This was supposed to be finished by next month but I had a huge burst of inspiration and wrote it all in one day! I hope you enjoy the update!
Walking into the trial room is like walking underwater. A hazed view, a constant sense of panic, all sound muted and muddled up.
Everyone is nervous, panicked even, for some. I don't know how I feel... It's like my emotions are clogged up, mushing together to make something ugly and bitter. Kirumi wasn't supposed to die like that. It was gruesome. In some ways, that should make it easier, right? It should be much harder to cover up your involvement in something like this... this was a bloodbath, after all. We can't possibly lose...
At least that's the mantra I'm repeating in my head as I walk mechanically to my podium. We can't lose, we can't let that happen to ourselves.
We don't want to die.
"You won't."
"Alright, bastards let's get this show on the road!" Monokuma screeches, finishing whatever tuned out speech he'd been giving us as the kubs pose.
Only half of my classmates were listening to him either way.
"Can't believe we're back here," Miu grumbles to herself, crossing her arms. "Who's the fucked up masochist that ruined my beauty sleep!?"
"Let's start with the time of death," Shuichi commands, most eyes turning to him. "Who found the body?"
"That would be Gonta, Keebo, and I," Kiyo responds smoothly. "Gonta was chasing us both, and we ended up there."
"Can you stop? Your voice is so annoying." Kokichi complains to Miu lightly, scrolling through his Monopad. "If we do this fast, we can all leave and get some sleep without expecting our throats to be slit." A pause followed by his classic laugh. "Oh wait, nevermind, that will still probably happen, at least to you. Everyone is dying to see the sluty pigs head on the chopping block. I could go for bacon..."
"I can confirm this." Keebo nods his head firmly. "We ended up in many areas evading Gonta before going to the casino. We found Ki... Apologies. We found her around 10 pm."
"Before then, when was the last time anyone went into the casino today that they know for certain was before Kirumi's body was there?" Shuichi asks, tapping Keebo and Kiyo's statements into his Monopad with a frown.
"Think that'd be when I was hiding out there with Angie. After you got caught, Shuichi, I ran into Angie." Ryoma speaks up after thinking.
"Wh-What the hell?" Miu shrinks before regaining her boisterous confidence. "Who the fuck do you think you are!? I bet it was you, ya fuckin' brat!"
"We're not going to get anywhere at this rate." Tenko scowls at Kokichi and Miu.
"That's right." I nod along after double checking my own memories. "We spent a lot of time running around before settling down in the casino, we were there for half an hour, maybe, before we left."
"Think we left at 9, that's my best bet. We parted ways after that." Ryoma finishes with a sigh.
"You got somethin' to say now too!?" Miu beats a fist onto her podium.
"What is going on here?" Tsumugi sweats a bit.
"So the blackened struck between nine and ten..."Himiko muttered, pouting.
"One hour and thirty minutes, not a large window of time," Shuichi comments before moving on. "You're absolutely sure she wasn't there? When was the last time anyone saw Kirumi?"
"Positive!" I shout, Ryoma doing the same.
"Back off." Kaito shoots Miu a look as she turns back into her usual quivering mess.
"Gonta saw Kirumi in Gym. 8.50pm."
"Don't talk to a girl like that you degenerate male!"
"HEY! I was defending you!"
"So what are the alibis between 9 and 10? A lot was going on during that time, meaning alibis are our best way to go at solving this."
"Hmph, I refuse to be defended by the likes of you."
"Everyone who was in the meet & greet should have an alibi, right?"
"H-Hey what is this? Some kinky-"
"NO!" Kaito and Tenko shout at Miu in unison before turning to glare at each other again. "Don't copy me!"
"That be... Shuichi, Tenko, Himiko, Tsumugi, Kaito, and Gonta!" Gonta adds as he keeps glancing at the bickering group.
"This is so funny." Kokichi cackles to himself.
"That's six people with alibis, leaving seven. Angie, Ryoma, Keebo, Kiyo, Miu, Kokichi, and Maki." Shuichi concludes with a slight determined smile.
"Friends please no fight!" Gonta waves his arms in front of himself, frantic and unable to hold himself back from getting involved anymore.
"I believe Keebo and myself can confirm for ourselves that we were together from... seven in the afternoon if my calculations are correct." Kiyo murmurs lowly, deep in thought.
"Gonta, don't get involved. You're ruining my fun." Kokichi pouts.
"I am certain this is the truth." Keebo grins. "We encountered Gonta when he came out looking for more people and saw us enter the casino."
"AH! Sorry, Kokichi! Please forgive Gonta, gentlemen no be rude."
At this point, I tune out the squabbling group completely, rolling my eyes somewhat fondly. "After Ryoma left, I ended up sitting in front of the Academy to watch the stars."
"A roundabout way of saying you were drowning in memories of your past failure?"
"That leaves us with five... Angie, Ryoma, when were you two together? What about you, Maki?"
"You're all acting like children." Maki sneers before switching to the other conversation. "I was in my lab. I..." Ryoma sends her a nod. "Ryoma and I met up and went to the dorms before going back to our labs."
"It's true." Ryoma chews on another candy cigarette. "We were together from a bit after I left Angie, so 9, until about 9.40 I'd say."
"I'd need to pass Ryoma's lab to leave again, that's my alibi."
"And a twenty-minute window ain't big enough to trash an entire casino without being noticed, and then getting back to my lab after gettin' a change of clothes," Ryoma smirks slightly, knowing his alibi was locked down and freed him from suspicion.
"Three people left..." Shuichi gasps, staring at the only names not crossed off. "Angie... Miu... Kokichi..."
I grimace as the courtroom goes silent, no longer arguing as those words sunk in. Through alibis, they'd rounded it down to three culprits.
Miu went pale, hands shaking as she wrapped her arms around herself.
Kokichi was still smiling a small smile, but it looked frozen in place. His whole body seemed frozen, he wasn't moving, his blank eyes were simply staring straight ahead.
I bowed my head to hide the tear that slid down my cheek.
To me, it was either Kokichi or Miu or... at least... it should be...
"At this point, I don't think alibis are going to mean much. Some of you were the first to reach the casino... All of you were in the area..."
"It was Kokichi!" Tenko shouts, panic gripping her features. "It must have been that degenerate MALE!"
"No way, that can't be right!" Kaito denies vehemently.
"How would you know...?" Himiko grumbles, pulling down her hat to hide her eyes.
"I just know it can't be, I've got a feeling!"
"Th-that's not good enough!" Miu stammers, glancing between Kokichi and me. "There's also n-no way some with a hot bod like me would do something like that..."
"C'mon!" Kaito pounds his fists together, a determined glint entering his eyes. "Why would he have Gonta do the whole Meet & Greet, huh!? It gives way too many people alibis, makes no sense."
"Well, what about Angie?" Miu squawks.
"She said she was in front of the school the whole time." Tenko hesitates.
"We saw her when we were going to the dorms, she was there." Ryoma buts in firmly, Maki nodding along.
"Kokichi was with her when we left, they were still there."
"Wait, so does that mean they have alibis?"
"No, I do not believe it is enough."
"What about Miu?"
"What about me!?"
"Where were you today?"
"I-I was in my lab!"
"None of these alibis are good enough!"
"Is it possible anyone else did it?"
"No, we've narrowed it down to those three."
Too loud...
"No one else had the time."
Please...
"Father, this might end up being one of our fastest trials yet!"
"OH! The ratings, imagine the ratings!"
"Ryoma and Maki come close."
"Incorrect, it is improbable for either of them to commit the crime."
"Quiet!" Shuichi's voice echoes of the walls of the courtroom, speaking up for the first time since he condemned three people to suspicion. "There's something I'd like to ask Kokichi, Angie and Miu."
"What is it, sidekick?" Kaito asks curiously.
"Are any of you injured?"
The courtroom is silent as Shuichi smiles, as though the silence confirmed his suspicions.
"The body was dragged. In the corner of the room, there were vending machines broken, glass smashed everywhere. I think the scene of the crime was altered after the victim's death, as was the victim's state."
"You don't mean..." Maki's eyes widen as she picks up on Shuichi's thought process.
"There's a trail of blood from the vending machines... The glass surrounding one of them is off, a huge gap where glass should've been, and half the glass had blood on it. The knife doesn't fit the wound in her hand." He paused, taking a deep breath before pushing onwards. "Here's how I think it went. This wasn't planned. Either the culprit or the victim brought a knife to the casino, I think the two running into each other was a mistake. One of them sees the other has a blade and panics, pushing the other back and trying to run. Fearful that they will tell the others, they attack with the knife, slashing at the other. Someone is injured, and the blood leaks onto one of the slot machines, which Kaito and I later find. At some point, they end up downstairs in the casino's basement. Our culprit and the victim fight, injuring one another quite a bit before the victim is pushed back with determined force, smashing into the line of vending machines. The victim falls to the ground, and... the vending machines fall on top of them, glass smashing and tearing up the victim's clothes, larger pieces embedding themselves through the skull and into the hand. The culprit is scared, so they try to hide the fact they were there, trying to clean up any blood that might've been theirs and then leaving. They attempt to go back to the dorms to change, but Angie and Kokichi are sitting in front of the school, and they'd spot the culprit instantly. So they wait. When the announcement happens of the victim's body being found, Kokichi and Angie run to the casino, while the culprit slips into the empty dorms. Taking a quick change of clothes, and if they're injured, wrapping the wound up, probably not taking care of it as it's still bleeding out, they soon return to the casino. Having been fast enough that they're still around the first. Isn't that right, MIU IRUMA!?"
Miu breaks down into tears, shaking her head back and forth desperately. "no, no, no, no, no, no, no-"
"Miu..."
"You, you're-!" She starts clawing at her arms, screaming, and all too soon...
"I'm going to be sick!" Tsumugi covers her mouth as blood starts dripping from one of Miu's arms.
Shuichi's guess about a wound had been evidently correct.
"H-HOW!?" Miu cries, hot fat tears streaming down her face. "How can you be so sure!? I-I didn't m-mean to." Miu broke down, collapsing as her breathing picked up in pace. "S-So...so...r...ry..."
"Aw, she's a crying mess." Monotaro coos.
"Hmm, this could go either way, we can make some good merchandise though. Tshirts saying 'the weeping baby' sounds catchy, could work on it more." Monosuke fanned himself with some money as he talked.
Everyone ignored them after that, solely focused on Miu's broken form.
"Miu... do you mind telling us what happened?" Shuichi asks gently, avoiding looking at her almost guiltily.
"Hah, happened like ya said Pooichi... She had that knife, got me good. Fucking bitch." She sniffed, leaning against the podium. Her eyes were dazed, likely reliving it all. "Started rambling about her 'duty' and wouldn't stop, sounded insane. I just pushed her, didn't mean for... this wasn't supposed t-to happen."
"Yeesh, this is gettin' lame." Monokuma's voice cuts in as he stands up, "So, ah, I'd let this go on longer, but this case was too easy and boring. Let's start! IT'S VOTING TIME!"
Soon the results were shown after we voted, unanimously voting for Miu. She'd voted for herself. I felt like screaming.
"Wait, there's something I don't get." Kaito scratched his head as we all stepped down from our podiums. "What happened to her hand, I mean, her nails were all torn off, and she was thrown against that damn slot machine."
I walked over to Miu, still kneeling on the ground, and hugged her, rubbing circles into her back to keep her calm.
"I... I don't know." Miu whimpered, "Sh-she was buried under... under the machines... I ran... I didn't..."
"Someone else did that." Tsumugi gasped, placing a hand to her chest. "That's plain horrid."
"Monokuma ended the class trial rather abruptly," Maki comments casually, looking over at the bear that was trying and failing to act oblivious.
"This doesn't make sense." Shuichi holds his head. "What if... Who had Kirumi's motive?"
No one spoke up.
"What? Someone must've had it...What about Miu?"
Keebo raised an arm. "I have it."
"Miu, who's motive did you have?" I ask her gently, trying to hide how curious I am, it was always interesting. Who had who's motive.
"T-Tenko's."
Shuichi's frown deepens. "But no one had Kirumi's... TENKO, who's motive did you have?"
Tenko pointed at Keebo.
"Wait, those three had each other's motives. Does that mean...?" Kaito's eyes widen.
"Kaito, who's motive did you have?" Tsumugi asks curiously, getting engaged in the topic.
"Ah, I, uh, Sorry, but I had Kokichi's."
My eyes widen as they shoot to Kaito, then Kokichi. Was this how it originally went, It would explain why they seemed to act trusting at times, and in the next moment, they were at each other's throats. Kaito showed Kokichi the motive, and they swapped, despite Kokichi not having Kaito's. Now they were probably covering that fact up. If there's one person that wouldn't tell, it would be Kaito and his blasted honor.
They never had to share this in the game.
"Kokichi?"
Kokichi shifts as all eyes turn to him, shooting a half-hearted glare at Kaito that doesn't have any heat behind it. "I had Shumais."
"And I had Kaito's." Shuichi's eyes are shining, as though he's solved an astounding puzzle. "Himiko, you next!"
I think I'm starting to get what he's getting at.
Sharing a look with Himiko, we both know what to say. "Angie's, I used my magic to put it under a protection spell."
"Oh, Himiko, that's so amazing and sweet!" Tenko squeals, hugging her tightly with Himiko staying limp in her arms.
I smile grimly when everyone's eyes turn to me. "... I had Himiko's."
Shuichi nods, turning to Gonta next. "Gonta, you told us you had Tsumugi's right?"
Gonta nods as Tsumugi trembles a bit. "Gonta had mine, and I had Korekiyo's, does that mean Kiyo had Gonta's?"
"I did." Kiyo shuts his eyes, a soft sigh escaping his masked mouth.
"That leaves Maki and me, eh? I had hers, and she had mine, that's what we were talkin' about earlier."
"So, Monokuma. The motives weren't mixed up, were they?" Shuichi turns to Monokuma with a determined grin as everyone finally understood what had happened. "It's a bit of a coincidence that the motives ended up in groups of two's and three's. In Kirumi's case, she got her own, right?"
"That doesn't make sense, ya know?" Kokichi smiles, swinging back and forth. "Why didn't she try to off one of us sooner?"
"Mayb-"
"Puhuhu, I gotta say, I wasn't expecting you lot to figure it out. No one ever has. BUT YOU ARE CORRECT! The blood pounding excitement is coursing through my veins, the tension, the drama! Oh, I'm gonna burst!" Monokuma suddenly calms down as he emits a halo over his head. "Unfortunately, we've delayed our delightful execution because of your little mystery solving. Buh-bye! IT'S PUNISHMENT TIME!"
...
...
...
I'll never forget Miu's expression as she let out a blood-curdling scream.
"That was plainly something," Tsumugi speaks softly, clutching her hands to her chest as we all leave the elevator. "Poor Miu... and Monotaro, I guess."
"For now, we should rest," Kiyo smiles serenely, or at least I think so. "We need our strength after today's displeasure."
"I need to regenerate my mana..." Himiko yawns.
"Let me help Himiko!" Tenko picks Himiko up and places her on her shoulders with a grin. "Better?"
"It's not worse," Himiko whispers, eyes drooping as she drops her head onto Tenko's, using her as a pillow, she soon falls asleep.
"This killing game is wrong. I won't allow it to continue!" Tenko whisper-shouts, tightening her grip on Himiko.
"We'll live, we have to." I sigh, tugging on a strand of hair as we all start walking to the dorms.
"Gonta, you coming?" Kokichi asks with a light laugh.
"...Even when all this bad stuff happens, stars are always so pretty." He smiles as Kokichi moves to stand beside him, crossing his arms. "But stars here... different. Not the same as Gonta used to."
"Ya mean the position of the stars?" Kaito frowns as everyone starts examining the stars.
"I'm not really good with stars."
"They look different, but even I'm not that good with stars."
"Gonta no can find star he remembers. But... why? Were we taken somewhere far away?"
Shuichi frowns thoughtfully.
"Whatever, can we go already? I'm tired." Kokichi whines loudly with one eye shut and a smirk on his face.
"I'm wiped out." Kaito agrees as we all continue walking.
"Oh, wait, I totally forgot." Kokichi stops walking as a grin overtakes his features, making my insides freeze up. This is it. "I've got something super important to tell you all!"
"What? I just agreed with you about going to sleep? I'm wiped out, remember?" Kaito half complains, half asks.
"Yeah, yeah. We all know you're whipped."
"That's not what I said!"
"Anyways, this won't take long, so quit acting like a baby, and listen to what I have to say!"
"What is it that you have to say?" Kiyo questions him through narrowed eyes.
"Well, almost everyone here treats me like some compulsive liar, but guess what? You won't have to anymore, cuz there's a way worse liar than me!"
"A liar worse than you?" Shuichi prods, sweat dripping down his forehead at the thought of someone worse than Kokichi.
"..." Kokichi pauses as his expression goes blank before shaking his head and taking a deep breath, a shit-eating grin growing on his face. "I'm talking about Maki. She sorta admitted it alongside Ryoma during that trial after all."
"What's that mean?" Kaito looks between Maki and Ryoma in confusion, who both stare intently at Kokichi.
"They both met up and went to the dorms while Kirumi was being killed. They had each other's motives and guess who's motive I found when I searched Maki's room with Angie earlier?" He flung his arms out as though he was on a stage as I bowed my head. "Maki had her own motive!" He laughed for a minute as that sunk in. "We watched it, it showed her true identity."
"What shit are you making up now?" Kaito grips onto the sides of his jacket tightly.
"Y-Yeah, t-true id-identity?" Tsumugi shakes like a leaf as she speaks, eyes going impossibly wide.
"Nee-hee hee, I didn't really need to watch the motive. I've known all along."
"...!" Maki's face goes dark as her eyes lock onto Kokichi's laughing form.
"Though it's always nice to have the confirma-!" Kokichi is cut off as Maki appears in front of him in a flash, and in the next moment, he's hanging in the air as she tightens her grip on his neck, strangling him. "...GH! Th-This is an interesting t-turn of e-events... B-But, would you really... k-kill me in front of ev-everyone...? Y-Yeah... you can... p-probably snap my neck... like a twig... r-right now... But that's not... your s-style, right...? You would... rather k-kill from the sh-shadows...
...I'm right... aren't I... Miss Ultimate Assassin?
