AN: I must sincerely apologize to anyone still reading – my updates have been wildly inconsistent and at this point I can't make any more promises or anything on when new chapters will be released. All I can say is I can only release them as I'm able to spit them out.

OST List:

1 – Re Trial Underground

2 – Class Trial Dawn Edition Volume Two

3 - Hope vs. Despair 2nd Mix

4 - A Dead End to the Ocean's Aroma

5 - Re_Distrust

6 - New World Order

Soundtrack: Re Trial Underground

CHAPTER FIVE

THE CLASS TRIAL

Have you got your facts straight?

::1 | Monokuma File No. 5 | Review files again?

::2 | Soaked Bodies | It seemed like everyone was soaked when they woke up in the ballroom.

::3 | Bullet Wounds | There were three bullet wounds found on Mirai.

::4 | The Catacombs | Where the "Battle Royale" took place. Yoshinori was apparently not retrieved. Monokuma had to spend time "fixing" it.

::5 | Locked Supply Closet | There was a locked supply closet in the boxing ring.

::6 | Final Dome Layout | |wzIGCT8

::7 | Map | A map was found within the computer database at the entrance lobby. It's highly probable that this map is faulty.

::8 | Crack on the Wall | There was a large crack on the wall inside the museum. Was it linked to Mirai's initial disappearance..?

::9 | Stray Bullet | There was a stray bullet found inside the museum.

::10 | Hatch | There was a hatch found in the Underwater Military Base. Similar to the supply closet, the hatch was locked.

::11 | Locked Entryway Relevance | The map found inside the computer base did not mention any possible alternate routes to these locked doors.

::12 | Mirai's Missing Bag | Mirai's goodie bag inside his cell was nowhere to be found.

::13 | Battle Royale Rules | The rules of the battle royale game.

::14 | Mirai's Transaction History | Mirai bought information instead of buying any other weapons or supplies.

::15 | Yoshinori's Status | Yoshinori was widely not considered to be a student due to her highly sabotaged state.

::16 | Monokuma's Testimony | Monokuma assures that none of the evidence was tampered with, and all information necessary to fairly proceed the trial was present.

::17 | Encounter with Mirai | Shougo had a talk with Mirai, where Mirai mentioned having to talk with Keiko about something.

::18 | Culprit Versus Yoshinori | How was it possible for the culprit to have taken Yoshinori down?

::19 | Glass Fragments | Glass fragments were present to the side of Yoshinori's body.

::20 | Concrete Walls | Underneath the glass walls and ceilings are a thick layer of concrete.

::21 | Yoshinori's Gatling Gun | Yoshinori's pre-built gatling gun was found separated from her body.

::22 | Rope | There were two pieces of rope found underneath Yoshinori's body.

::23 | Cracked Ceiling | The ceiling in the Testing Facility was found to have been cracked.

::24 | Future Foundation Rehabilitation Project | According to a report found on the computer, a rehabilitation project was initiated, forcing everyone to participate in this online world.

::25 | Cuts on Mirai's Body | A large amount of cuts were found underneath Mirai's clothes. His clothes were not ripped, making the origin of these cuts come into question.

::26 | Missing Weapons | The weapons inside the weapons locker were mostly missing.

::27 | Killcode Instructions | Instructions to disable Yoshinori were found inside a weapons locker. A keypad on the back of her neck is the key – imputing a code will force her to shutdown.

::28 | Condition of Ruins | The ruins were all astray and in shambles.

::29 | Doors | Two doors to the side of the rock in the middle were found. Their purpose is largely unknown.

::30 | Excerpt from Mirai's Diary | Mirai seemed determined to find a certain place within the final dome, in order to "end" something.

…

COURT IS NOW IN SESSION!

…

Soundtrack: Class Trial Dawn Edition Vol. 2

MONOKUMA: Welcome everyone, to your fifth class trial! You all know the rules!

MONOKUMA: During this class trial, you are to figure out who killed your airhead ditz, Mirai Minoshiro…

MONOKUMA: …and the busty, badass robot, Yoshinori Ai!

MONOKUMA: Point your finger at the TRUE culprit, and him or her alone shall be PUNISHED!

MONOKUMA: But if you point your finger at the WRONG culprit…

MONOKUMA: …then the killer will be allowed to leave the school, free and clear!

MONOKUMA: …Oh? You all seem so very quiet! Are you all down in the dumps because your class favorite was killed brutally?

MONOKUMA: Upupu..! And on top of that, we got an exciting, twisted double murder this time around! Though technically, Yoshinori isn't really a student anymore.

MONOKUMA: Let's say she got…expelled? Extorted? What's a good word?

UNMEI: T-there's no good word for that…

[…While that doesn't help…I'm still reeling about something else. I can't seem to comprehend…that we're inside a computer program.]

KEIKO: Hey, Monokuma, I have a question for you.

MONOKUMA: Oh? Well, that's inquisitive. Fire away!

KEIKO: We can't…we can't really be inside a computer program, right?

MONOKUMA: Reality is what you make of it. I can only tell you what I believe to be true, but maybe this world is the real world after all!

MONOKUMA: …Psych! I'm totally kidding, this world was created from the down-up, using a program you all read about already.

ANSWER THE QUESTION: What program do we know about that confirms this virtual world..?

The Neo World Program.

The Future Foundation Rehabilitation Project.

The Enoshima Computer Efficiency Center.

KEIKO: This is it!

KEIKO: …We read it on the main computer, through that file you sent us. The note called it…the Neo World Program?

MONOKUMA: The Neo World Program was ultimately for students that were affiliated and joined up with Super Highschool Level Despair.

NOAH: Super Highschool Level..? That's awfully associated with the Hope's Peak Academy.

MONOKUMA: Indeed! You see, our creator, the one and only Junko Enoshima, was filled with despair all the time!

MONOKUMA: Despair is a beautiful thing. It brings out the raw emotion inside each and every one of you meat sacks – despair is not chained down by morals or retrospect. In the end, it's all sadness.

UNMEI: Um, so you're suggesting that we're inside this…Neo World Program?

MONOKUMA: Yeah.

NOAH: …But the Future Foundation Rehabilitation Project was using this program in order to get those students rehabilitated. More specifically, away from despair.

MONOKUMA: Uh huh.

NOAH: Y-you can't be saying that we are some of the test subjects of this experiment, can you?

MONOKUMA: Oh? You don't want to be a part of Super Highschool Level Despair? It's a very prestigious group. Especially the ones that came to participate in this little…rehabilitation project.

[We're Super Highschool Level Despair..? No, that can't be right. We're not a part of that group.]

MONOKUMA: Aside from the legitimacy of your surroundings, there is a more striking issue that you guys should start talking about now.

SHOUGO: B-but, we can't really focus on the murder until we know for sure what we are…and what we're up against.

MONOKUMA: You guys can't figure that out on your own?! I even gave you soo much evidence and indications of what you actually are!

KEIKO: We're...we're Super Highschool Level Despair then..? What does that even mean? What does that say about us?

MONOKUMA: Hmm, you guys don't really seem to have any reaction to any of this, do you?

NOAH: It's just, we don't exactly know what the group is. We know Junko Enoshima started it, and she loves despair, but…is it an antagonistic group?

NOAH: Not to mention…it's still hard to believe we're in a computer program. What does that even mean? Are we… artificial intelligence?

MONOKUMA: …

MONOKUMA: …While I would love to talk to you about the semantics of your origin story, I really do think you guys should get a move on here.

[Our origin story? Is he confirming that we truly are in Super Highschool Level Despair?]

SHOUGO: Well, alright. We'll get back to that later. I guess we should talk about the murder now?

MONOKUMA: Well, I don't mind if you talk about some other things before you get to the actual killing stuff, you know.

MONOKUMA: Cogito, ergo, sum. I think, therefore, I am.

MONOKUMA: Upupupu! What makes you think you're really in a computer world?

UNMEI: H-huh? But you already told us that we are.

MONOKUMA: Yeah, well, this might help you.

MONOKUMA: Plus, I can't say I'm not…disappointed with the boring look in your eyes. None of you are feeling any amount of despair or whatever!

MONOKUMA: Boohoo…and I worked so hard on the build-up.

KEIKO: It's just, it's not the weirdest thing we've seen at this place.

KEIKO: I don't think anyone finds it hard to believe that this might be a program…

MONOKUMA: Well, convince me! How do you know for sure that you're in a program, huh?

KEIKO: F-fine! I will…jeez.

[What else tells us that we're in a virtual world..?]

ANSWER THE QUESTION: What else tells us that we're in a virtual world?

Yoshinori as a robot.

The Future Foundation Rehabilitation Project.

The numbers on the wall.

KEIKO: This is it!

KEIKO: Well, when we were investigating…all of a sudden, the walls lit up with these strange green numbers that were like…painted on the walls.

NOAH: Made up of "0s," and "1s," which are the numbers that establish the coding language.

MONOKUMA: Very good..! You guys are so bright.

MONOKUMA: I'm so proud of my students! They have such great conceptual awareness..!

SHOUGO: I-is he crying?

UNMEI: But what does that mean for us..? What are we?

MONOKUMA: Nope! Zip!

UNMEI: But you brought us on the subject! Why can't I ask questions?

MONOKUMA: This is a very complicated case, Unmei! Ones that would even shaft past your expectations! It's my responsibility to guide, poor helpless ducks, to the great ocean!

SHOUGO: I'd rather be in a pond…

[…Why is Monokuma so pushy, for this trial? What did he tamper with..?]

KEIKO: …

KEIKO: Hey, Monokuma, why are you so…pushy right now?

MONOKUMA: Me? Pushy? That's my job. As your headmaster, I must be strict and efficient.

KEIKO: But you're acting so controlling over this trial. Usually you just let us talk everything out, until we completely steer off course.

MONOKUMA: Well, like I said, this trial is a bit of a…special case.

KEIKO: A special case, huh?

MONOKUMA: Upupu, I'll let you guys figure out how though! It's not my job as a headmaster to make sure that prepubescent ducks down drown!

SHOUGO: D-don't put us in the ocean, then.

NOAH: …The reason that Monokuma is acting so pushy, is because this trial seems to be a special case. That's what he's saying.

NOAH: So in that case, all we have to do is decipher his intentions.

[…Why would Monokuma be acting so strange towards us?]

[…Let's think it through. It has to be something that Monokuma was talking about. Just a few moments ago, Monokuma nailed this fact into our heads:]

ANSWER THE QUESTION: What did Monokuma constantly remind us of?

We're in a virtual world.

We're a part of the Future Foundation Rehabilitation Project.

We've forgotten all of our memories.

KEIKO: This is it!

[So assuming that Monokuma wants us to figure out what exactly is going on…maybe it has to do with the fact that we're in a virtual world? But what could possibly relate that to this trial?]

KEIKO: Monokuma's been mentioning this…"virtual world," to us a lot. Is he saying something about that is related to the case..?

NOAH: Something about our surroundings?

[If I'm right…then Monokuma is specifically talking about…]

Soundtrack: HOPE VS DESPAIR! 2nd Mix

==PHASE ONE==

Nonstop Debate!

Usable Ammunition:

::1 | The Catacombs

::2 | Monokuma File No. 5

::3 | Map

::4 | Future Foundation Rehabilitation Project

::5 | Final Dome Layout

NOAH: The fact that we're in this "virtual world," as Monokuma puts it…

NOAH: Somehow greatly impacts this case. Is that what he's implying?

UNMEI: Well then, how about we just come up with a bunch of ideas until we find something?

SHOUGO: Why don't you start then…

UNMEI: Well…

UNMEI: [Maybe Monokuma or the program sabotaged us in someway?]

SHOUGO: No, that can't be it.

UNMEI: W-well, why not?!

SHOUGO: Because…

SHOUGO: Monokuma is not allowed to interfere with these murders, remember?

UNMEI: So what do you think then?

SHOUGO: ==It's probably…something related to our investigation?==

NOAH: What does that mean..?

NOAH: I find it more likely that…

NOAH: Someone was able to take advantage of our computer world and plan our their murder that way.

UNMEI: Ughh! There's no way we're going to figure it out!

KEIKO: I concur!

Ammunition Used: The phrase [Maybe Monokuma or the program sabotaged us in someway?]

Soundtrack: Class Trial Dawn Edition Vol. 2

KEIKO: Shougo is right… Monokuma interfered with our investigation somehow, didn't he?

SHOUGO: Oh! …Uh huh!

NOAH: He interfered in what way..?

KEIKO: …

[I have to think about a discrepancy there was during our investigation… At least something out of the ordinary?]

ANSWER THE QUESTION: Did anything out of the ordinary happen during the investigation?

Yoshinori was killed.

Monokuma didn't let us in the catacombs.

Monokuma ended our time early.

KEIKO: This is it!

KEIKO: Maybe… Monokuma is stressing importance on the catacombs themselves…

SHOUGO: The catacombs?

KEIKO: Well, think about it. When we first went to the museum and tried to get down into the catacombs, what happened?

UNMEI: …Oh! Monokuma didn't let us down..! He said he had to do some sort of fixing, or renovating.

UNMEI: …Huh? But what does that have to do with our virtual world?

KEIKO: Well, think about it. How was it possible for him to have fixed the catacombs?

NOAH: How did Monokuma fix the catacombs..?

UNMEI: You mean…because we were in a virtual world, he was able to fix them?

KEIKO: It's…it's just an idea. Maybe Monokuma was able to use some sort of weird code to fix whatever happened down there.

NOAH: It's possible. Remember during our investigation, the walls around us turned green and started to display strange numbers?

NOAH: But then that would mean...

Soundtrack: A Dead End to the Ocean's Aroma

NOAH: Monokuma is able to alter our surroundings whenever he'd like. Isn't that right Monokuma?

MONOKUMA: ...Upupu.

SHOUGO: Woah, woah, wait! That means that Monokuma can completely do whatever he wants with us! He can kill us right now if he wanted!

MONOKUMA: I wouldn't do that! That goes against the rules of the game.

KEIKO: …

KEIKO: So, Monokuma, what exactly did you do to us..? It's related to the catacombs, isn't it?

MONOKUMA: Mayyybe...

UNMEI: You wanted us to figure it out, right? Well, we did! You did something to us down there, didn't you?

MONOKUMA: Mayyybe...

KEIKO: So what would have happened if we went into the catacombs when you were "fixing" it up?

MONOKUMA: I don't know. You probably would have gone all twisty. No one would remember you – you'd be deleted. Wiped clean – an error, so to speak. But aside from that...

MONOKUMA: There's a part of me that thinks you guys still doubt this "virtual world" thing you're a part of.

UNMEI: W-well, yeah, this is kind of a bullshit thing to hear, you know! How do we know you're not just messing with us?

MONOKUMA: What? You need more proof that I can do whatever you want?

SHOUGO: ...It would be nice. Because I still don't believe it.

MONOKUMA: Well, let's see... lemme think of something.

MONOKUMA: Oh, how about this! Think long and hard about something that happened to a fellow student of yours.

KEIKO: A fellow student..?

MONOKUMA: It'll be pretty clear to you what I mean after you can answer my question.

ANSWER THE QUESTION: What's Monokuma talking about? What happened to one of my classmates?

The deaths of everyone at Hope's Peak.

Hikaru was burned alive, but returned unharmed.

Yoshinori turned out to be a robot.

KEIKO: I got it!

KEIKO: Y-you mean Hikaru?

MONOKUMA: Yeah, remember that guy? He got arrested for some shit. According to you guys anyways. He also got set on fire – and was nursed completely back to health by me!

Flashback!

Hikaru's smoking body burned an image into my mind. His entire body was on fire – and I could hear him scream through the muffled noise of the flames. Monokuma stood over Hikaru's crouched body, flamethrower clutched in his hand. [Chp. 3 Sec. 5]

NOAH: ...What about Hikaru? You treated him, didn't you?

MONOKUMA: Oh come now, Noah. A smart guy like you should know that a burning to that degree wouldn't be treatable! Especially because you're allegedly a policeman.

NOAH: So you, what? "Programmed" him back to health? I still can't believe that.

MONOKUMA: Fine. Then let me think of something else. If I can't convince you that you're in a virutal world, I'll just have to show you some proof, won't I?

KEIKO: Proof..?

MONOKUMA: I think this one will speak to you, Keiko. Just wait a few moments please!

[Monokuma disappeared after that. We all had to wait in suspense for a few minutes – until our attention was diverted to a blaring noise coming behind us.]

NOAH: ...The submarine is coming back up.

[The submarine indeed was rising from the water. Out from the hatch, Monokuma appeared out of nowhere, and he reached downwards as if he was grabbing something.]

Music Halts

[And he started to pull. I could hear him screaming something incomprehensible down into the hatch, as if to wake something up. After a sigh, Monokuma came back and returned to his seat, as we all stared at the submarine in disbelief. Something was coming out of the hatch, and it was coming towards us.]

KEIKO: ...W-what..? No way...

SHOUGO: This isn't real..!

[Mirai came out of the submarine hatch, and took walked over to his usual seat he'd take at the class trials.]

MIRAI: ...Hmph.

KEIKO: Mirai..?

Soundtrack: Re Distrust

UNMEI: Mirai..! You're alive..? Did Monokuma do this..? But how?

MONOKUMA: Maybe I "programmed" him back alive, Unmei. Maybe it was all cause of me!

KEIKO: …

[Something's not right...Mirai isn't like his usual self. He seems...so sinister right now.]

MONOKUMA: Upupu, go on. Now that Mirai is here, perhaps we can end the class trial right now! Just go on and ask him some of your favorite questions about murder.

NOAH: W-what do you mean? You're telling us that he'd remember who killed him?

MONOKUMA: Never know until you try.

UNMEI: ...Mirai? Are you okay?

[...Mirai isn't responding. He's not even reacting to us at all.]

NOAH: ...Keiko, you try talking to him.

KEIKO: O-okay.

KEIKO: ...Mirai? You can hear me, right? You're just ignoring us right now, right?

[He turned to me...]

KEIKO: Mirai, what's going on? How are you alive again..? W-who even killed you in the first place?

MIRAI: ...Who even killed me?

MIRAI: What are you talking about? I was never killed.

UNMEI: T-that's not true! We can go back to the dome and find your body right now!

MIRAI: ...Is that right?

MIRAI: ...Oi, bear.

MONOKUMA: Yes, ma'am?

MIRAI: What's going on..? Is this some time of act you're putting up?

MONOUMA: What do you mean?

MIRAI: …

Music Halts

MIRAI: Why do these people keep calling me Mirai?

Soundtrack: New World Order

KEIKO: ...Huh?

MIRAI: Who even are you people?

KEIKO: …

NOAH: …

UNMEI: …

SHOUGO: …

MONOKUMA: ...Oh, that's right. You don't remember anything.

MIRAI: ...No, that's not true.

MIRAI: I was waiting in line at this theme park with my friends. We lined up to this haunted house, and as I went in, I blacked out.

MONOKUMA: ...Is that right? Upupu, very interesting.

MIRAI: And then I woke up here.

MIRAI: ...Is this part of the attraction? This is kind of cool...

KEIKO: ...Y-you don't remember.

MIRAI: What?

KEIKO: ...You're not Mirai.

MIRAI: Who? My name isn't Mirai...

MONOKUMA: …Upupu.

"MIRAI": ...I don't see how'd this be part of an attraction though...I'm in a completely different place.

KEIKO: Mirai...

"MIRAI": Stop calling me that...my name is Kuro Yamagishi, not Mirai.

KEIKO: No...that's not true.

"MIRAI": What do you mean..?

KEIKO: You're Mirai...you were our friend throughout this entire, fucked up thing. You saved us so many times...how can you not remember?

"MIRAI": ...Who are you people? Why am I here?

KEIKO: …

"MIRAI": I-I'm calling the cops. H-hey, where's my cell?

"MIRAI": A-am I kidnapped?! Did you guys kidnap me?

KEIKO: …

MONOKUMA: Wow, you guys. It's like he's a completely different person somehow!