing. You said that you would-"

Again, Sayaka interrupted, but now there were tears accompanying her stuttering. "As I s-said, it doesn't matter…not anymore. Just v-vote for my e-execution already. H-hurry up already and end this."

My heart was going out for her, as was the others. It was clear that she was breaking, her resolve wavering with every word both heard and said. Even a slack-jawed moron could see the strain she was putting herself under for all of this. It pained me to watch as she continued to try and talk them into the worst outcome and I wanted nothing more than to stop it.

But, there wasn't a thing I could do. I told them that they had to be the ones to decide her fate, not mine. I didn't even know why on earth she would be asking for this in the first place, and without that knowledge, I'd be going in more blind then a mole with a blindfold. If I intervened to soon, then all kinds of things would go wrong. I had to hold my tongue for now, no matter how much it pains me to say it, and hope that one of them could solve this, and soon.

"Why are you trying to get us to vote for your execution? Do you really think so little of yourself?" Kyoko questioned, and already I was ready to sing halleluiah because I could practically see the gears turning in her head. No doubt she will be able to get to the bottom of this, or even get one of the others to get there. With any luck, this could turn things around for us.

Sadly, Sayaka seemed to regain some of her composure at the slight against her. "What do you mean? That's not what I saying at all. I'm just telling you what I think should be done. Just end this farce already."

"That is something I can agree on." And here comes freaking Celeste to make it worst. I don't know if it was because she just wanted to get this over with like she said, or if she was just sick of discussing this after so much time had already gone by. Hard to say.

"Wait hold on. Somethings not right!" Makoto interjected, but before he could elaborate he was cut off by Hiro. "I'll say, it's like she's a completely different person from before. C-Could she be possessed by a spirit of some kind!?"

"Seriously?" Hina replied, just as aghast as I was that he was so ignorant to the mask the idol had worn. "Is now really the time for that nonsense?"

Once more, Sayaka shook her head, but this time there was a sense of exasperation in her voice. "No, it's nothing that absurd. I'm just done acting like I'm going to get out of here. Why should I keep acting like the impossible will happen?"

Mondo easily summed up my thoughts, though his was more aimed at anger more than my annoyance. "Fuckin' hell."

"Sayaka, there's still something I need to ask you." Makoto stated, his expression caught me off guard though. It was far more serious then I was used to seeing from this herbivore of a boy, but there was something…off about it. Call me crazy, but I could just about swear that he looked like he was about to have a heart attack. He just had this expression that said that he knew what the answer would be to whatever it was he was about to ask her, but he wanted desperately to be wrong.

I don't know if Sayaka noticed the same thing as I did or not, she had only glanced in his direction for a second before pausing in her reply. "…What is it?"

Makoto took a deep breath, and asked the one question I had hoped he would wait until the end to ask. "From the very beginning, since we got trapped here…has everything you said been a lie?"

Sayaka was silent for a moment, her lips pursed and her brow furrowed. I could tell that she was debating on how she wanted to respond, whether she had indeed been falsifying her words or merely stretching the truth a bit. It wasn't that hard to tell that she had in fact been manipulating Makoto, that much was a truth that only those who didn't know the signs would have missed. But, had all of it been a lie? All the stories she'd revealed to him, the words of praise, the moments of weakness. Had she faked all of it?

Well, I don't know if she believed she did or not, but she clearly decided on what she wanted to believe. "…Of course. I'd have thought you'd have figured that out already."

"…" Makoto, flinched back at her snapped remark, the words he didn't wish to hear coming from her practically slapped him across the face and leaving him dazed and hurt. He didn't want to believe what she was saying, I could see that, but then she continued.

"I regret my actions… I really do. But it doesn't matter now. I don't want anything to do with this anymore." An icy glare found its way to her face, marring her features into a revolting cross between a scowl and a grimace as she glowered daggers at the poor luckster. "We are not friends, nor were we ever. You were just a means to an end. Nothing more."

"S-Sayaka…" Chihiro muttered, absolutely shocked and appalled by the pop-idol's verbal lashing that she had laid onto the unfortunate boy. The programmer wasn't the only one, both Hifumi and Toko had been stricken silent at the verbal bile that had been slung Makoto's way. Taka had also been stricken with a case of shock induced silence, and judging by the way his eye would glance between the luckster and idol it seemed that he was having a difficult time deciding if he wanted to shout about her upsetting attitude, or if he wanted to offer consulate Makoto.

"That's just horrible! Why would you say something like that!?" Hina responded heatedly, positively livid that the boy she was starting to see as a friend was being abused so harshly by someone that she had thought she could trust to be another friend. I don't think she had ever felt so disgusted in another human being in her life, so dark her glare was for the blue haired teen. She wasn't alone in this either, Mondo looked ready to leap over the railings to sock a blue hair witch, and it was only his belief that a man should never strike a woman that held him at bay. Sakura had me worried though, her clenched fist was shaking at her side, ready to be planted into someone's face; and I know she would have no hesitations for gender.

However, Sayaka remained steadfast in her resolve, but I could see the misty glaze in her eyes. She could only hold on to this farce for so much longer. She had spent so much of her life trying to become a beloved icon that would make everyone happy that it was clear that this act was hurting her as much as in was the rest the seventy-eight class here. It would only be a matter of time before she broke down under the strain of their hated that she was inspiring.

Still she pushed on, despite all of that. "Because it's the truth, I never would have associated with that loser if I didn't think I had too."

Celeste tittered seemingly amused by this turn of events. "It seems that her true face has been revealed, though, it is not surprising all things considered. After all, was it not her who tried to turn Naegi's room into a crime scene."

As expected, Byakuya joined in on the 'oh so happy to belittle someone' shtick with his air of superiority and that oh so smug smirk that made me want to slug him in the jaw. "Yes, that is true. She was truly a cunning vixen to recruit Makoto for her little act. Such a terrifying woman she is, isn't she Makoto?"

This couldn't be worst. Sayaka was blowing my attempt to save her ungrateful life, Makoto looked like he was going to be sick, almost everyone looked about ready to just kill the blue haired moron for her actions, and Kyoko was being bloody silent now of all times! If this kept up, there wouldn't be a cupcakes chance in a room of kids for me to keep that idiot-idol alive.

For a brief second, I wondered again why I was even trying to save her. She clearly had no intention of living past today and was trying to make sure of that with these false words of a deception she might not have meant. Why should I keep her from kicking the preverbal bucket if she is just going to wreck it anyway?

However, I shook the thought from my head as soon as it came. I was already invested in this train wreck, might as well try and do some damage control.

"Wow…I mean what a twist. To hear such cold-hearted words from someone so widely admired." I started out, trying to make the navy haired girl flinch and regret trying to put her foot in the grave, I succeeded too, before turning to Makoto. "And just after you said all those nice things about her too. Must be so hard to hear such treachery from someone you invested so much faith into."

I felt bad about saying that to him, he was already suffering the slap in the face from her betrayal, this was just salt on the wound. Sadly, salt is a good purifier in a pinch. "Of course, I wouldn't know anything about that since, as a bear, I never needed to trust anyone but myself" a quick joke to raise the tension, per Monokuma's iota. Now to add a line that will get them thinking, while at the same time making me out to be more of an ass. "…but, ya' know, it's kinda strange how drastic a shift this was. Ah well, what do I care? It looks like I might get to execute someone after all!"

"That's too cruel." Chihiro muttered, her face moist by the tears leaking from her eyes, despite her attempts to wipe them away. It was like there was a miasma in the air now, a choking feeling that held them all in place as they either glared at the singer with contempt or were on the verge of breaking down in weeping sorrow. None of them were ready to deal with this kind of thing, for all their bluster and abilities, they had little to no experience with this kind of situation and had defaulted to their basic emotions in an attempt to rationalize the storms in their hearts. They had no real experience to base this off though, and it would prevent them from getting an unbiased vote.

Thank the gods that they had someone like Kyoko to set things on the right path. "Hold on, there's something that needs addressing."

"What is it now?" Sayaka's frustration was quite interesting to see after all that she'd been spouting about thus far. I couldn't stop the grin on my face from forming when I realized that her frustrations would only skyrocket soon as the detective got a foothold.

To prove my unspoken words, Kyoko looked straight into the idol girl's eyes, and with complete conviction started to systematically break her argument. "Sayaka…You're lying."

"…!" Said girl froze for a second, her eyes wide as she realized that her stunt was about to be revealed for the sham that it was. This didn't last long though, as she quickly realized that the others were now looking at her, she tried to mount flimsy defense. "N-No I'm not! I can't stand him!"

Too bad for her, while Makoto had flinched once more at her harsh speech, Kyoko had no intention of being deterred. "That's not what I meant. Whether you care about Makoto's wellbeing notwithstanding, earlier you said that it would be "best for everyone" if you were executed…but who exactly were you referring too? Us…or your band."

In that moment, I felt like kissing that beautiful woman. I also wanted to slap myself as well as Sayaka for making this situation become so gosh dang infuriating! This was the problem that comes from making such drastic changes to the status quo, you get all kinds of problems. When I had made my alternative to "punishment time", I had done so with the idea of risks and reward in mind. The thought was that, as there wasn't going to be any one successfully murdering another, hopefully, then maybe they wouldn't try and get each other executed. With any luck, they would be able to bond over the experience and grow stronger over the traumatic experience.

Sadly, I'd forgotten that people have one common factor. The more you think you know people, the more they will surprise you.

Mostly from their stupidity.

But in this case, it was surprising how Sayaka would try to save anyone, even her former bandmates. I had always gotten the impression that she would have jumped onto the option to save her own life at the cost of her co-performer. It was just the way she was so manipulative of Makoto during the time they were together, constantly heaping praise while contently making it seem like she was his closest friend in this school. She had been leading him by his nose the whole time, like a puppy being told that they were going for a ride, unaware of the plans that she had held for him at the vet. He just didn't see the bad in the actions she had until it was too late, so naive to her actions that it was embarrassing to watch at times.

Now, my little internal rant over, Kyoko continued, "Remember what Monokuma said. "Should we decide that you are to be executed, you may choose to relinquish the grasp you hold on your line"."

I could see the looks of realization in the other teens eyes; apart from Hiro, obviously. With his hand on his chin, Hifumi was the one to speak up with his own interpretations. "Hmm, I believe I see the connection. You mean to say that she is playing the role of the sacrificial character to appease our captor in exchange for her party's lives. A classic maneuver. Though I'm not sure that is a practical plan in these circumstances."

Makoto was the most thrown off by this though. "Sayaka, are you trying to get us to execute you to save your Band?" all the insults, the stinging remarks, all of this was so that she could save her lifeline from possible death. He could relate in a way, the idea of losing someone you love can do things to you that you would never have anticipated. If he hadn't felt the need to help her, he couldn't say for sure if he wouldn't do the same.

As I looked around, I could see he wasn't the only one likely thinking of such things. Sakura, Taka, Hifumi, and even Chihiro looked on with varying degrees of distraught expressions on their faces, ranging from livid to horrified as they thought about being in the same situation. Mondo and Hina were looking at the idol with looks of mixed remorse, as if unsure whether their harsh words to her earlier were something they should apologize for, of if they should still be upset by what she had done. It was a problem they would have to take care of later. The only ones who were looking at her with spiteful or otherwise dark emotions were Byakuya, Celeste, and Toko.

I could understand it in part. Byakuya had always had a bit of a ruthless streak since the beginning and would have no sympathy for someone who had committed what he probably thought was a crime against him. It may not have been directly aimed at him per say, but her actions still could have gotten him killed and he had no time for anything like that. Now that she had her reasons for her actions revealed, he no longer found this situation interesting and so had no further reason to pretend otherwise.

Celeste, for all her faults, was a gambler that didn't like taking risks or betting on others if there was no guaranty. Nor was she someone who could comprehend the idea of giving yourself away for the sake of others, always looking out for número uno. She wasn't the kind of girl to easily forgive or forget failure either and despised many of the things Sayaka had done so far. As far as I could tell, whatever happened to the popstar was no longer anything the gambler would lose any sleep over.

And Toko, well, I knew she wouldn't be happy either way. From her horrible upbringing, she already had a low opinion on anyone and everyone. Seeing what Sayaka tried to do, in was only natural that the novelist would now hate her guts and want nothing to do with the popular singer.

Leon was still a nonfactor, completely silent and staring down ever since they had finished the vote. I was getting worried about him now. It was so unusual to see him so quite in the first place, his attitude so in your face and boisterous that you couldn't help but notice him. Yet now he was as silent as a grave. It was very concerning.

Sayaka looked like she was about to have an aneurism, her eyes wild and unfocused as she tried to deny Kyoko's claims about her actions. "D-Don't be ridiculous!"

She might have continued there, had I not decided that enough was enough. If breaking what remains of her spirit was what it took to save her, then so be it. "Yeah, don't be ridiculous. Anyone who actually watched the last video would know that you are only able to use one lifeline, not a whole entourage."

Sayaka's eyes could not be any wider, nor could her face be any paler. "What?"

"I mean, how unfair would that have been? Some of you have, like, a small army of people that you could have used to save yourselves, while the rest of you have a tiny amount that could barely fill a dinning booth. No sir, that would have been bad news to give you more than one."

"So you're saying…?" Sayaka asked breathlessly, her good hand clutching the cloth held in front of her heart. She shook her head in denial, desperately clinging to that last piece of her hope that it was a lie, a cruel, cruel lie that what she was hearing. That her efforts weren't in vain, that she hadn't tried to burn her bridges for nothing.

I had no intention of honoring those wishes, no matter how true they were "That any attempt to save your group as you are now, is utterly…pointless."

"I…I…" If it wasn't for her already sitting in a wheelchair, I think she would have fallen to her knees. I could practically see the metaphorical glass of her psyche shatter into tiny shards across the ground. I had taken the last shot she had at redeeming herself within her own eyes and crushed it underneath my heel like an insect. There was nothing left of the light in her eyes, just a seemingly endless abyss of despair swallowing up her everything, and leaving a broken shell behind. Truly, she was emotionally destroyed.

The worst part was the tears. Large, bulbous drops of salty water had started pouring out of the sides of her eyes leaving trials all the way down her cheeks and her chin before falling to their deaths in her lap, spattering all over upon impact only for another to come right after it and share in its predecessors' fates. There was no emotion to be seen on her face as she committed teary genocide, and if she didn't blink every occasion, I'd have thought she had died then and there.

I felt…depressed by that. I had destroyed the very foundations of her mind to save her life. Was that worth it in the end? I don't know.

Taka spoke, his words unsure. "H-Hold on. Didn't you say that we could save them if we-"

"Save?" I cut him off, "Oh, no, no, no, no, no. Pay attention, I said relinquish, to voluntarily cease to keep or claim; give up. I never said anything about me letting them go. It just means that they won't die with you."

"You son of a bitch!" Mondo ever so eloquently summarized the teens collective thoughts about me, followed by Hina's cry, "That's not fair! You lead us on!"

"Sure it is!" I stated with sadistic glee in my voice, masking the dark feelings bubbling in my heart. "Now quit asking me to explain things for you all, you're almost out of time."

Byakuya followed up on what I'd said, but there was a great sense of reluctance. "As loath as I am to agree, he is right. It would be best that we finish deciding this now." Then, to my surprise, he turned back to the proceedings and said, "That being said, I for one believe we should vote for her isolation as our proper recourse for her actions."

"Wait, seriously?" I asked, my brow raised high. "Weren't you the one who was gung ho on getting her executed?"

He scoffed, as if insulted. "Don't be so presumptuous. I never explicitly stated that I believed she should be executed, I simply declared we should finish this farce and decide what should be done with her. It was Sayaka, and Sayaka alone who has been saying that we should execute her."

I was…rather stunned by that. With all his attitude towards the idea of working together, I would have thought he would been far more supportive of the idea of execution. Hina then killed my amazement by only stating, "Byakuya…"

I hate that cliché. Saying a person's name, but not actually asking them something grinds my gears.

"Don't make any assumptions about my actions. I simply have no desire to give him the satisfaction of executing one of us without due prosses. That is why I propose that we vote for her to be given the detention treatment you mentioned before, rather than enlist in your services." He's a Oujidere. I'm calling it now, it's the only thing that makes sense. He pushes for people to give him respect and to prove that he is superior. He thinks his family will rule the world via the words of destiny. He's a Oujidere.

"T-Though I am concerned about the ramifications, I must agree with Byakuya!" Taka closed his eyes momentarily, but they snapped open again as he stated his consent with his dramatically pointing finger. "Miss Sayaka should be allowed to continue to live and think about her actions!"

Mondo, on the other hand didn't seem to agree. "I don't know man. Is that really the best idea?"

"What are you saying?" Sakura asked in response, her intense gaze focusing dead on the biker's. To his credit, he only flinched marginally, to the point that I would have missed it if I had blinked.

"I-I don't mean I want her to get executed or anything like that," He said, before he reached up to scratch the back of his head. "I'm just not sure if just locking her up is enough. I mean, a lot of my gang and I were in juvey at one point and, well, the box isn't just a thing in movies. I'm just worried that she'll just get worst if she's stuck in her room alone for too long."

Celeste raised a delicate eyebrow in response, intrigued by his statement. "Interesting insight coming from you of all people. And what, pray tell, would you suggest?"

"Hell, I don't know," Mondo said as he moved his hands to the pockets. "Maybe we need to have someone just follow her around till we're sure we can trust her again or something."

I glanced at the clock, and gave it a double take. Time was almost up. "For the love of- would you guys stop talking about what you are going to do if the vote is black, and decide what you're going to vote on!"

They all cringed at that, they hated that this was what is was going to come to. But it had to be done. Amazingly, Hiro spoke up with a worried, "Oh yeah, so…I'm going to pick the black flag."

That caught everyone off guard, me especially. Why the hell would he be doing that? Toko took the stage with a disgusted look on her face and a judgmental finger pointing at him in accusation. "H-Huh? W-Why would you c-choose to pick that flag? D-Do you got some kind of p-perverted plan for her, you d-disgusting hobo?"

"Hey! I'm not a hobo!" he relied to her rude remark, but then calmed down afterward. "And, well, I still haven't gotten my explanation for why she stabbed me. So, I'd like to hear the truth before she gets offed, ya' know."

"That's cold." Hina deadpanned.

I, however, didn't care for his reasoning, for at least that was one in my favor. "Whatever, that's one vote. Anyone else? Chihiro maybe."

Chihiro was caught off guard by the sudden inclusion in this conversation. "H-Huh!?"

"You've been awful quite so far, what do you think?" I replied, my tone calm if uncaring despite my rushing heartbeat. I hope this goes well

"I-I…" The little programmer stuttered, not use to being put on the spot like this. It was nerve-wracking for her, I knew that much, but I needed to push this along quickly.

Mondo was quick to come to her defense, his loud voice startling some of the others for its intensity. "Hey, you piece of shit! Quit messing with her!"

Chihiro seemed to snap out of her anxiety though, so I wasn't going to comment on it. "I-I don't want to vote. I can't pick either one, they're both just so…horrible. If we don't punish her, Monokuma will…but I can't do that, it would be the same as hurting her ourselves. I'm sorry, but I…I…"

From there, Hifumi took over, looking just as nervous as the chibi, his large hands gripping his tie as he adjusted it pointlessly. "I-I have to agree. This is just too much for me right now. I do want to lend my assistance…but, I'm just not sure what to do."

I could sympathize with them on their decision. In their minds, it was like they themselves were the ones to hurt her if they vote one way or another. They knew what they were risking by not voting, but they couldn't stand what that would require them to do.

Toko took the next stance, angrily proclaiming, "W-Well, I know what I'm p-picking. I d-don't trust that she won't t-try something again in the future."

That was surprising, I never took her as the kind of person to so violently…who am I kidding? She'd totally do that at this point. Hina was the one to comment on this. "That's a terrible thing to say! Can't you see that she's already suffered enough?"

"S-Shut up! I-I'm just thinking about my own s-survival here. B-Besides, h-how do we know this isn't s-some kind of trick? S-She already betrayed us once, w-what's to stop her from trying again?" To be fair, she wasn't wrong.

"W-Well…Um…" Our athletic swimmer struggled to counter that.

Toko was particularly smug about that. "See, y-you can't say for sure. Y-Your head's as empty as your arguments."

Hina was not impressed. "Hey!"

Sakura took over next, "Regardless, it matters not. Her actions are not to be taken lightly…Aye will choose to see that she understands that."

"So you're saying…?" I asked, just wanting to make absolutely sure.

"Despite mine own concerns, I believe it best if I forswear the path of surrender and accept the blackened flag. It is my hope that there will come a time that Maizono will overcome this trial that she has been cursed with from this sacrifice."

Hina chimed in next. "Yeah, I'm with Sakura on this. I don't want to punish her, but I can't just let this go. I'm sorry, but that's what I think."

I nodded, though I didn't have Monokuma mimic it. Where Sakura goes, so too does Hina. It's just how these things worked.

Well, that was almost everything. All that was left was to get was the gambler, all-star, and detective. I already knew that Makoto likely wasn't going to vote, or if he did it would be a blackened vote to save her life, and Kyoko would likely do the same. I wasn't too sure on Celeste, her poker face was on full force right now so it was hard to guess where she would go, but I'm fairly curtain that she will go white. Call it intuition if you must. All that was left was to hear Leon's thought on this. "And what about you, mister All-star? What do you have to say?"

Leon was silent. Silent as a grave in a vacuum. I couldn't help but feel worried that he would try to sabotage this whole thing.

But then, he started to speak. And what he said, what he said shocked me silent; at least for a little while. "…I…I think this is all fucking stupid. Punish her...Execute her…? Why the fuck are we the ones to decide this B.S.! We aren't some kind of Jury, Judge, or fuckin' Executioner! This…this is not a fair trial; there's nothing fair about it!"

I was amazed, it was as if a spark had reignited in his eyes, a burning passion that would blaze a trail through this despair that I'd been laying for them to wade through. As I glanced around, I noticed that some of the others had risen their heads up at that remark. Either confused or not, there were a few of them that had slightly different looks to them. I wasn't sure if it was hope or not, but they didn't all look as lost as they had a while ago. Makoto, who I had been worried about the most out of all of them, looked like he had regained some of his pep as well, nodding in agreement to what the red head was saying. The others weren't nearly as excited looking, but they would pull through now that someone was getting them started on the path to recovery.

Then I looked at Sayaka, and I felt saddened yet hopeful. She hadn't stopped crying, and I was worried her be drastically dehydrated after all of this, but it had weakened in quantity. More importantly though, her eyes had regained some of their light. It wasn't much, and I had doubts that it ever would fully recover the true warmth it had once held, but I felt confident that she would be able to recover from this with the help of Makoto, Leon, and the others.

"Oh?" Celeste asked, her little smile finally present after being missing for so much of the trial. "Well, this is a surprise coming from you of all people. Were you not the one that Sayaka had tried to murder in the first place? I would have assumed that you would have been overjoyed to see her get her comeuppance."

Leon flinched at that, and I could guess why. He might have had such thoughts going through his mind at one point or another. Yet, "M-Maybe so, but death should never be the first option! You're not any different! Any one of us could have been the one to start this stupid so-called "game"! I think we should keep her alive, if only so she can get an actual trial when we get out of here."

"If you get out of here." I quipped, to his ire.

"Fuck off!"

Hah! He wishes I would…of course I do too in a way. I didn't want to do this anymore. I nearly got someone killed, and now there is a chance that I'm going to get them killed for sure. They can say what they want about what they plan to vote for, until the vote is cast then there is no definitive answer to what her fate is. I didn't want to risk that, but I had already made my bed, it was time to lay in it.

"Whatever, your time is up! Please locate you're chosen flag and choose the fate for Sayaka Maizono!"

With those words, they all went silent once more. Each of them picked up their two toothpick sized flags, some more hesitant then the others, some bolder. After they each held their flags, they took a moment to look at each other with looks of caution. You could practically see their thoughts written on their expressions. Who would vote for what? What would happen to Sayaka, or them for that matter. Would they stay committed to what they had said earlier, or would they change their minds because of the pressure of their peer's? Which of them would risk it all to be excluded from this as neutral? What about the ones who vote to surrender or punish? When this was over, what would happen to their continued communal lives here, if they even survive to continue it?

No one could answer these questions, no matter how much they studied each other for the secrets hidden inside each mind here. Almost all of them closed their eyes, either out of respect…or fear of what the vote would be. It was by my count of three that they raised their flags, committing themselves to their decisions. Some of them flinched, afraid they had made the wrong choice as they heard the counts I made, no mentions of which was the victor or not. Not a clue as to who had won was known to them, none willing to look to see. Finally, when the suspense was at its highest, I told them to open their eyes and see what all the others had voted for.

There was some hesitation from most, if not all of them, none wanting to learn if they had condemned someone to death, but eventually they pried open their eyes to see what the fate of their fellows was.