Class Trial - IN SESSION
...
For what will soon prove to be the final time, we filed out of the elevator and went to our podiums. I looked around with regret seeing five new portraits around us.
I was flanked on both sides with dead faces. The 'X' over Kaito's face was rather simple as he would prefer a supernova or something like that. Angie didn't have an 'X' but rather a halo and a pair of angel wings on her portraits.
Tokuko's was the most artistic I've seen, her 'X' was made from two blossoming roses with vines attached. If she was still here and didn't give up her life trying to save Angie, she would've liked the symbolism of her talent in it.
Tenko was also flanked by dead faces on both sides, both of the degenerate males she hated so much. Keebo's 'X' looked very mechanical to the point I couldn't tell how it was 'built', Kokichi's didn't have an 'X' like most of portraits but rather a messy red checkmark.
Are the Monokubs actually happy that I killed him? If so, I might have done them a favor too. I thought to myself.
After the explanation on how the trial works from the Monokubs, Miyuji scratched the back of her head as she looked down in disbelief. "Geez. This case is one big mystery, especially since this trial only covers Keebo's death even though we found both his and Kokichi's bodies at the same time."
"Then it's best if we focus on Keebo's death since we have more evidence for him thanks to Kokichi's killer." Kaede advised.
"I agree." I said, trying to act like nothing was wrong. "They clearly wanted us to know who was responsible given the state we found the bodies in."
"Well the last time most of us saw Keebo was in the dining hall before all of us went to the warehouse to get weapons to defend ourselves." Kiyo started the non-stop debate.
"Really? I swore I heard him mutter something about luring Kokichi into the Exisal hangar." Miyuji admitted. "He'd have to be completely insane to go to the very place that freakin' weapons of mass destruction are stored!"
"We don't even fuckin' know what exactly happened." Gonta pointed out. "Only the Exisals and Monokubs can get in there without a problem."
"Unless they had an Electrohammer with them!" Tenko exclaimed. "Keebo, Kokichi, and the other killer all must've had one with them so they can get in!"
Then I heard Kaede say the contradiction I was looking for.
"Even after they got in, Keebo's the only one who had no way to defend himself."
No, that's wrong! I thought before speaking up. "Hold on a second, Kaede. Try to remember what Keebo said before leaving the dining hall to go after Kokichi."
...
"I... I should go after him. I'm already capable of defending myself anyway."
...
"He said that he was already capable of defending himself." I said.
"I see, so before the second killer showed up Keebo and Kokichi got into a struggle in the hangar." The pianist responded.
"And the second killer just so happened to walk in on the aftermath!" Miyuji exclaimed.
"Now that I think about it more..." Gonta muttered. "I think Keebo's killer is clear from the oil-stained gauntlets and the scarf tied over their eyes."
"I was thinking the same thing to be honest." I admitted. "Kokichi used his gauntlets on Keebo, destroying him in the process and ending the struggle."
"Hold on!" Tenko yelled. "If that lying degenerate is the blackened for this case then who killed him?"
"It was most likely whoever the cloak-wearing figure I saw was." Miyuji theorized. "When I saw them, I was working on my skills with Ether for the plan. I think the killer had their Battle Gem hidden from my sight underneath their cloak and used it's secondary powers to control Ether along with a rifle to kill Kokichi. His blood looked sparkly when I took a closer look and the bullet wounds on his body so I figured that must be how it happened."
"Wait a minute!" Kaede shouted as her eyes widened in realization. "Now that you bring that up, Miyuji, the only person out of all of us left who could use a rifle as a murder weapon was..."
The vocalist was already looking at me. She looked like she was about to break as tears rapidly ran down her cheeks. She must've realized the same as Kaede did, the others looked at me in shock with Tenko crying just as hard as Miyuji.
The pianist was also starting to tear up. "Sharla... did you do it? You... killed him... Right?"
I looked down with regret and tears building in my eyes. "So you figured it out, huh? Well, you're right. I'm the one who killed Kokichi."
"But why?" Tenko asked.
"The truth is..." I began, tears running down my cheeks.
"I was afraid that Shulk, Zell, and Sae's plan wasn't going to work. So I figured if you all had weapons, you would stand a chance against the Exisals and the mastermind. But when I went to find Kokichi and Keebo, Kokichi gave me the cloak before heading to the hangar. It was at that point when I grew afraid of the plan failing, so I put on the cloak and became the figure Miyuji saw. When I got in the hangar, I saw Kokichi covered in oil and his own blood standing over Keebo's body. I just happened to break in at the wrong time! I had no other choice but to kill him! He would've been executed anyway even if I didn't kill him."
It must have hurt for the others to hear logic like mine. To them it felt like a twisted act of 'mercy', to me it was a deep regret I had no choice but to inflict. I thought back to how I killed him.
...
"Kokichi! What have you done?!"
The Disciple of Strength turned to look at me in fear and panic. "S-Sharla! I-It's not what t-this seems!"
On pure instinct, I took out my rifle and shot two electric bullets at him, knocking him back a bit. "Don't lie to me! You killed him!"
"I-Is there no o-other way?! T-Then..." Kokichi muttered as he clenched his fists and his gauntlets were engulfed in purple flames. "DARKNESS LARIAT!"
I pulled out my Battle Gem and focused everything I got into it, causing a yellow light to form. "Monado... Shield me!"
The force field summoned managed to block Kokichi's Art and push him back. He flinched in pain as the shield vanished. "Y-Y-You still c-couldn't save h-him. W-W-What c-can s-someone like you d-do?"
My rage was now at a blood-boiling point as I kept shooting at him with my rifle before dark Ether particles formed in my hand where I held my Battle Gem. "I'll strike you down!"
I fired Monado Eater at him and heard him scream as his gauntlets and his lower arms holding them were sliced off by the sheer amount of Ether and force.
"Y-Y-You're... j-just as worthless t-to me as you were t-then. N-N-Now look at m-me... a-about to be k-killed by the g-girl who d-defies her d-destiny. H-H-How did I-I end up l-like this?" He stuttered as his face turned pale.
"This was bound to happen!" I said as I prepared my bullets for the finishing shots. "You'll end up like Tsumugi and Angie except I'm the one to bring your execution!"
The faux supreme leader's purple eyes widened in horror. "Y-Y-You must b-be joking r-right? Y-You can't do t-this to me, I'm s-stronger than you!"
"You're wrong! You can't break me now! My heart is completely stronger than yours could ever be!" I shouted as I fired three bullets at his chest and used Head Shot to deliver the final blow.
He fell onto the floor on his back and a large pool of blood formed underneath his body.
...
By this point all of us were crying hard. None of us liked this anymore, we wanted this to end.
So we can go back to live our normal lives in a world without gods.
I'm sorry, everyone. But he left me no choice but to kill him. I thought to myself as I spoke up. "D-Do you guys forgive me for what I've done?"
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Class Trial - INTERMISSION