Never Say Never Ch 3 Act 27, a dangan ronpa kibou no gakuen to zetsubou no koukousei fanfic

Never Say Never

Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa or the characters associated with it.

Chapter 3

Act 27

You told me that I don't have a talent, but I do! I do have a fucking talent, god-damnit!

…

"Why…did I…say that…?"

…

You…this is all YOUR FAULT!

…

"This…wasn't supposed to…"

…

YOU DID THIS TO ME! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU STOLE EVERYTHING FROM ME!

…

"I never meant…I only wanted to…"

…

GIVE IT BACK! GIVE MY DREAM BACK TO ME, YOU BASTARD!

…

"I can't…I…don't know how…"

…

Hurry up and vote…put me out of my misery…

…

"V-Vote…impossible…I have no right…to judge…after all I've done—"

Yes…yes, you do!

A loud gasped echoed as a young man with black hair and vibrant red eyes regained consciousness. Panting exhaustedly, the young man looked around and immediately recognized his surroundings.

The class trial courtroom, as ominous as always, was made even more disparaging due to the fact that it was completely devoid of people. Not a soul was in sight…save for him…and one other.

Kiyotaka Ishimaru, the Ultimate Moral Compass, stood in council with himself…a white haired, flaming eyed young man, a reverse mirror image of himself. They stood opposite each other, with Taka in his normal place, and his double directly across from him.

So many thoughts; swirling, contradicting each other, pushing him further and further into madness…all of them jumbling together so fiercely he scarcely recognized that he'd fallen silent.

A sudden scoff earned his attention.

"So…what now?" his off-color duplicate asked, folding his arms and glaring expectantly.

"…I…I'm not sure…" Taka answered, a wave of nausea hitting him as he realized he was conversing with himself…or at least another part of himself.

"Hesitating again?" his other self questioned, a disapproving stare locking their eyes together. "Doubting yourself, perhaps?"

"N-No!" Taka tried to retort. "T-That's not what I'm—"

"This is just like when Mondo betrayed us…you couldn't do anything," the doppelganger almost seethed, but quickly began to chuckle. "You couldn't decide if you were angry, hurt, relieved, or even hateful…so let Monokuma decide it for you."

As the double's words echoed, the circle of podiums vanished, leaving only empty space between Taka and his doppelganger. Empowered by this, the white-haired double took a step forward, forcing Taka to retreat backward. One step after another, the doppelganger forced the Moral Compass back, a malicious laugh echoing.

"Rules are meant to be obeyed at all costs! That's what you decided!" his duplicate shouted, a fiery aura of power surrounding him as he moved closer and closer to Taka. "And you didn't hesitate to enforce those unfair rules, even at the cost of your morals! But that should come as no surprise! After all, that's what it means to be Disciplinary Committee Chairman!"

The double was so close he practically spat in Taka's face, causing the Moral Compass to rear back. As he did, his back suddenly pressed against the courtroom wall, keeping him from retreating further. He glanced at the wall for a moment before twisting his gaze back to meet his doppelganger's…who now stood inches away from his face.

With a confident, almost sadistic grin, the duplicate said, "You wanted the power to keep everyone in check. To maintain order at all costs. Even if it meant turning your back on those who once trusted you."

"N-No! I didn't want to hurt anyone!" Taka insisted, trying to reason with himself. "I just wanted to keep my classmates safe—!"

"Safe? Ha! You can't lie to yourself!" the doppelganger mocked, his aura growing stronger. "If you really wanted to keep them safe, why did you expose their secrets? You knew it would ignite the buried distrust among them, but you did it anyway! And why is that?"

"I…I wanted to—"

"You wanted to hold dominion over them. You wanted them to follow the rules without question…so that you could control every aspect of their lives." The white haired, blazing eyed double scoffed loudly and shook his head. "In doing so, they'd be 'safe'. It's that right?"

"Y-Yes! That's right!" Taka concurred, finally feeling a bit of relief. "If I could maintain order, through following the academy's rules, then I could keep another murder from occurring—".

"Is that why you antagonized Celeste? Pushed her beyond her breaking point?" his duplicate inquired, sarcasm heavy in his voice. "It's almost as if you were inciting her to murder—".

"You're wrong!" Taka forcefully shouted, pushing his double away from him, finally giving him space to breathe. "That was never my intention! Everything that I've done, I did for the good of all my classmates!"

A heavy silence filled the vacant courtroom as Taka stared down his duplicate, who had gone strangely quiet. After a few moments had passed, the double huffed and hung his head.

"…Tell me, just who are you trying to convince?"

"What?" Taka asked, raising an eyebrow at his double's words.

In response, the white-haired double lifted his hand and pointed directly behind Taka. Wary of what may be in store for him, the Moral Compass slowly glanced over his shoulder. To his shock, a mirror now hung on the wall behind him. Hesitantly, he approached it, and as he stood before it, his entire expression became horrified.

"…What? What's going on?!"

The image that was reflected back…wasn't his own. It was that of his double…that of Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ishimaru. Even as he backed away from the mirror, he knew what it had shown him was his true self. He could feel the strange burning around his eyes, the rippling power of the aura encircling his body, and even though he couldn't see it, he knew his hair had gained a bright sheen of white.

As panic began to overtake him, the only question that formed in his mind was…how long had he been like this?

"Do you see now?" the voice of his double asked, surprisingly gently.

Turning around, a loud gasped escaped Taka as he stared at himself…his true self. The double's hair was now a deep shade of black, and there were no flames coveting his bright red irises. It was almost as if they'd switched appearances…but Taka knew that wasn't the case.

He'd been blinded…blinded by his own foolishness and depravity. He couldn't see things as they truly were…not even his own appearance. But now, as clarity slowly came back to him, an overwhelming sense of shame began to burrow its way into his soul.

Sinking to his knees, Taka's hands flew to his face as he openly wept.

"What…what have I been doing?" he asked 'himself', desperately trying to find the answer. "Why did…I allow myself to commit…such heinous acts against my classmates?"

There was a pause, which seemed to last a lifetime, before his double spoke.

"…I think you already have the answer to that question."

Without warning, a hollow laugh began echoing all around the room. A familiar…hateful…conniving laugh…that would haunt Taka for the rest of his days.

Upupupupupupupupu! Eyahahahahahahaha!

Monokuma's demented laughter seeped into Taka's ears, the noise stinging his eardrums and causing him to clench his teeth. He curled into the fetal position on the floor, barely able to withstand the horrid cackling.

Fortunately, as quickly as it came, the laughter echoed in the distance and finally ceased, leaving Taka alone with his double once again. Slowly, pulling himself up into a kneeling position, Taka took a moment to inhale deep, cleansing breaths.

"What…What do…we do now…?" he asked 'himself' once more, searching for guidance.

"'We'?" his double replied, almost sounding offended. "There is no 'we'."

Shock engulfed Taka as his gaze shot up to see…nothing. His duplicate…was gone. He was now alone, in the silent, empty, lifeless courtroom. Rising to his feet, Taka suddenly found himself standing at his podium. However, he was still the only one present. In place of his classmates, sepia portraits of each of their faces took residence in their spots…save for one.

Celeste stood across from him, her eyes red and puffy, with streaks of mascara marring her cheeks. Taka winced as he took in the newly formed bald patch on the side of her head, regret worming its way into his soul as he accepted that…she had been right.

While he couldn't condone her actions…there was no refuting the fact that his reckless and insensitive actions had led them to this point. The gambler's disheveled appearance burned into his red irises, and he was consumed by an overwhelming urge…an urge to correct the mistakes that had nearly destroyed his classmates.

"We're…not so different," he concluded, feeling more ashamed for not realizing it sooner. "We both did what we thought was best…but disregarded how it would affect others."

It wasn't a true comparison, but in his own mind, it felt like it. For even though he'd never conspired to kill anyone…his actions drove someone else into that madness. And for that, he knew there was no forgiveness.

"…Miss Luden—Celestia Ludenberg. I know that I will never be able to apologize for what I've done to you. But at the very least…I can use this vote to set things right!"

As his voice echoed, he felt a change come over him. The white sheen of his hair reverted to a deep black, the flames in his eyes flickered and extinguished, and the malicious aura surrounding his body exploded outward…a bright flash overtaking his vision.

…

A moment later, everything was as it should be. His classmates stood at their podiums, staring at him with varying degrees of expressions. Monokuma rambled on about proceeding with the vote, but Taka barely registered the bear's voice.

Instead, he took a deep breath…and prepared himself for what he knew was a foolish idea.

"I VOTE FOR MYSELF!"

"…Say wha?" Monokuma uttered, completely taken aback by not only being interrupted, but the absurdity that was echoing in its ears.

"I SAID, I VOTE FOR MYSELF!" Taka once again shouted at the top of his lungs, his boisterous voice piercing every eardrum in the courtroom. "I WILL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL OF THIS! I DEMAND TO BE EXECUTED IN PLACE OF CELESTIA LUDENBERG!"

A plethora of murmurs echoed around him as the students were both shocked and horrified by his announcement.

Makoto, for the first time, didn't have a hopeful comment, staring at Taka with his face twisted in abject horror. Sayaka wrapped her arms around herself, squeezing tightly as she fought to keep from trembling, keeping a stern visage. Leon unsuccessfully tried to keep himself from imagining a metal collar dragging Taka down a dark hallway to his execution. The baseball star's knuckles whitened, his teeth gritted tightly as he glared furiously at his friend.

Byakuya huffed at this unexpected turn of events but kept quiet. His eyes scanned the room, evaluating everyone else's reactions, flinching a bit when he noticed that Toko was staring at him, seemingly unconcerned with Taka's announcement. Pretending not to notice her, the Affluent Progeny fixed his visage into a scowl, patiently waiting to see the outcome of this unprecedented event.

Junko's jaw hung slack as she stared at the Moral Compass, her expression a mixture of horrified and furious. And although Kyoko's trademark stone faced appearance didn't budge, behind her eyes a noticeable worry became visible. Standing next to her, almost in stark contrast, Mondo's emotions ran rampant. His face was twisted angrily, but his eyes showed nothing but fear and anxiety as he gripped the rail of his podium. Across from him, Chihiro struggled to keep her breathing under control, desperately trying to call forth words of objection to Taka's declaration.

Sadly…no such words came.

Meanwhile, as Taka's decision rang out, Hina finally lifted her downcast gaze, staring at the Moral Compass with eyes full of terror. All the anger she'd had for Celeste momentarily vanished as she was consumed with worry for her classmate's safety. At the same time, Taka's words also startled Sakura, who finally tore her concerned gaze away from Hina and focused it, almost furiously, at the Moral Compass.

As the entire courtroom hung in silence, Hifumi struggled to comprehend Taka's sudden decision. He'd expected the Moral Compass to be as furious as he was about Celeste's betrayal. After all, both of them had been used and discarded by that manipulative witch. It was only natural that someone who held up justice and order above all else would vote for her downfall…so why then hadn't he done it? Was he not vengeful? Didn't he want to see Miss Ludenberg be punished for her misdeeds?

Then, a thought occurred to him, one he'd fought to keep buried underneath all his rage.

"Does Mr. Ishimaru…forgive her?" he pondered, taking in the Moral Compass' determined visage. "How…how could he do that?! After all she'd done…all that she tricked me into doing…how could someone forgive such heinous…acts…of…betrayal…"

Like a tidal wave, guilt flooded Hifumi's mind. By all rights, he didn't deserve to be forgiven either. Even if he'd been tricked, he'd still been willing to murder Taka for the sake of his digital princess. And while the bloodlust had eventually faded…it didn't change the fact that he almost allowed all of his classmate to be put to death for his own selfish bid for a happy ending.

Even so…he just couldn't forgive Celeste for taking advantage of him! He wanted her to hurt, to feel the same agony he'd experienced, but…when he really thought about it—

"Okay…hold on, I don't get it," a confused and familiar voice interrupted the silence, breaking Hifumi's train of thought. As one, the class turned to see Yasuhiro Hagakure scratching his head with a dumbfounded expression. "If you vote for yourself it doesn't really change anything, man. I mean, Celeste is still beating you by like four votes. So, unless you get more votes, you can't switch—".

"THAT IS NOT THE POINT!" Taka roared, aiming his voice toward Monokuma. "I DEMAND THE ABILITY TO VOTE FOR MYSELF!"

"…Yes, yes, we're all aware of that," Monokuma calmly, and a bit annoyed, replied. "However, I don't think you understand the gravity of—".

"I WILL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR MY ACTIONS!"

"…You already said that," the bear groaned, rubbing its eyes as the frustration began to build.

"HONOR MY VOTE! PUT ME TO DEATH IN MISS LUDENBERG'S PLACE!"

"…Would you please stop shouting?" Monokuma respectfully requested, beginning to lose patience. "I am trying to run a respectable courtroom—".

"NO! I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR TRICKERY!"

"You are going to ruin your voice like that, young man!" the bear shouted back, finally losing its temper.

"YOUR CONCERN IS UNNECCESARY!"

"My concern is hearing loss for the rest of the class!"

"…Seriously…" Hiro quietly commented, plugging his ears preemptively.

Strangely enough, an awkward silence followed as Taka glanced around the room. All eyes were on him, and he knew he'd been making a fool of himself. He'd let himself get carried away by emotion again. Upon realizing it, he took in a deep breath, exhaling audibly.

"I…apologize for my outburst," he began, his tone firm. "However, I stand by my decision. I wish to be executed in Miss Ludenberg's place—".

"Tough shit."

The entire room was startled as Celeste spoke up herself. She'd been silent throughout his tirade, but it seemed that she'd had enough. She appeared a bit uneven, given that her hair extensions were now missing, and a patch of hair had been torn out, but she still managed to look fearsome. Not to mention that fact that her voice was absolutely seething.

"You can't change the rules, so just get over it. I don't need or want your god-damn pity."

Her crimson eyes glared at him, as if challenging him, and the Moral Compass had to fight not to flinch. Noticing this, Celeste almost smirked before locking the expression away, obviously feeling victorious. However, her expression immediately darkened, mentally preparing herself for whatever outcome he chose.

"Now…vote properly. Either have me executed or be thrown to the proverbial wolves. Those are you only—".

"I refuse."

His outright refusal made Celeste's eye twitch. "You've gotta be fucking kidding me," she said, exhaustedly looking toward Monokuma. "Can I just vote for myself and—?"

"No! I won't allow it!" Taka effortlessly retorted, matching her gaze with fierce determination. "I won the right to vote, and therefore, I will vote how I please!"

A low growl escaped Celeste, but before she could muster a response, Monokuma cut her off.

"Okay, okay, everybody quiet down…especially you," the bear pointed accusingly at Taka, making the Moral Compass finally fall silent. Taking a moment to let the silence sink in, Monokuma cleared its throat and said, "I want you all to know that, from this point onward, we're gonna have more straightforward voting…because this shit's gotten too complicated…"

"And whose fault is that?" Junko off-handedly commented.

"Yours. I am specifically blaming you for all of this."

Monokuma didn't appear to be joking…which was more than a little strange. Regardless, Junko flinched…falling silent in what appeared to be contemplation. Grinning at her silence, the bear continued, "Anyway, we are in a strange position that I never considered happening. To think…someone would volunteer to be executed on someone else's behalf! I'd like to say I planned for this…because I did! Oh, such a despair inducing moment has finally arrived! Ahahahahahaha!"

The bears twisted laughter rang out, and a chill ran through the class' spine…until the laughter abruptly ceased, and the bear sank down, plopping its butt on the tabletop.

"Unfortunately…the ultra-despair inducing plan I slaved over for 40 days and 23.167 hours…doesn't work in a bullying trial!"

Raw frustration, unlike anything the class had seen before, oozed out of Monokuma as its plight became known. If the bear had been capable of crying tears of vexation, a waterfall would have poured from it's mismatched eyes.

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Kyoko questioned, as sharp as ever.

Letting out a deep sigh, Monokuma picked itself back up, and answered, "I took bleeding hearts into calculation when I set up the class trial system. For a normal class trial, only the blackened will be executed once found, so absolutely no one would be allowed to take their place. But bullying trials have no blackened! Thus…my dilemma."

A sense of dread seeped into the atmosphere as Monokuma's explanation sank in.

"Well then, am I correct in assuming this means you're considering the option for this particular trial?" Byakuya spoke up, almost delighted by the twisted turn of events.

Monokuma gave no response, sitting in council with itself, humming with indecision.

"How very interesting…" the Togami Heir grinned in anticipation before glancing toward Taka. "It seems you may, in fact, have your desire granted. As insane as it might be. After all, no sane person would even consider trading their life for that of a remorseless murderer—".

"Blow it out your ass, jerkwad!" Leon suddenly interrupted, slamming his fists onto his podium. The Togami Heir sent a sideways glare his way but remained silent as he continued, "Yeah, Celeste is a bitch, but no one…absolutely no one deserves to go through that kind of hell!"

In spite of his abrasive insult, as the baseball stars words echoed around the room, the weight of his statement seeped into everyone's ears. His speech was rather potent, as no one could forget the sight of him, collared and dragged down a hallway to what would have been a horrific death, had Junko not intervened.

Even so, Byakuya seemed less than affected by his words. Scoffing and folding his arms, he countered, "Then you approve of Taka's decision? And here I thought you were supposed to be friends—".

"We ARE friends, jackass!" Leon shouted, again cutting the Togami Heir. "And I never said I approved of his stupid idea!" Ripping his gaze away from Byakuya, the baseball star settled it onto the newly returned Moral Compass. "Like hell am I gonna let you pull such a bullshit move! Dying in her place won't accomplish anything!"

"H-He's right!"

Unexpectedly, a timid but firm voice echoed after Leon's, and the baseball star turned, in shock, to discover that it was Chihiro backing him up. The petite programmer was trembling, obviously nervous and shaken up by the proceedings. However, despite all that, she finally managed to muster the rebuttal that had grown inside her since the moment Taka made his foolish announcement.

"I-If any one of us is executed…Monokuma wins! I know we need to punish Celeste, but this isn't the way!" she shouted, her voice strong and confident, her determination inspiring. Everyone, Taka especially, was taken aback by the sheer willpower exuding from her. Using that momentum, she drove her point home. "We can't… let Monokuma have its way…no matter what! So please…take it back! Don't throw your life away!"

Chihiro squeezed her eyes shut as she finished her tirade, desperately hoping her feeling reached her classmate. Silence followed the programmer's speech…but it was eventually shattered by a melancholy voice.

"…I am sorry, Chihiro…but I cannot honor that request."

Chihiro's eyes snapped open, tears stinging the corners of her eyes as she lifted her head and stared, completely horrified, at the Moral Compass. For his part, Taka managed to hold himself together. After all, he'd made this decision and he couldn't reverse it now. He wanted to comfort Chihiro…assure her that everything would be alright, but he didn't have the heart to lie to her.

"I have…wronged you…all of you…" he began slowly, trying to make his classmates understand. He lowered his head, as if bowing to them. "If I had not allowed myself to fall victim to Monokuma's deception…if I had been stronger…a better leader…then none of this would have happened!"

His head shot up, and his crimson eyes flared with unwavering determination!

"I will take responsibility for defiling your trust in one another! I will be the one to atone for all the madness that I caused! And…even if Miss Ludenberg hates me for it," he paused as he glanced her way, taking in the infuriated scowl marring her face.

"You're such…a god-damn loser!" the gambler abruptly shouted, her furious expression intensifying. "Do you think sacrificing yourself for me will, in any way, redeem you for what you've done to me?! Do you think that just because you'll trade places with me, I'll forgive you?! Just. Like. That!"

Taka didn't respond, taking her rage-filled rant head on. His silence only further infuriated Celeste, clenching her hands into fists before spinning around and bashing her hand into the slot machine.

"Hell no!" she screamed in rage, slamming her hand against the machine a few more times as she ranted. "No. Way. In. Hell! I would rather DIE myself than let someone like YOU take my place! The…humiliation I would suffer would be far worse than whatever Monokuma could possible think up as an execution—!"

"You really shouldn't test my creativity when it comes to executions," Monokuma abruptly warned, a malicious grin overtaking the automaton's face. "I've got ideas for a volcano barbeque and a thorny vine climb followed by—!"

"Stay the fuck out of this!" Celeste cut in, someone shutting up the maniacal bear. Taking just a moment to compose herself, the gambler locked her furious gaze onto Taka and finished, "I don't give two fucks if you wanna off yourself. Hell, I'd even help you with that, if you wanted! But…I will NOT let you try and punish yourself before I get a shot at it! YOU HEAR ME!"

Taka took her words in stride, listening to each and every syllable and processing everything she said very carefully. However, rather than be phased by her comments, he instead drew strength from them, hardening his resolve even more resolutely than before!

After all, her situation was entirely due to his negligence. And he knew this was the only way to take responsibility.

"No…Miss Ludenberg…I will be the one to die this day! Not you!" he finally replied, further infuriating the already fuming gambler. Disregarding her obvious anger, he continued, "But please…don't weep for me, my classmates! For I know that my sacrifice will not be in vain! Live on, my classmates—no…my friends. Live on and survive this horrific affair! Bring the Mastermind to justice! And…in time…I hope you can forgive this foolish failure of a Moral Compass…for nearly leading you all to death…"

As he finished what he believed to be his own eulogy, Taka took a deep breath and prepared himself for death. He knew his classmates would object, but none of that would matter once Monokuma's decision was made. And, given how bloodthirsty the bear had been lately, the Moral Compass had no misgivings about what that decision would be.

Today…Taka would atone for his sins…with his life.

Even if Monokuma pulled an upset and denied him that right, he could always threaten to vote for Celeste to be spared, thus denying the bear any satisfaction whatsoever. If faced with that dilemma, Taka was certain the two-toned bear would rather have a real execution and give in to his request. It was a carefully calculated strategy that Taka was simultaneously proud and ashamed of.

After all, plotting one's own death was a twisted mentality to begin with, even if it was for the right reasons. Fortunately, the strength of his convictions was unbreakable. And although he feared death as much as anyone else, if he could give his life to right the wrongs he'd committed…then it would all be worth—

"Don't give me that bullshit!"

*SMACK*

Taka never saw it coming…a fist, filled with righteous fury, plowed directly into his jaw, spinning him around and off-balance before face-planting into the floor with a solid thud. Pain… stinging, raw, pain coursed through the Moral Compass' face as he lay on the floor, completely at a loss for what had happened.

Rolling over, the Moral Compass' eyes widened as Mondo Owada stood over him. He would have scolded the biker for his aggressive actions…had he not seen the tears waterfalling down Mondo's cheeks.

"Don't be a god-damn idiot!" the biker shouted, his voice slightly cracking. Reaching down, Mondo yanked the Moral Compass up off the ground, holding him by the collar and shaking him with both hands. "How the hell am I supposed to forgive you for throwing your life away?! I can't forgive anyone who tries to pull a stupid stunt like that!"

As if reacting to the fury in Mondo's voice, Taka's visage hardened, as did his resolve. His hands shot up and grabbed the biker's wrists, jerking himself free of his classmate's grasp.

"I don't have any other choice!" Taka refuted, matching Mondo's furious gaze. "Monokuma will find a way to have an execution! It's only a matter of time! Even if it's not during this trial, eventually, one of us will have to face execution! And if that's going to happen, I would rather—!"

Before he could finish, Mondo's pompadoured head slammed into his own. Blinding pain ached through Taka's skull as he reeled back, grunting and rubbing his forehead. He couldn't even open his eyes, the agony of the blow forcing him to squeeze them shut.

"What the hell kind of talk is that?!" he heard Mondo shouting at him, this time unable to retort. "When the fuck did you lose faith in everyone?! Do you really think that after all the shit we've seen, all the bullshit we've put up with together, we're gonna fall to fucking pieces and start killin' each other?!"

As he was lectured by the biker, Taka somehow managed to force his eyes open, glared up at the biker just as he finished his tirade. Gritting his teeth, the Moral Compass found himself moving before he realized it, slamming his own fist into Mondo face.

The biker, used to those kinds of attacks, barely flinched, though he did appear to reel a tiny bit from the force of the punch. Seeing the hit had little effect and feeling a bit defeated that he'd resorted to physical violence for the first time in his life, Taka retracted his fist and seethed.

"I WILL take responsibility for my actions!" the Moral Compass insisted, mentally preparing himself for the possibility of Mondo hitting him again. Closing both hands into fists, Taka stood firm as he shouted, "I must atone for my crimes against our classmates! After everything that I've done, there is no way I can ever forgive myself—!"

"Then don't!" Mondo cut him off, shouting over and silencing him. "No one said you need to forgive yourself or atone or any of that other shit! I ain't exactly the shining example of purity either! You think I'll ever forgive myself for I did to Chihiro! Hell no! I'm gonna hate myself for that for the rest of my life!"

Neither of them knew that just across from them, Chihiro flinched at those words. And even though she wanted to chime in and refute the biker, she knew that now wasn't the time for that. So instead, she watched in silence as the two hard-headed men continued to debate.

"But that ain't the fucking point!" Mondo continued, almost completely unaware he had an audience. "It ain't about forgiveness or atonement! All that matters is that we live through this fucking mess and try not to go fucking insane along the way!"

"Some things are more important than mere survival!" Taka insisted, pushing himself up on his toes to try and match Mondo's height, to no avail. "And if I don't at least attempt to atone for what I've done, then all the suffering I've caused will—!"

"Then all you gotta do is 'whatever you can'!" Mondo interrupted again, stomping his foot angrily. "Just like Junko always says, you just gotta do what you can for now and it's fucking enough! Hell, without her, most of us would be dead! And all she did what was she could! So I'm doin' the same thing! Just trying to do what I can, when I can, because…because…"

He trailed off momentarily, as if losing his will to speak for a moment. Glancing just beyond Taka, the biker caught a brief glimpse of Junko, who met his gaze and nodded firmly to him. Clenching his fists and drawing strength from the sight of her, Mondo regained his fervor and shouted, "Because I'm fucking weak! I tried to be strong and do the right thing but just like you, I let my weakness nearly get everyone killed! But do ya see me trying to off myself because of it—?!"

"You did ask to be executed during your trial, though…" Hiro quickly, and foolishly, pointed out.

"Shut the fuck up!" Mondo instantly replied, making Hiro squeal in terror and hide down behind his podium. Taking just a moment to get himself back on track, the biker turned his gaze back to Taka and continued, "Yeah…I fucked up, and wanted to kill myself for what I'd done…but that wouldn't fix anything…just like you trying to execute yourself won't fix a god-damn thing!"

"T-That's not true!" Taka refuted, his voice losing some of the conviction it had before. "My sacrifice will strengthen the bond between everyone—".

"Do you really think someone like Byakuya is going to care about you executing yourself?" Junko abruptly chimed in, folding her arms and scowling at the Togami Heir.

For his part, Byakuya merely gave an indifferent shrug, and chose to remain silent.

"You see?" the fashionista continued, "Executing yourself isn't going to strengthen anything. Sadly, I have to agree with Byakuya…it'll just be a wasted effort."

"How strange that when I say it, everyone disregards it but simply because it came from our resident homeless expert, it seems to sink in?" the Togami Heir openly mocked, earning more than few angry glares. However, he quickly changed his tone. "Not that I'm disagreeing, mind you. If you chose to end yourself, it'll simply be one less person in the game."

An exhausted sigh escaped Junko before she continued, "Sorry to say Taka, but you're sacrifice wouldn't be much of a sacrifice…it would only be a tragedy. And we're all tired of tragedy…"

Her harsh statement, combined with Byakuya's cold attitude, struck Taka to his core. However, he had come this far, enduring so much agony and guilt…he couldn't simply back away from his decision now!

"R-Regardless! I know that by sacrificing myself, I will—!"

"Dude…that's enough…" Leon softly refuted him, practically forcing Taka to turn his way. "I know how much it fucking hurts…how guilty you feel about all this." He stole a glance at Sayaka, who met his gaze and didn't turn away, no matter how painful it was. "A lot of us have made mistakes…but trying to sacrifice yourself…won't fix anything."

"In fact," Sayaka spoke up, her voice firm but gentle. "If anything, it'll tear us apart even more. So please…just forgive yourself already. At the very least…Leon and I don't hold anything against you."

"Yeah, man. We know you didn't do all those shitty things because you wanted to be a dick," Leon 'eloquently' concurred, earning a tiny glare from Sayaka, that sadly went unnoticed. "We know you just wanted to help…you were just really bad at it."

Despite the backhanded compliment, upon hearing their words, Taka found his resolve weakening, if only slightly. But, like a cornered animal, he couldn't help but lash out.

"How can you…possibly feel that way?!" he questioned, glancing from one of them to the other. "After I ridiculed you…called you murderers…openly distrusted you…how can you put your faith in me after all that I've done?!"

"…Because you're our friend. And nothing will change that."

Taka's eyes widened as Makoto appeared behind him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. Dumbstruck, the Moral Compass lowered his gaze and desperately tried to process their feelings. Unfortunately, the guilt he'd built up inside wasn't so easy to dispel, and he shrugged off Makoto's gesture, much to the lucky student's surprise.

"Not everyone feels that same as you…" Taka pointedly mentioned, his gaze slowly moving from Byakuya, to Toko, and finally over to Celeste, who still appeared frustrated by the long delay in her judgement. Taking in their disapproving visages, the Moral Compass grimaced and said, "If I don't complete this act of atonement, what is left for me? I have proven my own incompetence could lead us to our deaths…despite my good intentions."

"'The road to hell is paved with good intentions', as they say," Kyoko added her voice to the conversation, her proverb striking a chord with more than just Taka. "What matters is the intent. And while you may have failed as Disciplinary Chairman, you can always use this failure to ensure that such mistakes…never happen again."

It was only for a brief moment, but just for a second, Kyoko stared at her gloved hands, the smallest hint of emotion flickering behind her violet eyes. However, the moment passed before anyone saw it, and she merely let her words echo in the courtroom, hoping they would be enough.

Taking her comment in strides, Taka struggled with his decision and actively seemed to be considering retracting his offer to Monokuma. At least…until a certain someone spoke up.

"You people make me sick," Celeste cut into the conversation, disgust dripping from each word. "He's nothing but a god-damn loser who can't even follow through with his own decisions—!"

"Oh, shut up, Celeste!" a furious Hina abruptly interrupted, her fury rapidly returning now that Taka had seemingly had a change of heart. "Stop trying to influence the vote! We've all had enough of your lies, so just keep them to yourself!"

The tiniest of grunts escaped Celeste as she was berated, but beyond that, she showed little reaction to Hina's jeer. Meanwhile, Sakura glanced to her friend with a sullen look, but said nothing.

"A-Anyway," Chihiro spoke up, trying to get everyone back on track. She flinched a bit as everyone turned to her, but since she'd been the focus of conversation on more than one occasion by this point, she was starting to get used to it. "Taka…please reconsider your vote. No one needs to be executed. And, even if someone does get executed later on…No, we won't let that happen! I'm sure that we can all survive this…somehow!"

Everyone could tell she was nervous, and grasping at an invisible hope that only Makoto seemed able to tap into. But regardless, she put out that gesture of good-faith, desperately hoping that just maybe…Taka might latch onto it as well.

As all of his conflicting emotions ran rampant through Taka's soul, he once again felt a hand rest on his shoulder, but this time, it was from the person directly in front of him. Glancing up, the Moral Compass saw his classmates—no…his friend Mondo smirking down at him.

"I know I've been kind of dick, beating you up and all that, but I…just wanted you to know somethin' important," the biker told him, squeezing his shoulder a bit. "No matter what happens…what matter what choice you end up making…you'll always be my sworn brother. So, if you choose to sacrifice yourself…I'll be fucking pissed, but I'll support you…because that's what bros do for each other!"

Taka's red irises widened as he took in his friend's words. Even now, after everything that had happened between them, Mondo still considered Taka to be his sworn brother…the bond they had formed in the hellish heat of the sauna was somehow still intact. It took a bit of a beating, but it was still there, as unbreakable and empowering as the moment it had been formed!

It truly was a bond unlike anything Taka had ever experienced. The friendship he'd formed with Mondo was an odd one, but it was something he deeply cherished…and he'd nearly thrown it away just to try and feel a tiny bit less guilty! He never considered how much he must have made his bro suffer! Thinking back on it, instead of blaming Mondo, he should have supported him during his time of greatest need! Not only that, he didn't want any of his classmates to have to suffer that kind of pain or humiliation ever again!

And to that end…Kiyotaka Ishimaru was forced to reevaluate his decision…

"I know what I must do…"

"Would you hurry the fuck up?!" Celeste mentally screamed, feeling as if she'd waited months for this conclusion. "If this goes on any longer, I'm gonna bite off my own tongue and be done with it!"

It was an empty threat and she knew it. Even if she wasn't executed…she didn't have the courage to do something as drastic as that. After all, despite how much she lied to herself…death still frightened her. Even so, she still recognized that execution was the lesser of two evils, at least in her situation. And if Taka stole that from her…it would make her surviving the class trial all the more exhausting.

Everyone would blame her for Taka's 'sacrifice' and she'd more than likely be murdered…probably by Mondo. Ironically, she would probably welcome that…as long as her suffering finally came to an end.

For nearly a full minute, Taka stood in deep contemplation, closing his eyes as he reconsidered his decision.

Waiting as patiently as she could, Celeste couldn't stop the occasional grimace as her body still ached from the abuse it had suffered when her extension was torn out. She gentle tapped the tiny bald patch on her head…wincing as the touch stung the tender flesh. Dropping her hand, all she think was how badly she wanted everything to finally be over…

Then, just as quickly as the silence came, Taka shattered it.

"Miss Ludenberg," he called out, drawing Celeste's attention.

"What is it now?" she angrily replied, obviously still perturbed but eager to hear his decision. "Finally ready to condemn me—?"

"You and I both have committed heinous crimes against our classmates," he began, cutting her off before she could finish. "And…despite what you may say, I know that you feel guilty for what you've done. You may not realize it now, but I know that in time—".

"The only thing I feel is disappoint…well, that and unimaginable hatred for you!" Celeste immediately corrected him, not content to simply let him prattle on. "My only regret is that I failed to cave in that stupid head of yours! I already told you that before, didn't I?!"

"You did…" he admitted, but didn't relent. "But that doesn't change the fact that we both turned our back on our classmates. We are both traitors…and deserve to be punished."

A glimmer of hope sparked in Celeste's eyes, secretly hoping he might request that Monokuma execute them both! It would be entirely poetic, at least for her. Plus, she didn't mind burning at the stake if she got to take that son of a bitch down with her!

"That being said," Taka continued, steeling his gaze and directly facing Monokuma. "Monokuma! I wish to retract my previous request! And instead…I vote for Miss Ludenberg to be spared!"

That tiny flicker of hope in Celeste's eyes…died. That was it. Her fate was sealed. She was now completely at the mercy of her classmates. And knowing that someone as crafty and devious as Byakuya would seek to 'punish' her, made her feel nothing but utter disgust for Taka and his piss-poor decision!

With a triumphant smile, Taka met her ferocious gaze and further mocked her by saying, "You and I will both be punished, but in this life, not the next! We will atone together…whether you want it that way or not!"

Celeste's frustration reached it's peak and she was about to fly into an utter rage when a loud popping noise distracted her, and the rest of the courtroom. As one, the class turned to see Monokuma, a bubble of snot bursting as the bear seemed to awaken from slumber!

"Oh, ah, AH!" the bear shouted as it leapt to its feet. "I wasn't sleeping! Who says I was?!"

No one had, but that didn't change anything. The demented bear glanced around the room and yawned before somehow snapping its paw-like fingers.

"Geez, you all must have been doing some pretty boring stuff if I nodded off like that! But anyway, the past is the past! Are we ready for an execution?!"

"Actually," Junko spoke up, her voice beyond smug. "Taka decided to change his vote."

"Oh…did he now?" Monokuma questioned, not even glancing her way in favor of turning toward Taka. "And what, pray tell, have you decided?"

With a confident smile that churned Celeste's insides, the Moral Compass proudly proclaimed, "I have decided to vote in favor of sparing Celeste! This class trial is officially over!"

Many of the students began cheering; among them the loudest were Mondo, who still wasn't at his podium. Leon, who left his podium to go and stand next to Sayaka, the two of them practically latching onto each other and smiling joyously. Makoto, who patted Taka proudly on the back while fist-pumping. Chihiro, who wasn't quite as loud but just as happy. Hiro, who despite still being a bit confused, was happy nonetheless! Junko gave an audible "Yes!" as she flipped off Monokuma. And Kyoko, who didn't say anything but merely smiled in the direction of her celebrating classmates.

Hina, however, looked less than pleased. Frowning deeply as she glared angrily at Celeste. Sakura gave her a sympathetic glance, probably planning to speak to her the moment an opportunity presented itself. Hifumi looked slightly disappointed, but once he caught sight of Celeste's utterly shocked and horrified expression, he quickly found himself enjoying the moment. Byakuya huffed and frowned, but already seemed to be plotting what kind of punishment he'd be able to inflict on the 'guilty' parties. And Toko…was too busy adoring her Master to really care about the proceedings at this point…much to the Togami Heir's chagrin when he noticed her drooling over him.

Finally, Celeste hung her head in defeat, the last vestiges of hope completely dissipating as everyone's cheers invaded her ears, sounding more like jeers than cries of joy to her.

However, before the merriment could continue, the piercing sound of an airhorn made everyone cover their ears.

*HOOOOOOOOONK!*

Everyone recoiled as the noise ripped through their ears, thankfully subsiding a few moments later. More than likely, most of them lost a bit of hearing from that one.

"Order! Order in the god-damn court!" Monokuma shouted, tucking the airhorn into the sleeve of its hakama, ceasing the celebration. "The class trial isn't over until I say it's over! And it ain't over by a long shot, ya little bastards!"

Everyone froze as Monokuma's declaration washed over them. Confusion, frustration, and anger flashed over many of the students faces…save for one.

Celeste, even though her hopes and dreams had been crushed so many times, felt the tiniest sliver of a hope once again. She wasn't sure what Monokuma was up to, but if he planned to continue the trial, then it meant that there was still a chance for her to be executed!

All she needed to do was wait and see what the demented bear had in mind.

As if on cue, Monokuma angrily roared, "RRRRRAWRRRR! So many students away from their podiums! You have three seconds to get back to your places or PUNISHMENT! Three…two…"

No one questioned the bear, darting back to their spots with the utmost haste. Leon particularly had to sprint, considering he was the furthest away from his assigned seat. Luckily, he made it, panting and sweating, but he made it…much to Sayaka and Makoto's relief.

"One!"

Seeing that everyone was back in their original positions, Monokuma audibly exhaled. "Sheesh, a guy falls asleep for a few minutes and chaos erupts…maybe if I bonk Taka on the head he'll turn back into 'Punishment MacRule-Nazi'? No wait, that kills people and as we all know…people die when they're killed…or at least you would know if anyone actually killed someone—!"

"Get to the point, already!" Junko protested, her sky-blue irises glaring menacingly at the bear.

Without warning, the cylinder Monokuma had used for the Cho-Han game flew past her face, crashing into the wall far behind her and shattering with an ominous crash. Rather than a look of shock or surprise, Junko's face hardened as she glared daggers at Monokuma. For its part, the bear barely acknowledged her, turning away from her and pouting.

"…I'm still angry about you not letting me try my new debate idea! So don't get cheeky with me missy!" Monokuma replied, plopping down on its bottom and tracing a circle with its claw on the table, almost absent-mindedly. However, the bear recovered quickly, standing up suddenly and addressing the class. "Anyway, what I was eventually going to get to before I was so rudely interrupted!"

Only then did Monokuma glare at Junko, albeit only for an instant, before turning to face Taka directly.

"Now then, I understand that you want to change your decision, which is fine and all, but there's a teensy, little problem with that."

"And that would be?" Taka inquired, ready to argue if need be.

"Well, after sitting in council, with myself, I realized that I had to make a judgement call." Monokuma's tone alone was enough to spread dread through the entire class. But they could do nothing but wait as the bear continued, "And, after a lengthy period of mental debating, with myself, I have come to the conclusion…that you violated the rules of the voting and therefore…your vote is forfeit."

…

"…What?" Taka asked again, struggling to wrap his head around the issue.

A wide grin spread of Monokuma's face as it slowly answered, "By trying to circumvent the rules, i.e. voting for yourself, you've unintentionally made a mockery of them! And remember how I said that speaking out against the voting rules was grounds for punishment…?"

And evil glint flickered in Monokuma's eyes, and for a moment, everyone became concerned with Taka's safety, particularly the Moral Compass himself! The bear chuckled to itself, obviously enjoying the situation far more than it probably should. However, it quickly waved a dismissive hand toward the Moral Compass.

"Now, now, no reason to fret! I've already decided that, since I am a kind and compassionate Headmaster, who only wants his children to learn from their mistake, I'll forgo your punishment in favor of forfeiting your vote!"

As that dark realization dawned on the students, a heavy silence filled the room, only broken by Monokuma dancing in a circle and pointing at Taka.

"Hurray for you! You get to live!" Monokuma happily shouted, spinning dynamically and eloquently. "Also, hurray for Hifumi! You lucky dog, you!"

At the mention of his name, the fanfic creator pointed to himself in confusion. "Huh…? M-Me…?"

"You indeed~!" the bear sang loudly before a dark glint flickered in its bright red eye. "Because now that Taka's vote is forfeit, naturally it goes to his opponent during the voting! That means…Miss Taeko's fate is in your overly sweaty hands! Eyahahahahahahaha!"

As Monokuma's laughter pierced the room, chaos erupted.

"W-What the hell are you going on about?!" Mondo shouted, slamming his fist onto his podium.

"You bastard!" Junko followed up, pure rage coursing through her. "Changing the rules to suit your own purposes again!"

"You cannot take away my vote! I won it and I deserve to use it!" Taka also protested, not wanting this madness to persist any longer.

"You have to honor his vote!" Leon shouted along with them. "Just because you don't like the outcome, doesn't mean you can change it!"

Even if not all of the students were vocal about it, all of them felt this decision was increasingly unfair. Kyoko scowled, Makoto gritted his teeth, and Chihiro furrowed her brows in rage. Even the likes of Byakuya seemed miffed by this outcome, most likely because he wanted the game to be more interesting. Hina looked a bit conflicted, unsatisfied with the voting's initial result, but not sure how to feel now that Hifumi had the vote. Sakura continued to watch the situation, feeling more and more powerless by the second. But that was when she noticed something…off, about Monokuma.

Strangely enough, it was almost as if the bear was intentionally baiting everyone…a tactic that Sakura knew the bear was all too familiar with. It was then that she saw it, a malicious glint in the Monokuma's glowing red eye…murderous intent!

Unfortunately, before she could shout a warning to everyone, the bear reacted.

In the midst of everyone's shouting, Monokuma snapped it's paw-like fingers. Instantly, the panels in front of everyone's podiums opened again…and the gatling guns made a reappearance, angled directly toward the students' heads. Immediately, everyone was silenced, even if Junko still held her immeasurably angry visage.

As the barrels of each gun began to spin, the demented bear glanced over its shoulder at them, it's eyes filled with rage.

"One more word…one more word from anyone, with the exception of Hifumi, and I'll end the killing game right now!" Monokuma warned, glancing around and gauging everyone's reactions. Upon seeing the skeptical look on Byakuya's face, however, the bear let out a sinister laugh and said, "Don't think I'll do it, huh?! Well, let's just say that I've got a back up plan in case this killing game goes awry! Remember…the first motive video?"

As one, the entire class shuddered, recalling their own videos and the people on their disks. Then, one by one, a dark realization came over the entire class. Seeing most of them already figuring it out, Monokuma cackled again.

"Puhuhuhuhuhuhuhu! Thaaaat's right! All of you are officially replaceable! I can just start all over again with a new set of 'students', anytime I need to! So don't tempt me!" the demented bear shouted, watching as each of the students processed just how dire their situation was becoming. "However, if you children play nice…maybe I won't need to set-up an alternate killing game, starring all your loved ones! So shut up and let's get this trial over with already! It feels like it's been months since it started!"

The bear's implication was not lost on anyone. No more debating. No more rebuttals. Just a simple decision as to whether or not Celestia Ludenberg was going to be executed. It was all left in Hifumi's hands…and the class had no choice but to sit quietly and abide by his decision.

Among them, the one that seemed the most aggravated by this turn of events, was Junko. The Fashionista gripped her shirt tightly, as if holding herself back from doing something foolish. All the while, an expression of utter rage warped her usually calm features, causing her to appear more like a mad beast than a fashion model.

And to make matters worse, Monokuma made a point of grinning directly at her. The bear and the Fashionista locked eyes, a silent battle raging between them as two opposing forces collided. However, Monokuma didn't spare much time for her, spinning around before settling it's terrifying gaze onto the one who would ultimately decide Celeste's fate.

"Now then, Hifumi Yamada," the demented bear said, almost sweetly. "Make your choice. No one will interfere…I guarantee it!"

With all the pressure placed squarely on his shoulders…Hifumi felt sweat trickle down his back as he fought to regain composure. Fortunately, the fanfic creator recovered his wits rather quickly, as soon as he realized that the power to make Celeste truly suffer…had been foolishly placed in his vengeful hands!

A malicious smirk spread over his lips as he turned toward her, knowing that vengeance with within his grasp!

"This is it…now is the time! I've waited so long for this moment! Go on, fatso! Vote to kill me already! Put me out of my god-damn misery!"

Celeste was practically bursting with joy as she watched the 'disastrous' events unfold. She didn't even care about the gatling gun spinning in front of her. All that mattered was that she was finally going to be executed! All of the agony she'd suffered through, the god-damn annoyances she'd weathered, the sheer humiliation she'd endured! It would all end soon!

For a moment, she thought about encouraging Hifumi, but decided against it. Because even though she was fairly certain Monokuma wouldn't use the gatling gun on her for speaking out of turn, due to the execution fetish the maniacal bear had, she didn't quite want to take that chance.

Not to mention, if the bear did keep its word, as it usually did, she didn't want her precious Grand Bois Cheri Ludenberg forced into a killing game! Sure, it was a low chance, but she still felt obligated to try and keep her beloved pet from suffering her same fate! Though, knowing what she did about cats, she wasn't all that certain that her cat wouldn't inadvertently end up just like her someday…

Besides, this was a very poetic moment. The fat, useless, good-for-nothing, failure of a partner…was going to be the one to issue her execution! It was beyond fitting and completely ironic, but that's what made it so perfect!

"Fat-ass can have his revenge, and I'll finally be free of all this bullshit!" she told herself, finally mentally prepared to face her oncoming demise. "It probably won't be quick…but anything is better than having to face 'punishment' from the rest of my loser classmates!"

She briefly wondered what they would have come up with as her punishment. Probably something lame like locking her in her room or something. Hell, they might even 'forgive' her and let her roam around free like Leon and Sayaka! They were that gullible, most of them anyway. Then again, there was no way anyone would trust her after this point, so it wouldn't matter regardless. More than likely, she'd be murdered by Byakuya or Hiro or someone else…the thought of being killed by Hiro left a particularly awful taste in her mouth…that would be like letting a kitten maul you to death…embarrassing on all fronts!

But that didn't matter, because she already knew what Hifumi was going to choose. He'd already made his decision quite clear earlier, so there was no doubt about it. Execution was all that awaited her…and while she didn't particularly look forward to it…it would be a welcome release from madness.

"Now then, Hifumi Yamada," she heard Monokuma say, focusing her attention back to the situation. "Make your choice. No one will interfere…I guarantee it!"

"This is it! Give it to me, you disgusting piece of lard! Make my afterlife!"

She watched as the shock slowly dissipated from Hifumi's visage, smiling as she observed the gears turning in his head. Then, he glanced over to her, so she hid her smile. Instead, she huffed at him and frowned, holding back a smirk as he visible grew infuriated by her. He scrunched his face angrily and she fought to keep from laughing at how pathetic he looked!

"Miss Luden-No…Miss Yasu~hiro!" he said to her, elongating her true name in a vain attempt to upset her. "Ever since you betrayed me, I have wanted to see you punished for your misdeeds! I want to see you squirm and writhe in agony for tricking me…and corrupting me!"

Hmm, she'd never really thought of it that way before, but it certainly was true. She had corrupted Hifumi. Because without her intervention, he likely never would have resorted to murder. Just how many people had she twisted in her attempt to be free from the school? Not that it mattered…not anymore. She knew he was getting to the best part…

"Because of you, I betrayed my friends and classmates…I nearly murdered someone for no good reason!"

She would debate that…considering he was very easily turned into a murderous psycho when his beloved Alter Ego was threatened, but that wasn't really important at the moment.

"And finally, you framed me for your own crimes…even if I did assist you with them! I know I'll be punished someday for what I've done, but today is your time to be punished!"

The anticipation was killing her. Just a few more syllables and she would finally be freed from this accused school! Death would be her liberation! And it would be Hifumi that brought it to her! She might even thank him before being dragged off to be burned aliv—

"And that's why, I've decided to punish you…by voting for you NOT to be executed!"

…

"What! The hell! DID YOU JUST SAY?!"

The words erupted from her before she even realized it. Startling everyone in the room almost as much as Hifumi's decision to spare her.

"Well…I didn't expect that…" Monokuma admitted, tilting it's head but not seeming that disappointed, much to Celeste's chagrin. "But them's the breaks! Class trial…concluded!"

As the bear finished speaking, the gatling guns folded up and sank down into the abyss, leaving many of the students breathing sighs of relief…but not Celeste.

"Why didn't you vote for me to be executed you useless pile of lard?!" she demanded, slamming her hand on her podium. "I'm NOT going to let you fuck this up for me! Change your god-damn vote! You already fucked everything up once! Don't do it again! Vote for execution, dammit! Vote for—!"

"I'm afraid that's not possible, Miss Taeko." Monokuma's gentle voice made her head snap toward the bear, her fury now aimed in his direction. Completely unphased, the bear continued, "The voting is already decided. As Headmaster, I am pleased to inform you that you will not be punished in this bullying trial. Congratulations."

Celeste ground her teeth as Monokuma delivered that final verdict, the tally board disappearing into the ceiling, though the gambling table in the center of the room remained.

With a sick, twisted, and satisfied smirk, Monokuma finished by saying, "I hope you live a looong and…fulfilling life…here in this academy."

Celeste struggled to breathe, taking staggered breaths as rage overwrote all other thoughts in her brain. She was trapped…trapped here with worthless, vengeful, pathetic losers for the rest of her days! Hell…she was trapped in a hell of her own making…and now there was no way out!

"Ehehehehe! Hahahahahaha!"

A malicious laugh pierced her ears, but it wasn't from Monokuma…no, the person laughing at her pain was none other than Hifumi! And with each note of laughter…Celeste's rage grew and grew.

"Well then…Miss Yasu~hiro…I hope we can…get along."

Celeste's face twisted in ugly fury as she bore witness to the expression of utter satisfaction on Hifumi's face. The hellish grin overtaking his visage told her all she needed to know. He'd led her on…let her believe she was going to be executed…just to throw it all back in her face and take away her last chance to be free of this god-forsaken prison of a school!

…Wait! There was a chance! One…last chance…to be free of this school…forever!

Shifting her gaze, she locked onto Monokuma, lifting her finger claw up and pointing it at the demented bear.

"No…!" she seethed, no longer caring if her actions brought about punishment. "You can't KEEP ME HERE!"

Without thinking, she leapt forward, pushing herself up onto the gambling table, tripping over and tearing her own dress in the process. Her face slapped into the table, but she recovered quickly, scrambling to her feet and charging directly toward Monokuma. Angling her finger claw at the bear's face, she let out a furious scream.

"ERRRRAAAAHHHHHHH—oof!"

Before her finger claw was within reach of Monokuma's head, Celeste felt something slam into her stomach. All the air was forced out of her lungs, and she collapsed onto her knees, desperately gasping for breath. Her eyes watered, and she couldn't be sure if it was because of the physical pain…or the emotional trauma.

Regardless, as she fought to breathe, Celeste gradually lifted her head and, if she had been capable of it, she would have gasped. Towering over her, stood none other than Sakura Ogami. Her fist floated above the spot where Celeste had been a moment ago…and everything fell into place.

"I'm sorry…" Sakura abruptly apologized before her features hardened. "But I cannot allow you to throw your life away like this. You will have to face your punishment in this world."

As the fighter's deep tones echoed in her ears, all of the fight Celeste had been holding onto completely vanished. Barely managing to pull air into her lungs, the gambler sat there, taking deep breath after deep breath, allowing the shame to wash over her for the first time in what felt like years.

Hot tears spilled from her eyes, and she buried her head in order to hide them…but to no avail. She could feel everyone's gazes on her, and she felt even more humiliated because of it. She wanted to die…but couldn't. She didn't have the courage to bite her tongue off…or even try to slit her own throat with her finger claw. She completely lost the will…to live.

It was odd, like a switch being flipped, and then, she completely stopped caring. All the humiliation had finally broken her down, until now, she just couldn't bring herself to give a shit anymore. Nothing mattered anymore…she had nothing to live for…and no longer had the courage to end her own life. This truly was hell…from which there was no escape.

Lifting her tear-stained face, she glanced up at Sakura and seethed, "I hate you…"

"…If that's what you want," Sakura said quietly, bending down next to the broken gambler and lifted her up, practically carrying her off the Cho-Han table and depositing her onto the floor of the courtroom.

Almost immediately, she was surrounded by her classmates, all of them glaring at her with contempt. And among them…the one who showed more hatred and vengefulness than the others…was Hina. Seeing the usually cheerful and light-hearted swimmer glaring at her with such malice sent pangs of agony through Celeste's chest.

And, for the first time in so long…Celeste decided to be honest with herself.

"I deserve your hatred…I hope you never forgive me…Hina…"

"It's over…finally," Mukuro took a moment to breathe a sigh of relief. "I was worried for a second there, but I'm glad Sakura stepped up when she did. If Celeste had managed to attack Monokuma, it would have been considered a victory for my sister…and I won't allow that."

Honestly, Mukuro could have just as easily stopped Celeste…and she had planned to. Once she saw what the gambler's intentions were, she had prepared to move in and subdue her. She knew it would have made her even more suspicious than before, but she wasn't willing to let Junko get any kind of victory out of this trial.

Fortunately, Sakura also noticed Celeste's intentions, and unintentionally kept Mukuro from escalating her situation. Things were already tricky enough, with Byakuya definitely suspicious of not only her, but Kyoko at this point. Speaking of which, she would need to find a moment to thank the detective once the two of them were alone. Without the assistance she had provided, there was a good chance Mukuro would have had to out herself…and face punishment for it.

It had been a hard day, but in the end, no one was executed, and even though they now had to decide what to do with both Celeste and Hifumi, the body count was still at zero…and that was the most gratifying notion she could have hoped for.

"Well then, class trial dismissed! See ya later!" Monokuma shouted from the center of the courtroom, drawing everyone's attention.

The class turned to see the baccarat table in the center of the podiums sink down into the floor. At the same time, the slot machine that was behind Celeste's podium abruptly shot up into the air, flying up into a waiting hole in the ceiling, disappearing from sight.

In only a few moments, the class trial courtroom looked exactly as it had when they'd first arrived. Mukuro didn't understand why Junko bothered resetting the room. She knew her sister well enough to know she'd never use the same room twice, so it seemed pointless. But that wasn't really an issue at the moment.

"Even though the class trial is over, I can't let my guard down." The soldier clenched her fists and furrowed her brow. "I took some huge risks this time…and next time I may not be so lucky. I need to try and figure out a way to outsmart my sister. And the first step is gaining whatever advantage I can…"

Surreptitiously, Mukuro's gaze slid over toward Kyoko, who she was surprised to see was matching her gaze. They shared a moment, violet irises staring into sky-blue hues as the two young women felt somehow closer after this experience. Slowly, while everyone else was preoccupied with Celeste, the detective girl walked over and stood directly beside the soldier, gently whispering…

"Changing room. Nighttime."

That was all she said before sliding back over to the group, going almost completely unnoticed by their fellow classmates. Mukuro hid a smile, finally feeling the tiniest embers of hope burning in her chest. As quietly as she could, the soldier also joined the group, not looking forward to deciding what kind of 'punishment' the class would need to arrange for Celeste.

Little did she know that just across from them, a pair of hazel eyes watched their short encounter…forming a plan of his own.

"Wow…attempting assisted suicide using the 'Don't attack the Headmaster' rule…pretty ballsy Taeko, I gotta admit," the Mastermind, Junko Enoshima said to herself as she pushed away from the Monokuma control panel. "Then again, the look of utter despair on her face as she was thwarted time and time again…uhhhg…it's so…gooooood!"

Junko's hands roamed over her entire body, reveling in the intoxicating feelings of despair she'd just witnessed. This trial had gone nothing like she'd anticipated, for the most part, and that had made it all the more enticing as it spiraled almost out of control! Unexpectedly, Mukuro was a constant source of entertainment these days, taking more and more risks, thus increasing the chance for a massive despair payoff later! Plus, watching as Celeste slowly descended into madness, feeling the icy grip of despair latching onto her very soul! Oh, it was so intoxicating!

And even though she hadn't gotten an execution, the situation that had unfolded during the trial was more than stimulating…for the moment.

Sadly, she knew this feeling of intoxication…wouldn't last long…it never did. It was like a drug addiction. And it had been several days since she'd gotten to experience it, so she was desperately craving more! Each fit of despair did less and less for her each time, a fact she was painfully aware of.

Not only that, the Mastermind knew she had more pressing matters to attend to, such as deciding the next motive for her adoring classmates. But for the moment, she didn't care. Today was 'payday' and she planned to make the most of it!

And that's why, she decided to make the most of her current despair-ecstasy, her hands sliding downward…

"Oooooohhhhh…such…despair…!"

"I don't suppose you ever imagined this outcome, did you, Celeste?" Byakuya mockingly asked, standing over the defeated gambler as she regained some semblance of composure. "And now, the question is, what are we to do with you?"

"Like I fucking care…" she wheezed, lifting a shaky hand up and untying the string of her white bonnet. Once it was loose, she yanked the head accessory off and tossed it aside, not caring where it landed. "Just…hurry up and decide already. The suspense is killing me."

Her sarcastic/mocking tone was becoming infuriating, and the students quickly realized this was the true Celeste, or rather, Taeko Yasuhiro, that had been hidden underneath the gambler's façade.

"Not bothering with the charade anymore?" Byakuya chided, reveling in seeing someone as prideful as Celeste fall to such a shameful level.

"What the point?" she angrily answered, glaring up at him menacingly. "I lost. There's no point in putting effort into maintaining my image anymore."

"Well, maybe not but…you should at least tell us if you're in pain," Makoto tried to be encouraging but only ended up infuriating her. A fact that became clear when she glared at him. Reeling back a bit, the lucky student tried another approach. "I mean…you did get, uh, roughed up a bit near the end there. Are you sure we shouldn't visit the nurse's—".

"Shut up! Don't fucking talk to me," she snarled up at him, making him take a step back. "You're part of the reason I'm still trapped in this hellhole!"

With a look of shame, Makoto began to retreat, before Sayaka suddenly appeared in front of him, slapping her hand across Celeste's cheek. Shock crossed the gambler's face as the stinging sensation ached. But she quickly recovered and turned back to face the pop sensation…instantly wishing she hadn't.

Sayaka's sparkling blue eyes shone with protective rage as she bore down on the defeated gambler, scoffing audibly. Celeste fought not to be frightened of the terrifying visage Sayaka had assumed…now understanding why Leon tended to be cautious around her.

"Don't talk to Makoto like that," she demanded, not asked. "He voted to save you. And even if you didn't want him to, he still defended you, so you have no right to treat him like that!"

Celeste honestly couldn't believe how terrifying Sayaka could be! She was usually so bubbly and cheery but right now…it was easy to see how she'd been capable of trying to murder Leon. People with such strong protective instincts were dangerous…because if you threatened what they loved…they'd tear you into tiny pieces. And Sayaka was definitely someone you didn't want on to get on the bad side of…

Averting her gaze, Celeste openly scoffed and said, "Like you're one to talk…Who was it who tried to frame him again?"

Sayaka flinched, and for a moment, Celeste thought she might try to hit her again. Instead, the pop idol closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I know I mistreated him in the past…and I won't make excuses for it," Sayaka told her, holding in her own shame. Snapping her eyes open, the pop idol knelt down next to the gambler and offered her a hand, much to everyone's shock. "And you shouldn't make excuses either. Just tell us if you're hurt, that's all we're asking—".

With almost no hesitation, Celeste slapped Sayaka's hand away, openly scoffing at her. "I don't need your pity. Just punish me and get it over with."

A heavy silence dampened the room, and no one quite knew how to break it.

Celeste scowled deeply, not knowing if Sayaka planned to say something else, and she really didn't care. Right now, she just wanted to know what was going to happen to her next. Not because she was concerned for her own well-being, but because she didn't have anything else to think about. Her dream was dead. Her chance for escape was gone. All she could do was live in the moment, and try to figure out what to do with her pointless existence.

"For now, I suggest that we find our way back to the elevator," she heard Sakura suggest, ever the practical one. "Once we get back up there, we can make for the cafeteria and discuss what should be done with the two of them."

"I can agree to that," Byakuya concurred, but not with adding, "However, I suggest we keep watch over our culprits, just in case one of them decides to try and stab someone with a finger accessory."

The gambler scoffed, her previous embarrassment already coming back to haunt her. Almost reflexively, she pulled the finger claw off of her index finger and tossed it aside, her hand feeling uncomfortably naked for the first time in a while.

"Feel safer now? Or should I take off my tie as well?" she sarcastically asked, tugging at the red material around her neck. "After all, I could use it to strangle you from behind."

The Togami Heir let a smug grin overtake him before he replied, "Have some class. Oh, I forgot, that was for Celestia Ludenberg…but like this, you appear more like Taeko Yasuhiro…such a plain name suits you."

Turning on a heel, he headed for the elevator, not giving her any chance for a rebuttal.

Celeste gritted her teeth and clenched her fists…hating the fact that he was right. Just like her real name suggested…she was a child of many blessing…but cheap and lowborn…unlike her alter ego. And now, she had to live with the shame of everyone knowing her true name…of having to give up being…Celestia Ludenberg.

Following after him, the entire group of students headed for the elevator, walking around Celeste without so much as sparing her a passing glance. Taking that as a cue to stand, Celeste slowly began shifting in order to pull herself up. Halfway through, a strong hand hoisted her up, and she turned to glare at Sakura, who had assisted her.

Jerking away from the martial artist, she spat, "Leave me alone! I already told you, I don't need anyone's help."

"…Very well," the fighter said, patiently waiting for the gambler to start making for the elevator.

Slowly, Celeste managed to steady herself, stumbling a bit as she walked toward the elevator. With heavy, depressing steps, she boarded the elevator, staring at the floor as it ascended. Sakura stood behind her the entire time, no doubt watching her every move.

As she waited for the elevator to reach the top, a twisted revelation came to her. She hadn't considered herself to be a prisoner, at least until right now. Whereas before she'd been held captive by Monokuma, now she was captive of her own classmates as well. It was a strange notion, but she knew she could adapt to it, given enough time.

Perhaps if she had truly made an effort to adapt to this school life, maybe she wouldn't have—no…there was no point in pondering that…not anymore. She'd made her bed, and now she had to lie in it.

The question was…how long was she going to survive now that everyone knew her true nature?

After all, there was no telling what her classmate planned to do with her. There would be no forgiveness, not that she believed she was deserving of it anyway. She briefly wondered if they planned to trap her in a room without food or water, let her die of natural causes so that no one could be held accountable by the class trial system…but she figured that the bleeding hearts such as Makoto and Sakura would never allow such a thing to come to pass.

But then the question still remained…just how exactly did her classmates intend to 'punish' her?

"Everyone all settled in? Great!" Taka addressed everyone as they sat at various tables in the cafeteria.

Hifumi and Celeste were seated in the center of the room, with Mondo and Sakura standing on either side of them, just in case. Makoto sat at a table with Leon, Sayaka and Chihiro, waiting for the meeting to get underway. Kyoko stood nearby, watching the culprits carefully. Junko leaned against a nearby wall, doing much the same as her partner. Byakuya sat at a table far removed from the group, with Toko seated on the opposite side of him. Hiro stood near the door, while Hina sat at a long chair as far away from Celeste as possible.

"Before we begin this discussion, I would like to offer my most sincere apology to everyone!"

The Moral Compass bowed deeply, keeping his face angled toward the floor.

"I caused all of you so much trouble, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to atone what it…but I assure you that I will do all that I can in order to earn your trust again!"

A brief moment of awkward silence hung over the group before Makoto nervously said, "Uh, Taka we kinda already forgave you back in the courtroom, so…"

"I know that…but I still felt that I needed to formally apologize!" the Moral Compass repeated, keeping his head bowed. "Also, I wish to add that I believe I too should be punished alongside Hifumi and Celeste! It is only right that I, the one who unintentionally instigated this chaos, be punished as well!"

There was a silence for a moment, as this event wasn't completely unexpected. Even so, very few of the students had a genuine desire to punish Taka. After all, he was going a great job of punishing himself.

"Look, man, it's all good!" Leon assured him, walking up and patting him on the back. "Like we said before, we forgive ya! No one here's holding a grudge against you anymore!"

"…Speak for yourself," Celeste openly refuted before being elbowed by Mondo, who stood next to her. She glared at him, but he acted as though it never happened, further irritating the gambler.

"No! I'm afraid I cannot allow you all to be so lenient with me!" Taka insisted, gesturing toward Celeste. "As you can see, I have inspired great hatred by my careless actions! I must be punished for it!"

Even if it wasn't on purpose, Taka was putting his classmates into an awkward position. After all, their usual form of punishing a classmate was separating them from the class, but that obviously wouldn't work in this case. And sadly, no one had any good ideas about how to properly punish such a good-natured soul like Taka…or so they thought.

"I have a suggestion," Kyoko said, addressing the class. "Instead of outright 'punishing' Taka, what would you all say to putting him on a probation of sorts?"

This piqued the class' interests, as no one was quite sure what such an ordeal would entail.

"'Probation', you say?" Byakuya questioned, simultaneously annoyed and curious. "And what kind of 'probation' would our former Disciplinary Chairman be subjected to?"

Turning her steely gaze toward Taka, Kyoko explained, "I propose that Taka not only be stripped of his duty as the Disciplinary Committee Chairman, but that he must, in turn, act as any other student would. Meaning; he would no longer lead us in morning meetings or try to lead our group in decision making, at least for the time being."

"…So, he'd be like a normal student then?" Makoto surmised, trying to piece it all together. "And he wouldn't be able to act the way he normally does? Like telling us we're late for meetings or scolding us for not cleaning properly?"

"Indeed," Kyoko clarified, giving him a light smile. Makoto slightly flushed and smiled back, staying quiet in order to let her finish. "I believe this will be an adequate punishment. Does anyone object?"

Glancing around the room, she saw nothing but nods and few skeptical expressions, particularly from Byakuya, but no one seemed opposed to the idea. When no opposition was given, Kyoko took that as acceptance.

"Alright, then we all agree," she said, turning directly toward Taka. "From this day on, you're stripped of your duties and will live as a normal student. That will be your punishment."

"Grhg!" Taka audibly grunted, as if having been struck in the chest. The very thought of no longer having responsibilities to fulfill seemed to hurt him, but he endured. Taking it in strides, he slowly accepted his fate. "That is…acceptable."

Kyoko nodded to him, but before she could say anything else, mocking laughter interrupted everyone.

"Ahahahaha! You can't be fucking serious!" Celeste cackled, running out of breath from laughing so hard. "You…haha! You people think…ahaha…that making him act like a normal student is 'punishment'!"

Deep, rich laughter escaped her as she couldn't hold it back any longer. The entire class glared and scowled at her, waiting as she let the laughing fit pass, finally getting enough air to speak.

"It would be even more hilarious…ahahaha…if it wasn't so pathetic!" the gambler chastised them, her unadulterated laughter frustrating even Kyoko's calm nerves. "Oh, this is rich…ha-ha…just watching you all struggle to invent a creative 'punishment' is—!"

"Miss Ludenberg!" Taka abruptly shouted to her, interrupting and forcing her attention back toward the Moral Compass. The instant she saw him, her laughter completely ceased, and she glared menacingly as he spoke. "I know that you may never forgive me—".

"That's putting it mildly," she muttered, venom leaking out with each syllable.

"—but let me assure you that I plan to do everything I can in order to make it up to you!"

Celeste let out a brief, mocking laugh, "Ha! Yeah…good luck with that."

Frowning slightly, the Moral Compass insisted, "I know you are skeptical of me, but given enough time, I hope that we can find a way to become civil around each other!"

"Oh, for the love of god, go die in a ditch somewhere!" the gambler exclaimed, completely brushing off his sincerity.

Taka was about to try and persuade her again when Leon wrapped an arm around his shoulders and said, "Just let it go, man. A woman's wrath isn't so easily forgotten…trust me."

He shuddered for a moment before releasing the Moral Compass and retaking his seat next to Sayaka, who only slightly glared at him for his comment. Once everyone had settled down again, Taka decided to move on to the next item of business…or at least he would have, if he hadn't remembered the 'limitation' he'd just been put under.

"Well then…I suppose this means…I am no longer fit to lead this discussion!" the Moral Compass realized, obviously not sure what to do next. Standing there, awkwardly glancing around, Taka finally pointed toward an untaken seat and said, "Therefore…I will…sit over here…and listen while…someone else discusses our next move."

Awkwardly, the class watched as Taka slowly took a seat next to Chihiro, who smiled and patted him on the back, earning a tiny smile from the him. Once he settled in, a clear issue became apparent…no one was leading the group in discussion. And with how awkward it was to remove Taka, it was no surprise that no one was eager to jump in and take his position—

"It seems you are all truly lost without me," Byakuya suddenly spoke up, rising to his feet and preparing to address the class. "As the only one left capable of it, I shall lead the discussion from now on."

A host of groans echoed as Byakuya's attitude soiled the mood, irritating each and every student.

"Hmph, who died and made you king, asshole?" Junko scoffed, folding her arms and regretting not speaking up before him.

"You all did, when you ousted that fool of a Disciplinary Chairman, and left the seat of power unfulfilled. And obviously, as the only person here with actually leadership qualities, there really was no other choice to be made," Byakuya informed her, enjoying the anger spreading over her features. "Or do any of you object to my leading the discussion now that I am the only one with enough clout to properly perform the task?"

Honestly, everyone, aside from Toko, wanted to object. However, at the same time, no one really wanted to lead the discussion themselves either. After all, very people would be comfortable leading a discussion centered around punishing your fellow classmates, even if their actions deserved such consequences.

Not to mention that, since Taka had been reduced to a 'normal' student, that was one less person who was willing to stand up to Byakuya and his douche-tastic attitude. And sadly, when no one objected, the Togami Heir scoffed, almost victoriously.

"It seems you've all come to your senses, at least for the moment," Byakuya cheekily continued, empowered by this moment of 'triumph'. Standing in front of everyone, he almost seemed to be preaching as he said, "Perhaps, if you listen to me more closely, we can avoid such matters like this altogether."

The sight of him leading the group sent waves of nausea through many of the students, but none more so than Chihiro. Even if she'd been unconscious for it, having heard about how Byakuya had strung her up, and used her in his twisted desire to make the killing game more 'interesting', the programmer was undoubtedly disgusted by the fact that someone like him was allowed to have any say in the group's actions.

As if making up for her lack of courage, another student quickly chose to raise their hand, earning more than a few stares.

"Uh yeah, just gonna put this out there now, you're a dick who almost got Chihiro killed just to satisfy your morbid curiosity. So, like, can we have Taka back, even if only for a little bit?" Leon suddenly asked, smirking as Byakuya's face twisted in anger. "I already can't stand you and wanna punch your face in, so…there's that too."

"No, Leon! You must control your violent urges!" Taka suddenly shouted, leaping to his feet. "We wouldn't want another bullying trial to occur so soon! Let's just give Byakuya a chance! Surely he can't be as ruthless as we all know him to be!"

An awkward silence passed as the class took in that statement…

"…I want you to really think about what you just said," Leon replied, gesturing toward Byakuya. "Ever since the first trial, this guy's been nothing but a selfish prick who's only cared about himself—!"

"And yet, I have still been far more critical to our survival than you," the Affluent Progeny pointed out, followed by a small huff. "Remind me who it was that misled our class during our first class trial?"

Leon flinched, but didn't back down. "Yeah, I fucked up during the first trial, but at least I feel bad about what I did! You, on the other hand—!"

"I have nothing to be ashamed of," Byakuya cut him off, adjusting his glasses and glaring down his nose at the baseball star. "While it's true that I interfered with the crime scene during Chihiro's case, I fully intended to inform everyone of the identity of the true culprit for that little attack—".

"That's not the point!" Leon shouted, interrupting once again while taking deep breaths, trying to keep calm. "At the very least, you owe Chihiro an apology for what you did to her!"

"Yeah, that's right!" Mondo joined in, backing up the baseball star. "Chihiro might have woken up sooner if you hadn't a strung her up like Christ! So get on your knees and apologize!"

Chihiro wanted to speak up, but due to the embarrassment she felt now that she was the center of attention, all she could do was meekly hang her head as her friends demanded justice in her place. And although it made her feel a bit weak…a tiny part of her was relieved to have such caring friends looking out for her.

Suddenly, the programmer was brought back to reality as she heard the Togami Heir openly scoff at their protests before answering, "We don't have time to waste on such trivial matters. Besides, if Chihiro truly holds a grudge for my actions, she should demand an apology herself, instead of hiding behind the two of you."

Chihiro froze, the harsh tone of the Ultimate Affluent Progeny seeping into her very bones. She wanted to confront him…truly she did. She wanted to know why he'd felt it was necessary to take such a risk. She wanted to try and understand his reasoning for interfering with the class trial. But most of all…she wanted the opportunity to tell him exactly how much she detested him!

Using her as a pawn in his twisted game was sickening enough, but the fact that he showed absolutely no remorse for his actions was beyond insulting! Unfortunately…she lacked the courage that both Mondo and Leon so easily displayed…remaining silent and feeling all the weaker for it.

As the programmer held her tongue, Byakuya took that opportunity to move his agenda along.

"And regardless, that has nothing to do with our current predicament. If you have complaints, I will address them later," Byakuya told the two of them, disengaging from that argument easier than anyone had thought possible. Adjusting his collar and approaching Celeste and Hifumi directly. Holding out his hand, he scowled deeply and said, "Give your room keys to me. Now."

A moment of silence invaded the space as both Hifumi and Celeste hesitated to comply with his demands. Then, very slowly, each of them produced the keys to their room and reluctantly handed them off to the Affluent Progeny. Once they were within his grasp, Byakuya walked to the center of the room and held out the keys for all to see.

"By controlling access to their rooms, we can control this pair of miscreants," he informed the group. "As per the school regulations, sleeping anywhere but a dorm room will count as an offense punishable by, well, 'punishment'. If they want to have a place to sleep without fear of execution, they will have to obey the rules we set for them."

It was a simple but effective plan. By holding the keys to their rooms, he was effectively putting them in check. And while it wasn't perfect, it was at least a way of keeping them in line…for now.

"A bit harsh, wouldn't you say?" Kyoko finally spoke up, glaring almost disappointedly at the Affluent Progeny.

With a scoff, Byakuya replied, "For a pair of attempted murderers who show little to no remorse for their actions? I think not."

"Hold on a second. I agree that Celeste definitely needs that kind of punishment," Hina suddenly spoke up, easily throwing slander at her former friend. "But Hifumi seems to have learned his lesson. Don't you think we could at least lessen his punishment?"

"I agree with Hina," Sakura added, sending her friend a quick smile before addressing the group. "Hifumi did try and warn us of the danger Celeste posed, we should take that into account while decided on their punishment."

"I already have," Byakuya effortlessly countered, pushing up his glasses and glaring down his nose at everyone. "Taking their room keys is but the first step. Next comes the matter of their personal freedom. I believe that allowing both of them total freedom is out of the question. Therefore, someone will need to keep watch over them at all times."

"Don't you think that's kind of extreme?" Hiro questioned, voicing what most of the class actually felt. "I mean, it was hard enough having Mondo watch Chihiro all the time. We'll need like a schedule and stuff just to figure out who's gonna be watching who! I say we just lock them both in the storage room and leave it at that!"

Almost everyone could see how that plan would utterly backfire, but since Hiro was…Hiro, it didn't dawn on him that locking two attempted murderers in a room could escalate very quickly!

"As usual, you fail to understand the gravity of our situation," the Togami Heir said with a sigh. "Separating them is key to this punishment, and I have a way of accomplishing this rather easily."

"Oh, pray tell, what vision does the great Byakuya Togami have for us?" Celeste mockingly asked, her tone as serious as her expression.

A noticeably smirk spread over Byakuya's lips as he huffed. "Since Hifumi was easily manipulated, I believe we could simply have someone keep tabs on him during the daytime. And if everyone keeps their doors locked at night, we should have nothing to fear from him while we sleep as well."

"He could sneak out during the nighttime though…" Leon pointed out, rubbing his chin. "All the other murder attempts happened at nighttime, and we still don't have a way to be sure he stays in his room all night."

"True, but that same could be said for any of us," Kyoko added, drawing on his point. "After all, there's nothing to stop any of us from leaving our rooms after the nighttime announcement."

"Speaking of which, what should we do about Celeste's imposed 'nighttime rule'?" Makoto asked, genuinely unsure of how to handle the subject. "Personally, I think it wasn't that bad of an idea—".

An audible scoff escaped Celeste as she cut in, "I only came up with that idea in order to use it to my advantage later. After all, no one would suspect the person who suggested the rule would break it so casually."

"Maybe so, but I believe we should keep that rule in place," Kyoko suggested, much to everyone's shock. "While she may not have intended it, the rule does have it's benefits, such as helping to maintain a sense of time while trapped in this place."

"I agree with Kyoko!" the resident Moral Compass concurred. "I believe that all of us will rest easier if we know that going out after nighttime is still seen as 'off limits'. And if we all agree to abide by it, it will surely help us grow stronger as a cohesive unit!"

"Alright then, do we all agree to continue following the nighttime rule Celeste concocted?" Junko asked, watching as the group more or less nodded in agreement. "Cool. Thanks for helping to bring us closer together, Celeste. Even if you didn't intend it that way."

Junko smirked at the defeated gambler, who scowled deeply in response.

"Go suck a di—", Celeste tried to say but was cut off.

"Can you plebeians at least try tostay on task for more than a few minutes? Or would you prefer I make all the decisions for you?" an irritated Byakuya scolded, trying to get things back on track.

"I-I wouldn't m-mind if you made a-all of my decisions for me, M-Master!" Toko chimed in, earning an audible sigh from Byakuya. Undeterred by his obvious irritation, she shouted, "C-Command me! Call m-me names! S-Spit in my mou—!"

"Be silent, you disgusting fool!" Byakuya seethed, unable to endure her 'demands' any longer. As dutifully as always, Toko immediately shut up, but not without a perverse smile overtaking her features. Although disturbed by this, the Togami Heir ignored her as best he could before addressing the rest of the class. "We need to discuss how we plan to punish Hifumi for his betrayal. And simply having him watched is not good enough."

"What about restricting his access to higher floors?" Junko offered, turning a few heads in her direction. "If we keep him confined to the first floor, we would be able to monitor his movements. Also, we should confiscate any dangerous tools he may still have in his room, just in case."

"And I don't mind helping to keep watch over him, if the need arises," Sakura added, folding her arms and sending a one eyed glare in Hifumi's direction.

For his part, the fanfic creator hung his head, mostly to keep from having to meet Sakura's gaze, before saying, "I…I know that none of you can trust me right now…and I don't blame you. Regardless of the reasons…I betrayed everyone. And…whatever you decide, I promise to go along with it…"

The sincerity of his voice spoke volumes, and most of the class was prepared to give him a second chance. However, among them, there were those who could not bring themselves to trust him so easily.

"Cheap words from someone as weak-minded as you mean nothing," Byakuya cruelly interjected, barely acknowledging the fierce glare of his classmates. "As far as I'm concerned you're just as irredeemable as the rest of those 'would-be' murderers."

"Shouldn't you be including yourself in that tally?" Sayaka spat, unable to contain the venom in her voice. "After all, if you'd made one mistake, Chihiro could have been left permanently comatose. Or have you forgotten?"

Shrugging off her comment, the Togami Heir countered, "How could I? When I have such dutiful peons such as yourselves reminding me every other minute?"

"Alright, that's enough!" Junko interrupted them, already exhausted by this conversation. "We all know Byakuya's a dick and that he's not worth arguing with. So let's move on to deciding what needs to be done about Hifumi. Personally, I think we should give him another chance…at some point in the future."

"I agree," Kyoko chimed in, glancing in the fanfic creator's direction. "Although, I believe he'll need to show himself to be truly remorseful before we can consider lifting his 'punishment'. And if not, we may need to decide on further punishment, should the need arise."

Those words stung Hifumi to the core, but he couldn't deny he deserved such treatment. The realization that his classmates would never fully trust him again was beyond depressing…but he couldn't deny that he brought it upon himself. Because even though he'd been manipulated by Celeste's devilish charms, in the end, he'd willingly made the choice to conspire against his classmates.

Looking back on it, his actions filled him with nothing but utter shame. Even if he'd done it all for the sake of love, that didn't give him the right to destroy his classmates happiness.

"I…want to trust you, really I do," Makoto abruptly said to him, obviously conflicted over the whole issue. "But…like you said, it'll take time before we can really trust you again. However, I think that…given enough time, we just might be able to—".

"Uhg, enough of those damn hopeful speeches! You're like a fucking broken record!" Celeste cut in, silencing the lucky student before sneering at the fanfic creator. "Remember that Hifumi chose to follow my instructions. And there's no guarantee he won't turn on you all again later. If anything, he's even more dangerous than I—".

*SMACK*

Almost without realizing it, Hina had shot up from her seat, marched over, and slapped Celeste across the face. Shocked expressions littered the room, but no one was more stunned than the gambler herself. However, as quickly as it came, the shock soon faded, and the Ultimate Gambler turned, almost bewildered, to face a seething Hina.

"You have no right to judge others…not after what you've done!" the swimmer sneered, fighting back tears of frustration. "If you weren't such a horrible person…Hifumi wouldn't have to suffer like this! If anything, you're the one we need to lock up!"

Celeste stared at Hina, her crimson eyes not showing even a hint of emotion. At the same time, the gambler didn't respond either. She took Hina's insults without so much as a grunt…as if punishing herself.

Seeing a lack of emotion from the defeated gambler only served to further entice the Ultimate Swimmer, rearing her hand back in preparation for another slap. However, a strong grip stopped her, and the swimmer looked back to see Sakura holding her back.

"Hina…That is enough."

At first, the swimmer glared angrily up at her friend, rage fueling her actions. However, within moments, Hina's anger subsided as she stared at the concerned expression adorning the martial artist's face. Slowly releasing her arm, Sakura waited as Hina's hand dropped to her side. Without a single word, the swimmer turned her back to Celeste, walking away without so much as sparing the gambler an angry glance.

Sakura watched as her friend reclaimed her nearby seat, only then did the warrior woman resume her post, standing next to both Hifumi and Celeste, keeping a tight watch over them.

A heavy silence filled the room, one that everyone seemed to be frightened of shattering. At least, until a stoic voice spoke up.

"Well then, are we all in agreement?" Kyoko asked the group, trying to solidify the decision. "Hifumi's punishment will be restricting him to only operating on this floor. Furthermore, if he leaves his room, he will need to be escorted at all times. We can decide who will be in charge of keeping watch later. Is that acceptable?"

Her question was directed at Hifumi, who was surprised she even bothered to consider his opinion. Regardless, he slowly nodded and said, "T-That's…fine."

"Does anyone object?" Kyoko asked, gauging the room. Seeing that everyone was satisfied with this decision, the mysterious girl continued, "Right, so that only leaves—".

"Oh, finally my turn for 'punishment'? Certainly took you all long enough."

Celeste's mocking tone resounded in everyone's ears, turning the class' attention toward her. Cocking her head to the side and releasing a light huff, the disgraced gambler almost appeared bored as she waited for her classmates to pass judgement.

"Oh, finally my turn for 'punishment?" Celeste chastised them, seemingly mocking their previous decisions. "Certainly took you all long enough…"

All of their 'punishments' had been pathetic! Constant watch on Hifumi, forcing Taka to act 'normal'? Ha! At this rate, her punishment wouldn't be anything worse than a minor inconvenience! Not only that, she knew it was only a matter of time before her life was targeted by someone else, anyway. It was a question of 'when' that was going to happen, not 'if'.

Knowing they had nothing to truly punish her with, Celeste openly laughed at them, earning multiple glares.

"Don't tell me…you're gonna confine me to my room? Or maybe you'll force me to 'act like a normal student' too? Ha! Nothing you losers come up with will ever equal the humiliation I already—!"

"Actually, that might not be such a bad idea," Byakuya cut in, a malicious grin spreading over his face. Puzzled by his comment, the gambler was about to question him when the Togami Heir continued, "Acting like a normal student might actually be the most fitting punishment we could bestow upon you."

"Huh?" was all Celeste could utter as Byakuya began pacing in front of her. As he smirked down at her, the gambler scoffed and said, "Weird 'non-punishments' may work on simply-minded morons like the rule-nazi and fat-ass, but you're gonna have to be a little more creative if you want to actually punish me!"

The instant those words came out of her mouth, Celeste regretted it. Byakuya stopped, directly in front of her, an evil smirk plastered on his otherwise handsome…the kind of smirk one only gets when they know they are about to inflict…true suffering.

"As you wish. Though I think you'll find that my creativity is boundless." The Togami Heir's grin widened, almost imitating Monokuma's signature smirk. Shifting his gaze, Byakuya addressed the class. "My proposal, for Celestia Ludenberg's punishment…is to kill Celestia Ludenberg!"

Byakuya's proposal shocked and confused the entire class, but it was obvious there was something more to it. Obviously, he couldn't truly mean to kill her. But then, what could he possibly mean? Before anyone had time to think or react, the Togami Heir turned his back to them and continued.

"Of course, I don't mean literally," he followed up, glancing over his shoulder and reveling in the frustrated glances of his fellow classmates. However, it gave him the opportunity to turn back around and face Celeste directly, who was desperately trying to figure out his game. Smiling wickedly, he explained, "There is a way, however, for us to be rid of Celestia Ludenberg…forever. A method that may seem cruel, but I think will be a fitting punishment for our Ultimate Gambler."

There was a moment of silence, and Celeste took that time to try and solidify how exactly he planned to humiliate her more than had already been done. After all, how could you kill someone without—no…they wouldn't…

A look of horror crossed Celeste's face, and for the first time since the trial's conclusion, she realized there was one final thing that she had to lose.

Furrowing her brow, she growled, "You…You can't possibly—".

"What Byakuya's suggesting…might be the only significant punishment we could throw at her…" Junko suddenly concurred, albeit regretfully, fully understanding the idea herself. This further increased Celeste's fears, though she tried her best to hide it…to no avail. "Oh, it looks like we might have a winner…judging by how upset Miss Taeko is getting—".

"DON'T…call me that," she shouted on reflex, unintentionally giving herself away. Even so, she couldn't stop herself from getting flustered as she retorted, "I am Celestia Ludenberg!" she said with her usual accent, almost too proudly. "I refuse to be called by…that name!"

"Making threats now? I don't believe you're in any kind of position to be demanding anything," Byakuya jeered, his smirk growing wider as he addressed the class again. "I think we have discovered the perfect punishment for our dear Celestia Ludenberg, the Ultimate Gambler."

His tone sent chills down the gambler's spine, and she could already predict what he had in mind. Sadly, her worst fears were about to be realized. With a condescending smirk, Byakuya laid out her punishment.

"From this moment onward, Celestia Ludenberg no longer exists," he explained, watching as the gambler's face twisted in anger and horror. "We won't call you by that name ever again. Instead, you will live the remainder of your life…as Taeko Yasuhiro!"

Celeste, or rather, Taeko, flinched at hearing her true name. She'd already guessed that this would be Byakuya's idea, and even though it was humiliating, it wasn't all that horrifying. Everyone already knew her real name, and even though just hearing it brought up more than a few…unpleasant memories, she could endure it…or so she thought.

"I have a question," Kyoko suddenly spoke up, addressing Byakuya directly. The Togami Heir met her gaze, affording her the time she needed to ask, "You mentioned that you wanted to 'kill' Celestia Ludenberg. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I get the feeling you don't plan to stop simply at changing her name."

That statement caught Taeko's attention, the defeated gambler only just realizing that her mysterious classmate had made a very valid…and horrifying, point. As if in response to her fears, Byakuya dangled a certain gambler's room key in front of the class, a sickening smirk stretching his lips.

"Of course not." His words were like ice-water in Taeko's veins, and she found herself frozen as he turned and faced the cafeteria exit. "I think it's time we purged Celestia Ludenberg's existence from this academy…permanently."

To Be Continued…

Greetings, my beautiful readers! Holy crap! Was that a huge chapter or what?! But what exactly does Byakuya plan to do? How exactly does he plan to 'purge' Taeko's former identity? How will the other students react to his ideas? You'll have to keep on reading to find out!

I know, I know, I've been away for a loooong time! But, to be fair, I had a river rafting trip, my brother's wedding, and a whole lot of other life events happen that kept me away from my computer! But now, I'm back and I sincerely hope to get more of this story written soon!

Also, thank you so much to everyone who has liked, commented, favorited, etc., during my long absence! You have no idea how inspiring it was to know you all love my story so much! Some of you even sent me fan-art! And it was amazing! Truly, from the bottom of my heart, thank you all so much!

As always, leave a comment/review to tell me what you think of the story, and have yourselves a great day, my beautiful readers!