Okay the comments to your reviews will not be here this time as this trial is a really long one. I'll answer them in the next chapter along with your review for this chapter!

Let's get started... To our despair!

—

Tomoe: "You mean something was missing from the makeup kit."

Aika: "Mhm. As a girl, I can't help but notice all the tiny details."

Rina: "You sure are one observant girl..."

Toby: "It could be anything. Lipstick, eyeliner, napkins, lotion, perfume... Anything could've been used."

Takane: "How do we know that the thing that was missing from the kit has anything to do with the case?"

Aika: "It's just a feeling... But I've noticed that Elena never used makeup since we got here."

Ayano: "How did you know that?"

Aika: "Well, I became really good friends with her so we sometimes go to each other's room to, y'know, talk around a bit. It was really a good time talking and not caring about the world around us... S-so when I asked her about makeup, she said she never wore any!"

Makoto: "I'm not sure if that can be considered concrete evidence, but as much as a logical person a detective should be, I think this has to do with the case, Ryuu."

Takane: "Whatever you say, a-and stop calling me Ryuu!"

Juugo: "... Have we ever discussed the matter of how and where did Elena got blood on the tips of her fingers?"

Stellar: "How does that have anything to do with the makeup kit?"

Juugo: "Just asking."

Stellar: "...?"

Toby: "I think we shouldn't discuss the makeup kit until someone has an answer. We can start by figuring out how the killer got the wire."

- Nonstop Debate! -

Ammunition:

- Wire

- Monokuma File 001

- Hanky

Nathan: "Isn't there a whole ton of wire around the areas?"

Ayano: "As far as I can tell, Monokuma doesn't like letting the wires come loose from places. You can hardly see any in view, I think...?"

CJ: "Let's not sound so unsure of ourselves, Ayano."

Ayano: "Oh! I'm sorry!"

Malcolm: "So [where] can the wire come from?"

Takane: "Tsk. Um..."

Rina: "Whoo! Soar through the sky, I got the answer!"

Ammunition Used:

- Wire

- Trial -

Malcolm: "Y-you do?"

Constantine: "And now the world is ending because of a ditzy girl finding out the answer before we can."

Rina: "Ahaha! Doesn't the game room, leisure room, or whatever contain games that is connected to a wire?"

CJ: "Now that you think about it, when I was trying to boot up a game over there before breakfast I noticed how the television was dead."

Makoto: "Wow. And you were one of the early birds..."

CJ: "I couldn't help it. I'm a gamer, okay? Anyways, I got too irritated that I left the room without checking the television if there was a wire or not connected."

Nathan: "That must be where the wire came from, right?"

Shizu: "That makes sense."

Paul: "... Mhm."

Rina: "Oh? So I'm right? Whoo!"

Tiki: "You didn't even know...?"

Rina: "Nope! Not at all, Tiki and a Tic Tac!"

Tiki: "..."

Juugo: "It is a rather impulsive move, Rina, but it did help us."

Rina: "I know right?"

Takane: "But this doesn't let Malcolm and Ayano off. They still could've done it."

Ayano: "W-what are you saying...?!"

Stellar: "Hey! Don't accuse them so suddenly! They are not the killers, Takane!"

Takane: "Ayano had the key to open the cabinet to the utensils and Malcolm is the SHSL Escape Artist. You know deep inside your heart that they could've committed the murder."

Nathan: "It does make sense in content."

Stellar: "No! That's not true!"

Takane: "Well, it could be!"

Juugo: "..."

Stellar: "Please stop talking!"

Tiki: "..."

Paul: "... Tsk. Let's not get too drastic here."

Stellar: "Huh? Paul?"

Takane: "Woah! The silent guy is talking?!"

Paul: "Hmph. We need concrete evidence first if we want to pinpoint the murderer."

Toby: "Well, he's right. We shouldn't fight over who the killer is. The killer themself definitely wants us to fight over who's the killer and who's not. It's his or her's perfect chance of escape."

Stellar: "Even if you say that, what else is there to discuss? We don't know what's missing from the kit and how Elena got blood on her fingers."

Constantine: "We can always discuss something."

Makoto: "Don't give up, Rose! We're going to find Elena's murderer!"

Stellar: "M-Makoto..."

- Nonstop Debate! -

Ammunition:

- Medical Utensil

- Bloody Neck

- Kazuho's Theory

Kazuho: "I want to ask, why is Elena's neck wounded when the killer could've made it seem as though she committed suicide?"

Constantine: "You have a point. It seemed as though the killer wasn't well prepared on their murder."

Aika: "Why [attack] Elena when you could've just drugged her to sleep?"

Rina: "I don't know! Ahaha! They're so stupid!"

Tiki: "T-then why?"

Aika: "... Crazy Rina."

Tomoe: "Wait! The answer is obvious!"

Ammunition Used:

- Medical Utensil

- Trial -

Tomoe: "Using the medical utensil was nothing more than an accident."

Aika: "An accident? Why?"

Tomoe: "As Elena was in a fight, the killer was panicked and founded the medical utensil somewhere close by and attacked, slitting her neck, ending Elena's life as quickly as a lightbulb."

Aika: "Oh, I get it now..."

Takane: "That's something."

Rina: "Ooh! That's crazy, that murderer!"

Tomoe: "... Let's talk about something else now."

- Nonstop Debate! -

Ammunition:

- Monokuma File 001

- Bloody Neck

- Chloroform

Shizu: "We're going to discuss the topic of Elena's [bloody fingers] now."

Ammunition:

- Monokuma File 001 (Switch To Bloody Fingers)

Takane: "Great, I have no idea how she got that though!"

Shizu: "Let's not sound so sarcastic about this, Takane."

Aika: "Couldn't the bloody fingers come from the [fight] between Elena and the killer?"

Juugo: "That is the most plausible reason."

Ammunition Used:

- Bloody Fingers

- Trial -

Aika: "Then that makes things simple, shouldn't we just do a body search then? Y'know, checking our skin for any wounds or something?"

Constantine: "Most excellent idea. Ahem. Everyone, search each other and don't miss a spot! As for me, I have no wounds or anything that looks like scratch marks!"

Takane: "Ugh, you're disgusting!"

Constantine: "Just do it you muckraker shit!"

Takane: "Fine! I have nothing on me anyways!"

Malcolm: "Er... Ayano and I doesn't have anything similar to what you said."

Ayano: "Mhm."

Juugo: "As for me, I have nothing at all."

Rina: "Woah! How about your mask?"

Juugo: "Tsk. Fine, I'll take it off."

Juugo: "... See? Nothing at all."

Rina: "Uhuh, I can see that... Oh! I have nothing on my body at all! Not even my breasts!"

Ayano: "Do we need to know that?"

Makoto: "Mhm. Yeah, me and Tomoe are free to go!"

Stellar: "There's nothing on me."

Kazuho: "Me neither."

CJ: "Why are we even doing this? I bet no one even has anything."

Takane: "Hm? Are you hiding something from us?"

CJ: "What? No! Look, I have nothing at all!"

Toby: "But I suspect CJ is right, there doesn't seem to be any kinds of wounds on any of us."

Shizu: "Couldn't agree more."

Tiki: "Whew. I didn't want a body search on me... It's so embarrassing to even think about it."

Nathan: "Uugh. That's making me sick, Tiki."

Tiki: "S-sorry!"

Aika: "Now what? We're stuck yet again!"

Juugo: "There's still the matter of what's missing in the makeup kit."

Tomoe: "It could be anything though!"

Juugo: "We're bound to find something, Tomoe."

Tomoe: "... What do you have in mind?"

Juugo: "Hmph. Why don't we discuss this topic then? We'll find something worth discussing for."

Stellar: "What is there to discuss though?"

- Nonstop Debate! -

Ammunition:

- Monokuma File 001

- Bloody Fingers

- Makeup Kit

Kazuho: "All we can discuss about is what was inside the makeup kit."

Toby: "The makeup kit definitely has to do with the killer."

CJ: "I have to agree with my intuition."

Constantine: "It makes sense."

Juugo: "So, what about the makeup kit and the bloody fingers?"

Makoto: "Well... I don't know. How does Ele's bloody fingers [connect] to the makeup kit?"

Constantine: "...!"

Constantine: "Ha! It's simple!"

Ammunition Used:

- Bloody Fingers

- Trial -

Constantine: "It's as simple as 1, 2, 3. We were all stupid enough to even discuss about this so drastically. Elena got into a fight with the killer, leading to her scratching the killer, thus her fingers bleeding with not her blood, but the killer's themself."

Ayano: "W-wait! Don't tell me..."

Juugo: "Exactly what I'm trying to say."

Toby: "You just implied it, Juugo."

Juugo: "Ahem. I beg your pardon?"

Toby: "Calm down, mask lover!"

Shizu: "You're saying the killer used something to hide the wounds on his or her's body?"

Constantine: "That's exactly right."

Nathan: "How is that possible? I might not be a girl, but it don't think anything can be used to hide wounds."

Shizu: (Something can be used to hide your skin... There's nothing.)

Shizu: (No, wait. Unless it's...)

- Hangman's Gambit -

r

Is it...? No. It can't be.

Wait. If...

Con_e_ _ _ r

No... W-wait. Is it?

I got it! It's concealer!

Concealer

I have the answer!

- Trial -

Shizu: "Concealer!"

Tomoe: "H-huh? Concealer? Why...?"

Shizu: "Concealers are used to hide pimples and other various things fashion idols wouldn't want people to see. It would make sense that the killer would use a concealer to hide wounds!"

Malcolm: "Concealer... That can work."

Makoto: "Woah, it does make sense. But, if someone were to have it on them, it's not as though they would openly state they're using it."

Stellar: "If Elena was trying to escape from the killer's grip, it think she would probably scratch the person's arms or hands."

Makoto: "Makes sense. Why don't we do a search then? Throughly and short."

After the students complied to Makoto's request, the result didn't satisfy at least one person...

Nathan: "..."

Takane: "Why? Why do you...?"

Stellar: "N-no way. This can't be."

Constantine: "What the hell? This is bullshit."

Paul: "You..."

Toby: "So you're the killer?"

Nathan: "O-of course not! You don't even have any proof! I can't open the counters and get the medical utensil out, can't I?"

Shizu: "True, but..."

- The wire could've been used.

- You're not the murderer then?

- You are magical.

Shizu: "You could've used the wire as a makeshift key, can't you? Most people can do that if they learned it and tried it, right?"

Aika: "Oh! I tried it once and it was so cool!"

Malcolm: "It is a rather simplistic method. Even those little elementary schoolers I tutored once could open a lock to some snacks I kept."

Nathan: "..."

Makoto: "I would recommend you tell us the truth, Nate. I disapprove of seeing our dear Ele die, but as much as I don't want you to turn out to be the killer... You've got to turn yourself in for the better of us."

Nathan: "... And why the hell should I when you don't have any evidence to back up the idea that I'm the murderer?"

Makoto: "... Trust me. You do not want me to even try, Nate. Please. Just please. Don't make me force you to admit it."

Juugo: "Sigh. Nathan, you're the killer and that's a fact. Turn yourself in."

Nathan: "Tsk! And how could I have killed her?"

Makoto: "It's simple."

Nathan: "Yeah? So explain to me what the hell I did to murder Elena! Give me the freaking details!"

Makoto: (You leave me no choice...)

Makoto: "I'll show you what I got then!"

- Climax Interference -

Makoto: "It all started this very...gruesome morning. The killer invited Elena over to talk about a plan to beat Monokuma, while in reality the killer was making up an excuse for the real plan. Elena accepted, but as the killer walked away without a sign of worry, Elena, out of habit, wrote on a piece of paper about the killer's plans. Happily, she innocently walked out of the room. Meanwhile, the killer prepared a wire and a soaked hanky with chloroform inside the infirmary. Elena went inside, not noticing the killer right behind her. The killer attacked, the hanky over Elena's mouth. It was supposed to end up with Elena fainting, but instead she resisted and scratched the killer's arms, the killer letting go of her in pain. Elena tried to run away, but the killer unfortunately found a medical utensil nearby and struck her neck with it. She soon fell unconscious, just barely surviving from death. The killer was relieved, but he needed to get rid of the evidence. First, the killer hid the medical utensil away into the counters, probably using the wire as a makeshift key. Afterwards, the mess on the floor had blood, so the killer wiped it throughly with something... So. The killer dragged Elena into her room, hanging the wire on the ceiling and tying it around her neck, making Elena choke to death. Soon afterwards, the killer found a makeup kit nearby and took out the concealer. The killer used the concealer to hide his wounds, and then hid the hanky at the bottom of the makeup kit. It was the perfect plan, wasn't it? It's too bad his plan didn't went out the way it had been thought."

Makoto: "Aren't you the killer then, Nathan?!"

- Trial -

Nathan: "Ggh!"

Ayano: "N-no way... You killed Elena... W-why?"

Ayano: "We could've solved this together! You didn't have to kill anyone! All we could've done was talk, and that's all! But yet... You killed Elena!"

Toby: "Ayano, calm down!"

Ayano: "Just...w-why? You... We..."

Toby: "Ayano..."

Ayano: "Elena's dead and yet...! No one cares enough to cry about it!"

Rina: "Hey! I cried too y'know!"

Toby: "... Nathan. You're the murderer, aren't you?"

Nathan: "What? Hell no! Why the hell would I be the murderer? Just because of a stupid wound doesn't mean anything!"

Toby: "It's obvious that you're the murderer. No one had any kinds of wounds on their body, and obviously, you're the only one who was hiding anything with a concealer. Even Elena herself didn't use one."

Nathan: "Concealers, concealers, is that all you ever talk about? You need to really get a life, Toby. All you're doing is making up some bullshit! It's all bullshit! Bullshit!"

Makoto: "Nathan..."

Constantine: "Stop. I'll handle this."

Toby: "You think you can handle this?"

Constantine: "Of course I can."

Nathan: "This is all bullshit! Bullshit! Bullshit!"

Constantine: (I don't know why I'm pissed, but I need to beat Nathan at his own game.)

Constantine: (I'll destroy his refutes with my evidence!)

- Machinegun Talk Battle! -

It's all lies! You're full of bullshit evidence!

[Break!]

What the hell is wrong with you? You're making this up!

[Break!] [Break!]

You're kidding me!

Go die! Die!

[Break!]

This is all bullshit!

[Break!]

Ammunition:

- Kazuho's Theory

...

[You're kidding me right? What can you even do to prove my guilt?]

Break!

Ammunition Used:

- Kazuho's Theory

Constantine: "Remember how the infirmary looked dirtier than usual?"

Nathan: "That's bullshit!"

Constantine: "Well, if Elena had been stabbed, there would've been blood on the floor. You must've cleaned it, didn't you?"

Nathan: "Bullshit!"

Constantine: "So, you had nothing else to use to wash the blood so you must've have it on you."

Nathan: "Bullshit! That's bullshit!"

Constantine: "If I were you I would wash the blood with my scarf. So, if you aren't hiding anything, please show us that your scarf isn't tainted with Elena's blood."

Nathan: "Bullshit! Bullshit! Bull...shit..."

Tomoe: "You heard her. Take off your scarf and show us that it isn't tainted with any bloodstains."

Nathan: "... Haha... Shit, I messed up."

- Ballot Casts -

Winner!

[Nathan Is The Killer!]

- Trial Ends! -

The students can't help but stare at Nathan with rage, hidden sadness, or a neutral state. Takane can't help but mutter, "So...do you admit your guilt?"

Nathan smiled bitterly. "... Yes, I do. It was a foolish thing to even murder anyways when all the incentive was about your freaking past."

The students couldn't believe that Nathan, who was a nice person at the most, killed someone in such a beautiful school. It was all Monokuma's fault, they thought. It was all him. CJ gulped. "Why kill Elena?"

"I didn't mean to," Nathan started bluntly. "Honestly, I didn't. Even my incentive wouldn't make me kill people. It doesn't matter if you believe me or not, I guess? Haha. I don't know if you guys will believe me."

Kazuho bit his lip. "I don't think we should believe you, after what you've done to Elena."

Nathan chuckled softly, lightheartedly but in a bitter, saddened manner. "I could see why, Kazuho~ My incentive isn't as bad as most people, but it isn't good as some people, like Elena..."

"T-then what did your incentive say...?" Tiki unconsciously asked in a whisper.

Nathan stared at Tiki for a while. "Well, it isn't really a nice past. If getting a concussion wasn't enough, my older brother was certainly jealous of me being much more famous than he, the Ultimate Football Player, was. And because of his jealously, it led to him, Natalien, to call his team over. Unfortunately for him, he didn't know that they would, ahem, gang up on me and rape me."

Paul couldn't help but frown. "T... That's messed up."

"W-what the heck?!" Rina cried, feeling pity for the SHSL Table Tennis Player. "Oh, I'm feel so sorry for you!"

Nathan smiled. "Oh! Don't worry, I'm not too traumatized by it. Besides, I don't think my brother's team lived very long afterwards."

Toby mumbled in a grim manner, "Don't tell me you..."

"I've got overwhelmed with wrath at that time. Even so, I guess it did lay a number on me. I have a hatred for those who play football now."

"... Then tell me why you decided to kill someone if the incentive didn't um..." Makoto frowned. "...encourage you to."

Nathan stared at Makoto sternly. "I did tell Elena the truth."

"W-what?"

"The letter."

Ayano jumped from his position, searching into his pockets for the letter. "Ah, you mean when Elena was writing about you inviting her over because you had a way to beat Monokuma at his own game?"

Nathan nodded. "Well, not the whole truth, but a little clue. The room where Makoto and Takane went while investigating... I'm talking about that."

"What do you mean by-"

"Upupupupu!" Monokuma interjected with a loud giggle. "Enough with the chat, Nathan's the killer, right? It's time for an execution!"

"No way..." Aika cried, twitching with fear. "What do you mean by..." She gulped, her throat running dry on spit and moist. "E-execution?"

Monokuma laughed. "Aw come on! You know, killing the blackened god their hideous crimes! Burning the body, hanging the body, even being crucified! That kind of execution!"

Nathan bitterly growled at Monokuma. "Are you trying to escape from the topic?"

Monokuma smirked. "Ooooh what topic? The one about Elena's letter? I haven't heard of such a thing?"

"Well, they'll find out anyways," Nathan counterattacked, as if he was trying to mask his fear of being executed with a confident smile. "Go ahead. Execute me. See if it'll change my classmates opinion on how much you're a sadistic, twisted bear."

"Hmph! I'll gladly execute a brat like you!" Monokuma angrily cried, pressing a red button that appeared out of nowhere.

"Nathan!" He heard his classmates cry with shock, desperately trying to save him from his despair. Nathan smiled a little before being taken away into the abyss. He remembered Elena's words, "They won't ever leave any of us even if we're thrown into despair, bud! They'll do their best to help you, even if you turn out to be in despair's side! So, please don't give up on them ever!"

Suddenly, the scene changed...

- Execution Time: Table Tennis Outmatch! -

Nathan suddenly appears in the large, empty gym except the few ping-pong tables around the place. Suddenly, a bunch of Monokuma bears appear, startling him. They began to swung the ball towards him. He desperately plays against multiple opponents at once during a duration of what seemed to be a few three minutes. Suddenly as Nathan seemed to be winning the speed increases. The Monokuma bears are gradually eliminated one by one and disappear into thin air. Nathan laughs weakly, falling on the table in exhaustion. It was a great moment, but it was gone when half of the table tilted and crush him to death. Irony was at stake. Blood splattered everywhere on the huge, spacious gym. Monokuma cheered violently and the score lies on Monokuma.

The students couldn't do anything but utter a word.

Ayano covered his face, disgusted from the scene that came before his very own eyes. He was trembling, but resisted the urge to fall to his knees. "H-how... Why-...?"

"That's...messed up!" Shizu yelled out of anger at Monokuma, who was laughing hysterically.

"The irony is pure gold!" Monokuma cried, laughing as hard as a cuckoo bird. "Upupupupu! Such despair! Upupupupu! Stop! I can't take it anymore!" Monokuma held his stomach, but eventually fell down, hitting the ground with his sides hurting. "Oh my god that was priceless!"

Takane bit his lips, tasting the copper blood with his tongue. "You're horrible," was all that he could mutter out with rage.

Monokuma eventually stood up, and he pledged his students with a bloodthirsty smile. "Great job on the killings. I wish you good luck in the future,"

And with those horrible words, Monokuma disappeared into view.

The students were filled with the atmosphere of despair.

Students Remaining: 16