A/N:
Remember how I said I would post this in two days...I lied. The aftermath of this chapter will be posted in two days, for real this time. I figured you would all like some time to digest the fuckery of this chapter. For you see, even I felt despair at the creation of this very chapter! When I can give myself despair...well then you know this shit is good.
Just remember the four rules of Danganronpa
Rule Number 1: Nothing is as it seems
Rule Number 2: Pay attention to everything
Rule Number 3: No one is safe
Rule Number 4: Embrace Despair
I'm partial to rule 4 myself, but hey, that's just me. Shout outs to the wonderful people who submitted oc's. It's hard to write a story with so many characters and make sure they all speak at once. That being said, I am sorry if I didn't portray them right. I know you all designed them in some way, but I also took some creative liberties to bring out the best that I could. This is only the beginning of chapter 1, so if you think for a second that we're done..ohohohoho! We're just getting started my friends, you haven't seen true despair yet!
Feel free to check out my deviant art account, CelestialSkyDragon is the handle. I posted the map of the Class Trial COurt Room so you all get a sense of who's where in relative distance to each other. I did my best to describe it, but the drawing is better. Parton my shitty writing, be glad I was able to draw a semi decent circle without any stensils of a compass. It was a bitch. Hold your pitch forks and torches until next chapter...you might need them.
Morning Hope Academy's
New Semester of Killing
Chapter 1 Act 3
Betting it all for a 5 Minute Call
(Deadly Life: Day Two)
xxx(Evidence)xxx
Monokuma File #1
Victim's Name: Gonta Gokuhara
Time of Death: 10:50PM
Cause of Death: Internal Bleeding.
The body was discovered at 7:45AM by the students of Morning Hope Academy. Gonta was duct taped to a post, furthermore there is an open wound on the bottom of his foot. He also has a single stab wound in the center of his chest, consistent with a knife stab. The blade of the knife severed his Aorta, causing internal bleeding. Death was nearly instantaneous.
xxx(Truth Bullets)xxx
Broken Piece of Glass
Used Duct Tape Rolls
Kirumi's Account
Broken Rum Bottle
Gabriella Vertran's Account
Victoria and Setsuko's Account
Knife on a String
Missing Kite String
Monokuma File's Credibility
State of the Body
Veruca's Decomposition Theory
xxx(Class Trial Start: All Rise)xxx
"Well then...let's begin with a quick explanation of the Class Trial Rules. All of you will deliberate to find the blackened student. You'll all be trying to prove yourselves innocent while finding the one responsible. If you find the blackened student, all of you will have to vote on whether their guilty of the atrocities committed. If the blackened student is found only the will be punished. Vote wrong, and everyone will be punished instead of the blackened. They will walk free from our fine institution. On the chance there is a Hung Jury, the Sacrificial Clause shall be enacted, allowing you all to vote for a random student. They will be executed in the place of the blackened student. So go on, deliberate till you're hearts content!" Monokuma said happily, taking his seat behind Kaede, overlooking the entire trial.
"Uh...well I'm not exactly a lawyer but...how exactly do trials work?" Anaji asked, glancing around the room.
"Usually with the opening statements...however I think those are moot at this point." Alice replied. She was looking around at the students, a frown on her face. She couldn't fathom someone being able to attack let alone kill someone else.
"Arrg...I say we skip the formalities and hone in on the suspect. It be Dan who did all of this. He should hang for his crime!" Gabriella said, glancing at the Former-Ultimate Dancer.
"You're blaming me? For what?"
"Ye took me rum, I told ye I would tie the hempen knot around yer scrawny neck, ya landlubber." the Ultimate Pirate replied.
"Come on, we all know it was Mushu that did it. Gonta found out about her cellphone, and she ended up taking him out. She probably has the First Blood Perk too." Kokichi said, glancing at the Folklore Researcher.
"Are you retarded? No really...are you? Look at the location of the wound. Do you believe a woman of her stature could actually hurt someone nearly twice her size?" Veruca cried back.
"Shut up bitch, you're probably defending her because you're all buddy buddy with her!" the Ultimate Inventor spat, earning a growl from the Nut Specialist.
"Oh for fuck sakes. Seeing as you brain dead dumb fucks are starting off on the wrong foot, I guess I'll take over. Let's begin with Gonta's time of death. It was at 10:50PM last night, and he was found in cafeteria this morning. We should start by asking who was where and when all of this started taking place." Chris said firmly.
"I didn't think you were an expert in court." Jill said, earning a frown from the boy.
"I've watched enough Caso Cerrado to know how this works." he said with a shrug.
"Okay...let's discuss the time of death then. Veruca pointed something out to me that actually makes sense. We believe that Gonta wasn't killed at 10:50PM, rather he was killed this morning at 7:45AM." Jon said.
"Huh? You believe that he was killed this morning?" Kaede asked curiously.
"Yes...you see it all has to do with the five stages of..."
"Excuse me, but you are absolutely wrong about this." Rantaro said, cutting the young woman off. She glared at the boy, her silvery blue eyes boring into his own. The young man however didn't seem too bothered.
"You should at least let her talk man, this shit could be important." Kaikane added, arms crossed as he looked at the Ultimate Adventurer.
"I can assure you, whatever she has to say is irrelevant in this case. Gonta was dead for hours. There are signs of it, so we know the time of death is accurate." the green haired boy continued.
"Me and Jon discussed this earlier, who's to say the Monokuma File is accurate?" Tsubaki said, sharing her thoughts with the other.
"Dannazione! We're not going to get anywhere are we?" Kamron said, taking a deep breath as he tried to remain calm. Jon glanced at Mei-Ling, who had remained silent the entire time. She had been focusing on keeping calm after the episode she had moments earlier. He was sure she wanted to reach a conclusion, but she wasn't in her right mind. He closed his eyes, adopting a pensive look.
"I have to reach this conclusion before all of us bite the dust. There has to be something I can present. There wasn't much at the scene, but what little I have, has to suffice. Veruca is on to something, but none of them want to hear it. I guess I'll have to speak on her behalf."
"Alright, enough of the endless bullshit. Veruca has a point, and I'm going to say it for her. If you dare interrupt me while I speak, I will break your face. I don't give a shit if you are a man or a woman, understood?"
"Oh...we're so scared!" Kokichi said, feigning fear. Jon remained silent, glaring at him.
"Vell? Speak, you have zhe floor." Victoria said, her eyes falling on the Ultimate Songwriter.
"Me and Veruca were discussing the state of Gonta's body. She explained to me the Five Stages of Decomposition. The human body goes through various stages as it decomposes. After an hour or so, all of the blood in the body begins to drop to the bottom of the body, if lying down, it would pool around the back and the abdomen. The skin would begin to become discolored, adopting a bit of a blue tinge to it. This is due to chemical changes in the body, as enzymes begin to break down muscles. This is when rigor mortis sets in."
"Yes, as Jonathan was saying...gravity would cause the blood to pool around the extremities, the legs and finger tips. However one thing I noticed about Gonta is that rigor mortis hasn't set in yet. That usually happens 6 to 8 hours after death. According to the Monokuma File, he's been deceased for at least 6 hours, so why isn't his body stiff?" she asked.
"That is a good point, I didn't notice this when I was looking him over. I've seen enough crime shows to know what that looks like. Usually a victim will be clutching something. It literally takes all of your strength to pry open their hand. I was still able to move him slightly while I examined his wound." Chris said.
"So...there's a discrepancy in the Monokuma File?" Kaito asked curiously.
"That can't be! The Monokuma file was given to us to help us find this bastard!" Miu shouted.
"Who's to say it wasn't tampered with? This is why all avenues have to be explored!" Veruca said, glancing at the Ultimate Inventor.
"Yes...I agree with Veruca. Whenever I play a game, I make sure to open every single chest I see. I don't want to miss out on an important armor or weapon because I hurried through an area. This is the same, we have to discuss everything. Even if the patch notes are too long." Lucy added, backing up her fellow Brit.
"You're point would make sense except...there's no reason for the file to be tampered with." Ryoma said, his smooth voice flowing through the court room.
"What do you mean? There's plenty of reason." Tsumugi asked, glancing to her right, staring at the short boy.
"If there is, then point it out because I'm rather lost." Tenko said, earning similar replies from the others. Jon sighed, shaking his head.
"How are we supposed to find the answer if we don't know where to start?"
"I got the answer to that! I call it the Non-Stop Debate. Go ahead and say what you want. Maybe someone will say something that makes sense. Or maybe we'll waste time, who knows? Go on and have a heart to heart with each other!" Monokuma cried, an eager look on his face. No one knew exactly how this would work, but they at least had to try something. Even if it meant reaching an impasse.
Non-Stop Debate:
Loaded Truth Bullets: State of the Body, Monokuma File's Credibility, Veruca's Decomposition Theory...
"Alright...so you say there's a reason for this attack? What exactly is it?" Rantaro asked curiously.
"Can't say I know. But they definitely targeted Gonta. That means he probably did something." Nick said, taking a gulp from his drink.
"Gonta was too kind. He promised to listen to the words of Atua when we had the time." Angie said, head bowed in sadness.
"Let's face it, there is no reason why this happened." Kokichi said.
"Yes there is!" Carla cried back.
"No there isn't."
"Yes there is."
"Yes there is!" Kokichi cried happily.
"No there isn't!"
"Ugh...this is definitely going to be grating." Veruca muttered, pinching her eyes, trying to remain calm.
"Come on...there has to be something I missed. What is the reason someone would want to hurt Gonta? I mean none of us had anything to...no of course! There is one thing that could have been used, scratch that...two things! How did I not see this before?!" Jon said, having arrived at an epiphany.
Five Minute Phone Call was added to your Truth Bullets
First Blood Perk was added to your Truth Bullets
Loaded Truth Bullet: First Blood Perk
"Alright...so you say there's a reason for this attack? What exactly is it?" Rantaro asked curiously.
"Can't say I know. But they definitely targeted Gonta. That means he probably did something." Nick said, taking a gulp from his drink.
"Gonta was too kind. He promised to listen to the words of Atua when we had the time." Angie said, head bowed in sadness.
"Let's face it, there is no reason why this happened." Kokichi said.
"No, that's wrong!" Jonathan cried, causing everyone to look at him.
Break
"How can I be wrong when you know I'm right?" the boy said.
"Shut up, you're trying to confuse everyone. Jonathan, go on and speak your mind." Kaede said, giving the boy the floor. He gave her a thankful look, clearing his throat.
"So, you all think there is no reason to tamper with the File. However you forget there is one thing that one of us has over all of us. There used to be two, the first was the Phone Call. However Mei-Ling got rid of that. One thing that wasn't taken from us was the First Blood Perk. Who's to say they didn't use that to their advantage?" Jon asked, earning nods from the others.
"Hmm...using the First Blood Perk is rather advantageous. While we aren't sure what entails us beyond these walls, it does act as a safety net. They have leverage over all us, who's to say an added bonus is to tamper with evidence? It's rather strategic of them." Calem added, putting forth his thoughts.
"Da...you believe person made use of perk, changed things with the file?" Anastasia asked.
"It isn't out of the realm of possibility. Meaning the time of death is inaccurate with what has been presented to us. Gonta's body isn't stiff, and he doesn't show signs of rigor mortis. It's safe to assume whoever killed him, used that perk against all of us." Mei-Ling said, finally talking.
"But something doesn't add up. Monokuma, you stated at the beginning of this, that the user of the perk could skip this trial. Is it safe to assume they have abstained from this all together?" Korekiyo asked curiously.
"Eh...I'll leave that one to you guys, my lips are sealed!" the bear replied happily.
"So...that means we have to keep this sham up. Okay then, now that we have established the motive, and that the Monokuma File is useless. We must figure out how all of this came about, anything to note?" Veruca asked.
"Well...I did notice that knife I used yesterday was missing. It was used as the murder weapon correct?" Jill asked.
"That's right...it was rigged in a rather intricate manner. Shuichi noticed several things missing from the School Store. Among them was a spool of Kite String. The killer wrapped string around the handle of the knife and attached it to the door latch. Due to the kind of glass used, no one can see inside the cafeteria. So no one saw Gonta strapped to the post." Anaji said, glancing away from his Student ID.
"Nyeh...you're voice is weird." Himiko said, earning a frown from the Horror Artist.
"There is something else that caught my attention. Did you all notice that Gonta is raised three inches off the ground? Not only that it seemed like an obscene amount of tape was used to hold him in place. Furthermore, this also correlates with what Veruca said, that he was in the early stages of decomposition. The bottom of his foot is soaked with blood after all."
"Oh my...Chloe are you actually helping?" Alice asked, a look surprise and excitement on her face.
"Ugh...I just can't stand you idiots grasping at straws. So I decided to lend my beautiful mind to help you plebs out. Consider it a good grace from your Queen." she said, a smug look on her face.
"How can someone so beautiful yet so ugly at the same time?" Tsumugi asked.
"That's what I say every time I look at my hoo haw! Its so nice and cute, but then it'll get ruined with babies!" Carla cried.
"Jesus H Christ." Nick said, hurriedly finishing his soda, tossing the can aside. He drew another crank, cracking it with his teeth.
"Dear god I sincerely hope you don't have sex. The thought of you reproducing boils my fucking balls. I am murdering my future children listening to your shit!" Lee shouted, earning a giggle from Carla who placed her hands behind her back, pushing her chest out a bit.
"Sorry to disappoint you sir. But I've greased my fair share of poles in the past. Trust me, when I get into it, I go wild." she said, licking her lips. Kaikane tugged on his collar, taking a deep breath. Gabriella tossed him her flask, which he unscrewed, rapidly taking a drink. Tsubaki took a hold of it, gulping down some rum herself.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, let us return to the topic at hand. We need to reach our conclusion soon, or else we might all end up on death row." Kamron said.
"How about we discuss the foot injury then? It lead to his potential demise after all. Did anyone see Gonta before 10:50?" Jonathan asked curiously.
"Not really...are we still using that time? I thought it was moot now." Tsumugi asked, causing the boy to shake his head.
"No...Gonta didn't die at 10:50, that doesn't mean he wasn't attacked at that time. So let's establish alibis for a bit, after dinner a few of us went to the Bath House. That includes myself, Mei-Ling, Veruca, Tsubaki, Kaikane, and Carla. As I recall, this was around 8:30 at night." Jonathan said.
"Yes, this also correlates with what I was doing. I was in the Laundry Room between the hours of 8 and 11. Chloe, Tenko, Kamron, Dan and Rantaro can attest to this, as I was doing their laundry." Kirumi said.
"Mhmm...I got my clothes back from her at 9:32PM." Rantaro said.
"I got mine at around the same time." Chloe added.
"Alice and Cara were in the Lodge lobby, I remember speaking to them about something. I...was planning a bit of a concert, to raise morale for the group. I met with them at 9:50PM, and briefly saw Nick and Chris. I left with Kaede for the stage to get her a keyboard, Shuichi continued to his room." Jonathan said firmly.
"I know it isn't solid, but me and my brother were watching movies in my room. It was around 10 when he decided to watch Titanic. Himiko heard the music and joined us, Tenko left briefly with Gabriella to fetch us some drinks." Tsubaki said.
"That's right...I came out of the cafeteria at 10:13 with some snacks, I didn't see Gonta there at all. Gabriella stayed in the kitchen, muttering things about Dan and the Hempen Jig." the Ultimate Neo-Aikido Master said, glancing at the Ultimate Pirate.
"Aye...I was there for awhile...dunno what time it was I stumbled outside. The rum was gone...so I decided to return to me quarters. La puta y su amiga were outside, twas 10:30 methinks." the brunette said, glancing at Victoria and Setsuko.
"That correlates with us as well. Me and Tori were talking about my blog at that time. Neither of us slept because we drank some coffee, we left at about 10:45, if we had stayed behind...maybe Gonta wouldn't be dead." Setsuko said softly.
"It isn't your fault Setsuko. You didn't know vhat vas going to take place zhere." Victoria said, placing a hand on her head. Setsuko smiled a bit, taking a deep breath.
"I didn't see Gonta at all...though now that I recall...I think I did see him heading into that small area. Behind the cafeteria and the Weight Room. He was probably looking for bugs, he spent all afternoon combing the lawn searching for stuff."
"Oh oh! This is where I come in! I was in the Gymnasium at 9:46, I was shooting hoops. I thought I would pay my respects to Kevin, so I left a candle on the stage. The doors were open, and I heard the door to the Nurse's office open. But I looked down the hall and didn't see anyone. I left at 10:47." Carla said firmly.
"Okay...can we please stop with the timeline? I know it establishes events, but are we seriously going to say what we were all doing?" Veruca asked, sounding quite annoyed.
"If it exonerates us, sure. Unless you are hiding something? Maybe the Nutty Princess is nuttier than she thinks. Perhaps she decided to kill Gonta and get away with it. Her plan is smoother than a fresh jar of Skippy." Kokichi said.
"Silence, you bloody wanker! I wasn't near the school building, I was with Rantaro, he offered to do my nails for me." she said, holding her hands out.
"Yes...I saw you struggling to choose a color so I decided to step in. This was after Kirumi delivered my clothes. Tsumugi was with us as well, so she is also innocent." the Adventurer said firmly.
"Any reason why a man such as yourself knows how to do nails?" Nick asked curiously.
"When you are raised with little sisters, you learn a thing or two." he said simply.
"Regardless...this at least establishes a timeline of where most of us were. However, half of us lack an alibi. I myself cannot provide an account of my whereabouts." Ryoma said.
"Hmm...perhaps you were murdering?" Miu asked.
"Goddamn it, you really piss me off. How the hell could he stab Gonta in the chest let alone lift him up? In fact, judging by height, three of you are incapable of committing this crime. Mei-Ling and Setsuko are both 4'7'' and Ryoma is 4'9''. Even if he manages to stab him, unless they have step ladders, they can't do shit. Himiko was with the others so she's out too." Nick said, glaring at the Ultimate Inventor with anger.
"We are getting nowhere. Figuring out where all of us were isn't going to help us find the killer." Jill cried in annoyance.
"Yes it will...it establishes something that we need. We can't account for everyone, but I've been comparing times. Kirumi, when did you deliver the last load of laundry and to whom did you deliver it?" Jonathan asked. The young maid closed her eyes in thought.
"I believe the final load of clothes I delivered was to Dan...it was around 10:45 in fact. I actually rung the bell a few times, but he wasn't within his room. He actually met me in the lobby of the lodge." she said.
"Hmm...Alice, where did you say Dan was during this time?"
"The Audio Visual Room, he was trying to access the School Network. How does this help?" the Former-Ultimate Secretary asked. Jonathan leaned forward, locking eyes with the Former-Ultimate Dancer, who was standing off silently.
"Okay...Kirumi you said you saw someone walking past the laundry room. You also heard the cafeteria doors closing, correct?"
"Yes I did."
"I see...when you met with Dan, was he out of breath at all?"
"No, he looked rather normal."
"Where are you going with this? You are wasting our time!" Chloe shouted angrily.
"Shut up you...I'm honing in on something. Carla heard the door to the Nurse's office open. Kirumi saw someone walking out of the cafeteria, could it be that Gonta came into the cafeteria, searching for help? Because he stepped on the glass bottle that Gabriella shattered?"
"Hmm...I see your point. Gonta probably walked through the glass, by that time Victoria and Setsuko had left. No one was there, I did notice bloody footprints leading to the cafeteria. Dan was probably in there, offered to help Gonta, and then remembered Kirumi doing his laundry. He went to take it from her, and then doubled back to the school to help Gonta, but he ended up running into something else."
"Jonathan? What are you getting at?" Mei-Ling asked curiously.
"Well...I've been thinking about this for awhile. Monokuma, how does the body discovery announcement work?" the boy asked curiously.
"Eh? You wanna know about that? Didn't I explain it?" the bear asked curiously.
"No...but I believe it may shed some light on this, if this is going where I think it's going." Shuichi said, pulling his hat slightly.
"Alright, here's how it goes down. When three people discover a body, the announcement goes off. Even if they don't see it, just as long as they're in the room with it, it will go off. It won't go off until three of you have discovered it." the bear said.
"Then I have something to note. Gonta was left by himself in the cafeteria, by Dan. Carla heard Dan in the Nurse's office but didn't see him. During this time, our killer moved in on Gonta, an unsuspecting victim, a victim of circumstance. He was attacked, and at this time most likely restrained by the duct tape. Dan returned to help, only to run into the scene. The Killer threatened Dan, who was then forced to help with the crime, which is how Gonta was off the ground and strapped to the post. That's one person...fast forward to this morning. Tenko went to get coffee for Himiko, but decided to get it from the machine. Her back was turned to Gonta the entire time, so she didn't see the body. But technically speaking, she was in the vicinity of it. That's two...finally, the last person who triggered the discovery was Shuichi, the only one who actually set foot in the cafeteria before the rest of us could see it." Jon said, ending his theory.
"That's the biggest load of bullshit that I have ever heard of." Kokichi said firmly.
"Hello Mr. Kettle." Tsubaki said, quirking a brow at the violet haired lad. Veruca looked at the Dance Teacher, a firm look on her face.
"Well? Care to elaborate?"
"I...I.."
"Oh...Dan please tell me it isn't true?" Cara said, covering her mouth with her hand.
"It isn't! I will admit...I did see the body. But Gonta was alive then...I didn't know what to do so I left!"
"You left him there to die?" Mei-Ling asked, anger flowing through her body.
"Tch...so much for wanting to take care of us, asshole." Harrison said, glaring at the teacher.
"Well what was I supposed to do? He was already strapped to the wall with tape, and had the knife in his chest. I knew that if I pulled it, he would have bled out. Why do you think I didn't investigate at all? I couldn't bare to see that again!"
"Coward...you could have at least told someone." Maki said coldly. Jon shuddered a bit, she had been rather silent during the trial. Hearing those words...it didn't make him feel better.
"You let Gonta die...he was innocent and scared...it should be you on that post with the knife in your chest!"
"Carla that isn't helping!" Veruca snapped.
"Looks like you'll be walking the plank soon landlubber." Gabriella said, glaring at the teacher.
"Everyone, I believe that his guilt is enough. He may have abandoned Gonta, but what could he have done? None of us are a doctor, and he would have needed an open heart surgery. I'm afraid no matter what he did, the young man would have perished." Kamron said.
"Even if he didn't do anything, he at least has Gonta's blood on his hands. That will be on your mind forever friend, let it seep into your soul." Harrison said, giving the man a grin.
"Let us not fall to that Harrison, we do not need to drive the stake further." Anaji said, calmly dissuading the situation.
"So...we have witnesses to the body, all we have to do is figure out who did the killing. Seems like the killer has been rather stealthy, they covered their tracks well." Kaito said, a frown on his face.
"I must say...their strategy is astounding. Being able to control so many aspects of this, making moves from the shadows. It's as if he's commanding troops and sending them into war. Each move not only moves his plan forward, but also covers what he leaves behind. A rather meticulous and methodical method." Calem noted, causing the room to go silent.
"You mean...like something you would do?" Chris asked, glancing at the Strategist.
"I beg your pardon?"
"You just made it abundantly clear. This is all strategically sound...it would take quite a lot of planning to pull it off. Who better to do that than the Ultimate Strategist?" the Lepidopterologist said, pointing an accusatory finger at him.
"Chris, no isn't the time to start pointing the finger." Mei-Ling snapped, annoyed at the boy.
"You shouldn't be saying anything Mushu. You didn't tell anyone about that goddamn phone, our only saving grace. You aren't exempt from any of this, and you shouldn't protect a killer."
"Hey! Let's not start this right now! What Mei-Ling did was the best course of action. Half of you did nothing, while the rest of us worked hard to figure out who killed Gonta. If anything, none of you deserve a call to the outside." Kaede said, grabbing her podium hard.
"Oh? So you are totally okay with staying here? Getting stabbed in the back?" Korekiyo asked.
"I also agree with Kaede...the cellphone was nothing but temptation. By removing it, we no longer have anything to kill for." Kiibo said.
"Shut up robot, you have no say in this. Besides, what kind of robot can't override the security system? If anything I bet you could have saved Gonta. You could have hacked the cameras and exposed this shit to the world." Kokichi said.
"I do not have such means, I am just as powerless as you are." the Ultimate Robot snapped angrily.
"Hey...this is exactly what the Mastermind wants! All of us fighting with each other. Can we all just swallow our shit until the end of this trial? We can figure out everything once we survive this!" Jonathan cried.
"I wouldn't say anything if I were you. I still think you are connected to the Mastermind, since you dress like Monokuma. You probably get off on this don't you? Pretend like you care, solve each crime and then watch as everyone else suffers the consequences! How do we know you aren't the killer? You could be lying!" Nick said angrily.
"I don't know...I don't know anything! But what I do know is that we have to make the most of it! You have to stop being a bloody twat and accusing everyone without proof!"
"Everyone remain calm please...let us not fall here, not after coming this far." Kamron said, once again dissuading the situation. Jonathan was glad that the Ultimate Persuader could calm everyone down with ease.
"Nyeh...my head hurts...I just want this to end."
"It's okay Himiko. If you pray to Atua, I'm sure he will find out who the killer is." Angie said, giving the Mage a smile.
"I will not have you bequeath the role of Jesus Christ from this school. While you are here, I will not allow you to speak of this false god!" Lee cried angrily, glaring at the artist.
"Oh...Atua isn't a false god, if anything your God is the false one."
"Let's not delve into religion now...I don't have time for this shit." Veruca said.
"Monokuma, I'd like to formally request a recess." Jonathan said suddenly, causing everyone to look at him.
"Pfft...recess? That's now how we do things here, it's all or nothing buddy!"
"Please, allow us some time to think things through. How are we going to defeat the boss is all of us keep getting ganked at the start?" Lucy asked firmly. The bear sighed, tapping his gavel against his arm rest.
"Fine, I shall grant you a five minute recess. No bathroom breaks I'm afraid, if you gotta pee you gotta hold it." the bear said, laughing gleefully.
Jonathan stepped away from his stand, turning away from everyone as he walked toward the other end of the room. The others either remained at their stands or were busy discussing things among themselves. He stood firm as he looked outside of the glass, at the ocean life just beyond it. It was a little cold in this room, due to how far down they were. No matter how long he looked up, he couldn't see the surface. All he could see was red, and that worried him a bit. He couldn't help but worry about his mom and dad. Despite them never being around, he didn't want anything bad to happen to them.
"Penny for your thoughts?"
"I can't see our perp...and I'm growing worried." the boy said, glancing at Veruca, who's eyes were locked on a school of fish swimming by.
"Yes...I certainly wasn't expecting this upset. I was certain it would be cut and dry, but I was hoping too much. I must commend you, arriving at answers that no one would have considered. Setting up a timeline was brilliant, and thanks to it, you arrived at Arche witnessing the body." she said.
"It was nothing...I guess spending time with you has turned me into a theorist. I just thought of different possibilities, and tried to search for the truth. None of them seemed ideal though, so I figured starting with a timeline would have lead us somewhere."
"Bloody good work then, you make a better Holmes than Shuichi. He's been rather meek, despite being the Ultimate Detective." she said, glancing at the black haired boy, who was currently chatting with Kaede.
"He just needs a push in the right direction. Anyway, I called for this recess for a reason. Will you allow me some questions?"
"Depends on what they are?" Veruca asked, giving him a cheeky grin. He rolled his eyes.
"I've been thinking a lot about our killer. But the method makes no sense...then there's the knife. It was attached to the kite string that lead to the door. There's also the manner of Gonta's final resting place. How was it that he was lifted up? I believe the killer may have blackmailed Dan into keeping quiet. What are your thoughts?" he asked curiously.
"I want to say following that lead is a lost cause. However Dan seemed to be freaking out about it. If you are innocent, then you don't have anything to hide, yet he's freaking out over it. I believe he's lying...blackmail seems par for the course in this place. None of us know what the First Blood Perk entails. For all we know, accomplices are included in that perk. May I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"It's not you is it?" she asked. The boy looked at the Nut Specialist, giving her a hurt look.
"Are you asking me that? I thought you trusted me." he said. She gave him a grin, making him shudder.
"My apologies...I wished to test you...you are as honest as they come. I believe you'd have trouble hiding any of this. Besides, I trust you far more than anyone else...you are willing to put up with my theories. I may be snooty, and tactless...but at least I made one friend here." she admitted, a flush on her cheeks. Jon's lips curled into a smile.
"I'm glad you consider me a friend Ruca, I consider you a friend too. Same with Kai, and Mei and Carls and Tsu." he said.
"There is one thing that I cannot seem to comprehend. Why bother with the trial? If the First Blood Perk lets you skip it, why come here? Isn't this trial redundant?" Veruca asked, causing Jon to glance back at the remaining students and faculty members.
"I'm afraid some people just like seeing others squirm. This is a mind game for whoever did this. The fact that at any time they can use that Perk, means that this trial wasn't done for freedom. It was done because they wanted to see what would happen, testing the waters if you will. Should we find them, they can just use the Perk. However I have another theory...one that isn't pleasant."
"Might I inquire as to what it is?"
"Well Ruca...what if the one who has the perk didn't kill? But rather set up everything to make someone else kill?" Jonathan asked curiously.
"What do you mean?"
"It's a trap...we know now that killing leads to a trial, which leads to a vote, and that leads to execution. However, if you set up a trap and someone else triggers it, you physically didn't kill them. They killed themselves, it is ruled a suicide. The killer gets away Scott free, they don't die, and still have the perk. A moot point if they don't use it in this trial." he said. Her eyes widened a bit, her small hand covering her mouth.
"The rules have a loophole...you think the killer abused it?"
"I don't think...I know...the bear wants despair...what better way to get it, than by having the killer not follow them? Traps aren't against the rules. As long as someone dies, a trial is held...as far as I'm aware anyway...I honestly wish this was a nightmare."
"I'm afraid it isn't Jon...this is real life...we're gonna have to face the truth. Calling this a nightmare...that would just be a lie...another bloody useless ideal." she replied.
"Yeah...you're right." the boy said sadly. Veruca placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a smile.
"I know you wish to seek the truth. I do too, but these guys won't see it with a little help. You have to do anything you can to arrive at the truth...even if you have to sugarcoat a bit." she said. He furrowed his brows, confused as to what she was saying.
"Alright students, times up! Let us return to this class trial!" Monokuma cried, banging his gavel against the stand. Everyone slowly started retaking their seats, starting off where they left off.
"I've had some time to think about everything we have spoken about. I believe I may have a small timeline of events. If I may share it?" Calem asked.
"Go for it, anything will help us at this point." Kaito said, earning a nod from the Strategist.
"Okay then...asking around, everyone saw Gonta after dinner looking around the lawn. According to the evidence, he was behind the Weight Room for quite awhile, until at least 10:45. At this exact time, Kirumi was delivering clothes to Dan, who hastily brought them into his dorm. He returned to the school building, got the medical equipment needed to help Gonta, and headed back to the cafeteria. He ran into the killer, and was blackmailed into helping out with the crime. Dan would get away free, especially if they made use of the First Blood Perk, no one would have to know he let Gonta die. He didn't account for the killer not to use the perk." Calem said firmly.
"A likely scenario...I love watching you all lie to each other." Monokuma said joyously.
"It does make sense, but how do we know you aren't pulling the strings?" Rantaro asked curiously.
"If I were the one who wanted to kill Gonta, I would have ended it, instead of prolonging his suffering. He was kept alive throughout the night, because the killer was waiting for a precise moment. The knife was kept in his chest, being used as a plug to prevent internal bleeding. As Veruca said before, blood pools to the bottom of the body an hour into Fresh Decay. His body showed signs of internal bleeding, including abdominal bloating, consistent with internal bleeding."
"He would have bleed out in seconds though...he couldn't have been conscious during all of this." Shuichi said.
"Yes...but the body discovery announcement is what solves part of this. It was enough of a distraction, lest we forget, we were called into the Theater shortly after. Gonta was bleeding out, but due to the tape, he didn't see any blood. That's also why there's blood pooling around his foot and the floor, because that is an open cut." the Strategist said.
"I get it...the assembly was used not just to inform us of the investigation. But also to mask the fact that Gonta was alive. The holder of the First Blood Perk probably used that to get Monokuma to give us false evidence, pointing to his body being there all night. However, I doubt he expected someone to actually know the stages of decay." Jonathan said.
"How do you know about that exactly?" Tsumugi asked curiously.
"As a Nut Specialist, I studied various kinds of decomposition. Plants and humans are alike and different in many things. Both have cells, and both experience an odd sort of decomposition. As part of my research, I experimented on the fertility of soil when exposed to the remains of a deceased animal. For a few weeks, I watched a Hog decompose and noted the results." she answered calmly.
"That's fucking gross! You sick piece of shit!" Miu shouted, a look of disgust on her face.
"I thought you were a woman of science. Surely forensics must interest you, to some degree. This is all part of the process for gaining better soil, which produce better trees. All of this is to grow the best nuts in the world, the nuts that are most likely in your shit after consuming a Hershey chocolate bar." the Nut specialist said, earning a few chuckles from the people around her.
"Regardless of if the killer was or wasn't aware of her intelligence. Why aren't they using the Perk?" Kaito asked.
"Have you stopped to consider that perhaps the killer and the owner of the perk are two different people?" Maki asked, causing everyone to grow silent.
"I sincerely doubt that." Nick said.
"How would you know anything? Anything is possible isn't it? I'm pretty sure the killer is doing this...doing all of this to watch us squirm. The bastard!" Setsuko cried, sounding irritated. Victoria frowned, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Forgive her, she's a bit cranky when she doesn't have coffee."
"Eh...shut up Tori!" the girl said, popping a few caffeine pills.
"Wait...Shuichi, you said Gonta was kept alive? How the hell would that happen? Wouldn't he bleed out?" Kaito asked. The boy sighed, pulling on his hat.
"Yes...I still haven't figured it out. All I know is that Gonta was alive throughout the night."
"Perhaps we should toss out some things and see if we can find something?" Kaede asked curiously.
"That would be the best course of action." Kamron said.
Non-Stop Debate:
Loaded Truth Bullets: Gabriella's broken bottle, Knife on String, Kirumi's account, Missing Blood Packs...
"So, we established that the File is a Farce. However we don't know exactly how he was kept alive." Shuichi said.
"It was the Knife! It acted like a bath stopper, but with blood!" Carla cried out.
"What about the Tape? He was wrapped around with so much tape that it probably kept the blood inside his body." Chloe said.
"Are you mental? He was stabbed in the Heart! He bled inside now outside, you wanker!" Veruca cried out.
"Nyeh...what about the Nurse's Office? There was something Missing from there." Himiko said, tugging on her hat.
"Dan was in there, if something is missing, He Took It." Kaikane said, glancing at the dance teacher.
"I only took a First Aid Kit, nothing more!" Dan cried out.
"A likely story! Why don't you admit it all ready...this has your grubby hands all over it!" Kokichi shouted, earning a glare from the dance teacher.
"No...that isn't it...I'm sure I know what it is. Now that I think about it, that IV line was something I disregarded. Himiko told me what was missing from the Nurse's Office. I have to share this with everyone." Jonathan thought a firm look on his face.
Loaded Truth Bullet: Missing Blood Packs
"So, we established that the File is a Farce. However we don't know exactly how he was kept alive." Shuichi said.
"It was the Knife! It acted like a bath stopper, but with blood!" Carla cried out.
"What about the Tape? He was wrapped around with so much tape that it probably kept the blood inside his body." Chloe said.
"Are you mental? He was stabbed in the Heart! He bleed inside now outside, you wanker!" Veruca cried out.
"Nyeh...what about the Nurse's Office? There was something Missing from there." Himiko said, tugging on her hat.
"I agree with that!" Jonathan cried out, gaining the attention of everyone in the room.
Consent
"Okay...let us here your explanation then." Veruca said, earning a nod from the boy.
"I was having a panic attack earlier during the investigation. Tsubaki ended up bringing me to the Theater. She sung me a song to calm down, then we headed to the Nurse's Office. Tenko and Himiko were there, that's when Himiko told me there were some missing blood packs from the fridge. Furthermore, there was an IV line that I disregarded as a red herring. I believe this is how he was kept alive." Jonathan said firmly.
"Uh...listen...I sure I have bad eyesight, but I didn't see any blood packs anywhere in the cafeteria." Jill said.
"What if they're hidden?" Mei-Ling suggested.
"Hidden? How exactly?" Chris asked curiously.
"The tape silly! It's like playing a game of hide and seek! Whoever attacked Gonta, hid the blood packs under the tape. Once he was strapped to the wall, he ran an IV line through his suit, into his arm. That's how he was kept alive." Carla said happily.
"Are you mad? Do you know how many blood packs it would take to keep someone alive? You'd lose liters of blood in seconds!"
"Don't forget Veruca, the knife was plugging the stab wound. Once Gonta acquired the bleed status, he was weak...he probably wouldn't move because the knife would tear the wound. Only a small trickle would escape. Most likely a liter an hour...meaning about six packs had to have been used." Lucy said.
"That's how many were missing." Himiko said.
"God...that's horrible...he was kept alive, only to be killed at the proper time." Alice said, clutching her chest, a look of anguish on her face.
"Coward, whoever did this truly has no honor." Anastasia said firmly.
"Yet another thing that was meticulously planned. I don't know how to even set up an IV line. There aren't any doctors or nurses among us...whoever this killer is, they're rather well read." Mei-Ling said sadly.
"Probably has a weird fascination with blood. They probably know everything, from how to extract it, to also administering it. Sick fuck." Veruca murmured, shaking slightly at the thought.
"Fascination with blood? That may be a clue...I'm sure at least two people fit the bill. But it's become another Cat and Mouse chase...guess I'll have to keep putting the pieces together." Jonathan thought, lost in thought as he started thinking about everything.
"Hmm...what if the owner of the First Blood Perk wanted this to happen? None of us know who they are...what if they're aiming for something more sinister?" Chris said, glancing around the room.
"Oh? Another theory?" Tsubaki asked, her eyes meeting the gaze of the Lepidopterologist.
"Mhmm...what if the killer lured another person into a trap? I mean...it looks rather obvious. The fact that the kite string attached to the knife, was also hooked to the latch, which was hooked to the door. The knife was used a plug. Once someone opened the door, the knife was pulled and bam...Gonta bleeds out. Whoever opened the door would be the killer."
"Oh shit...you're right." Kaito said.
"Who opened the door then?"
"I don't remember...it all happened so quickly." Kaede said.
"It was Shuichi wasn't it?" Cara asked curiously.
"No...I couldn't get it open...Tenko was the one trying it before." he said.
"Tch...leave it to a degenerate to blame a beautiful maiden like me. I didn't pull the door open!" Tenko cried out, her voice laced with anger.
"Oh my god...I think I know who opened the door." Jonathan said, his face going pale. He looked right at the person who did it, noticing they had also gone pale.
Select Someone:
Selected Student: Himiko Yumeno
"It was Himiko...I remember her saying she'd use a strength charm. As soon as she opened the door, that's when the knife clattered to the ground." he said.
"What? No! It isn't Himiko! It can't be Himiko! It was that degenerate Shuichi! He was the one who opened the door wasn't he? Admit it!" Tenko shouted, earning a frown from the boy.
"I didn't Tenko...you were next to me. Look, I understand that Himiko is your friend. But I myself remember that charm...she was the one who opened it." he said.
"Nyeh...it's true...the reason why I headed to the Nurse's office, was because I felt faint. I kept thinking about opening that door...and when you all said the Monokuma File was wrong...I'm sorry...I didn't mean too."
"You aren't to blame Himiko. You didn't kill Gonta, come on you degenerate! Step right out so I can pummel you! Are you gonna let an innocent girl die? You coward!" Tenko shouted.
"Enough...this yelling isn't helping! Let's just run down everything...despite Himiko pulling the door open, Gonta was still alive right? He still had a supply of blood. Jonathan, was the needle in his arm in or out?" Tsumugi asked curiously.
"It was out, was feeling around his wrist and I almost pricked myself with it." he admitted.
"Ah...I see I see! So it was Jon who did it! He pulled the needle out, causing Gonta to bleed out. He's the killer here!" Kokichi asked.
"What?!"
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but it makes sense. None of us knew of the needle until he mentioned it. He could have pulled it out while we were at the assembly." Dan said firmly.
"Oh, don't you dare accuse Jo-Jo! You are just trying to cover your own ass! I know he isn't responsible for this!" Carla cried out, glaring at the teacher.
"That's your emotions speaking dear. Look at how angry he was today...it's likely that he set all of this up, but ended up failing. He forgot about the blood packs, and while everyone was heading to the assembly, he cut off the supply. It makes perfect sense." Harrison said, glancing at the Songwriter.
"Except he didn't check the body at all. He just looked at it, in fact the only thing I saw him do was pull the shard out of his foot. I was with him and had my eyes on him the entire time." Kaede said.
"How do we know you aren't lying?" Korekiyo asked.
"Are we seriously doing this? If Jon set all of this up then why is he still here? Why wouldn't he just use the First Blood Perk? Do you actually think he gets off on being here? Not to mention he's doing a better job solving this conundrum than half of you. You wouldn't know your ass from a hole in the ground if he hadn't done your work for you!" Veruca shouted angrily.
"Or maybe he had someone help him do it? I say all of this is rather lucky isn't it? That the time was off, that everything doesn't line up, that a simple trap actually worked. Normally that wouldn't be the case, unless someone had Ultimate Luck." Nick said, glancing at Carla who had been looking at her nails. She looked up, seeing everyone looking at her, making her grin sheepishly.
"I swear, it wasn't me who farted."
"No...sweetie that wasn't what we were talking about. They're accusing you of setting this up. After all, isn't your unofficial title that of the Ultimate Prankster? I can definitely see this as a prank...a prank gone wrong." Cara said firmly. Carla growled angrily, her body shaking slightly.
"My pranks are meant to bring joy to people. I would never dare kill anyone, I have a code I adhere to. Thou shalt not kill...no matter what, I will never ever use a prank to injure or kill someone. That is cold, ruthless and callous and goes against everything I know as the Ultimate Prankster."
"Petty lies methinks. The innocent don't get angry at being accused, they just prove themselves innocent." Kokichi said, giving the girl a wink.
"Let us not forget, you admitted to being in the Gymnasum for nearly an hour. The original time of death was near the time you said you left the gym, 10:47...how do we know that isn't a lie?" Jill asked.
"But I didn't do it! I swear...I was bringing a candle to Kevin, because he didn't need to die!" she cried out, her expression shifting to one of fear.
"I think this case is closed...I believe we should host a vote now." Rantaro said.
"I'm innocent!"
"Sorry kid...but even I can't see how this wasn't planned by you." Ryoma said firmly.
"Monokuma, prepare the votes would you?" Tsumugi asked.
"Eh...you sure? Alright!"
"Stop! We aren't voting until every avenue is explored. I am not risking my life for a baseless accusation!" Jonathan said.
"Oh man...this one certainly has the hots for the crazy girl." Miu said, shaking her head.
"Let's toss the facts out then...tear her apart with her own words, and our evidence. Then we seal it with a vote!" Chloe said, a grin on her face.
"You can't do this...I've been nothing but nice to all of you!" Carla cried out, her eyes soaked with tears. Jonathan growled angrily.
Non-Stop Debate (Hope vs Despair)
Loaded Truth Bullets: Monokuma File #1, Kirumi's Account, State of the Body, Knife on String, Veruca's Decomposition Theory
"You said it yourself. You were in the Gymnasium at 9:45PM last night." Rantaro said.
"I was just shooting hoops, and bringing Kevin a Candle!" Carla cried out, her shoulders shaking slightly.
"According to Kirumi, she saw a figure leaving the cafeteria. That was most likely You!" Jill said.
"It wasn't me!"
"There were six Missing Blood Packs. No one knows how much blood Gonta lost. I believe six is your Lucky number." Korekiyo said, smirking beneath his mask.
"I'm begging you! I'm Innocent! If you all vote me, you'll die!" the Ultimate Lucky Student cried, pleading for her life.
"Let's face it. You were the one who taped up Gonta, you set up the trapso that someone could become the blackened. All because you wanted to see us squirm! This is your Ultimate Prank!"
"No it isn't!"
"I was in the Gym today, and I didn't see a candle! You are a liar Carla Williamson! Admit your guilt, be free before you face your death!" Chris cried out.
"I thought you were my friend Chris...why are you doing this to me? You know I'm innocent!" the girl said, another cry leaving her lips.
"This case is closed...Monokuma, start the vote!" Tsumugi said.
"No please...don't do this! You're making a mistake!" Carla cried, a final desperate plea.
"Dammit...what do I do? There's nothing I can do. Carla is gonna get voted as the blackened when I know she's innocent. Is there nothing I can do?" the songwriter thought, bowing his head in anger. He glanced at Veruca, who bore a look of intrigue on her face. He closed his eyes, remembering what she had said before.
"I know you wish to seek the truth. I do too, but these guys won't see it with a little help. You have to do anything you can to arrive at the truth...even if you have to sugarcoat a bit."
"Sugarcoat it...she means lie...of course...I'll have to lie to reach the truth. If I get caught, I could get in deep shit. But goddamn it, I'm not letting one of my friends die in vain!"
Loaded Lie Bullet: Scented Candle
"You said it yourself. You were in the Gymnasium at 9:45PM last night." Rantaro said.
"I was just shooting hoops, and bringing Kevin a Candle!" Carla cried out, her shoulders shaking slightly.
"According to Kirumi, she saw a figure leaving the cafeteria. That was most likely You!" Jill said.
"It wasn't me!"
"There were six Missing Blood Packs. No one knows how much blood Gonta lost. I believe six is your Lucky number." Korekiyo said, smirking beneath his mask.
"I'm begging you! I'm Innocent! If you all vote me, you'll die!" the Ultimate Lucky Student cried, pleading for her life.
"Let's face it. You were the one who taped up Gonta, you set up the trapso that someone could become the blackened. All because you wanted to see us squirm! This is your Ultimate Prank!"
"No it isn't!"
"I was in the Gym today, and I didn't see a candle! You are a liar Carla Williamson! Admit your guilt, be free before you face your death!" Chris cried out.
"No, you're wrong!"
Perjury
"What...what are you talking about? I was in the gym earlier today, and I didn't see anything." Chris said firmly. Jonathan swept some hair out of his face, a smirk on his face.
"Tch...then your nose must be weak man. I was in the gym too, and I strictly remember seeing a scented candle on the podium. In fact, it was me who gave it to Carla last night. She was sad that she couldn't do anything for Kevin. So after our bath, she came to my dorm and saw some of my unopened candles. I let her have one and she went to the gym to light it. Not only that, Tenko is a witness too. She was in the gym early in the morning, so I'm sure she saw it." he said, glancing at the Ultimate Neo-Aikido Master. She had her eyes narrowed, glancing between him and Carla, who gave her a pleading look. She gave a curt nod.
"That's right...I saw the candle too. Strawberries and Cream, the scent helped me to relax. I do recall seeing Jon entering the gym during the investigation. By that point, the candle had been fully consumed, so he tossed the container." she said. Everyone remained silent, processing what was just said.
"Ah...sorry, I didn't mean to blame you." Tsumugi said.
"It's okay Tsumugi...you had to do what you thought was right, even if it was the wrong thing to do." the girl said, holding back her sniffles.
"Then, we're back to Himiko being the killer. We don't know who set it up, but we know she resulted in the knife being pulled out. We can't tiptoe around that." Nick said.
"She's innocent! The one who set it up is the Killer!" Tenko snapped, glaring daggers at the Craftsman.
"Tenko...I know it hurts...but it's my fault." Himiko said, bowing her head.
"What about the envelope?" Harrison suddenly said, causing everyone to look at him.
"The what?" Mei-Ling said, clearly confused.
"The envelope...you know, the one that contains the perk?"
"What are you getting at?" Jon asked, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at the Ultimate Jeweler.
"Oh you see, I ended up discovering an envelope on the floor after dinner. This happened to be before you all went to the bath house. I distinctly remember handing it off to Carla."
"Huh? Oh right...I ended up losing that...sorry." she said, rubbing her neck.
"Losing the envelope...that's rather unfortunate." the boy said with a smirk.
"Himiko...did you pick up an envelope last night?" Veruca asked. The girl nodded, pulling off her hat. She drew a crimson red envelope from within, holding it out to everyone.
"It wasn't mine...so I was going to find who it belonged to. I didn't think it would be Black Magic though." she said.
"There you have it...Himiko narrowly avoids death by using the Perk. I believe we can all end this charade and head back upstairs right?" Chris asked.
"As if...we aren't finished here. How did Harry Potter know that envelope contained the perk? Unless he managed to open it!" Nick said.
"No...I think I understand now. I had been suspecting Angie to be our killer. I felt that she needed a blood sacrifice for Atua, but I never got that vibe for her. She doesn't seem like the girl who'd do that, furthermore she wouldn't be able to lift Gonta up."
"Shame on you! I painted spider webs on your face Jon, Atua is quite mad that you are blaming him." Angie said.
"Sorry...it was just speculation, I didn't mean anything."
"Fine...Atua is forgiving, but I will keep an eye out from now on!" she said firmly, a displeased look on her face.
"Anyway...there was only one other person that seemed to relish in what was happening. That was you Harrison...you outright dipped your fingers in Kevin's blood. You keep mentioning red and pink, and seemed to find disturbing things, like me being soaked in Kevin's blood, fascinating. Are you perhaps the perp we've been searching for?"
"Maybe...I mean, it wasn't me that ended up killing him." Harrison said.
"Answer the question Cadet, did you or did you not do this to Private Gokuhara?" Lee shouted in anger.
"Do you know why I find red to be an alluring color? It's the color of love. Red roses are always so beautiful...given to those that mean a lot to us. It makes them feel warm on the inside. Rubies are also beautiful gems...as are pink diamonds. Our despair changes perception for all of us, we see pink blood, despite it always being crimson...why is that?"
"What are you talking about man? Are you off your rocker?" Nick asked curiously.
"I've always wanted to know why in certain moments, we see things differently. It must be our perception being warped. It was something I needed to try out in this environment. Sadly, Gonta was a victim of Circumstance. He thought it was all a game...at least until I stabbed him in the chest."
"Oh...oh god." Kaede said, a look of shock on her face.
"You sick bastard! You're the one who did that? Who rigged him up to that post with tape?" Cara cried out.
"How could you do that? He was your friend, and your classmate!" Alice added.
"Friend? Can't say I ever considered him that. However, you were all curious right? To see what would happen when someone died? At least you all know. I set it up, so that I wasn't the killer...then I handed off my Perk to Carla. I was banking on her luck to make her lose that envelope. I guess I banked a little bit harder than I thought...I didn't think little Himiko would open the door."
"You degenerate! Don't you know Himiko is on the verge of death? You think this shit is funny? I ought to snap your neck!" Tenko shouted.
"Feel free to try...I'm sure you would look beautiful covered in pink." he said, drawing a pair of scissors from his pocket, running the blade across his face.
"Geno-Scissors...holy shit, those belong to Genocide Jack! You ran into that freak?" Kaito cried out. Carla backed away from the boy, Kamron standing before her to protect her. Setsuko growled, slamming her fist against her stand.
"Stop it...you're lying aren't you? All of this is your sick way of getting your kicks! If it had been you, you wouldn't have revealed yourself so early. Even if you did want to spill blood." she said. The boy sighed, rolling his eyes.
"You caught me...yes, I was lying. But the Perk...that was true...I did get that perk, and I passed it up to Himiko. As I said before, I was banking on Carla's luck. As fate would have it, she got the perk and killed Gonta." Harrison said.
"You motherfucker! How dare you toy with our emotions like that? You bastard!" Veruca shouted.
"You disrespect the living and the dead. It should be you on that post and not Gonta!" Mei-Ling added.
"Sure...I do enjoy seeing blood, however the person who orchestrated this is quaking in their boots. They thought they could just use the perk whenever they wanted. They weren't aware it wasn't a physical object. What does that say about this individual? Is a five minute call home that important to you?" he said, glancing at Anaji.
"You truly are a weird young man, your fascination with blood sickens me. And I draw horror concept art." Anaji said.
"Wait...it was you? This whole time?" Jon asked.
"As I said before...one life for the survival of the group is worth the risk. Mei-Ling wasn't the only one who kept her cellphone. I was able to keep my own. Monokuma lead me to believe only one person had a phone. I kept this a secret from everyone. Harrison set everything up, he tricked Gonta into thinking it was a game. The poor boy just went along with it. Once tied up, he handed me the knife and I carefully slid it into his chest. We propped him up to the wall, I held him up and Harrison taped him to the post. I was also the one who set up the trap, I wasn't aware he was double crossing me."
"Anaji...I thought you were a nice person...you wanted to learn about Folktales. I thought you were my friend!" Mei-Ling cried.
"Apologies little one...but mere notions of friendship mean nothing to me. Not when we're all strangers, it's only been a day. Had we been here longer, perhaps I wouldn't have considered it." he said.
"Well...looks like we got a confession. How about we start the vote?" Monokuma suggested.
"A wise idea, I can't let this scumbag live after what he did. Harrison isn't getting away Scott-free either!" Lee said firmly, cracking his knuckles.
"We can't vote yet...there's something else isn't it? How do we know if Anaji is lying?" Jon said.
"He confessed to it dude, clearly he's guilty!" Kaito said.
"No he isn't...just a moment ago Harrison admitted to murder. Himiko pulled the knife out when she opened the door. Like it or not, we have three people who are suspects and no way of narrowing it down. This is what the one behind this wanted. They weren't aiming for execution, they were aiming for a sacrifice." Veruca said, her gaze shifting to Angie, who gave her a small smile.
"I see you caught on to what was going on."
"What? Okay now I'm fucking confused. Now this cunt is the killer?" Nick shouted, glaring at Angie.
"No...she was just pulling the strings. Explain yourself!" Setsuko shouted.
"It's as Veruca said...I hadn't given Atua a sacrifice in awhile. I needed to find someone pure to sacrifice. That was what lead to Gonta being selected. I talked with Harrison, who is a believer like me. He said he'd take care of it. He delivered his blood offering to me late last night. However the sacrifice itself is the fruit of this Class Trial." she said happily.
"No way...you're sick." Jon said.
"I'm sorry...did this change your opinion of me? Perhaps you should give your heart to Atua. You too will be blessed by his holy light!"
"Get that blasphemous bullshit out of this court room, you heretic! What you have committed is a sin against God! I hope you are punished in the endless lake of fire!" Lee shouted.
"She can't be punished Lee...she may have orchestrated all of this...but she didn't kill Gonta. We also don't know if Himiko did it either, someone pulled Gonta's IV from his arm. I'm willing to bet it was Anaji that did it. But we also aren't sure if Harrison did it...there is no way to move forward." Jonathan said.
"Well...looks like you'll have too buddy...we're running out of time. Since you have reached an impasse, I shall allow you to initiate the Sacrificial Clause! One of these three is the blackened, but that doesn't matter does it? Feel free to vote for anyone."
"What if we all vote for ourselves? Will you kill us all?" Mei-Ling asked.
"Yes, that is a more favorable option. If we eliminate ourselves then you wouldn't get the satisfaction. I do not wish to die here, but I am not allowing myself to be sacrificed to a false god." Veruca said.
"You can all vote for yourselves if you want...just remember three of you are likely not to vote. A single vote from them could end up screwing three of you over. Meaning three would die here today, is that what you want?" Monokuma said.
"Well...you are the one who designed this unfair system. That's worse than drawing names out of a hat! You expect us to sacrifice one of our own? We will stay here deliberating until the final answer is reached!" Jonathan said, a defiant look on his face. Monokuma sighed, shaking his head.
"Ugh...and I thought I didn't have to use this. Fine, the sacrificial clause comes with two options...if you don't want to vote, then we'll let the Wheel Decide. You ever notice those LED lights at the corners of your podiums? This is what they're meant for! Since Jonny Boy was today's MVP, he gets to pull the lever!" Monokuma said, pressing a button on his chair. A green lever rose out of the ground, resting in front of Jonathan's stand. He looked at it, before glaring at the monochrome bear.
"I'm not pulling that."
"Then you'll sacrifice yourself for your friends? It's a noble sacrifice you know. Though I'm sure you've noticed the 8 empty stands...maybe you wanna let your luck decide? Bank on it hard enough and it'll land on an empty stand. You all walk free from this trial!"
"Is that guaranteed?" Jon said through grit teeth.
"Bear's honor. If the Sacrificial Roulette is used, and it lands on an empty stand, you all walk free and return to your school lives. If not, whoever it lands on will die at my hand. Welcome Rule Number 13!" he said, tapping away on his tablet.
"Now then, turn your attention to the big screen. You'll see 48 stands on screen, that corresponds to the students. Which ever number it lands on, will be the poor sucker whisked away to the execution chamber! Go on Jon, Spin that Shit!" Monokuma cried. Jon swallowed hard, reaching into his back pocket, pulling out the playing card Carla had given him. He glanced at the girl, who gave him a worried look.
"Wish me luck Carls."
"Good Luck Jon...I know you'll win." she said, a hopeful look on her face. He pulled the lever, his eyes falling onto the screen. Loud blinking sounds came from the screen as the spinner spun around. It started slowing down, the needle pointing to every single stand as it slowed down to a stop. It landed on number 32.
"Well...what an upset! Number 32 has been selected!" Monokuma said, happily. At that moment, the LED lights on Shuichi Saihara's stands started blinking brightly, causing the boy to gasp in surprise.
"No...Shuichi!" Kaede cried.
"Wait...I use the perk! I don't want anyone to die!"
"Sorry Himiko, but that Perk can't be used by you. It was originally given to Harrison, only he can use it. Do you want to use it?" the bear said.
"Hmm...given the circumstances of this case, and how fun it has been...no." he said.
"What?"
"Dude come on! Don't let an innocent man die you fuck!"
"Please! Harrison don't let Shuichi die!" Kaede cried.
"Eh...he means nothing to me...why should I spoil the fun?"
"Now then, I have prepared a very special execution for the Ultimate Detective, Shuichi Saihara. I was hoping it didn't come to this, especially since the last Ultimate Detective was so much more...better than you. Alas, this isn't a game everyone can win. It's finally time! Let's give it everything we've got! IIIIIITTTTT'SSSS PUNISHMENT TIME!" the bear cried, slamming his gavel into the red button.
"Shuichi!" Kaede cried out, trying to reach for the boy.
"No...this isn't what I wanted! Please, you can't do this!" Jonathan cried out, vaulting over his stand. Everything seemed to slow down, as he tried reaching for the young man's hand.
Shuichi Saihara has Sacrificed!
Now Preparing Execution!
Jonathan and Kaede managed to reach Saihara's side, both of them grabbing his arm. A large claw shot out of the ground, wrapping around the young man's waist, pulling him out of their grasp, sending him through a glass tube. The boy screamed in fear, as he was pulled through the tube and into another room. He ended up being brought right into an office, that looked strangely like Sherlock Holmes. Everything around him was black and white, the only thing of color being himself. Despite being inside what looked like an office, the ceiling was made out of glass, he was still under the ocean.
Cold Case Files: Case #00032: Shuichi Saihara
The young man started shivering as the air around him drastically started getting cold. He tried his hardest to move around, but was still bound together by chains. He was finally able to get free, shivering as he tried heading toward the now closed exit. He heard something start cracking, and looked up, seeing the glass above him beginning to spiderweb. His eyes widened as he saw what looked to be an iceberg, being pushed right into the room.
He tried to scream, but his mouth had been frozen shut. He grabbed his lips, pulling them roughly. He let out a muffled howl of pain as his lips tore apart, pink blood falling onto the black and white floor. He let out a scream, trying to reach for the other door, a single wooden door with dark stained glass on it, bearing a sign that said P.I. on it, along with the drawing of an Eye. He grabbed a hold of the door, pulling it open, only for a man wearing a tan trench coat and hat to shoot him in the chest with a revolver. He smirked, puffing on a cigar as the door slowly closed, clicking shot. Shuichi grabbed a hold of his wound, coughing out a glob of blood. He was shivering now, unable to feel his hands and feet from how cold it was getting. He let out a single gasp, his body freezing in place, a final breathe escaping his mouth before the Iceberg shatter the glass, crushing his frozen body.
Shuichi Saihara was now dead...
xxx
"Oh...well if that doesn't freeze your heart, I dunno what does!"
"You animal!" Kaede shouted, glaring at the bear.
"Hey, I wasn't the one who pulled the lever was I? Jonathan was responsible for that. If anything he's the one to blame for this."
"No...Shuichi was innocent, he didn't need to die. We could have reached a proper verdict, we could have gotten the true perp! You didn't give us enough time!" the Songwriter cried out.
"Hey...don't cry to me about it...them's the breaks. Now then...Anaji Hora, would you like to call home?" the bear said, holding a flip phone out to the boy. He didn't hesitate as he grabbed a hold of it, flipping it open and dialing a number.
"You sick fuck...you bastard. I can't believe after all this shit, you have the fucking balls to call someone!" Nick shouted in anger.
"I don't care what you all think of me. But I shall get us help."
"Eyes on screen please, I'm proud to present Anaji Hora's lovely mother. She has been kept nice and alive while you have been here!" Monokuma said. The feed cut to a woman, who was strapped onto a chair. She had similar features to Anaji, one of them being the same hair color. A masked person walked up to her, placing a phone against her ear.
"Mother? Is that you?" Anaji cried, looking at the screen.
"Anaji baby...it's been so long. I thought you were dead!"
"I'm okay mom...I'm at Morning Hope Academy. We're trapped here by a madman, we need help." he cried out.
"Honey, I can't help you...these masked men have me tied up. There are others too...I don't know how many. But things aren't well...the world isn't what it used to be. Something bad happened!"
"What are you talking about? What do you mean something bad? Tell me mom, what's going on? We can't leave the school, we're trapped under a dome!"
"It's bad...the riots started in Japan, but now the whole world is enveloped in it. We're being forced to watch the Killing Games, yours isn't the first one...there was one in Hope's Peak Academy...the mastermind was.."
"Eeep...sorry bub, can't allow her to say that name yet. Connection severed!" Monokuma said, cutting off the phone call.
"Mom...hello...mom no!" Anaji cried, lowering the phone as he looked up at the screen. The woman seemed to be shouting at the man, but there was no voice coming from the screen.
"Hmm...well this is an interesting turn. The ones responsible weren't truly punished for their crimes. Oh well...guess I'll have to show you we mean business here." Monokuma said, pressing something on his tablet. The masked person reached for a cellphone, holding it away from the screen. After a second, he placed it back in his pocket, briefly leaving the scene. He returned a second later with a shovel, holding it high above his head.
"What are you doing? You can't do that!" Anaji shouted.
"Sorry...you were the one who accepted the motive...deal with the consequences!" Monokuma said, turning up the volume just in time for the shovel to crack the woman over the head.
The loud metallic sound, coupled with the sound of bone cracking echoed through the Court room. The man continued bashing the woman's head in with the shovel, laughing gleefully as he dead. Bright pink blood sprayed the camera, pooling around the floor as he continued hitting the woman. By the twelfth hit, there was nothing left of her head, eerily similar to Kevin's own death. The feet shut off, leaving the students stunned.
"Well...so comes the end of the first class trial. With this, you all have access to the Weight Room. Not just that...it seems someone has left you a lovely surprise in there! More on that tomorrow morning though, you'll have access to it at 8:00AM. Go on, I'm sure you're all hungry. Might I suggest a nice helping of Fried bugs, with a refreshing class of ice cold tea? AHAHAHAHAHA!" Monokuma cried, disappearing from the court room.
"What is this...what is all of this?" Kaede asked.
"I dunno...but this is worse than I thought it would be." Jonathan said, having falling to his knees. He grabbed a hold of Shuichi's hat, holding it close to himself.
"This is all your fault Jon, you were the one who pulled the lever! Shuichi would still be here if you hadn't!" Nick said.
"Shut the fuck up you bloody twat! I am sick and tired of your shit, all of you! Blaming innocent people, staging murders, pointing fingers. You are all cowards! But none is more cowardly than you Anaji. I hope you relish in this feeling, because you deserve this despair. You are reaping what you sowed, considering murder for a bloody call. This is your despair, and you will have no choice but to live with it." Veruca shouted angrily, at the Horror Artist, who had remained catatonic, holding his cellphone in his grasp.
"Twas better to love and lost than to not have loved at all." Harrison said, a remorseful tone in his voice. Carla turned around, socking the boy in the jaw, knocking him out cold. She spat on his face, walking over his body as she headed toward the elevator.
"You have all earned my ire...wanting to blame me for something I didn't do. I hate you...every single person who blamed me...I hate all of you. You are the worst kind of human beings...cowards who just blame others. Because none of you can face the truth! You'd rather live in your ideal world, with your filthy lies! Well now you get to stew in it." the Ultimate Lucky Student said, panting hard as she glared at everyone in the room.
They all remained silent...it had been a long day. And at the end of it, they had lost two more people. But for a select few, they had lost even more than that.
End of Chapter 1 Act 3
Surviving Students: 35
Surviving Faculty Members: 3
xxx(Cast)xxx
Class 24 of Morning Hope Academy + Faculty
Fa Mei-Ling
Jonathan Hyles
Anaji Hora
Lucy Cadwell
Setsuko Inoue
Victoria Louis
Tsubaki Aulani
Kaikane Aulani
Veruca LeGume
Nicholas Ladd Gardner
Cara Ladd Gardner
Anastasia Katrina Klevorick
Carla Williamson
Harrison Evans
Kamron Luca Di Carita
Alice Lois Caroll
Julianne Natalie Ray
Kevin Hicks (Deceased)
Gabriella Vertran
Dan Arche
Lee Harvey Emerson
Calem Kurogane
Christopher Patrick Bacon
Chloe Raincomprix
Class 79 of Hope's Peak Academy
Kirumi Tojo
Kaede Akamatsu
Shuichi Saihara (Deceased)
Kaito Momota
Miu Iruma
Rantaro Amami
Korekiyo Shinguji
Himiko Yumeno
Tenko Chabashira
Kokichi Ouma
Gonta Gokuhara (Deceased)
Kiibo
Maki Harukawa
Ryoma Hoshi
Tsumugi Shirogane
Angie Yonaga
A/N: Another one bites the dust...I know I'm gonna get hate for this one. But this is just the name of the game I'm afraid. You're all wondering, why Shuichi? Well...I chose the number 32...I'm sure someone knows the significance of this number...as their original story had 32 characters in it. It also featured a sacrificial roulette board...yes, you know who you are. This chapter is dedicated to you my friend.
For those of you wondering why your OC's are being used differently than you probably intended. I do apologize, but I wanted to take a few creative liberties. A few characters are a bit different in their backstories and personalities. But I wanted to convey an odd sense of desperation. Allowing your morals to be betrayed by despair. Normally, someone wouldn't fall to something low like this...to kill for a single Phone Call. But one of them saw what was going on, and tried to take advantage of it. However in this game of ours, trust is something that's hard to come by.
So...are you all liking this so far? I assure you, I'll be pulling more teeth as I go along. I have too much despair stored up that I want to gift to all of you...so I'll see you next time.
Chapter 1 Act 4: Broken Trust: Coming Soon...