Trial 2-2: Turnabout Descent
"Case…open."
Sasha's face looked insane - wide eyes, creepy smile and disheveled - well, I guess their hair was always pretty messy, but still. They smiled ever wider. "You're all idiots, every single one of you. You do not know the hell that you've just unleashed...case closed."
"...Uh, what?" Nico was the first to speak. "What are you doing?"
"Case open!" Sasha leaned towards Nico. "I'm revealing the truth. For far too long I've been undermined by a name...Cavendish. But no more is he going to take credit for my actions! Case closed!"
Johan raised an eyebrow. "That has got to be the strangest verbal tic I've ever seen."
"Not the time!" Hideki growled. "Sasha, what are you saying?"
"Case open! Don't call me by my human name. I am Samael, angel of death! I am the Kitchen Knife Killer! Case closed!"
"T-The profile said nothing about delusions or verbal tics!" screeched Tien.
"Case open! A profile can't truly convey my magnificence. I guided seventeen lost souls to the doors of death! I am the greatest gift humanity has ever had to offer...but you reject my offering! And to keep living, I had to sacrifice the life of," they clenched their fist, "Matthew Cavendish! How dare he take credit for my work? Case closed!"
"You framed him, and you're angry that people fell for it?" asked Hideki.
"Case open! They should have known that a mere man is not capable of such a feat! I am Samael, angel of death! Fear my might!"
They turned to Monokuma. "Case open. Can you change my name on the interface to Samael, please? Case closed."
"Sure, why not? You're about to die anyway, so I might as well. Alright, lemme just reconfigure this here, and..."
A 'ding!' sounded.
"Alright, you're clear." Monokuma waved a paw around."As far as I'd like to bother, that name ain't ever gonna be used again past this trial, so hey, carry on!"
"Case open! Splendid! Case closed!"
Ashley: Enough with this, please!
"Whoever you are...You aren't Sasha…"
I gripped my podium tightly. "I don't care what happens, I'm getting them back, and I'll snap you out of their psyche!"
"Case open! Sasha is dead! Sasha has been dead since they first picked up that knife! Nothing you do can change that! Case closed!"
I grimaced as the orange light filled our vicinity. This was Sasha I was going against...right?
Right?
So much for confidence.
==Cross Swords!==
Usable Swords: Knife, Kitchen Knife File, Sasha Oryolov Profile
Ashley: Sasha, why are ==/== you doing this?
Ashley: You know full well as much as the rest of us ==/== that you can't possibly be the KKK!
Ashley: Let alone ==/== Xiang's murderer!
Ashley: Please come back ==/== to your senses!
Duel!
How strong is your will? Fight for your point!
! /) | (\ !
! /) | (\ !
! == /) ==!
Progression!
Samael: Case open! You poor, ==/== pathetic fool!
Samael: I have taken seventeen lives! Now I have taken eighteen!
Samael: Sasha Oryolov is not who you think they are! ==/== Sasha Oryolov is dead! Case closed!
Ashley: I know I can snap you out of this!
Ashley: The Sasha I knew ==/== is still in there!
Samael: Case open! Did you really think you could defeat Samael? Case closed! (Chosen sword: Sasha Oryolov Profile)
Break!
"Case open… The voices tell me who to kill. I carry out their will. Death whispers in my ear, and I am death's angel. I am Samael! Case closed!"
Nico was practically sobbing. "Sash, what's wrong with you? Why are you doing this?"
"Case open! Because Samael is a gracious loser. I have been cornered, my crimes exposed. Now condemn me to eternal hellfire! Case closed!"
"D-Don't say that!" Faen said. "Mx. Oryolov, what are you doing?"
"T-T-They must have gone ze bonkers!" Jackie squealed.
"The term's 'gone bonkers', but you're right - they're going nuts!" Matthew hollered.
Throughout the sea of chaos, I looked directly at them. Sasha...What in the world happened to you?
A cough.
"...And I thought I was the Failure here."
Maya leaned forwards, with her stomach resting against her stand, and an expression of absolute boredom present on her face. "I thought I was the nutjob amongst the best of the best teenage talents in the world. Turns out I'm the only sane one left in this Arceus-forsaken trial."
"Ey, we're still here too, y'know."
"Shut your face, grandma." Maya turned to her left, to face Sasha - er, Samael. "Now, let's poke a couple more holes into this delusional bitch's argument, shall we?"
==Nonstop Debate!==
Weak points are in italics, break points are in both bold and italics.
==Begin!==
Ammunition loaded: Monokuma File #2, Knife, Motive, Broken Washing Machine, Calling Card
Samael: Case open! How dare you call the angel of death a bitch? You are the dog to me, foolish mortal! Case closed!
Maya: You know, you're beginning to sound like a clock without a tick.
Johan: What's that supposed to be? A bunch of tocks?
Nico: ...I think she's implying Sash is all talk.
Maya: Don't explain the joke. But the point stands - you're bullshitting all of us.
Samael: Case open! Bullshitting? What reason would I have to do that? Samael is a graceful loser - my final moments will not involve any withholding of information. Case closed.
Ashley: Sasha, why are you doing this?
Samael: Case open. I am a not a petty person, Jung. I am merely using my final moments to tell you all the truth. Not to mention that I can't possibly die without taking credit for my work. Case closed.
Maya: ...You're not the Kitchen Knife Killer, and you didn't kill the Soldier, nor the other seventeen-or-something people off this airship..
Samael: Case open...you're wrong about that. I killed them all. There's nothing that proves I didn't. Case-!
==Counter!==
Maya: I gotcha now, you sonuva- (Fired: Knife)
BREAK!
Maya folded her arms. "Tell me, oh Great and Powerful Kitchen Knife Killer with noticeable boobs. How did you get the knife that killed Xiang in the first place, and where is it now?"
"Case open! Your insults will not phase Samael! Soon enough, I shall be condemned to hellfire, and the size of my chest - which is non-existent - shall hound me no longer! Case closed!"
"Yeah, but how did you get the knife?"
"Case open! From the kitchen, of course! I visited it under the guise of searching for Xiang! I allowed Jung to see me, for the express purpose of deflecting suspicion! And after I was done, I hid it in the Women's Changing Room. Sasha Oryolov would never enter that room, but Sasha Oryolov is a mask! Case closed!"
Maya smiled. "Is that the story you're going with, then?"
"What do you mean, story?" asked Hideki. "While I admit they're being quite over-the-top about the whole situation, there's no reason to disbelieve anything they say."
"There are plenty of reasons to disbelieve them," said Maya. "For whatever reason, it's clear that Sasha is lying."
"Case open! Samael is no liar! Case closed!"
She raised an eyebrow. "I don't care about Samael, but Sasha Oryolov is lying to all of us right now."
Tien: I know you're wrong, and I'll prove it!
I looked to my right. Tien had on an expression of neutrality. "Maya, I confess to not knowing what scheme you're trying to pull here, but there has to be some sort of mistake."
"There's no mistake here. Sasha is confessing to a crime they didn't even commit." Maya crossed her arms. "And even if they really were the fucking KKK, they sure as hell didn't kill Xiang."
"That isn't what the evidence says," Tien responded.
"And if the evidence told you JJ was still alive, would you believe it too?"
I wasn't sure who to root for as the orange light separated them both away from the rest of us.
==Cross Swords!==
Usable Swords: Knife, Monokuma File #2, Murder Weapon
Tien: Sasha's, or should I say Samael's, as that seems to be their preferred identifier ==/== profile fits that of the killer entirely!
Tien: Not only is there no evidence ==/== suggesting they are not the culprit…
Tien: But the journal also serves as proof ==/== that Xiang let them in!
...
Progression!
...
Maya: You got any proof the ==/== diary entry wasn't forged?
Maya: Or that Xiang wouldn't ==/== let anyone else in?
Maya: Face it, Tien, your argument's ==/== revolving around baseless conjecture.
Tien: But they've confessed already! ==/== And besides...
Tien: There's nothing proving that ==/== Sasha isn't the kitchen knife killer!
Maya: Time to fail at failing! (Chosen sword: Poison)
Break!
"Tien, Tien, Tien…" Maya shook her head, smirking. "I'd've thought you smarter than that."
Tien gasped. "What do you mean?"
"The cause of death was...poison."
Tien's reaction was instantaneous - her face exploded into an expression of extreme shock and she recoiled, as though punched. "W-What? Why wasn't I told about this! Hideki said the cause of death was stabbing!"
Maya shook her head. "Xiang's body was desecrated post-mortem. His real cause of death was a slow-acting poison."
"So the MO isn't the same…" Tien muttered. "That means...Samael isn't the murderer?"
"Case open! Of course I'm the murderer, you fool! Someone else may have attempted to poison Xiang, but it was I who struck the killing blow with my trusty kitchen knife! It was exhilarating watching the life drain from his eyes, as the blood drained from his stomach...And then just as he was about to bleed out, another stab to the chest, ending his existence with a final rush of pain! Ah, how amazing it felt - it's been so long since I've taken a life! Case closed!"
"I don't understand!" I cried. "Sasha, don't you want me to save you?"
For a moment I swore I saw something like regret in Samael's eyes, but it was quickly replaced with a steely coldness. "Case open...there's nothing to save, Jung. I'm dead already. Sasha Oryolov died the moment Samael took over. The voices...they forced me here. And now I'm going to die, just like those seventeen women and Xiang. At least I can take pride in the fact that you'll all soon join me in Hell." The smiled ruefully. "Now, begin the vote! Samael awaits the glorious pain of death! Case closed!"
"No…" I whispered, before increasing in volume. "No, Sasha. I'm not going to let you die! I know you're innocent, and so do you - so why are you-?"
"Case open!" Samael looked even more insane than before. "No one in this room is free of sin! Every single one of us will meet our maker, and we'll do it in the most painful way possible." They lowered their head, smiling tranquilly. "Case closed."
Their voice was calm, collected - unlike the sharp, low monotone of Sasha and the deranged shouts of Samael. It was like they were a different person.
Then the spell was broken. "Case open! So what are you waiting for? Execute me already! Vote, and remember - you are not only killing a man! I will die a legend! Case closed!"
"No, Sasha. I won't let this happen. You're innocent. And there's a reason you're doing this. I'm going to expose that reason, and make you see the truth." My voice hardened. "Sasha! There's still hope for you!"
"Case open! Why won't you let me die?! Case closed!"
Ba-thump. Ba-thump.
A very familiar stream of words burst out from their stand. The Panic Talk Action had-
"Not exactly."
Monokuma was watching us all interestedly. "You're not exactly trying to reveal anything about them here, just trying to convince them to think otherwise. So it's not exactly a Panic Talk Action, Ashley."
I recognized the summarily calmer overtones as belonging to Ataru. "What do you mean?"
"Usually, a Panic Talk Action is used to finish off a case, in order to prove a culprit guilty of their crimes." Monokuma's red eye gleamed. "In this case, as you are trying to convince a culprit of their innocence, we prefer to refer to it as a Machinegun Talk Battle. It's not a lot different, but Mistress Enoshima set the rules, so I'm just following them."
"Enoshima?" Maya's face lit up in recognition. "Wait, are you talking about-"
"Upupupu! No time to answer that now. Deal with your problems first!"
Ignoring them all, I turned to face the medley of messages. This was going to be an uphill battle...
Please, Sasha, I know you're still in there!
==Machinegun Talk Battle!==
[+][+][+] SASHA 'SAMAEL' ORYOLOV [+][+][+]
...
Begin your assault! Fire at will!
...
[Case open! I am Samael, the Angel of Death + and the Kitchen Knife Killer! Case closed!]
[|No, you aren't. You're lying, and there's a reason why.|])
Break!
…
[Case open! I killed seventeen women + and Xiang Li! Case closed!]
[|No, you didn't kill anyone.|])
Break!
…
[Case open! You mortals shall know death's judgement + just as I will shortly! Case closed!]
[|No, Sasha. I'm not going to die, and neither are you.|])
Break!
...
[Case open! Execute me, you imbecile! + Sasha Oryolov is dead, and Samael shall follow them shortly! Case closed!]
[|There's hope for you, Sasha. I have to make you see the light.|])
Break!
…
TEMPO UP!
...
[Case open! I am Samael, the Angel of Death + and the Kitchen Knife Killer! Case closed!]
[|No, Sasha. Your father was.|])
Break!
…
[Case open! I killed him! + The voices told me to! Case closed!]
[|I don't know what happened to your father, but I promise you the voices aren't real.|])
Break!
…
[Case open! None of you cared for Sasha Oryolov! + Why are you bothering to defend Samael? Case closed.]
[|Sasha, you're wrong! I'm your friend!|])
Break!
Fire the killshot!
[Case open! Charlie secured my fate. I'm going to die an excruciating death! + And all of you sinners shall die alongside me! Case closed]
Chosen Truth Bullet: Motive
Ashley: Sorry, but it's all over for you!
Break!
"Sasha. This isn't the right way to get revenge."
"Case open." Sasha lowered their head again, and spoke in the same tranquil tone of voice. "This isn't about revenge. Samael is not so petty. I merely wished to confess my sins before my death - but you deny me even that small privilege. It matters not, however - you shall all follow me into hell. Case closed."
"No, Sasha. We won't follow you into Hell. If you die now, you die in vain."
"Case open." They raised their head. "What do you mean, mortal? Why do you insist on forcing me to cling to this miserable existence? Is the suffering I have endured so far not enough to satisfy you?" Their voice cracked, as though they were about to cry. "Will you not let me go gentle into the good night? C-Case closed."
"That's something Sasha Oryolov would never say. They'd keep fighting to the end - at least, the Sasha I know."
"Case open! I'm not Sasha! Sasha is dead! I! Am! Samael! I am the angel of death! The voices command me! I am the Kitchen Knife Killer! I am going to die, and you're all going to Hell with me! Case closed!"
"Yes, you're right. If we vote you guilty right now, all of us will die. Except for one. The motive required one person to kill. That person would not only conceal their secret, but graduate the sole survivor. The person who committed Xiang's murder will go free, Sasha. Do you really want that?"
I could see their eyes dropping, tears beginning to build. "Case open… W-What are you saying, mortal? Case...case closed."
"This isn't the way to get revenge, Sasha!" I screamed, startling them. "You have to hold on to hope, even in the darkest times! Killing ten innocents along with you isn't the way to do it!"
"Case open...I...I...I!"
And then Sasha broke down into tears. "I'm sorry!"
Hideki glared at them. "Samael...or Sasha, or whichever you are...what the hell was that?"
"I'm sorry! But it was a lie, each and every part of it! I didn't kill Xiang! But you were going to execute me anyway, and I-I thought I might as well go along with it! If I was going to get falsely accused like that, I was sure as Hell going to cement everyone else's fates too! I'm sorry. I wasn't in my right mind." They wiped off their eyes with their sleeve and turned to Maya. "By the way, do I really have visible breasts?"
Maya just gaped. "That entire show was just ridiculous, but this - you nearly got all of us killed, and you're still caring about that?"
"Yes."
She stared and facepalmed. "Well, no. You're entirely androgynous. But don't we have more important things to worry about?"
"Yes." Sasha's calm tone had returned. They then turned to me. "I'm sorry, Jung. Well, I'm sorry to everyone, but especially to you. My behavior was entirely out of line." They turned to Monokuma. "Could you keep my name Samael, though? It does have a nice ring to it…"
A ding sounded. "Back to Sasha it is," came Yukari Nishiyima's all-too-familiar voice from the loudspeaker.
They smiled and exhaled lightly. "And to think after all that, a real killer has yet to present herself...still, Jung, thank you."
"Uh, Sasha?"
"Yes? What is it?" Sasha's voice sounded entirely different - it was calm, but now it sounded almost kind instead of merely resigned.
"Well, I'm your friend. Don't you think it's time you started calling me by my given name?"
Sasha looked shocked. "D-Don't you think that's taking it a little bit fast?"
"No! Sasha, I'm your friend!"
They smiled. "Very well... Ashley. I suppose there's no harm in it."
"Well, that's all well and good." Johan crossed his arms. "But now we're back to square one."
"And ze rest of us have no idea where to start!" agreed Jackie.
"Shall we take this to a nonstop debate, th-"
Tien: I know you're wrong, and I'll prove it!
Tien was practically fuming. "I can't believe you would all dismiss a suspect so easily. This proves nothing! The profile is still valid! Sasha Oryolov is merely putting up another front!"
"Care to test that theory?" Sasha sounded oddly calm and confident. "I guarantee you I can prove my innocence."
"The insolence…" stammered Tien. "I'll show you just why you're wrong!"
==Cross Swords!==
Usable Swords: Calling Card, Kitchen Knife File, Charlie's Letter (Personal Truth Bullet)
Tien: The profile still stands ==/== and Sasha Oryolov is faking their personality!
Tien: They are a competent actor ==/== who had all of us fooled!
Tien: No more, I say! ==/== It's time to expose Sasha for the murderer they are.
Tien: Come on, Samael! ==/== Let me debate you again!
...
Progression!
...
Sasha: Samael was a ruse, Tien. ==/== A desperate attempt to deepen my grave enough that you would all join me.
Sasha: The psych profile is a fake ==/== most likely planted by the true murderer.
Tien: I don't understand how anyone can believe you! ==/== The profile doesn't lie!
Sasha: Your campaign is over! (Chosen sword: Charlie's Letter)
Break!
"Hey, Sash. It was great meeting you, honest to God. Shame I couldn't have known you longer, but you know how the life of a federal agent is - constantly moving and all that. But you're a great kid. Don't let this get you down. Remember our promise, Sasha. Carve your own path is all I'm saying. Hope to see you again - we'll email, alright? Russell did promise to get me a computer. 'Til then, just try to push through it all. You'll do great." Sasha magnified the truth bullet. "Signed, Charlie Crawford."
Tien stared. "You mean-"
"Yes. I know Charlie. I was the sole witness to a murder, and she caught the perp. Of course, since we were near the same age, we were friends." They smiled. "If I had the foresight, I would have taken a transcript of some of our emails, too. Regardless, Charlie is my friend. She'd never say something like that."
"I can corroborate!"
Sasha looked at me. "You can? How?"
"She's the one with the blue hair in that picture, isn't she?"
Sasha nodded. "Yes, that's right."
"That proves nothing!" Tien said. "She could have lied to you!"
"No. She couldn't have."
==Select!==
1. Knife
2. Sasha Oryolov Profile
3. Hideki Kenta
4. Piece of Paper
Ashley: This must be it!
"Look at this piece of paper," I said.
Tien gasped. "It looks almost like - a real profile."
"Charlie's profile of me," said Sasha. "Someone threw it into the pool to get rid of the evidence and faked the profile to frame me. That's what you were thinking, right, Ashley?"
I nodded. "That's precisely it."
Sasha nodded. "I'm not schizophrenic, nor am I a psychopath. I have mental issues, sure - dysphoria being the major one, along with other things, including PTSD- but I'm not schizophrenic, anti-social or violent, and I don't hallucinate."
"Well, that's just great." Tien thew her arms up in the air. "I came into this trial so fully convinced that you were the murderer, I have no one else in mind to accuse. I don't even have a cohesive argument for anyone else!"
"Take it to a nonstop debate, then." Sasha's voice had returned to its normal cold tone. "I'm sure if we all pool our ideas, we'll think of something."
"Yes...I'm sure," said Hideki unsteadily. It seemed like he was still trying to process the events of the trial so far.
If Sasha is cleared of suspicion, does that mean - no. Not Hideki.
"Ashley, this is potassium cyanide…"
The words rang through my head. Would Hideki really-
==Nonstop Debate!==
Weak points are in italics, break points are in both bold and italics.
==Begin!==
Ammunition loaded: Hideki's Autopsy, Knife, Calling Card
Sasha: Well, first off, it's rather improbable that the killer is male.
Johan: Right! Because the knife was found in the women's changing room!
Jackie: Zhat does not rule out an incredibly clever male killer, however…
Matthew: Yeah, who's to say he didn't hide the knife after Investigation started?
Tien: So once again, we have no lead…
Tien: It seems that conversation in this trial is less than ideal - between Sasha's breakdown and me not being aware of the true autopsy, this is a real disaster!
Tien: Wait, that's it!
Hideki: What on Earth are you going on about? That doesn't point to a killer-
=Counter!==
Tien: And that's where you're wrong! (Fired: Hideki's Autopsy)
"Hideki." Tien said coldly. She'd composed herself again, and was back to her old terrifyingly sharp self. "Why don't you start by explaining why you faked the autopsy?"
But that wasn't the terrifying thing.
What really was terrifying was Hideki's reaction.
...Or rather, the lack of it.
Trial 2-2 FIN
12 Students Remaining
A/N: Okay, that happened. Review replies first.
PowerPlayer: Welp, this one was probably weird too. Heh...at least we're done with the insane laughing for now. No one else has a serial killer they're gonna falsely confess as, as far as you know (although Matthew does look kinda suspicious. It's the nerds, man - always the nerds).
Yeah, Tien certainly has a point. People in the forums have been accusing her left and right for accusing Sasha and I just - she has a point. Just like Sasha accusing Todd in Act One had a point.
Yep, it's almost definitely an imitation to frame Sasha. And theoretically, only Sasha, Tien and Hideki have access - but the entire cast had access during all of Act One, so they could have learned it then. And as for the stabbing Xiang post-mortem: Sasha is messed up beyond all belief, but that wasn't them.
Yeah, everyone thinks of good ol' Genocider - there was even briefly a theory that Sasha had DID.
SomeSnappyName: You are my new favorite person. Thank you so much for reviewing every chapter. You're the literal best and I hope many good things happen to you.
CaptainQuackin: Well, the only reason that a serial killer was included here was to preserve the pattern, really.
ezmonee6: That...could possibly happen.
HeroinOfDarkness: He's gonna haunt them?
(Rinnote: GHOST?!)
A Dingus With Sweet Shades: Yep. Batshit crazy.
OK, so things to address. Vote for the killer on my profile! Underneath that are two links - one to the forum, the other to a survey. Fill out the survey, go to the forum and discuss. Please, please, PLEASE review with your thoughts - we can really use the feedback!
That seems like everything. - Lime
No wait, Chuck Testa. We're going to be holding Cards Against Humanity games on AFoFD sporadically - if you wanna play with the gang (Lime, me, Dingus, Heroin), forum. Come along, we guarantee it's fun.
Also, QOTC. If you had a choice to choose the characters who would die during Act 1 (JJ, Ava, Todd?), which three would you have preferred to die in their place, and in what role (victim, murderer, disappeared?)?
Looking forward to answers. Cheers! - SD