"Oooooooookay! Let's kick things off with a simple explanation of the Class Election rules!" Monokuma cheered from atop his throne. He was practically fidgeting in excitement; it was clear how much he'd been looking forward to this.
"Ohhhh… this is so degrading… why must I be so helpless…" Monomi whimpered. Rather than being tied up, this time she was stuck in a cage that was suspended from the ceiling, complete with an attached water bottle and tray full of food pellets.
"Literally no one asked you, little sister. Now then…" Monokuma looked at the students with a glint in his eye. "Do you know what a majority vote is?"
Hajime stared at him. "…What?"
"I think we're all familiar with the term," the Imposter said flatly. This was their first time in the courtroom, and so far they weren't looking impressed.
"Well, good! Because that's what you guys will be doing!" Monokuma said cheerfully. "Debate amongst yourselves and vote for one of your classmates! And whoever has the most votes… will be subject to a spectacular and despairful punishment!"
Hajime cast Monokuma a suspicious look. "That's it? We just vote for someone?" he said. "That's… simpler than last time."
"Yes, well. I would like to spice things up a little, but you, Mr. Cheat Code, would just breeze right through it!" Monokuma snapped at him. "But too bad for you! In a Class Election, all the talent in the world won't save you!"
"Are you seriously getting mad at Hajime?" Ibuki asked with a disapproving frown. "'How dare you force me to slightly alter the way in which I kill you all!' …That's you."
Monokuma lazily waved his hand. "Complain all you want, you can't change the rules! Now then! I've got an execution burning a hole in my back pocket, so you kids had better get to debating!"
Nagito cleared his throat. "I happily offer myself up as – "
"And you can't vote for Nagito."
Nagito actually looked insulted. "Excuse me? Why not?"
"Because, stupid! You were about to go and martyr yourself!" Monokuma yelled at him. "How exciting would it be if this whole thing were over in five minutes? I want to see some drama, people!"
Teruteru was shaking all over. "Well… what if… nobody gets the most votes?" Clearly he was looking for some desperate way out of this. "What if we all… just… vote for ourselves?"
Monokuma sat back in his chair as though pondering the question deeply. "Well, let's see. That would mean a fifteen-way tie, which means ALL OF YOU WOULD BE EXECUTED!" He leaned forward and threw out his hands. "Geez! You guys really think I didn't plan for every contingency? One of you is not getting out of here alive, and that's final!"
"Okay, okay! Sheesh." Kazuichi put his hand on his head. "Looks like we got no choice."
The Imposter looked around the courtroom at all the others. "Well, then. Any other volunteers?"
No one said anything, including Hajime. There was hardly any point in speaking up. He already knew who it would be. He was the Ultimate Analyst; often times it felt like he and the others were just acting out a script he'd already memorized. He might as well wait until he was inevitably called on.
"Well it's obvious what to do here," Hiyoko finally said. "We should vote for the most useless person! That way they won't be weighing us down anymore!"
"Umm… I would like to remind everyone that I provide the nutritious meals every morning," Teruteru said nervously.
Mikan already had tears in her eyes. "Ohhh… I know I'm useless… but please don't vote for me. I might need to help someone else if they get hurt…"
"Oh, what? Like you helped Gundham?" Hiyoko scoffed. "Hey Monokuma! Let's start the voting! It's obvious who the right choice is."
"Nobody is voting!" said the Imposter, and even Hiyoko had to flinch away from the authority in their voice. "Everyone deserves to voice their opinion on the matter."
Monokuma glumly sank back into his chair. "Aww, man… you guys got me all excited for nothing."
The Imposter ignored him. "Now, then. Does anyone else have something to say?"
Fuyuhiko had been stewing in silence, but now he spoke up. "We should… we should vote for someone who hasn't died before."
The Imposter raised an eyebrow at him. "That's surprising to hear, coming from you."
Kazuichi flailed in terror. "Hey-hey-hey! Who says we're doing that?! I don't wanna die either, y'know?"
"Yeah! Neither do I!" Akane was standing in an awkward position, putting as little weight as possible on her injured leg. "I already said I was gonna beat the crap out of Monokuma! Or whoever's behind all this! You guys can't get rid of me before that!"
"I disagree as well. All of us should be taken into consideration," said Peko.
"Aww, geez, Peko. We all know you're just trying to protect Fuyuhiko," said Ibuki, sticking out her tongue. "Wait a sec. Can we go over the survivors again?"
Nekomaru folded his arms. "Right. That's Hajime, Akane, Kazuichi, Sonia and Fuyuhiko."
Ryota was rubbing his hands together. "And… and me," he said quietly.
"We're not voting for Ryota. He's done nothing to deserve this," said Mahiru.
"That's not true!" Ryota shouted, and everyone was shocked at the sudden fire in his voice. He leaned forward, gripping his podium, his eyes filled with desperation.
"I'm the reason you all fell to despair in the first place!" he said. "Junko… she used me, and I… I let her do it." His voice faded slightly, and his eyes went back to the floor. "If anyone deserves to be executed, it's me."
"Hey, now. Let's not turn this into a pity party. We're trying to have a civilized discussion here," said Nekomaru.
Fuyuhiko let out a bitter laugh. "There's nothing civilized about this. Let's not pretend like there is. We're talking about killing someone."
The room fell silent after that. They hadn't made any progress. This was an impossible discussion to have. There was no good answer.
"Oh, come now. Don't tell me you're all giving up just like that," said Nagito. He spread his arms wide. "I have faith in my classmates! I know you'll all come to the correct decision."
"That's right! But just in case you don't, I prepared some conversation starters!" said Monokuma. He suddenly pulled out a stack of flashcards and started reading off of one. "'Boy, that Akane sure is ugly and stinky! Wouldn't it be great if we just killed her?'"
"HEY! What makes you think you can say that to my face?" Akane snapped at him.
"P-p-please don't listen to him," Monomi said from inside her cage. "Bad things happen when people listen to Monokuma…"
Hajime still hadn't spoken a word, but he suddenly became aware of someone's eyes on him. He turned and saw Mahiru standing right next to him, giving him a look that was impossible to decipher.
"Hajime… you haven't said anything yet. Don't you even care about who lives and who dies?"
That was his cue. He closed his eyes and addressed the room.
"Everyone. You need to vote for me."
Everyone stared at him.
"Wha-wha-WHAAAAAAT?" cried Ibuki. "Has Hajime finally lost it? I thought he'd last longer than the rest of us!"
"I'm serious," Hajime said sternly. "Listen, everyone. If I'm executed, then I'll wake up in the real world. From there I'll have access to the main computer. I can… I can figure out how Monokuma got here, and try to delete him."
"Oh, can you now?" Monokuma lifted one paw and bared his claws at Hajime. "Those are bold words for someone within mauling distance!"
"That's out of the question," said the Imposter. "We need you here, or else we're all going to be killed."
"Yeah, and anyway…" Teruteru sounded skeptical. "If you couldn't stop Monokuma before we got here, what makes you so sure you'll do it this time?"
Hajime grimaced. "What other choice do we have?" he said. "Do you all really think Monokuma will just give us back Chiaki when this is over? You really want to take that chance?"
"B-but… H-Hajime…" Mikan whimpered. "There's a chance you won't wake up at all."
"How interesting," said Nagito. "Hajime has asked us all to place our hope in him. Even if it's only a fool's hope." He grinned. "What will happen? Will his classmates rise to the occasion?"
Hiyoko looked disgusted. "Ugh. You never have anything useful to say, do you?"
"Hajime… we know you mean well, but we just can't risk it. You're too important," said Nekomaru.
Hajime was starting to lose his patience. "Everyone. We can stand here arguing back and forth about whose life is worth the least, but we're never going to get anywhere. I'm volunteering. If anyone else is in a hurry to die, go ahead and speak up."
And then, just as he'd known would happen, she did.
"Listen, everyone," said Sonia. "I… I would like to request that you vote for me."
Once again, most of the others could only look astonished. Especially Kazuichi.
"What?! Miss Sonia, what are you talking about? There's no way we'd do that!"
"If you'd let me explain," she said firmly. "I… I believe Fuyuhiko is right. We should vote for someone who hasn't died yet. And… I believe Hiyoko is right. We should vote for someone who will not be useful going foreward."
"H-h-hey! Don't drag me into this!" Hiyoko said defensively.
Mahiru was looking equally distressed. "Sonia! What are you saying? What makes you think you're not useful?"
"Sonia, I can't let you do this," said Hajime, shaking his head. "If you die, the rest of us will still be trapped here. It has to be me."
"Hmm… I see." Nagito seemed to be carefully considering this turn of events, standing and stroking his chin. "Well, everyone… I believe the solution has presented itself. I, for one, will be voting for Sonia."
Hajime glared at him. "Nagito! How can you say that?"
"You keep talkin' like that, I'm gonna knock your block off…" Akane growled.
Nagito just shrugged. "Don't blame me. It was clear from the moment Gundham died… and Sonia blamed herself for his death. She has no hope left." He looked straight at Sonia. "Just look into her eyes, and you'll see. There's nothing left but despair."
He grew a disgusted look. "There's no way we can have someone like that with us. Our goal is to overcome despair and reach a new hope. How can we do that with someone who has no hope to give?"
"You really don't mince words, do you?" Fuyuhiko muttered.
"Well that settles it. If Nagito thinks we should vote for Sonia, there's no way we're doing it." Kazuichi looked around at the others. "Right?"
"So this is all because you lost your boy toy? Get a grip!" Hiyoko snapped.
"No… it is… it is not just that." Sonia was quiet and still. So far removed from the princess Hajime knew. It was like the life was gone from her already.
"As you all know… as Princess of Novoselic, I was prepared from a young age to give my life for my country," she began. "Though I ended up doing quite the opposite." A broken smile crept onto her face. "I… I had the rest of the royal family assassinated… I led us to war with our neighboring countries… all in the name of despair." Her eyes were shining with tears. "I… it's quite certain that I caused far more harm than anyone else in this room."
Everyone was silent. No one wanted to think back on those days in detail, but it was true… none of them had the same power and authority as a princess. She was probably right.
"I have nothing left to offer you all… except my own life. Perhaps, if I give myself up as a sacrifice… I will finally be fulfilling my duty as princess." The tears ran down her face, and she bowed her head and said nothing else.
The Imposter looked at her impassively. "So, then. That's two volunteers. Hajime, do you have anything to add?"
"Wait – wait a minute!" Kazuichi was desperate. "You guys aren't really gonna listen to that, are you? We can't vote for Miss Sonia!"
"If she wishes to offer herself up, that is her right," Peko said firmly.
"You already know what I think. Voting for Sonia won't solve anything," said Hajime.
"But Hajime… if you leave now…" Ryota's tone was uncertain. "You could be giving up your only chance to see Nanami again."
Hajime lowered his head. Of course it was true. Wouldn't that just be the most despairful outcome. To have this chance given to him, and then have it yanked away just like that.
"It doesn't matter. None of that matters. Not anymore."
"Oooookay! It sounds like we're down to our two finalists, and I'm getting bored out of my skull here, so it's time for the voting to begin!" Monokuma announced. "Everyone, please select one person using the display in front of you! And remember… unless you want to share in the execution, voting is mandatory!"
"Wait a minute! Can't we talk about this a little more?" Kazuichi cried, but he was ignored as a holographic display suddenly popped up in front of him, and fourteen others appeared in front of each of the other students.
Hajime was looking at pixelated portraits of himself and all his classmates. Even Gundham's was there, though it had a big red X through it. Knowing what he had to do, he reached out and pressed his own picture. It lit up, and the display disappeared.
"All right! Voting time is over! Now leeeeet's seeeeeee the results!"
To the sound of a drumroll, a large television screen lowered itself down from the ceiling and switched on, displaying the tallied results.
Seven votes for Sonia, four votes for Hajime, two votes for Teruteru, one vote for Ryota, and one vote for Mikan.
Hajime felt nothing. He should have felt disappointed, or frustrated… but he just didn't.
"Congratulations!" Monokuma cheered as a bunch of confetti fell from the ceiling. "The winner of this first-ever Class Election is Miss Sonia Nevermind! Now, in accordance with school rules, a truly unforgettable execution awaits you!"
"Oh come on! Who voted for me?! Once wasn't enough?" Teruteru shouted.
"No!" Kazuichi left his podium and ran directly over to Sonia, stopping in front of her with complete disbelief in his eyes. "Miss Sonia… why?" he said helplessly. "Why would you do this?"
Hajime ran his hand through his hair. "Well, I hope you're happy, everyone," he said shortly. "Now one of our friends is going to be executed again. For no reason. And we're no closer to finding our way out of this place."
Monokuma was still sitting on his throne, tittering in amusement. "Gee, Hajime! For a super genius, you sure do miss the obvious a lot!"
Hajime turned around to glare up at him. "What are you talking about?"
"Even if your classmates don't want to execute you… there's nothing stopping you from killing yourself, you know!" Monokuma's grin was demonic. "If you're so sure this little plan of yours is going to work… why don't you just go jump off Monokuma Rock right now? C'mon, it'll be fun! I'll make popcorn."
"Don't even joke about things like that, you awful bear!" Monomi shouted at him.
Hajime turned back around to find the other students all looking at him. "Monokuma's right, Hajime," said the Imposter. "How do we know you aren't going to try something?"
He'd found himself the target of those looks so often the past few days. He couldn't look the others in the eye.
"I wanted… I wanted you all to understand," he muttered. "I wanted us all to be in agreement."
"Yeah, well, we're not," said Nekomaru. "So don't bring it up again, all right? We're not gonna lose you."
"Sonia!" Mahiru ran over to the princess and threw her arms around her. "I'm so sorry… this is so unfair… this shouldn't be happening to you."
Akane hobbled over on her injured leg. "Yeah… thanks for taking one for the team, I guess," she muttered.
Sonia shook her head lightly. "You do not need to concern yourselves with me any longer. I've… made my choice."
"You understand what you just agreed to, don't you? Sonia, this is… this is gonna be bad," said Fuyuhiko.
"We might never see you again… you might…" Ryota couldn't even finish his sentence.
Sonia still couldn't find it in herself to show any emotion. "It doesn't matter. So many countless people died during the Tragedy. There's no reason I shouldn't be among their number," she said. "If it gives Chiaki another chance… it was all worth it."
Ibuki burst into tears. "WAAAAAAAAAH! This is so sad I can't handle it! There's no song in the world that will make this better!"
"Oh my God. Do you guys all need to get a line in or something?!" Monokuma looked completely out of patience. "In case you forgot, this election isn't over until the grand finale! So let's hurry up and start the fireworks!"
"…Very well then." Sonia drew away from the others and straightened out her dress. "I… suppose this is goodbye, everyone. Whatever happens next, please remember me as your classmate. And your friend."
Kazuichi was coming apart. "No! No, no, no! This can't be happening!"
"Now then! I've prepared a very special punishment for Sonia Nevermind, the Ultimate Princess!"
Kazuichi wasn't paying attention to any of this. He stood in front of Sonia and grabbed her shoulders. "Miss Sonia… please just say something," he begged. "I can't… I can't watch this happen to you! Don't you get it? Getting yourself executed… it won't help anyone!"
Sonia still had the same empty look on her face. She seemed to be off in another world. But then she seemed to realize Kazuichi was there, and the faintest bit of emotion returned.
"Kazuichi… there are many things you don't know about me. About what it means to be a princess," she said sternly. "If we ever meet again, perhaps you'll think to ask."
Kazuichi drew away from her. "What… what…?"
"Let's give it everything we've got! Iiiiiiiiit's PUNISHMENT TIME!"
––
GAME OVER
Sonia has been elected.
Time for the punishment!
Hajime never thought he'd have to see it again.
A long chain tipped with a metal collar came shooting out of the entrance to the trial room, snaking around the students until it found the one it was looking for. Sonia, who always tried so hard to be proper and put on a brave face, cried out as the collar latched around her neck and yanked her away. She scrabbled at the collar, she dug her heels into the ground, but she couldn't even slow herself down. She was dragged out of the courtroom and disappeared into what looked like a large brick castle.
In Another Castle
Ultimate Princess Sonia Nevermind's Execution: Executed
Inside was a dark and enormous dungeon. The only light came from a series of spinning fire traps lining the hallway, and more notably, a massive pit of bubbling lava at the very end of the hall. Suspended above the lava pit was Sonia, tied to a large pole sticking up from the ground.
Monokuma entered the dungeon, and surprisingly, it looked like he was coming to her rescue. He raced down the hallway, jumping over the spinning fire traps with perfect timing. A bunch of weird little monsters that resembled mushrooms suddenly came crawling out of the brick walls, but Monokuma dispatched them with ease, jumping on their heads and flattening them one after another.
But Sonia's time was running out. The air was blisteringly hot. She was starting to choke.
Finally Monokuma made it to the lava pit, preparing to cross the narrow bridge that would lead him to Sonia. But suddenly, a huge monster covered in claws and spikes came crashing down from the ceiling, standing between the bear and the princess. It let out a roar and came charging at Monokuma, but still he showed no fear.
With an amazing leap, he jumped over the monster's head and ran to the other side of the bridge, where a large switch was resting on the ground. Before the monster could follow after him, he jumped on it.
The bridge suddenly collapsed… along with the pole that was holding up Sonia.
She and the monster both plummeted down, and her piercing shriek was abruptly cut off as she splashed into the lava. Her clothes and hair caught fire, the flesh melted off her bones, and soon there was just a bloody skeleton that sank to the bottom.
And back in the trial room, Hajime and the others stood in silence, watching the whole thing.
––
"WOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOO! Oh boy, does that feel good!" Monokuma cheered. "Such sweet, merciless despair… there's nothing like it in the world!"
Kazuichi was frozen. "Miss… Miss Sonia?" For a moment he just stared. Then he grabbed his head and screamed.
"Oh… oh God…" Ryota had gone green in the face, and now he doubled over and threw up behind his podium.
"No… Sonia…" Mahiru covered her mouth in horror before she broke down sobbing.
None of the other students were doing any better. Most of them followed Mahiru's example and started crying. Even Peko, who was stoic at all times, couldn't keep the tears out of her eyes.
And Hajime… he was the most hopeless of all. Because he'd known this would happen. He'd known, and he couldn't prevent it.
He hadn't been lying. He really did want to get back to the real world. He had to put a stop to this. But at the same time, he'd known his classmates wouldn't have it. He'd known they'd vote for Sonia.
He wondered why he'd even bothered speaking up… but he could just imagine Chiaki, looking at him with disappointment on her face. If there were some way to save the others, and he didn't even try to take it… she'd never forgive him.
Monokuma finally seemed to have calmed down from his despairgasm. "Hey, why the long faces? This means you're one step closer to rescuing sweet little Chiaki! Isn't that what you wanted?"
"We were all supposed to rescue her together… you know that," said Mahiru, arms folded, face red with tears.
"Are we finished here yet? Will you let us out of this godforsaken place?" the Imposter asked wearily.
"Oh, fine, fine. If you're gonna be such spoilsports, I don't wanna see your dumb faces anymore. Go on! Get outta here!"
"Don't be discouraged, everyone. We'll win this battle against despair! I'm sure of it!" Nagito said as he and the others started walking out of the courtroom to the elevator. Hajime didn't follow them. He stood where he was, glaring up at Monokuma.
"Hmm? What's the matter, Hajime? Wanting to spend some private afterschool time with your headmaster?"
"What is the point of all this, Monokuma?"
The other students all stopped and turned around.
"Why are you still doing these executions?" Hajime went on. "The previous Killing Games always had an audience. Our last one was being broadcasted to the Future Foundation. You were trying to lure them here." He pointed accusingly at the bear. "So what's the point? There's no one watching us here. It's just us."
Akane's eyes lit up. "Ooh, yeah, that's a good point!" she said. "Hah! Leave it to Hajime to figure that shit out."
"Hmph. You kids sure ask a lot of annoying questions," Monokuma grumbled. "I could give you any answer you want, but you'll know I'm lying. And I'll know you'll know. And you'll know that I know that you know, but you still won't know what I know that you don't know!"
"Wait, what? I'm lost," said Teruteru.
"Go home and rest up, kids! Because the next Adventure Phase begins at 7 am tomorrow on the dot!"
Monomi was still in her cage. "Hey! W-wait a minute! You're not going to leave me here, are you?"
And so Hajime and the others all left Monokuma Rock and returned to their cottages. It was the dead of night, and whether it was due to exhaustion or misery, no one said a thing to each other. In spite of everything, Hajime wasn't tired at all, and he found himself standing alone outside long after everyone else had gone to bed.
How could everything have gone so wrong in so short a time? Just this morning, Sonia and Gundham had been at the hotel with them. They had gone charging out the front door, eager and fearless, ready to face Monokuma's trials.
Where were they now? Were they in the real world, watching over the others? Or were they nowhere at all?
Something was moving in the darkness. Hajime almost missed it, but it was there past the rows of cottages, outside the gate. He jerked his head up.
He only saw her for an instant before she vanished into the shadows. But he recognized her beyond a doubt. That skirt. Those stockings. That hoodie.
"Chiaki?"
Surviving Students: 14
––
A/N: WOO! That was a marathon to write. Luckily it's a lot shorter than a Class Trial - I don't have the momentum to write one of those, let alone six. Hope you guys will stick around for the next part!
