Trial 1-2: Please Believe my Goodbyes, I Only Meant Your Happiness
Beta Read by: Lupus Overkill
There are small moments from my childhood that I fondly remember. Maybe that's why those hurt the most. It is the little moments that leave the biggest scars, with them promising neverland but giving you a discount wonderland.
Sometimes I forget. Was there a cat? Perhaps. A dog? More likely. The clearest memories of the ones entrenched in fog are one of another little boy almost exactly like me playing his heart on the violin. Or maybe it was a piano. The instrument is not important, it's the feelings associated with whoever that boy is or was. That one moment of happiness in those dismal years gave me hope. A hope that will burn and turn my heart into nothing but ashes. What a selfish little boy that needed to be taught a lesson. A lesson that giving hope to others will only result in them hating you.
"What's your name?"
"Shiro."
"Mine's Kane."
He never should have answered.
Why of all things am I thinking of that incredibly vague memory? And why would it be triggered during a cat video of all things?
Mostly everybody, even the more arrogant or talkative types, is silent. Maybe because the stakes of this game might finally become clear for them. Or they don't want to be lectured by a middle-aged cat who can barely hold a conversation.
Even if there was an idea of escape, there would be nowhere to go. If by some miracle, we end up jumping off these podiums without hurting our legs, the only way of escape is through the mysterious latches on the floor that do not seem to be controlled by anything in this room. The only other potential escape is to purposefully cause our deaths and launch ourselves into space. I may be surrounded by morons, but I think they are not desperate enough to do that yet.
"I can't believe somebody else stole our idea..." Mononeko grumbles as she returns to the room. "A killing game on Okunoshima...who else but the Despairs and the Committee has an interest in creating these hellish things..."
"We can hear you~" Aito snickers.
"Ah!...I don't want to deal with the fallout. It's so tedious. Just like forget that it happened or add onto your theories. It won't change anything." The cat returns to her podium. "I'm gonna get a pay cut anyways. Might as well go all out."
"You better get pay cuts for allowing me to be in this position! Of course, I didn't do it!" Tahlia shouts. And now the overly loud voices of my classmates will continue. The silence was good while it lasted.
Honestly, in my home, whenever Einosuke isn't around, things are too loud. I do not miss the orchestra of screams and laughs one bit. The little kids were always the worst. I can't remember them all too well, but thinking back to that girl in red is too nostalgic but sorrowful. Almost like the feeling of despair. Losing yourself in the riptide, but being comforted by the waves.
"There's no dark aura around me. There's no dark aura here so that must mean something!...This must mean that Saitou somehow caused his own death!" Osamu says.
"That's not how my powers work..." Sachiko hides her face.
"This isn't making any of you look better. Except for Etsuko," Asuka sighs.
"I can confirm that Etsuko wouldn't ever do such a thing," Emilynn states. Etsuko gives the lucky student a thumbs up. "She may be chaotic but her alignment is still neutral."
"I wonder what her deception modifier is." Seina fiddles with her sleeves.
"We won't know unless we start this Trial again..." Kitsu rubs the back of his head awkwardly. Maybe because he has so far not proven his worth.
If I were a killer, I would target one of the talkative ones, like Asuka, Seina, or even Etsuko. Keep people like Renkou alive so there would be somebody to mislead instead of me. Then I would simply frame the crime on somebody who doesn't talk but also doesn't have their own puppy bodyguard Osamu. Like Natsuki.
"This is a waste of time. Osamu and I were together most of the time. There wouldn't be enough to set up a trap in the middle of a Labyrinth," Hanane rebukes. "Also, with this talk of it being a trap, the party alibi could be useless and only there for us to waste our time."
"What do you mean?" Natsuki asks.
"I think she's talking about how it could be set up any time. Why would we need to figure out places for the party?" Chika presses her thumb to her chin.
"Wait a minute, I know I'm interrupting this current discussion but your queen Yuki has another brilliant deduction! Since Yuu, Himura, Rokuro, and I were working together most of the time, we could be let off too!" The singer happily raises her hand.
"Yuki, that has literally nothing to do with what's going on here..." Poor Yuu has not been participating much, most likely due to the massive headaches his sister always causes him. He is lucky they don't share the same body anymore.
"I love to be the center of attention but there's a time and place. Mononeko, I'll convince Kaimaru to change somehow if you stop this-" Rokuro tries to say to Yuki.
"Listen more, Rokuro! I've got a theory that Mononeko can't stop me from having! The killer is Leonie! Asuka is being used because she's so motherly to the weak and doesn't realize that Leonie is just using her!" Yuki flips her hair overly dramatically.
"Huh!?"
"Leonie would reasonably have a lot of experience with traps. She probably has programmed a lot for her video games. Along with puzzles like the Labyrinth!" Although the singer is not one I would usually rely on for information, she is surprisingly making good points. "She was also alone for the majority of the time before and during the party. It wouldn't be hard to follow her victim and avoid Ichiko's detection."
"That's not true...why does this always happen?...Why do humans act like this?" Leonie bites one of her fingernails.
"As much as I like getting the blame off me, I could make a much better trap with my inventions!" Tahlia huffs. "Why didn't you make the theory that Leonie used her cute face to steal some of my wonderful tech?"
"I would like to see how you prove my theory wrong, Leonie! HAHAHAHA!" Yuki places her hands on her hips and continues her irritating laugh. How has Yuu retained his sanity while having to deal with her all day?
"Leonie wouldn't do such a thing!" Rokuro yells.
"Everybody thinks that nobody could commit a murder like this, especially if they were close. However, it is mostly the people that you don't expect to do anything that turns into monsters," I tell him. The masseur glares at me.
After all, I know from experience, the people closest to you will always hurt you the most. Right, Eimu? Nobody should trust these cursed hands. For I am constantly forced to walk down the yellow brick road in Wonderland, forever stuck in the wrong story.
Non-Stop Debate Commence!
"Refresher for the theory-"
"Yuki, you said it like ten seconds ago. We don't need one-"
"You can't stop me, Yuu! Ahem, Leonie did it because she has no alibi. She also has the skills to perform such a feat. From what we know, it was done with wire, right? That can't be too hard." Yuki is still smiling even though she is trying to sentence somebody to death.
"Still not enough proof," Mizore shrugs.
"Then we work together to finally get her and avenge Saitou!" Yuki fist bumps the air.
"Why are you doing this to me?" Leonie is on the verge of tears. She clings desperately onto her dress, seeking comfort in a place that will give her none.
"Does anybody know what Leonie was doing all the time before? We got an explanation from Ichiko. I don't remember seeing Leonie that much," Natsuki points out. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make your case worse but I'm sure we'll be able to come up with something to prove your innocence!"
"I wasn't doing much of anything. Just hanging by myself and sometimes playing video games," Leonie answers. At least her answer is not as suspicious as Ichiko's.
"Most of us don't have a solid alibi for before," Ayumu says. "That doesn't prove anything."
"Yeah, and she wasn't doing anything shady like Ichiko! My theory has been proven wrong so I have to believe that Ichiko would notice somebody coming in!" Renkou joins in.
"Uh, I'm not shady..." Ichiko is still searching through her notebooks.
"Didn't we already prove that the killer wouldn't have been with them? What is with us and repeating information? This would cause my viewers to stop watching," Fubuki groans. "So stop saying whether or not Ichiko saw something. She wouldn't have! If anything, the cat would. That would actually be a good plot point for my current ARG. I need to do something with that mysterious cat that won't leave me alone."
"You're not making sense either, Fubuki. Like always..." Jun bemoans.
"Let me get the story straight. The killer would have to do it before but I believe that the killer visited again before the party. This is why Shiro saw a flash of white. Leonie, do you have any white on your usual clothes?" Seina questions.
"No..." Leonie thinks a little bit.
"It could've been her skin color. A lot of us have pale skin," Mei says.
"I don't think that's the case. It would've been more peach if the white was skin," I analyze. If somebody was that skin color of white, they would be a ghost.
"Get back to my theory!" Yuki cries out like a child. "Mononeko could've changed Leonie already. We can all see that Leonie has white on her dress! Shiro was so out of it that he couldn't see any other colors!"
The fact that I can't disprove Yuki's claims is frustrating. Considering that Mononeko purposefully made me not focus once my eyes became clearer, she knew that information was too important. Is it because they don't have security cameras in the vents and didn't know I was coming? I will not admit that I am confused because I am not.
"Hm, lemme see how all of this works. I'm gonna lose a point! Emilynn, do your stuff!" Etsuko chuckles.
"What-"
"Then let me speak in the language of memes! Tell me, McKay! Ahem, let's see now." Etsuko blows a kiss to Yuki, who does not seem to mind. "Leonie has access to the key~"
EVIDENCE: THE KEYHOLE
"I can prove to you I don't!" Leonie shouts. "I won't let anybody else save me but myself!"
With some of that spunk, I could see more why Leonie would have such a high survival rate. Although she is shy, there is just something else more to her. Maybe she'll actually prove interesting after all.
BREAK!
"Emilynn, I did a meme and everything! Leonie, you're not a McKay, are you? Has your dad been cheating behind your mom's back, Lynn? Or maybe Clair finally got a girlfriend and got hitched, Em?" Etsuko will never change.
"SMH." Emilynn shakes her head.
"But why are you going on about a key?" Leonie asks. "You can check my pockets and stuff. I swear I didn't drop it."
"This isn't very good evidence of Leonie being innocent..." Yuki pouts.
"Yuki, you didn't have very good evidence of her being guilty either." Yuu rolls his eyes.
"Ahem, now pay attention to me again! Because I'm gonna save you some time and effort. The killer would have to get a key to have the gun and trap work. The wire must connect to a mechanism beyond that door." Etsuko sticks her chest out.
"Suzunamiiiiiiiii, do you have an alibiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii?" Mei asks.
"Huh!?" Suzunami flails xyr arms around once the realization finally settled in. "I didn't make the key!"
"I wouldn't allow Suzunami to make a key. Spares aren't allowed," Mononeko chimes in. Although it is nice to have more information, it is suspicious that Mononeko told us in the first place.
"It's impossible to figure out who has the key until we have more clues about who the killer is. I think we should continue our questioning of Tahlia, Etsuko, Osamu, and Hanane. They would have to be alone during that flash of white," Asuka says.
"Wait, I have another theory-"
"I'm not letting you say another word!" Fubuki sticks her tongue out at Yuki.
"You-"
"Not another word~" Fubuki homes in directly on Yuki and nothing else.
"Please stay on topic. My producers won't stop complaining about you taking forever to get to the four suspects. So they told me to reveal important information. I won't do it anymore though. They wanted me to reveal so much but I'm not going to pull another Forest of Despair! People are sick of those first Trials where they don't figure stuff out and instead get info dumped," Mononeko complains. "The only thing I would want to keep from FoD is Tsukiko but of courseeeeeee they had to purposefully cause her death!"
"Shouldn't we continue the trial-" Fubuki is taken aback when she's interrupted.
"Tsukiko was the true protagonist of FoD and was robbed. You can't change my mind. Ahem...wow, that took the energy out of me...I'm just gonna stay quiet until I'm truly needed now. If any of my supervisors ask, I'm not sleeping on the clock. They only pay me thirteen dollars an hour for this shit. Why should I give them my all? I already work twenty hours with no breaks seven days a week..."
And, just like that, Mononeko is sleeping again.
Tsukiko...Tsukiko Oda, perhaps? She is supposed to be an Ultimate after all. Does that mean that she is dead? Impossible. That would make news. Even if Tsukiko herself is not known that well, the members of her band would for sure talk about it. Is there more of this Killing Game than I have been giving them credit for?
"I'm still not the killer! Do you think that after everything I've been through, getting stuck in space would finally get me to murder? That's nothing compared to some of my other traumas!" Osamu crosses his arms.
"I think we should talk more about that, Osamu. That doesn't sound healthy…" Etsuko responds. "You gotta be really fucked up for me to feel sympathy."
"Shouldn't we pay more attention to what Mononeko said?" Chika asks. "Maybe it holds more clues."
"We don't have the luxury to waste our time with that right now. Once again, I'm not the killer. There's no evidence pointing to a solid lead between the four of us besides the alibis. Plus, I believe all of us have elements of white on our outfits," Hanane states.
"I can't believe you would think I would kill a random nobody! Seriously, what's with the people named Saitou all getting murdered?" Tahlia huffs. "We better not get another person named Saitou after this."
"Finding who c-can possibly have a key w-would be door opening..." Suzunami says.
"Didn't we already confirm we can't do that yet?" Kitsu responds. Suzunami deflates.
"A-actually..." Sachiko blushes. Right at that moment, Pon-chan appears again. In that cat's mouth, there is a silver key.
"Wait, we can do that? Please don't tell me everything is gonna explode again," Jun rocks back and forth. Mononeko still looks to be asleep, but we still have no choice but to continue.
Even with that cat asleep, there are still her many copies and her supervisors to worry about. I highly doubt that they would lead one sleepy cat in charge of everything, along with everybody else here. For once, we're on the same page about something without even having to discuss it.
"Before I told Pon-chan to go back...Sorry, I didn't tell anybody!" Sachiko bows and almost hits her head on the podium. Even the overly shy girl proves to have her uses.
"That cat does more than Kobi-"
"Hey, Choumi!" Keiji yells. Aito punches the dog walker. Well, that is certainly one way to shut somebody up. And have their dog growling at you.
"A key? How did we miss it?" Ichiko questions.
"There are many things this group misses. It's like our collective special talent. Ultimate Fuck Ups!" Himura smirks at Ichiko. The historian runs her teeth against her bottom lip.
"It's a really big, dark hallway," Etsuko answers. "Can you also talk to animals now, Sachiko? Please tell me whether or not Pon-chan knows who the killer is. This cat is smarter than most people in this room."
Was that key always there, or was it planted? It could be related to the secret information I have received, but I have not yet found a way to connect any of the dots. Even though having a room with changing walls could be useful for a trap, it would be useless without knowing what that trap really is. Which Mononeko definitely has done on purpose. Although she does seem to be planning to let us live, is there another way to figure out who the killer is?
What is the missing piece?
"Etsuko, this isn't the time. Don't be one of those annoying NPCs." Emilynn taps her fingers against her podium. I do not recognize the song, but, knowing her, it is most likely from some video game or meme.
"I can't...I just know this k-key!" Sachiko covers her face with Pon-chan. One of her hands still holds the key.
"A...key..." Mononeko slowly wakes up. "Wait, what? How did you find a key? You know what, I don't care anymore."
NEW EVIDENCE: KEY
A KEY WAS FOUND IN THE HALLWAY AFTER SACHIKO ISOBE SENT HER CAT TO SCOUT DURING THE TRIAL.
Looking closely at the key, although it is of a very common make, it stands out in a spaceship that has little need for something like that. If anything, the keys should be more modern in enough, it looks like the key that Aito gave me. Wait a minute...
Does that mean that Aito has been going around and giving more people keys? Suzunami could also be involved, though the two of them did not seem to be involved. But didn't Aito say something about xem being his apprentice or accomplice although they apparently just met? Something is not adding up.
Should I tell anybody about the key I have? No. Even if I was that stupidly trusting, I specifically remember Aito demanding me to not tell anybody, not even the prankster himself. I will not risk one of my advantages in this game over something we should figure out ourselves.
"Um, isn't anybody else super confused about what's happening?" Mei raises her hand up. "There are keys, superpowers-"
"Not a superpower!" Osamu shouts.
"...I'm supposed to be a high schooler, not solving murder mysteries. Akita would be way better at this sorta thing," Mei frowns.
"Too bad, that's our life now." Hanane scoffs.
"Alright, we should figure out who could've done this. Maybe the key can help!" Asuka's voice wavers for a second before regaining her true strength.
"A key to the light of my heart~" Rokuro purrs while looking towards Sora. Leonie, Ichiko, Mizore, Yuu, Yuki, Keiji, Choumi, and I all focus on the same place as the masseur.
"My brother has nothing to do with this!" Chika protests.
"What is all of this?" Yuu demands to know.
"T-that has nothing to do with this Trial! Sora wouldn't be here otherwise...I wouldn't allow the producers to remove a valuable witness like that! There are rules to these games that they keep breaking." Mononeko slithers (how can a cat do that?) onto Sora's shoulder, causing him to jump.
"I've seen some freaky shit in my life but that's what I call strange." Kaimaru leans on his podium.
Non-Stop Debate Commence!
"Really changing the subject that quickly? What are you so afraid of, Mononeko?" Choumi asks.
"Asuka said something about Tahlia, Hanane, or Osamu being the culprit. Stop getting sidetracked. I can't promise your safety from them." Mononeko is only making people more curious with her overly cryptic words.
"What do you mean our safety? You're forcing us to kill each other! That's not how a leader acts!" Renkou chides the robotic cat.
"Listen to Mononeko. We need to figure out who killed Saitou." Jun swallows and hunches over. "We don't want to be mass executed."
"Yes, yes! We also can't forget that Etsuko is in the running too!" Himura gives Mononeko a tight-lipped smile.
"Their alibis don't give that too much information. Is there a piece of evidence that points to something more?" Ayumu questions. He rubs the nape of his neck.
"Not at the moment..." Kitsu paces the best he can on his tiny platform. "Mononeko, can you be nice and give us more to work with? I'm sure that if your producers are anything like the ones I work with, we can have an agreement of sorts."
"I'll gladly give myself up as tribute~" Kaimaru winks. Mononeko ignores both of them.
"Ratscal, be like that cat and get some more evidence!" Etsuko grabs the rat out of her clothes and puts him in her hands. The rat, however, follows in Mononeko's footsteps, ignoring the wills of his master. "You know how to do this. C'monnnnnnnnnnn..."
"Shouldn't this interrogation show that there's nothing to Asuka's claims?" Tahlia asks.
EVIDENCE: HALLWAY ALIBIS
EVIDENCE: FLASH OF WHITE
"We've already been over this! The four of you could be the only people that could cause the flash of white!" Asuka yells.
At this point, we will continue going around with circles trying to get everybody to understand what little logic we have. There really should be more time and freedom to investigate, but, of course, that would not be entertaining for the people involved. Too bad for them I'm too stubborn to die now.
BREAK!
"Let's catch everybody up to speed that's confused. The killer must've made a trap, otherwise, they wouldn't have made that bullet hole or have that wire on the ground," Asuka explains. "Further deduction shows that one of these four has to be guilty. Mononeko confirmed that the killer made that flash of white. Even without confirmation, it could be inferred since it has to be important to this case."
"This is what I get for not getting drunk..." Tahlia crinkles her nose. "Who would've thought partying would be so important in a death game?"
"It should be easy to prove my innocence. Because it should be clear to everybody that I didn't do it." Hanane crosses her arms. These four might be the hardest suspects to work with, given how emotional but cunning they all are.
"Do you really think a thirteen-year-old could do this? I hate to admit it, but even as an Ultimate I couldn't pull something like this off. You older kids have enough trouble already." Osamu complains.
"Aren't you fourteen?" Sachiko pets her cat.
"...Yes?"
"Should you really be sounding that uncertain about your age?" Ayumu sweats.
"As much as I would like this banter to continue for my notes, we have a trial to finish!" Etsuko grins. Why does Etsuko keep being a strange voice of reason? That is not a good sign.
"None of us are the culprit! We're doing something wrong here! Clearly, the killer is leading us away from the true answer!" Hanane pulls on some of her hair. "All of you need to stop letting other people tell you what to think! This is going to get you all killed!"
"We've been trapped by the true killer!" Osamu cries out. "I won't allow myself or Sachiko to be taken out like this again!"
"Now everybody is talking nonsense! It should be clear why I couldn't do it!" Tahlia clenches her teeth and fists. "I'm an inventor. If I were to kill somebody, it would be a whole lot cooler than a random ass string and gun!"
"For the last time, it's a...yawwnnnnnnnnnn...wire..." Mononeko's head droops but she forces herself awake. "Wait, this will be the perfect time to introduce a new minigame to the series! We're adding everything~"
"Is this game going to be a little bit fun? Please?" Mei's eyes soften. "Do it for me. So I can finally prove useful!"
"This is a mass panic debate. It's like a normal debate just with a whole lot more yelling over each other," Mononeko tells us. "Just agree or disagree like before. But pay attention. Also, like the different conversations are in italics, underlined, bolded, you get the idea. Pay attention to your screen."
"Stop making minigames out of our suffering! You're no different than those assholes in charge of our government!" Tahlia screams out.
"Tahlia's right. Games are supposed to uplift people and help ease their suffering. This is only a poor excuse for you to live out your sadistic fantasies!" Seina agrees.
"We need to continue this game. And yes, it's a game. You'll understand later." Mononeko sighs deeply. "Which means all of you have to argue. Which one of these four is the killer? Or is it somebody else entirely?"
"The only reason I'm continuing to go along with this is because of that bullshit you pulled. If I could, I would easily rip you apart with my inventions before you could get one of those annoying robots to save you!" Tahlia threatens.
"You really are continuing this?" Hanane scoffs.
"For the sake of all of those counting on me, I'll prove once and for all I'm innocent!" Osamu pouts.
Of course, Etsuko is not bothered. That woman is tapping her fingers on the podium, making a sound oddly like a heartbeat. Her smile is enigmatic, nothing being revealed but her cruel childish glee.
"I'M NOT THE CULPRIT!" Everybody but Etsuko exclaims. Etsuko, however, only takes out a notebook and starts writing in it.
Perhaps my good hearing will help keep a sense of things. Knowing how these people are, however, it can possibly still be hard to manage all of the ongoing stories at once.
Mass Panic Debate Commence!
"Let's start with the obvious. I couldn't have been that flash of white since I was with Osamu during that time. If you gave us a second to explain ourselves, this situation could have easily been fixed," Hanane says.
"Hey, you pieces of shit, I wouldn't use my inventions to hurt people! Sure, I've made weapons before, but that's for defense against the Committee. And participating in these goddamn death matches would be playing right into those corrupt hands!" Tahlia shouts.
"I can sound real smart too! I can't have anything to do with charm! I'm way too poor. If I had something like that, I don't care if even Sachiko gave it to me, I would've sold it! That alone should prove I couldn't have done anything!" Osamu proudly puffs out his chest.
"During the party, yes? Where were you before then? Because you weren't with Osamu. He was looking for Sachiko, right?" Seina questions the yosegi artist.
"Please don't tell me you're stupid enough to admit you basically make nukes for a living. Even if you're not the killer, that would still make us not trust you, war criminal." Choumi rolls her eyes.
"I'm not a war criminal! I save lives, not take them away! I'm too awesome to be a murderer! Do you really think I would be selfish enough to allow the world to not have my genius for at least a couple more decades!?" Tahlia flips her hair.
"I don't really have an alibi. Most of the time I was alone investigating whatever is happening here by myself. I don't trust any of you enough to think you aren't possibly the mastermind," Hanane admits.
"This could all be an act. I've seen many people transform into who they're not for the sake of theatre. Being an actor in this environment gives you trust issues." Jun stares at Osamu.
"That's right. I haven't met one actor that hasn't had a bad experience. We do whatever our directors tell us to or fear the consequences. Mononeko probably knows that well." Kitsu places his right hand over his heart.
"You admit it. Could it be that you tried to set up a trap to lure the mastermind and accidentally got Saitou instead?" Yuu finally does something useful. That is actually not that bad of a theory.
"That assumes that Saitou isn't the mastermind. This could very well be another Junko situation...Please don't tell me the mastermind is Junko again. I thought they would make a better twist by now." Etsuko stops writing and pays more attention.
"Saitou can't be the mastermind. You should remember why, Etsuko," Emilynn says. The psychologist shakes her head, however.
"There are other ways to defend a country other than nukes...I think?" Natsuki tries so hard to contribute to the conversation. If I was my grandmother, I would be like 'bless her heart.' "I'm sorry I don't really have much to say. If it wasn't so dark, I could've used my good memory for the location."
"I don't have a talent in the acting industry! I'm not like all of you other fakes! Everything about me is real!" Osamu mirrors Kitsu.
"Well, I d-don't know you very much. I can say that Osamu is not the type of person to murder a-anybody!" Sachiko holds onto Pon-chan dearly.
"This is a lovely conversation but this is what we call changing the subject! My viewers would hate me if I did that. So let's focus on Hanane again. The mastermind comes later," Fubuki redirects.
"It wasn't me. Another point for my innocence. That charm isn't mine. I might have a lot of charms but that could clash with my outfit." And now Hanane is being ridiculous again. "You may think this is bullshit but it would stand out from the rest of my attire. That defense is better than what anybody else has for this murder."
"I can't believe this trial has come to understanding fashion..." Leonie shifts her feet. "We really should have asked more about what people were doing before. Then this would be so much easier."
"There's still a one point seven chance that you're the culprit out of everyone. You've to argue with the evidence, not your overblown ego. Your parents should've raised you better than that. Mine did~" Mizore whistles.
"You take that back! My dad is the second most awesome person right next to me!" Tahlia is still ignoring the fact that she has no evidence to prove her innocence.
"I got an idea! Sachiko, thanks for standing by my side! There's a reason you've my undying loyalty! I couldn't be the culprit since I was with Sachiko for the majority of the time before the murder!"
NEW EVIDENCE: SACHIKO'S TESTIMONY
SACHIKO AND OSAMU WERE TOGETHER. OSAMU CANNOT BE THE KILLER.
AGREE!
"Osamu couldn't have been the killer since I was with him!" Sachiko smiles weakly.
BREAK!
"I never want to go through that again. My head still hurts," Sachiko puts Pon-chan down and the cat snuggles her feet. This is probably way past Sachiko's usual bedtime. All of these teenagers should probably be in bed, but will never be allowed that.
I agree with Sachiko this time. Although I heard nothing, I was too focused trying to get what everybody was saying that I didn't participate in any of the conversations. For the next time, I have to learn how to become better at picking a side and sticking to it, otherwise, I risk more confusion.
"See, I told you all! I would never kill somebody and allow Sachiko to live without me being here!" Osamu still desperately needs to see a therapist for his severe codependency.
"Here I thought my brother and I were too attached..." Chika awkwardly laughs.
"So it's either Hanane, Tahlia, or Etsuko," Yuu notes.
"A woman, then! I don't need to worry about any more hot men being taken away-"
"You're going to horny jail, Kaimaru." Rokuro turns to where Kaimaru is and bonks the air.
"It's called making the mood light! We're all going to give up into despair if we're all dark and serious all the time," Kaimaru argues back. The two of them start to have a glaring match.
"Humor is the enemy of despair. I like that idea," Suzunami nods. "P-please calm the sex jokes though. Do more puns instead! Or memes. That doesn't involve adult fun time!"
"...This is not going well." Hanane runs her hands through her hair. She squints her eyes, possibly trying to find way better ways to prove her innocence.
"I can't believe this is still going on!" Tahlia covers her eyes with the palms of her hands. "This is like the one time I tried to speak with an American!"
"I'm an American..." Emilynn deadpans.
"Yeah, but you were raised in Japan, yeah? That's totally different. You won't believe how brainwashed some of those people are." Tahlia removes her hand from her face and places them on her hips. "Plus, you're a McKay!"
"I can't believe myself of all people, I have to continue telling others this but pay attention! We still have a trial to run! Now don't let me talk again so I can continue to shut up Yuki's horrible ideas-"
"As the queen, I demand you-"
"Yuki, no!" Fubuki yells.
"We should pick somebody to focus on so the trial doesn't go out of control again," Mei suggests. Anything to help this headache from everybody trying to scream over each other.
"Just who? All three of them are equally suspicious," Natsuki groans. She is rubbing calming circles into her forehead.
"I'll suggest Tahlia. She has the strongest motive and tools," Choumi says.
"Really!? Didn't Hanane try to defend herself using fashion or something?" Tahlia gestures wildly at the other person she is trying to throw under the bus.
"I never want to think about that again." Hanane sweats.
"Trust me, I've seen way worse. Then again, I remember that Hiro spent the majority of the fifth trial of his game talking about ghosts." Mononeko jumps and snuggles on top of Sora's head. Kobi is next to her on Keiji's, growling endlessly.
"I can talk about yokai if you want-"
"Not now, Sachiko. I want to go to sleep before my next shift starts." Mononeko closes one of her eyes.
"Now Tahlia, it's time to see what you've to say for yourself." Choumi sticks her pointer finger at Tahlia. Although it is nice to advance the trial, these two together make way too much noise.
Non-Stop Debate Commence!
"Think about it, Tahlia is an inventor. It would make the most sense that she can set up a trap like this," Choumi suggests. "Anybody can get the wire and a gun from the Labyrinth or in whatever room that key leads to, but Tahlia is the person most likely to know how to use it."
"I admit I'm smarter than you all! Like I said before, I would make it so much cooler!" Tahlia argues. "I would have at least one rocket launcher. Getting shot is such a boring way to die! I'd much rather blow somebody up! It's less painful and leaves less evidence."
"I didn't need to know that," Natsuki shivers.
"Tahlia spent a lot of time with the Meme Squad though," Emilynn points out.
"Not all the time. She would still have enough time to plan a murder. Especially if she uses her talent," Mei rebuts. She then continues to stare off into the distance yet again.
"Once we're both outta here, I'm finding a video game I can beat you in, Mei!" Tahlia proclaims. Everybody knows that is impossible.
"I feel like Etsuko and Hanane both can make traps too," Leonie says. "We have to find a better reason. Even with this much evidence, this is harder than I thought it would be."
"Thanks for not underestimating my intelligence~" Etsuko smirks.
"There's nothing else that can point to an alibi for Tahlia," Renkou remarks.
Time seems to still for all but a second. Wait a minute, Tahlia being the killer makes no sense. The fact I haven't figured this out before is kind of embarrassing, but I will blame the headaches. For now.
Tahlia was with me during my adventure through the vents. She could not be the flash of white since she would not be able to go there. Even if she could have, it would have been stupid of her to allow me to head towards her goal.
EVIDENCE: FLASH OF WHITE
"There's no logic in your composition!" These people are corrupting me with their horrible rebuttals.
BREAK!
"Finally somebody with common sense! I knew you would be a great experiment subject, Shiro!" Tahlia smiles at me.
"You gotta be kidding me. I was trying that round!" Choumi lowers her eyebrows.
"As entertaining as this is...somebody has lost all of their points and needs to be taken out of the courtroom. Bye, Renkou. May you use this time to eat and sleep all you want. Your classmates are going to be here for a while." Mononeko yawns again.
"This point system isn't fair-"
Before Renkou can say anymore, his podium suddenly goes to the floor. The opening that led us here opens up and swallows him whole. He should be fine. I would want some sleep myself, but me not being here will cause everybody to cause us to be killed.
That information could potentially be useful in the future. Plus, I have removed an annoying pain in my side for potentially more than an hour. That's what you get for insisting that we could ever be friends.
"Fuck!" Kaimaru exclaims.
"Seriously, how much of a budget do you all have?" Mizore almost jumps off her podium but Osamu stops her. By almost falling down his own podium reaching over to where the mathematician is.
"They were serious," Ayumu murmurs.
"Wait, can we also send Yuki down there? I think that'll be good." Fubuki requests. Mononeko ignores her.
"We still have a trial. Stop getting distracted," Hanane sighs.
"Aren't you one of the suspects? Don't you want there to be chaos?" Etsuko asks. "Wait a minute, I'm the other suspect! Hanane, we can bond over being suspected of murder together!"
"No." Hanane cringes.
"The both of you are right. Hanane and Etsuko, the two of you are most likely to be the killer of Saitou," Asuka pinches her nose. "I don't want to do this, but it's necessary for our survival."
"Then it has to be Hanane!" Emilynn points out.
"Alright, let's have this annoying farce of a trial be over already." Hanane stands straight with her shoulders back. "I won't allow myself to die here after everything I have gone through."
Non-Stop Debate Commence!
"If I'm right, then my suspicion is founded upon me not having an alibi for before the murder," Hanane describes. "I'm one of the only people that could've committed the murder."
"Yes, that's correct. You're also smart enough to be able to plan something like this," Asuka says.
"If we continue the fashion theme, Hanane's dress is also connected to the book," Leonie adds-on. The game developer bites one of her nails.
"There's no evidence pointing to my innocence. In cases like this, you turn to evidence that points to the other party!" Hanane states. Her attention is focused on Etsuko, who is still smiling.
"Oh shit, this is about to get good~" Kaimaru snickers.
"Hanane, how can you prove me guilty? Think quickly now, or else everybody will turn against you again." Etsuko rests her chin on her hand.
"Perhaps we should rethink this trial. Something isn't right here," Seina suggests. Etsuko rolls her eyes at the game master.
"You're overthinking. It has to be Hanane," Emilynn states.
"Hanane doesn't have an alibi, so maybe she's putting it all onto me because she's the killer! Which sucks since I want to know more about her. We've barely talked outside this trial." Etsuko wipes away a fake tear.
Even though there is no evidence of Hanane being innocent, I still believe in her, which is absolutely stupid. She owes me so much for what I am about to do. There is nothing that Mononeko said that hints that lying is against the rules. I will figure out what Hanane was truly doing when we leave this trial.
"Can you repeat that, Etsuko?" I demand.
"Uh, sure? Wait, yes! I see where this is going! Hanane doesn't have an alibi-"
PERJURY
EVIDENCE: SHIRO'S TESTIMONY
This is not the best to correlate it with, but it is better than nothing. Mononeko is allowing this so it is too late to turn back now. Maybe I can have Hanane owe me something. Having somebody as smart but emotional at my call would be good for my game.
"I didn't tell you everything! Let me declare Hanane's innocence!" I cannot believe I am actually doing this.
BREAK!
"Clever, Shiro, clever..." Etsuko's smile still does not falter.
I cannot believe I am relying on Tahlia for something. But considering I just saved her for possibly getting executed, maybe she'll decide to play along. Let us see what kind of liars Hanane and Tahlia truly are. Maybe they belong in the same league of depravity as somebody like me.
"Hanane was also with me and Tahlia. Tahlia wanted her involvement in the secret! Because...we're testing out her new invention!" I exclaim. This is way too much emotion. This is too weird.
They both owe me so much. I better get some good art and inventions out of this, otherwise, I am never helping them again.
"Yes, Shiro and Hanane are both my test subjects! None of us can be the killer!" Tahlia laughs. "I made both of your contracts so you have to pay the consequences when we return! No more of my cool gadgets for a week!"
Please do not be mad at me once this is all over. Please tell me both of you aren't the type of people to throw away your lives over idiotic moral codes like honesty. For once, my days of lying where I was going when I was meeting up with Eimu and Yoshi have become useful.
"Yes..I couldn't break the contract...I'm very strict with contracts..." Hanane rubs the back of her head.
"This is the stupidest thing I heard in this trial." Choumi is one second away from smashing her head into the podium.
"Shiro, you truly have a stick up your ass," Emilynn groans. Our relationship is probably beyond repair at this point. Too bad I will not be able to use the McKay.
"I think most of us have been forgotten. You know what, all of you deal with the drama." Himura rubs her cheek. "This is...not what I suspected."
"Well, well, well, and then there was one~" Etsuko mews.
"Isn't she like, a little too calm to be the killer? Usually, in my shows they would be freaking out by now," Natsuki asks. "They'll be like 'loser, loser, loser' or 'apologize, apologize, apologize.'"
"Everybody here doesn't act like a 'normal' person," Fubuki states. Her focus is still on Yuki. "Etsuko here is the strangest of us all. Considering that she's such a monster."
"You are the reason-"
"Emilynn, not the time," Etsuko huffs. "So do you have anything else that could point to me being the killer? Or is it just because I'm the only one left? You don't want to do that. Trust me, it didn't end well."
"Natsuki, didn't you say something about having a good memory?" Hanane questions.
"Huh!?" Natsuki startles.
"Wait, do you remember who wears a star charm?" Leonie joins in with Hanane.
"If I did, I would've said something!" Natsuki blushes. "Uh, can I think about it? Give me some time. I'm not really somebody to put your faith in."
"You can do it!" Kitsu cheers. Natsuki's cheeks become even redder.
"I can show you more of my bunny suit~" Kaimaru teases. Natsuki gets a nose bleed again.
"Aren't you going to do something about this, Etsuko?" Emilynn pleads. However, her voice will always never be truly heard. In this world, no matter what, she will be nothing but another McKay. Just like I can't escape my fate in the Amari prison.
"This is all going to plan. Don't freak out, Emilynn. I always know what I'm doing~" Etsuko still refuses to waver in her cheer.
"Are you seriously thinking about what I think you're doing? Of course, you're gambling again. Why won't any of you ever listen to reason?" Jun grumbles. The more Etsuko, Emilynn, Fubuki, and Jun talk to each other, the more I do and don't want to learn more about their shared history.
"...No..." Ichiko's eyes widen. "...It can't be."
"Can everybody please stop being super cryptic for one second and tell us what's going on?" Rokuro moans. "Do I have to use my super cute face to get what I want? Because I will use my super cute face to do so."
"Uh...I think I might've remembered something..." Natsuki gulps. "Didn't Etsuko wear something like that?"
"That would explain why Aito wanted to hide it," Ayumu realizes. "He must've seen it in the hallway and recognized it..."
Even somebody like the prankster has people that they want to protect. Weak. If he was smarter, he would've done something like burning it. Having too much sentimental value in something only means that it'll be held against you. This is why I refuse to wear something as damning as jewelry.
"This is a... coincidence. I just found my notes on what everybody was wearing...It says here that Etsuko was wearing a star charm too..." Ichiko stops for a second. "Doesn't this seem a little too...perfect?"
"Oh no, you got me! The star charm is mine!" Etsuko dramatically pretends to faint. "Whatever can I do to prove my innocence?"
"Hey, Etsuko, remember when we first ran into each other? Didn't you come out from the Labyrinth? All alone? I wonder if Shiro made note of that." Fubuki finally releases her hold on Yuki but focuses on me instead.
Considering that Aito gave me a key, it would also make sense if Etsuko had one as well. Mononeko might have said something about no copies, but her word is not trustworthy. Does this mean I was correct with my assumption that the key leads to whatever is behind that wall?
Okay...but seriously? When is my secret information going to come into play? If it is for outside the trial, why did they give me it with the Truth Bullets? That seems counterproductive.
"Now that you mention it, I do remember something like that," I reply. Wasn't that the conversation about Fubuki thinking that the rat exploded?
"This really doesn't look well for me. Oh well~" Etsuko shrugs.
"Etsuko, what are you doing?" Emilynn pleads. "This isn't right! You know it isn't right...Is that why you told me-"
"Nothing! No matter what, you'll live!" For once, Etsuko's smile is genuine. Emilynn holds her breath. "So let's put the final nail in the coffin, shall we? Prove me guilty once and for all! Maybe this time you won't be fooled by another one of my traps!"
Non-Stop Debate Commence!
"Why is she so happy about being killed soon?" Ayumu questions.
"Life is fleeting and I choose to live on my own terms! If you have seen what I have, you wouldn't want to live in this fucked up world too," Etsuko responds.
"What about that flash of white?" Yuu brings it up.
"Have you seen my hair? I had to save Shiro's ass because he thought it was a good idea to take a nap in the vent system. I can't just let the most interesting person here die that easily!" the psychologist answers. I can save myself just as well, thank you very much.
"I wouldn't have died..." I complain.
"How did you get everything? And why a trap? You could've easily just shot somebody without it," Asuka joins in.
"Clearly I got it from the Labyrinth. That place has everything! I'm not the type to hold grudges either. I wanted it to be entirely by chance. There was more to the plan, but Saitou found it before everything was complete." Etsuko plays with her lantern. She opens and closes the gate, threatening to extinguish the fire.
"But how did you figure out where the secret room was?" Kitsu interrogates.
"I spent time in the Labyrinth, duh. I also had Ratscal as a little helper. It's not hard to figure out the minds of the Despairs working on this project. They're painfully predictable." Etsuko starts to pet her rat.
"Hey!... You're right...Waiting for another Junko again..." Mononeko continues to make herself comfortable on Sora's head.
"That can't be true! Etsuko, what the hell?" Emilynn continues to cry out.
EVIDENCE: SILVER STAR CHARM
EVIDENCE: HALLWAY ALIBIS
EVIDENCE: FLASH OF WHITE
"I'll prove you wrong myself, my dear friend." Etsuko waves to Emilynn, who stands completely still.
BREAK!
"There's no evidence to prove my innocence. Everything pushes towards my guilt. So stop believing in a devil like me~" Etsuko still refuses to wear any other emotion than happiness.
"I won't do that after everything we've been through together! Why did you have to kill Saitou of all people!?" Emilynn shouts. She carefully keeps her face as unemotive as possible.
"I'm sorry, Emilynn, but this is where the evidence leads. I'm so sorry..." Seina consoles. It does nothing.
"This is...this is...t-this is madness!" Suzunami yells. "...There has to be good in this...Nobody's a devil!"
"I can't believe any of this," Choumi scoffs.
"You're right! None of this can be real!" Emilynn whimpers. She slams her fist into her podium. "All of this evidence is bullshit! I'll object to everything you say!"
"Take deep breaths. You're not thinking clearly. I'll count with you." Ayumu raises his arms up defensively. Emilynn takes off her mask and throws it at Ayumu pathetically. It does not reach him, instead falling onto the floor surrounded by stars.
"Eek! I won't do a-anything!" Sachiko jumps.
"Shiro, Emilynn won't listen to reason now. Can you do the honors of calming her down? Me trying to convince her of my own guilt is only going to make things worse." Etsuko twirls her hair.
"Why would you want me to do it?" I say. I have never been the best at handling emotional people. Mostly I would just repeat back what they say, but that will not work in this situation.
"Shiro, you're always going on about logic! Follow your character and help me! Etsuko has to realize she's innocent-"
"Believe in me, Emilynn. I know what you're doing. Shut up before you ruin everything." Etsuko's grin begins to falter.
"Time for another tutorial. Listen well, Shiro, this is what we call an Argument Armament. You listen to her arguments and then decide how to break them. Make them realize the error of their ways for fighting the wrong way," Mononeko explains.
Before either of us could consent, Emilynn and I are moved to the middle of the arena. Everybody's eyes are on us. Perhaps this is the pressure that Seina and Renkou must have felt before.
All I can see before me is a child trying desperately to fight against their friend being sent to the electric chair. Instead of a phantom, there is a little girl with funeral clothes.
ARGUMENT ARMAMENT
"I know Etsuko is really fucking weird, but she wouldn't do anything like this! Pay attention to her character! Why would somebody that wants to study humanity cut their life short so stupidly?"
BREAK!
"Is it because you don't understand her? You don't understand me and Aito? All of us are weirdos to you! You don't see us as human beings! Is me loving memes the only personality trait you think I have? If you had a brain, you would understand coping mechanisms like Etsuko!"
BREAK!
"All of you die so easily! Etsuko is the only person I have! So stop trying to take everything away from me! First, it's my phone, now it's my friends! Is this because I'm a McKay?!"
BREAK!
"Would you take me more seriously if I acted my age? Do I have to sacrifice everything for your benefit? Sorry, I don't have a real talent for myself! The only things I'm good at are video games, making memes, and not dying! I'm nothing like Makoto Naegi!"
BREAK!
"Please...just let me have one thing...I can't allow her only memory to be a phone...Why can't I have anything but this curse? I don't want anybody to die! Saitou was my friend and I refuse to think Etsuko killed him!"
BREAK!
"Stop staring at me like that. If Etsuko is the killer, convince me! Tell me the evidence that tells you that she planned this whole thing!"
FINAL BLOW!
"Just give me anything...Shiro...Take away more of what I am for your sick games, you narcissist!"
HID | AITO | CHARM | THE
"This is the answer! Aito hid the charm! He wouldn't have done it if it was anybody but you and Etsuko!"
"...Etsuko...Why?" Emilynn finally begins to truly cry.
FINAL BREAK!
"...Do you need anything, Emilynn?" Seina asks a little awkwardly. Then again, nobody knows how to truly comfort anybody in this type of situation.
"Etsuko...w-why?" Emilynn repeats.
"You must understand that even after all these years, I'm still the same weirdo as I always have been. Just a little more traumatized. Sometimes somebody wants to see how people react, and that's just the motivation I need. Stop trying to make me a good person with morals," Etsuko says.
With the reality of the situation finally hitting most of the students, the room is awfully quiet. This will be the first time many of the people here will see a person die right in front of their eyes.
Emilynn and I are still in the middle. The lucky student buries her face in her hands, not wanting anybody to see what she has become. Mononeko suddenly appears on top of Emilynn's head.
"Sorry, but this is what has to be done. There's no escaping what the world has turned to," Mononeko comforts. Emilynn only tries to swat the cat off of her head.
"So, this is how it ends, huh?" Himura frowns. "A defeated silence instead of a war cry."
"Can we go back to my theory of Leonie doing it? I like that one better." Yuki raises her hands. Leonie gawks at her.
"I'm going to have you do one more thing, Shiro. It's the closing argument. Don't worry, it's nothing too hard. Just summarize everything that happened in this case. Then it's up to the jury. I want to go to sleep soon." Mononeko tries to yawn but gets interrupted by Emilynn slouching and moving her head.
"Of all times to finally be starting to act like a protagonist..." Emilynn grumbles.
CLOSING ARGUMENT
"Let's start at the beginning. From what we know, Etsuko planned this for a long time. She looked for anything to use in the Labyrinth, where she found a gun, some wire, and possibly a key. She told us that she accidentally found the secret room using Ratscal, but it's debatable if that's true or not. What we do know, however, is that by using the items she found before, she started to create a trap for whoever entered the room and tripped the wire.
Right before the party, when she was on the way to make more preparations, she somehow noticed that I was stuck in the vents. Not because I am stupid or anything, but I was the only person smart enough to check up there and must have ran into one of Mononeko's traps! Wait, back on topic. When I finally came to, I noticed Etsuko running back into the Labyrinth, but, because I was just waking up, her hair registered as a flash of white.
It is currently unknown how the trap works, due to Mononeko refusing us access to the backroom. Most likely the wire was connected to the trigger, and somebody breaking the weak wire caused the trigger to fire. Back to the story, however, the party happening at the same time was most likely a coincidence. It only served to give the majority of people here some sort of alibi. Because she spent some time working on her trap, Etsuko was not there to be invited to any of the groups, instead deciding to spend time with Tahlia.
Due to the darkness of the working area, and Mononeko changing our clothes, Etsuko did not notice that she left behind an important piece of evidence of her charm. Being too focused on the chaos of the party, and collecting the notes of how everybody was reacting, Etsuko did not feel the need to check up on her trap. Unknown to her, however, Saitou was leading a group of people towards the secret room. An event that Etsuko was not planning to happen.
Saitou and Emilynn were separated from the other people with them. For some time, they walked together, until Saitou must have accidentally triggered the trap. Due to him showing the room and not watching his surroundings, Saitou got shot and killed right in front of Emilynn. Of course, Ayumu and Sachiko tried to save him, but it was too late."
"...Um, you're supposed to say Blackened..." Mononeko moans.
"Wait...I was supposed to say the Blackened and not Etsuko? That's embarrassing."
"Anyway, the killer of Saitou Kurokoma, the Ultimate Substitute, is none other but Etsuko Abe, the Ultimate Psychologist!"
BREAK!
"Well, well, well, I got caught. It was nice knowing all of you. Maybe I can make more notes from Afterlife Theatre~" Etsuko giggles. "Also, I hate to bring it up, but I'm the Super High School Level Psychologist. There's a difference."
"I think that's the last thing you should be focusing on," Kitsu says. Although that is a logical thought, there is no use trying to understand the enigma known as Etsuko.
"..." Emilynn remains quiet with her head down.
"This isn't right..." Seina responds.
"I highly doubt you did this just because you could," Ayumu argues.
Emilynn lifts her head a little bit higher. Mononeko once again has to move to avoid falling off. From the corner of my eye, I can see Ichiko nodding her head.
"This is nice and all but this is when you're going to have to put your vote in. My producers just told me that we only have forty minutes left of this trial. We've to do this quickly, or face the consequences," Mononeko explains.
When she finishes saying that, the keypads in front of us change their screen. Instead, there are photos of all of us, with Saitou's being greyed out. There is a pink timer above all of the pictures. I have to admit that seeing me smiling is an odd thing.
"So vote who you think the killer is. Please don't wait too long. If you don't vote, then you'll be executed. For future reference, people allowed to not be here, like Renkou or Ryusuke, don't get punished for not voting. That would just remove too many people too quickly in the late game." The robot cat is still trying to become comfortable with Emilynn, who is making it as difficult as possible.
I vote for Etsuko.
"Your votes have been counted for. Let's see the results." Mononeko tries to cheer but fails.
Etsuko Abe - Votes: 23
Emilynn McKay - Votes: 3
Time to leave it for the jury!
...Emilynn McKay?
"Huh?" Emilynn says, still mostly hiding her face.
"Wait...that could be a good point..." Chika ponders.
"Whatever stops this trial and doesn't kill us all," Choumi says. "Let's see how the circus reacts."
"Some people really didn't vote for me? That's a shocker!" Etsuko tries to keep her smile even with her clenched teeth. "The Jury should know what to do then! I'm sure they'll be sensible!"
The psychologist opens the tiny door of her lantern. Not fearing the pain, she squeezes two of her fingers around the fire, forcing it to go out.
"Okay, time to explain what the Jury does. I mean, I did before, but this is a refresher. And, of course, there's more stuff, but this is the First Trial so we don't experience everything. The Jury will vote on whether or not they believe in your conclusion. Their options are guilty or not guilty. If the person is found guilty, the trial ends. If the person is found not guilty, the trial continues. I'll explain more if you vote not guilty. Oh, and you only do this three times. The fourth time the person will automatically be found guilty."
"I think it should be obvious what we're going to do!" Aito imitates Mononeko's past unsuccessful cheer.
"It's time for the Jury to vote," Mononeko says.
Not Guilty - Votes: 3
Guilty - Votes: 0
"Oh, we got a not guilty result so early...That's interesting. Wait, that means I've to go overtime! Which means less sleep! Nooooooooooo!" Mononeko gets up and raises her paws in the air.
"What does it do, Mononeko? We don't have time to waste." Choumi is quick to regain control of the trial. She does have a point. We do not have any more time to waste on these comedic actions.
"Jury, explain yourself," Mononeko whimpers. "Quickly. I want this job to be over with!"
"Uh, wouldn't it make sense that whoever triggered the trap was considered the killer and not whoever set it up?" Sora asks. Wait a minute, he has a good point. This reminds me of something, but I cannot exactly name it.
"Sora told me his theory. I don't want anybody to be guilty, but we have to try everything!" Keiji goes next. Kobi barks from his spot still on Keiji's head.
"Etsuko can't convince me with this edgy 'I just want to kill people' talk. I love you too much to be convinced by such lies! You're never, ever getting rid of me!" Aito laughs. Good to know that the prankster still has not changed his ways.
Curious about her reaction, I see that Etsuko has completely changed. Her hands are clasped above her head, and her eyes are now dilated. I didn't even know something like this was possible for the psychologist. Looking back, I see that Emilynn is still hiding her face.
We were overthinking everything about this case. If the killer is not Etsuko, and instead the person who triggered the trap, there could only be one person who it could be...
"So I ask you, people of the courtroom, do you want to convince the Jury of your theory? Or should you continue the trial chasing their logic?" Mononeko asks. "Vote on it. Persuade or go another path."
I vote to go another path.
Persuade - Votes: 9
Go Another Path - Votes: 17
"If it's whoever triggered it...there's only one person it could be..." Mei gulps.
"No equation I would've done could lead to this result...right?" Mizore looks around worriedly.
"Of all the bullshit today, this is the worst!" Tahlia screams. "This is simply unfair! How is this supposed to be justice!? You just want to execute innocent people for your sick fantasies!"
"Nagito Komaeda..." Ichiko says, her words shaky. "Etsuko stole his idea..."
"Shiro…" Natsuki leans over to my podium and grabs my sleeve. "...I can't believe this. Please, I need to hear from your own words. W-who is it?"
SELECT
Shiro Amari
Natsuki Sumeragi
Kaimaru Aburaya
Etsuko Abe
Emilynn McKay
Aito Watanabe
Saitou Kurokoma
Fubuki Kajiura
Ayumu Tachibana
Ryusuke Yamamoto
Asuka Takano
Tahlia Catherine King
Choumi Sokudo
Chika Akahoshi
Mei Yamazaki
Suzunami Oshiro
Keiji Inukami
Kitsu Natsuki
Leonie Sommer
Sora Akahoshi
Rokuro Karasuma
Jun Fumimoto
Ichiko Miyashita
Himura Sachihiro
Osamu Imai
Mizore Kurushima
Sachiko Isobe
Yuu Akimoto
Yuki Akimoto
Renkou Tenkubashi
Seina Amano
Hanane Wada
"It's Emilynn, Natsuki," I reply to the voice actress. Her face immediately falls.
"That's bullshit! It was Saitou that triggered it! Maybe we can convince them to execute his corpse! But I should be considered the real killer! My psychology is one of a criminal and always will be!" Etsuko desperately tries to convince everybody.
"Nothing can convince me to like somebody that does this..." Kaimaru bites the inside of his cheek. Such an innocent, childlike gesture for somebody like him.
"Emilynn, what did Etsuko tell you not to tell us?" Asuka questions her. The older teenager lowers herself.
"..."
"I know this is hard, but we need to learn the truth. So please, tell us," Seina joins in.
"...S-Saitou pushed me..." Emilynn whimpers. "...Into the w-wire..."
...Emilynn was on the floor when we found them. How could I not realize something like this was happening?
"He, what? What? What!?" Suzunami's mouth falls open.
"Even somebody like him can stoop so low," Hanane sighs.
"You can't trust anybody." Leonie plays around with the bottom of her dress.
"Please, you've to believe me! I didn't kill anybody! I don't want to die!" Emilynn finally lifts her head completely to reveal there is nothing left but tears. "Please, don't let me die! This has to be the Master's doing! I know it!"
...This is the second time Emilynn has accidentally become a killer of one of her friends because of something Etsuko did. Etsuko, stop. Please. As you can probably tell, Emilynn is a very changed person from the last time this happened.
The next chapter is gonna be fun :3
Also, the mass panic debate section was cursed. Fanfiction refused to accept it from Google Docs so I had to write it again. Suffering.
QOTD: What do you think of the trial so far? I've finally added so many things.
Req's Rec: Danganronpa: New Game by Enkiddu
Reviews~
AnonChan1-I know the pain of work too much so don't sweat it. Sora and Chika are gonna suffer even more, especially Sora. Poor Sora is gonna regret this so much. Honestly, I would try to take a photo before the Trial of space. Lemme have my photos, Mononeko. Here you go, here's Emilynn feeling even more awful. There are honestly so many things about this trial that can be considered a trap. Shiro is now like 'oh shit.' The secret information can count towards strikes. ;) SUZU NEEDS A HUG AND SO DOES KAIMARU AFTER ALL OF THIS. Suzunami and Kaimaru just want a good time and not this shit. Ichiko most of the time is trying to make sense of the mess Mononeko made of her notes and just being stressed. Stop messing with her notes, Mononeko, she needs those for sliver star charms. Renkou is going to come back after all of this and be like 'so what did I miss?' I drafted Seina into the Mom Squad too officially oh no. Ayumu is like 'we are definitely going to talk about this Shiro because I know what you're trying to do, mister.' Shiro needs fucking therapy for all his trauma. Chika has a bunch of charms but not one that's like Etsuko's. Choumi is trying too hard to be big-brained. Ichiko is going to lay in bed with all her history books after all of this and finally sleep.
Thank you! :D I wish you the best of luck during the holidays. I've heard horror stories from my former coworkers. I should be good for the holiday's thanks for asking~ There might be another Master because Master is just a title. At this point, Etsuko needs a goddamn therapist too. Knowing how many characters of mine end up dying, it's both a fashion statement and foreshadowing! ;) I just imagined Shiro saying that and I now want to put that in the actual story. I've been in Bungou Stray Dogs Hell ever since you mentioned it and season four is coming. Can somebody please tell me how one of my alters managed to read 489 Bungou Stray Dogs stories? I'm scared. Don't tempt me to write even more stories. Emilynn desperately needs a hug and I'm certainly not giving her one. Don't give me ideas. ;P Mononeko is too tired to listen. I'm just imagining Shiro ignoring a dead body because he thinks they're daydreaming and then everybody thinks he's a killer. No, Shiro is just a little bit of a dumbass but I love him anyway. He's my son (I say three years younger than him). Exploring Aito will be fun~ SHIRO WILL NEVER TAKE CARE OF HIMSELF WITHOUT CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. I can just imagine Ayumu dragging Shiro to actually take a shower.
*looks at my previous stories and my original story in progress* Oh shit, you're right. Plot twist- Taxes are Hope. Himura should make you experience fear. He scares me. Well technically, that was just Monokuma screwing with them because computer program. Now they get the trauma of forced cannibalism without actually technically being cannibals! Minato can give hugs to people in Afterlife Theatre. They know that the people with them deserve hugs. I have no off button too. THAT IS SMART BUT BE EXTRA SURE NEXT CHAPTER BECAUSE I'M MEAN AGAIN! Pon-chan be the MVP of this trial. Ayumu and Minato are both friend-shaped and they need to be friends. Thank you, Mochi will be mine! :D That is Mononeko and Master's new canon relationship. EMILYNN CANT RUN FAR AWAY NOW! Good, I've given myself trust issues too. Good thing is the audiobook makes that whole thing clearer but also more complicated lmao. AYUMU RUN YOU CAN STILL SAVE YOURSELF.