A/N: Again, just like last time, I want you guys to please be a bit more lenient during these coming trial chapters regarding any plot holes I might leave, and if you notice any unanswered questions, please PM me or leave it in your review! Keep in mind, in case you need it, you have the chapter 2-TB to review any Truth Bullets when you're reading.
ACT 2: No Hope Allowed
Chapter 7: Exposing The Mole
TIME UNKNOWN
Location: Anghern Trial Grounds
We unwillingly basked in the strong glow that pierced through the dim lighting of the lift and blinked to adjust ourselves to the new surroundings. Again, being the one closest to the door, I was the first to exit the elevator and step into the courtroom - or what little effort Monokuma put into mimicking one, at least.
The wooden stands stood in the familiar circular formation that eased debates last time, but the background was much, much different. What was the kiddish design of a meadow with calming trees and log cabins that reminded me of a countryside, was now a dense, dark forest, where light only trickled in between the leaves that dared to leave blind spots unguarded. There was a gloomy atmosphere to it, almost eerie in a way, which I daresay didn't do wonders for the group's morale. There was an awkward silence among us, and the wallpaper managed to reflect it perfectly, with the mystic somberness of the woods. The floor had been replaced with brown, dry dirt with patches of grass sprouting.
Two more paintings had been added to the panels. Asuyo and Yuzuru's portraits seemed... peaceful. Serene. It almost felt like they weren't dead - or it would if the frame around them didn't remind us of that harsh reality.
"Come on, assholes, we don't have all day! Take your stands, the VR helmets are waiting!" Monokuma announced impatiently,
People started walking towards their assigned locations with differing speeds and intentions. I didn't feel fully hopeless, much like the previous time, but there was something amiss. It almost seemed like we weren't as taken aback by this death. By this investigation and trial bullcrap. That scares me, to be perfectly honest.
Feet on the wooden stand, and posture straightened, I waited for the helmet to be, once again, put on. My breath was a bit heavy and the silence consumed all - but that would soon change. It's high time we start discussing what happened to Yuzuru.
PRE-TRIAL - Have you got your facts straight?
Ah, I see the peaceful scenery of Verdant Views wasn't able to stop someone from commiting the sin of murder! Then again, does it really come as a surprise that there would be another murder? I don't think so. But it is quite a shock to find out that the victim was a professional SHSL Assassin, ain't it!? Poor Yuzuru, so grotesquely tacked onto a target. Who could have done such a despairfully exciting thing!? And how does the traitor tie into it!? Does Shizuka's sudden and mysterious disappearance play a role in this trial of life and death? The trial ahead will lay all answers bare... probably.
"Another tasteless review of the facts, I see." Yori commented.
"You can see it!?" Kiyoshi spat the question before thinking of any other possibilities. "Weren't you fucking blind!?"
The Magician sighed and shook his head. "I can hear perfectly well, however. And my VR helmet was modified to accomodate my disability, Kiyoshi."
"Why, of course!" Monokuma interrupted. "Can't have you all having an advantage over poor Yori over here, can we? He doesn't deserve that!" he added, favouring the Magician for his lack of sight.
"I-I'd rather not be pitied over my eyesight, if you'd please." Yori staggered, embarassed. "Now... shall we begin?"
His words brought the heavy atmosphere to a close. Suddenly a rush of energy bolted through my veins, as I felt had through the others', and the trial began. Our lives are on the line here, so we mustn't back down. It's time to uncover another criminal... let's do this.
"Thaaat's what I like to hear!" Monokuma cheered. "It's about time to begin! Let the second Class Trial in Anghern's Mutual Killing Game... start!"
THE SECOND CLASS TRIAL ~ BEGIN!
Eita: Last time we began by listening to Akahana's opening argument.
Eita: Should we repeat that same beggining?
Kikyo: I don't think that'll be necessary...
Yatarou: I'll have to agree with Kikyo there. Last time that opening thing was pretty useless.
Yatarou: All she said was what we knew from the Monokuma File!
Akahana: So we'll skip that part... we all know what that file told us, already, right?
Chigusa: Y-Yes, we all read it wh-when... we f-found her...
Frances: So where do we begin? Can we make a list of suspects already...?
Blackjack: I believe Mister Hananari and Mister Ryielo are quite suspicious, myself.
Kiyoshi: Yeah! They were the ones supposed to investigate the range!
Kiyoshi: That's where we found the dead chick this time!
Kikyo: Riou and Tsukushi wouldn't do such a thing!
Akahana: We can't be sure of that. If that really is true, the evidence will acquit them.
Riou: But we really didn't do it! I only tried to break the door and go inside!
Riou: If anything, we should have the best alibi! The killer was probably inside by then!
Tsukushi: We're getting ahead of ourselves, Riou... as long as we can't prove otherwise, we're suspects.
Riou: H-Hey, don't throw us under the bus, Tsukushi... You're lucky I trust you.
Kiyoshi: Would everyone stop being gay, already!? Fucking hell...
Kiyoshi: Time for you all to listen to my theory!
Blackjack: Let me guess... you've found the killer.
Kiyoshi: Bingo, bitch!
Kiyoshi: Get ready for the shortest trial ever, dickheads! Hehe!
PHASE ONE
MAKE YOUR ARGUMENT: NON-STOP DEBATE
Loaded Truth Bullets: Monokuma File #2 | Class Trial Requirements | Cracked Longbow
Blackjack: We're waiting, Mister Ikeda.
Blackjack: What theory do you have to present to us this time?
Kiyoshi: It ain't rocket science, fool! Shizuka did it!
Yatarou: Wh-What!? Shizuka!? You high on cleaning fluid?
Riou: Shizuka has gone missing and has yet to be found, smartass!
Riou: No way he can be the murderer!
Tsukushi: Please elaborate, Kiyo... how would he do it?
Kiyoshi: Easy, dumbass! You even a lawyer?
Kiyoshi: He killed Yuzuru and hid away to escape from the class trial and execution!
Yori: That is indeed a sound plan, but something is amiss... where did he hide?
Kiyoshi: Don't ask me, I ain't no detective! Plus, it doesn't matter! Let's go and vote for him!
Akahana: Objection, Your Honor!
(Fired: Class Trial Requirements)
~ BREAK! ~
Blackjack: I see you've copied Mister Hananari's contradiction catchphrase.
Maruko: Do we really need an original one? It seems desnecessário...
Tsukushi: Th-That isn't the point... besides, we're both lawyers. It's understandable.
Akahana: Back to the relevant topic... Kiyoshi, there is a major flaw in your testimony.
Kiyoshi: Goddamnit, what now? You lawyers can't get off my ass for a sec.
Akahana: Should you remember the start of our investigation... I asked Monokuma something.
Akahana: Namely, the requirements for a class trial.
Riou: Yeah, I was there and I remember... didn't you listen to it, pipsqueak?
Kiyoshi: Obviously not. Like hell I'm gonna listen to that stupid bear more than I need to.
Tsukushi: You could've at least gone through the truth bullets...
Yatarou: True that. If you did, you wouldn't have wasted our time!
Kiyoshi: Hey, hey, stop it already. You didn't even tell me what's wrong with him being aboveground. Fess up.
Chigusa: I-I think I can explain... According to the, um, Truth Bullet... to start a C-Class Trial officially...
Chigusa: You need a b-body... and everyone is obligated to participate...
Chigusa: Shizuka c-couldn't hide from M-Monokuma!
Kikyo: Doing so would be disrepecting the rules... he'd be punished on the spot!
Kiyoshi: Ack! Shot down again...
Frances: It'd do you some good to review the truth bullets, you know...
Kiyoshi: Too much work. You guys continue debating, I'll be over here.
Blackjack: Now that Mister Ikeda's lack of contribution has been dealt with...
Blackjack: I believe it is best to clear some of us of suspicion. Who has airtight alibis here?
Kikyo: I can attest to Frances and Yori's innocence. They weren't anywhere near the range at the time of the crime.
Frances: Yep, Kikyo's also out of the question. I saw her around that time, and she wasn't at the range, obviously.
Yori: Until I met with Frances, Eita had been with me so I believe I can give him a solid alibi...
Tsukushi: Having a blind man be your alibi is a bit dodgy, I'm afraid.
Yori: You have a point. But Eita kept me company most of the morning, that's a fact.
Yatarou: That'd go for me too!
Eita: I can testify to that... Yatarou, Yori and me were always together for the morning.
Akahana: What about everyone else?
...
Akahana: I see...
Riou: So everyone else separated from each other at one point?
Chigusa: Th-That's what it s-seems... Wh-Who're our suspects then...?
Maruko: Moi... Chigusa, Herr Hananari, Herr Ryielo... Herr Ikeda, Herr Blackjack and Herr Nakajima... right?
Frances: Akahana is getting accused of murder, again?
Frances: Can't the girl catch a break...?
Akahana: I appreciate the concern, Frances. But don't worry. My conscience is clear.
Blackjack: What is our next plan of attack?
Kikyo: Remember last time...? We were told we should focus on three aspects.
Tsukushi: Murder weapon, crime scene, time of death.
Yatarou: I have something I want to discuss... about the crime scene.
PHASE TWO
MAKE YOUR ARGUMENT: NON-STOP DEBATE
Loaded Truth Bullets: Monokuma File #2 | Arrow Wounds | Shooting Range's Glass Pane | Missing Crossbow
Yatarou: Something's funny about Yuzuru's body...
Yatarou: I can't put my finger on what, but there's something wrong.
Frances: W-Well, she was dead... that's wrong enough.
Blackjack: Maybe Mister Nekomirin refers to... the position of the body?
Eita: I'd say the location of it was off.
Yori: Location? No, I believe it to be the state of the body.
Yatarou: It's useless... I can't remember what I thought before...
Yatarou: But I know for a fact that it was completely impossible!
Tsukushi: Maybe it had nothing to do with the body...
Tsukushi: ...but with the range itself!
Kikyo: That argument needs no trimming!
(Fired: Shooting Range's Glass Pane)
~ CONSENT ~
Kikyo: I got it! I think I know what Yatarou noticed!
Kikyo: And Eita guessed right! It's where the body was that's throwing him off!
Yatarou: That's right!
Chigusa: H-How, though...?
Yatarou: The glass pane! Think back to when we discovered Yuzuru at the range...
Riou: I went in with Yori, then the announcement sounded off.
Riou: Then I broke a way into the targets area and we rushed off to see Yuzuru.
Riou: What's so strange about it...?
Yori: Ah, I see...
Tsukushi: I think I got it too... how did Yuzuru's body get over to the target in the first place?
Tsukushi: It's impossible to pass through the glass pane... the space for the weapons is too tight for a person our age.
Tsukushi: Before Riou punched a hole in there... there'd be no way for anyone to get to the targets.
Maruko: Herr Kanzaki or her killer... could not have passed through the glasscheibe!
Kiyoshi: The what now?
Blackjack: The glass pane, Mister Ikeda. The context should've made it easy for you to understand.
Riou: I'm with her on this one.
Kikyo: Same here...
Chigusa: M-Me too...
Kiyoshi: Ok, ok, fucking hell, y'all are annoying! I should've stayed quiet.
Eita: Silence is golden, as they say.
Kiyoshi: Shut the fuck up, Kurogane. Just get this trial over with, already.
Kiyoshi: Let's just convict Frances or some shit.
Frances: I-I'm not even a suspect anymore!
Kiyoshi: Yeah, yeah, just forget I'm here.
Tsukushi: Moving on...
Tsukushi: How do we explain this impossibility in the facts?
Riou: Couldn't the culprit just dump the body on the other side?
Maruko: But how would she reach the alvo?
Kikyo: Maybe Yuzuru went over there of her own free will...
Blackjack: And let herself be repeatedly shot? I don't think so.
Frances: Yeah, but how else would she get there?
Frances: There's not even enough space for a teenager to go through the pane!
Eita: I believe there's a hidden passage.
Yatarou: This is getting us nowhere... no matter how we think about it, Yuzuru shouldn't be there!
Yatarou: But the fact remains, she is there! So how?
Akahana: If I had to take a guess, I'd have to say Yuzuru was killed behind the glass pane.
Chigusa: H-How would she get th-there?
Tsukushi: Maybe Eita isn't too far off. There might be a passage...
Maruko: Nein, c'est impossible! We would've seen in, oui?
Kikyo: We did investigate the range pretty thoroughly...
Riou: If you really think there's a passage, then where do you think it is?
PRESENT EVIDENCE!
1. Kikyo's Account
2. Motel Locks
3. Shooting Range Door
4. Shooting Range's Glass Pane
Tsukushi: I can prove it with this!
Maruko: The glasscheibe?
Kiyoshi: Would you stop saying that!?
Blackjack: Mister Ikeda.
Kiyoshi: Agh, fuck off.
Blackjack: How is the glass pane the secret passage, though?
Frances: Blackjack is right... the glass pane makes for a lame secret passage, right?
Frances: It's not secret at all! It's right there, in plain sight!
Tsukushi: But as it stands, it's not much of a passage, am I right?
Tsukushi: I think the pane holds some kind of secret or something...
Tsukushi: Think back to how the pane was during our investigation.
Yori: You mentioned a wire stuck on it, isn't that right?
Kikyo: Other than that, and the hole Riou made, there's nothing out of the ordinary.
Tsukushi: The wire was stuck on both the targets and the entrance sides of the shooting range.
Riou: What of it? The wire cut off after a few inches, so it's useless.
Monokuma: Ohhh, woe is me! It's time for me to explain the last of Monokuma's Trial Activities to you all...
Monokuma: This means I don't have a good excuse to interrupt these dumbasses mid-trial... oh, the horror! The despair!
Monokuma: Anyway! Meet the final activity - unless I come up with something mid-game - Logic Dive! In this time-stopping activity that occurs whenever a participant needs to discover a specific detail that no one has any clue about, said participant will dive into their own brain in order to answer questions that are subconsciously bothering him or her... Multiple choice questions, to be precise!
Monokuma: There's only one correct answer, and that's the gist of it. I'll have to say goodbye to you assholes for now...
Monokuma: I despair you enjoy the trial! It's still a little lukewarm, but it'll heat up in no time!
PHASE THREE
DIVE DRIVE: LOGIC DIVE
It's high time I discover how Yuzuru got to the other side of the glass wall... If I don't get an answer to that quickly, this'll remain a mystery! Yuzuru shouldn't be able to be where she is, but the facts are the facts. Let's start figuring out the details here!
QUESTION #1
What in the shooting range holds the secret passage?
The glass pane
The storage room
The targets
...
...
It must be the glass pane!
Yuzuru's body couldn't fit through anywhere else. There was nothing behind the targets, and I doubt there were any hidden passages in the storage room that Kikyo and Maruko would fail to check out... the glass pane is the only logical explanation.
QUESTION #2
What is the glass pane's secret?
It's not glass, but plastic
It has a hidden mechanism
It's detachable and removable
...
...
There should be a mechanism somewhere around it to activate something...
The wire makes for pretty solid evidence that there is indeed some kind of contraption acting on the glass pane, hence why it's connected to the surface itself. Being cut off, it should mean... whoever killed Yuzuru didn't want us to know about what that cord does!
QUESTION #3
What does the wire attached to the pane do?
It changes its color.
It moves it up and down.
It opens it.
...
...
The wire that was cut off opens the glass pane!
LOGIC DIVE - COMPLETE!
Tsukushi: I think I've got it!
Tsukushi: I'm pretty sure I've found the answer to how Yuzuru went to the other side of the pane!
Tsukushi: And like I thought, it had to do with the wire!
Riou: Well, out with it already, Tsukushi! What's the secret passage?
Tsukushi: You might wonder... what does that wire do?
Tsukushi: Sure it's attached to the glass, but it's cut off and doesn't lead anywhere.
Kikyo: You mean... that wire used to lead to something? Like a switch or a lever?
Akahana: And that lever does what exactly?
Tsukushi: I'd guess it opens the glass pane. It's the only way the killer could bring Yuzuru there.
Chigusa: I-I have a q-question...
Chigusa: Wh-Why did Yuzuru go th-there?
Frances: Chigusa makes a fair point. Yuzuru wouldn't waltz in on her own.
Riou: So that means... she had to be lured there by someone she trusted, right?
Yatarou: I'm surprised you reached that conclusion on your own...
Yatarou: Maybe Tsukushi's rubbing off on you, Riou!
Riou: ...
Tsukushi: ...
Tsukushi: A-Anyway... Chigusa's question is valid, as is Riou's suggestion.
Tsukushi: Who does Yuzuru trust the most out of all of us?
Maruko: Herr Matsuoka, obviously!
Blackjack: Didn't we rule Mister Matsuoka out as a suspect already, however?
Akahana: We have indeed denied the possibility of him being hiding away in the city.
Akahana: But the evidence and testimonies sure seem to point his way.
Kikyo: To hell with the evidence! Shizuka couldn't have killed Yuzuru and then disappeared. He has nowhere to hide!
Yatarou: Kikyo's right, we should just forget about that creepy Street Magician once and for all.
Yatarou: Let's move this debate along and discuss something else.
Yori: Does anyone here have any further questions about the crime scene?
Kikyo: I have one about the murder weapon and the crime scene together.
Kikyo: Namely... the lack of blood at the targets side of the shooting range.
Kikyo: Yuzuru was shot with arrows and hardly bled? I find it hard to believe.
PHASE FOUR
MAKE YOUR ARGUMENT: NON-STOP DEBATE
Loaded Truth Bullets: Arrow Wounds | Bruises on Body | Cracked Longbow | Motel Locks
Chigusa: K-Kikyo has a g-good point there...
Frances: Yuzuru's only possible cause of death was the arrows, right?...
Frances: ...but, for some reason, there's no blood at the range.
Yori: We seem to have another case of missing blood on our hands.
Yatarou: Let's brainstorm a few theories, then! One of us is bound to be right!
Yatarou: I personally think the blood seeped into the dirt.
Kikyo: Maybe Yuzuru was shot somewhere else?
Tsukushi: We might be dealing with another case of cleaned blood!
Blackjack: There's always a chance that Miss Kanzaki's wounds were clogged...
Blackjack: ...and reopened later when the bleeding's intensity ceased.
Maruko: Sore wa chigau yo, Herr Baishou!
(Fired: Bruises on Body)
~ BREAK! ~
Monokuma: Oh hell no! I'm not letting you use that catchphrase!
Monokuma: Change that, this instant, or I'll punish you!
Chigusa: H-Hey! Maruko d-didn't break a-any r-rules!
Blackjack: Miss Takagawa is right. As long as we don't break the rules you give us...
Frances: ...you can't punish us! So knock it off, fish breath!
Monokuma: Urgh...
Kikyo: What's your deal anyway?
Kikyo: Do you have any problem with that phrase?
Monokuma: ...
Yatarou: The silent treatment... again.
Eita: I believe it's time for us to pay attention to Maruko's theory.
Maruko: Grazie mille, Herr Kurogane! I thought I was chopped liver for a sec, oui?
Akahana: You presented Yuzuru's bruises as evidence... why is that?
Kiyoshi: S-Seriously!? The lawyer doesn't get it? Fuckin' retard...
Blackjack: Mister Ikeda.
Kiyoshi: Goddamnit, you... Stop SHSL Police Officer-ing and get off my ass, bitch!
Maruko: C-Can I, por favor?
Riou: Move it, pipsqueak!
Maruko: Y-Yes, sir! Um, as you might have noticed... there's another possibility.
Maruko: What if Yuzuru was killed by being bludgeoned?
Tsukushi: Bludgeoned, you say? That is... also possible, I think.
Yori: Thinking about it... I believe that might explain the lack of blood as well.
Maruko: Did I kill two ptaki with one pedra!? Bellissimo!
Riou: I'm a bit lost... how does Yuzuru being killed differently explain the blood on her body?
ANSWER THE QUESTION!
If Yuzuru was bludgeoned, then what other possibility arises for the lack of blood?
1. The arrow wounds were inflicted after Yuzuru died.
2. Yuzuru's body didn't bleed at all.
3. The wounds were fake.
Yori: Was this the answer you sought?
Yori: As you might infer from the information we've obtained...
Yori: Yuzuru did in fact bleed, as is evident from the target and the blood below her.
Riou: Yeah, but that bleeding is not nearly enough to die from! R-Right?
Akahana: That's correct. Yori, what you're trying to say is... Yuzuru's wounds were inflicted post-mortem?
Yori: Correct.
Blackjack: If Mister Hanamichi is right... then it'd explain the bruises on her body along with the lack of blood.
Tsukushi: If the wounds were inflicted after Yuzuru died, then there wouldn't be nearly as much bleeding.
Maruko: R-Right!
Eita: Congratulations, Maruko and Yori. It was a team effort that proved useful in the end.
Frances: R-Right, anyway... we've settled on a theory, huh? Yuzuru was bludgeoned to death. But with what?
Kikyo: The bleeding was mostly internal, save from the bit referred in the Monokuma File.
Kikyo: It says there were traces of blood in her mouth and throat, so she probably coughed it out.
Akahana: The shape of the bruises was irregular, and therefore, inconclusive.
Tsukushi: So we have no idea of how to trace a weapon back to these wounds?
Yatarou: I don't want to be blunt... but do we need to know what the weapon was?
Yatarou: As long as we know she was hit with a blunt object, that should be good enough for now, am I right?
Chigusa: Knowing the, um, the murder weapon... m-might lead us to a n-new s-suspect.
Yatarou: Agh, that's true...
Riou: We'll come back to it later. For now, we should keep the trial going.
Akahana: There are still plenty of vital points we aren't fully sure on.
Akahana: Aside from the murder weapon, we aren't certain of the cause of death.
Akahana: And one other thing remains a complete mystery.
Blackjack: Yes, I am quite convinced I know what Miss Nakajima means.
Blackjack: After playing such an integral part in the last trial, it has to play another role here.
Frances: I guess you're right... but what? It's so much more cryptic this time.
Tsukushi: What are they talking about...?
Tsukushi: I think I might have an idea.
PHASE FIVE
DISCOVER THE KEYWORD: HANGMAN'S GAMBIT
_/_/_/_/_/_
...
...
...
_/_/_/I/_/_
...
...
...
M/_/_/I/_/_
...
...
...
M/O/_/I/_/E
...
...
...
M/O/_/I/V/E
...
...
...
M/O/T/I/V/E
...
...
KEYWORD: MOTIVE!
~ COMPLETE ~
Tsukushi: You're all talking about... the motive, isn't it?
Akahana: It seems like you've finally reached that conclusion.
Blackjack: Y-Yes, as a matter of fact, I was referring to the motive.
Kikyo: Oh! Now that you mention it...
Kikyo: Last time, the motive was very clear... kill someone and be rich.
Eita: It's not as one-sided as that, this time, though.
Riou: You saying the traitor has something to do with the killing?
Frances: Well... to be fair, that's kind of a given, isn't it?
Frances: It was Monokuma's very own motive, after all!
Tsukushi: Frances is right... there's no way the traitor's identity isn't involved in this.
Riou: So... who is the traitor really?
Kikyo: Well... according to how Yuzuru was acting these couple of days...
Blackjack: W-Wait a minute... Yuzuru!? Are you suggesting...?
Yatarou: Tsukushi and I arrived at that conclusion after he told me about the conversation they had last week.
~ ARGUMENT ~
Kiyoshi: Can't believe I need to clean that shitty ass argument!
Kiyoshi: You really think that this chick is the mole, after what happened to her!?
Kiyoshi: What are you retards on?
Kiyoshi: How would someone find out about it and kill her in a week?
Kiyoshi: Only Shizuka would be able to fucking get her to talk, and he's not a suspect!
Kiyoshi: If anything he could be the fucking traitor, don't you understand!?
Yori: Please, Kiyo, if you could relax and calm down-
Kiyoshi: To hell with that shit! I'm not backing down now, come what may!
Blackjack: It seems your silence was disappointingly short.
Kiyoshi: Fuck off, bitch, I'm not scared of you! Shizuka is that scumbag mole!
Tsukushi: H-He's not listening! Would anyone calm him dow-
Frances: Now, who the hell do you think you are, you pathetic little worm!?
Kikyo: H-Huh!? Frances!?
Frances: Don't you dare talk to her like that... ever again!
Frances: Or you're gonna have to deal with me, you idiot!
Chigusa: P-Please, s-someone...!
Maruko: Herr Baishou has lost it as well!?
Frances: As if! I'm perfectly clearheaded and ready to strike this asshat's theory down!
Kiyoshi: Oh, lookie here, the little girl has come to protect her girlfriend!? How sweet!
Frances: Don't mock me like that, you stupid... stupid... janitor!
Kiyoshi: Why you little...! That's it, I've had enough of your shit!
Kiyoshi: If you're gonna pin the blame on the dead girl, then fucking prove it to me!
Frances: If you're gonna say Shizuka's the mole, then cough up the evidence, fool!
Kiyoshi: I'll wipe the floor with you, whore!
Kiyoshi Ikeda has challenged Frances Baishou to a Rebuttal Showdown!
PHASE SIX
CROSS SWORDS: REBUTTAL SHOWDOWN
Sheathed Truth Swords: Monokuma File #2 | Shizuka's Disappearance | Yuzuru's F.T.E. | Group Breakfast
Kiyoshi: Now you listen to me, bitch!
Kiyoshi: Shizuka is obviously the fucking mole!
Kiyoshi: Don't you find his disappearance...
Kiyoshi: ...to be way too fucking convenient!?
Kiyoshi: Monokuma tells us we can't trust one of us...
Kiyoshi: ...and he fucking bailed! That's hella suspicious, dude!
~ ADVANCE! ~
Frances: If Shizuka really was the traitor, he would be the most likely victim!
Frances: The mole is a likely target, not a threat!
Frances: Whoever the traitor is would be killed out of fear, or anger!
~ DEVELOPMENT! ~
Kiyoshi: Just cut it off with the bullshit, asshole!
Kiyoshi: It's obvious! Shizuka is the traitor! His disappearance is proof enough!
Kiyoshi: A mole would be stressed beyond belief all the time, see!?
Kiyoshi: That's why the fucking Street Magician guy ran off! It was just too fucking much for him!
Kiyoshi: On the other hand, Yuzuru has been fresh as a fucking daisy ever since Yuki and Asuyo bit it!
Frances: I'll stomp all over you and your stupid rebuttal, douchebag!
(Unsheathed: Yuzuru's F.T.E.)
~ CUT! ~
Frances: Did you even listen to what we were saying before blurting out a Rebuttal Showdown!?
Frances: Tsukushi's our witness! Plus the truth bullets speak for themselves! Check them out for once!
Kiyoshi: Yeah, so what!? It just fucking says Yuzuru didn't like her role in the game!...
Kiyoshi: Oh. Well, shit. Sorry.
Frances: S-Sorry!? Y-You're just gonna say sorry!? Do you expect me to just leave it at that!?
Kiyoshi: Yeah.
Blackjack: Frances, it's quite alright. You've made a scene already... thank you, my dear.
Frances: Blackjack...
Kiyoshi: Hey, Sackjack. I'm sorry for treating you like shit. Imma stay quiet for a while again.
Kiyoshi: Y'all just keep on keepin' on.
Tsukushi: I don't think I'd ever seen Frances looking and sounding this mad... ever.
Akahana: Now that your little theatrics are over... Yuzuru is the traitor, is this the general consensus?
Frances: ...
Riou: Seems like it.
Akahana: Great... let us review what conclusions we've come to so far.
Akahana: Yuzuru Kanzaki, the traitor, was bludgeoned to death in the shooting range with an unknown weapon.
Akahana: Time of death was approximately 11h45am.
Akahana: Sometime during this procedure, Yuzuru and her assailant were both in the shooting range's targets half.
Akahana: To do this, they used a secret mechanism in the glass pane to open it and let them through.
Chigusa: Th-That machine is s-still a m-mystery, right?
Kikyo: I have a feeling I saw an unknown machine somewhere around town when I investigated...
Maruko: I was just thinking the same thing, Herr Namikaze...
Yori: Do any of you recall where you saw it, maybe?
Yatarou: I have a pretty good guess as to where the opening device is...
ANSWER THE QUESTION!
Where is the device that opens the glass pane?
1. The targets side
2. The entrance side
3. The storage room
4. Outside the shooting range
Yatarou: This argument will become a historical landmark!
Eita: Another lackluster catchphrase, if I may be honest.
Yatarou: Jeez, don't need to be so rude about it... I tried my best...
Yatarou: Nevertheless, I think the only place the device could be is... the storage room.
Maruko: Qué? The shooting range's armazém?
Yatarou: U-Uh... probably, yeah, that.
Akahana: Yes, I do remember you two entering the storage room together.
Akahana: I presume you were the only ones to set foot in there, then?
Maruko: Si señora! Herr Namikaze left me a bit early to search for some missing items.
Kikyo: I found the longbow and the arrows, but the crossbow is still missing.
Kikyo: According to Maruko, no one else came in after I left.
Maruko: Sì, that'd be correct!
Riou: Woah, woah, don't get sidetracked now! We're talking about the glass pane!
Riou: The device you talked about... does it really exist?
Kikyo: Well, duh, we wouldn't lie to you now... there was a machine there, but I didn't look at it too well.
Maruko: Oh, I did, I did! I even saved it as a Bullet for today's trial, see? It's called 'Unknown Device'.
Frances: Huh...?
Eita: There is no such bullet in my evidence list.
Tsukushi: Likewise... could this be the work of a... Solo Bullet?
Monokuma: Ah, you guessed correctly! And on the first try, too! Sounds like you're not as dumb as I thought.
Yori: There are Solo Bullets in this case as well? Oh bother...
Monokuma: Bother indeed... for you! It sure makes the trial a lot more interesting and unpredictable though, which I can appreciate.
Monokuma: Now... let me just tweak this... and that... there we go!
The Solo Bullet "Unknown Device", privy to Maruko Inubarashi, is a now a regular Truth Bullet.
Maruko: Agh, I messed up... Forgive me, please, everyone! Sorry, pardon, lo siento, desculpa, sum-
Riou: We get it, pipsqueak! We forgive you, don't worry. Now, about this device.
Tsukushi: It says here... you found a cord sticking out of it, but it was cut off an inch after it left the machine?
Yatarou: That's exactly like the glass pane cord! How did you not think of this sooner, Maruko!?
Maruko: I-I'm sorry...
Frances: No use crying over spilt milk, but... we don't have any proof that the device connects to the pane, right?
Tsukushi: Well, true... but could it really be a coincidence? It's a little too perfect.
Blackjack: We've yet to find the missing wire anywhere, though. How could it be so expertly hidden?
Blackjack: Or was our investigation not good enough...?
Blackjack: No... I believe our investigation was more than sufficient.
Tsukushi: However, the fact remains that we haven't found a wire.
Akahana: ...
Tsukushi: Akahana seems to know something about the wire...
Tsukushi: Why isn't she telling?
Riou: Is this another topic we'll have to leave out for now?
Yori: It sure is seeming to be the case...
Yatarou: Ugh... I feel like we've been debating for forever, and we've got very few results.
Chigusa: D-Don't be sad, Y-Yatarou... we've found s-some stuff already...
Eita: Chigusa is right, Yatarou. Cheer up.
Kikyo: Yeah! We've come to quite a few answers! We know how Yuzuru died, and that she was the mole, most likely.
Kikyo: We also uncovered the secret behind the shooting range's glass pane.
Monokuma: Aaaand that's all you're going to uncover for now, guys!
Tsukushi: H-Huh!? It's not voting time already, is it!?
Monokuma: Of course it is...n't! C'mon, I wouldn't give you guys such a lame trial... that'd be soooo boring!
Monokuma: I want to see you struggle every step of the way! I just a need a recess.
Frances: Y-You? You need a recess, why?
Kiyoshi: Need to take a piss? Because I sure do.
Monokuma: Then go use the facilities! I don't want any pee on these wooden stands, they're expensive!
Monokuma: I need a recess to... fetch some more popcorn!
Monokuma: That Rebuttal Showdown had me pinned down to my seat gobbling them by the handful!
Kikyo: P-Popcorn!? You're eating popcorn during the trial!?
Riou: How the hell!? Where did you get them from!?
Chigusa: H-How did we n-not see h-him eating...?
Monokuma: Yeah, yeah, what a mystery! Now, keep quiet! This trial is about to enter a brief recess.
Monokuma: See you next chapter, everyone!
A/N: That's it for today! I managed to write a trial chapter before the end of the year - at least in my timezone, I'm not sure if all of you are still in 2016. This trial is being really fun to write, and it's easily beating the first one in my eyes, so I'm super excited to write the rest of it so you can all enjoy it with me! As you'd expect, this is the last update of the year (or the first, who knows really).
There's going to be at least two more chapters of trial before the exposition and execution chapter a.k.a. the Act Finale! I sure hope you'll stick around to see this execution - it's also one of my favourites!
QOTC: Normally I don't like QOTCs for the trials but I want to know, do you guys like how I'm handling the trial minigames like Logic Dive? If you find another more appealing or neater way of arranging them, then please suggest it in the reviews or PM me! I aim to please after all.
Until next chapter, Yamazaki out!