ONCE UPON A TIME, there was but a poor CHILD on the streets in the dead of winter. He reached out to those passing by and offered to sell them matches. It was all that he knew.
One fateful night, as he was completing a transaction, his CUSTOMER took the matches and asked, "Do you know what I enjoy the most about FIRES?"
"No, I don't," replied the CHILD.
"I love the way they BURN and destroy anything in their path." He strikes a match and holds it up for observation. "It is a quietly refined BEAUTY; sparks flying, flames dancing, light flickering, lives snuffing out. Absolutely STUNNING, if I do say so myself."
The CUSTOMER grinned, displaying his razor sharp teeth. "Now, if you will excuse me, I will be on my way."
"I see. Farewell then. Enjoy yourself, sir."
And they PARTED WAYS.
...Later that night, the town BURNED.
It truly was a SIGHT to BEHOLD.
The one who intended to kill became the victim, and the once innocent bystander, the killer...It sounds outrageous, too outrageous-or perhaps just outrageous enough to be true. With everyone's undivided attention on him, Zachariah takes a sharp breath of air before going on to support his claim. A cobalt blaze burns behind him, all of his passion evident to the naked eye.
"There are no records of Lady Mayumi of Kichida in the Story according to the autopsy report. Therefore, it is safe to assume that she is no Character.
"Both the small feathered one and the vile rapscallion of a dragon have made one thing clear: the Laws of Storytelling need only apply to those marked as Characters! Without the label, one is free to ignore the rules set forth for us, including the locked establishments at night!
"From milady's testimony, we can deduce that Lady Mayumi was aware of the happenings within the Story. As such, she may have very well taken advantage of the fact that she was not bound to the Story's laws to carry out a crime most wicked!
A wave of silence passes over the Elites as we allow this new information to set within our minds. Difficult as it is to say aloud, the knight's points do make sense. A lot more sense, actually, than I would like to admit, for someone who initially seems ultra dense and obnoxious. Slowly, but surely, I speak up.
"But...but if the Laws of Storytelling don't apply to Mayumi, she shouldn't need to hurt anyone to leave," I point out, meeting Zachariah's suddenly stern hazel eyes, "She would just come and go as she pleases. The Curse can't stop a non-Character because it's part of the Story itself. Mayumi has no motive for murder."
"'Tis incorrect!" Zachariah counters fiercely, his words socking the bars of my cage in a navy blur of color. I stumble backwards to retain my balance. "Lady Mayumi knew of the Story ahead of time. To willingly subject herself to the danger of the Story by entering it implies that she had a different objective. She was not looking for escape; she specifically sought to eliminate someone from this cast of Characters!"
"Mayumi...she had a predetermined target?" I repeat carefully. The words settle on my tongue in an odd manner, jumbling about and leaving behind a bad aftertaste. Everything about what Zachariah said seems perfectly plausible, but something from deep within myself objects. I don't remember ever knowing a Mayumi Kichida, but my instincts are shrieking at me that she would never do such a thing-not without a good reason, at least.
"Indeed!" Zachariah nods briskly, "Lady Mayumi knew of the Story and its elements beforehand, including the identities of the Characters. She could watch and plan every move out ahead of time. An outsider is completely capable of premeditated murder, and using her status as a non-Character to achieve it."
I recoil in shock. Zachariah is actually making sense today-has the world gone mad? When did the white knight decide to change his occupation to ace attorney?!
"Why would she be so desperate to be rid of this target of hers?" Frieda wonders, speaking up from her golden perch. "She could have been content living her life on the outside, far away from this Curse and Story nonsense...but instead, she plunged into this insane realm of her own free will, just to do away with someone. I find that very hard to believe."
"Mayumi...she seemed to be well aware of my identity." I mumble, recalling a few of her last words. Ah...it's...you...Sad as it may be, I awkwardly find myself adding blocks to Zachariah's theory; that the victim was originally plotting to kill. "If we go with the idea that she knew us long before we knew her, it makes sense.
"Mayumi knows things that we don't. She mentioned that someone currently here doesn't belong and is dangerous; called them a Self Insert. If she truly thinks that this person can bring us more harm than even the Curse can, then she has more than enough motivation to leap out of the pan and into the fire."
"Alright, that's 'bout all I need to hear!" Johanna declares, bringing a foot down harshly. "So all's we have to do is find out who this Mayumi chick's target was, and that person's the perp, right?"
"Well, let's ask Estelle. You know, since she's been proven to be innocent and was the first to discover Mayumi." Ricard suggests, smiling anxiously. This whole trial must be especially stressful for him, the local conflict resolver. "Did you manage to ask her who her assailant was before she...uh...passed into the next realm?"
"I...I tried. I really, really did." I murmur, visibly deflating. "But Mayumi...she said it doesn't matter anymore and refused to properly answer."
"What?!" Lance roars, going pink in the face with anger. Violet surges up. "What an absolute imbecile! Of COURSE it matters who attacked her! Does she just WANT us to die or something?! Thanks a lot for nothing, dead girl!"
"Settle down, Mister Hawthorn," Carina groans, massaging her temples to alleviate some stress. "I'm sure Miss Kichida had her own reasons for not giving a name. For example, perhaps she feared for the remaining Elites' fates should this interloper be revealed. After all, Miss Malgosia did say that the Self Insert is apparently a force to be reckoned with."
"H-H-How are we supposed to f-find the killer n-n-now?" Ellanora sighs, sounding extremely dejected. "We've g-gone through so much e-evidence, and still come up e-empty h-h-handed..."
"Hey, now that's not true." Thomas disagrees with a tip of his mailman's cap. "We didn't talk about the missing paper from the Quest Board yet."
"Does it really matter at this point?" Michael yawns, throwing his arms behind his head. "Ever since Monoryuu showed up, all the Quests have gone blank. I doubt one missing sheet of white paper will affect us-or this case-that much."
"Doesn't that seem a bit...I don't know, weird?" Endi points out, the tiniest of frowns on his feminine face. "Why remove that single Quest out of all the ones on there? Something must have separated that paper from the others, which is why it got removed."
"Could it be...that there was actually a message...on there?" Cado asks, furrowing his brow in confusion.
"Oh, I gotcha, my man! It was probably disposed of cuz someone scribbled a raunchy line on there! Ya know, like an immature kid seeking self validation from their peers!" Jaxon laughs in a carefree manner. "Something like...Hey, baby! Are you homework? Cuz I'd sure like to slam you against a desk and do you all ni-"
"MOVING ON." Priscilla interjects with forced calmness, instantly shutting the wayfarer up. She wears a frighteningly sunny grin, which betrays the sinister, bubblegum pink aura she's giving off.
"Anyway, Nissa is super duper curious about what was maybe on the missing paper!" The Kind girl squeaks, twirling her baton around like a member of a marching band. "She kinda has a feeling it might be connected to the murder!"
"Just your intuition, eh, Sailor Star?" Mana asks, arching an eyebrow. Nissa nods enthusiastically, earning a heaved breath from the mercenary. "Should've known better than to ask you."
"Well, we gotta look at all the possibilities, right? So it might be true! Nissa pouts, puffing her cheeks outward. "Like, what if Mayumi came into the guild at night to leave us an important note? And then the first person to read the note took it down so the rest of us couldn't see it?"
"But what sort of message would compel someone to just remove it from the Quest Board altogether...? And why do you think Mayumi put up the note? I inquire, bringing a curled hand to my chin. "The front doors to the guild are always unlocked, according to Monoryuu. Anyone could easily access the Quest Board."
"I've got the answer!" Zachariah insists, his baritone booming across the makeshift. courtroom. Monoryuu yelps and leaps up in his seat from the volume, shooting the knight a dirty look. Zachariah, of course, ignores the familiar.
"No offense, Zach, but I didn't see anything else out of the ordinary in the guild." Thomas disagrees, shaking his head. "Well, I was kinda arguing with Lance for most of the time, but still." The aforementioned ventriloquist lets out an irritated huff at the mention of his name. He mumbles under his breath; something about not giving the mailman permission to use his name so casually.
"I have to side with Thomas on this one," Frieda chimes in, her abyss-like eyes half lidded, "I do not recall any other suspicious things from that part of the village."
"Oh ho! And that is where you are incorrect!" Zachariah argues, thrusting a pointer finger in the composer's general direction. Frieda frowns, opening her mouth (most likely to chide something along the lines of "it's rude to point"), but is quickly interrupted. "The finer details are often overlooked, as is the case here! Mayumi was indeed the individual who entered the guild and left that letter-only for it to be later destroyed!"
My ears perk up at the sound of triumph glistening in Zachariah's voice. I do vaguely remember his fixation on a few seemingly mundane items during our investigation. He's sure to bring them up now, I think, but can he really turn this trial around with just a few pieces of so-called evidence? Zachariah may have been able to stumble his way into offering a reasonable line of logic once, but twice?
"Alright then, humor me," I challenge, pursing my lips into a tight, straight line, "what exactly did you find that proves that it was Mayumi and not someone else who wrote up a Quest?"
"Think back to two nights prior!" Zachariah commands, slamming a balled up fist into an open palm. The impact is harsh and makes a statement of conviction. He is dead set on this route.
"Oh, yes! There was a terrible storm that time, right?" Priscilla recalls, resting her round chin on her hands. "Good thing it cleared by the mornin', 'else I doubt any 'o of would've gotten a wink of sleep!"
"There definitely was inclimate weather." I agree, shuddering at the memory of clapping thunder and flashing lights. "That's irrelevant to this matter, though."
"Is is very much relevant, milady!" Zachariah retorts fiercely, rattling my golden confines with furious navy blows. I need to fumble for the bars to keep myself from being knocked over. "The next morning, there were traces of a strange white powder at the guild entrance!"
"I do remember seeing something like that when I went out on my midnight stroll," I confess slowly, "though I didn't think much of it at the time. I assumed it was dust or something."
"Not dust," The knight informs me, his mouth furling into a frown, "but something that one of us here is very well accustomed to working with!"
"Er, Zach, buddy...I don't think anyone here deals drugs." Jaxon groans, scratching the nape of his neck. "I mean, granted, some of us are definitely more sketchy than others-"
"What the hell are you looking at ME for?!" Michael demands, not appreciating the wayfarer's wary look. "I didn't do anything, I swear!"
"That's what they all say~" Mana chirps, snickering to herself to the side.
"No, you've got that wrong!" I object, leaping back into the action. Everything has suddenly clicked. That's it; it's not just any powdery white substance, and it's not a drug. Something easily accessible, something that one of us readily uses...an item I had overlooked despite having dealt with it firsthand myself...!
"Oh? You know what Zachariah speaks of, do you?" Frieda giggles, to which I firmly nod. "Well then, I suppose you have a likely culprit picked out? Kindly point them out for us, will you?"
"Well...it's obvious when you consider that the only substance the powder can be is flour." I mumble, my eyes gradually drifting toward a certain Courageous student. I hesitate for a moment before calling out a name. "Isn't that right, Priscilla?"
"What? Lil' ol' me?" The baker repeats, pointing to herself. She tilts her head to one side out of curiosity, wearing a rather sunny, unfazed expression. I guess I'd rather have her happy-go-lucky personality present instead of...uh...her other one.
"Yes, you-you're looking really sketchy right now." I accused her pointedly. "Lance and I spent the day baking with you, and you were giving us very precise instructions on making bread. It seems weird that you wouldn't notice a newly opened sack of flour!"
"Hey, Bubbles is right!" Mana notices, narrowing her emerald eyes at her fellow Courageous student. "When I was investigation' the bakery with Mom, she didn't point out anything she spotted."
"P-P-Priscilla is the p-perpetrator then...?" Ellanora mutters, nibbling nervously on her lower lip. "No one would just c-c-conceal evidence like th-that..."
"Now hold on a minute, y'all..." Priscilla requests, holding up both of her hands in an act of innocence, "I have no idea what in tarnation you're going on 'bout.
"After Stellie and Lancie finished up their baking, we were told to go on a Quest. That took up the whole rest o' the night. 'N like I said 'fore, I got up early and spent the day after cleaning up after their play date. Turned in real early 'cause it plum tired me out. I didn't get 'round to completely cleaning everythin' up 'fore the body discovery announcement, so I figured don't bring up what ain't actual proof."
"Couldn't you have easily gotten flour much earlier? The moment you found a bakery in the village, you started making cakes and such for everyone." Endi points out, only to be met with a rebuttal from Carina.
"Priscilla would have had no reason to take flour with her. Monoryuu had not yet changed the rules," the falconer argues, shattering Endi's theory, "and it has already been clearly established that the killer was the one planning premeditated murder, not the victim."
"But the flour..." Thomas mumbles weakly, earning a chilling glare from Carina.
"Anyone has access to it, not just the baker." She clarifies, frowning at the mailman. Thomas hastily glances away, not willing to meet Carina's discerning gaze.
"She has no alibi the day of the murder, though! No one here can vouch for her, since Priscilla claims she was cleaning the bakery by herself!" Michael counters, not looking kindly upon the baker. "Let's just vote her up! She's so clearly guilty!"
"For your information, Mister Jagner, I happened upon Miss Olry on her way to an early bed time at the guild. She was free of flour at the time." Carina explains calmly, arms across her chest. "In fact, I greeted her in the morning as well, just as she was heading off to clean up."
"Oi, that doesn't change anything!" Johanna bellows angrily, her voice tinged with deep gravel, "The fact is that no one actually saw Sunshine 'n Rainbows doing what she says she was! That means she's lying! She's responsible for the flour and the murder!"
"You've got that wrong!" I yell out, bringing all eyes to me. "Lance and I can give Priscilla an alibi for the other day, but she doesn't need an other alibi for the day of the murder. When I went outside and discovered the body, there were traces of a white powder left behind at the guild, but not a whole lot.
"That means the culprit most likely sprinkled the flour around the night of the Quest-when Priscilla clearly had witnesses around-and the flour was wiped away later. And their motive for doing such a thing? To see if anyone went outside after curfew! Flour would catch footprints, and show that someone tried to leave."
Wait. Something doesn't seem quite right here. Putting down something to see if a student in the guild moved out...but why obsess over keeping track of it? Especially when Carina had established an additional clause so suddenly!
"Er, but that brings up another issue." Ricard sighs, glancing down at his feet anxiously. "Wouldn't this have had to have happened after Monoryuu showed up-or after the Quest? Otherwise there would be no purpose in seeing if anyone left when they weren't supposed to or not."
"There was still some time before night, or 10:00 pm struck when we returned from the Quest!" Nissa exclaims, leaping up on one foot. "Someone coulda gone then, all paranoid cuz of the new killing game idea, y'know? We went to bed as soon as we got back, quiverin' and shiverin'! As if the Quest wasn't already scary enough!"
"Speaking of Quests," Frieda brings up softly, "if we make the assumption that Mayumi left us that missing paper on the board, then we must assume that it was her footprints that were tracked in the flour."
"I see," Zachariah responds bluntly, his fingers wrapped around his chin. His eyes are strangely hard and analytical, bearing into Priscilla with the utmost of caution. "Miss Olry, if you do not mind my asking, was there a paper missing from the Quest Board when you turned in for bed early?"
"Golly, no. Everything was there, as it should be." Priscilla confesses, sugary sweet as usual. She pauses before adding, "When Carina and I were up the next morning, I did notice a paper gone. She was up earlier than me, though, so maybe it's better that y'all ask Carina here?" The baker gestures toward the student in question.
"...That is correct." Carina chimes in, although she is quick to avoid prolonged eye contact with Priscilla. "And with regards to the Quest Board, I am having trouble recalling its state prior to what Miss Olry described."
"Surely that can't be! You're one of the most detail-oriented people here!" I sputter in shock, gaping at the falconer. How can she claim something so absurd at a time like this?! "You couldn't have missed obvious evidence like a missing Quest!"
"Has it ever occurred to you, Miss Malgosia, that you are not the only one suffering from this ill fate?!" Carina snaps back venomously, giving me a death glare. "Plenty of us are aggravated and sleep-deprived as well! Don't you go around pointing fingers and subjecting us to your narrow mindset!"
I jump back, having not expected the bird keeper to react this violently. What's the big deal? All I did was comment on how odd it was for Carina to have not taken into account such a blatant clue!
"So you claim you did not at all look at the Quests beforehand?" Zachariah clarifies, prompting Carina to answer. The Loyal girl's eyes become dagger-like slivers as she exclaims her next line.
"Other than for the Manifestation Quest, I have not given the dreadful board a second glance." Carina says very slowly and carefully, as though addressing a young, ignorant child. "Why would I?"
"What're you talking about?" Priscilla pipes up, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. "You were staring directly at the Quests when I said good mornin' to ya."
Everything grinds to an abrupt, screeching halt. It's like walking into a brick wall-you're first hit with a dizzy, nauseous feeling from the initial impact, followed by the revelation of the event that has transpired. And then when you look back on it, you realize how dumb you were for missing such an obvious thing.
"Have you got it now, milady?" Zachariah inquires, his voice nearly a whisper-and yet for some reason, I can still hear him very clearly from across me. His face is painted with sorrow and disappointment for what is to come-the moment of truth; the final accusation.
I meet his hazel eyes as a new epiphany strikes me. He knew, I realize, he knew all along. From the moment this investigation ended, Zachariah had an inkling of who the killer was. But he didn't say anything, not until it was properly confirmed.
What do you want from me? The satisfaction of knowing that you were right? That you showed up everyone here, even the Wise kids? I want to shout all of my pent up frustration and questions at the knight, but it is not the time nor place for that.
"Er...Mister G-Garmont? A-Are you o-okay?" Ellanora squeaks, wearing a concerned expression on her face. "U-Um...cuz you just stopped t-talking all of a s-s-sudden..."
"Never better," he lies, continuing to gaze harshly at me. Ellanora glances back and forth between the two of us frantically, trying to piece together our unspoken words. Zachariah abruptly breaks off the eye contact and instead stares at his own two hands. They are visibly shaking, even from a distance.
...At long last, I understand what he is trying to convey.
No one wants to be the one to accuse another of murder-and certainly not if that other person is what one considers a "friend". Zachariah, who has already ended so many lives, doesn't want to be the one tasked with that. More blood on his hands. The guilt would weigh heavy on his shoulders, sinking his spirits.
I guess I owe it to the idiot for helping us out this far...even when we doubted him. B-But not because I feel bad for Zachariah or anything! Only because our lives are on the line!
So I speak.
"It's you!" I cry, jabbing a finger in the culprit's direction. "You killed Mayumi Kichida!"
Everything around us seems to explode, but my ears manage to drown out the surprise and outrage around me. Right now, it is just the Cursed and I, locked in a battle, our words as our weapons. This is the final chapter of this trial, I note. Time to take her down.
"...Beg pardon?" Carina hisses, her temperament instantly icy and hostile. A faint, ghostly shadow flickers behind her, a Manifestation on the brink of birth. "So now it's my fault? Do try to not go around accusing people willy-nilly, Miss Malgosia! This is a very serious matter!"
"Then explain yourself!" I demand, unwilling to back down. "Why did you claim you weren't looking at the Quest Board when you were?!"
"Well, that's clear, isn't it?" Carina shoots back hastily. Upon her shoulder, Icarus caws in a screeching tone at me. "To see what was written on the board, of course!"
"You confess to seeing a new Quest tacked up, even though you denied it earlier?" I repeat, not letting up on my verbal assault. Carina is a stubborn individual; it will take more elbow grease than this to coax information out of her.
"Look, I stated that I forgot before, but I remember now." Carina insists, her voice sharp as a blade. "There was a Quest from an unknown sender, M.K., so I thought to promptly dispose of it and not bring it up. We wouldn't want another mishap with the Manifestation Quest to occur. Unlike you, I try to learn from my mistakes.
"So I may be guilty of destroying potentially incriminating proof, but that is it! No murder had occurred at the time, so I am not at all liable for concealing evidence."
"What did the note say?" I push, turning Carina's cheeks a bright pink from irritation. After taking a deep breath, she proceeds to answer me. "What did M.K., Mayumi Kichida, write for us?"
"She had requested for someone-although she didn't specify who-to meet her at 11:30 pm in the candlestick maker's." Carina reports in a stern tone. "Being as suspicious as it was, especially after I implemented an additional clause to the night time rule, I tossed the paper out. We can't risk losing any lives because of another vague Quest!"
"Mayumi set up the trap at the candlestick maker's-else she wouldn't ask to meet at a place so out of place." I explain, holding my ground in combat. "And someone must have responded to her Quest, seeing as a struggle occurred. You were the only one to read the Quest, Carina! Driven by your paranoia, your call to duty...You were the only one who could have met her!"
"Nonsense! Anyone could have gotten up in the middle of the night and to read the Quest before me!" Carina insists, her Manifestation sparking in and out of reality like a fire trying to come to life from wet wood. She is trying to suppress her rage. "You were having issues sleeping-what's to say we weren't all awake with worry?!"
"They were fearful-they would have stayed indoors! You told them that going outside is a safety hazard-yet you went ahead and broke your own rule!" I remind her, grinding my teeth. "Admit it! You killed Mayumi!
"I did no such thing! The killer is currently wounded from a struggle with the victim, is he not? The only injuries you will find on my being are on my arms-various scratches and scars left from training falcons. No such human-like marks will be found on me."
"Prove it. If Mayumi and the killer did engage in a fight, they would have been facing each other. The killer would have sustained a wound on their face or torso. And you're always wearing your conservative red dress, Carina. It covers up nearly everything-wounds and leftover blood and all."
"Hah!" Carina sneers, letting out an airily high laugh. She's starting to sound delusional with her level of denial. "That's ridiculous! I have no need to make such an atrocious move. Look at me, Miss Malgosia! Do you really think I am fit enough and fast enough to kill another person, get medical supplies, plant evidence, and wash the victim's blood away? If Mayumi died at midnight, there's no way I could have gotten all of that done!
"You were present at the scene of the crime as the victim was dying, Miss Malgosia. You could have easily detected me if I tried to do anything."
"You didn't have to!" I rebut, sending Carina recoiling in terror. "The body discovery announcement wasn't made until nearly 7:00 am, while Mayumi died at 12:00 am. I had already passed out by that time. You had nearly seven whole hours to alter everything as you deemed fit!"
"Seven whole hours?! Then why am I to be blamed?!" Carina screeches like a banshee. Behind her, the Manifestation bursts into flames, entering as a fire bird, sparks flying, plumage the colors of the sunset parading about. The ethereal phoenix hovers above her, waiting for Carina's words to guide it. "Anyone else can be guilty! ANYONE!"
"No, not just anyone!" I argue, my own words forming a Scarlett red wyvern to match Carina's Manifestation. "The meat cleaver left at the scene of the crime had weird markings on its handle-non human markings. Only Mayumi could have entered the butcher's to take it as a weapon in the night, but a small flying creature could easily have retrieved it from her. A being with sharp talons-say, a falcon-could leave those makes behind on the handle. And being as cautious as you are, Carina, you'd let Icarus deal with the red herring for you while you tidied up your murderous trail of evidence!"
At last, the Manifestations launch off, clashing midair in a warm light show. Reds, oranges, and yellows collide as a dragon and phoenix brawl, flames entangling one another, seeking dominance. By the time the two illusions fade away, they have left the atmosphere tense. Icarus screeches at the top of his lungs, cheering the fight on.
"I tried to help her," Carina rasps at last, almost completely inaudible, "but I was too late...too late...TOO LATE!"
"Too late...?" Then, it dawns on me. "Ah! So the medical supplies weren't for the killer after all!" They were for the victim. Carina tried to save Mayumi while she was still alive, but she had already passed by the time she returned.
My gut clenches up in horror. Is this all just one big misunderstanding? Could everything have been resolved peacefully if we had just chosen to speak with each other like civilized human beings instead of savage heathens?
The air is suddenly pierced by the falconer's insane, almost incomprehensible laughter. Running her hands madly through her tangled, frizzy mop, she rambles off a bunch of nonsense unrelated to the trial. "Silence, silence, silence! I need silence! You scholars just think you're SO high and mighty, don't you?! Sitting around while the rest of us do your work for you...! That's a load of bull!
"I, too...I, too...I work hard for glory...! But it never comes...the recognition! THE RECOGNITIOOOOON!"
"Carina, I'll settle this once and for all. It's clear that you can't think straight at the moment," I promise the Loyal student, clenching my fists. She is starting to go mad, I suspect, from the pressure. "From beginning to end, this is how you came to kill Mayumi Kichida!"
A seventeenth student entered the Story a day or two ago. This person was Mayumi Kichida, an outsider who was well aware of this realm's mechanics and laws, as well as the ones residing in it. For reasons unknown, she had determined that someone in the current cast of Characters was dangerous and had to be eliminated. Mayumi planned to take this upstart out herself, and prepared a trap.
Meanwhile, we had just been sent home following the introduction to the fairy tale life of mutual killing. Fukushi escorted us back to the guild, which is when Carina proposed adding our own clause to the night time rule. This stated that we should stay in our bedrooms until morning to avoid possible casualties. She was concerned for our safety, but questioned the intentions of some of us. After we had turned in, Carina used this to her advantage to take flour from the bakery and scatter it about the guild entrance before a storm set in. The intention of this was to catch anyone who tried to sneak out of the guild in the night.
What happened next was something completely unexpected. Carina woke up early the next morning to check in the flour, and was surprised to find that someone had not left the guild, but rather entered. She rushed to clean up the flour, but left some behind. Carina then began investigating the guild for any weird changes, and found a note that Mayumi had posted up on the Quest Board, where she demanded that an unknown student meet her at the candlestick maker's at 11:30 pm that night.
Out of fear, Carina destroyed the Quest and decided to look into this matter on her own, not wanting to get anyone else involved after her last blunder. After all, recklessly dragging all of us into a random Quest almost got us killed by a Manifestation. Carina almost got caught in the act of disposing of the note by Priscilla. She had also woken up early, although it was to clean up the mess Lance and I left in the bakery from the day before.
Later that night, Carina went to the meeting place as described on the Quest-and she fell into Mayumi's trap! Carina tripped on the wire and was locked into the candlestick maker's with a horde of lard candles. Because Mayumi is not formally a part of the Story, she is not bound to its laws and thus had access to various buildings and supplies, even at night time. The smoke started to suffocate Carina, but she managed to break down the door. It was not locked, instead clumsily latched shut with a wooden board since they wouldn't autolock for Mayumi, a non-character.
Mayumi had been lying in wait outside for her victim to completely pass out before taking further action, but was surprised when Carina burst out. She tried to run, but Carina pursued after the unfamiliar face, demanding details. Mayumi gave an unsatisfactory answer or a threat, something that angered Carina and escalated into a full struggle. The victim had armed herself with a meat cleaver ahead of time, but Icarus managed to take the weapon from her. Because they were in motion as this was happening, Icarus left clear talon marks on the handle.
In the middle of the fight, Carina accidentally bashed Mayumi's head against the water fountain ledge, knocking her temporarily unconscious. Carina panicked and ran off to the apothecary's for medical supplies. She had sustained a wound from Mayumi, but stumbled to quickly bandage it and cover it up with her conservative dress. Since Carina was in a hurry to get back and help Mayumi, she left the shop in ruins while rummaging through for the right materials to save Mayumi, leaving traces of blood there. When she got back, the victim was already dead, and I had arrived at the scene of the crime. Realizing that she was guilty for murder, Carina sought to dispose of any incriminating evidence.
Unable to risk me regaining my conscious while she was cleaning up blood, Carina chose to avoid washing herself with water from the fountain. Instead, she retreated to the bath house, as indicated by the bucket of bloody, soapy water. Unfortunately for Carina, she left behind her medical supplies instead of returning them to the apothecary's, and forgot to hide the cleaver. Whether she purposefully did this out of guilt, anxiety, or to throw us of her track, I do not know.
Carina, not willing to risk returning to the crime scene, slipped back into her guild room with Icarus. Several hours later, Zachariah arose early for morning patrol and happened across Mayumi and I. And from there, well, you know how it went.
That's that!
The one who killed Mayumi Kichida was definitely you!
"...Isn't that right, Carina?" I say quietly, slowly bringing my eyes to hers. The falconer's pupils are constricted and frantic, staring back at me like a rabbit caught in a trap. It's a look of utter defeat, a complete mismatch with her usual stern, unwilling to budge demeanor.
"I...I...!" She struggles to find her words, trembling inside her sparkling cage. Flames spurt up like a geyser before dying back down. "I'm..." All of a sudden, her head droops like a wilting flower. At last, Carina has given up.
"Guil...ty..."
"...I have nothing more to say in my defense." The falconer adds in a monotone. Her gaze seems far and distant, almost as though she is possessed by a ghost. "It was a rather poorly crafted one to begin with. My fear and panic got the better of me, I suppose."
Around Carina, the Elites hold their breaths, waiting for what is to come. It's not pretty, but it's the truth. And what a truth it is. The leader of our group falling from grace so quickly...And a Loyal student at that! If the Loyal can kill, then who is to say a Wise, Courageous, or hell, even a Kind student, can't?! Horror surges up and gets caught in my throat.
"I am guilty of killing Mayumi Kichida. That is all."
"Carina...you..." My mouth flies open to demand more answers; clarification, to be exact. A part of me refuses to believe that Carina murdered Mayumi, even though she has already confessed to it. With such a strong will, with such leadership skills, with such a tendency to deliver justice...why would she do it?
"Speak no more!" Carina commands with a brisk wave of her hand, silencing me. Icarus stiffens, sensing his master's repressed anger. "This trial has already dragged on for far too long. Let us not waste any more of our time, as Mr. Hawthorn has already stated." A harsh frown smeared on her face, the falconer turns to a half asleep Monoryuu. "We are ready. Begin the voting."
"Oh, hell YEAH! I thought you'd never ask!" The familiar cheers, bolting up from his seat in a heartbeat. "Let's get this show on the road!" With a grunt, Monoryuu throws more of his energy into the court room, causing the flowers decorating our cages to lower in front of us. Right before my eyes, the petals of my flora morph into the pages of a leather bound novel, accompanied by a golden quill.
More witchcraft...
"Er...this is a neat little trick." Nissa offers weakly, her grin wavering. "W-We're gone here, so can Nissa go home now?"
"No one leaves until each of you has voted," Monoryuu hisses brightly, throwing a smile in the illusionist's direction. "Now! All's you gotta do is real simple...write down the name of the Elite you think is the most likely killer! The cauldron'll process all the information like a new-fangled com-poot-er and tally everything up!"
"I think you mean to say computer..." Ricard squeaks, raising a slightly trembling finger.
"Whatever, whatever!" Monoryuu cries, rolling his eyes at the hunter. "Why you gotta be so politically correct all the time? Just go with it and vote already!"
"B-But-"
"It's now or never!" Monoryuu cackles excitedly, flapping over to his cauldron. It has started frothing and spilling out an eerie neon green fog ever since the familiar announced for voting to occur. His impatience gets the better of him, for the dragon declares, "Five seconds to pick up that damn pen and put down a name, or you all get the axe!"
"Are you fucking kidding me?!"
"Five..."
"Oh my god, what do we do?!"
"Four..."
"Just obey the dragon before we all get killed!"
"Three..."
"Grrr, we have no choice!"
"Two..."
"Carina, please forgive me."
"One...!"
"VOTE ALREADY, YOU FOOLS!" Carina insists, her voice spiking up to a shrill volume. "DON'T WASTE YOUR LIVES FOR THIS!"
She doesn't need to tell us again. Various hands seize the quills hovering before them and scrawl a name down into their books. I, too, am quick to join in upon Monoryuu's sudden threat. Golden ink flows across the page, spelling out Carina Arcard. At once, the tomes before us snap shut with a resounding howl. Monoryuu's cauldron erupts with smoke, casting a dark shadow overhead.
"Let's see, let's see!" The dragon cheers, his giddiness almost frightening. Beside him, Fukushi pales to a sickly mozzarella white, a terrified squeal crawling out of his beak. He remains frozen in his cage, unable to stop anything, despite being our Narrator.
The smoke in the skies unfurls back to reveal a foggy face above. It's no surprise whose it is. Even so, I break out into a cold sweat, heart thumping hard against my chest. Is it in guilt or anticipation of what is to come?
"Well, well, well! Looks like you guys voted for Carina Arcard as Mayumi Kichida's killer!" Monoryuu laughs, bellowing at our pathetic position. He's clearly the one running the Story now. "And you would be...CORRECT!" With a clap of his claws, the familiar sends a storm of festive confetti down upon us.
I don't feel particularly celebratory. I doubt anyone else does, either. We just found a murderer in our midst, someone who called themselves our ally...what is there to be grinning and sharing slices of cake about? Carina herself even appears to be more miffed at the pseudo-celebration than her conviction.
"I gotta say, though...I'm disappointed in you, Sir Knight," Monoryuu pipes up, casting a dirty sideways glance at Zachariah. "You ruined what could have been a perfectly unanimous vote! Neh, neh! No one likes a dumbass party pooper!" The familiar makes a face at the Courageous boy, who turns away to avoid direct conflict.
"What do you mean by that?" Carina inquires, narrowing her eyes at the dragon. "It is clear that I am the killer; I even suspect that Zachariah knew long before any of the others did. No one in their right mind would purposefully vote someone else up. The very idea is ludicrous."
"Oh...but he did." Monoryuu mumbles, downtrodden and gray. "What kind of stunt...are you tryin' to pull here, huh? You're a lad with common sense...yet you voted for yourself, and not her...Why didn't you go for the one who was clearly guilty? Quit tryin'...to be a big Hero, you dipshit..."
"I have no duty to answer to you." Zachariah replies smoothly, baritone sharp as a blade. Monoryuu recoils at his sass, letting out an irritated hiss. "But if thou must know, I believe myself to be responsible for not being more alert during my many patrols. Had I been more cautious, perhaps I could have prevented this tragedy from playing out. That is why I voted for myself and not Lady Carina as the guilty party."
Everyone knows he is bullshitting, but his eyes blaze with a quietly concealed, defiant rage. I wonder how someone like Zachariah can be so silly and yet so profound at the same time. He really is an oddball.
"You think you can talk back to me, ya punk?!" Dark Monoryuu roars, the ground at our feet shaking precariously. "You better take back them words, or I'll-"
"You are not involved in the matter. This discussion need only apply to us; the Characters." Zachariah insists calmly, his eyes honing in on a certain falconer. Monoryuu fumes, but surprisingly does not lash out at the knight. "I, for one, wish to hear Lady Carina's side of the Story. Her motive was not as simple as escape, am I correct in saying so?"
My ears perk up. The knight is full of surprises today. First revealing that he knew the killer all along...then purposefully defying Monoryuu to make a statement. And how this? Claiming that all is not what it may seem? He really is a Courageous fool, isn't he?
"Zachariah, that's a bit far fetched-" I begin to say, but Carina immediately interrupts.
"He is right." The falconer whispers, clenching her stomach in disgust. "I...I tried my best...my very, very best to make sure that we would all make it out alive...and then Mayumi showed up and threatened the peace. I had no choice but to...!"
"You mean because she tried to kill one of us? Cuz we already know that part pretty well." Mana sighs, worn out and slightly irritated from the trial. "And you wanted to escape really badly, yeah? You were the one to initiate the first Quest 'n all, Birdbrain."
"No-although that may have played an integral part in the events that transpired that night! Please properly enlighten us, Lady Carina," Zachariah prompts gently, his voice barely audible, "on your true motive."
The Loyal student looks doubtful, her lips in a tight line as she stares questioningly at Zachariah. After everything we have gone through, is there more to the mystery than we had originally thought? How lucky is Zachariah to have guessed all of that...? Or perhaps it isn't just luck, but logic?
Actual, honest-to-goodness logic?
All eyes slowly drift to Carina.
"Very well then. I shall speak if you will have me." The falconer announces, caving in to the knight's request. "The reason behind my loathsome actions...to begin with, Mayumi Kichida was expecting a specific victim out of the sixteen of us to answer to her Quest. And her intended victim...in killing them, Mayumi would achieve her ultimate goal of destroying hope."
...What?
"Wait, so...so Mayumi was a bad guy?" Thomas mumbles slowly, eyes widening at Carina's declaration. "That doesn't make sense! She was trying to warn us of an interloper right? Mayumi must be on our side!"
"I...I was not under that impression when I first encountered her." Carina confesses, Icarus crouching by her cheek as a form of encouragement. "Everything did occur as Miss Malgosia said.
"I was on edge following Monoryuu introducing us to the fairy tale life of mutual killing, of course I was on edge, and proposed the additional night rule to keep us safe. I still did not entirely trust everyone yet; so I used a simple tracking method with the flour.
"Imagine my surprise when there were footsteps leading into the guild rather than out! Of course, I removed what flour I could and checked the guild for any oddities. Mayumi had left a note asking an unknown person to meet her at 11:30 at the candlestick maker's. Foolish as I was, I hid the note and decided to meet the stranger myself. After all, I could not risk putting my classmates in danger a second time.
"I fell into her trap, but managed to throw the door open. I saw Mayumi's fleeting figure and pursued. With Icarus's assistance, I was able to corner her by the water fountain. She had a meat cleaver in her hands, so I approached cautiously."
"You there. Kindly drop your weapon, and state your name and reason for being here."
"I will do no such thing. I serve...a higher being. You have no right to demand any information out of me."
"Listen to me, newcomer. Put the cleaver down. You could seriously hurt someone. Hell, you could have killed me with that confounded trap of yours. Don't tell me...you plotted this all out? You wanted to do away with me?!"
"Oh, no, no, no. You have it all wrong. The message was meant for someone else. You're not my target; you simply took the bait before they had the chance to bite."
"Just what exactly is your goal? You're not a Character I've ever seen before...and if you're trying to kill one of us, you certainly can't be siding with us."
"Nonsense; I shall restore order to this Story by ridding myself of the unnecessary elements...namely a little something you like to call hope."
"N-No! You can't do that...! I won't allow it! Hope is all we have let in our dire situation! Don't you realize that?!"
"Are you stupid? Hope is like a disease, a cancer! You're better off without it than with it. Keep hope alive in its pathetic vessel, and you will be met with a Tragic End."
"Lies! If you mean to kill off an Elite that so clearly symbolizes hope, you are our enemy. Leave now, and I will turn the other cheek."
"You have no authority over me. Only the Author decides what I can and can't do-and my orders were very clear. Destroy anyone who disturbs the flow of the Story...and this someone happens to be a particularly hopeful individual. Anything in excess is hazardous, after all."
"You can't be serious. I forbid it! Killing is not welcome under any circumstances, no matter how dangerous you claim this...this unknown Elite to be. And hope will never die, even if you try to be rid of it!"
"Oh? Who exactly is going to stop me? You, Carina Arcard? And your little falcon, Icarus, too?"
"H-How do you know our names?"
"I know all about you people as a Reader. Everything, down to your sweetest dreams and darkest fears..."
"Impossible! Y-You can't possibly-"
"I know it all. You were raised in the Arcard household, watched strictly and guided by the hand every day of your life. Too bad you didn't become the ideal lady and scholar your parents wanted you to be. What a disappointment to see that you took up bird keeping instead of keeping the family legacy alive!"
"S-Silence! You keep your nosy face out of my personal affairs!"
"My bad. It must be so bothersome knowing that you'll never be acknowledged by your own flesh and blood. Perhaps that is why you were to desperate to take on the role of leader for the Elites? To prove your own worth? To parents and relatives that may or may not accept you anyway?"
"Grrrr...Know your place, curr!"
"Ho-hum. Look here, Arcard. As fun as this idle chit-chat is, I have no bone to pick with you, the misfit daughter of some scholars. Step out of my way and let me put an end to your misery."
"You...I don't trust you. Put down your weapon. Now. Or I will have no choice but to restrain you."
"I welcome the challenge. It is your own funeral if you choose to be in my way...though I suppose it doesn't matter how many people die here, so long as the threat is promptly eliminated. Heroism survives all hardships; hopes does not."
"Let's test that theory out then, newcomer."
"Hee hee...let it be known that even if I fall here, others are watching. It will not end until the Story is returned to normal and hope is dead. Your true enemy is both hope and despair!"
"SHUT UP!"
...
...
...!
"Urgh!"
"O-Oh god...Oh god! What have I d-done?! You...are you okay?! Speak to me! Hey, I said speak to me!"
"...ven..."
"What was that?!"
"For...ty...sev...en...is the lucky number...give forty seven...permission to...to...End it..."
...
"S-She's not moving!
"C-Calm down, calm down...she's only unconscious! S-She still has a pulse; she'll be fine with some medicine and bandages! I-I gotta get to the apothecary's before...!"
"But it was too late. By the time I returned, Mayumi was already long gone." Carina hangs her head in bitter shame and defeat. "It was a complete accident. What occurred as an attempt to suppress her from bringing further harm to the Elites resulted in her death. She struggled so much, even giving me a chest wound. Mayumi truly believed that what she was doing was right."
"It was just a bit misunderstanding after all...!" Ricard gasps, bringing his hands to his mouth. "I don't know whether to be relieved or even more upset."
"Wait a minute, what's with all the crazy mumbo jumbo that Mayumi chick blabbed about?!" Johanna demands, bringing a foot down firmly. "So is she with us or against us?! Sounds to me like she's working with Monoryuu, since she knows so much shit about the Story!"
"How should I know?!" Carina shoots back incredulously. "Just because Mayumi shouted some things at me doesn't mean I comprehended all of them! Even now, I am unaware of who her intended victim was. She attacked me, and I fought back. I didn't have time to think about what she mentioned in the moment."
"You said she called herself a Reader...and that she serves one called the Author?" Frieda repeats, cradling her chin in one hand. "Quite suspicious indeed. If this world is known as the Story, then it stands to reason that a Reader is tasked with watching us. That might explain why she knew so much. And an Author...authors write stories, so they may be responsible for putting us in our current predicament."
"And Mayumi was planning to kill one of us...to kill our hopes of escape!" Endi adds anxiously, wringing his hands together. "That doesn't sound very nice at all."
"N-Nissa thinks Mayumi was working with a group." The illusionist squeaks uneasily. "Cuz she said there were other Readers...s-so we aren't out of the woods yet. Not even close!"
"Just what the hell are we up against?!" Jaxon cries, face palming. "Man, oh man...what've I done to get myself into this hot water?"
"Sounds like the mafia or somethin' to me!" Michael grunts unenthusiastically, wrinkling his nose in confusion. "Or even worse, maybe..."
"Worse?" Cado's brows furrow with worry. He evidently doesn't like the direction this conversation is going in.
"W-What really bothers me is the number Mayumi s-said before she died..." Ellanora admits, fumbling with her fingers. Fixated on math again, as per usual. "Forty seven...what s-sort of significance does that h-have?"
"Again, I am not sure." Carina shakes her head stubbornly, unsure of the answer herself. "But I suppose it doesn't matter at this point, now does it? I have committed a crime...and now I must pay for my sin."
"W-What?" I sputter, struggling to choke my words out. "C-Carina! You may have killed Mayumi, but it's clear that she didn't have the best intentions in mind for us! You shouldn't be punished for trying to keep us safe!" A murmur of agreement follows my argument, but is quickly interrupted by the local asshole.
"Your boorish commoners!" Lance snarls, his small face crimson with rage. "Don't you realize? It doesn't matter whether it was an accident or not, or how pure her motive was or not! Carina still put an end to a life and tried to cover it up!
"In fact, why didn't she confess to it right away and save us the time we wasted on this trial? Because she tried to get away with the murder and save her own heinie by sacrificing ours!" Carina's mouth flies open to argue, but Lance shuts her up. "And don't you dare try to deny it! You know perfectly well what the hell you were getting yourself into the moment you picked a fight with the Reader girl!"
"...Maybe so. Perhaps I deserve this cruel fate." Carina avoids the ventriloquist's icy glance, her eyes traveling from Elite to Elite. She lingers on my, her lips pulled back into a sad smile. "At first, I did act as the leader of the group in an effort to prove myself. My family never respected my decision to choose training falcons over pursuing my studies. If I could get into Camelot Academy and lead my own classmates against a common foe, then maybe, just maybe, I would be accepted.
"But after getting to know everyone here, I started to realize that I don't need anyone's approval to feel worthy. The other Elites are just as odd and zany as I am, and we accepted each other for that. For the first time in my life, I feel complete...ironically, here, in the Story, where dangers are around every corner.
"This was my chance to start anew, to be someone different, to be my own person, not the person my parents wanted. I don't want to be like my family, nor will I ever be like my family. I am my own person, and in struggling against my assigned role to create a new identity for myself...in trying to protect my new allies, my friends...this happened."
"In the end...your diligence was your undoing, Miss Arcard." Fukushi murmurs, collapsing into a feathery blob of sorrow in his cage. He looks like a broken man-er, owl-utterly betrayed at the fact that one of his beloved Characters would dare murder another.
"Indeed it was!" Light Monoryuu cackles, interjecting the touching moment. "Now then, it's time to proceed with the execution!"
"S-Surely thou must jest!" Zachariah protests, slamming against his cage bars. "'Tis a cruel and unusual punishment for an accidental crime!"
"Who the fuck asked you, smartass?!" Dark Monoryuu sputters, spit flying out of his mouth. His single scarlet eye pulsates with an eerie aura. "This is how things work in the real world, lover boy! The bad get punished and the good have a laugh at it!"
"No, stop this madness!" I declare, chiming in with Zachariah. "Carina did nothing to deserve this! Let her free!" At once, the other Elites begin shouting at the dragon too, voicing their disagreement with the execution. Fukushi even joins in at some point, squawking about injustice.
"Sorry...no can do..." Monoryuu insists, a sinister smile etched across his scaly face. "The Cursed will now be punished accordingly! An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth! Let Carina Arcard meet the same fate as her victim, Mayumi Kichida!"
The same fate...a literal execution...in other words, death!
"Let's give it everything we've got!" Monoryuu exclaims happily, deaf to our protests. He launched up himself into the air, spinning around like a demented ballerina. His three different personalities seemingly speak at the same time. "Bring the Loyal Falconer's Story to an tragic End! IIIIIIT'S PUNISHMENT TIME!"
With a flicker of light, Carina and Icarus vanish from their cage and into thin air. While we panic about their sudden absence, Monoryuu remains the sky, laughing wildly as his cauldron erupts with a cloud of green smoke. When the sickly veil clears up, the dragon has gone missing as well. In addition, a ghostly image now floats above the blackened pot, like a projector playing a horror movie.
My throat goes dry, my hands clammy.
What sort of sick Story is this?
Carina emerges in the projected image provided by the cauldron, firmly strapped to an ornate bird sculpture, a fuse sticking out of the bottom. In the backdrop is a beautiful sunset, reds, oranges, pinks, and yellows. Icarus circles overhead in panic, unsure of what to do.
She struggles against her confines, but finds herself powerless against the strong ropes. Monoryuu pops up beside the falconer, his annoyingly squeaky cackles silenced by blaring execution music. Throwing us, his unwilling audience, a childish wink, Monoryuu lets out a line of fire, lighting the fuse on the bird sculpture. Music swells up.
FLYING HIGH!
Carina's muted scream is unheard as she rockets off into the sky. She goes soaring up, up, up, nearly touching the sun itself. Carina's face, pink and sweating furiously, is very prominent. Monoryuu cheerily floats nearby, tossing handfuls of black and white feathers at her from a picnic basket, as though in celebration of her death. The feathers dance midair before incinerating into nothingness.
Icarus attempts to catch up with his mistress to ensure her safety, but fails to do so, instead getting caught in a pink cloud of what appears to be cotton candy. Meanwhile, Carina and the bird sculpture veer around and steers toward the ground, eventually planting itself on a beachy landscape, the waves calmly lapping the shore and the sun beating down gently.
The falconer heaves a sigh, still alive somehow, but likely high on adrenaline. Again, she lets out a grunt and tries to free herself from her confines. Suddenly, Carina freezes up, raising her head to the setting sun in the distance.
Slowly, but surely, dark figures approach, their screeches shrill and horrifying. Carina's eyes widen, her pupils dilated in fear. A cast of falcons sail towards the Loyal student, beaks sharp as daggers. Monoryuu leaps up next to Carina with two glow sticks. He waves them frantically, signaling the falcons to hone in on her.
In but a few moments, the birds of prey have gotten to Carina. Like the myth of Prometheus, they tear away at her flesh cleanly and efficiently. Magenta blood and guts fly, tainting the sand the colors of the sunset. Carina's limbs flail and tremble...and then they go limp.
A flame expels from the Loyal girl's body, taking the shape of her Manifestation, a phoenix. With one glance at its now passed on physical form, it takes off to the skies, leaving behind a shower of light. It has moved on to a higher plane of existence.
Monoryuu skips about Carina's corpse, ecstatic at her death. From above, Icarus finally lands on the scene. The falcon lands on a rocky crag, glancing in confusion at his mistress. He approaches slowly, prodding the nook of Carina's neck. She's cold; she doesn't move, her face bloodied and her torso open, organs hanging out for the world to see.
Icarus realizes what has happened. His eyes wet. He buries his head in Icarus's sorrowful scream rings throughout all of the Story.
The Cursed, Carina Arcard, is gone-and she's not returning.
But I feel just as guilty.
We all do.
It happens right before our eyes, and yet we are powerless to stop it. We're still trapped in the forest with a deranged dragon and a potentially dangerous traitor, with a mastermind and minions pulling all the strings. All we have is each other and an owl with a heart motif on his stomach.
Some would-be Heroes we are.
"Ahahahah! What a Story!
"To think that those kids would actually get it right...they must have the devil's own luck!
"I wonder how things will play out for them from here on out. The Story should still progress as planned, if not with a few minor...tweaks, thanks to that person, no doubt.
"Hm, poor Mayumi though. Made out as the bad guy so early on! Quite naughty of her to pull that stunt off...and to blab so much...The Author wouldn't be happy with that.
"What jolly good fun. Twists and turns, thrills and chills...I haven't felt this entertained for a long time.
"Hm, I suppose I should remain on standby for now. Wouldn't want to make the same mistake Mayumi and Carina did.
"After all, diligence leaves you dead as a doorknob."
TRIAL 1: END!
15 / 16 ELITES REMAIN
Hello, Danganronpa fans! =7= Finally, the first trial is done! Er, it took a while because of my EMT training classes, so sorry for the long wait. I'm working on PoisonBanana's Daycare Danganronpa one shot next, so the next OMMM chapter will be out in a few weeks.
Aaanyway, there you have it. Your killer, your execution, some more overarching plot related stuff. Badda-bing, badda-boom. Oh, and Zach actually being...smart?! Shocking, isn't it?
I'm so sad to off Carina...I have a soft spot for those Ishimaru-like characters, but it had to be done...
Well then! Mayumi seems to know much more than she lets on! Whose side is she really on? What is her motive? Is hope really the enemy? Is she trying to throw the Elites off the trail? Any theories? I'd love to hear them!
Now, rapid review responses, go!:
PoisonBanana: I swear...you are always the first to post a review on a new chapter! How are you that quick, man?! On another note, I'm glad you like the additions I've made to the class trials. It gives a surreal, mystical element to the story, which is odd, given that you're supposed to be logical during the trial segments. Yes, it is nice to see all sixteen students in action. And, well, you know now! Were you right?
Shaggy Rower: Yay! I'm so happy people like this new aesthetic. Ah, good point. Mana and Michael would be particularly skilled with traps, although I'm not sure about Zach. He has a pretty in-your-face sort of strategy when it comes to dealing with his enemies. Maybe not this trial, but in future trials this information may come into play...
Saiynt: Welcome back! I've missed your elaborate reviews! You're right to assume that there's more the Mayumi than meets the eye. Not everything about her has been revealed yet; she will continue to be very relevant, even in death. I'm glad to see that the reveal of the 17th student was so well received.
Oh, goody! Another fan of the magical elements of the trial! Happy to see that you're thoroughly enjoying OMMM! I tried to make the execution as detailed as possible without being so graphic that OMMM would turn into M for guts and gore. Hopefully it was satisfactory.
KomoriRin: Manifestations, Manifestations everywhere! Oh, everyone does have their own fantasy creatures that represent their inner spirit. They usually manifest during bold declarations. Otherwise, they form various shapes and just bright flashes of light sometimes. This trial focused mainly on Estelle's dragon-y thing and the killer's phoenix. Having too many familiars would muddle the trial up. We already have a large enough cast as it is!
Oooh, throwing an accusation Endi's way, eh? Well, you never know! If a Loyal student can kill now...who is the say a Kind student can't in the future?
RoboVolcano4: Ah, thank you for understanding my predicament! And I made your heart go thump-thump with my writing! Yay! Yeah, Johanna is free (for now)! Another survivor under our belts! Everyone seems to like the Manifestations during the trial, which is good.
Lance is the Togami of this group, what did you expect? Sympathy? Maybe from Toriel, but not Lance. ;)
misthallery: Whoa, three entire times?! You must have really overanalyzed the crap out of OMMM! Er, hopefully there are no glaring or major flaws.
Huge Ace Attorney nerd right here! *points to myself* Zach makes a perfect comedy duo / young lawyer duo with Estelle. You'd never expect it, though!
Nice guess. I did try to trick you there for a moment in this chapter when Priscilla is called out for the flour. But in the end, she helped (kind of) to point out Carina as suspicious!
Perhaps, perhaps. Frieda does get a lot of interaction in with Estelle and Zach, doesn't she? She plays devil's advocate quite often, and pushes Estelle (in her own...unique way...) to work harder.
Aw, why thank you!
RandomGuyonthestreet13: Hohoho! Timid Ellanora, a murderer? Then again, Mikan killed some people, so we can never be too wary, huh? And Michel can be pretty sketchy too...
Done with the review responses! I finally got a proper drawing tablet, so I plan to do artwork for OMMM; perhaps a new cover page. Suggestions will be taken via reviews if you would like to contribute. In other news, upcoming FTEs will feature Jaxon, Ellanora, Frieda, and Nissa!
Phew, I'm tired from doing CPR for two days straight...that's it for now. This is the Internet Exploring, signing out. I hope to see you all next chapter!