AN: Here we go, the final section of Chapter 4. We're getting to the final sprint here now. (though it'll take a long time to get there, haha...)
Thanks to everyone for reviewing!
King Okami: Yeah, it felt like just yesterday since I started this story. Thanks for reviewing faithfully so far ^^
Reven228: Thanks for the review! NoahxHikaru begins
Kizi1999: You probably should re-read the class trials, though I know it's confusing as hell and rushed in many parts.
MizunashiFuyuko: For this case, the killer counted as one person whom discovered the body. (Call it lazy writing but an issue like this came up in SDR2 and I believe it was able to go both ways anyways.) Thanks for the review!
Location: ? | Time: 12:12 PM | Chapter Four | 19 DAYS LEFT
Soundtrack: Re: Desire for Execution
"...Check out this loser."
A boy dressed in red clothes sat on the floor in the middle of a room. All around him were fingers pointing, laughing, and the boy sat there. He couldn't do anything except to sit there. There would be no point in whimpering, or protesting. All he could do was sit. Sitting...looking up at laughing faces. All of them basking in the misery of this one boy. He sat – getting bitter. More bitter. More upset with the world. What did he do..? Why was he being mistreated like this..? He looked at the faces of the teachers who didn't care about what was going around him. He looked at the faces of his parents who were too busy to pay attention to his problems. He looked as he was defaced by everyone around him.
Words being thrown at him like "stupid," "weird," and "ugly," weren't anything new to him. In fact, there grew a point where the boy even got used to all of this. Yet that didn't stop the boy from wishing that one day, this torment would end. But would it end..? Sitting, and staring at the others, a tear slid down his cheek. His leg started to burn a bit. He looked down, and saw his fingernails buried deep into his skin. Blood dripped down to the ground. Yet the kids continued to laugh.
"Idiot!"
"Stupid!"
"Ugly!"
His hands were stained with red. He was about to blow. One boy approached him, carrying a baseball bat in his hands.
"Hey, I wonder if this red boy will burst after we hit him for awhile!"
Smack. It hurt the boy.
"..."
But he made no sound. After all, what was the point of speaking out? Would anyone stop then..? Would someone give him mercy..? Of course, he'd already gone through this multiple times. It wouldn't happen. Smack. The boy continued to hurt. Bruises began to swirl around his face. Like he was being transformed. His face was bumpy – so bumpy. Another smack. More pain. No cries.
Location: The Boy's Home | Time: 3:01 PM | Chapter Four | 19 DAYS LEFT
"...Noah! What on earth happened to you?!" screamed his mother.
Noah buried his face in his hands. He was hideous, wasn't he? The kids all said so, and he got knew that he got even uglier. His face was black like charcoal, and blood was slowly dripping from his hands.
That night, his mother called the school. The school claimed that they didn't know anything, but the reality was, they just didn't care. Noah sat in the living room as he heard is mom screaming, grasping himself with his arms. The next week, they were gone. They had moved into a new neighborhood.
Noah wondered why he couldn't fit in with the others. Was it the clothes he wore? At this new school, he got strange stares – as if he were already being alienated. And that's exactly what happened. The bullying stopped, yet Noah was still alone. It's not like he knew what loneliness was, exactly, considering that he never experienced company before.
"...Hey, you, what are you doing, blocking the way..?"
Noah turned around and saw a girl behind him.
"You gotta move if I want to get past, dude. That's how it works."
"S-sorry..."
"Don't apologize," the girl sighed, as she began to walk forward. "You're the new kid, right?"
Noah nodded.
"...My name is Megumi," the girl said. "Hope we get along."
The girl extended her hand out in front to Noah. Noah looked at it, with an estranged expression. What was she doing..? Why was she sticking her hand out at him? Noah just looked at the girl with a curious look in his eyes.
"...It's a handshake..?" she replied, to Noah's vacant stare. "C'mon, take it."
...And Noah could do nothing, except shake her hand and smile.
Location: Junior High | Time: 7:03 AM | Chapter Four | 19 DAYS LEFT
"...Heeey, Noah!" called Megumi from across the hallway.
Noah turned around and saw Megumi running straight towards him. Noah closed his locker and shuffled away a bit. He wasn't really in the mood to see anyone...
"I heard you're training to become a police officer?" she asked. "This early too? Damn, dude."
Noah nodded. "Of course...it's what my parents were doing. It's only natural that I'd follow their path."
"Hmmm..." Megumi hummed with a curious tone. "That's kinda cliché, but, if that's what you really wanna do..."
Megumi flashed a smile at Noah as she ran to join her other friends. Noah stared on, waving slightly, as he made a realization. He was smiling. It was a slight smile. It wasn't anything big. But he could feel his mouth curl at the thought of her. How uncreative was that..? It's the kind of love plot that Noah read in fiction tales, but...maybe...
Location: Police Center | Time: 4:00 PM | Chapter Four | 19 DAYS LEFT
"...Megumi?"
Noah looked at Megumi, a knife lunged into her chest. Megumi was dying. In the corner of Noah's eye, he saw someone. It was only for a brief moment, but he instantly memorized the appearance of Megumi's attacker. He was tall. Buff. He had fair skin, and blond hair.
"..."
Noah clutched Megumi's hand, now incredibly vacant. He lifted up his head, and the attacker looked into his eyes. There was a vast emptiness inside of his eyes. The kind of vacancy caused by despair.
"...You see, everyone? That's my story."
Location: Courtroom No. 4 | Time: 12:43 AM | Chapter Four | 19 DAYS LEFT
I stared at Noah, as he calmly recalled the events of his past life. A police officer...isn't someone I'd expect to be that bare to the bones to be honest. But I still felt pity for Noah. Noah requested the files from Monokuma, to which the bear reluctantly complied. He took out the papers from the files, and out showed an image of Megumi.
Case No. #0981: Victim: Megumi Tobayashi.
Culprit: Hikaru Nise
Noah began to speak without even looking at the files, or at us.
"I didn't know what to think when I found these files," Noah started. "At first, I didn't remember it, but then I realized Monokuma took away our memories. I realized...Megumi was probably dead, and Hikaru probably did it."
"Is that why you were acting so hostile towards Hikaru..?" Unmei asked.
"Yeah..." Noah sighed. "...Let me tell you a bit more about the case. It's a case built entirely upon the emotions of people. There was a lack of physical evidence, but witness testimonies spread strong and far. It was a case where you saw the worst of people. They'd go through anything..."
"Of course, this is based on what's written in the files," Hikaru said. "I said I didn't commit the crime I did...because I didn't know about it, of course. But the evidence is substantial. It seems like years ago, I truly was the culprit in a murder case that involved Noah."
"Humans are worthless," Noah snapped, clicking his tongue in regret. "People like Hikaru don't know the darkness of their own hearts, until they see it right in front of them. It's like the bullies long ago. They probably would have felt some remorse if I did something to myself. As a child, if I killed myself, how do you think that would have affected the bullies mindset?"
"...You would have traumatized them," I said. "But their children. They don't represent the good in people."
"The good in people? What good?" Noah asked. "As far as I'm concerned, for every good intention we have, there's also a bad intention just waiting. An evil intention waiting to jump out and make someone feel bad. As humans, aren't we just looking to please ourselves more than others..?"
"That's not true for everyone..." Mirai protested. "I'm...sure it's not true."
"...I'm not excused from this," Noah chuckled, ignoring Mirai's attempt of rationalization. "I even tried to kill all of you."
"Which reminds me," Hikaru started. "The true culprit to this case...well, there's no reason to lie now. I think Noah and I...have just lost our motivation. So, anyways, for those looking for the real killer to this trial... It's...me."
I breathed a heavy sigh. There was both sadness, but as awful as it sounds, there was also a small sense of relief.
"Hold on...how can we assume you're even telling the truth?" Shougo asked.
"If you truly don't believe me...well, that's fine."
"I...didn't kill Kaito," Noah said. "I just came up with the plan. After reading the files..."
Flashback!
"N-Noah, what's the matter, for you to call me so suddenly..?"
"Hikaru, read these files for me. I knew you were just a prisoner. However..."
"...What is this..?! Is this me..? Is that...is that you?"
"You killed my best friend, Hikaru. I don't know when, but I believe that you killed her."
"W-we don't know if these are real or not, Noah..."
"These pictures? They aren't faked. That's my friend lying there. Monokuma was right. Our memories are gone. For good."
"...And Hikaru killed Kaito. Just like that."
Hikaru just nodded solemnly.
"...Hikaru...why?" I asked.
"It was mostly to make amends," Hikaru said. "If the files are true...well, I wanted to run away from my own guilt. Noah and I were fully convinced...that humans were trash."
"I tried to kill because of the evil I see in everyone," Noah said. "Whether or not you believe in my philosophy...it's not for you to decide. But I stood by my decision. We're all bad people. We're all evil."
"T-that's still no reason for you to try and kill us!" Yoshinori yelled. "You were way out of line! You just killed Kaito because you felt like it?!"
"...That's a way to put it," Noah responded.
"Now, now," Monokuma said. "Let's not board the melodrama train. Everyone needs to take their vote now, don't they?"
I looked at the lever in front of me. The killer...Hikaru claimed it was him, but can I trust him?
...Even if there's any doubt...I guess in the end, it really does come down to luck.
…
…
"Correct!" Monokuma chuckled. "Congratulations, you guys..! You all voted correctly. Hikaru killed Kaito! S&M style! Whips and chains!"
"..."
"Thank you, Hikaru," Noah said.
"..."
"You killed Megumi, but if you were willing to sacrifice everyone to make amends to me...then it's fine."
"...What a silly reason to die, don't you think?" Hikaru asked, turning to the rest of us.
"I was so convinced in the evil in people...that I ended up dying myself."
"Now...Get ready!" Monokuma yelled out to us.
"This was a senseless murder," Hikaru said. "There was no reason for Kaito to die...there wasn't even a reason he was specifically murdered."
"Get set..!"
"Don't you think...Noah?"
"..!"
"It's coming..!" Monokuma groaned.
"...Try to find the good in people," Hikaru said. "This group is a good place to start."
Noah didn't react. He just turned and said nothing, shielding his eyes from Hikaru's inevitable end.
"H-Hikaru..." Unmei said, monotone. "...I'm sure...Kaito would forgive you. Even though you killed for no good reason...he will, right?"
"GO!"
With that, Monokuma took his gavel, and slammed the big red button, confirming the end of Hikaru Nise.
Music Halts
GAME OVER
Hikaru Nise has been pronounced guilty. Commencing execution...
Soundtrack: Punishment Feat: The Last Hike
Hikaru took a seat in a chair, strapped with wires and masking tape. The chair, attached to a rope, was hanging from a hook that hung from the ceiling. Below Hikaru, was a swimming pool of sharks, ready to devour anyone who entered. Monokuma, dressed up in a judge costume, took out a metal saw, and began to cut the rope.
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
Monokuma sawed, and sawed, through and through. The rope was strong, but it was about to give in...the wires attached to Hikaru's body began to react, and slow but steady jolts of electricity began to enter Hikaru's body. Monokuma sawed...the wires reacted, but before the electricity could get to a point of severity, and before Monokuma could completely cut down the chair, a shark jumped from out of the pool, and swallowed Hikaru in one bite.
Finally, a small patch of Hikaru's jumpsuit began to fell...and landed in front of all of us.
Soundtrack: A Dead End to the Ocean's Aroma
"Yahoo!" Monokuma laughed. "That got my stuffin' up and running. How about you, Meowykins?"
"Y-yeah, that was intense, y'all..." Meowykins said softly.
"...I-I can't believe...another one of us died," Unmei sighed. "Everyone is just dropping like dominoes...one after another. There's too much people dying..."
"How much is left now?" Monokuma chuckled. "Let's see...there's Noah, Mirai, Keiko, Unmei, Shougo, and Yoshinori, right? Whoo boy...the numbers are dwindling faster and faster!"
"...T-there's only six of us..?!" Yoshinori gasped. She looked around, and her eyes widened. But it was true. We lost ten people. We were all...just...and then, there's the case of Noah. What are we going to do with him..?
"H-hey, you..!" Unmei growled, over at Noah. "What makes you have the right to judge humans, anyways..?"
"...I just don't trust them," Noah sighed. "I admit that I was overwhelmed by emotions. But even if I say that I regretted my actions, I doubt you'd believe me anyways..."
"...I don't have anything else to say to you," Unmei sighed back. "But I'm keeping an eye on you."
"S-shouldn't we like, tie him up, or something..?" Shougo asked. "It seems like a good thing to do..."
"...This is exactly what I mean," Noah said. "Already, you're trying to keep me away from reality..."
"That's not the issue here!" Unmei snapped. "The issue is that you...you basically killed one of our friends!"
"...I'm sorry."
"You can't just say sorry to something like that," Mirai said, his voice slightly monotone. "Killing...is unspeakable. But we can't really go around threatening Noah, can we..?"
"W-why not..?" Yoshinori asked.
"...If we want to go forward, we need...to just assume that Noah really is sorry," Mirai said. "That he'd never try something like this again."
Noah tilted his head at that, a questionable aura forming around him.
"I'm not asking for anyone's forgiveness here...I know what I did was wrong."
"...But we need to give our forgiveness if we want to get through this, right?" I asked, sighing.. "Besides...I think I can trust Noah..."
"...Keiko?"
"H-hey, Keiko, don't trust a guy like that so easily..!" Unmei spoke out.
"Upupu, that's right," Monokuma piped. "You might end up crazy. This kinda reminds me of his big reveal, a revered normal, and kind person. That person did a complete 1080 and turned into a psychopath!"
"...J-just ignore whatever he's talking about," Unmei said. "I don't know why, but you should watch yourself around Noah."
"..."
"We should deal with this in the morning," Mirai said. "It's late...it's like, 1:00. We should get some rest, right?"
...That was true. As awful as this day was...my body was breaking apart. I didn't want anything more than to just collapse on my bed and fall asleep. Escape into a reality I could only see in my thoughts.
...But even so,I did have some business to take care of.
"F-fine, we'll talk about this in the morning," Unmei said.
"Even a robot needs her beauty sleep, I guess," Yoshinori sighed. "I gotta charge up my gas, you know. And my guns need more ammo."
"You don't need ammo! Don't reload anything!" Shougo snapped.
And with that...the six of us wandered back into the submarine at Meowykins' discretion. There was an awful, tense feeling in the air. It was incredibly awkward, and incredibly hostile at the same time. Noah avoided eye contact with the rest of us, but I noticed some of us were unable to take our eyes off of Noah.
Eventually, we managed to reach the first dome. We piled out of the submarine and into the lobbies, as we started to make our way to the dorms.
"Sweet dreams!" Monokuma called out. "I get tired too, y'know..! That's why I'm gonna take a nice bear nap."
"I wonder what they call dog naps?" Meowykins asked. "Sleeping ruff?"
"Bonin' in the deep?" Monokuma offered.
...Ignoring their useless banter, I watched as everyone wandered into the bedrooms. Immediately, there was a pure silence. It wasn't peaceful silence – I don't think it can ever be peaceful again. But now that everyone was asleep...I could get started with what I decided to do.
Music Halts
Soundtrack: Mirai's Dorm | Time: 1:34 AM | Chapter Four | 19 DAYS LEFT
Soundtrack: Terror in Resonance OST – Von
I knocked on Mirai's door. Waited for a response, and held my breath. I stood my ground, and breathed heavily. I kept my ears open, and waited to hear footsteps. Slowly...I heard them coming. I could feel my nails digging into my palms. I took another deep breath... I could hear Mirai stumbling around in his own room, slowly approaching the door...and then finally...
"...Master?"
I looked at Mirai's drowsy face. He stared at me, his eyes half open, and his hair a mess.
"...Um, so, you know...I have something to tell you," I said.
"I thought we were all going to talk about Noah tomorrow," Noah yawned.
"N-no. It's not about that...it's uh...you know. The secret you wanted to know."
"O-oh," Mirai said, waking up a bit. "Uh, no, that's fine. I don't need to hear it...I believe you. It's probably nothing big, right? Or...maybe not...probably."
...It's probably nothing big..? That was...bullshit. I killed Furo and Kirei, Mirai...how is that nothing big? ...Oh yeah. I haven't told him. The person in front of me...trusted me completely. He didn't know anything that I did. He just thinks that I'm his friend – a normal, and kind person who would never harm anyone. But was that true..?
...Well, now's not the time I should be judging myself, because that's not what I came here to do. I took the deepest breath I took in my entire life...I breathed in, and let out the heaviest sigh that I had ever done before. The longest moment of my life was now...because someone who truly believes in me is right here, about to find out that I'm a killer. Great.
Not like it matters much. This day had to come sometime, right? Breathing my last breath, I let out everything. I told Mirai everything. I told him the sensation I felt during the class trial. I felt the suspicion that Noah had on me, and the fact that he didn't rat him out. I told Mirai I was keeping this a secret from everyone. I told him everything. I didn't know it, but my face was getting wet. Tears were streaming down my face, and I didn't realize it. I mean, I told Mirai what happened. Why am I crying..? I have nothing to be afraid of anymore. I already told him...I already know what's going to happen...
I'm going to get resented, right? Just like I have always been resented...I...I'm going to lose the trust of everyone. That's just how it works. I killed two of my friends...and I haven't been feeling the least bit guilty about it lately. It was because I felt safe, but that was gone. My safety with Noah was gone...but I knew that would happen! I prepared myself! So why am I crying?
..."It's fine, I think."
...Huh?
Mirai lay his hands on my shoulders, and let out a big smile. He was holding me in his hands...
"Don't be afraid!" Mirai said. "You're not someone who'd do that on a whim. There...there had to be something, right? Something like my memories. Maybe something happened..! Either way...I can't forgive the fact that you killed...but it doesn't change my image of you, Master. I...I think it was an accident, right? So...it's okay. Don't cry...why are you crying?"
...Right...why am I crying..? I...should have expected this. ...I mean, it's Mirai we're talking about. He's...a true friend, so...what was I scared about?
And that was the safest I've ever felt in the school trip of mutual killings. For a while, I just sat down in the ground with Mirai. And I let it all out.
..."I-I don't know why I did it..!" I cried. "Y-you shouldn't be so okay with this..! I-I killed Furo...and Kirei...and no one else knows about it..!"
Mirai didn't say anything back for a little while. He just stared at me, still smiling. Still trying to comfort me. And finally...
"...I never said it was okay," Mirai said. "I just said...well...there had to be something else, right? I trust you, Master."
...Trust..?
...Right...
…
…
…
Thank you...
Music Halts
Location: ? | Time: ? | Chapter Four | 19 DAYS LEFT
Soundtrack: Re: Mr. Monokuma's Tutoring
"...Interesting. This is very interesting."
"Huuuuuh? You think that was fun? I thought it was kind of boring...it was soo melodramatic..!"
"Now, now. I'm not talking about their performances, you see...I'm talking about something completely different."
"...Something different? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmoh! I got it! You're talking about...uhm...adeade...let's see here..!"
"If you do not get it, do not be afraid, my lowly peasant...!"
"Hehe..! That's right! I'm your peasant, right mommy?"
"...I find it interesting...how a bond has been formed this time around. It never works out like this...yes this is the first time. I can feel it...what a strong bond of trust. Between these two...though they've only interacted for a brief time, it's like their childhood friends. The idea of that sickens me...but no matter. It was bound to happen eventually."
"...Soooo, what's trust, mommy? I've never heard of it. All you taught me was how to life a life of despair and sadness!"
"Trust? It's what the pigs in human clothes decides to call their relationships. You see, humans have nothing better to do than communicate with those who they think truly understand them..! But that's naïve, my dear..! So, so naïve! What's the nature of such a trashy species..? It's betrayal, and selfish, conceited thoughts..! The brains of our minds are hard-wired to act in ways that makes us the most comfortable...the ways that we think are truly ideal. That's why in the end...this won't be a problem at all."
"Huuuh? You think we can fix up Keiko and Mirai?"
"Of course. All we have to do...is break their bonds."
AN: ominous ending