The only unit still waiting to practice was M4, but the others hung around and explored the auditorium simply because there was nothing else to do. That included the two survivors of RONDO, and to say that tension was high between them and M4 was an understatement.

"C'mon, Tsubaki, you can't still be mad at me, can you?" Rika gave Tsubaki her cutest, pleadingest puppy-face, but Tsubaki was unmoved.

"Aoi should be up there," she growled. "Not Saori. We should be in this competition too! If only they'd survived one more Stage!"

"But why are you mad at me about that?" Rika cried, not realizing how callous and insensitive she sounded. "I didn't kill them! Besides! While I, of course, don't condone anything that's happened in this Killing Game, that's… just kind of how Killing Games work! It's in the name! I could argue that Saki and Haruna should be here too! But…" Rika's face darkened, and finally, some of her tone turned harsh. "Justice was served either way, and Dalia was executed. What more do you want from me?!"

"First of all, Dalia's execution is a poor example of "justice"! Second of all, it's a poor excuse for any sort of restitution—!"

"Well, I can't do anything about that either! It's too late to change anything!" Rika interrupted.

"—Third of all, as I've said before, Aoi could've and should've been here! They made it so far already! Survived through so much! And then Dalia up and murdered them! You can't equate that to anything or anyone else!" Tsubaki snarled and seethed, hands clenching into fists.

"Only because Izanami pushed her to do it! You think we wouldn't have tried to stop her if we'd known? It's not like you were all that helpful!"

The arguing continued, escalating. Then finally…

"I mean, if you really wanted to save Aoi, then tell me why I did more for them than you ever did! You weren't there for them a single time th—!"

SLAP!

Thanks to the sweet, sweet acoustics of the room that Saori was talking about earlier, it was the slap heard 'round the world, even over the DJ music. Every eye bulged and every jaw dropped, the beat and volume dropping as well until the entire theater was dead silent. Rika could only stand there with her head jerked to the side, face red and smarting. Tsubaki was likewise frozen, hand still outstretched, just as red and stinging as Rika's cheek.

"Rika!" Saori and Marika watched the argument from the sidelines, waiting for the moment when they would have to intervene. If there was ever a time, it was then. They lunged at Tsubaki. In retaliation, Hiiro lunged at Rika, trying to keep everyone from killing each other. In the end, though, someone else had to break up the little playground catfight.

"Enough! Peasants!" Monochio burst through the doors, fur bristling and tail lashing, eyes glowing and fangs and claws flashing. "Cease this petty little schoolyard squabble posthaste!" In response, the two third-year units froze, staring at Monochio with hands still around necks, fists and feet raised. A moment later, they retreated from each other, limbs untangling as they stumbled and slunk away.

Monochio wasn't done chewing them out just yet, though. "If you wish to kill each other, do so in a way consistent with the murder mystery theme of the Killing Game! Otherwise, cease this senseless waste of time and energy and refocus upon the upcoming D4DJ Battle Time! That is where you will settle scores! Show some decorum now please! Enough of this childish brawl! Honestly, have you no sense of shame or propriety? This is not some low-class, low-brow, high school cafeteria punch-out!"

With its razor-sharp and knife-like white claws still extended, nobody dared challenge the angry Headcatster again, and it did not leave until it had drilled into its pupils' heads that there would henceforth be no more blood spilled unless it ended in a proper murder.

"We will be watching," it growled menacingly as it stalked away, hackles still raised and jagged, red eye still glowing. The theater doors swung shut with a loud, threatening, ominous BANG! and everyone winced and looked away guiltily.

Saori even turned to Tsubaki with an apologetic look, but just as she opened her mouth, Tsubaki cut her off, seething. She would not raise a hand against any of them again, but there was still no forgiveness to be found anywhere.

"Don't act all sweet and innocent!" she hissed. "You defended Dalia in the trial, and Rika and Marika now, you're equally guilty!"

Saori's timid expression grew defensive. "Wouldn't you do the same for Aoi?"

"No, because Aoi would've never murdered in the first place!"

"How do you know that?!" It was a question that could not technically be answered, so Tsubaki's disdain for it doubled, and not just because one of M4 was asking it. But as much as the Ultimate Vocalist hated it, she could not deny that the unanswerable nature of the question was part of what made it so uncomfortable for her to ponder. What if the roles had been reversed that dark and fateful night? It was possible, wasn't it? Was it "luck" that Dalia was the one who succumbed to fear first? And if it had been Aoi, would Tsubaki really have been able to give them up?

Tsubaki recoiled, mouth open, but nothing came out. She was livid, but truly, she had no answer, and Saori knew it. It was an unfair question, the Ultimate Calligraphist could even admit to that, but she was no longer in the mood for playing nice or fair. She understood why the rest of the class distrusted her and her unit, but there was only so much they could take. Case and point…

"Burn!" Rika taunted meanly under her breath. Her pride burned even more than the red print on her face.

Hiiro could only look back and forth between the two units with a sad, tired sigh. Marika said nothing, but her expression matched Rika's, grim and irritated. She managed to bite her tongue to hold in her own angry insults, but she still could feel them dancing on the very tip. The threat of a physical altercation was over, as no one wanted to anger Monochio any further, but the argument was still ongoing, and would be so for days and days to come. Eventually, the two units even began to drag others into the fray.

ooo

"And to think, you call yourself a good maid and tutor!" Tsubaki growled as she elbowed Saori in the breakfast line. "Some role model you are!" She was referring to the purple-haired DJ's relationship to Miyu Sakurada. The two had been old friends even before the Killing Game, but especially after the end of Stage II, Saori self-appointed herself as one of Miyu's fiercest protectors, right alongside Tsubaki. With the new rift in Saori and Tsubaki's relationship, it seemed as if their relationships with Miyu were changing as well, like a child custody battle.

"How dare you?!" Saori's shyness was gone now, at least around RONDO. Hiiro was never quite so aggressive and mean, but even around her, Saori could be quite snippy and short-tempered. If it hadn't been for Monochio's new rule against all non-murderous violence, Saori was sure she would've football-tackled Tsubaki right then and there! The only thing that kept the fight from escalating any further was the Ultimate Lucky Student herself, who felt like anything but.

"Tsubaki, Saori, please! You are both very near and dear to me!" she begged, clasping her hands together, pink eyes wide and shining with tears. "You are like as the elder siblings I never had! I love you both, and I would never wish to lose either of you! So please, please! Stop fighting! I understand that both of you are upset, and both of you have every right to be! But do not forget who the true enemy is!"

At first, though, Saori and Tsubaki were arguing too fiercely to hear or listen to Miyu, let alone fully and properly understand. "—and what about Towa?!" Saori continued, getting in Tsubaki's face. "You can look after her if you're so desperate for your "big sis" power trip!"

"Big sis power trip?!"

"H-hey, g-guys? Please leave me out of this!" Towa giggled nervously. "I mean, I'm with Miyu on this! I like both of you! You're both really cool, awesome, big-sister-like figures! So I don't want to have to fight or pick sides! Honestly, I'm on whatever side is against Monochio! Hehe…"

"Hey! Yeah! Not cool, you guys. Not cool at all." Yuka stepped in, resting a protective hand on Towa's shoulder. As another student with a strong, big sister instinct—as well as being in Towa's year—the blonde and the blue-haired girls had grown close ever since Stages III and IV, each one taking their turn to comfort the other. Towa rested a relieved hand on Yuka's and exhaled audibly. "See? You're making her all nervous and stuff and it's just not necessary, like, at all." Yuka's voice was as icy as her blue eyes.

"Enough." Marika's voice cut through the argument, and the others' words. "We know what Dalia did was wrong, and we know what we did was wrong, but as Saori asked you before, do you really think you're so above it all?"

"Honestly, I think they're just jealous, knowing that they're out of the running for the D4DJ Battle Time," said Rika coldly, arms crossed and face grim. "I know it's a tough pill to swallow, realizing that you guys aren't going home!"

"No!" Tsubaki recoiled, repulsed by Rika's bold, brutal, callous, and cruel claim. "I don't care about all that! I just want Aoi back!"

"And we want Dalia back!"

"Then she shouldn't have committed murder! Besides, at least you have the rest of your unit!" Tsubaki snarled, but a second later, her eyes widened in horror. That was too far. Even for her. She suddenly couldn't meet anyone's eyes, especially Miyu's.

Miyu, meanwhile, could only look at the Ultimate Vocalist in sympathy. She wanted to say that she would've chosen truth over loyalty—fact over feeling—but after the first two class trials…? It truly was a much harder and more nuanced quandary than any of them could've ever fairly or fully answered. The Ultimate Lucky Student even though back to the very first class trial, when Kurumi tried to take the blame for killing Nagisa so that Miiko's life would be spared. And then Haruna's convoluted decision to murder Kurumi so that Miyu wouldn't have to be executed.

Oh! If only I could be half so noble! She shook her head in despair, uttering a silent prayer to her fallen friends, asking for their strength and guidance. It was so hard watching her two dear friends fighting each other, even outside of the trial room. And they weren't the enemy, Monochio was! Oh, that damn, bloody, cursed cat! That feline fiend! It was enjoying this, wasn't it? Watching them all fracture and shatter. Its decision to outlaw all violence except in the intention to murder was nothing but sadism and pragmaticism.

Tsubaki could only grit her teeth in helplessness and self-loathing. She hated lowering herself in Miyu's eyes, especially since she wanted to protect Miyu from Saori. As far as Tsubaki was concerned, Saori was nothing but a bad influence now.

"At least you have Hiiro," Marika shot back coldly, highlighting the hypocrisy of Tsubaki's attempted argument. "Or are you implying that you don't care about her just because she isn't Aoi? Do you even care about Nagisa? Or is RONDO nothing but your stepping stone to Aoi?"

"Don't you dare—" Tsubaki took a threatening step towards Marika.

"Umm, Tsubaki, Monochio?" Towa squeaked nervously. Tsubaki's nostrils flared, but after several more seconds, she finally backed down.

"Fine. Whatever. I'm done here." And she stalked away without another look back.

Hiiro could only sigh as Tsubaki brushed past her, refusing to meet her eyes. They were both stung by Marika's words, but Hiiro could at least concede that the pain they inflicted proved that they were deadly effective as verbal assault weapons. But she tried to compose herself as she turned to face and address the others.

"I think," she said delicately. "We should all take a little intermission." And for once, no one argued.

"We should keep an eye on Rika," Marika whispered as everyone dispersed, and Saori nodded grimly in agreement.

"We should keep an eye on each other, too," she muttered. Although she hated implying that Tsubaki could be a danger to them, it wasn't as if she didn't have good reason. Saori's only hope was that because Tsubaki's grudge against M4 was so widely-known, it would be impossible for her to actually kill any of them because she would be the first and most obvious suspect.

I don't want to imagine Tsubaki as a killer, but especially with Aoi gone… Saori winced and shook her head bitterly.

And whose side did that put Hiiro on? On the one hand, she seemed to be acting as the peacekeeper to Tsubaki's fighter. On the other, she was a member of RONDO. Or was Saori being the paranoid, judgmental one? She cast a longing look at the taller girl, aching for her counsel, but Hiiro was already walking off in the opposite direction and Saori dared not approach her. Then she looked over at Miyu and Towa apologetically. Towa was already lost in conversation with Yuka, smiling weakly, as Yuka was doing her best to cheer the smaller girl up. Miyu, meanwhile, was staring sadly after RONDO. Saori felt her stomach twinge in guilt.

Oh, Miyu… I'm so, so sorry… This battle was proving even harder and scarier than the D4DJ Battle Time. Amazing enough, she thought darkly. Then her stomach twinged again, this time in anxiety. If I win… who do I take with me? A unit-mate? One of the younger students? It might be presumptuous of me to even assume that I'm going to win in the first place, but…

It was hard not to think about, and she'd just accidentally reminded herself of it all over again. It was difficult for her to admit it to herself, but her first thought was Rika. But that felt too cruel to Marika. So maybe Miyu, or Towa? Never mind. Maybe the D4DJ Battle Time IS going to be the hardest fight of all, but maybe not in the way I thought…